but alasse when the day of Tryall comes upon them when they are put to it they prove but men of poor and impotent spirits and then they roare and complaine and lye downe in the dust suffering crosses and losses to bind them hand and foot and to spoyle them of all their Comforts And now though they have many comforts for one crosse yet one crosse doth so damp and daunt their hearts that joy and comfort flyes away from them and they sit down overwhelmed Certainly this speaks out little of Christ within All Rachels comforts were no comforts because her Children were not This speaks out much weaknesse within Prov. 24. 10. If thou faintest in the day of adversity thy strength is small If thou shrinkest if thou abatest and slackest in the day of adversity thy strength is small Man hath no triall of his strength till he be in trouble faintnesse then discovers weaknesse Afflictions try what sapp we have as hard weather tryes what health we have A weak Christian sinks under a little burden every frowne every sowre word every puffe of wind blowes him downe and makes him sinke under his burden But now a soule strong in grace bears up bravely against all winds and weather That 's a brave Text and worthy to be written in letters of gold that you have in Gen. 49. 23 24. Joseph's Bow abode in strength though the Archers sorely grieved him shot at him and hated him And the armes of his hands were made strong by the mighty God of Jacob The Archers that sorely grieved him were his Barbarous Brethren that sould him his Adulterous Mistresse that Harlot-like hunted for his precious life his injurious Master that without any desert of his imprisoned him the tumultuating Egyptians that were pined with hunger perhaps spake of stoning him and the envious Courtiers and Inchanters spake evilly of him before Pharoah to bring him out of favour All these shot sorely at him The word that is rendred Archers in the Hebrew is Arrow-masters which terme implieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cunning and skilfulnesse in shooting They were cunning and skilfull to hit the mark and they shot at him as at a mark But yet his Bow abode in strength When God in the midst of weaknesse makes a soul strong that soul will not only face enemies and difficulties but triumph over them Those that are strong in grace seldome want courage or counsell when they are at the worst They alwayes find their hope to be an Anchor at Sea and their faith a Shield upon Land and therefore they triumph in all stormes and dangers They stand firme when they are under the greatest pressures 2 Cor. 11. 23. I labours more abundant In stripes above measure If we perish Christ perisheth with us said Luther in prisons more frequent in deaths often c. And yet he triumphs in 2 Cor. 1. 12. Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in singlenesse and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisedome but by the Grace of God we have had our conversation in the world and more abundantly to you-wards Strong Paul rejoyced in his sufferings for Christ and therefore often sings out I Paul a Prisoner of Jesus Christ not I Paul wrapt up in the third Heaven He prefer'd his Crowne of Thornes before a Crowne of gold his Prison raggs above all Royall Robes Fourthly A weak Christian thinks that little to be much that he suffers for Christ In Mat. 19. 27. Then answered Peter and said unto him Behold we have forsaken all and followed thee what shall we have Their worldly case in following Christ was little worse then when they onely Traded in Fishing and yet we have forsaken all and followed thee what shall we have This their All was not worth a speaking of and yet for this they look for some great worldly reward and recompence We have forsaken all A great All sure a few broken Boats and a few tatter'd Weak Christians are like Children they look for a great reward for a little work and torne Nets and a little old Houshold-stuffe and Christ maintain'd them too upon his owne cost and charge and yet say they We have forsaken all and followed thee Neither is it without an Emphasis that they begin with a Behold Behold we have forsaken all as if Christ were greatly beholding to them Let their wills but be crost a little by servants children friends c. Or let them but suffer a little in their Names or Estates c. and presently you shall have them a sighing it out No sorrow like our sorrow no losse to our losse no crosse to our crosse c. Whereas soules strong in grace suffer much and yet count that much but little A soule strong in grace can suffer much and yet make nothing of it I am heartily angry saith Luther who suffered very much with those that speak of my sufferings which if compared with that which Christ suffered for me are not once to be mentioned in the same day c. Fifthly Those that are weak in Grace dwell more upon what may discourage them in the wayes of Grace and Holinesse then they doe upon what may incourage them They dwell more upon their sins then upon a Saviour more upon their misery then upon free grace and mercy more upon that which may feed their feares then upon that that may strengthen their faith more upon the Crosse then upon the Crowne more upon those that are against them then those that are for them Isa 51. 12 13. I even I am he that comforteth you Who art thou that thou shouldst be afraid of a man that shall dye and of the Son of man which shall be made as grasse and forgettest the Lord thy maker that hath stretched forth the Heavens and laid the foundations of the Earth and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the Oppressor as if he were ready to destroy and where is the fury of the Oppressor This same is intimated Rom. 4. 