Blood in the same place where he shed the Blood of Naboth 3. The Place to which the Third Heaven The Tabernacle figured the Church the Temple Heaven In the Temple were three Partitions the Court where was the Altar of Burnt-Offerings the Holy Place where was the Table Candlestick Shew-bread and the Altar of Burnt-Incense then the Holy of Holies where the High Priest came once a Year So in that vast space which the Scriptures call Heaven there are as it were three Stories the Etherial Heaven the Starry Heaven and the Heaven of Heavens into this Christ as our High Priest is entred There was not only a change of his Presence but a translation of his Body into the High and Holy Place 4. The Witnesses the Eleven Apostles these were his choice Witnesses not the whole Company of Believers 5. Another Circumstance was his last Action a little before his Ascension Luke 24.50 He blessed his Disciples nay it is added again to put the greater Emphasis upon it Vers. 51. And while he blessed them he was parted from them and carried up into Heaven It is the fashion of good Men to die blessing Jacob and Moses when they were to take their leaves of the World they blessed the Tribes Christ before he would go would first leave his Blessing nay the last Act with which he would close up his Life was an Act of Blessing to shew that now the Curse was removed and he was going to Heaven to convey the Blessing to all the Heirs of Salvation Acts 3.26 Vnto you first God having raised up his Son Jesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his Iniquities as God blessed Adam and Eve when his Work was done 6. The Manner Acts 1.9 When he had spoken these things while they beheld he was taken up and a Cloud received him out of their sight The Cloud answered to God's appearance in the Tabernacle When we look on the Clouds this was Christ's Chariot he will come again in like manner 7. In his Ascension he went to Heaven as a Conqueror he triumphed over his Enemies and gave Gifts to his Friends Ephes. 4.8 When â—e ascended up on high he led Captivity Captive and gave Gifts unto Men As glorious Conquerors lead their chief Enemies fettered in Iron Chains So Col. 2.15 Having spoiled Principalities and Powers he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non Sudore Sanguine aliorum ut quondam Imperatores solebant There is some Difficulty about the Exposition of that place those seem too literally to interpret it that think there was some open Pomp and Shew The Papists say he went to the Limbus Patrum and took Abraham Isaac Jacob and other holy Men of the Old Testament along with him in Triumph to Heaven but then he should have taken the Devils Zanchy thinks there was some real visible Triumph visible not to all but to God Angels and Men leading the Devils through the Air. Still it seemeth too gross and to be asserted without Warrant But this must be interpreted suitably to the other Acts of his Office this Triumph must be referred to his Ascension Christ fought for Heaven and struck the last Stroke on the Cross seized on the Spoil at his Resurrection led them in Triumph at his Ascension and by his quiet sitting on the Throne his Subjects enjoy the Benefit 8. Christ's Entertainment by the Angels Some were left to comfort the Apostles Acts 1.10 While they looked stedfastly towards Heaven two Men stood by in white Apparel These two Men were two Angels in the shape of Men. When the Husband is to go a long Journey he writeth to the Wife from the next Stage whilst her Grief is fresh and running and giveth an account of his Welfare Christ dispatcheth two Messengers out of his glorious Train which Message being done they accompany him with other Angels into Heaven Dan. 7.13 I saw one like the Son of Man with the Clouds of Heaven and they brought him near before him They that is the Angels the Son of Man that is Christ as appeareth by the next Verse they wait upon him and guard him into the Presence of God Certainly if the Angels came so chearfully to proclaim his Incarnation when born What Triumph is there by that blessed Company in Heaven at his Ascension Still the Angels are in Christ's Company when he cometh to Judgment the Angels shall come with him Christ coming into the Presence of the Father is royally attended his Entrance into Heaven is glorious with glorious Applauses and Acclamations Psal. 24.11 Lift up your Heads O ye Gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting Doors and the King of Glory shall come in viz. at the coming of his Humanity so Justin Martyr Basil Euthimius But clearly there is an Allusion to the bringing the Ark into the place prepared by David for it a Figure of Christ's entrance into Heaven They applaud him as mighty in Battel as newly returned from the Spoils of his Enemies The Entrance of a victorious and triumphant Captain is there described and so it is proper to Christ. Once more the blessed Saints have the like Applause Isaiah describes it Isa. 63.1 2 3. Who is this that cometh from Edom with dyed Garments from Bozrah this that is glorious in his Apparel travelling in the greatness of his Strength I that speak Righteousness mighty to save Wherefore art thou red in thine Apparel and thy Garments like him that treadeth in the Wine-fat I have troden the Wine-press alone and of the People there was none with me c. There is a Dialogue as before to express the Saint's Acclamations to Christ The Church is brought in there wondring at Christ's glorious Triumph over all his Enemies as returning victorious from some bloody Fight like a great Commander in goodly rich Robes besprinkled with the Blood of his Enemies 9. The last thing is his Welcome from God Psal. 2.8 I will give thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance c. Psal. 110.1 The Lord said unto my Lord Sit thou at my Right-hand until I make thine Enemies thy Footstool compared with Mat. 22.44 In the day of his Inauguration God will say Welcome Son Sit at my Right-hand all the Kingdoms of the Earth are thine Christ doth not only enter as a Conqueror but as a Favourite Son thy Work is well done sit at my Right-hand that is God's first Word to him and then Ask what thou wilt it is thine It is a fashion among great Princes when they would shew great Affection or extraordinary liking to any they bid them ask what they would as Herod to Herodias's Daughter Mat. 14.6 7. When Herod 's Birth-day was kept the Daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod Whereupon he promised with an Oath to give her whatsoever she would ask And Ahasuerus to Esther Esth. 5.3 What wilt thou Queen Esther and what is thy Request
words to the High Priest the Son of Man shall come in his Glory Now saith Christ I will not defer thy Desires so long Heavenly Joys attend thy Soul And others seek to evade it by the word Paradise it is a Persick word but used by the Hebrews for Gardens and Orchards and by allusion for Heavenly Joys the Allusion is not only to the delights of an ordinary Garden but Eden or that Garden in which Adam was placed in Innocency The Fathers fancied secreta animarum receptacula beatas sedes But it is put for Heaven it self in other places 2 Cor. 12.2 He was caught up into the third Heaven which he presently calls Paradise Vers. 4. So that presently Souls upon their departure out of the Body are immediatly with Christ. Thus it is said Luke 16.22 The Beggar died and was carried by the Angels into Abraham 's Bosom presently in the twinkling of an Eye or the forming of a Thought Which is a great Comfort to us when we come to die in a moment Angels will bring you to Christ and Christ to God The Agonies of Death are terrible but there are Joys just ready and as soon as the Soul is loosed from the Prison of the Body you enter into your Eternal Rest it flieth hence to Christ to be there where he is To be short certainly Men enter upon their final State presently as soon as they die 2 Pet. 3.19 