think of God and study God but without Weariness Satiety or Distraction Secondly In Blessedness there is a Confluence of all Good To the Happiness of the Creature it is necessary that his Comforts should be full and eternal Psal. 16.11 In thy Presence is Fulness of Ioy and at thy right Hand are Pleasures for evermore 2 Cor. 4.18 The things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal That they may be full for Parts full for the Degrees and the manner of Enjoyment and that they should continue for ever that he may possess this Happiness without fear of losing it let us examine these things 1. He must injoy all Good for the Parts of it the whole Man in all his Relations must be blessed For Man being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sociable Creature is to be happy not only in his Person but in his Company and Relations so we hope for an Estate when our Persons shall be happy both in Body and Soul conformed to Christ and we shall be blessed in our Company and Relations we are brought into the Presence of God which is Blessedness it self and into the Sight and Fellowship of his blessed Son and into the Company of blessed Angels and Saints First The Happiness of his Person and there both of his Body and his Soul 1 st Of his Body It is good to consider that It is now a Temple of the Holy Ghost and he cannot leave his Mansion and quit his ancient Dwelling-Place and therefore he raiseth it up and formeth it again into a compleat Fashion like to Christ's glorious Body Phil. 3.21 Who shall change our vile Body that it may be like to his glorious Body for Clarity Agility Strength and Incorruption Solomon's Temple was destroyed but the latter Temple was nothing so glorious as the former Men wept when they saw it Ezra 3.12 But many of the Priests and Levites and chief of the Fathers who were ancient Men which had seen the first House when the Foundations of this House was laid before their Eyes wept with a loud Voice But it is not so here what is raised shall be quite another Body For the present there is to be seen a beautiful Fabrick wherein God hath shewed his Workmanship every Member if it were not so common would be a Miracle all is so ordered for the Service and Comeliness of the whole but now it is a vile Body subject to Diseases fed with Meat humbled with Wants many times mangled with Violence dissolved by Death and crumbled to Dust in the Grave like a dry Clod of Earth This is the Body that we carry about with us a Mass of Flesh dressed up to be a Dish for the Worms Men labour with a great deal of doe by embalming it with Spices to keep it from Putrefaction but all will not serve the turn it moulders at last But this vile Body shall rise in another manner like to Christ's glorious Body When the Sun appeareth the Stars vanish their lustre is eclipsed and darkned But the Sun of Righteousness when he appears at the last Day doth not obscure but perfect our Glory But wherein shall our Bodies be like to Christ's glorious Body The Apostle will tell us that in another Place 1 Cor. 15.42 43 44. It is sown in Corruption it is raised in Incorruption it is sown in Dishonour it is raised in Glory it is sown in Weakness it is raised in Power it is sown a natural Body it is raised a spiritual Body Let me single out three Expressions it is raised in Incorruption it is raised in Glory it is raised a spiritual Body 1. It is an incorruptible Body Now it yielded to the Decays of Nature and is exercised with Pains and Aches till at length it droppeth down like ripe Fruit into the Grave but hereafter it shall be clothed with Immortality wholly impassible What a Comfort is this to them that are racked with Stone and Gout humbled with Diseases or withered with Age to think they shall have a Body without Aches and without Decays that shall be always in the Spring of Youth The Trees of Paradise are always green 2. It is a glorious Body Here it is many times deformed at least Beauty like a Flower is lost in Sickness withered with Age defaced by the several Accidents of Life but then we shall be glorious like Christ's Body The naked Body of Man at first was so beautiful that the Beasts of the Field admired it and thereupon did Homage to Adam but we shall not be conformed to the first Adam but the second Adam When Christ was transfigured in the Mount it is said Matth. 17.2 His Face did shine as the Sun and his Raiment was white as the Light There was such strong Emissions of the Beams of Glory that they could not indure the Shining of his Garments but it astonished the Disciples his Garments could not vail nor their Eyes indure those Beams of Glory Paul could not indure that Light that shined on him when Christ appeared to him from Heaven but was utterly confounded and struck blind Acts 9.3 4. And as he journied he came near Damascus and suddenly there shined round about him a Light from Heaven and he fell to the Earth and heard a Voice saying unto him Saul Saul why persecutest thou me By this you may guess a little what the Glory of our Bodies shall be for we shall be like him Moses by conversing with God forty days the Complexion of his Face was altered so that he was forced to put a Vail upon it In this low Estate in which we are we must make use of these hints If we lose a Limb or a Joint he that healed Malchus his Ear will restore it again 3. It is a Spiritual Body either for Agility caught up into the Air to meet the Lord not clogged as now Or rather because more disposed for spiritual Uses for the Enjoyments and Employments of Grace Here it is a natural Body a great Clog to us it is not a dexterous Instrument to the Soul we are not in a Capacity to bear the new Wine of Glory there it is made more capacious as wide Vessels to contain all that God will give out The Disciples fainted at Christ's Transfiguration Mat. 17.6 And when the Disciples heard it they fell on their Faces and were sore afraid We cannot receive such large Diffusions and Overflowings of Glory as we shall then have every strong Affection and raised Thought doth overset us and causeth Extasy and Ravishment eminent Objects overwhelm the Faculty But there it is otherwise God maketh out himself to us in a greater Latitude and we are more able to bear it 2 dly For the Blessedness of the Soul which is the Heaven of Heaven Our Happiness is called the Inheritance of the Saints in Light Col. 1.12 Giving Thanks to the Father who hath made us meet to be Partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in
this as a Reason why Abraham was a Stranger in the promised Land there where he had most right yet he dwelt in Tents Heb. 11.9 10. For he looked for a City which hath Foundations Abraham had other Expectations he did not look upon the walled Cities of the Amorites but upon Heaven that was founded by God himself he had other Thoughts They that live to the World and to the Flesh never tasted what eternal Life means Look as the Israelites longed for the Flesh-Pots of Egypt before they had tasted the Clusters of Canaan so here the Heart is carried out after better things the Soul must have some Oblectation and Delight for Love cannot be idle it is carried out to present things if we know no better See how fitly they are joined together in the Text denying worldly Lusts and looking for the blessed Hope thereby do we come to deny worldly Lusts by looking for the blessed Hope We should soon return to worldly Lusts if we do not often look up and consider what God hath provided for us in Heaven A Man whose Heart is much in Heaven his Affections are preingaged and therefore the World doth him little hurt Birds are seldom taken in their Flight but when they pitch and rest O if we had more of these heavenly Flights if the Soul did mount upward more it would better escape the Snares of worldly things 3. It urgeth to Care Diligence and Constancy in Obedience Hope is the great Spring that sets the Wheels a-going Phil. 3.13 14. Forgetting those things that are behind and reaching forward towards those things that are before I press towards the Mark for the Prize of the High-calling of God in Christ. What is the Reason Paul was so earnest that a little Grace would not content him but he was striving for more so earnestly and zealously he was called to injoy a high Prize a glorious Reward There is an excellent Glory set before us this Race is not for Trifles Christians are the more cold and careless in the spiritual Life because they do not oftner think of Heaven The End quickens to the Use of Means as it is the measure of the Means so it sweetens the Means notwithstanding all Difficulty Why because it will bring us to such an End 1 Cor. 15.58 Be ye stedfast unmovable always abounding in the Work of the Lord forasmuch as you know your Labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. You can never do enough for the Lord Why Your Labour is not in vain in the Lord. This will make you to be instant and earnest and to hold out to the End in the midst of Difficulties Heaven will pay for all You have no cause to begrudg God any Service though it put the Body to Pains and Labours do not spare it Christ will honour it sufficiently The Apostle hath an Expression 2 Thess. 1.10 That Christ will be glorified in his Saints and admired in all them that believe The Soul will remember the Body as Pharaoh's Butler did Ioseph How in Prayer and Fasting and holy Exercises And when Christ comes to raise the Body he will put so much Glory and Clarity upon it that the Angels shall stand wondring what Christ is about to do with a poor Creature that is but newly crept out of Dust and Rottenness Before a Feast we use to take a Walk There is a World of Glory provided for us in Heaven though the Work of God be painful yet it is very fruitful God will reward you as much as you can desire and this makes you to be earnest and zealous and to labour in the spiritual Life We compare the Pains of Duty with the Pleasure of Sin but the Comparison is not rightly made you should compare the Pleasure of Sin with the Reward I confess you may compare Christ's Worst with the World 's Best the Pains of Duty with the Pleasure of Sin the former is more sweet to a gracious Heart but the Comparison should rather be made thus Compare the base dreggy Pleasures of Sin with those pure Pleasures that are at God's right Hand and with the Happiness that is to come which we expect in Christ. 4. It maketh us upright and sincere in what we do That 's Hypocrisy and Guile of Spirit to look a-squint upon secular Rewards You know the Hypocrites that Christ taxeth when they Pray Fast and do other Duties to be seen of Men they have their Reward Matth. 6.2 They have given God a Discharge they look for no more than they have already As hired Servants must have present Wages and Pay in Hand they wait not for the Inheritance as Children do so carnal Affections they look to the Rewards here below If they may have the World and live in Honour and Pleasure here they give God an Acquittance for any thing else But now this is Sincerity to make God our Pay-master to do all we do upon the Incouragement of the blessed Hope Col. 3.24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the Reward of the Inheritance for ye serve the Lord Christ. You have a Master good enough you need not look else-where for your Wages And nothing on this side Heaven will satisfy the Soul nothing but these glorious Hopes 5. This blessed Hope it supports the Soul under Afflictions and Difficulties that do befal us in a Course of Godliness We counter-ballance what we feel with what we expect We feel nothing but Trouble yet it is not in vain to serve God I confess we are apt to think so saith David Psal. 73.13 14. Verily I have cleansed my Heart in vain and washed my Hands in Innocency For all the Day long have I been plagued and chastned every Morning My Innocency is to no purpose Mal. 3.14 Ye have said it is in vain to serve God and what Profit is it that we have kept his Ordinance It is a usual Temptation for we measure all things by Sense and Feeling and Sense makes Lies of God Ah but consider that which you feel is not worthy to be named the same Day with that which you hope for Rom. 8.18 I reckon that the Sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the Glory that shall be revealed in us Glory is revealed to our Ears in the Gospel but it will be revealed in us hereafter 2 Cor. 4.17 Our light Affliction which is but for a Moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory Alas this light Affliction is but the Scratch of a Pin compared with the weighty massy Crown of Glory For saith the Apostle we look not at the things which are seen but at the things that are not seen Christians what do you make your Scope for that is the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Is it to preserve your Interests to live delicately then the blessed Hope is not for your turn but when you have fixed your Hopes upon these things you will see this is
Heart sanctified 1064 Motives to get the Heart sanctified ibid. Heaven In Heaven the removal of all Evil of Sin and Affliction 116 117 And the confluence of all Good 118 The Happiness of the Body in Heaven 119 The Happiness of the Soul in Heaven 120 The Company of Heaven 122 Whether the Knowledg or Love of God in Heaven is to be preferred 120 Inferences from the Happiness of Heaven 123 His. In what sense God's People are his 1028 Holiness with respect to our Relation to God what it is 740 Positive Holiness of our Persons and Actions what 741 Gospel Holiness how prophesied of in the Old Testament 738 Why we should be more eminent in Holiness in Gospel-Times than in Times of the Law 742 Exhortation to Holiness 718 Directions to Holiness 744 Holiness of Christ as to his Person and Office 712 Honour what it is 1226 Hope Act what it implies 972 Vid. Expectation Looking The Object of it 1104 The Properties of it ibid. The Necessity of it 1222 The Encouragements of it 1223 Hope the Fruit of Regeneration and of Experience 723 Hope Object Hope set before us what it is and why so called 231 What it is to run to take hold of the Hope set before us ibid. The Hope of a Christian a blessed Hope 116 Vid. Blessedness Humane Nature of Christ. Why Christ must be Man 1084 Vid. Incarnation Christ partaking of the humane Nature a Foundation for Faith 1086 Humiliation of Christ three Steps of it 862 How far Christ was lessened or humbled 861 Christ's Humiliation was voluntary 863 Christ's Humiliation was for our sakes ibid. The Ends and Reasons of Christ's Humiliation 864 1091 I IGnorance several Distinctions about it 1147 1148 All Ignorance not sinful 857 How far it excuseth from Sin 1147 The Evil and Danger of Ignorance 33 Immortality what it is 1226 A threefold Immortality 1163 The Immortality of the Soul Vid. Soul Motives to look after immortal Blessedness 1174 Immutable Things God's Word and Oath are two immutable things 205 How we should improve these two immutable things 207 How we should meditate on these two immutable things ibid. When we should meditate on them 210 Impotency It is impossible for Man of his own Strength to get to Heaven 404 Whence this Impotency ariseth 405 The Reasons of this Impotency 407 Incouragements against our Impotency ibid. Incarnation of Christ the Reasons of it 535 Vid. Humane Nature Injuries to be done to no Man 82 Injuries of others to be born with Patience 85 Intercession of Christ what it is 1147 Inventions How Man sought out many Inventions 1154 What are these Inventions 1155 Why they are said to be many Inventions 1158 The Folly and Mischief of Man's Inventions 1154 Inward Man It is a comfortable thing when the inward Man is in good state 428 Joy in God Vid. Rejoicing Judgment-Day why called a Day 277 Why it is to be preached 1035 1036 The Judgment-Day an Argument to press Repentance 279 Why Christ as Judg of the World is called Man and the Son of Man 278 Justice to do as we would be done by how to be understood 86 Why we are to be just and righteous 87 Rules of Justice 82 Vid. Righteousness Just Man What is meant by the just Man 1053 Just Men will discourse to Edification ibid. Vid. Tongue K KIngs Believers are Kings and how 1182 Kingdom That Christ hath a spiritual Kingdom 847 The Administration of Christ's Kingdom two-fold internal and external 715 This Kingdom of Christ should be submitted to and why 849 What makes Men dislike Christ's Reign and Government 851 The Gospel-Kingdom is a Kingdom of Light Life and Love 794 What is opposite to the Gospel-Kingdom 795 Knowledg How Christ grew in Knowledg and Wisdom â—55 Known What it is to be known of God 873 Why they that know God so as to love him are known of God 874 How God knows his People 1182 L LAid How Sin was laid on Christ 1126 Sin being laid on Christ is taken off from the Creature 1127 Lamb. Christ and a Lamb compared 1116 Christ and the Sacrifice Lamb compared 1117 Christ and the Paschal Lamb compared ibid. What of Christ is represented to us in the Paschal Lamb 1118 How we are to behold Christ as the Lamb of God 1122 Law How the Law shuts Men up under Sin 308 Laws of Christ the Nature of them 851 Directions for Obedience to Christ's Laws 854 Lenity of the Gospel opened 265 Life eternal who they are that shall enjoy it 1230 Light of Faith compared with the Light of Sense Reason Prophecy and Glory 971 Light of Faith and Prophecy how they agree and how they differ 477 Long-suffering of God a great Mercy 940 Looking Looking to the blessed Hope what it is 105 What Influence thâ—s looking to the blessed Hope hath to work us to a spiritual Life 108 Inferences from hence 110 Directions how to look for the blessed Hope 115 How we are to look to Christ 755 Looking for Christ's Coming what is implied in it 137 The Advantage of it 135 Trial whether we look for Christ's Coming 138 Looking to eternal things what it implies 970 Those that look to eternal things can do and suffer great things for God 973 Directions to look to eternal things 977 Lord. When God is honoured as the supreme Lord 38 Lost. In what sense we are said to be lost 884 Sense of our lost Condition necessary ibid. How Christ seeks and saves that that was lost Vid. Seeking Saving Love what it is 1102 The Objects of it ibid. The Acts of it 1103 Love must be abounding and wherein 431 Love of Christ in our Redemption 515 1178 The Properties of the Love of Christ 1179 Christ loves those that have amiable Qualities and the Reasons of it 325 What Vse we should not make of this Love of Christ 326 What Vse we should make of it ibid. What Love Christ hath to moral Vertues now in Heaven 329 Love to God What sincere Love to God is 869 The Object of it ibid. The Acts of it 870 Wherein the Sincerity of Love to God is seen 872 Marks of sincere Love to God 876 Love to God should be joined with our Knowledg of God 875 Why Love to God should be exercised at the Sacrament 876 How it should be exercised at the Sacrament ib. Love of the World They that love the World will renounce Christ 362 How the Love of the World makes us uncapable of serving God 363 Lusts what they are 42 Lusts to be checked and why 53 Lusts worldly what they are and why so called 43 Some Distinctions about worldly Lusts ib. Lusts of the Flesh Lusts of the Eye and Pride of Life what is meant by them 44 45 46 Worldly Lusts unsutable to the New Nature 50 Those that are under the Power of worldly Lusts have no Interest in Christ 51 What it is to deny worldly Lusts 46 The difficulty of denying worldly Lusts 48 How Grace teacheth us
be had at Mr. Nathaniel Manton's at the 3 Pigeons in the Poultrey A TABLE of the Texts treated on in this Fourth Volume Part I. TITUS 2.11 For the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all Men Ver. 12. Teaching us that denying Vngodliness and worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present World Ver. 13. Looking for that blessed Hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Iesus Christ Ver. 14. Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works In 22 Sermons pag. 1. Heb. 6.18 That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie we might have a strong Consolation who have fled for Refuge to lay hold upon the Hope set before us In 5 Sermons p. 195 John 14.1 Let not your Heart be troubled ye believe in God believe also in me In 2 Sermons p. 235 Luke 12.48 For unto whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required and to whom Men have committed much of him they will ask the more In 2 Sermons p. 249 Deut. 32.51 Because ye trespassed against me among the Children of Israel at the Waters of Meribah-Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the Children of Israel In 1 Sermon p. 267 Acts 17.30 And the times of this Ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all Men every where to repent Ver. 31. Because he hath appointed a Day in the which he will judg the World in Righteousness by that Man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given Assurance unto all Men in that he hath raised him from the Dead In 1 Sermon p. 275 Mark 10.17 And when he was gone forth into the way there came one running and kneeled to him and asked him Good Master what shall I do that I may inherit eternal Life Ver. 18. And Iesus said unto him Why callest thou me Good there is none Good but one that is God Ver. 19. Thou knowest the Commandments Do not commit Adultery Do not kill Do not steal Do not bear false Witness Defraud not Honour thy Father and Mother Ver. 20. And he answered and said unto him Master all these have I observed from my Youth Ver. 21. Then Iesus beholding him loved him and said unto him One thing thou lackest go thy way sell whatsoever thou hast and give to the Poor and thou shalt have Treasure in Heaven and come take up the Cross and follow me Ver. 22. And he was sad at the Saying and went away grieved for he had great Possessions Ver. 23. And Iesus looked round about and saith unto his Disciples How hardly shall they that have Riches enter into the Kingdom of God Ver. 24. And the Disciples were astonished at his Words but Iesus answereth again and saith unto them Children how hard is it for them that trust in Riches to enter into the Kingdom of God Ver. 25. It is easier for a Camel to go through the Eye of a Needle than for a rich Man to enter into the Kingdom of God Ver. 26. And they were astonished out of Measure saying among themselves Who then can be saved Ver. 27. And Iesus looking upon them saith With Men it is impossible but not with God for with God all things are possible In 15 Sermons p. 284 2 Thess. 1.3 We are bound to thank God always for you Brethren as it is meet because that your Faith groweth exceedingly and the Charity of every one of you all towards each other aboundeth In 5 Sermons p. 420 Matth. 8.5 And when Iesus was entred into Capernaum there came unto him a Centurion beseeching him Ver. 6. And saying unto him Lord my Servant lieth at home sick of the Pâ—lsie grievously tormented Ver. 7. And Iesus saith unto him I will come and heal him Ver. 8. The Centurion answered and said Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my Roof but speak the Word only and my Servant shall be healed Ver. 9. For I am a Man under Authority having Souldiers under me and I say unto this Man Go and be goeth and to another Come and he cometh and to my Servant Do this and he doth it Ver. 10. When Iesus heard it he marvelled and said to them that followed Verily I say unto you I have not found so great Faith no not in Israel In 1 Sermon p. 459 Matth. 15.21 Then Iesus went thence and departed into the Coasts of Tyre and Sidon Ver. 22. And behold a Woman of Canaan came out of the same Coasts and cried unto him saying Have Mercy on me O Lord thou Son of David my Daughter is grievously vexed with a Devil Ver. 23. But he answered her not a Word and his Disciples came and besought him saying Send her away for she crieth after us Ver. 24. But he answered and said I am not sent but unto the lost Sheep of the House of Israel Ver. 25. Then came she and worshipped him saying Lord help me Ver. 26. But he answered and said It is not meet to take the Childrens Bread and to cast it to Dogs Ver. 27. And she said Truth Lord yet the Dogs eat of the Crumbs which fall from their Master's Table Ver. 28. Then Iesus answered and said unto her O Woman great is thy Faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt and her Daughter was made whole from that very Hour In 1 Sermon p. 466 John 8.56 Your Father Abraham rejoiced to see my Day and he saw it and was glad In 1 Sermon p. 474 Rom. 4.18 Who against Hope believed in Hope that he might become the Father of many Nations according to that which was spoken So shall thy Seed be Ver. 19. And being not weak in Faith he considered not his own Body now dead when he was about an hundred Years old neither yet the Deadness of Sarah's Womb. Ver. 20. He staggered not at the Promise of God through Vnbelief but was strong in Faith giving Glory to God Ver. 21. And being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform In 1 Sermon p. 482 Mark 3.5 And Iesus looked round about on them with Anger being grieved for the Hardness of their Hearts In 3 Sermons p. 497 Exod. 4.21 I will harden his Heart that he shall not let my People go In 2 Sermons p. 519 Gen. 3.15 It i. e. the Seed of the Woman shall bruise thy Head and thou shalt bruise his Heel In 2 Sermons p. 533 Gen. 24.63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the Field at the Even-tide In 10 Sermons p. 601 Part II. LUKE 16.30 And he said Nay Father Abraham but if one went unto them from the dead they will repent Ver. 31. And he said unto him If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead In 2 Sermons p. 671 Heb. 13.20 Now the
Godliness 2 Tim. 3.5 Having a Form of Godliness but denying the Power thereof This is the greatest Ungodliness that can be they will not own his Authority in their Hearts nor suffer him to have any Dominion in their Conscience nor own him without in their Actions before Men. The Heart is his Chair of State and Chamber of Presence but Hypocrites and wicked Men rob God of his Dominion over the Conscience therefore Hypocrisy is practical Blasphemy Rev. 2.9 I know the Blasphemy of them that say they are Iews and are not but are the Synagogue of Satan Men pretend to obey God yet blaspheme him in their Heart and refuse the Power of that to which they pretend And the Life must be conformed to God's Laws God will be honoured in our Conversation as well as have his Throne set up in the Conscience his Laws must be visibly obeyed in the Sight of Men. It is the Glory of a Commander to be obeyed Matth. 8.9 I am a Man under Authority having Souldiers under me and I say to one Go and he goeth and to another Come and he cometh and to my Servant Do this and he doth it So God will have all the World know that he hath his Servants at a beck If he bids them deny and abstain the Flesh O they durst not meddle with it or if he bids them practise Holiness they must do it his Honour is much promoted by your Lives God will have all the World see that he hath called you to his Foot and that he hath an absolute Authority and Power over the Sons of Men they are a People formed for his Praise he looks for Glory in this kind Fourthly God will be honoured as the last and utmost End and so in all Acts natural moral and spiritual If we do not aim at God's Glory we are guilty of Ungodliness This is the proper Work of Godliness to refer all we do to the Glory of God and this is the Distinction between Godliness and Holiness Holiness minds the Law of God and implies only a Conformity to the Law Godliness minds the Glory of God and is the Aim of the Soul to exalt God 2 Pet. 3.11 What manner of Persons ought we to be in all Holy Conversation and Godliness You see Godliness is distinguished from Holiness Godliness refers all we do to God's Glory But more particularly 1. In natural Acts we must have a supernatural Aim 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the Glory of God If we are to take a Meal to sustain the Body and refresh Nature it is that we may be more serviceable to God And he that eats and drinks to himself to his own Pleasure to satisfy his own Appetite and hath no Respect to God he doth but offer a Meat-Offering and a Drink-Offering to an Idol And he that traffiques for himself meerly to get Wealth and doth not aim at Usefulness and Serviceableness to God he is a Priest consecrated to Mammon his eating is Idolatry Phil. 3.19 VVhose God is his Belly and his trading is Idolatry Matth. 6.24 Ye cannot serve God and Mammon 2. In your moral Actions Ephes. 6. where all moral Duties are reciprocally set down as Duties of Husbands and Wives Masters and Servants Parents and Children the Apostle presseth them to do all as in and to the Lord not merely that they may live together in Contentment and Peace but they must walk in their Relations so as God may have Honour A Christian by an excellent Art turns his second Table-Duties into first Table-Duties and makes his civil Commerce a kind of Religious Worship 3. So in all spiritual Acts The whole Ordination of the spiritual Life must be to God I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live unto God Gal. 2.19 All the Motions and Tendencies of the Soul are to advance God and glorify God In the very spiritual internal Actions and Reachings forth of the Soul after God why do I desire to have Grace and Pardon That God may be glorified that must be the last End Our Desires can never be regular in asking Grace till they suit with God's End in giving Grace Now what are God's Ends in giving Grace Eph. 1.6 To the Praise of the Glory of his Grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved All that God aims at is to make Grace glorious and that Grace may carry away all the Praise So in your Desires of Pardon Heaven and Salvation you are to desire them that God may be glorified in your Salvation and in the Pardon of your Sins So in our external Actions Prayer Worship Preaching whatever we do In sacred things it is dangerous to look asquint and to serve our selves our own Lusts our Covetousness or Pride upon the Worship of God this is to put Dung in God's own Cup. It were a mighty Affront to a King to fill his Cup full of Excrements Nothing alienates the Heart from God so much as Self-respect God hath given us many things but he hath reserved the Glory of all to himself as Pharaoh said to Ioseph Gen. 41.40 Thou shalt be over my House and according unto thy VVord shall all my People be ruled only in the Throne will I be greater than thou This is the first Branch of Ungodliness the Negative Part when we deny God his due Honour II. For the Positive Part. Positive Ungodliness is more gross when we put an actual Contempt and Scorn upon God We are guilty of this when we slight his Providence and disobey his Laws 1 st When we slight his Providence Heb. 12.5 My Son despise not thou the Chastening of the Lord. Men harden themselves against Corrections and count light of them Men cannot indure to have their Anger despised When the three Children despised Nebuchadnezzar's Threatnings it is said Dan. 3.19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of Fury and the Form of his Visage was changed against Shadrach Meshech and Abednego therefore he spake and commanded that they should heat the Furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heat It is a mighty Affront to God and a Contempt of him when we provoke him while we are under his afflicting Hand if in Despite of God we break out into Sin when he hedgeth up our way with Thorns 2 Chron. 28.22 And in the time of his Distress did he trespass yet more against the Lord. This is that King Ahaz 2 dly When we are disobedient to his Laws Open Irreligion is a Despite to God when we cast off his Yoke This is Ungodliness in the Height when God is not only neglected but rejected Ier. 2.31 VVe are Lords we will come no more unto thee We would be absolute Masters of our own Wills This was the first Bait Gen 3.5 Ye shall be as Gods knowing Good and Evil. This endeth in open Prophaneness which groweth upon Men by Degrees as Lactantius said of Lucian Nec