19 20. Abraham being not weak in faith he considered not his owne body being dead nor yet the deadnesse of Sarahs womb Mark being not weak in faith Soules weak in faith are very apt to dwell upon discouragements but strong Christians look above all discouragements He considered not The Greek is He cared not for his owne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 body he did not mind that but in the 20 verse He considered him that had promised Soules strong in grace dwell more upon their incouragements to holinesse and beleeving then upon their discouragements He considered him that had promised He had an eye fixed upon the faithfulnesse of God and the Sufficiency and Almightinesse of God and this bore up his heart above all discouragements So in 2 Cor. 4. 16 17 18. Our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternall weight of glory while we look not mark they are
followed with temptations as you may see in David who was tempted by Satan to number the people and Joh to curse God and dye and Peter to deny Christ and so Paul was buffeted yea and Christ himselfe most grievously assaulted The Lord knowes well enough that Satan hath a cruell eye an envious eye a malicious eye upon his beloved ones and therefore he is pleased by his precious Gifts to strengthen them against his assaults What Paul once said concerning bonds and afflictions that Acts 20. 23. they attended him in every place that may Believers say concerning temptations that they attend them in every place in every calling in every condition in every company in every service c. As now that the hearts of his people and temptations Vigilat diabolus tu dormis The Devil watcheth and doest thou sleep may not meet the Lord is pleased to give them the best and choycest Gifts Austin thankt God for this That his heart and the temptations did not meet The Lord hath on purpose given these glorious Gifts into the hearts of his Saints that their soules and temptations may be kept asunder that though they be tempted yet they may not be conquered though they be assaulted yet they may not be vanquished Basil Luther Ego non sum ego said that noble Convert when he met with a temptation Vincentius and that famous Marquess Galiasius c. met with very strange and strong temptations but the precious Gifts that the Lord had cast into their bosomes made them triumph over all Oh that grace that peace that life that love that communion with which the Lord had crowned them made them too great too noble and too glorious to yield to any temptations with which they were beset 'T was their pleasure to overcome offered pleasure their honour to overcome offered honour their greatnesse to overcome offered greatnesse Pecuniam daquae permaneat ac conâ—iâ—â—o duret glorâ—aâ— que semper floreat Basil When one of them was tempted with money and preferment he scorned the offers saying Give me money that may last for ever and glory that may eternally flourish Jerom tells a story Of a Christian Souldier whom when the Pretor could not by any torments remove from Christianity he commanded to be laid on a bed in a pleasant Garden among Hâ—eronimus in vita Pauli the flourishing and fragrant flowers which done all others withdrawing a most beautifull Harlot came to him and used all Art to destroy his soule but the Christian Souldier being filled with the royall Gifts of the spirit bit off his tongue with his teeth and spat it in her face as she was tempting him and so got victory over all her temptations The precious favours God confers upon his make them temptation-proof they make believers trample upon the most amiable baits How can I doe this great wickednesse and Gen. 39. sin against God sayes Joseph Josephs sense of Potiphars favours heaped upon him strengthned him against the impudent sollicitations of his wanton Mistress and shall not the singular favours that God confers upon his dearest ones strengthen them against Satans assaults Surely gracious hearts are wrought more upon and bettered and strengthned more by spiritualls then by temporalls by eternalls then by externalls and if Satan don't find it so I am much mistaken Well remember this Satans overcoming the Saints gives him the greatest advantage to boast and triumph over Christ Ambrose brings in the Devil boasting against Christ and The Devill maâ—chethwell armed and in good array saith Luther challenging Judas as his owne He is not thine Lord Jesus saith he he is mine his thoughts beat for me he eats with thee but is fed by me he takes bread from thee but money from me he drinks with thee but sells thy blood to me So when Satan prevailes over the Saints Looke Oh Christ sayes he Are these the price of thy blood are these the objects of thy love are these the delight of thy soule what are these thy Jewels are these the apple of thy eye are these thy pleasant portion Why Lo how I lead them Lo how I triumph over them they seem rather to be mine then thine Ah Christians resist as for life that Satan may never have occasion thus to insult and triumph over Christ c. Sixthly and lastly Christ gives the best gifts to his deerest ones That they may be an honour and a praise unto him in the glorious day of his owning of them and marriage to them before all the world Believers in this life are but betrothed to Christ I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will betroth thee unto Hos 2. 19 â—0 me in righteousnesse and in judgement and in loving-kindnesse Their Marriage-day is put off till the glorious day of Christs appearing the great day of his glory will be the day of solemnity Rev. 21. 2. 