He went and preached to the Spirits in Prison compare it with Heb. 12.24 To the Spirits of Just Men made perfect How can Souls be perfect if they lie only in a dull Sleep without any Light Life Joy or Delight or Act of Love to God We see the very present refreshments of Sleep are a burden to the Saints because they rob us of so much Time cheat us of half our Lives 2. Compleatly at the Resurrection Believers consist of Body as well as Soul Now it is said that they may be there that is their whole Self shall be there where Christ is And so it proveth the Resurrection and the Translation of our glorified Bodies into Heaven So our Lord sheweth that our being there where he is shall compleatly be after his second coming John 14.3 And if I go and prepare a Place for you I will come again and receive you to my self that where I am there ye may be also Christ and we that are one cannot always live asunder if he have any Glory we must have part of it and therefore he will come again and take us to himself that as Coheirs we may live upon the same Happiness Rom. 8.17 And if Children then Heirs Heirs of God and joint Heirs with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together As Joseph brought his Brethren to Pharaoh he bringeth us to God As he took part with us in Nature so he will have us take part with him in Glory Now the Happiness of it will appear 1. By the Place the third Heaven or Paradise as there was the Outward Court the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies The spangled Firmament is but the Outside and Pavement of that House where Christ and the Saints met When we look upon the aspectable Heavens we may cry out as David in his Night-Meditation Psal. 8.4 Lord what is Man that thou art mindful of him and the Son of Man that thou visitest him The Church is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Portal as one saith and entrance into Heaven If the visible Heavens so affect us how glorious is it within 2. The Manner of bringing us thither I will come again and receive you to my self John 14.3 Christ will not send for us but come in Person to fetch us in state which will make our access to Heaven the more glorious Christ will come to lead his Flock into their Everlasting Fold to present his Bride to God decked and apparalled with Glory How glorious a sight will it be to see Christ and all his Troops following him with their Crowns upon their Heads to see the triumphant entrance into those Everlasting Habitations and to hear the Applauses of the Angels Psal. 24.7 8. Lift up your Heads O ye Gates and be ye lift up you Everlasting Doors and the King of Glory shall come in Who is this King of Glory the Lord strong and mighty the Lord mighty in Battel That was a private and a personal entry at his Ascension but now it shall be publick and glorious now Death the last Enemy is destroyed then he is the Lord mighty in Battel indeed 3. Our perpetual Fellowship with Christ in the Presence and Glory of his Kingdom Pray mark there is a Presence and that is much that we are called to Heaven as Witnesses of Christ's Glory The Queen of Sheba said of Solomon 1 Kings 10.8 Happy are thy Men happy are these thy Servants which stand continually before thee and that hear thy Wisdom They that stand before the Lord and see his Glory are much more happy Zacheus pressed to see him the Wise Men came from the East to see him It is our burden in the World that the Clouds interpose between us and Christ that there is a great Gulph between us and him which cannot be passed but by Death that God is at a distance that our Enemies often ask us Where is your God Now we shall be happy when we shall be in his Arms when we can say Here he is when our Redeemer is ever before our Eyes Job 19.26 to remember us of the Grace purchased for us and we are as near as we can desire Now we dwell in his Family David envied the Swallows that had their residence in the Temple One day spent in thy Courts is better than a thousand spent elsewhere Psal. 84.10 Then we shall always be about his Throne and we shall for ever feed our Eyes with this Glorious Spectacle Jesus Christ his Body shall be in a certain Place where all shall behold it The three Children walked comfortably in the fiery Furnace because there was a fourth there the Son of God Dan. 3.25 Lo I see four Men loose walking in the midst of the Fire and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God Again this Presence maketh way for Enjoiment It is not a naked sight and speculation we are in the same state and condition with Christ Rom. 8.17 Heirs of God and joint-Heirs with Jesus Christ. We shall be like him Servants may stand in the presence of Princes but they do not make their Followers Fellows and Consorts with them in the same Glory Solomon could only shew his Glory to the Queen of Sheba but Christ giveth it us to be enjoyed And all this is perpetual and without change and interruption 1 Thess. 4.17 We shall be for ever with the Lord. We are then above Fears no more Eclipses of God's Face no more trouble because of God's absence Here we complain
an Acquâ—efcency in Gods Providence though our Talents be not so large 2. Let it quicken those that have received greater Gifts than others to do so much the more good with them you are more bound and that which God will accept from others he will not from you If you have many Ordinances and means of Improvement you should get the more Grace Heb. 6.6 7. and Mat. 11.22 23 24. You are deeper in the State of Condemnation if you do not bring forth Fruit proportionable to the means of Salvation if greater Abilities you must give God the more Glory if a greater Estate you must be richer in good Works 1 Tim. 6.7 8. For you to shut up your Bowels 1 John 3.17 How dwelleth the Love of God in you Potentes potenter cruciabuntur Mighty shall be the Destruction of the Mighty if we have greater Mercies there is greater Duties and greater Duties greater Sins and greater Sins greater Judgments Surely if men had any Sense of their Accounts those that have much to answer for would have more Trouble Doct. III. Among those that have received Talents all are not alike Fruitful I shall handle the Point with respect to the Context we have in hand 1. Though but one be mentioned yet the Number of Vnfaithful ones is very great In Parables the Scope must be regarded Now the general Scope is to shew that as the Virgins are not all admitted so all the Servants of the House not accepted in the Parable Indeed two of the Servants are Faithful one unfaithful We cannot conclude thence that the Number of those that used their Talents well should be greater than of those that hid them or neglected the Improvement of them as in the former Parable that the Number of the Foolish shall be just equal with the Number of the Wise or in the Parable of the Wedding Garment that but one shall come to the Gospel-feast unprepared No the Ornament of that Scheme and Figure which Christ would make use of to signify his mind required it should be so expressed For since our Lord to avoid Perplexity and Confusion would mention but three Servants 't was fit that one should be an instance of eminent Faithfulness and Service another of Service in a lower degree that the meanest may not be discouraged and the other should represent the unfruitful ones Now Experience sheweth they are more than one to two yea more than ten to one much the far greater Number Oh how few are there even of those that hold much from God that return him ought of Love and Service The Idle and Unprofitable ones are found every where in all Ranks and Conditions of men 2. Observe He that had but one Talent is represented as the Vnfaithful One and that with good Advice If the Example of Reprobation and Punishment had been put in the Servant that had five Talents or two Talents we might have thought that men of eminent Gifts Rank Quality and Employment in