must not be Offence in Quantity Fulness of Bread was one of Sodom's Sins Ezek. 16.49 that is Excess in the Use of the Creature Now how shall we state this Excess Not merely by the Custom of Nations for Sins may be authorized by general Practice as Sodom's Sin was Fulness of Bread Not merely by the Greatness of the Estate Plenty doth not warrant Excess If a Man have never so much Cloth yet he would not make his Garment too big for him If the Meat be too salt it is no Excuse to the Cook to say he had good store of Salt by him So will it be no Plea that God hath given you Plenty and a great Estate to warrant you in your Excess The Heart may be over-charged when the Purse is not Neither must it be measured by the Capacity of the Stomach Christ doth not say Take heed you do not over-charge your Stomach with Surfeiting and Drunkenness but your Heart Luke 21.34 Some Men are strong to drink Wine they are Tubs and Hogsheads as Ambrose calls them rather than Men. But it is not when the Stomach is overcharged but the Conscience when it grows secure and carnal or the Heart when it is not fit for Duties less apt to be lifted up to God in Prayers and Thanksgivings and the Mind cannot be lifted up to heavenly things So that the Measure in this kind must be our Fitness to perform the Duties of our general and particular Calling and when that is exceeded then we sin 2. For the Quality We must not hanker after Quails and desire dainty Food that 's a sign Lust is made wanton and Nature being perverted is grown delicate which otherwise aimeth but at Necessaries Indeed it is God's great Indulgence to us to give such things as are Refreshments to Nature not only for Support but Delight The Substance of our Food might suffice to nourish but God hath created them with Smell Taste and Colours for our greater Delight but we must not be too curious this is nourishing your Hearts as in a Day of Slaughter Jam. 5.5 And still the Disposition increaseth Therefore it is good to check Curiosity at first Curiosity in Diet God takes notice of Deut. 14.21 Thou shalt not sethe a Kid in his Mother's Milk affecting excessively the pleasing of the Palat with too much Curiosity It is said of the rich Glutton He fared sumptuously every Day Luke 16.19 I know Feasts are allowed and sometimes a more liberal Use of the Creature Christ honoured a Feast with a Miracle of changing Water into Wine But a constant Delicacy brings a Brawn upon the Heart and a Wantonness upon the Appetite When Men do nothing else but knit Pleasure to Pleasure they nourish their Hearts that is rear up their Lusts and are fond of the Flesh. We are still to maintain and carry on the spiritual Conflict and therefore this Curiosity and hunting after Novelties is contrary to the Intent of the Christian Life which is a War with the Flesh not to make it wanton 3. The manner of injoying the Creature It must be with Caution and with Piety 1 st With Caution Iob sacrificed while his Sons feasted Iob 1.5 We are apt to forget God most when he is best to us and when our Hearts are warmed and inflamed with high and good Chear we are apt to sin therefore your Heart should not be let loose to the fruition of outward Comforts It is ill to trust Appetite without a Guard as it is to trust a Child among a Company of Poisons Prov. 23.1 2. When thou sittest to eat with a Ruler consider diligently what is before thee And put a Knife to thy Throat if thou be a Man given to Appetite That 's Solomon's Advice And rejoice as if you rejoiced not 1 Cor. 7.31 Consider you are in the midst of Dangers and Temptations When these Baits are before you Self-denial is put to the Exercise and here you are tried to see what Command you have over your selves Men lay aside all Care when they go to festival Meetings It were well to lay aside worldly Cares that you might not eat the Bread of Sorrow but take heed of a secret Snare you should not lay aside spiritual Care 2 dly You must use them with Piety God must not be banished from our Delights and Refreshments we must receive them from God enjoy them in God and refer them to God We must receive them from God who is the Author the Giver the Allower and the Sanctifier of them You must take all your Comforts out of God's Hands with Thanksgiving then your Table will not so easily be made a Snare How sweet is this when you can say in good Conscience Lord thou hast provided this for me this is the Comfort thou hast allowed me The Apostle saith 1 Tim. 4.5 6. Every Creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with Thanksgiving for it is sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer In the Word God hath declared the Use to be lawful there we understand our Liberty and Right by Christ and in Prayer we ask God's Leave and Blessing that so we may act Faith upon his Providence for Man doth not live by Bread alone he must receive his Strength and Nourishment from God All the Creatures since the Fall are armed with a Curse and therefore we had need take them as Blessings out of God's Hand in and through Jesus Christ. And we must enjoy them in God God must not be forgotten when he remembers us as you refresh the Body with Food let the Soul be refreshed too by Meditation that 's the Soul's Refreshment Consider his Liberality how many things doth God give at a Feast It is God that gives Wealth to furnish our Table Health to use them Peace to meet together and Christ hath purchased Liberty that we may make use of all these Blessings The Soul must have its Refreshment And so may we meditate upon Christ's Sweetness the Fatness of God's House In Luke 14. when Christ was eating Bread in the Pharisee's House then he discoursed of the spiritual Wedding-Supper and of eating Bread in his Father's Kingdom Then you must use them to God as the End and Scope 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatever you do do all to the Glory of God No Pleasure should be its own End The immediate End is the Sustentation of the Body but the remote End should be Service and God's Glory We do not eat to eat but eat to live Pleasure is the Handmaid of Nature but not the Guide The End of Eating is to repair the Strength which hath been weakned in Duty and fit us to attend upon Duty again Eccles. 10.17 Thy Princes eat in due Season for Strength and not for Drunkenness not for mere Delight but for Service Thus you see what it is to be sober in the Use of Meats and Drinks III d Branch Sobriety in Apparel The
Desires till he come again in person to convey us into his Father's Bosom It is a mysterious Instrument and Means God hath found out to convey Comfort and Grace to the Soul to work out a Union between him and the Creature We do not only draw nigh to God but are united to him It is the Beginning and Antipast of Glory so much Christ intimates Mat. 26.29 I will not henceforth drink of the fruit of the Vine until the day when I drink it new with you in my Father's Kingdom It is a Taste of the new Wine we shall drink with Christ those spiritual Consolations we shall receive from him in his Kingdom 7. Keeping the Sabbath-day holy It is a sure mark of an ungodly Person to be a Sabbath-breaker as a conscionableness to celebrate it to God's Glory is both a mark and a work of Godliness It is the description of the godly Eunuch Isa. 56.4 Thus saith the Lord to the Eunuchs that keep my Sabbaths and choose the things that please me and take hold of my Covenant Mark it is one of the chiefest things that is taken notice of there the observation of God's own Day If you would exercise your selves to Godliness this is a great means Prophaning the Lord's Day is the cause of Prophaneness all the week after and so a careless keeping the Lord's Day is the cause of the Carelesness and Formality you are guilty of in the business of Religion God hath appointed this Day for a repose for the Soul that by a long uninterrupted continuance in Worship it might be more seasoned and fit to converse with God all the week after Dost thou love Christ then observe his Day Ignatius calls it the Queen of Days The primitive Christians were very careful of the Sabbath they would run all hazards rather than not keep the Sabbath-day When they were accused as guilty of Sabbath-violation they would answer I am a Christian how can I choose but love the Lord's Day This is the Day wherein we do most solemnly and publickly profess the Worship of God therefore it is to be celebrated with all care Thus much for the Description of Godliness from the Disposition of the Heart and the Duties about which it is conversant II. I am to speak of the Exercise of Godliness 1 Tim. 4.7 Exercise thy self to Godliness It must be exercised both in Worship and Conversation 2 Pet. 3.11 What manner of Persons ought ye to be in all holy Conversation and Godliness First In Worship What is the part and office of Godliness in Worship 1. There must be a care that it be right God will not be at the Creature 's carving his Honour is best kept up by his own Institutions and therefore he will accept nothing but what he requires The Woman of Samaria as soon as she was converted enquired after the right Worship Christ had convinced her of Lewdness and living in Adultery Iohn 4.18 The Man thou now hast is not thy Husband The great thing that troubled her was her present standing and the Superstition she was nuzled and brought up in ver 20. Our Fathers worshipped in this Mountain and ye say that in Jerusalem is the Place where Men ought to worship Assoon as Men are awakened that is the question they can no longer be content with their ignorant sensless careless ceremonial worshipping of God and say Thus our Fathers did this will not serve the Conscience when it is a little stirred It is said of the People of God Ier. 50.5 They shall ask the way to Sion with their Faces thitherward Sion was the place of God's Residence and solemn Worship and it is the disposition of his People still to be inquisitive after the way to Sion how God is worshipped I speak not this to unsettle Men and to draw them to Scepticism and Irresolution but partly that they might settle upon better grounds than Tradition publick Consent and the Example of Men. Cyprian observes that this is the reason Men are so fickle so inconstant so soon off and on they do not practise those things upon good grounds None so unconstant as they that practise things right and good but not upon Principles And partly that Men may not content themselves with a cheap Worship such as costs them nothing as when they do not enquire about the grounds and reasons of what they do or when they do but even as others do We should be still searching and proving what is acceptable unto the Lord Eph. 5.10 and seek for Knowledg as for Silver and search for her as for hid Treasures Prov. 3.4 It is a thing of great care and exactness to be a Christian to be right in God's Worship Usually Men serve God at random and at peradventure and if they be right it is but a happy Mistake they do not enquire and search and so miss of a great deal of Comfort Settlement and Experience in the Way of God 2. There is required Constancy and Zeal in the Profession of God's Worship This is Religion to be zealous for God's Institutions to contend for the Faith of the Saints and hate what is contrary to right Worship and sound Doctrine Psal. 119.104 Through thy Precepts I get Vnderstanding therefore I hate every false Way And ver 128. Therefore I esteem all thy Precepts concerning all things to be right and I hate every false Way This is the effect of the knowledg of the Truth to hate all Falshood Idolatry and Superstition as much as they love God's Institutions that they may not be entangled and so either deceive others or be deceived themselves by the Craft of them that lie in wait for such an Enterprize Whenever they hear or read any such Doctrines the Heart nauseateth them there is a rising of Heart not only against Corruptions of Manners but Falshood of Doctrine But if Men be indifferent come what may come Christ or Antichrist they care not greatly their Religion is worth nothing If you do not hate Heresy and corruption in Worship there is no true Religion or Godliness in you Hereticks and Men in a false way seldom hate one another tho they differ in Principles Why because they have not a love to Truth but those that love the Truth prize the Institutions of God there 's a keen displeasure in their Hearts against any false Way 3. There must be frequency in the practice of it God and their Souls must not grow strangers Things that are not used contract Rust as a Key seldom turned in the Lock turns with difficulty so it will not stand with your spiritual Welfare to omit Duty long Much spiritual Exercise keeps the Soul in Health and sweet as the oftner they drain the Well the sweeter the Water is By running and breathing your selves every day you are the fitter to run in a Race so the oftner you come into God's Presence the greater Confidence and Freedom and Enlargement it will bring The way to be fervent
Interest and are drawn with the Cords of a Man as first the Fire is kindled and then it sendeth forth much Smoak afterwards we love God out of pure Affection at length as the new Nature gathers Strength and Perfection Men rejoice in God's Glory as much as in their own Salvation it is a simple Act of Adoration in Heaven it will be so we shall rejoice in God's Glory as much as in our own Interest and Profit 2. It informs us of the Reason why the World and Sin have such a Power over Men why they lie under the Power of present things we do not awaken our Hopes and consider Blessedness to come so much as we should It is not only a difference between Sinners and Saints but between Christian and Christian one is more heavenly than another As there is a difference between ordinary Subjects and Courtiers those that are always in their Princes Eye and Company are more polite in their Manners than others so the oftner the Soul is in God's Court the more holy our Hopes will have an Influence upon our Practice It is Hope that carries the Soul aloft out of the reach of Temptation as Birds when flying on high in the Air need not fear Nets nor Snares nor the Crafts of the Fowler Keep Hope alive and then a Christian cannot fail Heb. 3.6 Whose House we are if we hold fast the Confidence and the rejoycing of Hope firm unto the end If a Man had such a lively Hope and some taste and feeling of Heaven and Blessedness to come and a constant groaning after them if we could but glory in our Hopes as much as if we had present Possession then we need not fear miscarrying 3. It informs us that it is a false Hope that doth not urge to Practice and Strictness of Life Some Men make full account to go to Heaven but make no preparation for it their Course is another way there is not only an Unsutableness to their Hopes but a Contrariety If there were only an Unsutableness it were enough to discover the Cheat for we are to be made meet to be Partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light Col. 1.12 and to walk worthy of God who hath called us to his Kingdom and Glory 1 Thess. 2.12 and to walk worthy of the Vocation wherewith we are called Ephes. 4.1 There is a Sutableness between a Man and his great Hopes When David was a Shepherd he spent his time in keeping his Father's Sheep and had the Heart of a Shepherd but when he was called to be King then he behaved himself like a King like a Shepherd of the People So a Christian discovers his Hopes in his Disposition and in his Practice and doth walk as an Heir of the Grace of Life There may be a slight Hope which hath no Efficacy but those serious Sighs and hearty Groans I speak of certainly they will work a Sutableness in the Temper of our Hearts and the Constitution of our Souls and we shall be more holy there will be more worthy walking more Detestation of Sin more Contempt of the World more Diligence in the Spiritual Life When you walk as if your Hopes were altogether in this World when Princes in Scarlet embrace a Dunghil when those that are called to great and glorious Hopes live as if their Happiness were only here below heaping up Wealth Treasure and Worldly Conveniences to themselves it is a Lamentation If you saw a Man labouring in filthy Ditches and sullying himself as poor Men do with Mire and Dirt who would believe he were an Heir apparent to a Crown and called to inherit a Kingdom So when we live as Men of the World when there is an Unsutableness between us and our Hopes how do we walk as the Heirs of Grace But now when there is not only an Unsutableness but an open Contrariety in their Practice and yet they think to go to Heaven it is as if a Man whose Journey lay North should travel just South Can that Man look to be filled up with God when God is not in all his Thoughts Can he long for the Company of Christ that slights his Ordinances Can he prize the Communion of Saints to whom good Company is a Prison Can he look for an immaculate and sinless State to whom Purity is an Eye-sore and who hates the Power of Godliness Yet many such deceive themselves with false Hopes when there is not only Unsutableness but a plain Contrariety 4. It informs us That an assured Interest in Heaven is no Ground of Loosness or Laziness Comfort serves to quicken but not to slacken our Endeavours The more we look for Heaven the more it engageth us to Strictness of Life The Apostle after he had professed his Assurance We are confident and willing rather to be absent from the Body and to be present with the Lord 2 Cor. 5.8 What then v. 9. Wherefore we labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him Here is a sure Recompence our great Care is that we may live and die in his Grace because we are confident we shall live with the Lord when we depart from the Body Jude 21. Keep your selves in the Love of God looking for the Mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ unto Eternal Life When God is so gracious in Christ providing such great things for such unworthy Creatures as Eternal Life and we come to receive Glory out of the hands of Mercy what a mighty Engagement is this to make us watch against all Decays and Coolings of Love Vse 2. To exhort us to this Expectation or looking for the blessed Hope The method and way is first to believe then to apply then to expect 1. Believe it that there is such a Happiness reserved for the Children of God Next to God's Being we are bound to believe his Bounty Heb. 11.6 He that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him These two Principles that God is and that he is a Rewarder are the Fundamental Notions that keep up all Religion There is a Mist upon Eternity to a carnal Heart they are led by Sense and believe no more than they see Heb. 11.1 Faith is the Substance of things hoped for and the Evidence of things not seen Fancy and Nature cannot out-see Time and look beyond Death Faith holdeth the Candle to Hope and then we are able to look into the other World and to see a happy State to come Now because Faith is weak in most and we waver more in the Belief of God's Bounty than of his Being his Godhead is manifested by present sensible Effects but we scruple his Rewards which are wholly to come therefore let us strengthen and help Faith as much as we can The Word is clear in this Point Now God hath been true in all things Fidelis in omnibus in ultimo non deficiet He that hath been faithful in
I shall tell you what Application there must be if we cannot attain to Assurance There are three degrees of Application beneath Assurance 1. Acceptation of God's Offer that is one degree of Application Iob 5.27 Hear it and know thou it for thy good Put in for these Hopes and take God on his Word stipulate with him and undertake thy part of the Covenant upon a confidence God will not fail thee As Moses when the Book of the Law was read Exod. 24.6 took half the Blood and sprinkled it on the Altar to shew that God undertook to bless them and ver 8. the other half he sprinkled on the People by which they were engaged to obey There must be in all Christians the Answer of a good Conscience 1 Pet. 3.21 2. Adherence Stick close to this Hope in a course of Obedience If we do God's Work we shall not fail of Wages 1 Cor. 9.26 I therefore so run not as uncertainly so fight I not as one that beateth the Air. 3. Affiance noting waiting upon God tho with some Doubts and Fears for the Revelation of this Glory Tho you cannot say It is yours yet wait with hope till your Change come looking for the Mercy of Christ so that you durst venture your Soul in that Bottom This is committing our Souls to him in well-doing as to a merciful and faithful Creator 1 Pet. 4.19 You put your Souls into God's Hands that made them 3. Expect it This is the formal Act of Hope which is pressed in the Text. This Hope and Expectation of Blessedness is the Strength of the inward Man The Devils have a Faith but because it is without Hope it yieldeth no Refreshment James 2.19 Thou believest that there is one God thou dost well the Devils also believe and tremble The word signifies such a trembling as the raging of the Sea it is a Light that does not refresh but scorch There would be Comfort in Hell if there could be Hope there It is the Duty now in season here we must expect Rom. 8.24 We are saved by Hope In Innocency there was little or no use of Hope and in Heaven there will be none at all the Object of Man's Happiness will be present and enjoyed but now all is to come we have only a Taste and Pledg to make us long for more and expect more Faith by Hope maketh them present Substance Heb. 11.1 Faith is the Substance of Things hoped for Things of Eternal Life seem as a Shadow and Fiction to a carnal Heart This Hope is an earnest Elevation of the Mind to look for what Faith counteth real Vse 3. To direct us how to look for this blessed Hope 1. Consider it Hope is a temperate Extasy a Survey of the Land of Promise As God said to Abraham Gen. 13.14 15. Lift up now thine Eyes and look from the Place where thou art Northward and Southward and Eastward and Westward For all the Land which thou seest to thee will I give it and to thy Seed for ever So Psal. 48.12 Walk about Zion and go round about her tell the Towers thereof It is a great Advantage to think often of Heaven it maketh it present to us Heaven deserveth our best Thoughts We should always do it in the Morning it were a good Preservative to keep us from being under the power of present things Psal. 17.15 I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy Likeness In some special Seasons doth Hope set the Mind a-work in times of Trouble and present Sufferings we enjoy a happy Dedolency the Mind is untouched whatever the Body suffereth When we are summoned to the Grave and bodily Sicknesses put you in mind of Death when Sense and Speech fail the Love of God never fails this pale Horse is sent from Christ to carry us to Glory and though we go down to the Grave to converse with Worms and Skulls this Hope may comfort us Iob 19.26 27. And thoug◠after my Skin Worms destroy this Body yet in my Flesh shall I see God whom I shall see for my self and mine Eyes shall behold and not another tho my Reins be consumed within me 2. Long for it Hope cannot be without Groans Every day wind up your Affections for here is nothing but Conflicts and Sorrows Love to Christ cannot be without him it will never be content Nature desires Perfection Col. 3.1 2. If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right Hand of God Set your Affections on Things above not on Things on the Earth There is our God our Christ our Rest Where your Treasure is there will your Heart be also Mat. 6.22 not only the Mind but the Heart what we are much thinking of the Desires will be working that way The new Nature cannot be without these Desires every thing tendeth thither whence it came Eph. 1.3 Who hath blessed us with all spiritual Blessings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in heavenly Places God sits in Heaven that dispenseth Grace Christ that conveyeth it thence come our Mercies Comforts and Joys therefore it is against the tendency of the new Nature not to be tending thither where Christ is who is our greatest Happiness There is your Father your elder Brother the best of the Family and your spiritual Relations whom you most valued the best Company is in the other World Here you have Maintenance as in a foreign Land but there is your Interest and Estate How unworthy soever we are there is infinite Mercy to give it there it acts like it self infinite Merit to purchase it there we receive the full Fruits of our Redemption and the present Fruits of the Spirit are the Earnest of it as an Earnest is something in part of a greater Sum. 3. Wait for it There are Groans of Expectation as well as of Desire You have a fair Charter granted by God the Father written with the Blood of Christ sealed by the Spirit To make your Expectation more firm consider 1. Christ's Goodness and Mercy Looking for the Mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ unto eternal Life Jude v. 21. He never discovered any backwardness to thy Good or inclination to thy Ruin 2. God's Faithfulness Heb. 9.18 19. That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie we might have strong Consolation God stands more on his Word than on Heaven and Earth If an honest Man has made a promise of any thing he will make it good much more may we depend on the faithful God 3. God's Power If our Souls were in our own keeping we might fear but we are kept by the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 Abraham being perswaded of God's Power against Hope believed in Hope Rom. 4.18 4. Christ's Merit and Intercession Rom. 8.34 Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right Hand of God who also maketh
Chrysostom saith Heaven now shall be left void all the Angels shall come out with Christ that they may be present at this great Act Those blessed Mansions shall be forsaken for a while that they may be present with the Judg of the World Look as the Angels were present at the giving of the Law so also will they be present when the Sentence of the Law comes to be executed Thrones Principalities Powers and Dominions Angels however distinguished were all made by Christ he is their Head and they are given to Christ by his Father as he is Mediator to be his Servants in the Mediatory Office And therefore Christ always useth Angels in his Conception the Angel Gabriel came to Mary At his Nativity an Host of Angels came down to acquaint us with the glad Tidings of Salvation in his Passion he was comforted by an Angel at his Resurrection there were Angels at his Grave at his Ascension he was carried to Heaven by Angels and in the Government of the Church in the present Dispensation Christ useth Angels more than we are aware of these Principalities and Powers are conversant about and in the Church and in the last Day 's Act he shall come with his Holy Angels Whether these Angels shall then visibly appear I dispute not certainly their Attendance upon Christ is partly as a Train to make his Appearance more full of Majesty and partly because Christ hath a Ministry and Service for them Partly as a Train to Christ and to make his Appearance more full of Majesty They that waited upon Christ at his Ascension will now come to wait upon him at his coming to Judgment Publick Ministers of Justice are made formidable by their Attendance and Officers Christ will come like a Royal King in the midst of his Nobles and partly because they have also a Ministry and Service at that Day they are to gather the Elect from the four Winds Mat. 24.31 The Angels love to be conversant about the Saints They that carried their Souls to Heaven shall now be employed to bring their Bodies out of the Grave The holy Angels shall conduct the Souls of those that die in the Lord to Heaven Luke 16.22 The Beggar died and was carried by the Angels into Abraham 's Bosom So also those Angels shall now be employed in bringing their Bodies out of the Grave They are still serviceable to the Saints and this is the last Office of Love they can perform to them therefore they do it chearfully And to the Wicked their Office is to force them into Christ's Presence and to bind them up in Bundles as Tares for the Fire Mat. 13.40 41. Also the Angels have this Ministry and Service to be employed as Witnesses they attend now upon the Congregation to observe your Behaviour therefore the Apostle disputes concerning unseemly Gestures 1 Cor. 11.10 For this cause ought the Woman to have Power on her Head because of the Angels They are privy to our Conversations and able to give an Account of our Lives In the Assemblies there are more meet than are visible Devils meet and good Angels likewise to observe your Carriage that they may give account to God And no sooner shall the Sentence be pronounced but it shall be executed In a condescention to our Capacity God is pleased to represent the Work as done by the Ministry of Angels We can understand better the Operations of an Angel than the Operations of Almighty God because they are nearer to us in Being and are of an Essence finite and limited 2. The Saints they are his Attendants too Some shall come from Heaven with Christ others shall be caught up in the Air to meet the Lord 1 Thess. 4.17 Certainly the Wicked shall be left still to tread upon the Earth And this contributes much to the Glory of the Day because when Christ appears we appear with him in Glory we shall be like him we shall suddenly attain to that Fulness of Glory that their Hearts could never conceive of O what a glorious Day must that needs be when so many Suns shall meet together Every one of the Elect shall shine more than the Sun Then our spiritual Empire and Dominion begins we come to share with Christ in the Glory of his Kingdom to be associated with him in judging of the World Do not then please your Selves with Fancies of temporal Happiness The Vpright shall have Dominion over them in the Morning Psal. 49.14 When is that After they have slept their Sleep of Death then God's Saints and Servants that are now Scorned Censured and Persecuted but in the Morning of the Resurrection when they awake to meet with Christ then doth our Glory begin We are all for a while to stand before the Judgment-Seat of Christ. But look upon all the Draughts of the last Judgment and you shall find this Method Sentence begins with the Godly but Execution begins with the Wicked The Books are opened the Godly are called and they are first acquitted that afterwards they may join with Christ to judg the World 1 Cor. 6.2 Do you not know that the Saints shall judg the World The first Process is with the Godly that their Faith may be found to Praise but first the Wicked shall go into Everlasting Punishment Mark 25.46 These shall go away into Everlasting Punishment but the Righteous into Life Eternal that by others Misery they may be more apprehensive of their own Felicity 3. Another thing that makes the Day glorious is his Work and powerful executing the Work of the Day Jesus Christ is to gather the Wicked together dragging them out of their Graves with Horror then to extend and enlarge their Consciences that all their Doings may come to remembrance and then to cast them into Eternal Darkness to chase them with the Glory of his Presence into Hell dragging them out of their Graves with Terror Rev. 6.16 They said to the Mountains and to the Rocks Fall on us and hide us from the Face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the Wrath of the Lamb. They are ashamed to look Christ in the Face whom they have slighted despised neglected in the World Then they shall be ashamed to see the Godly preferred As Haman did fret to see Mordecai put upon the King's Horse and led through the City with Triumph so they are envious to see the Preferment of God's Children Then they are cursed out of Christ's Presence and go away yelling and howling and are led away to their final State as Haman's Face was covered and then led away to Execution Now Christ hath the most glorious Conquest over his Enemies that ever he had now he shews himself like a King in punishing his Enemies and rewarding his Friends In punishing his Enemies stubborn Knees shall bow to him it is not done fully till now Isa. 45.23 There is a Decree I have sworn by my Self the Word is gone out of my Mouth in Righteousness and shall not