9 10 compared It would not be for The good things of eternall life are so many that they exceed number so great that they exceed measure so precious that they are above all estimation Aug. de Triplici habitu c. 4. the honour and glory of Christ that his Spouse in that day should be cloathed with raggs therefore he hath given them the Bracelets the Ear-rings and the Jewels before hand that they may be a praise and an honour to him in the Marriage-day Oh! when the Saints shall appear with all those glorious Jewels about them that Christ hath bequeathed to them how will their splendant glory darken all other glory and make the very Sun to hide its face This is our betrothing day that will be our Marriage-day Bishop Ridley the night before he suffered invited his Hostess and the rest at Table to his Marriage For said he to morrow I must be married So severall other Martyrs went as merrily to dye as to dine knowing that their dying day did but make way for their Marriage-day The Lord doth by his rich and royall favours trick and trim up his Bride before hand that she may be an honour and a praise to him in the day of Coronation in the day of Marriage in the day of solemnity when he will owne her before Devils Angels and all Reprobates when he will say Loe here am I and the Bride Oh father that thou hast given me And thus you have a brief account of the Reasons of the Point Why the Lord gives the best Gifts to his owne people We shall make some short but sweet Uses of this Point And first Doth the Lord give the best and greatest Gifts to his people Then you that are his people sit downe and wonder at this condiscending love of God Oh! what 's in thy soule or in my soule that should cause Ezek. 16. the Lord to give such Gifts to us as he hath given We were all equall in sin and misery nay doubtlesse we have actually out-sinned thousands to whom
upon the promise and the promiser that gave glory to God All the honour and glory that God hath from beleevers in this life is from the actings of their grace 'T was Abrahams acting of faith that was his high honouring of God Christians I would intreat this favour of you that you would be often in the meditation of this truth viz. That all the honour that God hath from beleevers in this life is from the actings and the exercise of their Graces When thou goest to prayer then thinke thus with thy selfe is it so that all the honour that God It is reported in the life of Luther that when he praâ—ed it was Tanâ—a reverentia ut si Deo tanta fiducta ut si amico c. Jonah 2. uâ—t shall have from my soule in prayer will be from the actings of grace in prayer oh then what cause have I to stirre up my selfe to lay hold on God and to blow up all those sparkes of grace that be in me As a body without a soule much wood without fire a bullet in a Gun without powder so are words in prayer without the Spirit without the exercise of the graces of the Spirit Jonah acted his faith when he was in the belly of hell and Daniel acted faith when he was in the Lyons den Dan. 6. 23. and the Theife acted faith when he was on the Crosse and Jeremiah acted faith when he was in the Dungeon and Job So did the Publican he prayed much though he spake little or aâ—io brevis penetrat coelum The hottest springs send forth their waters by ebullitions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Augustin cryes out against them that did not profit by afflictions perdidistis utilitatem calamitatis August de Civit. l. 2. c. 33. acted faith when he was on the dunghill and David acted faith when he was in his greatest distresse and so did Moses in Exod. 14. And you know the issue of all was much glory to God and much good to them his heart will never be long a stranger to joy and peace who is much in the exercise and actings of grace Ninthly Because the more Grace is improved the more afflictions and tribulations will be lessened and sweetend to us 2 Cor. 4. 16 17. Though our outward man decreases yet our inward man is renewed day by day or day and day When Peter Martyr was dying he said My body is weake but my minde is well well for the present and will be better for ever hereafter This is the Godly mans Motto for Afflictions there is Glory for light afflictions a weight of glory for momentary afflictions eternall Glory so in the 10 and 11 Chapters of the Hebrewes Oh friends if your graces were more exercised and improved afflictions would be more sweete this would turne the Crosse into a Crowne this would turne bitter into sweete and long winter nights into summer dayes It would make every condition to be a Paradise to you c. Tenthly If Grace be not exercised and improved the soule Saints should be like a Seraphim beset all over with eyes and lights as Bassarion said Tâ—e fearefull Haâ—e they say sleepeth with her eyes open oh how watchfull then should a Christian be may be easily surprised conquered and vanquished by a tempting Devill and an intising world when the sword is in the scabbard the traveller is easily surprised and when the Guard is asleepe the Citie is quickly conquered The strongest creature the Lyon and the wisest creature the Serpent if they be dormant are as easily surprised as the weakest wormes so the strongest and wisest Saints if their graces be asleepe if they be onely in the habit and not in exercise they may be as easily surprised and vanquished as the weakest Christians in all the world as you may see in David Solomon Sampson Peter Every enemy insults over him that hath lost the use of his weapons c. Eleventhly We must improve our Graces because decayes in Grace are very great losses to us By decaying in grace wee come to loose our strength our best strength our spirituall Spirituall losses are hardly recovered a man may easiâ—y run dowâ—e the hill but he cannot so easily get up Philosophers say that the way from the habit to the privation is easier then the way from the privation to the habit As a man may soon put an instâ—ument out of tuâ—e but not so soon put in againe 1 Cor. 2. 