the Church shall be called to an Account and punished for their Neglect No but as our Lord hath laid it it reacheth his full Scope and Purpose For in the instance of the Servant that had but one Talent those that had five and two may easily know how much sorer Punishment shall light upon them if he that had least be called to such a strict Reckoning for his Non-improvement However this we may observe That he that had the least Gift was Unfaithful to be sure those that have most Spiritual gifts do usually improve them and the rest are left without Excuse 3. Observe His Crime is he went and digged in the Earth and hid his Lords Money Men dig in the Earth to find Metals and Talents not to hide them there Mark 't is not said he did imbezzle his Talent as many waste their Substance in riotous Living quench brave parts in excess sin away many precious Advantages of Ordinances and Education and powerful Convictions No he did not imbezzle his Talent but hid it Mark again he did not Misimploy his Talent as some do their Wealth others their Wit to scoff at Religion or to put a Varnish on the Devils Cause their Power to Oppress and crush the good The precious Gifts that many have are like a Sword in a mad-mans hand they use them to hurt and mischief No no such thing is charged upon this evil and naughty Servant 'T is Fault enough to hide our Talents though we do not abuse them That you may conceive of this I shall shew you 1. His Sin in hiding his Lords Money 2. What may be the Cause of it in those that imitate him First 'T was a Sin Partly because 't was against the command of his Master In Luke 19.13 He gave them a Charge Occupy till I come Partly because 't was against the end of the Distribution of the Talents to keep Money unprofitably by us is a loss 't was made for Commerce so were Gifts given us to profit withall scattered into several hands to bring in some encrease to the Lord and Owner Partly because 't was against the Example of his Fellow-Servants who were industrious and careful to comply with their Charge 2 Cor. 9.2 Your Zeal hath provoked very many And partly as his Obedience and Account would have been easier as 't is more easie to give an Account of a small Sum than a greater as there is less Trouble less Danger so his Refusal is less excusable And partly as 't was an Abuse of his Masters Patience 't was long e'er he called him to a Reckoning God will bear long with us in Infancy Childhood and Youth but he will not bear alwayes if we do not bethink our selves at last our Account is hastened and God will suffer idle Servants no longer to have an Opportunity of Promoting his Glory the good of others and their own Salvation Secondly What may be the Causes of such like Unfaithfulness Men are taken off from Improving their Talents First Sometimes by a sloathful Laziness and should that hinder us especially us that are Servants to God what man can endure an idle Servant though he should not whore and steal yet if he do not his work you put him away Every thing in the World costs Diligence and shall not we be diligent in our Masters Work How will men labour for a small Reward in the World and is not Heaven worth our most industrious Care shall not we be hard at work 1 Cor. 15.58 The Reward is still propounded to the diligent 1 Cor. 3.8 Every man shall receive his Reward according to his own Labour 2 Cor. 9.6 He that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly Idleness is its own Punishment An idle man is a Burden to himself like a man buryed alive When 't is Morning would God it were Evening He Contracts Distempers a Key seldom turned rusts in the Lock standing Pools are apt to putrify David when he was idle fell into those foul Faults An idle
his Sons Commission yet 't was not a total Omission compare 1 Sam. 2.23 24 25. And he said unto them why do ye such things for I hear of your evil dealings by all this People nay my Sons for it is no good report that I hear of you ye make the Lords People to transgress If one man sin against another the Judge shall judge him but if a man sin against the Lord who shall intreat for him notwithstanding they hearkened not to the voice of their Father His Admonition was grave and serious yet 't was not enough All Israel knew their sin before Eli took upon him to reprove them secretly whereas the fact was open and he should have put them to open shame and then his Rebukes were mild and soft he should have frowned upon them punished them but his fondness would not permit that 3. Eternal here in the Text Cast the unprofitable Servant c. These sins Christ will mainly inquire after at the day of Judgment and vers 42.43 of this Chapter and Math. 7.19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen down and cast into the fire though not bad or poysonous fruit By all these Arguments it appeareth that sins of Omission may be great sins Thirdly That some sins of Omission are greater than others All are not alike as the more necessary the Duties the more faulty the Omission Heb. 2.3 How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation 1 Cor. 16.22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha not if a man hate but if he love not c. These are peccata contra remedium as others contra officium By other sins we make the Wound by these we refuse the Plaister Again If the Omission be total â—er 10.25 Call not on the Name of the Lord Psal. 14.3 None seeketh after God Again When seasonable Duties are neglected Math. 25.44 When I was an hungred ye fed me not 1 Joh. 3.17 He that hath this worlds goods and seeth his Brother in need Prov. 17.16 Why is there a price put into the hand of a Fool And then when 't is easie this is to stand with God for a trifle Luk. 16.24 Desideravit guttam qui non dedit micam Amos. 2.6 They sold the poor for a pair of shoes And when convinced of the duty James 4.17 To him that knoweth to do good and doth it not to him it is sin Fourthly In many cases sins of Omission may be more hainous and more damning than sins of Commission 1. They are the ruine of most part of the carnal world Carnal men are often described by their Omissions to be without God Eph. 3.12 Psal. 10.3 4. The wicked through the pride of their heart will not seek after God God is not in all their thoughts Jer. 2.32 None stirreth up himself to seek after God And 2. Partly because these are most apt to harden us more Foul sins scourge the Conscience with remorse and shame but these bring on insensibly sleightness and hardness of heart and therefore Christ saith Publicans and Harlots shall enter into the Kingdom of God before Pharisees that rested in a superficial Righteousness but neglected Faith Love and Judgment Math. 21.31 And 3. Partly because Omissions make way for Commission of evil Psal. 14.4 They that called not upon God eat up his People like Bread They lye open to gross sins that do not keep the heart tender by a daily attendance upon God If a man do not that which is good he will soon do that which is evil Joh. 2.13 Oh then let us bewail our unprofitableness that we do no more good that we do so much neglect God and no more edifie our neighbour so that Gods best gifts lie idle upon our hands Fifthly The first and main evil of sin was in the Omission Jer. 2.13 My people have forsaken me the Fountain of living waters Jam. 1.14 Every man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and inticed First inticed from God and then drawn away to sin therefore the work of Grace is to teach us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts Tit. 2.12 By Ungodliness is meant not denying God but neglecting God there our chief mischief began for when we do not look upon God as our chief good then we seek Happiness in the Creature 1 VSE To shew that if the unprofitable Servant be cast into Hell what will become of them that live in open sins that bid defiance to God 2. To condemn the unprofitable lives of many they live