Giving and the Persons to whom 1. The Giver and that is Jesus Christ who is God over all blessed for ever Usually Men make a Market of their Courtesies they give to them that can give again and make them Recompence but he is that blessed Lord to whom nothing could accrue from us In short the Father gave him and he gave himself There is infinite Love in that God the Father gave him Iohn 3.16 God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son It tells you not how but leaves you to wonder and admire at it I would represent it a little to you and therefore let us measure it by created Affections The Affections of the Virgin Mary to Christ is the fittest Glass I can represent it by From her he took his Substance that had the Interest of an earthly Mother Now how was she troubled What Commotion was in her Bowels The Holy Ghost expresseth it Luke 2.35 Yea a Sword shall pierce thrô thy own Soul also that the Thoughts of many Hearts may be revealed She was like one wounded to the Heart when she saw Christ hung upon the Cross yet he took but his humane Body from her If there was such a Commotion in the Bowels of the Virgin Mary the Mother of the Lord what then was it for God the Father to give up his only Son His Love was Infinite yet he gave up Christ. We read of some Fathers who have much denied themselves Abraham offereth Isaac Ieptha offereth his Daughter Lot would have given his Daughters to save his Guests These are but obscure Shadows of the Father's giving up of Christ in whom he took infinite Complacency and Contentment And then bless God for this willing Condescension of the Lord Christ that his Heart was so taken with the Motion the Father makes to him Son you must be responsible to my Justice and take a Body Christ replied Lo I come And Isa. 53.11 He shall see of the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied To bring Sons to Glory cost the Lord Christ much travel of Soul but he saith all this is well enough if he shall see the Fruit of it it is enough I am satisfied this is enough for all the Temptations in the Wilderness enough for all the Agonies in the Garden enough for all the Sorrows on the Cross if a few Creatures might be saved and brought to God And consider the Father's Giving and the Son 's Giving they are not contrary and do not destroy one another The Father's Love doth not lessen Christ's but commend it that he hath the same good-will to us as the Father had Jesus Christ as Mediator is the Servant of God's Decrees Many times the Servant hath not the same Affection to the Work as the Master hath But it is otherwise here God's Heart and Christ's Heart is set upon the Work God sets him a-part to be a Mediator and Christ sets himself a-part to see what he can do to save Creatures O bless the Lord. Thus for the Giver 2. The Gift He gave himself not an Angel Among all the Treasures of Heaven and Earth there was nothing more excellent and precious than the Lord Christ He doth not give Gold and Silver but himself to die for us 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold c. but with the precious Blood of Christ. And how doth he give himself Certainly his whole Self Body and Soul his Godhead was engaged in this Work tho that could not suffer He shall make his Soul an Offering for Sin Isa. 53.10 Christ's Soul was to stand in our Souls stead His Soul was heavy to the Death as well as his Body abused mangled with Whips and exposed to Sufferings And the Godhead it self assisted all was interested in it So that look as when the Sun shines upon a Tree tho you cut the Tree you do not cut the Sun so the Godhead stood by but suffered nothing Christ suffered not only Death but Desertion The Soul 's forsaking of the Body at Death was nothing so heavy as God's forsaking of the Soul when he cries out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Mat. 27.46 Many forsook him his Disciples left him they all fled but Christ complains not of this but there was the suspension of the wonted Joys of the Godhead and that troubled him This was the Passion of his Passion The Moon loseth no Brightness when it suffereth an Eclipse by the Interposition of the Earth but shines as bright as ever so the Lord Christ lost nothing but only there was an Eclipse of God's Countenance and this was the Terror and Anguish of his Soul 3. Consider the Manner of giving it was free and voluntary without reluctancy which was the great Argument of his Love freely and willingly he gave up himself Gal. 2.20 The Life that I live in the Flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Faith pitcheth upon this Circumstance Who loved me and gave himself for me to urge us to the spiritual Life 4. Consider for what End it was Ephes. 5.2 He gave himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling Savour The Sacrifice that was offered for the whole Congregation was to be killed without the Camp and the Blood to be brought with sweet Perfume to the Mercy-Seat So the Lord Christ comes out of Heaven to be killed on Earth and then is gone to Heaven to represent his Sacrifice to God as a sweet Perfume He gave himself to be a Ransom for us to die a shameful and accursed Death on the Cross he gave himself to be substituted in our room and stead The sadness of every Loss is according to the measure of Enjoyment Life died Righteousness was made Sin O blessed Exchange 5. Consider for whom he doth it The Apostle saith it was for us not for Angels Tho they did far exceed Man in Excellency of Nature yet God would not treat with the lost Angels they were never recovered but he gave himself for us Men. Nay not only for us that were his Creatures but that were his Enemies vile and unworthy Sinners Rom. 5.8 God commendeth his Love towards us in that while we were yet Sinners Christ died for us A Man would even die for a good Man tho there be but a few such Persons in the World but here the Just dies for the Unjust 1 Pet. 3.18 For Christ also hath once suffered for Sins the Iust for the Vnjust that he might bring us to God Now this commends his Love indeed in that it was for us vile Miscreants Dust and Ashes Adam sold us for a thing of nought an Apple and so the Lord might have condemned us cast us off and created another World of nobler Creatures than the present Race of Men or might have redeemed us at a cheaper rate Let all this
here wronged Justice interposed and put in something by way of Bar against us yet notwithstanding the Demerit of our Sins he would take us into his Favour In the Creation God shewed himself to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Lover of Angels but in Redemption 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Lover of Man Tit. 3.4 After that the Kindness and Love of God our Saviour towards Man appeared 2. Chiefly because of the Life they live the new Creature hath a more noble Being than all the Creatures in the World and lives a more noble Life Put the whole World in the Ballance and it is not worthy to be compared with the new Creature those that are purified and sanctified the World is not worthy of them Heb. 11.38 Of whom the World was not worthy Look as the Life of Reason excels that of Sense and the Life of Sense that of Vegitation the Life of Beasts is better than the Life of Plants and the Life of Man better than the Life of Beasts so doth Grace excel Reason and the Life of Saints is a more noble Being than that of Men. I confess if you go upward we cannot say the Life of Glory as much excels the Life of Grace as the Life of Grace excels the Life of Reason there is a greater Difference between the Life of Reason and the Life of Grace than between the Life of Grace and the Life of Glory or between a carnal Man and a Child of God than between the most glorified Saint in Heaven and the weakest Believer on Earth The Difference between Glory and Grace is gradual but the Difference between the carnal Life and the spiritual Life is essential Glorified Saints and Saints here living the Life of Grace differ only in Degrees but the Life of Grace and the Life of Nature differ in kind There is more Difference between a Toad or Beast and a Man than between a Child and a Man Grace and Glory differ but as a Child and a Man only in Degree but Grace and Sense and Grace and Reason differ as the Life of a Toad and the Life of a Beast from the Life of a Man Vse 1. Information 1. That we should not value Men by their secular Interests but by their Relation to God The Lord doth not call the Potentates of the Earth his Treasure as he doth his Holy Ones Prov. 12.26 The Righteous is more excellent than his Neighbour Men may be mighty in the World yet base and vile in God's Esteem Dan. 4.17 He gives Kingdoms to the basest of Men. It is notable in the prophetical Visions of the great Monarchs of the World they are compared to wild Beasts Alexander the Mighty yet is called the Goat of Graecia Paul calls Nero a Lion They that brave it in the World as if they were Gods upon Earth yet in the Lord's Account they are but Beasts But now the Saints are the precious excellent ones of the Earth Psal. 16.3 Therefore we should not value Men by their outward Greatness James 2.1 Have not the Faith of our Lord Iesus Christ the Lord of Glory with respect of Persons If you have Relation to Christ he puts a Glory and Excellency upon you you are his Treasure Saith Tertullian Non ex personis fidem sed ex fide personas We must not measure the Faith by the Person but the Person by his Faith They are Fools that despise and vilify those upon whom God sets the greatest Price and admire those that are of lowest Esteem with God 2. It informeth us that the Judgment of God and the Judgment of the World are very contrary The World counts the Saints the Filth the Scurf and Off-scouring of all things and God calls them Jewels and Treasure Alas with God carnal Men are nothing worse than nothing It had been better for them saith the Spirit of God that they had never been born and they are viler than the Earth The blind World knows not how to value the Stamp and Seal of the Spirit When God hath impress'd his own Image the World knows not how to value them but God values them These are Coins and Medals God will keep in his own Treasure Certainly they are worthless Souls that despise them that count Purity a Disgrace It hath always been the World's Fashion to crucify God in Effigie in his Picture to despise oppress and scoff at them that bear his Image and resemble him and malign and scorn the Lustre of Holiness 3. It informs us how much it concerns us to be holy and purified for those he counts to be his Treasure God's Church is his Heritage but every one that lives in the Church God doth not count them to be his Jewels Many claim Acquaintance of him by virtue of Offices and Ministration in the Church yet they are disclaimed and disowned by God Mat. 7.22 23. Many will say to me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name have cast out Devils and in thy Name done many wonderful Works And then will I profess uâ—â—â— them I never knew you depart from me ye that work Iniquity The Holy Ghost brings in some that had great Gifts and Employments in the Church And as when a Man entertaineth another with Strangeness we use to put him in mind by some Tokens so carnal Professors put Christ in Mind as it were by some kind of Tokens Do you not remember that we prophesied in your Name c. and we were employed in special Offices in the Church No verily I know you not he disclaims and disowns them 4. It informs us that it is dangerous to molest oppress and prosecute the Godly those that are purified because they are God's peculiar ones you meddle with the Apple of his Eye and to destroy them is Sacrilege Israel is a holy thing Ier. 2.3 Israel is Holiness unto the Lord and the first-fruits of his Increase all that devour him shall offend Evil shall come upon them saith the Lord. Sacrilege hath been always deadly robbing of Temples among the Heathen hath been always observed to be fatal to those that attempted it the Lord by his wise Providence was pleased to suffer the Devil to follow them with Tempests and Punishments to keep up the Notion of a Divine Power which is the Fundamental Principle and Ground of all Religion So when you oppress and destroy the People of God and malign them you devour that which is holy which will prove fatal and deadly Look as he told the Governour Acts 22.26 Take heed what thou doest for this Man is a Roman So God is very tender of these kind of Men they are his Jewels his Treasure take heed how you use them Vse 2. Exhortation and that both to carnal Men and to God's People who are his peculiar ones First It exhorts carnal Men to put in for a share in this great Privilege to be one of God's peculiar ones those that he counts his
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
and maimed with croocked Bodies distorted Limbs that the Shape of our Bodies might discover the Depravation of our Souls If it be not so give God the Praise and pity others We read Iohn 9.1 2 3. As Iesus passed by he saw a Man that was blind from his Birth And his Disciples asked him saying Who did sin this Man or his Parents that he was born blind Iesus answered Neither hath this Man sinned nor his Parents but that the Works of God might be made manifest in him We are not to make a perverse Judgment or censure others but to admire the secret Wisdom of God and bless him if he hath given you a better Constitution and a Body fit for Work and Service 2. Do you differ in the Endowments of the Mind in a quick Wit clear Understanding solid Judgment and the Vivacity of Natural Parts whilst others are more heavy and blockish Who must have the Glory of this God or you Iob 32.8 There is a Spirit in Man and the Inspiration of the Almighty giveth them Vnderstanding You are to help the weaker and glorify God that you have a more acute discerning otherwise your Understanding may undo you and your unsanctified Wit may be your eternal Ruin as many wit themselves into Hell 3. Is it that you flow in Wealth and Honour and have great Power and Interest Will you therefore vaunt your selves unseemly and despise and oppress the poor There are three Proverbs Prov. 14.31 He that oppresseth the Poor reproacheth his Maker Prov. 17.5 Whoso mocketh the Poor reproacheth his Maker And again Prov. 22.2 The Rich and the Poor meet together the Lord is the Maker of them all that is they live one among another and have need of one another Now God that forbiddeth the Poor to envy the Rich doth forbid the Rich to despise the Poor for otherwise they dishonour God This Injury and Contempt is to despise the Wisdom of God who would have some low and poor others dignified with Honour and Estate God hath laid this Burden upon them The Heathens that acknowledged a God and a Providence said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. He that upbraided another with the Defects of Nature did not upbraid the Person so much as Nature it self So we that own a particular Providence may know that to upbraid any Man with his Poverty is to upbraid God who hath laid this Burden upon them We have cause to give Thanks that we are not as they that our Maker hath put a difference when they labour hard for the Supplies of Life they come to us more plentifully and easily 4. But chiefly is this difference to be understood with respect to spiritual things that we have the Means of Grace and are called to the knowledg of the Truth while others are left to their own ways sitting in the shadow of Death Surely it is a great Favour that we are not put to spell God out of the dark Book of the Creatures that we are not put to learn the Majesty of God from those natural Apostles the Sun and the Moon nor his Goodness from Showers of Rain and fruitful Seasons But shall not God have the Thanks and Praise Psal. 147.19 20. He shewed his Word unto Jacob his Statutes and his Iudgments unto Israel He hath not dealt so with any Nation and as for his Iudgments they have not known them Praise ye the Lord. There is a kind of Election and Reprobation within the Sphere of Nature or the Dispensation of external means as they are ordered by God's Providence The Benefit of Scriptures and Ordinances is a great Benefit How much hath God done for us above many others Our Lot might have fallen in Places of the greatest Idolatry and Antichristian Barbarism where we might have sucked in Prejudices against the Gospel with our Milk But to have a standing there where Salvation is usually dispensed is a great Mercy 5. Is it that you have many common Gifts and Graces which are denied to others Some have great Gifts for the good of the Body Mystical Common Christians have common Gifts some have what others have not Heb. 6.4 5 6. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightned and have tasted of the heavenly Gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good Word of God and the Powers of the World to come if they shall fall away to renew them again to Repentance c. compared with ver 9. But Beloved we are perswaded better things of you and things that accompany Salvation tho we thus speak To be nearer the Kingdom of Heaven is an advantage and to have some common work of the Spirit as Compunction After I was instructed I smote upon my Thigh Jer. 31.19 Awakening Grace Ephes. 4.14 Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee Light 2 Tim. 2.16 That they may recover themselves out of the Snare of the Devil who are taken Captive by him at his Will God's Reproof Prov. 1.23 Turn ye at my Reproof behold I will pour out my Spirit upon you Job 36.10 He openeth also their Ears to Discipline and commandeth that they return from Iniquity God sanctifieth Providences to make us serious Psal. 94.12 Blessed is the Man whom thou chastenest and teachest him out of thy Law 6. Is it that you are a Christian not by outward Profession but spiritual Acquaintance with God Gal. 1.15 It pleased God who separated me from my Mother's Womb and called me by his Grace to reveal his Son in me There is a revealing Christ to us and a revealing in us that you are not carnal obstinate unbelieving as others but chosen out of the World John 15.19 and 1 Iohn 5.19 We know that we are of God and the whole World lieth in Wickedness that we are separated from the World and called to the Communion of God in Christ. 7. Is it that you are inabled in this Estate to do any thing that concerneth the Glory of God The Romans were wont to cast Garlands into their Fountains So we must ascribe all to God 1 Cor. 15.10 By the Grace of God I am what I am Luke 19.16 Thy Pound hath gained ten Pounds You must not rob God and put the Crown on your own Head no all must be laid at his Feet Rev. 4.10 The four and twenty Elders fell down before him that sat on the Throne and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever and cast their Crowns before the Throne They have their Crowns from him and hold them of him and their only Design is to improve them for him 8. That among the serious Worshippers of God there is any difference between you and others either in Gifts or Graces or knowledg of his Will Iohn 14.22 Lord how is it that thou wilt manifest thy self to us and not unto the World That you are not lost in the Crowd and Throng That God should call you out to any Eminency
that they should do more good in their places This is the most precious Gift yet given in order to some other thing it is made for God that we should glorify him and be capable of injoying him to all Eternity 2. This is the End of the Distribution Wherefore hath God given these Talents in any eminent degree or in such variety to Men but that they should trade with them and be more fitted for his Service 1 Cor. 12.7 The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every Man to profit withal There is indeed a three-fold End of all our Trading The glorifying of God the saving of our own Souls and the good of others For in a moral Consideration there are but three Beings God Neighbour Self The Glory of God must be regarded in the first place and with it is connected the Advancement of the Kingdom of Christ. For all the Gifts that we have are for the Master's Use And therefore if we do not principally mind the Glory of God and the Advancement of Christ's Kingdom we pervert the Gifts we have received Yet this is rare in a self-loving World Phil. 2.21 All seek their own not the things which are Iesus Christ's The saving of our Souls must be regarded next to the Glory of God For next to God Man is to love himself and in himself first his better part The Graces of Sanctification though profitable for others yet are chiefly intended for the good of him that hath them And the Graces of Edification though profitable for the Owner yet are principally intended for the good of Others A Man that hath sanctifying Grace doth good to others with it that is utilitas emergens not finis proprius It is not the direct End for which these Graces are given but other subservient Gifts are for the good of the Body Lastly The Good of others their Edification and Benefit For God hath scattered his Gifts that every part may supply somewhat for the good of the whole as every Member of the Body hath its several use by which the whole Body receiveth benefit Rom. 12.4 5. For as we have many Members in one Body and all Members have not the same Office so we being many are one Body in Christ and every one Members one of another Well then let us look to the End of the Distribution A Man hath not Wealth for himself nor Parts for himself nor Gifts for himself to promote his own Ends but to bring in Souls to God not for Pomp but Use. All have their proper and distinct Offices some to Serve others to Rule some to Counsel others to Execute Every one have their proper but distinct Use for God maketh nothing in vain nor was the World appointed to be a Hive for Drones and idle Ones Wherefore hath God given some great Wealth and Power but as the great Veins supply the lesser with Blood that they might be more publickly useful Wherefore hath he given Ordinances but that we may get Grace by them and save our own Souls They are represented sometimes as Duties they being not a matter Arbitrary but a part of the Homage we owe to God sometimes as Privileges that we may not look upon them as a burdensome Task sometimes as means of our Growth and â—mprovement that we may not wrest in the Work wrought sometimes as Talents for which we must give an Account to quicken our earnest Diligence Wherefore hath God given Gifts but that we may shew forth his Praise and edify others Yea wherefore hath he given Grace it self but that we might be both obliged and fitted to glorify him in the World Ephes. 1.12 That we should be to the Praise of his Glory who first trusted in Christ. They are set up as Lights in the World to shine to others 3. There is a Charge expresly given with the distribution of the Talents Luke 19.13 And he called his ten Servants and delivered them ten Pounds and said to them Occupy till I come They were to imploy their Industry to improve it to the greatest Advantage of bringing in an Increase to God This Charge is given by our proper and rightful Lord and it is committed to Servants not to Strangers and Freemen who are at their own dispose but to Servants who are at the Command of their Lord who hath made us and bought us And this Trust is accepted by Covenant of all that profess themselves to be his Servants not implicite as there may be between the Devil and his Agents but explicite and formal That we will be wholly his and for him And we are accountable for the Possession if we do not mind the Use. For a Man that hath an Estate made over to him in Trust and for certain Uses expressed in the Conveyance hath indeed no Estate therein at all but with respect to those Uses Certain it is that we have the Comfort more in the Use than the Possession The solid Comfort of Wealth Power and Honour is never seen till we imploy it for God It is not tasted so much when you are gorgeously attired and your Tables are plentifully furnished and when you glut your selves with all manner of fleshly Delights as in feeding the Hungry clothing the Naked relieving the Oppressed So for Ordinances the worth of them is known by Use and Improvement not when we resort to them for Custom and Fashion's sake but when we taste that the Lord is gracious 1 Pet. 2.3 So the Graces of the Spirit are most sweet when they do not lie idle then we feel the comfort them Iohn 15.11 These things have I spoken to you that my Ioy might remain in you and that your Ioy might be full Vse Let us improve our Trust and rouse up our selves and say What Honour hath God by my Wealth Power Honour Greatness What Protection to his Cause What Relief to his People To this end consider 1. What is your Business in the World Our Lord Jesus said Iohn 18.37 To this end I was born and for this cause came I into the World that I should bear witness unto the Truth Every one is sent into the World for some End for God would not make a Creature in vain For what End did you come into the World but to glorify God in your Place and Calling What part in the World would God have me to act Most Men are ready to go out of the World before they ask for what purpose they came hither 2. Every one is trading for some Body either for God or for the Devil and the Flesh either regarding his Master's Glory or his own Carnal Satisfaction Rom. 8.5 They that are after the Flesh do mind the things of the Flesh but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit 3. Consider how much you are intrusted with Look within you without you round about you and see how much you have to account for For natural Advantages Time Wealth Honour Estate Nehem. 1.11