14. Jer. 13. 23. James 1. 17. Eph. 2. 1 2 3. strength our strength to doe for God our strength to waite on God and walke with God our strength to bare for God our strength to suffer for God by decaying in Grace we come to loose that Joy that 's unspeakeable and full of Glory and that comfort and peace that passes understanding and to loose the sence of that favour that 's better then life Now our faith will be turned into feare our dansing into mourning our rejoycing into sighing and when O Christian thou beginnest to fall and to decay who knowes how farre thou mayst fall how much thy graces may be impaired and how long it may be before thy Sunne rise when once 't is sett therefore you had need to exercise and improve your Graces Twelfthly and lastly You are to improve your Graces because soules truly gratious have a power to doe good I doe not say that a man in his naturall estate though Arminians doe hath power in himselfe to doe supernaturall acts as to beleeve in God to love God and the like c. for I thinke a Toad may as well spitt cordialls as a naturall man doe supernaturall actions nor I doe not say that all the Grace wee have is not from God nor that man in his naturall estate is not dead God-ward and Christ-ward and holynesse-ward and heaven-ward But this I say that soules truly gratious have a power to doe good 'T is sad to think how many professors doe excuse their negligence by pretending an Inability to doe good or by When Charles Largius had excited Lipsius to the study of truâ— wisedom my mind is to it said Liâ—sius and then he faâ—s to â—ishing what said Langius â—rt thou purâ—osing when â—hou shouldest be doing Just Lip de Constan l. 2. 5. sitting downe discouraged as having in their hands no power at all what can we doe say they If the Lord doe not breath upon us as at first conversion we can doe nothing I thinke in my very Conscience that this is one reason of much of that slightnesse neglect and omission of duties that is among professors in these dayes So that God may complaine as he doth in the 64 of Isa 7. There is no man that stirreth up himselfe to take hold of mee they are as men asleepe that sit still and doe nothing But certainly they that are truly united to Christ are not acted as dead stocks as if every time and moment of their acting God-wards and
To read much and practice nothing is to hunt much and catch nothing Suetonius reports of Julius Caesar That seeing Alexanders statue he fetched a deep sigh because he at that Age had done so little Ah! what cause have most to sigh that they have heard so much and read so much and yet done so little Surely 't is more honourable to doe great things then to speak or read great things 'T is the doer that will 'T was a saying of Augustine one thousand two hundred years agoe That we must take heed least whilst we fear our exhortation being cooled prayer be not â—amped and pride inflamed be most happy at last John 13. 17. In vitae libro Scribuntur qui quod possunt faciunt si quod debent non possunt Bâ—rn They are written in the Book of Life that doe what good they can though they cannot doe as they would I have read of a good man coming from a publick Lecture and being askt by one whether the Sermon was done answered with a sad sigh Ah! it is said but not done My third Request is this That you will pray over what you read Many read much and pray little and therefore get little by all they read Galen writes of a Fish called Vrana Scopos that ha's but one eye and yet looks continually up to Heaven When a Christian ha's one eye upon his Book the other should be looking up to Heaven for a blessing upon what he reads When one heard what admirable Victories Scanderbeg's Sword had wrought he would needs see it and when he saw it sayes he This is but an ordinary sword alasse what can this doe Scanderbeg sent him word I have sent thee my Sword but I have the arme that did all by it Alasse what can Christs Sword Christs word doe without his arm Therefore look up to Christs arme in prayer that so his Sword his word may doe great things in your soules Luther professeth That he profited more by prayer in a short space then by study in a longer as John by weeping got the sealed Book open My fourth Request to you is this That Ingratitude say some is a monster in nature a solicisme in manners and a Paradox in grace damning up the course of Donations Divine and humane if by the blessing of the Lord upon my weake endeavours any leafe or line should drop myrrhe or mercy marrow or fatnesse upon your spirits that you will give all the glory to the God of Heaven for to him alone it does belong Through grace I know I am a poore Worme I am nothing I have nothing but what I have received The Crowne becomes no head but Christs Let him who is our all in all have the honour and the glory of all and I have my end Pliny tells of some in the remote parts of India that have no mouths and yet live on the smell of Hearbs and sweet Flowers But I hope better things of you even such as accompany salvation My fifth Request to you is this That you would let me lye neere your hearts when you are in the Mount especially 1 Thess 5. 25. 2 Thess 3. 1. Heb. 13. 18. Col. 4. 3. Phil. 1. 19. â— Cor. 1. 11. Acts 12. 5. O pray pray hard for me that the spirit of the Lord may be redoubled upon me that his word may prosper in my mouth that it may run and be glorified and that I may be high in my communion with God and holy and unblameable in my walkings with God and that it may be still day with my soule that I may live and dye in the joyes and comforts of the holy Ghost and that when my Sun is set my glasse out my work done my race run I may rest in the Rev. 14. 