as if they had only their Souls for Salt to keep their Bodies from stinking Cumber the ground Luk. 13.7 Do not good in their Relations are neither comfortable to the Bodies nor Souls of others Certainly how mean and low soever you be in the world you may be useful Dorcas made Coats for the poor Servants may adorn the Gospel Tit. 2.10 3. If sins of Omission be so dangerous we may cry out with David Psal. 19. Who can understand his Errours The Children of God offend in these kind of sins oftener than in the other kind they are not guilty of Drunkenness or Uncleanness but of Omission of good Duties or sleight performance of them Paul complaineth Rom. 7.18 19. For I know that in me that is in my flesh there dwelleth no good thing for to will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not for the good that I would I do not And should not you complain likewise A Child is not counted dutiful because he doth not wrong and beat his Father he must also give him that Reverence that is due to him Alas how many Duties are required of us to God and Men the neglect of which we should humble our selves before God for SERMON XVIII MATTH XXV v. 31 32 33. When the Son of Man shall come in his Glory and all the Holy Angels with him then shall he sit upon the Throne of his Glory And before him shall be gathered all Nations and he shall separate them one from another as a Shepherd divideth his Sheep from the Goats And he shall set the Sheep on his Right Hand but the Goats on the Left THIS latter Paragraph I cannot call a Parable but a Scheme and Draught or a Delineation of the last Judgment intermingled with many Passages that are plainly Parabolical as That Christ setteth forth himself as a King sitting upon the Throne of his Glory and as a Shepherd dividing his Flock That he compareth the Godly to Sheep and the Wicked to Goats Those Allegations and Dialogues between Christ and the Righteous Christ and the Wicked When saw we thee an hungry c. have much of the Nature of a Parable in them In these Three Verses we have described 1. The Appearance or sitting down of the Judge 2. The Presenting the Parties to be judged The former is in Vers. 31. the latter in Vers. 32 33. In
out that is exactly knowing not only of Laws but of all Persons and Causes That all things shall be naked and open to him with whom we have to do Heb. 4.12 13. and 1 Joh. 3.20 Again exceeding Just without the least spot and blemish of wrong Dealing Gen. 18.25 Shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right And Rom. 3.5 6. Is God unrighteous that taketh Vengeance God forbid For then how shall God judge the World It cannot be that the universal and final Judgment of all the World should be committed to him that hath or can do any thing wrongful and amiss And then that Power is necessary both to summon Offenders and make them appear and stand to the Judgment which he shall award without any hope of escaping or resisting will as easily appear Because the Offenders are many and they would fain hide their guilty Heads and shun this Tribunal if it were possible Rev. 6.16 Say to the Mountains and Rocks fall on us and hide us from the Face of him that sitteth upon the Throne and from the Wrath of the Lamb But that must not cannot be Psal. 90.11 Who knoweth the Power of thine Anger According to thy Fear so is thy Wrath. Authority is necessary also or a Right to Govern and to dispose of the Persons judged into their Everlasting Estate which being all the World belongeth only to the Universal King who hath made all things and preserveth all things and governeth and disposeth all things for his own Glory Legislation and Execution both belong to the same Power Judgment is a part of Government Laws are but Shadows if no Execution follow Now let us particularly see how all this belongeth to Christ. 1. For Wisdom and Vnderstanding 'T is in Christ two-fold Divine and Humane for each Nature hath its particular and proper Wisdom belonging to it As God 't is Infinite Psal. 147.15 His Vnderstanding is Infinite And so by one Infinite View or by one Act of Understanding he knoweth all things that are have been or shall be yea or may be by his Divine Power and All-sufficiency They are all before his Eyes as if naked and cut down by the Chine-bone We know things successively as a Man readeth a Book line after line and Page after Page but God at one View Now his Humane Wisdom cannot be equal to this A Finite Nature cannot be capable of an Infinite Understanding but yet it is such as it doth far exceed the Knowledge of all Men and all Angels When Christ was upon Earth though the Forms of things could not but successively come into his Mind or Understanding because of the limited Nature of that Mind and Understanding yet then he could know whatever he would and to whatsoever thing he would apply his Mind he did presently understand it and in a moment by the Light of the Divinity all things were presented to him so that he accurately knew the Nature of whatever he had a mind to know And therefore then he was not ignorant of those things that were in the Hearts of Men and were done so secretly as they were thought only to be known to God himself Thus he knew the secret Touch of the Woman when the Multitude thronged upon him Luk. 8.45 46. So Matth. 9.3 4. When certain of the Scribes said within themselves This Man blasphemeth Jesus knowing their Thoughts said Why think ye evil in your Hearts He discerneth the inward Thoughts and turneth out the Inside of the Scribes minds So Matth. 12.24 25. Jesus knew their Thoughts when they imagined that by Beelzebub the Prince of the Devils he cast out Devils But most fully see Joh. 2.24 25. He committed not himself to them because he knew all Men and needed not that any should testifie of Man for he knew what was in Man It may be they knew not themselves but he knew what kind of Belief it was such as would not hold out in time of Temptation We cannot infallibly discern Professors before they discover themselves Yet all Hypocrites are seen and known of him even long before they shew their Hypocrisie not by a conjectural but a certain Knowledge as being from and by himself as God He doth infallibly know what is most secret and hidden in Man Now if he were endowed with such an admirable Understanding even in the Dayes of his Flesh while he grew in Wisdom and Stature Luk. 2. and his Humane Capacity enlarged by Degrees what shall we think of him in that State in which he is now Glorious in Heaven Therefore to exercise this Judgment he shall bring incomparable Knowledge so far exceeding the manner and measure of all Creatures even as he is Man but his Infinite Knowledge as God shall chiefly shine forth in this Work Therefore he is a fit Judge able to bring forth the secret things of Darkness and Counsels of the Heart into open and manifest Light 1 Cor. 4.5 and disprove Sinners in their Pretences and Excuses and pluck off their Disguises from them 2. For Justice and Righteousness An incorrupt Judge that neither doth nor can erre in Judgment must be our Judge As there is a double Knowledge in Christ so there is a double Righteousness one that belongeth to him as God the other as Man and both are exact and immutably perfect His Divine Nature is Holiness its self In him is Light and no Darkness at all The least Shadow of Injustice cannot be imagined there All Vertues in God are his Being not superadded Qualities God's Holiness may be resembled to a Vessel of pure Gold where the Substance and Lustre is the same But ours is like a Vessel of Wood or Earth gilded where the Substance and Gilding is not the same Our Holiness is superadded Quality We cannot call a wise Man Wisdom or a righteous Man Righteousness We use the Concrete of Man but the Abstract of God He is Love He is Light He is Holiness its self which noteth the Inseparability of the Attribute from God 'T is Himself God cannot deny Himself His Act is his Rule Take Peter Martyr's Similitude A Carpenter chopping a piece of Wood by a Line or Square may sometimes chop right and sometimes wrong he cannot carry his Hand so evenly But if we could suppose that a Carpenter's Hand were his Rule he could not chop amiss Christ's Humane Nature was so sanctified that upon Earth he could not sin much more now Glorified in Heaven And there will be use of both Righteousnesses in the last Judgment but chiefly of the Righteousness that belongeth to the Divine Nature For all the Operations of Christ are Theandrical neither Nature ceaseth to work in them As in all the Works of Men the Body and the Soul do both conspire and concur in that way which is proper to either Only as in the Works of his Humiliation his Humane Nature did more appear so in the Works that belong to his Exaltation and glorified Estate his Divine Nature appeareth