anon with joy receiveth it Yet hath he not Root in himself but dureth for a while for when Tribulation or Persecution ariseth because of the Word by and by he is offended 4. It is so far required that your Punishment is more grievous Potentes potenter cruciabuntur Great Men shall be mightily destroyed Rich Men and of great Power and Abilities have the hotter Hell Greater Mercies the greater Sin and the greater shall be the Judgment 5. Righteousness doth consist in a Proportion And it holdeth good both for our Duty and God's Judgment for our Duty that we should be fruitful according to our Means Opportunities and Helps and for God's Judgment for it is said God will lay Iudgment to the Line and Righteousness to the Plummet Isa. 28.17 observes an exact Proportion Precise Justice shall be to the Wicked The only Exception is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lenity of the Gospel 1. That a Man who hath been unfruitful heretofore do change his course and for the future live unto God For the Gospel admitteth of Repentance and grants a Pardon to the Negligent or Unfaithful if they will be Faithful afterward and break off their Sins by after Righteousness Diligence and Fidelity The Gospel looketh forward to the time to come Rom. 6.6 That henceforth we should not serve Sin 1 Pet. 4.2 3. That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the Flesh to the Lusts of Men but to the Will of God For the time past of our Life may suffice us to have wrought the Will of the Gentiles when we walked in Lasciviousness Lusts excess of Wine Revellings Banquetings and abominable Idolatries It respecteth not what penitent Believers have been before their Conversion and turning to God Many have been long serving their base Lusts and vile Affections eminent in Wickedness but they should double their Diligence for the future We should be the more diligent and serious to restore to the Lord his Honour 1 Cor. 15.10 I laboured more abundantly than they all He saith there he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one born out of due time ver 8. and that he persecuted the Church of God ver 9. 2. Where a Man is faithful for the main though he be culpably defective in not making such exact Returns according to his Receipts yet he is not rejected for the Gospel pardoneth manifold Failings and Escapes Psal. 130.3 4. If thou Lord shouldest mark Iniquities O Lord who shall stand But there is Forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared But the negligent Christian that is right for the Main meeteth with many Troubles in this Life and in the Life to come loseth some degrees of Glory 2 Cor. 9.6 He that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly and he that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully God rewardeth in proportion to the several degrees of our Charity and Fidelity 3. Ability is considered and that is a return of much when we do our best Look as there may be a Summer's Day in Winter and a Winter's Day in Summer for the proportion so much may be little and little much according to the Estate or Ability of the Giver Luke 21.4 All these have of their Abundance cast in unto the Offerings of God but she of her Penury hath cast in all the Living that she had Though she had scarce enough for her self yet out of that little she had been liberal Some do twice as much good with a little as others with a great deal for Love will not be backward Mark there Christ sits by the Treasury to observe what Returns several Persons made he approveth the two Mites of the Widow before the larger Offerings of the rich Pharisees So the Apostle saith of the poor Saints of Macedonia 2 Cor. 8.2 Their deep Poverty abounded to the Riches of their Liberality because in the depth of their Poverty they expressed a great Bounty to others though they gave less than the Church of Corinth 4. Opportunity in doing good is considered Where Opportunity is wanting God taketh notice of Affection God considereth what is in our Hearts 1 Kings 8.18 VVhereas it was in thy Heart to build an House unto my Name thou didst well that it was in thine Heart He approved David's Purpose though Opportunity served not as yet So the Apostle excuses the Defect of the Philippians by lack of Opportunity Phil. 4.10 Ye were also careful but ye lacked Opportunity The want of Opportunity not through our Default doth justify for a time the forbearance of positive Duties But then we must take heed 1. That it be not want of good Will but of Opportunity 2 Cor. 8.12 For if there be first a willing Mind it is accepted according to what a Man hath and not according to what he hath not If he doth according to his Ability that which he is not able to do shall not be expected of him 2. That we do not lose the Opportunity by giving way to every Discouragement 1 Cor. 16.9 A great Door and effectual is opened to me and there are many Adversaries The Apostle would stay at Ephesus for there was great hope of doing much good by propagating the Gospel in those Parts though there were many which did oppose the Truth 5. Whether we do much or little for the Quantity God chiefly looketh to the Affection Affectus pretium rebus imponit Affection gives a Price to things without this pompous Services are rejected 1 Cor. 13.3 Though I bestow all my Goods to feed the Poor and though I give my Body to be burned and have not Charity it profiteth me nothing If it be not out of Love to God's Glory and aiming at others Good it is not Fruit abounding to our account On the other side Whosoever shall give to Drink to one of these little Ones a Cup of cold Water in the Name of a Disciple he shall in no wise lose his Reward Mat. 10.42 God doth respect the Heart of the Giver Many poor Christians have a large Heart but can do little God loveth not copiosum sed hilarem Datorem not a large but a chearful Giver where Ability and Opportunity will afford it A liberal and open Heart will not be defective in Quantity they think nothing too much for God but all seemeth too little 1 Chron. 22.14 Now behold in my Trouble or in my Poverty have I prepared for the House of the Lord an hundred thousand Talents of Gold and a thousand thousand Talents of Silver and of Brass and Iron without weight 6. In imploying our Gifts our Faithfulness is measured and judged by our Endeavour not by the Success Isa. 49.4 I have laboured in vain and spent my strength for nought and in vain yet surely my Iudgment is with the Lord and my Work is with my God Though there be little Fruit and Effect in Men yet it is not the less regarded and rewarded by God We read of a Crown of Righteousness 2 Tim. 4.8 and of a Crown
accomplished either for the multitude of Objects or degree of Grace As when Cornelius was gained to the Faith as the First-fruits of the Gentiles Acts 11.18 When they heard these things they held their peace and glorified God saying then hath God also unto the Gentiles granted Repentance unto life And Verse 21. The hand of the Lord was with them and a great number believed and turned unto the Lord And Verse 23. Barnabas was glad when he had seen the Grace of God and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. 2. When there are special Circumstances as if we have been instrumental to do them good and God hath blessed our Word or Converse or Example 1 Thes. 2.19 20. For what is our Hope or Ioy or Crown of rejoycing are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ at his coming for ye are our glory and joy Or if we have prayed for any thing for others whatever we have prayed for must be thankfully acknowledged when brought to pass 2 Cor. 1.11 You also helping together by prayer for us that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf And 3d. Epist. Ioh. 4. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the truth 4 Doct. That in Thanksgiving for Spiritual Benefits whether to our Selves or Others the Encrease of Grace must be acknowledged as well as the Beginnings of it The Degree is from God He that beginneth perfecteth Phil. 1.6 He that hath begun a good work will perfect it to the day of Christ. The whole Progress of the Work from the first step to the last is all from God not from the Power of our own Free-will or the Srength of our Resolutions or the Stability of our Gracious Habits For the First That it is not from the Power of our own Free-will is plain from Ioh. 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him And then for the Second That it is not from the Strength of our Resolutions Psal. 73.2 As for me my feet were almost gone my steps had well-nigh slipt And for the Third That it is not from the Stability of Gracious Habits see Rev. 3.2 Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain and are ready to die for I have not found thy works perfect before God And 1 Pet. 5.10 The God of all Grace who hath called us unto his Eternal Glory by Iesus Christ after that you have suffered a while make you perfect establish strengthen settle you He that beginneth the Work of Grace in us doth still carry it on to perfection he doth establish what is attained and increase our spiritual strength for all Difficulties and Duties so Luk. 17.5 The Apostles said unto the Lord Increase our Faith VSE Take Notice of God's Favour in the addition of every new degree of Grace because the change is more remarkable we may ascribe our first Conversion to God but we must also our after-growth We are still under the Love and Care of Christ Though we are passed from Death to Life yet not from Earth to Heaven You are in continual need of Christ for Direction Intercession Pardon farther Sanctification Support Comfort and Peace therefore take Notice of every degree if there be greater Fervour if more delightful Exercise if more Ability and Strength to overcome Opposition let God have the Glory of all He many times Chastiseth our Pride and Unthankfulness with Lapses or Decayes if we do not acknowledge him as Peter and David what grievous Lapses had they SERMON II ON 2 THESS I. v. 3. We are bound to thank God always for you Brethren as it is meet because that your Faith groweth exceedingly and the Charity of every one of you all towards each other aboundeth IN these Words we have Observed 1. An Affectionate Form of Thanksgiving 2. The Matter of it For the first It is a blessed thing when Complaints are turned into Thanksgivings both for our selves and others For our selves We should not be always Craving and always Complaining Gratulation should find a place in our Addresses to God as well as Acknowledgments of Sin and Supplications for Grace Col. 4.2 Continue in Prayer and watch in the same with Thanksgiving So for others we should rather take Notice of their Excellencies than of their Blemishes We give occasion to others to suspect us to have a rough imperious spirit to be always finding fault never acknowledging the Grace they have received or the good they have done This was far from Paul's Temper who was ever ready to acknowledge any thing of Christ wherever he found it especially where Grace was discovered with eminency as in these Thessalonians therefore he saith We are bound to thank God always for you Brethren as it is meet Whence we Observed four Doctrines I am now to speak of the Matter of this Thanksgiving Because that your Faith groweth exceedingly and the Charity of every one of you all towards each other aboundeth Where Observe these six things 1. That it is a Comfort that our Inward Man is in a good State however it be with us as to our outward Condition before the World These Thessalonians were poor and afflicted we read in the first Epistle They received the Gospel in much affliction 1 Thes. 1.6 And in the Verse next the Text he speaketh of their Patience and Faith in all their Persecutions and Tribulations and the following words tend wholly to Comfort them under their sore Troubles Yet their Condition before God was thriving and prosperous and matter of Thanksgiving rather than Lamentation So 2 Cor. 4.16 For this Cause we faint not saith the Apostle but though our outward Man perish yet the inward Man is renewed day by day We should count this World's Goods well exchanged if the want or loss of them be recompensed to us by the increase of spiritual Graces and be glad if it go well with our Souls though our Bodily Interests be infringed If God by an a king Head will give us a better Heart by a sickly Body an healthy Soul as he did to Gaius 3 Epist. Ioh. 2. Ver. by lessening us in the World or reducing us to streights make us Rich in Faith James 2.5 By Troubles and Oppositions excite us to a more lively exercise of Grace We should not barely submit to such a Dispensation but give Thanks The Children of God are always set forth to be of this Temper Psal. 119.71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy Statutes 2 Cor. 12.9 10. I will rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me therefore I take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecution in distresses for Christ's sake for when I am weak then am I strong If the Afflictions and Troubles of the World may do us good and
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
a Famous Physitian he desires to see him it is some Contentment to a sick Man to see him but when his Cure is wrought he much more rejoiceth So when we feel the Benefit in our own Souls it causes Joy Rom. 5.11 And 〈◊〉 only so but we also joy in God through our Lord Iesus Christ by whom we have now 〈◊〉 the Atonement A SERMON ON ROM IV. v. 18 19 20 21. Who against hope believed in hope that be might become the Father of many Nations according to that which was spoken So shall thy Seed be And being not weak in Faith he considered not his own Body now dead when he was above an hundred years old neither yet the deadness of Sarah's Womb He staggered not at the Promise of God through Vnbelief but was strong in Faith giving glory to God And being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform WE are now come to handle the other Branch of Abraham's Faith A Believer hath but two Works to do to open the Eye of Faith and to shut that of Sense I shall speak of this latter now This Instance deserveth to be considered by us 1. Because he is called once and again The Father of the Faithful Ver. 11. and 16. meaning thereby that his Faith is the Pattern according to which our Faith is to be cut out or the Copy to be transcribed by us or as the Apostle's Expression is Verse 12. That we should walk in the steps of the Faith of our Father Abraham 2. Because this was great and grown Faith It is negatively expressed Ver. 19. He was not weak in Faith and affirmatively Ver. 20. That he was strong in Faith giving glory to God Now in Abraham's Faith we shall consider three things First The Ground of it Secondly The Excellency and Strength of it set forth by four Expressions 1. That he believed in Hope against Hope Ver. 18. 2. That he Considered not the Difficulties Ver. 19. He considered not his own Body now dead neither yet the deadness of Sarah's Womb. 3. That he staggered not at the Promise through unbelief Ver. 20. 4. That he had a full Perswasion of God's Power Being fully perswaded that what God had promised he was able to perform Verse 21. Thirdly The Fruit and Effect of it an exact ready and self-denying Obedience to God not spoken of in the Text but to be supplyed from other Scriptures especially in those two eminent Acts of Self-denyal his leaving his Countrey and offering his Son Thus was Abraham's Faith tryed by Promises of things strange and incredible and by Commands of the hardest Duties First The Ground of his Faith was the Promise of God as is often implyed in the Text for it is said Verse 18. That he might become the Father of many Nations according to that which was spoken So shall thy Seed be And Verse 20. He staggered not at the Promise of God And Verse 21. Being fully perswaded that what he had promised c. There were many Promises made to Abraham but those to which the Apostle alludeth are contained in Gen. 15. as appeareth by his Dispute all along and the comparing the two Chapters Now the Promise was either general or particular 1. The general Promise Gen. 15.1 I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward That God would take him into his Protection and abundantly reward his Obedience The like Promise is made to all the Faithful Psal. 84.11 The Lord God is a sun and a shield the Lord will give Grace and Glory and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly The only one and true God Father Son and Holy Ghost will exercise all his Wisdom Power and Goodness to protect us and deliver us from all evil and to give us all those Blessings which are necessarily required to make us fully and eternally Happy He will be a shield to save us and protect us either by way of prevention or removal of all evil both Temporal and Spiritual and he will be a reward to give us all good things yea a great reward yea again an exceeding great reward which cannot come short of Heaven's glory and eternal Happiness which is the Aggregation of all Blessings It is implyed also in the Metaphor of being a Sun to us Here he is as a Sun at its first rising shining upon us with his Morning beams of Favour and Compassion which are very cherishing and comfortable but then our Sun shall be in its Meridian when he shall directly fully and for ever shine upon the Saints 2. The other Promise was particular and thus occasioned When God had told Abraham that he would be his shield and exceeding great reward he replyed Lord what wilt thou give me seeing I go Childless and the Steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus And again Behold thou hast given to me no seed and lo one born in my house is mine heir Gen. 15.2 3. These words of Abraham imply some Diffidence or Conflict with Unbelief or a Weakness of Faith at least though they also may be conceived to represent his Condition to God and revive the remembrance of an old Promise made to him sometime before Gen. 12.3 In thee shall all the Families of the Earth be blessed And they in effect speak to this sense Lord how can I take Comfort in the promised Reward since I do not see the fulfilling of thy Promise touching my Seed But now mark the Lord's reply Ver. 4. This shall not be thine heir but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir that is thou shalt have Posterity the Promised Seed shall at length come of thy Loins And then God led him forth Verse 5. And he brought him forth abroad and said Look now toward Heaven and tell the Stars if thou be able to number them Ocular demonstration leaveth a stronger impression upon the mind And he said unto him So shall thy seed be upon this Abraham believed in the Lord and he counted it to him for righteousness Ver. 6. That is upon this he began to grow stronger in the Faith more and more overcoming the Doubts of the Flesh and embracing the great Promises which God had made him He was a Believer before but now he commenceth a strong Believer this is that which is said Verse 18. He believed in hope against hope that he might become the Father of many Nations according to that which was spoken So shall thy Seed be Secondly The Excellency of his Faith in four Expressions I. He believed in hope against hope Abraham was still Childless and so remained for some Years after this Assurance from God and in the Course of Nature he had little reason to expect a Child but he hoped in the Word of God when according to the Order of Nature all hope of Issue was cut off We learn then that Spiritual Hope can take place when Natural Hope faileth as
and plenty of Revelations So we read of Peter's Rapture while he was praying Acts 10.10 He fell into a trance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a trance fell upon him noting that those Raptures are things of Dispensation rather than Choice and Duty they fall upon us we do not work our selves into them So we read of Paul's Rapture 2 Cor. 12.2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago whether in the body I cannot tell or whether out of the body I cannot tell God knoweth such an one caught up to the third heaven Whether these things were framed by way of Representation to the Soul or whether the Soul were for a time separated from the Body and was transported into Heaven Paul himself was at a loss and could not determine and resolve the Case 2. These Dispensations may still be though not in the same height and manner which the Apostles enjoyed God may do it still for he is left to the Liberty and Soveraignty of his own Dispensations and though Sight and the Beatifical Vision and Contemplation be the Happyness of the next World yet in some measure God may begin it here that his Children may enter into their Inheritance by Degrees and may be before-hand led into the Suburbs of Heaven As a Father gives the Child not only a part of the Estate but sometimes the Liberty of the whole House so God may give us here in this World not only those more Temperate Enjoyments of Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost and the first Fruits of the Spirit but he may lead us into the Suburbs of Heaven and put us above the Clouds into the Glory of the World to come Though there may be such a Dispensation yet not in the same manner that the Apostles enjoyed it for that was peculiar to them and therefore when the Apostle Paul had reported his Rapture he pleaded that he had the Sign of an Apostle 2 Cor. 12.12 Truely the signs of an Apostle were wrought among you in all patience in signs and wonders and mighty deeds With these Raptures there was a Concomitant Revelation of the Will of God And they were for other ends these Raptures were not so much Excesses of Religion but Revelations for the great ends of the Gospel Iohn's Rapture was to receive the Visions of God for the Comfort of the Churches Peter's to go to the Gentiles Paul's that he might have Commission for the Apostleship and the Mark and Sign of an Apostle Therefore though God may use some such dispensation for we know not what he may do out of Soveraignty yet not in the same way and for the same end Those Raptures and Transportations which the Children of God now feel sometimes proceed from strong Pangs and Extasies of Love which for a while do suspend and forbid the distinct use of Reason and cast the Soul into a quiet silent gaze Observe that Love where it is moderate venteth it self in thoughts and words and it is a great help to make the inward sense more acute and sharp but where it is vehement and strong it is contented with it self and satisfied with its own Heat Ardor and Intenseness therefore there is not such a distinct actual Discourse As when a Man huggeth and embraceth a Friend the closer he huggeth him the less distinctly doth he behold and take a view of him so in the embraces of Love when the Soul falleth into the Arms of Christ and claspeth about Christ with the Arms of its own Love it hindreth the distinct Exercise of Reason and those Offices of Discourse by which the Soul would otherwise reflect upon him A Man that desireth a Precious Jewel at first he vieweth it with greediness and delight but afterwards he layeth it up in his Bosom and wholly pleaseth himself in the possession of it so the Soul that thirsts after Christ pleaseth it self in the consideration of his Beauty and Perfection and dwells upon it with Religious thoughts but afterwards Love growing very strong and being heightned unto the utmost degree shutteth the Eyes of our Souls and we only please our selves in a more intimate feeling and in the sweetness of our embraces Great and high Affections must needs hinder the use of Reason because all our strength and vigour runneth out into one faculty and then such a poor limited Creature as Man is cannot attend other Offices and Employments of the Soul It is very notable in the whole Life of Christ that he had no Extasie Propter maximam capacitatem supernaturalem animae because of the extraordinary perfection of his Person and the large Capacity of his Soul he had a Transfiguration yet all the while in the midst of that he had a temperate use of Reason Matth. 17. The Disciples were indeed suprised by those glimpses and emissions of his Glory they were overwhelmed so that they fell on their faces and were sore afraid verse 6. Poor Man being of a lesser Capacity cannot suffer such a feeling and high tyde of Affection without some Transportation and Ravishment beyond the support of Reason for the strength and vigour of his Soul is melted out to Christ in Love Now the Soul being of a limited Power and Capacity the more strongly it attendeth one Office and Function the less can it serve others Look as a Flame when it ascendeth endeth in a point and groweth narrower and thinner so such high Flames and such glorious Ascents of Affection usually mind but one thing and do not permit the Soul any variety of discourse but fix it in one thought and in one study and deliberate gaze 4. Usually such experiences of Gods Children are given in to them in the most Social Duties As in the time of Prayer Peter's trances fell upon him in Prayer Ordinary Extasies carry some proportion with that which is Extraordinary and usually the Soul flames out to God and breaks forth in Religious Ascents in the time of Prayer And so such strong Affection over-sets the Soul in the time of the Lords Supper Cant. 5.1 Eat O friends drink yea drink abundantly O beloved Be drunk with Loves that whole Song concerneth our Communion with Christ in Heaven and in the Ordinances above all in the Ordinance of the Supper which is the pledge of Heaven So also in the height of Meditation when the Soul hath been spent and much exercised it self in that work after the labour of Meditation God giveth in this silence and rest in the steady Contemplation of his Love and Glory and the mind being inflamed and heightened with Spiritual Thoughts and Exercises suffereth a kind of Transportation It is very notable that those Ravishments that were between Christ and the Spouse were in the Palm-tree Cant. 7.8 I said I will go up to the palm-tree I will take hold of the boughs thereof now also thy breasts shall be as clusters of the vine and the smell of thy nose like apples There Christ would satisfie himself with the Churches
Breasts and there she should be satisfied with his Love The Palm-tree hath a long naked bark and carryeth all its Leaves Branches and Fruits upwards it noteth the Religious Ascent of the Soul in Spiritual Exercises when the thoughts do not run out in under-wood and lower branches in Earthly Thoughts and Carnal Distractions Well then in the top of the Palm-tree there we taste the sweetness of Christ and the Soul is ravished and spiritually made drunk with the Clusters of his Grapes 5. These Experiences where God seeth fit to give them are given to Persons of much Holyness and Religion Matth. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Those bright and clear Souls are more fit to enjoy the sight of God when by constant and dayly Exercise the Heart hath been subdued to a Religious frame the Lord may then give in those ravishing sweets and those gazes upon his Beauty and Glory There are degrees in the sense of Gods Love Hypocrites have but a taste and a little sip as the Merchant that selleth Wine will give a taste to those that do but cheapen it Christians whose Spirits are not defecated or cleared from the Clouds of Passion or purged from the dreggs of Carnal Interests seldom meet with those sweet and rich Experiences to such an intimate discerning the Senses had need be exercised The Lute had need be rightly strung and tuned that maketh a ravishing Melody easy lazy and gross Hearts feel none of these rapt motions and strong qualms of Affection God usually gives them to those that are purged and purified 6. These rich Experiences are very fleeting and vanishing and but now and then bestowed We have not such high Experiences under Lock and Key and at the Command of our own Endeavours God gives them when he seeth fit and when he pleaseth they pass away again If they were constant and God should continually pour in the Vessel would break and the Soul could not sustain it self under the burden of it The Disciples in the Transfiguration were astonished and fell down for fear they could not bear the Glory though but for a little while Matth. 17.6 And when the disciples heard it they fell on their faces and were sore afraid Our present State is not capable of these Transports long the Soul is not extended and enlarged to such a Capacity and Fitness neither is the Body qualified We are in the Animal State now the deliberate Contemplation is our Portion in Heaven when Sin and Weakness is done away and when we have that which the Apostle calls a Spiritual Body 1 Cor. 15.44 That is a Body fit for those high Communications and for the continual Presence of God This is an extraordinary Indulgence which if continued would destroy and abrogate the Oeconomy and Dispensation of Grace This pause of Reason upon the Majesty of God and the Glory of Heaven is somewhat like the Suns standing still in Ioshua's time which if it were so alwayes would burn up the frame of Nature therefore God hath ordained that it should rowl hither and thither Motion and Change is fitter for this State to which God hath subjected us 7. Such ravishing Experiences are not to be sought for but referred to the good pleasure of God We cannot pray for them in Faith having no promise of them and we must not be too hasty to eat of the Fruits of Paradise before our time It is enough for us to go to Heaven in the usual Road-way and not like Elijah in a Fiery Chariot Look as in outward things we are not to desire Riches but a Competency if God casteth them in upon our Endeavours we should be thankful so in Meditation we must mind those Enjoyments which are more Temperate and leave other things to God It is good to content our selves with Grace and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost though we have not those Transports and high Extasies of Love and Affection We must not tempt God with immodest Requests and Expectations but sit down humbly and quietly and if the Master of the Feast bid us to sit higher and call us to a more choice Dispensation well and good These Experiences are not to be ranked among Duties but among Enjoyments we shall not be called to an account for the want of them for we are not obliged to pursue them they are Acts of Gods Magnificence and Indulgence to the Soul Many times Christians oppress their Souls by their indiscreet aims it is good to keep an even hand that we may not vex our selves with the disappointment of a rash and foolish Trust. Some are altogether careless and content themselves with any frame of Spirit in Worship others are not satisfied but with extatick and rapt Motions Look as it is with a Lute-string if it be too slack it doth not sound at all if it be too high stretched it is hoarse and screeking so it is with our Souls in Duty when we are careless there is no Melody made to God but if we be too high strained then the Soul is oppressed with its own Aimes and with a pursuit of things above our reach the temperate middle way should be our aim 8. Upon all such Experiences we should be careful and watch our Hearts because many times herein we delude our selves we call that a Rapture which is but the suppositions of a troubled Fancy or some Fanatick Delusions by which Satan abuseth an over-credulous and superstitious Soul Dotage many times passeth under the pretence of Vision and the Extravagancies of a wild Zeal seemeth Rapture Alwaies observe their End and Scope if they end in Pride and prove a Temptation they are from the Devil and not from God Experiences from God enlarge our Hearts for Service and make us more humble as the highest flames tremble most These Souls that are called to the highest enjoyments are most humble It is true we are apt to be pufft up with a Revelation from God as Paul was pufft up with the abundance of Revelations but there was a subsequent Dispensation some cross to humble him 2 Cor. 12.7 And least I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the Revelations there was given to me a thorn in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet me least I should be exalted above measure This is through the Corruption of our Nature which God preventeth in his Children by such Dispensations But if it tendeth to make us neglect Piety and to be above Duties it is against the Nature of Religion which presseth us to wait upon God with the more encouragement because we have already discerned his Beauty and Glory Psal. 63.2 To see thy power and glory so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary Thus I have done with this Case in which I have been in the high Mountains I shall come to the Valleys which as they are more easie of ascent so usually they are more fruitful What follows will be more plain