13. everlasting armes of Divine love c. My last and least Request to you is this That you will please to cast a Mantle of love In every Pomgranate there is at least one rotten kernell to be found said Grates the Philosopher over the mistakes of the Presse and doe me that right and your selves the courtesie as before you read to correct any materiall faults that you shall find pointed at in the Errata Gods easie passing over the many and daily Errata's of your lives cannot but make you so ingenuous as readily to passe over the Errata's in this Book You are choice Jewels in my eye you lye neer unto my heart I am willing to spend and be spent for your sakes My earnest and humble desire is That my service and Rom. 15. 31. labour of love may be accepted by you and that it may worke much for your internall and eternall welfare And that an abundant 2 Pet. 1. 11. Ch. 1. 8. entrance may be administred to you into the everlasting Kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ And that you may be filled with joy unspeakable and full of glory and with that peace that passes understanding This is and by grace shall be the Prayer of him who desires to approve himselfe faithfull to Christ his truths his interests and his people and who is Your soules servant in all Gospel Engagements THOMAS BROOKS THE Contents THE words opened Page 1 2. The first Doctrine Those that are lowest in their owne esteem are highest in Gods estem Proved 3 c. Eighteen Properties of an humble soule 6. to 27. Five Reasons of the Point 27 30 Eight Motives to provoke persons to be humble 31 41 Nine Directions and Helps to keep us humble and low in our owne eyes 41 49 The dangerous Nature of Pride held forth in nine Propositions Also six wayes wherein Pride shewes it selfe 49 58 The second Doctrine All Saints are not of an equall cize and growth in grace and holinesse 58 59 Twelve things by which soules weake in grace are discovered and deciphered 59 75 Twelve Supports and Comforts to uphold Weake Christians Wherein also you may see how Christ and they are sharers 75 96 Six Duties that lye upon weake Siants And in the opening of them severall weighty Questions are propounded and answered 96-124 The Duties of strong Saints to the weake shewed in eleven particulars 124-136 The third Doctrine That the Lord gives the bests gifts to his best beloved ones 136 137. What those best gifts are that Christ bestowes upon his dearest ones shewed in ten particulars 137-147 The Difference between Christs giving and the worlds giving shewed in six things 147-149 The Excellency of those gifts that Christ gives above all other gifts that the world gives shewed in five things 149-151 Six Reasons why God gives the best gifts to his dearest ones 151-157 Eight Inferences or Vses made of this Point 157-165 A Word to Sinners 165-168 The fourth Doctrine That the gifts and graces that God bestowes upon his people should be improved imployed and exercised by his people This Point proved and opened 168-170 Twelve Reasons why gracious soules should exercise
Apostle ought to bear with the infirmities of the weak and not to please our selves The word that 's rendred to bear Bastazein signifies to bear as Pillars doe bear the weight and burden of the house To bear as Porters doe bear their burdens or as the bones doe bear the flesh or rather as Parents bear their Babes in their armes Bear the infirmities Mark he doth not say the Inormities but the infirmities he doth not say the wickednesse but the weaknesse The strong ought to bear with the infirmities of the weake The Lord bears with the weaknesse of his Children Peter is weak and sinfull through weaknesse he will not let the Lord Jesus wash his feet John 13. but the Lord Jesus knowing that this was from weaknesse and not from wickednesse he passes it over and notwithstanding his unkind refusall he washes his feet Thomas is very weak I John 20. 25. will not believe sayes he except I shall see in his hands the print of the nailes and thrust my hand into his side Now this Christ bears with much tendernesse and sweetnesse as you may see in vers 27. Then said he to Thomas reach hither thy fingers and behold my hands and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side and be not faithlesse but believing The Lord Jesus doth as it were open his wounds afresh he overlooks his weaknesse Well saith he seeing it is so that thou wilt not believe I will rather bleed afresh then thou shalt dye in thy unbeliefe So the three Disciples that Christ had singled out to watch with him one houre Mat. 26. they shewed a great deale of weaknesse to be sleeping when their Lord was a sorrowing to be snorting when their Saviour was sighing c. Yet Christ bears this and carries it sweetly towards them and excuses their weaknesse vers 41. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weake Oh how sweetly doth the Lord carry it Every new man is two men he hath a contrary principle in him the flesh and the spirit The spirit the Noble part is willing but the flesh the ignoble part is weak and way-ward Now shall the Lord thus bear with his weak ones and shall not strong Saints bear also Remember strong Christians there was a day when you were as weak as others as apt to fall as others as easily conquered as others and if then the Lord carried it sweetly towards you let the same spirit be in you towards those that are weak it will be no grief of heart to you if in this you act like your Lord and Saviour If you doe not bear with the infirmities of the weak who shall who will this wicked world cannot nor will not Isa 29. 