is only reckoned to the Sanctified Though all Mankind have the same Nature come of the same Stock yet He that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one for which cause he is not ashamed to call them Brethren There the Relation holdeth of both sides Christ is born of a Woman and They are born of God Joh. 1.13 and so he is a Kinsman doubly Ratione Incarnationis suae Regenerationis nostrae as Macarius He taketh part of Flesh and Blood partaketh of Humane Nature and we are made Partakers of a Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 And Matth. 12.47 48 49 50. Then one said unto him Behold thy Mother and thy Brethren stand without desiring to speak with thee but he answered 〈◊〉 said unto him that told him Who is my Mother and who are my Brethren And he stretched forth his Hand towards his Disciples and said Behold my Mother and my Brethren For whosoever shall do the Will of my Father which is in Heaven the same is my Brother and Sister and Mother Secondly Now I shall shew you in the next place what a Priviledge this is I shall shew you 1. What Condescension there is in Christs part that he should count the least of his people not only for his own but for his Brethren The Apostle saith He is not ashamed Heb. 2.11 We are said to be ashamed in two Cases 1. When we do any thing that is filthy As long as we have the Heart of a Man we cannot do any thing that hath filthiness in it without shame Or 2. When we do any thing beneath that Dignity and Rank which we sustain in the World The former Consideration is of no place here the latter then must be considered Those that bear any Rank and Port in the World are ashamed to be too familiar with their Inferiours yet such is the love of Christ towards his People that though he be infinitely greater and more worthy than us yet he is not ashamed to call us Brethren 'T is said Prov. 19.7 All the Brethren of the Poor do hate him If a Man fall behind hand in the World his Friends look askew upon him but Jesus Christ though he be the Eternal Son of God by whom he made the World the Splendour of his Fathers Glory and the Brightness of his Person the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and we be poor vile and unworthy Creatures yet he disdaineth not to call us Brethren notwithstanding our Meanness and unworthiness and his own Glory and Excellency Divines observe that Christ never gave his Disciples the Title of Brethren but after his Resurrection before Servants little Children Friends were their usual Designations but then he expresly calleth them Brethren Joh. 13.13 14. Ye call me Lord and Master for so I am And Joh. 12.26 If any Man serve me let him follow me and where I am there shall my Servant be Friends Joh. 15.15 I have called you Friends But after the Resurrection the Style of Brethren is very frequent Mat. 28.10 Go tell my Brethren I go into Galilee And Joh. 20.17 Go to my Brethren and tell them I go to my Father and your Father And at the last day he giveth this Title to all the Elect that are put at his right Hand Quest. But what is the Reason of this Answ. Though the Ground were laid in the Incarnation when Christ naturalliz'd himself to us and became one of our own Line yet he doth expresly own it after his Resurrection and will own it at his coming to Judgment to shew that his Glory and Exaltation doth nor diminish his Affections towards his People but rather the Expressions thereof are enlarged He still continueth our Brother and will do so as long as our Nature remaineth in the Unity of his Person which will be to all Eternity 2. That it is a Real Priviledge to us 't is a Title of great Dearness and Intimacy 't is not an idle Complement for there is cause and reason for it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All Mankind coming of one Father and being made of one Blood are Brethren and Christ reckoneth himself among us and assumeth the Relation proper to his Nature especially when we get a new Kindred by Grace 'T is not an empty Title but a great and Real Priviledge not a Nominal Titular Relation to put Honour upon us but to give us Benefit Rom. 8.17 and for the present assureth us of his tender Respect VSE I. It comforts us against the sense of our own Unworthiness Though our Nature be removed so many degrees of distance from God and at that time polluted with Sin when Christ glorified it and assumed it into his own Person yet all this hindred him not from taking our Nature and the Title depending thereupon Therefore the sense of our Unworthiness when 't is seriously laid to Heart should not hinder us from looking after the Benefits we need and which are in his power to bestow upon us This Term should revive us Whatever serves to to our Comfort and Glory Christ will think it no disgrace to do it for us This may be one Reason why Christ biddeth them tell his Brethren I am risen Mat. 28.10 The poor Disciples were greatly dejected and confounded in themselves they had all forsaken him and fled from him Peter had denyed him and forsworn him what could they look for from him but a sharp and harsh Exprobration of their Fear and Cowardise But he comforts them with this Message Go tell my Disciples and Peter that I am risen The fal'n Man is not forgotten Peter was weeping bitterly for his fault but Christ sends him a comfortable Message Go tell Peter I am risen Secondly The next thing that I shall observe is Doct. That what is done to his People to the least of them Christ will esteem it as done to himself 1. It holdeth true in Injuries Isa. 63.9 In all their Afflictions he was afflicted and the Angel of his Presence saved them in his Love and in his Pity he redeemed them And Act. 9.4 And he fell to the Earth and he heard a Voice saying unto him Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Christ was wronged when the Saints were wronged He is above Passion but not above Compassion The Enemies of the Church have not Men for their Enemies but Christ himself When they are mocked and scorned Christ is mocked and scorned 2. It holdeth also true of Benefits The least Courtesie or Act of Kindness shewed to them is shewed to Christ that which is done in Christ's Name and for Christ's sake is done unto Christ You do not consider the Man so much as Christ in him The Apostle saith they received him even as Christ Jesus Gal. 9.14 that is in his Name and as his Messenger 2 Cor. 5.10 and Luk. 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me as a King is resisted in a Constable armed with his Authority As when we go to God