Private Duties There is a greater engagement upon us than others because we have the help of Art and Education and have greater advantages than others and therefore we should not lose so sweet a Comfort It is strange that Papists confine it altogether to Spiritual Men as if it were not a Lay-Duty and usually we lay it aside as if Study would serve the turn and it did not belong to us V. My work is now to speak of the Object of Meditation which I am first to handle in general and then in special First In the General Consideration of the Object I am to speak 1. Of the Choice of the Object 2. The Manner how to work upon it 1. For the Choice of the Object I need not press you to choose that which is seasonable and what suiteth with your own case A Sermon worketh more forcibly when it is suitable so do Thoughts when they are seasonable and direct to the present Case of the Soul Psal. 94.19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul he meaneth sad thoughts then it was his advantage to exercise himself in seasonable comforts like a Shower of Rain on new Mowen Grass it would be burnt up with the drought which if Rain had come seasonably might have flourished and grown up with a fair Herbage so the Soul is parched with a Temptation if it be not watered with suitable thoughts We faint not saith the Apostle For we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are not seen 2 Cor. 4.16 18. viz. by reviving our Christian hopes And therefore the Exigencies of the Soul must be served Food in Thirst doth enrage rather than please It is not enough to consider what is good but what is seasonable things mis-timed and mis-placed lose their force and operation as the Blood when it is in Vessels is the Continent of Life but when it is out it breedeth Diseases so Truths out of their Order and Place do not nourish the Heart but oppress it as if you should talk of Hell and the Severity of Gods Judgment to those that are dejected this were to speak to the grief of those whom God hath wounded and when the back is ready to break to lay on more load I shall for the present having spoken largely in the general Directions give you but Two Rules 1. Choose that which is profitable There is a great deal of difference between the Objects of Meditation some are more speculative others altogether Practical There are matters speculative revealed in the Word which yet have their Use and Profit as the Fall of the Angels the Order of Providence c. yet out of these the Heart may distil Matter of Practical Use and Profit All the benefit we receive from these Truths lyeth in our Meditation of them But then there are others that are altogether Practical and these should chiefly be chosen The Mind of Man is the Mill of God not to grind Chaff but Wheat Matters Practical are there to be ground for Bread to the Soul they that hunt after Fanzies do but mis-employ their Thoughts and beat Chaff into Dust and do not grind good Corn for nourishment And that is the Reason why many times mean Christians excel those of the best gifts because they spend their time in subtle Inventions and Enquiries and whilst we strive to be more subtle they are more sincere Oh consider the Soul is diseased while it is only fed with Quails and fine Notions there is more Delicacy but less Nourishment Notions that are Airy tickle the fancy and move the lighter part of the Affections but those Considerations that are grave and masculine convince most soundly and work most deeply Wisdom entreth into the heart Prov. 2.10 Look as Wicked Men do not please themselves in abstractions of Sin they devise Wickedness to accomplish it so the Christian should not satisfie himself with nice Speculations but employ his thoughts about Practical Matters to promote Holyness in his Heart and Life 2. Chose Matters to Meditate upon in and orderly an apt Method But you will say Do you think this useful to confine the Soul to Method in Meditation to prescribe a set course to our selves Shall we not justle out seasonable thoughts I Answer 1. It is lawful and necessary to prescribe to our selves a Course and Method partly that we may know our Work and that we may not be to seek both of a Subject and how to work upon it therefore that you may keep your Religious Exercises together and know how to pass from one to another it is good to keep a set Course Partly Because things work with us according to Method it is the way of Knowledge and Affection the Soul finds it an Excellent Advantage when things are aptly suited and ranked in their Order God himself hath disposed all his works in order so should we ours You will find an Advantage when you take your Rise low and go on from Matters more plain and obvious to those that are more Mysterious There are Shallowes for the Lambs of God and there are deeps for those of an higher growth and stature You must pass from the most obvious Matter of Christianity to those that are of more sublime speculation The Rise of the Sun is first low and gildeth with its beams the Eastern parts and then riseth higher to the top of the Heavens so in your progress there are the Third Heavens to which you must ascend but first you must pass the first and second Heavens Before we search the depths of the Spirit it is good to search the depths of the Belly I compare Pauls Expression with Solomons to begin with the knowledge of our selves before we come to the knowledge of God Prius redi ad te quam rimari praesumas quae supra te is a Rule of Bernard who was of much Experience in these Exercises first return to our selves and by an orderly progress to go on from Examination of our selves before we soar up to the Contemplation of the Divine Glory You know what Christ saith Iohn 3.12 If I have told you earthly things and ye believe not how shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things They were Spiritual Matters he spake of Regeneration and Principles of Religion yet in comparison of deeper Mysteries of Religion and because he had set them out by Earthly Similitudes of Generation Water and the Wind he called them earthly things Christ trained up his own Disciples this way first he begins with plain Matters Iohn 16.12 I have yet many things to say unto you but you cannot bear them yet There were greater Mysteries above the reach and size of their present Capacity So the Apostle Paul speaketh of Wisdom for them that are perfect 1 Cor. 2.6 Howbeit we speak wisdom to them that are perfect that is for them that had made some progress in Religion perfect not absolutely but in
So Psalm 4.6 There be many that say who will shew us any good It should be translated The many say c. For this is the voice of the Multitude all are for good for something that is every way satisfying and contentful There are some remains of intire Reason and right Nature as Iob's Messengers said Iob 1.15 And I only am escaped alone to tell thee There are some obscure instincts that are alone escaped out of the Ruins of the Fall to tell us that God is our chiefest good and therefore must be our utmost End But the Scriptures go further and teach us that there is no way of enjoying God but in Christ and till then Man can never be happy God is the Center of the Soul the place of the Souls Rest all things move to their own place so should Man to God It is monstrous to see things move contrary to the Impulse of Nature to see Fire to descend or a Stone to leap upward so it is as monstrous in Grace for our Souls to descend and to cleave to those things which are without us which were made only to rest in God our Souls are of a Heavenly Original and therefore should tend thither Say then this is that which will make me happy here and hereafter and therefore why should I run elsewhere It is against Grace and Nature there is a Principle in Natures by which all Creatures aim at their own satisfaction there is a weight and propension that poyseth them to their happyness if I would shew my self a Christian or a Man all my Comforth lyeth in enjoying God in Christ Isa. 46.8 Remember this and shew your selves men He is a Beast that can satisfie his Soul with the World and he is a Devil that can satisfie his Soul with Sin let me shew my self a Man and return to my own rest Things are miserable when they do not attain their End so shall I be out of my place tossed to and fro till I return to God the Faculties of the Soul are mis-placed and are as a Member out of joynt 2. He was made to glorifâ—e God The Creatures do it necessarily we must do it voluntarily and by choice This must be the care of our Hearts 1. In every Business 2. In every Enjoyment 1. In every Business be it never so trivial and low even in the ordinary refreshments of Nature 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God These common actions of Eating and Drinking must be done upon Reasons of Religion In a Kings House there are many Officers but they are all to please the King so in my Calling in my Duties all must be done for the Glory of the Great God all things must be measured by this Rule and give place to this great End how I may glorifie God whether in the Shop or in the Closet in my outward Calling or in my Private Duties or in my Publick Relations or Engagements so far am I to mingle with any outward Business as I may still enjoy God and be serviceable to his Glory This is to make Religion your Work and not your Play and Recreation when still in every business God is at the utmost End whatever present ends I have If Nature interpose to make us look after our particular Conveniences yet this is but in subordination to Gods Glory 2. In every Enjoyment whether it be Natural or Spiritual I am to desire outward increase and estate but I cannot desire it lawfully but so as I may honour God with it Agur measureth every Estate by Ends of Religion Prov. 30.8 9. Give me neither poverty nor riches but feed me with food convenient for me Lest I be full and deny thee and say who is the Lord or lest I be poor and steal and take the name of God in vain As God should be at the end of every business so at the end of every Enjoyment though it be Spiritual It is a mistake in Christians to think that Spiritual Blessings are only to be desired for themselves I must desire the Pardon of my Sins not meerly for it self but that God may be glorified in Pardon I must desire Grace not only that I might be saved but that God may be glorified in my Salvation Eph. 1.6 To the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved The Creatures aims are never regular but when they suit with Gods In the work of Redemption Jesus Christ pleased not himself but had an aim at the Fathers Glory Rom. 15.3 For even Christ pleased not himself So should we in the Comforts of Redemption not please our selves meerly in the consideration of our own happyness but rejoyce in it as Gods Ends are promoted in it that God is glorifyed in pardoning my Sin or giving me Grace and Salvation Though it be a difficult yet it is a necessary piece of Self-Denyal to desire Salvation in a Subordination to Gods Glory Secondly For the contriving plotting Work The End being once fixed we are to consider Generally by what means it may be accomplished and more particularly how you may observe and carry it on to the Glory of God 1. Generally By what means we may accomplish it Every End is obtained by apt and fit means and God as he hath ordained the end so he hath appointed the means The whole Duty of Man is to fear God and keep his commandments Eccles. 12.13 The whole Duty is comprized in Obedience and Fear Obedience respects the Rule and Fear the Principle Or Obedience and Love he instanceth in that Principle that was most sutable to the present Dispensation In the Old Testament Fear is the beginning of Wisdom Fear is represented as the great Principle of Duty and Worship as in the New Testament Love 2 Cor. 5.14 The Love of Christ constraineth us 1 Iohn 5.3 This is the love of God that we keep his Commandments the meaning of that place is that God hath required intire Obedience out of an Holy and Upright Principle Look as God hath appointed to the Creatures a Law of Creation by which they are bounded to their stated times and paths as the Psalmist saith of the Waters of the Sea Psal. 104.9 Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over that they turn not again to cover the earth So God hath given a Moral Law and Rule to the Rational Creature which must be observed by Love and Reverence So it is said Ephes. 2.10 We are the workmanship of God created in Christ Iesus to good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk therein God having by the same Decree and Wise Council ordained both End and Means he hath given us a Rule by which we are to be guided in serving his Glory 2. More Particularly How you may observe and carry it on in this way according to the Will of God A Christian is to
Exaltation of Christ is as it were his welcom to Heaven God doth as it were take him by the hand and set him upon the Throne after all the sorrows of his Humiliation as we welcome a Stranger or a Guest whose coming is pleasing to us by taking him by the hand and bringing him into our Couses So is Christ exalted by the Right Hand of God and welcomed into Heaven as having done his work and made full provision for the Glory of God and the Obedience of the Creature as we are also received into Glory after we are guided by his Counsel Psalm 73.24 Thou shalt guide me by thy counsel and afterward receive me to glory And then all Tears shall be wiped from our Eyes 2. The Terme the oyl of gladness implyeth it for that was the entertainment of Honourable Guests invited to a Feast We see it practised to Christ by one Woman Luke 7.37 And behold a woman in the city which was a sinner when she knew that Iesus sate at meat in the Pharisees house brought an alabaster-box of ointment And by another Matth. 26.7 There came unto him a woman having an alabaster-box of very precious ointment and poured it on his head as he sate at meat And the Psalmist speaking of Gods Festival Entertainment Psalm 23.5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies thou anointest my head with oyl Another mention of this practice is Psalm 104.15 Wine to make glad the heart of man and oyl to make his face to shine All these places and many more in the Scripture allude to the custom of pouring some fragrant precious Ointments on the Heads of Guests of special Eminency called the oyl of gladness because the use of it was to exhilarate and chear the Spirits Now because this was an extraordinary respect paid them this Phrase came at length to signifie the prefering one above another and so it is fitly applyed to Christ whom God hath dignified above all Men and Angels in that he hath received Power Spiritual and Divine above what was communicated to any other 3. The Persons anointed 1. One singular in this Unction the Lord Jesus Christ. There are two sorts of Priviledges 1. Some things only given to Christ not to us as the Name above all Names to be adored Phil. 2.9 To be the Head of the Renewed state Ephes. 1.21 the Saviour of the Body Eph. 5.23 To have power to dispense the Spirit to administer Providences c. All this is proper to Christ neither Men nor Angels share with him in these Honours 2. There are other things given to Christ and his People as the sanctifying and comforting Spirit the Heavenly Inheritance Victory over our Spiritual Enemies the Devil the World and the Flesh These are given to us and him only God doth grace his Son above his Fellows Rom. 8.29 That he might be the first born among many brethren He must have the Honour due to the First-born Anciently the First-born was Lord of the rest of the Family Gen. 27.37 And Isaac answered and said unto Esan Behold I have made him thy Lord and all his brethren have I given to him for servants And also the First-born gave the rest of the Brethren a share of the Fathers Goods reserving to himself a double Portion Deut. 21.17 He shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the first-born by giving him a double portion of all that he hath for he is the beginning of his strength the right of the first-born is his Christ being the First-born he must in all things have the preheminence In our Conflicts and Tryals he is the captain of our salvation Heb. 2.10 In Holyness he is our Pattern or the Copy which we must transcribe 2 Cor. 3.18 Are changed into the same image from glory to glory Primum in unoquoque genere est mensura regula caeterorum The first in every kind is the Standard for all the rest In our Glory and Blessedness he is our fore-runner Heb. 6.20 having actually taken possession of that Felicity and Glory which he will bestow upon his Followers so that Christs Honour is reserved and Believers are comforted whilst they follow their Head in every State and Condition 2. Others are admitted to be partakers of this Grace in a lower degree called his fellows They are also dignified and graced by God above the rest of the World but not as Christ was Two things I will observe here 1. They must be his Consorts and Followers Sometimes they are called his brethren Heb. 2.11 Sometimes Members of his Mystical Body Eph. 1.22 23. Sometimes joint-heirs with Christ Rom. 8.17 Meaning thereby all Believers who are Companions with him both in Grace and Glory Thus we must be before we partake of this anointing Actus activorum sunt in passivo unito disposito They that receive influence from another must be fitted for what they receive and united to him from whom they receive it Therefore none but Christs Members and Fellows do partake of his Unction But who are they All such as are like minded with himself that love Righteousness and hate Iniquity that set themselves seriously to promote the Glory of God and to destroy the Reign of Sin in the World both in themselves and others In short those that are Regenerated and planted into his Mystical Body by the Spirit 2. The next thing which I observe is That all these may have somewhat of this Unction according to their measure and part which they sustain in the Body 1 Iohn 2.20 But we have an unction from the holy one compare Psalm 133.2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head that ran down upon the beard even Aarons beard that went down to the skirts of his garments The Ointment poured upon our head in such plenty that it diffuseth its self to all his Members God is the Author thereof 2 Cor. 1.21 Now he that stablisheth us with you in Christ and hath anointed us is God It is a Divine work but the Pipe or Means of conveying it to us is Christ who is the great Receptacle from whence the whole Family is supplyed Iohn 1.16 Of his fulness have all we received and grace for grace And it mainly consisteth in the gift of the Spirit sanctifying and preparing us for our present work and final reward and comforting us with our present Interest in the Love of God and hopes of Glory 2 Cor. 5.5 Now he that hath wrought us for this self-same thing is God who also hath given unto us the earnest of the spirit VSE I shall exhort you to Two things 1. To Holyness 2. To get more of the Oyl of Gladness 1. To Holyness If there were no more than that it is pleasing to Christ and visibly exemplified in his own Person this should induce us It was love to Holiness and hatred of Sin that brought him out of Heaven and put him on the work of our Redemption Nothing doth
Faith Some Christians know not all things which are contained in the Prophets and Apostles and yet in a sense they do believe by an implicite Faith As Agrippa believed the Prophets Acts 26.27 King Agrippa Believest thou the prophets I know that thou believest Yet he was ignorant of some things revealed by them So all Christians own the Writings of the Apostles and Prophets as the Rule and Warrant of Faith yet they do not discerne every Truth therein contained They do believe that whatever the Prophets and Apostles say and have written is true and so are ready to believe all things which shall be demonstrated to them to be written or said by them But by an explicite Faith they believe all Fundamental Truths such as are absolutely necessary to Salvation and usually most other Truths which are next to Fundamentals The Fundamentals are set down Iohn 17.3 This is life eternal to know thee the only true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent That God is to be known loved obeyed worshipped and injoyed and that the Lord Jesus is our Redeemer and Saviour to bring us home to God with his gifts of Pardon and Life to be begun by the Spirit here and perfected in Heaven Thirdly The Act believing It is not enough not to deny or not to contradict but we must actually and positively believe The Reason why the generality of People living in the Christian World feel so little force of their Faith is from their inadvertency they leap into the Christian Faith by the advantage of their Birth but do not consider what they believe nor why they should believe it and how they are concerned in it and so may be rather said not to contradict than to believe But true Faith is a positive firm assent excited in us by the Spirit of God As the Apostle saith of some that were zealous for the Law Vnderstanding neither what they say nor whereof they affirm 1 Tim. 1.7 So the Rabble of Common Christians may be zealous for the Gospel yet are not instructed in the Nature and Grounds of it what and why they should believe A sound belief requireth a thorough understanding of what we believe and a deep consideration of the Grounds and Reasons why we are to believe it And then it is such a fixed assent as is not perplexed and haunted with doubts about the truth of it And such a close adherence as is not discouraged with difficulties and oppositions It would be much better with the Christian World if every one that carryeth the name of a Christian could say I believe all that is written in the prophets and the apostles In short To a sound belief there is necessary 1. A Knowledge or full Instruction in the things which we believe for it is said 1 Iohn 4.16 We have known and believed the love that God hath to us first known and then believed 2. A due Conviction of the Certainty of them Luke 1.4 That thou mayest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed And Iohn 6.69 We believe and are sure that thou art that Christ the Son of the living God And Iohn 17.8 They have known surely that I came out from thee and they have believed that thou didst send me 3. This Faith doth not only imply a bare intellectual assent but a practical trust and affiance For the Nature of the Object requireth so much Christianity doth not only propound bare Truths to be assented unto but joyful comfortable Truths suitable to our necessity and desires and therefore we must depend upon them seek our Happyness in them in the way appointed by God which is nothing but practical trust and affiance Therefore it is not a bare Opinion but a relyance upon God that he will make good his word to us whilest we continue with Patience in well-doing Therefore we are said to belong to Christ if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end Heb. 3.6 4. Those Truths which are contained in the word are to be considered with application that we may know them for our good Iob 5.27 Hear it and know thou it for thy good Every Doctrine which upon search we find to be sound and good we must make application of it to our selves that it may affect our own Hearts if Threatnings that we may escape the Curse if Comforts or Promises Rom. 8.32 What shall we say to these things The promise of Pardon to all Believers is so universal that it includeth you as well as others Christ is offered to every Creature that he may be yours as well as anothers and the offer of Heaven and Eternal Life is so propounded that you should ingage your Hearts to seek after it and closely to adhere to it till you obtain it But to apply it so as to be perswaded that your own Sins are already pardoned that you are an Heir of Glory that you are Christs as to actual Interest you must have good Evidence for that from a Spiritual Sense of your own Qualifications but it belongeth not to Faith simply taken Thus we have set forth a Christian in his first part as a Believer II. The Apostle asserts his Hope And have hope towards God which they themselves allow that there shall be a Resurrection of the dead both of the just and unjust 1. Mark that he propoundeth his hope as the immediate effect and product of Faith for when I believe then I must look and long and prepare for the Blessedness offered otherwise my Faith is but a cold Opinion not such a Faith as will subdue the inclinations and Interests of the Flesh nor make the Labours and Sufferings of the Spiritual Life tolerable And that is true Faith which breatheth and longeth after the end of all Religion and looketh for it What will it do me good to believe the Doctrines of the Prophets and Apostles if I expect no good from thence Faith would be vain and Religion vain Only note here that Hope is two-fold 1. One the Fruit of Regeneration or the immediate effect of Conversion to God 1 Pet. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope And this is nothing else but a seeking and looking for an Happiness in another and in an unseen World with a longing desire and diligent care to obtain it It is Faith to place my Happiness so high and so far from sense now when my desires and delights are there and my daily care is to get thither and to live in a continual preparation for it and desirous expectation of it and to deny my self and suffer any loss and pain to get thither this is the work of Hope 2. There is an Hope built upon experience Rom. 5.4 5. And experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost
if they had their Hearts at command in a moment Or how can they come before God with that Confidence Reverence Humility and Fervency that is required in Holy Prayer when they come reeking hot from their worldly Occasions Then for the matter of these Prayers There are certain common Blessings which we and others continually stand in need of and for which we are continually to pray as the increase of Faith Patience Meekness Love and the like Do you desire these things God will not reject the desires of an humble contrite Heart Many things we desire and lawfully may desire which are not matters of that moment that we should acquaint God with them or seek to interest Providence in them we do not expect nor is it needful to require any special work of his for the performance of them it is not seemly so to do as in a lawful Game a Man may desire to win rather than to lose but it is not fit he should make a Prayer for it Object But if another pray and I join with him how do I find it in my Heart Ans. This is principally meant of personal secret Prayer when we uncover our own sore confess the Plague of our own Heart 1 Kin. 8.38 Then the rule is we must fit and proportion our Words to our Matter and both Matter and Words to our Minds and Hearts A Sermon on Psalm L.5 Gather my Saints together those that have made a Covenant with me by Sacrifice THIS whole Psalm setteth forth the erection of the Gospel Church and the Ordinances thereof Though the Gospel Kingdom came not with observation that is with external pomp and glory yet much of the Majesty of the divine presence was discernable in it Clearly in the frame of the Psalm you may observe a rejection of the legal worship and an establishment of the Christian service and the spiritual oblations which belong thereunto Yet the expressions do rather represent Christ as coming in the Majesty of a Judge than a Lawgiver for three reasons I suppose 1. Because there was judgment exercised on the Iews for refusing to submit to Christ and enter into the Gospel state 2. Because in the Prophetical writings the two comings of Christ are frequently mixed his first coming in humility with his last coming in glory to judge the World 3. Because those Laws and Ordinances which were given by Christ at the erection of the Gospel Kingdom will be the matter about which we shall be judged at the last and universal day of Doom For these and other reasons is Christ represented as a Judge summoning the World into his presence that the actions of men good or bad may be examined that it may be known who have resisted and despised the Messias and who have subjected themselves to him that the former may be punished and the other rewarded We shall all one day be brought into the judgment about the covenant we have made with God by Sacrifice So much is intimated in the context In the words Observe 1. God's charge to his Officers to summon the Court Gather my Saints together 2 The description of the parties who are to appear in the judgment My Saints that have made a Covenant with me by Sacrifice 1. His charge to his Officers whether Angels or others None can hide themselves but they must all appear before the Tribunal of Christ for God will have them all brought together from the four Winds or Corners of the Earth 2. The description That have made a Covenant The word signifieth cut a Covenant In Covenants the sacrifices were cut asunder and the Persons contracting went between the divided parts As God bid Abraham take an Heifer and a Ram and a She-goat Gen. 15.10 And he took unto him all these and divided them in the midst and laid each piece one against another and at evening ver 17. a smoaking furnace and a burning Lamp passed between those pieces And Ier. 34.18 They have not performed the words of the Covenant which they had made before me when they cut the Calf in twain and passed between the parts thereof The meaning of this rite was an Imprecation so let them be cut asunder that shall break this Covenant The Heathens Sic à Iove feriatur is qui sanctum hoc fregerit foedus ut ego hunc porcum ferio Let Iupiter strike him dead that breaks this Holy Covenant as I strike this Swine Thus are we said to cut a Covenant with God Now this Covenant is said to be made by Sacrifice For 1. There is no covenanting between God and sinful Man without a Sacrifice And 2. No Sacrifice will serve the turn to make the Covenant effectual but only the blood of Christ by which his Justice is satisfied and Wrath appeased Doct. That God's People or Saints are such as have made a Covenant with him by Sacrifice For so they are described here Two things I must speak to 1. About making a Covenant with God 2. Why no Covenant can be made with God without the interposing of or respect unto a Sacrifice I. About making a Covenant with God Sometimes a Covenant is said to be made by God and sometimes made by us It is made by God as he hath appointed it and stated the terms of it and unalterably fixed them Though there be a condescention in the Covenant Form and therein God carrieth himself as a God of Grace yet in fixing the term so unalterably God carrieth himself as a Sovereign Psal. 111.9 He hath commanded his Covenant for ever We must take the Covenant as God hath left it not bring it down to our fancies and humours Our making Covenant respects our stipulation or binding our selves to perform the conditions required on our part when we heartily accept the Covenant as stated by God In every Covenant there is ratio dati accepti Something given and something taken God will be our God and we must be his people Heb. 8.10 This is the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those days saith the Lord I will put my laws into their Mind and write them in their Hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a People Now God makes this Covenant 1. With respect to himself 2. With respect to us 3. With respect both to himself and us 1. With respect to himself To shew the freeness and sureness of his Grace 1. The freeness of his Grace He might have required obedience from us out of his Soveraignty as he is our Creator and we are his Creatures and given no other reason of his commands but this I am the Lord without any promises or contract made with us But the absolute command of God though it might exact obedience from us yet it doth not carry such motives in its bosom to incourage us to perform it as the Covenant There was so much of Grace in the first Covenant though the condition of it