21. Jer. 20. 10. The world will make them transgressors for a word and watch for their halting And therefore you had need to bear with them so much the more the worlds cruelty should stir up your compassions Secondly As it is your duty to bear with them so it is your duty to receive them into communion with you Rom. 14. 1. Him that is weake in the faith receive you but not to doubtfull disputations Him that is weake in the faith receive That is him that is not throughly perswaded of all things pertaining to Christian liberty about things indifferent Them that are weake in the faith receive He doth not say Them that have no faith receive For there is no rule for the Saints or Churches to receive them into Communion that have no faith that have no fellowship with the father and the Son But him that is weake in the faith saith he receive The word that is here rendred Receive signifies to receive Prostambanesthe into our bosome with charitable affection The Greek word signifies three things 1 It signifies to receive weak Saints as our owne bowels to receive them with the greatest tendernesse affections pity and compassion that possibly can be So the same Greek word is used in the Epistle of Philemon vers 12. where Paul intreats Philemon to receive Onesimus as his owne bowels The word there is the same word with this in the Text So must the strong receive the weak even as their owne bowels receive them with the greatest affection with the greatest compassion that possibly can be 2 The word signifies patiently to bear with the weake when they are received And not to take them into your bosomes into your communion one day and cast them out the next but patiently to bear with them as well as affectionately to receive them It was a Heathen Prince that Crowned his Steer-man in the morning and beheaded him in the evening of the same day c. 3 The word signifies by fatherly instruction to seeke to restore him 'T is not the will of Christ that weak Saints should be rejected or that the doore of entrance should be shut against them till they are stronger or till they have attain'd to such heights and such perfections of grace and Divine injoyments of God as others have attain'd Remember this as the weakest faith if true gives the soule a right to all that internall and eternall worth that is in Christ So the weakest faith if true gives a man a reall right unto all the externall priviledges and favours that come by Christ In Rom. 15. 7. Wherefore receive ye one another as Christ also received us to the glory of God This is the standing rule for all the Saints and Churches in the world to goe by 'T is not their wills but these two Scriptures last cited that are the standing rules by which all the Churches on earth are to goe by in the admission of Members Them that are weake in the faith are to be received by you because the Lord Jesus ha's received them Christ does not receive the strong to the glory of God and cast off the weak No the Lord Jesus gathers the weak into his bosome and tenderly dandles them upon his knee He receives the weak to glory as well as the strong therefore saith the Apostle As the Lord hath received them so doe you Bucer ejected none in whom he saw Aliquid Christi Any thing of Christ But gave them the right hand of fellowship Such persons and Churches can never answer it to Christ that keep the door of admission shut against soules truly gracious though they are but weak in grace though they have not attain'd to such a measure of light or degrees of love or to such peâ—â—ections in holinesse as such and such have done No the standing Rule is Him whom the Lord hath received receive If weak Saints shall desire communion and be willing to walk in the wayes that Jesus Christ hath appointed his Saints to walk in the Churches ought to give them the right hand of fellowship And that 's the second Duty that lyes upon the strong viz. That they are to receive the weake into communion and fellowship with them and that with the
whose Chastisements thou hast slighted will blot out thy transgressions for my owne sake I even I is a passionate and emphaticall expression Gods goodnesse runs over to sinfull Creatures and Where sin abounds there grace doth super-abound If the Creditor himselfe blot out the debt and crosse the Mat. 6. 12 14 15. 18. 24 â—7 33. Luke 7. 41 to 4â— Book surely it shall never be remembred more Our sins are debts which God who hath the power of life and death of heaven and hell of condemning and absolving hath engaged himselfe to blot out as a thick cloud Isa 44. 22. I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions and as a cloud thy sins An under Officer may blot out an Indictment and yet the offendor may be never the better for it but if the King who is the supream Judge shall blot it out then the offendor is safe The Application is easie If the soule be diserted then that Promise relives it Mich. 7. 18 19. He will turne againe he will have compassion upon us c. If the soule be sliding and ready to fall then that Promise supports and upholds it Psal 37. 24. Though he fall he shall not be utterly cast downe for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand â—i Jehâ—vah somech jâ—do Or as the Hebrew ha's it The Lord upholding him with his hand The Hebrew Participle Somech notes a continued act of God God ha's still his everlasting armes under his Deut. 33. 26. 