only Remedy is Prayer We should not despond but meet Sorrows with a generous Confidence now the only way is to pray If we cannot look for a Deliverance we may pray for a Mitigation for shortning Affliction Mat. 24.20 Pray that your flight be not in the Winter nor on the Sabbath Day when it may be tedious to Body or Soul Pray that you may glorify God in Sufferings as Christ sueth out Support in this Request Usually when Evils are unavoidable we give over all Addresses yet our Condition is capable of Mercy if the Hour be come beg that a Spirit of Glory may rest upon you 5. Christ knew his Hour There was no Traitor by Judas was not present the Souldiers were not come to apprehend him All was yet in the dark and kept secret in the Bosom of the Priests and Elders It confirmeth us in the belief of the Omnisciency of Christ He knew the moment of his Suffering before there was any appearance of it All things are open and naked before him with whom we have to do And be seeth our Thoughts afar off 6. Christ knew the Hour was come yet he seeketh not an hiding-place or to avoid the Storm by flight How many natural and supernatural Ways had Christ to escape he could have smitten them with a Beam of Majesty It noteth the willingness of Christ to suffer all this Trouble and Danger for our sakes as our Conqueror When Christ was to grapple with our Enemies he did not decline the Battel but with Courage and Confidence entred into the Lists with Death and Hell As our Sacrifice he went willingly to the Altar not like a Swine but like a Sheep not with Howling and Reluctancy but with a ready Patience 7. The Act of Christ's Death was quickly over it was but a short space of time he calleth it an Hour Psal. 110.7 de Torrente bibet He shall drink of the Brook in the way a Draught of Death He tasted Death for every one Heb. 2.9 At one Draught he drunk Hell dry as to the Elect. Object But we were to suffer eternally and Christ was to bear our Sorrows I Answer Though Christ paid the same Debt yet through the Excellency of his Person it was done in a shorter time A paiment in Gold is the same Sum with a paiment in Silver or Brass only through the excellency of the Metal it taketh up less room 8. The Hour is come By way of Argument he sheweth the occasion of his Prayer in this Hour of Sadness and Ignominy I am to be betrayed condemned buffeted crucified my Majesty will be obscured and my Death like a Vail drawn upon my Glory Now glorify me in this Hour Indeed thus it was in all Christ's weakness and abasement there was some adjunct of Glory In his Incarnation he is thrust out into a Manger a place for Horses but there he is worshipped A Star in Heaven is hung up for a Sign of that Inn where Christ lay a new Bone-fire to welcome that great but poor Prince into the World He is apprehended by the Souldiers but they are driven back and twice checked in their rude Attempt by the Beams and Emissions of his Divine Glory He is tempted by the Devil in the Wilderness but Angels are sent to minister to him He had not wherewith to pay tribute to Caesar but the Sea payeth Tribute to him and a Fish bringeth the Mony When he was crucified and scoffed at Heaven it self becometh a Mourner and puts on a Vail of Darkness the High Priest did not rend his Cloaths but the Vail of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom One Thief scoffed him but another proclaimed him King When Man denied him the Creatures preach up his Glory Thus Christ in the saddest Hour is still glorified And thus it is with the Children of God Afflictions on wicked Men are evil and all evil but to the Saints a mixed Dispensation sweet Experiences they have in the midst of sad Calamities and Mercy in the midst of Wrath. Glorify thy Son This is the Request it self What is the meaning of it Origen understandeth it of the very Ignominy of the Cross it self which was to Christ a Glory Gloria salvatoris patibulum triumphantis The Cross was not a Gibbet but a Throne of Honour and Calvary to Christ was as glorious as Olivet It is expressed by lifting up But certainly this cannot be intended here because it was the lowest Act of his Humiliation and Abasement This is made the Motive and Reason of his Request the Hour is come by which as we have seen he intendeth that sad ignominious Hour In short it is meant either of God's glorifying him in his Sufferings or God's glorifying him after his Sufferings as will appear by the Sequel and two parallel places 1. Glory in his Sufferings It is said John 13.31 32. Therefore when he was gone out Jesus said Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him If God be glorified in him God shall also glorify him in himself and shall straightway glorify him The meaning is now he is to shew himself a glorious Saviour by which God shall also be glorified for which he will uphold and reward him So Glorify thy Son He intendeth those Passages by which his Glory is manifested to the World And so he intends 1. Miracles While Christ suffered the Frame of Nature seemed to be out of Course Mat. 27.51 The Vail of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom and the Earth did quake and the Rocks rent And vers 54. When the Centurion and they that were with him saw these things they feared greatly saying Truly this was the Son of God 2. Support and Strength This was Christ's last Combat and he was to discover the Strength and the Power of the Godhead Now he prayeth for those Tokens and Significations of the Divine Power in his Death to undeceive the World and that the Disciples might receive no Scandal by his Cross. 2. Glory after Death so it is said John 7.39 That the Spirit was not yet given because Christ was not yet glorified Till his Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven he was not inaugurated into the Headship of the Church and gave not out those Royal Largesses and Gifts of the Spirit So that by this Prayer Christ intendeth the Resurrection and all the Consequents of it His Resurrection by which his Divinity was declared Rom. 1.4 And declared to be the Son of God with Power according to the Spirit of Holiness by the Resurrection from the Dead His Ascension and invisible Triumph Col. 2.15 Having spoiled Principalities and Powers he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in it Ephes. 4.8 When he ascended on High he led Captivity captive and gave Gifts unto Men. The Reception of his Humanity to Heaven and his sitting down at the right Hand of God Phil. 2.9 10 11. Wherefore God also hath
ask Assurance is a ground of the more earnest Request When Daniel understood by Books the number of the Years then he was most earnest in Prayer and when Elijah heard the sound of the Rain he prayed Prayer is to help on Providences that are already in motion That thy Son also may glorify thee Here is another Argument It is usual in Prayer to speak of our selves in a third Person so doth Christ here That thy Son may glorify thee This may be understood many ways partly as the Glory of the Son is the Glory of the Father partly by accomplishing God's Work that I may destroy thy Enemies and save thy Elect partly by the preaching of the Gospel in Christ's Name to the Glory of God the Father He doth as it were say I desire it for no other end but that I may bring Honour to thee From this Clause 1. Observe That God's Glory is much advanced in Jesus Christ. In the Scriptures there is a Draught of God as Coin bears the Image of Caesar but Caesar's Son is his lively Resemblance Christ is the living Bible we may read much of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ. We shall study no other Book when we come to Heaven for the present it is an advantage to study God in Jesus Christ. The Apostle hath an expression 2 Cor. 4.4 Lest the Light of the Glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine unto them Christ is the Image of God and the Gospel is the Picture of Christ the Picture which Christ himself hath presented to his Bride There we see the Majesty and Excellency of his Person and in Christ of God And Vers. 6. the Apostle saith To give the Light of the Excellency of the Knowledg of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ. In Christ we read God glorious in his Word Miracles personal Excellencies Transfiguration Resurrection we read much of God There we read his Justice that he would not forgive Sins without a plenary Satisfaction If Christ himself be the Redeemer Justice will not bate him one Farthing His Mercy he spared not his own Son What scanty low Thoughts should we have of the Divine Mercy if we had not this Instance of Christ His Truth in fulfilling of Prophecies Psal. 40.7 8. Then said I Lo I come in the volume of the Book it is written of me I delight to do thy Will O my God yea thy Law is within my Heart This was most difficult for God to grant for us to believe yet rather then he would go back from his Word he would send his own Son to suffer Death for a sinful World All things were to be accomplished though it cost Christ his precious Life God had never a greater Gift yet Christ came when he was promised He will not stick at any thing that gave us his own Son His Wisdom in the wonderful contrivance of our Salvation When we look to God's Heaven we see his Wisdom but when we look on God's Son we see the manifold Wisdom of God Ephes. 