Deus tuus O Christian where is thy God said a Heathen to a Christian when committing Uncleanness Titus 3.10 Not purloining but shewing all good fidelity that they may adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour in all things 3. Our Peace and Safety is concerned in it Partly because the World is least irritated by a Peaceable Just and good Conversation it doth mollifie their Spirits and mitigate their fury 1 Pet. 3.13 And who is he that will harm you if ye be followers of that which is good That is when he bridleth his Tongue seeketh peace and doth good And partly because God puts a conviction upon the Consciences of wicked Men 1 Sam. 24.17 And he said to David Thou art more Righteous than I for thou hast rewarded me good whereas I have rewarded thee evil and so wicked Men are restrained by reverence and are afraid to meddle with unstained Innocency And partly because when we do not bring trouble upon our selves by our own immoralities God taketh us into his special protection It followeth upon the Text ver 9. These things which ye have both learned and heard and seen of me do and the God of Peace shall be with you You may expect much of God's gracious presence when your conversations are so harmless and innocent and he will free you from many external vexations or give you inward tranquillity of mind 4 Because these things flow from that internal principle of Grace which is planted in our Hearts by regeneration Mat. 3.8 Bring forth fruits therefore meet for Repentance Act. 26.20 That they should Repent and turn to God and do works meet for Repentance What is Regeneration on God's part is repentance on ours Now there are certain effects proper to this change and that is the Grave Just Temperate and Holy living And certainly where those effects are not there the cause it self is wanting for how can we evidence that our Conversion and Repentance is real and sound unless we bring forth fruits answerable What evidence can we have of the new nature but by newness of conversation Or of a change of mind but by a change of life We judge of others by their external works for the Tree is known by its Fruits and we jâ—dge of our selves by the internal and external works together if within there be a Love of God Faith in Christ Hatred of Evil delight in that which is good a deep sense of the World to come and all this discovered in an holy sober and grave conversation this compleateth the evidence and maketh it more satisfying 5. All the disorders contrary to these limits and bounds by which our conversations are regulated are condemned by the Holy and Righteous Law of God which is the rule of the new creature and therefore they ought to be avoided by a good Christian who hath a tenderness upon him of offending God in the least things Psal. 119.161 My Heart standeth in awe of thy Word Prov. 13.13 Whoso despiseth the Word shall be destroyed but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded they dare not transgress in the least things Mat. 5.19 Whosoever shall break one of these least Commandments and shall teach men so to do shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven As not in their Spiritual Duties so not in Moralities Mat. 2â— 23 Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye pay tithe of Mint and Annise and Cummin and have omitted the weightier matters of the Law Iudgment and Mercy and Faith These things ought ye to do and not to leave the other undone Hypocrites make a business about small matters and neglect weighty duties Yet the sincere by the discharge of greater duties are not freed from the obligation to do the smallest duties both stand by the same Authority 6. These Moralities are not small things the glory of God the safety of his People the good of humane Society and the evidence of our own sincerity being concerned in them The Apostle chargeth Atheism and dis-respect of God on the neglecters of these things 1 Iob. 3.10 Whosoever doth not Righteousness is not of God Neither he that loveth not his Brother Gal. 5.14 For all the Law is fulfilled in one word Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self Vse 1. If Religion doth adopt Moralities into its frame and constitution we must not leave them out of our practice and conversations for we are the Epistle of Christ 2 Cor. 3.3 we are to hold forth the word of life Phil. 2.26 That which is just must be suitable to the rule Tit. 3.8 This is a faithful saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works these things are good and profitable unto men God would not have us omit any part of his Will Vse 2. Here is an answer to those that ask wherein must we be holy and shew our obedience unto God besides what concerneth the sanctification of the Hâ—art here we are told plainly what concerneth the regulating of the conversation When the Heart is once renewed then Moralities must have their place and our exact care Vse 3. That Christians should be known to be the best sort of Men in the World abstaining not only from those things which the Law of God forbiddeth but the custom of Nations that no blemish may lye upon our Profession A Sermon on Luke Xix. 14 But his Citizens hated him and sent a Message after him saying We will not have this Man to Reign over us THese words are part of a parable uttered by our Lord Jesus when he came nigh to Ierusalem where they thought he would assume the Regal Power and Reign among them in great Pomp and Glory To prevent this misconceit he puts forth this Parable wherein by the Nobleman he intendeth himself by his Servants all Believers especially the Teachers and Ministers of his Church by the pounds given to them Spiritual Gifts and Graces by his going into a far Countrey to receive a Kingdom his Ascention into Heaven and sitting down at the right hand of Majesty by his own Citizens that tumultuated during his absence the Stiff necked Jews and by consequence all other people that refuse his Government by his return his last coming to Judgment when he shall reward every one according to his works My purpose only obligeth me to insist upon that clause which expresseth the unwillingness of Men to be subject to Christ But his Citizens hated him and sent a Message after him c. In which words take notice of 1. The Crime We will not have this Man c. 2. The Persons guilty His Citizens Joh. 1.11 He came to his own and they received him not 3. The Internal moving Cause they hated him Hatred is a malicious dislike notwithstanding conviction Ioh 14.23 He that hateth me hateth my Father 〈◊〉 They did disclaim and renounce all subjection to Christ though they had enough
that kept not their first Estate but left their own Habitation he hath reserved to Everlasting Chains under Darkness unto the Iudgment of the great Day They were not contented with the place they were in but would be Independant of themselves Equal to God by Usurpation and Robbery and so instead of Angels became Devils But Christ is not God by Usurpation but God by Nature He was not thrust down but came down 2. His Exinanition and Abasement Which is 1. Generally set forth 2 Particulars are mentioned 1. Generally 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He made himself of no Reputation in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He humbled himself ver 8. 2. The Particulars are His Incarnation mean Life and accursed Death Let us stand a little and consider this Condescention by comparing the terms That the Creator should stoop so low as to become a Creature and go down from the form of God to the form of a Servant from Equality with God to Subjection to Men from being Lord of all to a State of Obedience and that Obedience carried on in the way of the most perfect self-denial Obedient to the Death and that Death cloathed with all the circumstances that might make it grievous it was painful ignominious and accursed I shall insist only on the general Description of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He made himself of no Reputation emptied himself lessened himself in the next verse humbled himself Doct. That the Lord Iesus did for our sakes empty lessen and humble himself I shall open three things 1. How far Christ was lessened 2. That this was his own voluntary Act. 3. That this was for our sakes I. How far Christ was lessened It chiefly lieth in these two things 1. Obscuring his Godhead 2. Abatement of his Dignity 1. His Godhead was obscured by the interposing vail of our Flesh. He did empty himself of that Divine Glory Splendour and Majesty which before he had Not by ceasing to be what he was but by assuming something to himself which he was not before viz. the Infirmity of the humane Nature which did for a time hide his Divine Glory so that little of it did appear and that to some few only that narrowly observed him Iohn 1.14 We beheld his Glory the Glory as of the only begotten of the Father To the generality it was otherwise Isa. 53.2 He shall grow up before him as a tender plant and as a root out of a dry ground he hath no form or comeliness and when we shall see him there is no Beauty that we should desire him As the covering in a dark Lanthorn hideth the Light from shining forth so did the Humane Nature obscure his Divine Glory For he assumed not this Nature as it shall be in Heaven perfectly Glorified but as it is now since Sin entred into the World cloathed with manifold Infirmities He came in the form of a Servant not of a Glorified Saint The Apostle Rom. 8.3 calleth it The likeness of sinful Flesh the Estate and Condition of his assumed flesh was exposed to all those Infirmities which in us are the Punishment of Sin Though he continued still Infinite Eternal and Omnipotent and in his greatest Abasement was still the Lord of Glory yet his external Habit and Appearance was that of a mean afflicted man and the Divinity though not separated with-held its influence to leave the Humane Nature to suffer whatever the Humanity was capable of As it exposed the Soul to desertion so the Body to all manner of Sufferings and Death it self 2. His Dignity was lessened And there was a Depression of the Glory of his former State That which the Romans called capitis Diminutio a lessening of State and Condition The Eternal Word set himself at nought lessened and humbled himself from the Condition of being Lord of all to that of a Subject and Ordinary Man Gal. 4.4 But when the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a Woman made under the Law From a Judge of the World he became a Party It was a Condescention of God to take notice of mans Misery Psalm 113.6 Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in Heaven and in the Earth Much more to make a Party in it and to be found among the miserable Three steps of Condescention we may eminently take notice of 1. That Christ Who thought it no Robbery to be equal with God is made less than God Iohn 14.28 My Father is greater than I compared with Iohn 10.30 I and my Father are one As Mediator Incarnate he undertook an Office designed him by God and obeyed him in all things They are one in Essence yet the Father was greater than he not as he was God but Man and Mediatour and in his present State of Humiliation For he bringeth it there to prove that by departing out of the World then he should be exalted to a more glorious Estate than that in which he was during his abode upon Earth because the Vail should then be laid aside and that Glory which he had with God before the World was made should fully appear Iohn 17.5 And now Father glorifie thou me with thine own self with the Glory which I had with thee before the World was 2. That he was not only lesser than God but lesser than the Angels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 2.7 Thou madest him a little lower than the Angels or for a little time the time that he spent here on Earth Man is Inferiour to an Angel as Man in the Order of Being much more as Mortal for the Angels never die therefore his very Incarnation and liableness to Death was a great lessening of his Dignity Though the Incarnation of Christ was the Exaltation of our Nature yet it was the Depression and Humiliation of the Son of God God could stoop no lower than to become man and man could be advanced no higher than to be united to God 3. That in the Humane Nature he was depressed beyond the Ordinary Condition of Man For he came in such a form and course of Life as was beneath the ordinary rate of Mankind Psal. 22.6 I am a worm and no man a reproach of men and despised of the People So Isa. 53.3 He was despised and rejected of men a man of Sorrows and acquainted with griefs and we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised and we esteemed him not As a vile and abominable Creature both despised and rejected scarce deemed worthy the Name of a man or to have any converse and fellowship with them It is in Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the leaving off of a man as if we should say the very list and fag-end of Mankind so low and mean that the Nature of man can hardly descend lower Mark 9.12 The Son of Man must suffer many things and be set at nought it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made nought worth or nothing Thus did he appear in
submit to any condition for his glory Some that profess his name will suffer nothing for him If they may injoy him or his ways in peace and quietness well and good but if trouble arise for the Gospel's sake immediately they fall off The most yea the best have a secret lothness and unwillingness to condescend to a condition of trouble and distress for the Gospel Now to these I will but propound these three considerations 1. If Christ had been unwilling to die for us and suffer for us if the same mind had been in Christ what had been our estate and condition to all Eternity without his sufferings we should have suffered eternal misery If you would not have Christ of another Mind let the same Mind be in you 2. We cannot lose for him as much as he hath done for us 2 Cor. 8.9 Ye know the Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ that though he was rich yet for our sakes he became poor that we through his poverty might be rich 3. We are gainers by him if we part with all the World for his sake Mark 10.29 30. There is no Man that hath left House or Brethren or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for my sake and the Gospel but he shall receive an hundred fold now in this time Houses and Brethren and Sisters and Mothers and Children and Lands with Persecutions and in the World to come Eternal Life Oh then do not stand upon terms The same Mind or Spirit answerable to Christ was that of David 2 Sam. 6.22 I will be yet more vile than thus Christ became vile for us made himself of no reputation and shall we be flouted out of our Religion If he had disdained to indure grief and sorrows and stood upon befitting terms what had become of us 2. Humility We are far inferiour to Christ and shall we stand so much upon our reputation Mat. 11.29 Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in Heart Learn of me not to make Worlds or work Miracles but to be contented with the lowest place the meanest service to be any thing and do any thing to bring glory to God and that not out of necessity but choice Mat. 20.28 Even as the Son of Man came not to be Ministred unto but to Minister It is brought to check aspiring or affecting domination in the Church They that love the preheminence would be great and high seem to dislike Christs proceeding especially those that rend and tear all to advance themselves or to grow greater in the World See that magnificent preface to the History of Christ's washing his Disciples Feet Iohn 13.3 Iesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he was come from God and went to God Poor Worms that are but three degrees distant from dust and nothing how do we stand upon our terms Christ when his own thoughts were most filled with his own glory doth the meanest office Surely considering Christ's humility we should no more over-value our selves nor desire high esteem with others nor affect preheminence nor undervalue and despise others 3. More exact obedience Christs condescention was a special act of Grace and Love but it was also a signal act of obedience It is so called in the 8th verse He humbled himself and became obedient to death even the death of the Cross. It was done in pursuance of the Fathers command and elsewhere Heb. 5.8 9. Though he were a Son yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered And being made perfect he became the Author of Eternal Salvation unto all them that obey him By the multiplicity of his sufferings he learned obedience and the impression is according to the Stamp and Seal Christ came to be the Leader of an obeying People 4. Self-denial as well as obedience Preferring a publick Interest the glory of God and the good of Souls before his own glory as God and the Interests of that natural Life that he assumed Rom. 15.3 Christ pleased not himself and Iohn 12.27 28. Now is my Soul troubled and what shall I say Father save me from this hour but for this cause came I unto this hour Father glorifie thy name That was enough if God was glorified Every Christian should be thus affected Phil. 1.20 That Christ may be magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death 5 The last lesson is contempt of the World and all the glory thereof Christ teacheth us this lesson by making himself of no reputation two ways 1. The example of his own choice The Lord of Heaven and Earth despised and neglected the glory and riches of this World He passed through the World to sanctifie it as a place of service but chose not pomp of living nor the happiness of it lest we should chuse it as our rest and portion They are not of the World as I am not of the World Iohn 17.16 Those that are dearest unto God must look by crosses and trials to be fitted for another World If a Man say never so much for contempt of the World yet live in the love of it his saying is nothing But Christ would be a pattern of his own doctrine Contempt of the World is a lesson of great consequence Salvation lieth upon it 1 Iohn 2.15 16 17. 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 For all that is in the World the Lust of the Flesh the Lust of the Eye and the Pride of Life is not of the Father but is of the World And the World passeth away and the lust thereof but he that doth the Will of God abideth for ever Whether we are high or low full or kept bare it concerneth us all to learn it Though we flow in wealth we should be as having nothing and sit loose from the Creature If we are poor we must count grace a preferment Jam. 1.9 10. Let the brother of low degree rejoyce in that he is exalted But the rich in that he is made low because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away There is required of all an hearty preparation for when they are not called to a patient enduring of afflictions for Christs Name Phil. 4.12 I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need This is of an hard digestion to a Natural Man Now Christs example is a great help to us to check our worldly desires let us not affect greater eminency in the World than Christ had And to check the vanity of fulness or our carnal complacency that it may not be a snare to us 1 Tim. 5.6 The Woman that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth Christ was a Man of sorrows do you Profess Christ and yet are
Faith standeth us in most stead Acts 3.19 Repent ye therefore and be converted that your Sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Then by the one we are freed from the guilt of Sin and so have deliverance from Eternal Death By the other we have not only right but entrance into Eternal Glory What is our whole scope but to be absolved by Christ at last and enter into Eternal Life Finally these two are to be regarded to obviate their mistake who think indeed that Faith and it may be Repentance is necessary to pardon or to dissolve our Obligation to Punishment but not new Obedience But in their place all the Conditions are necessary They think new Obedience is necessary to Salvation or Eternal Life but not to Justification But Salvation is as gracious an Act of Mercy as free and undeserved a Gift as Pardon Rom. 6.23 The wages of Sin is Death but the Gift of God is Eternal Life through Iesus Christ our Lord. Eternal Life is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wages but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Gift of God It is as much merited by Christ as the other and therefore as proper a part yea the chief part of the Hope of Righteousness by Faith and that which is only waited for and not injoyed III. What is the work of the Spirit in this business in urging Believers to wait for the Hope of Righteousness by Faith I Answer the work of the Spirit doth either concern the Duties of the new Covenant or the Priviledges of the new Covenant or what is common to them both I begin with the latter 1. What is common to them both He doth convince us of the Truth of the Gospel both of means and end that there is such an Hope and the Righteousness of Faith is the only way to obtain it Now this he doth Externally and Internally 1. Externally and by way of Objective Evidence All the certainty that we have of the Gospel is by the Spirit Acts 5.32 We are Witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Ghost which he hath given to them that obey him And Iohn 15. 26 27. When the Comforter is come whom I will send to you from the Father even the Spirit of Truth which proceedeth from the Father he shall testifie of me And ye also shall bear witness because ye have been with me from the beginning Mark in both these places the two solemn Witnesses are the Spirit and the Apostles the one Principal the other Ministerial the one declaring Doctrine and Matter of Fact the other assuring the World of the Truth of their Testimony The Apostles testified of Christs sayings and doings and the Holy Ghost which came down upon them and the rest that consorted with them and was given in some measure to those that obeyed their Doctrine was an undoubted Evidence that God owned it from Heaven Here was enough to open mens Eyes and to give them a right understanding of his Person and Doctrine that it was of God The Visible Gifts of the Holy Ghost and his powerful working in the Hearts of men in order to their Conversion unto God These admirable Gifts and Graces shed abroad upon men were a Notable Conviction to the World that Christ was a Teacher sent from God to teach men the way to Eternal Life and Happiness This did afford sufficient matter of Confirmation and Conviction by the Spirit shed abroad and poured forth on the Christian Church 2. Internally inlightning their Minds and inclining their Hearts to imbrace the Truth Which maketh the former Testimony effectual So the Apostle prayeth Eph. 1.17 For the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the Knowledge of Christ the eyes of their understanding being inlightned that they might know what is the hope of his Calling and the Riches of the Glory of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light To the sight of any thing these things are necessary an Object a Medium a Faculty As in outward sight an Object that may be seen a convenient light to represent it and make the Object perspicuous An Organ or Faculty of seeing in the Eye Unless there be an Object you bid a man see nothing Unless there be a Medium a due light to represent it as in a fog or at Midnight the sharpest sight can see nothing Unless there be a Faculty neither the Object nor Medium will avail a Blind-man cannot see any thing at Noon-day Now here is an Object the way of Salvation by Christ A convenient light it is represented in the Gospel And the Faculty is prepared for the Eyes of the Mind are opened by the Spirit that we may see both Way and End the necessity of Holiness and the reality of future Glory and Blessedness Alas without this sight we busie our selves about Vanities and Childish Toys and never Mind the things which are most necessary certainly we can have no saving understanding of Spiritual Truths neither what is the Benefit of Christianity or the blessed Condition of Gods People Nor what are the Duties of Christianity so as our Hearts may be held to them or how we may behave our selves as true Believers 2. The Work of the Spirit as to the Duties of the new Covenant He doth not only convince us of the Reality and the Necessity of Christs Obedience and our Holiness but by his Powerful Operation frameth and inclineth our Hearts to the Duties required of us Faith it self is wrought in us by this Holy Spirit for it is the Gift of God Eph. 2.8 And so is Repentance and Obedience Heb. 8.10 I will write my Laws upon their Hearts and put them into their Minds Moses his Law was written on Tables of Stone as a Rule without them but Christs Law on the Heart and Mind as drawing and inclining them to obey it The Renewing Grace of the Spirit of God doth prepare us and fit us and his exciting Grace doth quicken us that we may do what is pleasing in his sight And therefore if we profess to live under the new Covenant we are inexcusable if we do not bestir our selves and accomplish the work of Faith with Power and obey from the Heart the Doctrine delivered to us Indeed the Spirit doth most naturally put us upon spiritual Worship and spiritual Holiness these things agree most with his Being and Nature The observances of the Law were carnal yet as long as Gods command continued the Spirit inclined to Obedience to them But a better Law being enacted by Christ the Spirit that proceedeth from the Father and the Son suiteth his Operations accordingly For he cometh into us as Christs Spirit He shall take of mine and glorifie me John 16.14 All that he doth accordeth with Christ as Christs Will doth with the Father 3. The work of the Spirit as to the priviledges of the New Covenant which are pardon and life 1. As to Pardon he is the Comforter He cometh