22. people so that they shall never totally nor finally fall And the root Samuch from whence this word is derived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to sustaine or uphold as the tender Mother doth the little Babe The safety and security of the Child lyes not so much in the Childs hanging about the Mothers neck as in the Mothers holding it fast in her armes So our safety and security lyes not so much in our weak holding upon Christ but in Christs holding of us fast in his everlasting armes This is our glory and our safety that Christs left hand is alwayes under us and his right hand does alwayes embrace us Cant. 2. 6. If the soule be forsaken by friends then that Promise relieves it Heb. 13. 5 6. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee There are five Negatives in the Greek to assure Gods people that he will never forsake them Five times this precious Promise is renewed in the Scripture that we might have the stronger Consolation and that we may presse and oppresse it till we have gotten all the sweetnesse out of it and verily many precious soules have suckt much sweetnesse out of the breasts of this Promise when their nearest relations and their dearest friends have forsaken them and forgotten them God loves that his people should put his Bonds his Promises in suite and he that does shall find God near him though friends should leave him and the world be in armes against him c. If the soule be tempted then that word of Promise relieves it 1 Cor. 10. 13. But God is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able c. The Promises are a Christians Magna Charta they are his chief Evidences for heaven Men highly prize their Charters and Priviledges and carefully keep the Conveyances and Assurances of their Lands Oh! how should Saints then treasure up and keep these Precious Promises which the Lord ha's given them and which are to them instead of all Assurances for their protection maintenance deliverance comfort and everlasting happinesse And thus much for the sixth gift the Lord gives viz. The Promises Seventhly The Lord gives Grace Of his fullnesse we all John 1. 16. have received Grace for Grace The Lord gives that grace the least dram of which is more worth then Heaven and Earth It was an excellent saying of one of the Ancients I had Hierom. rather have St. Pauls Coat with his heavenly Graces then the Purple of Kings with their Kingdomes Grace is that A good symbole was atâ—â—buted to Emilian the Roman Emperour Non gens sed mens non genus sed genius Not race or place but grace truly sets forth a man which truly ennobles the soule it raises the soule up to converse with the highest and with the noblest objects and every man is as the objects are with which he converses if the objects are noble the man is so if the objects are base with which a man converses the man is base A man may better know what he is by eying the objects with which his soule does mostly converse then by observing his most glorious and pompious services The righteous is more excellent then his neighbour Abraham was a Prince of God among the Hittites The Jewes say That those seventy persons that went downe with Jacob into Aegypt were more Pro. 12. 26. Gen. 23. 6. worth then the seventy Nations of the world Indeed it 's onely grace that makes a man truly noble When one heard the King of Persia stil'd The Great King saith he I acknowledge none more excellent then my selfe unlesse more righteous nor none greater unlesse better Grace as it 's bred by the noblest means so 't is preserved and maintained in the soule by the choycest means viz. Vnion and Communion with God c. Grace is glory in the bud and glory is grace at the full Grace makes a man all glorious Psal 45. 13. within and without Grace is a ring of gold and Christ is the sparkling Diamond in that ring Eighthly He gives Peace John 14. 27. My peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the world Rom. 5. 1. Hos 2. 21 22 23. Job 5. 19 to 25. giveth give I unto you Christ gives peace with God and peace with Conscience and peace with the Creatures Dulce nomen pacis The very name of Peace is sweet The Hebrews when they wished all happinesse to any used but this one word Peace be with you And the Ancients Martimus the Emperours Motto was Pax bello potior Give me peace and let others quarrell were wont to paint Peace in the forme of a Woman with a Horne of Plenty in her hand all blessings Ask a soule that ha's been under terrors of conscience and he will tell you that of all gifts inward Peace is the most Princely gift c. Ninthly He gives Glory John 10. 28. My sheep heare my voyce and they follow me and I give unto them eternall life Rom. 7. The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternall life Now the glory that Christ gives is Reall glory 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. Henceforth is laid up for me a Crowne of Glory The Greek word Apokeitai signifies two things 1 A designation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a Crowne And 2 A reservation and safe keeping of it for him untill the Coronation day Againe the glory he