3.10 The Angels wonder at these Dispensations to the Church His Power in delivering Christ from Death and the glorious Effects of his Grace His Majesty in the Transfiguration and Ascension of Christ. O then study Christ that you may know God There is the fairest Transcript of the Divine Perfections the Father was never published to the World by any thing so much as by the Son 2. Observe Our Respects to Christ must be so managed that the Father also may be glorified for upon these terms and no other will Christ be glorified 2 Cor. 1.20 For all the Promises in him are Yea and in him Amen to the Glory of God by us Phil. 2.10 11. That at the Name of Jesus every Knee shall bow and every Tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the Glory of God the Father John 14.13 Whatsoever ye shall ask in my Name that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son Look as the Father will not be honoured without the Son John 5.23 That all Men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father he that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father that hath sent him so neither will the Son be honoured without the Father I condemneth them who out of a fond respect to Christ neglect the Father As the former Age carried all respect in the Name of God Almighty without any distinct reflection on God the Son So many of late carry all things in the Name of God the Son that the Adoration due to the other Persons is forgotten The Wind of Error doth not always blow in one Corner When the heat of such an Humour is spent Christ will be as much vilified and debased Our Hearts should not be frigidly and coldly affected to any of the Divine Persons 3. Observe It is the proper Duty of Sons to glorify their Father Mal. 1.6 If I be a Father where is mine Honour Mat. 5.16 Let your Light so shine before Men that others seeing your good Works may glorify your Father which is in Heaven How must this be done 1. By reverend Thoughts of his Excellency especially in Worship then we honour him when we behave our selves before him as before a great God this is to make him glorious in our own Hearts When we conceive of him as more excellent than all things Usually we have mean base thoughts by which we streighten or pollute the Divine Excellency 2. By serious Acknowledgments give him Glory Rev. 4.11 Thou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory and Honour and Power for thou hast created all things and for thy Pleasure they are and were created Now this is not in naked ascriptions of Praise to him pratling over words but when we confess all the Glory we have above other Men in Gifts or Dignity is given us of God this is to make him the Father of Glory Ephes. 1.17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Glory may give unto you the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledg of him 3. When we make the advantage of his Kingdom the end of all our Actions 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether ye eat or drink or whatever you do do all to the Glory of God Phil. 1.20 Christ shall be magnified in my Body whether it be by Life or by Death Christ had glorified him yet he seeks now to do it more Self will be mixing with our Ends but it must be beaten back We differ little from Beasts if we mind only our own Conveniences 4. By making this the aim of our Prayers We should desire Glory and Happiness upon no other terms Ephes. 1.6 To the Praise of the Glory of his Grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved It is a mighty encouragement in Prayer when we are sure to be heard John 12.28 Father glorifie thy Name then came there a Voice from Heaven
saying I have both glorified it and will glorify it again He begs that God would glorifie his Name in giving him the Victory in this last Combat We ask of God for God These that honour me I will honour them 1 Sam. 2.30 5. When we are content to be put to shame so God be honoured to hazard all so we may glorify his Name though it be with the loss of Life it self Josh. 7.19 My Son give I pray thee Glory to the Lord God of Israel and make confession unto him Mal. 2.2 If ye will not hear and if ye will not lay it to Heart to give Glory unto my Name that is by an ingenuous Confession I will even send a Curse upon you 6. When you make others to glorify God 2 Cor. 9.13 They glorify God for your professed subjection unto the Gospel of Christ. Christians are to be Holy for Christ's Honour lieth at stake 7. When we can rejoice in God's Glory though advanced by others be the Instruments who they will as Paul did Phil. 1.18 Notwithstanding every way whether in Pretence or in Truth Christ is preached and I herein do rejoice yea and will rejoice 8. When we are affected for God's dishonour though done by others SERMON II. JOHN XVII 2 As thou hast given him Power over all Flesh that he should give Eternal Life to as many as thou hast given him HEre is the next Reason of Christ's Request the former was the Glory of God and here is another the Salvation of Men Unless the Father glorified him he could not accomplish the Ends of his Office which was to glorify the Father in the Salvation of Man which could not be unless he were sustained in Death delivered out of Death and received into Glory If Christ be not risen your Faith is vain and ye are yet in your Sins 1 Cor. 15.17 How should we know our discharge from Sin if our Surety had not been let out of Prison Where should we have gotten an Advocate to appear for us in the Heavens or a King to pour out the Royal Largess of Gifts and Graces to accompany the Gospel that it might be successful for our Souls From the Context I shall observe two Points 1. Observe That next to God's Glory Christ's Aim was at our Salvation Christ doth not mention his own Profit but that thy Son may glorify thee and that he may give eternal Life These two were the scope of his Sufferings and rising again to Glory 1. Of his Sufferings Dan. 9.26 The Messias shall be cut off but not for himself not for his own Desert nor his own Profit for no Fault no Benefit of his own So Rom. 15.3 Christ pleased not himself as it is written The Reproaches of them that reproached thee have fallen upon me The meaning is he suffered the outrages of the Wicked to promote the Salvation of the Elect or the burden of our Sins by which God was dishonoured fell on him Christ sought not sweet things for himself he had no respect to his own Ease but our Happiness 2. In his rising to Glory he still eyed us when he went to Heaven he went thither on our Errand to seize upon it in our right and to prepare it for our coming John 14.3 I go to prepare a place for you Not so much to be glorified himself as to get us thither Heb. 9.