drink indeed But especially in invocation or solemn calling upon God in a way of Prayer or Praise into which all duties issue themselves 1. In a way of Prayer the mediation of Christ doth especially respect that duty and you must put your suits into his hand if you mean to speed Iohn 16.23 Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name he will give it you There is no speaking to God or hoping for any thing from God but by Christ. Having such a Mediator to present our desires and requests we may come boldly to him The Father is well pleased with these requests We cannot have sufficient sense enough of our unworthiness and his worth and merit 2. In a way of praise Col. 3.17 Whatsoever ye do in Word or Deed do all in the Name of the Lord Iesus giving thanks to God and the Father by him All the success of our lawful undertakings or expectations is to be ascribed to God through Christ. All good things derived to us from God as the prime Authour is by Christ's Mediation Eph. 5.20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ. For all things Temporal Spiritual success of all Ordinances Providences his merit procured the mercy and maketh the duty acceptable 3. We come to God in the practice of all commanded duties A Christian is always with God he liveth with him and walketh with him He that is a stranger with God in his ordinary conversation can never be familiar with him in his worship and the Grace of Faith Hope and Love are acted not only in worship but ordinary practice whilest having a deep sense of an invisible God and a constant aim at an invisible World Love doth level and direct all our actions that we may please this God and attain the happiness of that unseen World Every righteous action is done in obedience to God and an aim at Heaven either by a noted thought or the unobserved act of a potent habit Sure I am that a great part of our communion with God is carried on in our ordinary conversation 1 Iohn 1.7 But if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another And every holy action is a step towards â—eâ—ven as every sinful one is in its self a step to Hell Now this can only be by Christ. Unless we are in him and be assisted by his Spirit how can we bring forth fruit unto God Phil. 1.11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Iesus Christ unto the Glory and Praise of God He is the root of your life and you live as upon him and by his Life The Apostle saith in one clause that we are for him in the other that we are by him whole we not only some actions of ours but God hath put our life into his hands and because he liveth we live also Iohn 14.19 We do not use Christ only at our need but as the Branches the Root or the Members the Head we can do nothing apart from him but in all businesses and in all conditions we must live in him to God Now this is to come to God by Christ. Vse I. To press us to improve this for our comfort and use 1. 'T is an incouragement in our expectations from God and those communications of Grace which he exhibiteth to us in the covenant of Grace for here is one God and Father from whom are all things and one Lord Iesus by whom are all things God is set before you as an all-sufficient Fountain of Grace and Christ as an all-powerful Mediator 1. Here is one God and Father from whom are all things Where shall we find comfort if not in God He can supply all our Wants cure all our Diseases overcome all Enemies deliver us out of all Dangers God in the New Covenant is represented under the notion of God All-sufficient Gen. 17.1 He offereth himself under that notion to ingage us to trust him alone The People of God gather it from their Covenant interest Psal. 23.1 The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want So elsewhere there is an infinite latitude in the object of Faith This one God and Father is every way sufficient to do us good no pain so great but he can mitigate and remove it no danger so dreadful so likely but he can prevent no misery so deep but he can deliver us from it no Enemies so strong but he can vanquish them no want that he cannot supply When we have a want God cannot supply or a Sickness that God cannot cure or a danger that he cannot prevent or a Misery that he cannot remove or Enemies that are too hard for him then you may yield to despondency of Heart Chuse God for your portion and chief happiness and you shall want nothing whatever faileth we have an All-sufficient God still to rejoice in and depend upon See how largely God expresseth himself in the offers of his Grace Psal. 84.11 For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield the Lord will give Grace and Glory no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly We are subject to dangers and perils from Enemies Bodily and Spiritual he is our Shield we want all manner of Blessings now he will give us all things that truely belong to our happiness he will be a Sun to us A Shield here a Sun hereafter I am thy Shield and exceeding great Reward If He be a reward and a great reward it cannot come short of Heavens Glory and that Eternal Happiness which is an aggregation of all Blessings then our Sun shall be in his Meridian and shall fully and for ever shine upon the Saints It followeth there Grace and Glory will he give He will restore what we lost in Adam the Image of God the Favour of God and Fellowship with God and bestow upon us a Blessedness which possibly we should not have had if Adam had stood Eternal Life and Rest in Heaven Grace to bear our expences to Heaven and Glory at the end of the Way All manner of light life and comfort See one place more 2 Pet. 1.3 According to his Divine Power hath he given unto us all things that pertain to Life and Godliness Whatever pertaineth to life that is life Spiritual the substance of every saving Grace though not the full Measure also a right to what may inable us to honour God in practice either to an Holy Heart or an Holy Life 2. Here is a compleat and powerful Mediator And 1. Hereby we see God in our Nature and so nearer at hand and ready to help us God is become our Neighbour yea as one of us Bone of our Bone and Flesh of our Flesh That made Laban kind to Iacob Gen. 29.14 Though he hath removed his Dwelling into Heaven again yet 't is for our sakes and for our benefit our Nature remaineth there at the Right Hand of
God Heb. 4.14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest that is passed into the Heavens c. 2. God in our Nature was Abased Crucified made Sin made a Curse for us that he might pacifie the Justice of God and reconcile us to him So that besides the infinite Mercy and Power of God there is the Infinite Righteousness and everlasting Redemption of a Mediator God offended with Man is fully satisfied with the Ransom paid for Sinners by Christ Mat. 3.17 This is my well-beloved Son in whom I am well pleased 3. God having laid such a foundation and bestowed so great a gift upon us will not stick at any thing which is necessarily required to make us fully and eternally happy Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his own Son but gave him up c. shall he not with him freely give us all things Here in the Text 't is said All things are by him such abundant provision hath he made for Mans Salvation Surely here is a broad foundation for our comfort and hope Here is God appeased the works of the Devil dissolved our wounded Natures healed our Enemies vanquished by him as the Captain of our Salvation the Church defended and maintained by him as supream Head and Pastor all kept quiet by him between God and Us as our Agent and Advocate and finally he will bring us into the immediate presence of God that we may remain with him for evermore 4. Besides the dignity of his person consider the suitableness of his office to our necessity The dignity of his person must not be over-looked for he is God-man and therefore he is accepted by the Father and may be relied upon by us Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your Consciences from dead works to serve the living God Besides the institution there is an intrinsick value Act. 20.28 'T is called the Blood of God But what a suitable as well as valuable a remedy do his Offices of King Priest and Prophet make him By these three Offices he exerciseth the Office of Mediator The three Offices are alluded unto Iohn 14.6 I am the Way the Truth and the Life The Way as a Priest Truth as a Prophet Life as a King The Way because he hath removed the legal exclusion we were fugitives exiled and then Truth to direct us and give us the knowledge of Gods Nature and Will The Life To begin a Life of Grace in us by his Spirit which shall be perfected in Heaven So 1 Cor. 1.30 But of him are ye in Christ Iesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption All the offices of Christ are there expressed with a suitableness to our misery Wisdom as a Prophet to cure our ignorance and folly we had no true sense of the evil we deserved nor the good we wanted nor of the way to remove the one or obtain the other but he convinceth and instructeth us in all these things We lye also under the guilt and power of sin that is our second necessity and so Christ is made Righteousness and Sanctification as a Priest for he gave himself to cleanse us from sin Eph. 5.26 We are also liable to many miseries introduced by sin yea under a necessity of dying and perishing for ever therefore Christ is made Redemption as a King and as Captain of our Salvation at length fully redeemed us from all evil Rom. 8.23 And not only they but our selves also which 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 Bodies Luk. 21.28 And when these things begin to come to pass then lift up your Heads for your Redemption draweth nigh Eph. 4.30 And grieve not the Holy Spirit whereby ye are seal'd to the day of Redemption Thus you see how amply we are provided for in Christ. It may as well be said By him are all things as it may be said of the Father From whom are all things Secondly Another improvement is to ingage and incourage us to make those returns of Love Worship and Obedience Service and Glory which are expected and required of us There is something which reflecteth from us upon God from all this Grace and Mercy which God dispensed by the Mediator We must be for him and we must be by him 'T is more than if it were said we must serve him glorifie him We in our whole capacity we must be whatever we are and do whatever we do to God and for God by the Mediator 1. We must enter into Covenant with him and give the Hand to the Lord and consent to be his Isa. 44.5 One shall say I am the Lord 's another shall call himself by the Name of Jacob and another shall subscribe with his Hand unto the Lord. They should enter their Names to God to be entred into his Muster-Roll or Listed among the Faithful that belong to him and are Listed for his service a Member of that Body whereof Christ is Head a subject of that Kingdom whereof Christ is King 2 Cor. 8.5 'T is said But first gave their own selves unto the Lord. Rom. 12.1 Present your Bodies a living Sacrifice Holy acceptable to God which is your reasonable service Christ gave himself a Sin-offering and we give up our selves a Thank-offering 2. There must be a strong love to God ever at work in our Hearts levelling and directing all our actions to his glory and this love must be an impression of the love shewed to us by Christ a thankful sense of his Mercies and Benefits 1 Iohn 4.19 We love him because he loved us first 2 Cor. 5.14 The Love of Christ constraineth us Love is an earnest bent and inclination of Heart towards our chief good and last end and its effect and work is to devote our selves to his Service Will and Honour longing after more of God and continually seeking for it Psal. 63.1 O God thou art my God early will I seek thee My Soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is A Soul that hath chosen God for its portion cannot want him nor be long without him nor satisfied with any partial enjoyment of him therefore still seeketh for more The main work of this life is a desirous seeking after God and getting nearer to their last end by all the means which God hath appointed us to use 3. There must be a constant study and care to please honour and glorifie this God Acts 27.23 Whos 's I am and whom I serve If we be dedicated to God there must be a conscience of our dedication that we may live unto God and this not now and then but in our whole course All our Faculties Bodies Souls 1 Cor. 6.19 20. What! know ye not that your Body is the Temple of the Holy
best known by those eternal Torments which are appointed for the punishment thereof Present punishments do somewhat discover it Now know that it is an evil thing and a bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God Ier. 2.19 Briars and Thorns and sensible smart will teach us that which bare contemplation doth not But if the Temporal punishment maketh us know What an evil thing and a bitter it is What will Eternal do Go ask the Damned in Hell whether it be a light thing to Sin against God Mark 9.44 Where their Worm dieth not and the Fire is not quenched Here is the great aggravation of Sin that for Temporal Trifles they have lost Eternal Joys and run the hazard of Eternal Pains for the ease mirth and pleasure of a Moment And then for things evil in opinion it sheweth how falsely we are deluded As Afflictions Sufferings and Losses for Christ Death c. It much concerneth us to have a true notion of these things For Afflictions It sheweth that they are not so bad as the World taketh them to be They are tedious for the present but 't is but for a season 1 Pet. 1.6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice though now for a season if need be ye are in heaviness through manifold Temptations All things are lessened by having eternity in our minds the delights of the World and the sorrows of the World 1 Cor. 7.29 Since the World passeth away and the fashion thereof we should rejoice as if we rejoyced not mourn as if we mourned not the good and evil will be soon over We cry out How long but 't is not for ever 'T is grievous but 't is not Eternal 't is not Hell yea they may be good Psal. 119.71 It is good for me that I have been Afflicted that I might learn thy statutes All things are good as they help on a blessed eternity so Afflictions may be good that part of the World that is led by sense will never endure this but that part which is led by Faith will easily assent to it the World that is led by sense say to a Covetous Man that the loss of an Estate is good to a Worldly Rich Man that Poverty is good to an Ambitious Man that it is good to be despised and contemned to Voluptuous Man that it is good to be in Pain to Afflict the Body for the good of the Soul they will never believe you But go to them that measure all things by Eternity and they will tell you that Poverty maketh way for the true Riches Mourning for the true Glory Want for fulness of Pleasure at Gods Right Hand That misery mortifieth sin 1 Cor. 11.32 When we are judged we are chastned of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the World Sufferings for Christ If we win Eternity with the loss of all the World we are no losers For the World passeth away and the Lusts thereof but he that doth the Will of God abideth for ever 1 Iohn 2.17 But on the contrary 't is a sorry bargain to lose Eternity for the injoyment of all the World Mat. 16.26 For what is a Man profited if he shall gain the whole World and lose his own Soul Or what shall a Man give in exchange for his Soul And then Death the King of Terrors yet 't is not feared by a Christian because it is an entrance into Eternal Life when he dieth then shall he live Iohn 11.25 26. I am the Resurrection and the Life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall be live and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die Believest thou this If we have a sense of this why should we be troubled to be uncloathed that we may be cloathed upon with Immortality and Glory It separateth us from our Worldly Friends and Benefits but bringeth us to God with whom we shall abide for ever it puts an end to time that we may enter into Eternity so that death is ours 1 Cor. 3.22 A Friend not an Enemy It maketh an end of Sin and Sorrow to make way for Blessedness and Glory For things Good Good seeming or Good real Good seeming There are many things which the vain deceived World doteth upon which are impertinencies to our great end As Foolish Sports and Recreations Eccles. 2.2 I said of Laughter It is Mad and of Mirth What doth it There are other things which are meer inconsistencies As many evils which we commit for a little Temporal happiness Then real good things Duties Ordinances Graces Christ the Favour of God We know how to value these things by looking to Eternity The good things of this World are not valuable only upon a natural account but as they are helps to Heaven If they be diversions from eternity they are the worst things that can befal us to be condemned to this kind of felicity is a part of Gods Curse Ier. 17.13 They that forsake thee shall be written in the Earth On the contrary to have our names written in Heaven is a great Blessing Luke 10.20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not that the Spirits are subject unto you but rather rejoice because your names are written in Heaven It is better to injoy a little as an help to Heaven than a great deal as an hindrance to it oh Blessed is the Man that taketh no farther content in the comforts of this life than they may further his Soul to Eternity If an Estate increase upon you 't is most valuable as you may be rich in good works and take hold of Eternal Life 1 Tim. 6.18 When your Hearts rest in them without subordination to Eternal things your estate becometh a Snare whatever the Heart is set upon if it be not in order to this end and scope 't is cursed to thee The Spiritual Blessing of all our natural comforts is in order to this last end But then for Duties time spent with God in order to Eternity is the best part of your lives Acts 26.7 When we are imployed in the World we make provision but for a few Months or Days it may be Hours But in converse with God you lay up for everlasting the Throne of Grace will be the more sweet because 't is the Porch of Heaven Ordinances and publick means of Grace A Child of God valueth them more than the greatest Worldly advantages Psal. 84.12 One day in thy Courts is better than a Thousand I had rather be a Door-Keeper in the House of my God than to dwell in the Tents of Wickedness But why Because there is trading for Eternity there he gets a prospect into Heaven and heareth news of his Long-home And then Graces they are glorious things because they are the seed and earnest of eternal glory 'T is called Immortal Seed 1 Pet. 1.23 When this state is begun it cannot be dissolved and it is called the Earnest of the Spirit Graces as well as comforts are his Earnest By all these things the Holy
are all gone and you must fall into the hands of an unreconciled God to Answer for the abuse of these things 3. After Death then the Misery will appear indeed If you have gotten so much hardness of heart that you did not apprehend God's Anger against you nor see any hazard upon the back of Death yet then you enter into your eternal Misery and one moment puts an end to all your joy for ever VVhen the Saints who having chosen God for their Portion are comforted you are tormented Their condition may be sad here in the world but yours is sad for ever Three things torment the wicked and they are all in this Parable First There is Memoria praeteritorum the remembrance of our former good Estate in the World and the ill use we made of it Son Remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things VVhere are now his fine Garments stately Houses the sweet Odour of his fragrant Ointments his Lustful Meats and Dainty Rich and Sprightly Wines and Artificial Sauces with all the costly accommodations of his Pomp and Pleasure The things are gone but the remembrance of them is a a sting to his Soul for ever 2. There is sensus praesentium a sense of his present misery v. 25. I am tormented in this flame There is a bitter sense of the Wrath of God and nothing to allay it or divert the mind from it 3. There is Metus futurorum a fear of what is to come v. 26. Between us and you there is a great Gulph fixed They are in termino in their final state and there must abide there is no passing from death to life more nothing remaineth but a fearful looking for of Iudgment and fiery Indignation Heb. 10.27 Vse I. Information to teach us 1. What litâ—le reason the People of God have to envy wicked Men their Portion We should rather pity them alass this is all they get they have this and no more this and everlasting destruction at the back of it God suffereth them to clamber up to the height of Wealth and Honour that their fall may be the more terrible Worldly Wealth and Prosperity is not of so much worth and excellency as many think If it were the conduit wherein God conveyeth his special love it were an other matter though we should be satisfied in God's ordering but it is not so if it were so it would be dispensed otherwise than it is the wicked would not have so much of it nor the Godly want it so much The Godly want it the rather because they think so highly of it and God is more gracious than to give it to them when they are in a frame so ready to abuse it 2. How contented the People of God should be in a mean condition if God reduce them thereunto See Sermon on Mark 10.23 Vse II. Is Caution to us all Now we must turn Abraham's Memento remember into a Cave beware Beware that you do not receive your good things in this Life I must turn the exprobration into Counsel and Admonition Prevention is better than remembrance 1. Be satisfied with nothing which may stand with the hatred of an Eternal God The enjoyment of all the VVorld may but Sanctifying Grace cannot The highest worldly happiness may consist with God's hatred and the greatest adversity of the Saints with his love The first is verified in Christs supposition Mat. 16.24 If any Man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me And the latter is verified by that of the Apostle Rom. 8.35 36 37 38 39. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ Shall Tribulation or Distress or Persecution or Famine Nakedness or Peril or Sword As it is written for thy sake we are killed all the day long we are accounted as Sheep for the Slaughter Nay in all these things we are more than Conquerors through him that loved us For I am persuaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things Present nor things to Come nor Heighth nor Depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. A Man may rejoice in the Love of Christ in the want of other things 2. Be satisfied with nothing but what will stead thee and serve thy turn in the other VVorld for all must be measured with respect to Eternity 1 Tim. 6.19 Laying up in store a good foundation for themselves against the time to come that they may lay hold on Eternal Life And Mat. 6.19 20 21. Lay not up for your selves Treasures upon Earth where Moth and Rust doth corrupt and where Thieves break through and Steal But lay up for your selves Treasures in Heaven where neither Moth nor Rust doth corrupt and where Thieves do not break through nor Steal For where your Treasure is there will your Heart be also A Sermon on 1 Cor. xiii 4 5 6 7 8. Charity suffereth long and is kind Charity envyeth not Charity vaunteth not it self is not puffed up Doth not behave it self unseemly seeketh not her own is not easily provoked thinketh no evil Rejoyceth not in iniquity but rejoyceth in the truth Beareth all things believeth all things hopeth all things endureth all things Charity never faileth but whether there be prophecies they shall fail whether there be tongues they shall cease whether there be knowledge it shall vanish away I Have a long time had a desire to open the Nature of this Divine and Heavenly Grace of Charity I know not how the Argument will relish with you but my aim is rather to profit than to please We are defective in our Duties to God the Lord knoweth But what and if I shew that we are as defective in our Duties to Man wherein we think Natural Conscience is a sufficient Guide to us A little serious Reflection upon this Scripture will discover it In the Context observe I. The Excellency and Necessity of Charity above all other Gifts II. The Nature and Properties of it 1. For the Excellency and Necessity of Charity Gifts are of several sorts as on the same Tree grow Leaves Flowers Fruit None ad Pompam for show but all ad Usum for use But in the Gifts for use some make us profitable others acceptable Though they have their use yet they profit not to Salvation Though I speak with the Tongue of Men and Angels and have not Charity I am become as a sounding Brass or a tinkling Cymbal And though I have the Gift of Prophesie and understand all Mysteries and all Knowledge and though I have Faith so that I could remove Mountains and have no Charity I am nothing And though I bestow all my Goods to feed the Poor and though I give my Body to be burnt and have not Charity it profiteth me nothing A Man may sacrifice a stout Body to a stubborn Mind yet if it be not for God's Glory and to
Mouths such Evil Communications shew a Corrupt Heart from whence they do proceed and they convey the Teint to others for Evil Communication corrupts good Manners the Heart of Man being as Tinder or Powder easily catching at every spark that sets the Flesh on fire 4. Proud and Arrogant speaking when all our discourse is a self boasting Pride in the Heart loveth to vent it self sometimes by the Eyes we read of haughty Eyes and a proud look but usually by the Tongue all their discourses are to set off themselves and to usher in something of themselves or if Religion be talked of it is to commend their own Knowledge their own Notions their own Zeal for Christ 1 Sam. 2.3 Talk no more so exceeding proudly let not arrogance come out of your Mouth Acts 5.36 Boasting himself to be some body A proud Ostentation of our own Worth and Excellency is a sort of dross from which an holy Tongue must be purged and refined 5. Cursing and Swearing I joyn them both together because usually they proceed from the same root Cursing is a wishing some Evil upon our selves and Swearing is a solemn appeal to God And usually prophane and bold spirits that make little conscience of truth are very apt to both to wish direful imprecations upon themselves and to take God's name in vain upon all occasions Now the Name of God should not be worn Thred-bare but used upon just and great occasions Surely those that have true Grace will not make light of God but use his name or any thing by which he is brought to our remembrance with great Reverence To make a by-word of his dreadful name is to contemn and â—â—â—ght him to his face If his People must take heed how they use it in Prayer and Praise must not you take heed how you use it in ordinary speech You propagate your Sin for you bring his name into contempt with others You pray Hallowed be thy name and will you prophane it in common Talk 6. Another Evil is scorning and deriding at the power of Godliness and that strictness which is necessary to save our Souls When you see others make Conscience of Sin you make a mock of it Prov. 14.9 Fools make a mock at Sin When others live Self-denyingly and Mortify'dly you deride and speak Evil of them 1 Pet. 4.4 Wherein they think it strange that you run not with them into the same excess of riot speaking Evil of you And will God take it well that his best subjects should be mocked for their fidelity in serving him Hatred of the power of Godliness is so natural to us that we cannot sufficiently be cautious against making Godly and Holy men contemptible 7. Idle Discourse and foolish Garrulity which tendeth not to the glory of God or the good of our Neighbour and serveth for no good use For these we must be judged Matth. 12.36 I say unto you that every idle word that Men shall speak they shall give an account thereof at the day of Iudgment Light words may weigh heavy in God's Ballance and these argue a vain frame of Heart Now a Temperate use of honest Mirth or the use of Wit is not these idle Words but when Men give up themselves to such a frothy vanity that they cannot be serious but reflect upon the Personal imperfections of others or use impious jests or abuse Scripture to express the conceptions of a vain wanton mind There must be a guard upon our Speech that in the General it tendeth to the profit of others This is a tast of that Prophane Discourse which is forbidden to Christians and any of this if allowed argueth a rotten and unrenewed Heart and is unsavory to Godly Ears and contagious and infectious to ordinary Hearers 1 Cor. 15.33 Evil communications Corrupt good Manners and doth make the Heart more vain while the Corruption that is in it doth strengthen its self by getting vent for when the fire that is kindled in our bosoms flyeth abroad in these sparks of discourse our reverence of God is loosened and weakned and we lye more open to Satan 2. For External Profit The commerce of the World is driven on by Money that is profitable for Worldly uses so is the discourse of a Good man as choice Silver very profitable to others Eph. 4.29 Let no corrupt Communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the use of Edifying that it may minister grace unto the hearers Surely for many reasons should we thus imploy our Tongues so it is said Prov. 15.7 The lips of the Wise disperse knowledge but the heart of the Foolish doth not so Men usually discourse as their hearts are a Man of a frothy spirit will bring forth nothing but vain and frothy discourse but a gracious Man will utter holy and gracious things Now we should be more careful to use our Tongues to edifying for these reasons 1. Our Tongue is our Glory Psal. 57.8 Awake my Glory awake my Psaltery and Harp Psal. 16.9 My Heart is glad and my Glory rejoyceth Compare it with Acts 2.26 Therefore did my Heart rejoyce and my Tongue was glad So Psal. 30.12 To the end that my Glory may sing praise to thee and not be silent That is my Tongue But why is our Tongue our Glory Because thereby we express the Conceptions of our minds It was not given us to taste Meats and Drinks for that use the Tongues of the Bruit Beasts serve them Speech is the excellency of Man above the Beasts but Christianity giveth us an higher Reason because thereby we may express the Conceptions of our Minds to the Glory of God and good of others Iames 3.9 Therewith bless we God even the Father That is our glory that we cannot only think of God but speak of God his Word and Works 2. Because holy Conference and Edifying Discourse is one means of Spiritual Growth and Mutual Improvement Prov. 16.21 The wise in heart shall be called prudent and the sweetness of his lips encreaseth learning The more he venteth what he knoweth the wiser himself groweth and learneth by teaching others for thereby it is more impressed upon his own heart as the Loaves are multiplied by being divided as venting Sin and Folly increaseth Sin and Folly But as to others Luke 22.32 When thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren either by cautioning them that they fall not in like manner or helping them to recover out of the Mire of Sin And the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 1.4 Who comforteth us in all our Tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in trouble with the Comforts wherewith we our selves are comforted of God As in the Coelestial Bodies whatever Light the Moon and Stars receive from the Sun they bestow it on these Inferiour Bodies they have their Light from the Sun and they reflect it again on the Creatures below Or as in the Body of Man the Heart and Liver receive and derive the Blood and