promises are over-performed 1 Cor. 2. 9. c. Christ upon his word Doe you believe he will give you a Crowne and will you not trust him for a crust Doe you believe he will give you a Kingdome and doe you doubt whether he will give you a Cottage to rest in Ha's he given you his blood and doe you think that he will deny you any thing that is really for your good Surely he will not he cannot Againe Trust him for power against all the remainders of sin in you Hath Christ freed you from the damnatory power of sin Rom. 8. 1. Rom. 6. 14. Heb. 13. 5. and from the dominion of sin and will not you trust him for deliverance from the remainers of sin Psal 65. 3. Iniquities prevaile against me As for our transgressions thou shalt purge them away O excellent faith Againe Trust him to bring you into the Land of rest Doe you think that this Joshua is not able to carry you through all difficulties dangers and deaths Doe you think that he will leave you to dye in the wildernesse who have already had some glimpses of Heavens glory O trust to this Christ for the bringing of your soules into the Promised Land Christ would loose his glory should you fall short of glory c. Againe If Christ be so rich Then don't forsake him don't leave him don't turne your backs upon him Is there Riches of Justification and Riches of Sanctification and Riches of Consolation and Riches of Glorification in Christ Yes why then doe not depart from him doe not You read of no Armes for the back though you doe for the breast Phil. 6. shake hands with him That 's a sad complaint of God in Jer. 2. 12 13. Be astonished O ye heavens at this and be horribly afraid be ye very desolate saith the Lord For my people have committed two evills They have forsaken me the fountaine of living waters and hewed them out Cisternes broken Cisternes that can hold no water Is it madnesse and folly to flye from the fountaine to the streame from the light of the Sun to the light of a candle And is it not greater madnesse and folly to forsake the Creator to run after the creature O say as Peter Whither should we goe thou hast John 6. 68. the words of eternall life To run from Christ is to run from all life peace and joy 't is to run from our strength our shelter our security our safety our Crown our glory Lev. 11. 10. Crabbs that goe backward are reckoned among unclean creatures The application is easie Origen coming to Jerusalem after that he had shamefully turned his back upon Christ and his truth and being exceedingly pressed to preach at last he yields and as he opened the Book he happened to cast his eye upon that place of the Psalmist What hast thou to doe to declare my Statutes or that thou shouldest take my Covenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest Psa 50. 16 17. instruction and castest my words behind thee Now the remembrance of his owne folly so reflected upon his conscience that it made him close the Book and sit downe and weep Such as forsake a rich a full Christ shall have weeping work enough That is a very dreadfull Scripture Jer. 17. 13. All you that forsake the Lord shall come to be ashamed and they that depart from him shall be written in the dust Can you read this Text backsliding soules and not tremble c. Againe If the Lord Jesus Christ be so rich Oh then all you that have an interest in him labour mightily to clear up your interest and to be more and more confident of your interest in so rich a Jesus My Brethren 't is one thing for a man to have an interest in Christ and another thing to have his interest cleer'd up to him I doe speak it with grief of heart That even among such Christians that I hope to meet in Heaven there 's scarce one of forty nay one of a hundred that is groundedly able to make out his interest in the Lord Jesus Most Christians live between feare and hope between doubting and believing One day they hope that all is well and that all shall be well for ever the next day they are ready to say That they shall one day perish by the hand of such a corruption or else by the hand of such or such a temptation And thus they are up and downe sav'd and lost many times in a day But you will say unto me What Meanes should we use to clear up our interest in Christ I 'le tell you there are six singular Means that you should labour after for the evidencing more and more your interest in Christ And take it from experience you will find that they will contribute very very much for the evidencing your interest in Christ And the Means for the evidencing our interest in Christ First is this Faithfully and constantly fall in with the interest of Christ Holinesse is the interest of Christ the Gospel is the interest of Christ the precious Ordinances are the interest of Christ c. Now the more sincerely and roundly you fall in with the interest of Christ the more abundantly you will be confirmed and perswaded of your interest in Christ Such soules The Primitive Christians did generally fall in with the interest of Christ and they generally had an assurance of their interest in Christ Lam. 1. 16. Phil. 4. 30. Isa 63. 10. Spiritus sanctâ— est res delicaâ—a Psal 77. 2. 1 Thess 5. 19. as fall in with strange interests or with base and carnall interests may justly question whether ever they had any reall interest in Christ Christians did you more sincerely and fully fall in with Christs interest you would lesse question your interest in Christ this would scatter many a cloud Secondly Be kind to the spirit of Christ Doe not grieve him doe not slight him If you should set this spirit a mourning that alone can evidence your interest that alone can seale up your interest in Christ by whom shall your interest in Christ be sealed up O doe not grieve the spirit by acting against light against conscience against ingagements doe not grieve him by casting his cordialls and comforts behind your backs doe not grieve him by slighting and despising his gracious actings in others doe not cast water upon the spirit but wisely attend the hints the Items and motions of the Spirit and he will clear up thy interest in Christ he will make thee say My Beloved is mine and I am his Câ—nt 2. 16 Thirdly Labour more and more after a full and universall conformity to Jesus Christ The more the soule is conformable to Christ the more confident it will be of its interest in Christ 1 John 4. 17. As all good Orators indeavour to be like Demosthenes so all good Christians should indeavour to be like to Jesus Christ for