before the endless fruition of God Now he is Sanctified when his worldly Love is cured and he is brought back again to the Love and Obedience of God Those that are Healed of the over-love of the World are Sanctified as the inclinations of the flesh to worldly things are broken 2. Why this Appropriation 1. Because the Relation is only reckoned to those that have benefit by it Now none but the Sanctified have benefit by Christ's Incarnation As Christ told Peter Iohn 13.8 If I wash thee not thou hast no part with me Without this Soul washing Men can prove no Interest in Christ. This is the great evidence If no Interest in him no Communion with him no share in the Inheritance purchased by him and so it doth them no good to hear of a God in their nature Alas if the secure world did mind this they would more seriously study Holiness and not so easily presume on the Grace of God in Christ. 2. Because there the Relation holdeth of both sides Christ is born of a Woman and they are born of God Iohn 1.13 And he is a Kinsman doubly ratione incarnationis suae regenerationis nostrae as Macarius He taketh Humane Nature and we partake of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 They that have not this new Birth the Kindred is not reckoned to them It is between Sanctifier and Sanctified There is a conformity between Head and Members of the Mystical Body an unity of Nature Spiritually as well as outwardly The Sanctified are of one as well as the Sanctifier they are of the Spirit 3. The Captain of Salvation and the Heirs brought to Glory are an Holy Society whereof he is the Head and they the Members He Sanctifieth and they are Sanctified A living Head and rotten Members will not suit As a Prince instituteth a noble Society suppose of the Garter whereof he is Head all the Members that call one another Brethren are in their degree of answerable Nobility with himself So Christ hath instituted a Society where all shall be Brethren but he the Head He gave himself for it Eph. 5.27 Christ is the head of the Church and Saviour of the Body 4. These suit with Christ's ends of coming into the World and assuming Humane Nature Two ends there were of his Humiliation and mean condition in the World 1. One by way of Merit to procure the Sanctifying Spirit to restore us to a state of Holiness and to purifie to himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works Tit. 2.14 Eph. 2.25 26. The Spirit begets us to the Image of God and it is by Christ that we are possessed of the Spirit and renewed according to his Image in Righteousness and true Holiness 2. His mean condition whereby he became our Brother and did partake of flesh and blood because his Brethren did partake of the same is a testimony against the Pride Carnality and Worldliness of Men which is the true Impurity of their Souls He was in the form of a Servant and made himself of no Reputation Phil. 2.7 8 9. to draw off deluded Men from over-loving the Pleasures and Riches and Honours of the World and so to cure them of that perverse Love wherein impurity and unholiness doth consist and to teach us a setled contempt of all these Vanities in comparison of God and Heaven and that inclination and affectedness we should have to him 5. These are qualified for the Inheritance suited to the everlasting Glory and Happiness which belongeth to the Brethren Matth. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God God is an holy God and Heaven is the place where his Holiness dwelleth If God will be now sanctified in all that draw nigh unto him surely they must be sanctified that dwell with him hereafter unless we be washed by the Blood of Christ and sanctified by his Spirit of Grace how can we dwell in his â—ight We must be consecrated before we can minister in his Heavenly Temple God will not divest himself of his Holiness to gratifie impure and unholy Creatures and admit them to dwell in his Presence upon other Terms 1 Use. To press you to labour after holy Hearts and holy Lives The more you increase in Holiness the more you increase in the favour of God Prov. 11.20 Such as are upright in the way are his delight A Man is made truly amiable by Holiness the more God loveth him and it is the greatest Testimony of God's love to us to give a new Heart and a right Spirit within us Rom. 5.5 The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy-Ghost which is given to us 2 Use. It shews who they are that may take comfort in that Christ calls them Brethren even the Sanctified such as have the Spirit of Christ dwelling and working in them and do purifie themselves yet more and more They that have not this double Union and Communion with Christ are not Brethren though they be Men as Christ was For though Christ assumed their Nature yet they do not assume Christ's Nature Though he was the Son of Man yet they are not the Sons of God Therefore try 1. Are you Sanctified Is there a Principle of Grace set up in your Hearts Another Spirit than the Spirit of the World Is there a new Spirit as God has promised Ezek. 36.26 27. 2. Does that Work go on It is compleat in Parts at first but are you growing in degrees as an Infant doth Is there more Love more Zeal Faith Fear Reverence Watchfulness Are you more fixed more cleaning your selves 2 Cor. 7.1 More humbâ—ing your selves for out-breakings of Sin â—s there more fitness and suitableness to God's Will more pressing towards the Mark as it was with Paul Phil. 3.14 4 Point That this Sanctification which is required of us proceedeth originally from Christ. He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that Sanctifyeth and therefore said to be made unto us Sanctification 1 Cor. 1.30 That is a Fountain of Holiness Now Christ sanctifyeth us 1. Partly by his Merit Flee to the Blood of Christ as the meritorious and procuring Cause When God's Image was lost there was no way to recover it but by paying a Price to provoked Justice and no less price would serve the turn than the Blood of Christ. Therefore it is said Eph. 5.26 He gave himself for the Church that he might cleanse and sanctify it meritoriously And this he hath done sufficiently on the Cross Heb. 10.14 By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified That is done enough for the perfect reconciling of all that are sanctified 2. By his Spirit 1 Cor. 6.11 But ye are sanctified ye are cleansed in the name of our Lord Iesus and by the spirit of our God Whatever the Spirit of God doth he doth as Christ's Spirit as being purchased by him as dwelling first in him who is the Head and then in the Members and for his Glory and as we
to take Care and Thought for our selves It was our Fathers part to preserve us and provide for us to bestow good and keep off the evil But every Man since would have life and his comfort and his safety in his own hands and so much of temporal Happiness as he seeth good There is no way to rectiâ—ie it but to return to our Innocency to mind our Duty and cast our burden on the Lord commending success and events to him 1 Pet. 5.7 Casting all your care upon him for he careth for you And Phil. 4.6 Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thansgiving let our requests be made known unto God upon confidence that his Hand and Providence will not neglect us or any of our concernments 4. Those that are contented with what their Father alloweth When God giveth sufficient to supply our necessities we seek to satisfie our Lusts when God hath done enough and more than enough to evidence his Power Justice Truth and Care of our welfare yet we will not rest on him unless he will subject his Providence to our Will and carnal Affections As the Israelites when miraculously fed miraculously cloathed God kept a Market for them gave them their Supplies not out of Earth but out of the Clouds yet tempted God in their hearts asking meat for their lusts Psal. 78.19 Yea it is said Psal. 106.13 14 They sâ—â—n forâ—at his works they waited not fâ—r his counsâ—l but lusted exceedingly in the wildâ—rness They made haste they forgat his worâ—â— so 't is in the Hâ—brew Carnaâ— desires greatly transport they must have Festival Diet in the Wilderness or they will no longer believe his Power and serve him Thus when Men take the ruling of themselves into their own hands they will not stay till God provide for them but must have their Carnal Desires presently satisfied Matth. 5.5 The meek shall inherit the earth But who are meek They that quietly submit to God's Providence and so they have Food and Raiment and have any time to glorifie God and seek his Kingdom and the Salvation of their Souls let others live in Pomp and Ease It is enough for them to be as God will have them be They are not over-desirous to have Worldly Things or too much dejected and cast down through the want of them But those that are greedy and earnest and covet more than God seeth meet to bestow upon them as they forfeit the Blessing of God's Presence so by enlarging their Desires they make way for their own Discontent when they are not satisfied and so fall into murmuring against God and so into all disquiet of Mind about Earthly Things 2. Improve this Point to moderate and allay your distrustful and distracting Cares And so cometh in the Apostles Exhortation Be content with such things as you have Content is a quiet temper of Mind relying on God's merciful Providence and gracious Promises for such Things as are necessary for us during our Pilgrimage and Passage to Heaven Sometimes it is opposed to Murmuring but I take it here as opposed to distrustful Cares because we have little in a time of Troubles and are like to have less and therefore are full of anxious Thoughts what we shall eat what we shall drink what we shall put on Consider God will not leave you nor forsake you What cannot his Wisdom and Mercy and Power do for you He hath deeply and strongly engaged himself to his People and therefore it should quiet our Minds in all Necessities and Streights See Christ's Arguments Mat. 6.25 26 and 32. Take no thought for your life what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink nor yet for your body what ye shall put on Is not the life more than meat and the body than raiment 1. They had Life from God without any thought of theirs therefore he would provide the Conveniencies of Life God has given Life and framed the Body which was a far greater act of Power and Mercy than giving Food and providing Raiment 2. Other Creatures are provided for without any solicitude of theirs both as to Food and Raiment Vers. 26. Behold the fowls of the air for they sow not neither do they reap nor gather into barns yet your heavenly father feedeth them Are ye not much better than they God that provideth for Birds and Fowls will provide for his Children Men may look for it more than they having ordinary means of Reaping and Sowing and other Trades and ways of Living which the Fowls have not and so are meerly cast on the Care of Providence Man is a more considerable Creature so more liable to God's Care and Providence 3. It is a Pagan Practice to be thoughtful Vers. 32. After all these things do the Gentiles seek 3. Improve it to remove our Fears of Danger So that we may boldly say The Lord is my helper I will not fear what man can do unto me They are David's words Psal. 118.6 If God be with us he will help us therefore as Faith prevaileth Fear ceaseth Psal. 16.7 I will bless the Lord who hath given me counsel my reins also instruct me in the night season If our Hearts misgive us God is our Second he will afford Protection when necessary for his glory and our good The Fear of Man is an ordinary Temptation to divert the Godly from their Duty or discourage them in it You may be confident upon such a Promise Psal. 112.7 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. Man can do much he can fine imprison banish reduce to a morsel of Bread yea torture put to death yet as long as God is with us and standeth for us we may boldly say I will not fear what man can do Why Because God will not see them utterly perish He can give us Joy in Sorrow Life in Death A Christian is not afraid because he can set God against Man Temporal Things against Eternal Covenant against Providence 1. God against Man Isa. 51.12 13. I even I am he that comforteth you c. God can change their Hearts Prov. 16.7 When a man's ways please the Lord he maketh his enemies to be at peace with him He can weaken their Power Iob 12.21 He weakenth the strength of the Mighty Mar. 12.41 Be not afraid of them that kill the Body and can do no more 2. Eternal things against Temporal 2 Cor. 4.16 Our light Affliction for a moment worketh for us an eternal weight of Glory 3. The Covenant against Providence Psal. 73.17 Till I went into the Sanctuary of God then understood I their end A Sermon on 1 THES V. 8 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 Context the Apostle inferreth our Duty from our Profession of Christianity all Christians are taken into a new estate called out of Dâ—rkness into Light
Well-pleasedness of the Mind in God should be much regarded by us and is known by this when those Mercies are most valued which are nearest to himself and do shew us most of God and least detain us from him such as his Favour his Spirit or sanctifying Grace when these are desired when these are delighted in we are said to love God Matth. 5.6 Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after Righteousness Psal. 4.6 7. Lord Lift thou up the Light of thy Countenance upon us Thou hast put Gladness into my Heart His Favour is as Life his Displeasure as Death to the Soul Psal. 30.7 Thou didst hide thy Face and I was troubled Now thus must we love God not with a partial and half love but such as transcendeth our love to all other things Matth. 10.37 He that loveth Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me If any thing be nearer and dearer to us than God we do not sincerely love him Some have a weak imperfect Motion of their Will a Wish a saint Desire to please God but not a strong Volition or Inclination of Heart to love him in all and above all things but being overcome by their Lusts they do not simply and absolutely and uncontroulably desire it but had rather please their Fleshly Lusts than please God At least the event doth evidence it you give God nothing if you give him not all the Heart We are so to love God as to seek his Glory and do his Will even when it is cross to our Carnal Interests that his Favour may be counted our Happiness and the pleasing of him our greatest Work Surely they do not love God that cannot deny a Lust for him or venture the loss of any thing that is dear to them for his sâ—ke but with Pilate will yield to crucifie Christ rather than venture the Iews displeasure or with the Gadarens will part with Christ rather than their Swine Others have a deliberate Resolution and seem for the present to resolve absolutely and seriously to please God in all things and keep his Commandments but they do not verifie it in their Conversations Their Purposes and Resolutions are not dissembled for the present but soon changed they neither keep the Commandments of God nor study to please him 3. The next Grace is Hope of Salvation and here 1. The Object 2. The respect to the Object 1. The Object is our Eternal Reward For a Christian must chiefly fetch his Supports and Solaces from the other World where all things do abundantly counter-balance the Temptations of the present Life Be they Troubles and Sufferings 2 Cor. 4.17 For our lâ—ght Affliction which is but for a Moment workâ—th for us a far more exceâ—ding and eternal Weâ—ght of Glory Glory for Affliction and a Weight of Glory for a Light Affliction and Etâ—rnal Glory for what is Mâ—mentary Affliction Or be they sensual Delights as Riches Heb. 11.26 Esteeming the Reproach of Christ greater Riches than the Treasures of Egypt for he had respect unto the Recompence of the Reward How much better is it to be poor and scorned here than to be destitute and rejected for ever hereafter So for Pleasures most Men look at present Pleasures not at future Joys and therefore forget God and neglect their Souls and those Eternal Pleasures which are at God's Right Hand Psal. 16.11 But to a Gracious Man a Glorious Estate of Bliss is far more eligible than momentary sinful Pleasures 2. The respect to the Object It is a certain and earnest Expectation 1. It is certain because our Hopes are built upon the Promises of God which infer not only a possibility or probability but certainty of the things promised if we be duly qualified There is a twofold certainty Conditional and Actual Conditional Rom. 2.7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for Glory and Honour and Immortality Eternal Life That is built on the Covenant which promiseth to the penitent Believer and mortified and diligent Practiser a sure Reward Actual Certainty is where the Qualification is evident this is built on spiritual sense or experience Rom. 5.4 5. And Patience Experience and Experience Hope and Hope maketh not ashamed because the Love of God is shed abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us Our Condition is made safe by the first comfortable by the second in both a certainty is required The first is spoken of Hebr. 3.6 Whose House we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end The second Heb. 6.11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end 2. It is an earnest Expectation called a lively Hope from the effect because it puts life into our Endeavours 1 Pet. 1.3 Who hath begotten us again unto a lively Hope The Soul is weak when our Expectation is cold and languid but serious and earnest thoughts of the World to come do warm our Hearts and inkindle our Affections as mourning 2 Cor. 5.2 For in this we groan earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with our House which is from Heaven And joy Rom. 5.2 We rejoyce in hope of the Glory of God II. Their mutual respect to one another We know God in Christ by Faith We are inclined to him as our Felicity and Happiness by love and we look for the Eternal Injoyment of him by hope As the Object is diversified so the Grace conversant about it is called by several Names as our Supreme Good is something invisible or unseen we apprehend it by Faith as it is good and excellent we embrace it by Love as it is absent and future we wait for it by Hope The Understanding is cleared by Faith that is our Spiritual Eye Salve Heb. 11.1 Faith is the Substance of things hoped for and the Evidence of things not seen as things are invisible by reason of their nature or distance Ephes. 1.18 The Eyes of your Vnderstandings being inlightned that ye may know what is the hope of his Calling and what the Riches of the Glory of his Inheritance in the Saints By it we see things that cannot otherwise be seen or in another manner than we saw them before We see more Amiableness in God more Odiousness in Sin more Excellency in Christ more Beauty in Holiness more Vanity in the World more Reality in Blessedness to come than we saw before Our Wills are warmed by Love or carried out after the Supreme Good with an earnest and strong desire Isai. 26.9 With my Soul have I desired thee in the Night yea with my Spirit within me will I seek thee â—â—â—dily Where Love is strong Desires after God are early and earnest and we cannot be contented without him or such enjoyment of him as may give us assurance of more Our Resolutions and Inclinations are fortified by hope that we may continue seeking after God and not be
And more and more interest our selves in his cleansing 5. Because the Application is a difficult Work Besides the Purchase of the Gift of the Spirit Christ hath instituted the Help of the Word and Sacraments to bring us into Possession of this Benefit Ephes. 5.26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of VVater by the VVord The Merit of his Death falleth upon these means that we may use them with the more Confidence Iohn 15.3 Now are ye clean through the VVord which I have spoken unto you The Word is the Glass wherein to see Corruption which sets a-work to seek Purging By that our Sense of our natural Impurity is revived the Means and Causes of our cleansing set down that we may with deep Humiliation confess our Sin humbly sue out the Grace offered and wait for it in the conscionable Use of all the means of Grace And for the Sacraments As the Word containeth the Charter and Grant of Christ and all his Benefits to those that will receive him so this is the Seal of the Grant Rom. 4.11 He received the Sign of Circumcision a Seal of the Righteousness of Faith whereby we are more confirmed in waiting for the Spirit and excited to look for this Benefit from Christ. Well then we must still lie at the Pool of the Word and Sacraments And now you have my second Argument Why Jesus Christ should be honoured lauded and praised by all the Saints because he hath done so great an Office of Love and procured so great a Benefit for us as the washing away of our Sins in his Blood that we might be admitted to Communion with God III. The Fruits and Benefits that we have thereby He hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and to his Father This doth oblige us the more to ascribe and give Glory and Dominion to him for ever and ever since he hath brought us into Communion with God and set us apart as consecrated Persons such as Kings and Priests were of old to perform daily Service to God In this third Thing 1 st Observe the Order We must be washed from our Sins before we can be Kings and Priests or minister before the Lord. Aaron and his Sons though they were formerly designed to be Priests yet they could not officiate and act as Priests before they were consecrated So must we be consecrated and made Priests to God and that by the Blood of Christ. They were seven days in consecrating This whole Life is the time of our Consecration which goeth on by degrees and will be made compleat both for Body and Soul upon the Resurrection when we shall be fit to approach the Throne of Glory and serve our God in a perfect manner in the eternal Temple of Heaven For this Life though our Consecration be not finished yet here we are stiled an Holy Priesthood to minister before the Throne of Grace though not before the Throne of Glory Now if we be washed from our Sins in the Laver of Regeneration we may draw near to God as the Priests under the Law were washed in the Laver and then came to the Altar It holdeth good both in this Life and in the Life to come that none but the Washed can come so near to God either before the Throne of Grace or Throne of Glory The Throne of Grace Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with a true Heart in full assurance of Faith having our Hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience and our Bodies washed with pure Water So Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the Blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without Spot to God purge your Conscience from dead Works to serve the living God In the State of Glory Rev. 7.14 15. These are they which came out of great Tribulation and have washed their Robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the Throne of God and serve him Day and Night in his Temple The persecuted Saints who came out of great Tribulation they first washed their Robes in the Blood of the Lamb before they were admitted as Priests to stand before the Throne of God to serve him Day and Night in his Temple Sanctification must go before Consecration and the more sanctified the more consecrated when our Sanctification is finished then our Consecration is consummate And then we shall have a full Communion with our God a clear Vision of his eternal Beauty and as great a Fruition of his Godhead as we shall be capable of in a State of full Contentment Joy and Blessedness 2 dly The Privileges are exceeding great to be consecrated to so high a Dignity That we should be consecrated or set apart for God to be Objects of his special Grace and Instruments of his Glory and Service Much more that we should be advanced to so great a Dignity as to be Kings and Priests to God We share in Christ's own Dignity He was a King and a Priest so are we He had an Unction so have we He was Christ we are Christians By virtue of our Union with him we are Partakers of his Kingdom and Priesthood The Church of Israel was called a Kingdom of Priests Exod. 19.6 And Believers in the New-Testament are called a Royal Priesthood 1 Pet. 2.9 Not to disturb Civil Kings or the Order God hath instituted in the Church for it is Kings and Priests to God not to the World Let us consider these Privileges asunder 1. Kings King is a Name of Honour Power and ample Possession 1. Here we reign spiritually as we vanquish the Devil the World and the Flesh in any measure It is a Princely Thing to be above these inferiour Things and to trample them under our Feet in an holy and heavenly Pride An Heathen could say Rex est qui metuit nihil Rex est qui cupit nihil He is a King that fears nothing and desires nothing He that is above the Hopes and Fears of the World he that hath his Heart in Heaven and is above temporal Accidents the ups and downs of the World the World is beneath his Heart and Affections this Man is of a Kingly Spirit Christ's Kingdom is not of this World neither is a Believer's Rev. 5.10 Thou hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall reign on the Earth viz. in a Spiritual Way It is a beastly thing to serve our Lusts but kingly to have our Conversations in Heaven and vanquish the World 1 Iohn 5.4 5. 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 To live up to our Faith and Love with a Noble Royal Spirit 2. Hereafter we shall reign visibly and gloriously when we shall sit upon Thrones with Christ at his last coming to judg the World and Angels themselves Matth. 19.28 Verily I
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
look after immortal Blessedness 1174 Immutable Things God's Word and Oath are two immutable things 205 How we should improve these two immutable things 207 How we should meditate on these two immutable things ibid. When we should meditate on them 210 Impotency It is impossible for Man of his own Strength to get to Heaven 404 Whence this Impotency ariseth 405 The Reasons of this Impotency 407 Incouragements against our Impotency ibid. Incarnation of Christ the Reasons of it 535 Vid. Humane Nature Injuries to be done to no Man 82 Injuries of others to be born with Patience 85 Intercession of Christ what it is 1147 Inventions How Man sought out many Inventions 1154 What are these Inventions 1155 Why they are said to be many Inventions 1158 The Folly and Mischief of Man's Inventions 1154 Inward Man It is a comfortable thing when the inward Man is in good state 428 Joy in God Vid. Rejoicing Judgment-Day why called a Day 277 Why it is to be preached 1035 1036 The Judgment-Day an Argument to press Repentance 279 Why Christ as Judg of the World is called Man and the Son of Man 278 Justice to do as we would be done by how to be understood 86 Why we are to be just and righteous 87 Rules of Justice 82 Vid. Righteousness Just Man What is meant by the just Man 1053 Just Men will discourse to Edification ibid. Vid. Tongue K KIngs Believers are Kings and how 1182 Kingdom That Christ hath a spiritual Kingdom 847 The Administration of Christ's Kingdom two-fold internal and external 715 This Kingdom of Christ should be submitted to and why 849 What makes Men dislike Christ's Reign and Government 851 The Gospel-Kingdom is a Kingdom of Light Life and Love 794 What is opposite to the Gospel-Kingdom 795 Knowledg How Christ grew in Knowledg and Wisdom â—55 Known What it is to be known of God 873 Why they that know God so as to love him are known of God 874 How God knows his People 1182 L LAid How Sin was laid on Christ 1126 Sin being laid on Christ is taken off from the Creature 1127 Lamb. Christ and a Lamb compared 1116 Christ and the Sacrifice Lamb compared 1117 Christ and the Paschal Lamb compared ibid. What of Christ is represented to us in the Paschal Lamb 1118 How we are to behold Christ as the Lamb of God 1122 Law How the Law shuts Men up under Sin 308 Laws of Christ the Nature of them 851 Directions for Obedience to Christ's Laws 854 Lenity of the Gospel opened 265 Life eternal who they are that shall enjoy it 1230 Light of Faith compared with the Light of Sense Reason Prophecy and Glory 971 Light of Faith and Prophecy how they agree and how they differ 477 Long-suffering of God a great Mercy 940 Looking Looking to the blessed Hope what it is 105 What Influence thâ—s looking to the blessed Hope hath to work us to a spiritual Life 108 Inferences from hence 110 Directions how to look for the blessed Hope 115 How we are to look to Christ 755 Looking for Christ's Coming what is implied in it 137 The Advantage of it 135 Trial whether we look for Christ's Coming 138 Looking to eternal things what it implies 970 Those that look to eternal things can do and suffer great things for God 973 Directions to look to eternal things 977 Lord. When God is honoured as the supreme Lord 38 Lost. In what sense we are said to be lost 884 Sense of our lost Condition necessary ibid. How Christ seeks and saves that that was lost Vid. Seeking Saving Love what it is 1102 The Objects of it ibid. The Acts of it 1103 Love must be abounding and wherein 431 Love of Christ in our Redemption 515 1178 The Properties of the Love of Christ 1179 Christ loves those that have amiable Qualities and the Reasons of it 325 What Vse we should not make of this Love of Christ 326 What Vse we should make of it ibid. What Love Christ hath to moral Vertues now in Heaven 329 Love to God What sincere Love to God is 869 The Object of it ibid. The Acts of it 870 Wherein the Sincerity of Love to God is seen 872 Marks of sincere Love to God 876 Love to God should be joined with our Knowledg of God 875 Why Love to God should be exercised at the Sacrament 876 How it should be exercised at the Sacrament ib. Love of the World They that love the World will renounce Christ 362 How the Love of the World makes us uncapable of serving God 363 Lusts what they are 42 Lusts to be checked and why 53 Lusts worldly what they are and why so called 43 Some Distinctions about worldly Lusts ib. Lusts of the Flesh Lusts of the Eye and Pride of Life what is meant by them 44 45 46 Worldly Lusts unsutable to the New Nature 50 Those that are under the Power of worldly Lusts have no Interest in Christ 51 What it is to deny worldly Lusts 46 The difficulty of denying worldly Lusts 48 How Grace teacheth us to deny worldly Lusts 49 Motives to deny worldly Lusts 53 56 Lie What Lying is 841 When we may be said to give God the Lie 205 M MEans of Grace to be used 1079 They prosper best in Grace that most diligently use the Means 1080 Meat and Drink Sobriety in Meats and Drinks why necessary to be spoken to 73 Who are most especially to be sober in the use of Meat and Drink ib. When we sin in the use of Meat and Drink ib. Whether is worse Excess in Meat or in Drink 72 Mediator The Necessity of a Mediator 960 The Fitness of Christ for this Office Ibid. Christ's Work as Mediator 961 The Comfort and Duty resulting from Christ's being a Mediator 962 Who are interested in this Comfort and concerned in these Duties 964 Meditation what it is 607 The difference between Meditation Consideration and Contemplation 625 How Meditation differs from Study 606 630 The Kinds of Meditation 605 The Rank and Place Meditation hath among other Duties 608 The Place of Meditation 602 The Time of Meditation 6â—3 629 Some special Seasons of Meditation 629 632 What Time is to be spent in Meditation 630 Whether the Time should be set and constant ib. Are all bound to meditate ib. The Necessity of Meditation 607 Objections against the Necessity of it answered 608 The Objects of Meditation 636 637 Objects of Meditation preparative to the Sacrament 622 Directions for the choice of Objects of Meditation 631 Whether we should bind our selves to one Subject in Meditation 624 The manner of working on the Object in Meditation 633 Rules for Meditation 612 How should we do because of Variety of Matter in Meditation 624 Whether we are to prescribe to our selves a Method in Meditation 631 What Method we are to use in Meditation 633 Whether the Soul in Meditation is to be fixed in a steady View and Contemplation of God in Quietness and Silence without Variety of