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There to appear in the presence of God for us Christ went to Heaven that we might have a Friend in Court He is entred into the Heavens to appear for us as if that were all the business of Christ in Heaven to remain there as our Advocate Vse 1. To shew us the great Love and Condescention of Christ. The Cross was sad Work all the Wages was the Salvation of our Souls In the Eternal Covenant he aimed at no other Bargain Isa. 53.10 When thou shalt make his Soul an Offering for Sin he shall see his Seed he shall prolong his Days and the Pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his Hands that he might be effectual to save Souls They told David 2 Sam. 18.3 Thou art worth ten thousand of us if we flee away they will not care for us neither if half of us die will they care for us Publick Relation makes Kings more valuable Christ's Soul was worth millions of ours and his Life was more valuable than the Life of Men and Angels yet to save ours Christ layeth down his own and he pleased not himself That the Pleasure of the Lord might prosper in our Salvation Vse 2. It teacheth us more self-denial to do all for God's Glory and the good of the Elect both in Life and Death Phil. 2.17 Yea and if I be offered up on the Sacrifice and Service of your Faith I joy and rejoice with you all A Man that mindeth altogether his own things liveth but a brutish Life beneath Grace and Reason Reason will tell us that Man was made sociable and not only born for himself Grace raiseth Actions to the highest self-denial To deny our selves is one of the first and most glorious Precepts of Christianity 2. Observe That the Comfort and Salvation of Man doth much depend upon the Glorification of Christ. Glorify me that I may give Eternal Life The ends of his Office are much furthered 1. His Glorification is a Pledge of ours God would do every thing first in Christ elect him adopt him pour out the Spirit on him raise him glorify him as the Scripture every where manifests Our Nature is in Heaven as an Earnest of our Persons being there He is called our Fore-runner Heb. 6.20 being gone before into Heaven as a Fore-runner and Harbinger to take up room and the Captain of our Salvation Heb. 2.11 When the Head is in Heaven the Members will follow Whole Christ must be there he is not content with his Heaven without us John 14.3 If I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto my self that where I am there ye may be also John 17.24 Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my Glory that thou hast given me 2. His Glorification is a pledg of his Satisfaction Our Surety is let out of Prison and when the Surety is released the Debt is paid all the Work is accomplished and effected John 16.10 He will convince the World of Righteousness because I go to the Father There is enough done to bring Souls to Glory for Christ is received to Glory I am satisfied I have found a Ransom So John 17.4 5. I have glorified thee on the Earth I have finished the Work thou hast given me to do And now O Father glorify thou me with thine own self Christ had never come out of the Grave never ascended if any thing else had remained to be done 3. Christ glorified is a clearer ground of Hope to the Creature When Christ
should not entertain Jealousies without a Cause 1 Sam. 17.37 The Lord that delivered me out of the Paw of the Lion and out of the Paw of the Bear he will deliver me out of the Hand of this Philistine Former Mercies are Pledges of Future Deus donando debet God by giving becometh our Debtor Mat. 6.25 Is not the Life more than Meat and the Body more than Raiment He inticeth Hope by former Mercies Judges 13.23 If the Lord were pleased to kill us he would not have received a Burnt-Offering and a Meat-Offering at our hands neither would he have shewed us all these things God would not weary us altogether with expectation something we have in hand and therefore may expect more Well then when your Hearts are apt to faint take the Cordial of Experiences Psal. 77.10 I said this is mine Infirmity but I will remember the Years of the right Hand of the Most High We are apt to indulge the peevishness of distrust after many Deliverances 1 Sam. 27.1 I shall one day perish by the Hand of Saul Though God had put him twice into his Hands Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his own Son c. how will be not with him also freely give us all things In common Experiences where we can have no absolute Assurance let us not baulk Duty for Danger 2 Cor. 1.10 Who delivered us from so great a Death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us Paul would finish his Ministry notwithstanding Danger 2. Observe again from this As thou hast given Daturum te promisisti Thou hast promised to give God had promised to make over to him the Plenary Possession and Administration of the Kingdom Christ pleadeth the Grant and Promise It is an excellent Encouragement in Prayer when we can back our Requests with Promises Psalm 119.49 Remember the Word unto thy Servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope It is a modest Challenge God alloweth it put me in remembrance let us plead together c. Isa. 43.26 We may agrue and dispute with God upon his own Word Chirographa iua injiciebat tibi Domine shew him his own Hand Lord thou hast said this and that let it be fulfilled Thou hast given him As he was Man and Mediator for as he was God he had an eternal Right and an actual visible Right by Creation and Providence but Christ as Mediator was to receive a Crown By Gift Psal. 2.8 Ask of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thy Inheritance 1. It noteth That Christ hath his Kingdom by Right not by meer Power It is by the Father's Grant he was solemnly invested and set upon the Hill of Sion They are Rebels to God who do not acknowledg Christ to be King There are several manners of Possession Satan is Prince of the World but he is a Robber he holdeth it not by Grant from the Father but by Power he hath actual Possession of many Nations but no Right 2. It noteth what kind of Right it is that Christ hath it was by Grant and Donation It is the great condescention of our Lord that he would hold all things by our Tenure by way of Gift and Grant from the Father Free Grace is no dishonourable Tenure Christ himself holdeth his Kingdom by it Why should proud Creatures disdain this manner of holding The Lordship of the World was Christ's natural Inheritance yet he would hold all by Grace Power over all Flesh. Flesh is chiefly put for Men though all Creatures are under his Dominion We are sometimes expressed by our better and sometimes by our baser Part by our Better every Soul that is every Man Rom. 2.9 13.1 sometimes by the baser Part Isa. 40.6 All Flesh is Grass Mat. 24.22 No Flesh would be saved and elsewhere Here Flesh is fitly used it is put for the Nature of Man in common in opposition to those who are peculiarly Christ's by Tradition and Purchase And by Power over all Flesh is meant a judiciary Power to dispose of them according to pleasure yea of their everlasting Estate Potestatem omnis hominis accepit ut liberet quos voluerit damnet quos voluerit John 5.27 He hath given him Authority to execute Judgment also because he is the Son of Man It is the stile of God himself he is called Numb 16.22 The God of the Spirits of all Flesh And more express to this purpose Jer. 32.27 Behold I am the Lord the God of all Flesh Is there any thing too hard for me So that it noteth not a naked Authority but an Authority armed with a Divine Power Now because God will not give his Glory to another we may hence observe 1. That Christ is true God for otherwise he could not have such an Absolute Power It is proper to his Divine Nature though as it is a Gift his whole Person God-Man be invested with it He is called the only God not excluding the Father who subsisteth with him in the same Essence but including the Son Isa. 45.22 23. I am God and there is none else I have sworn by my self the Word is gone out in Righteousness and shall not return that unto me every Knee shall bow and every Tongue shall swear which is applied to Christ Rom. 14.11 and Phil. 2.9 10 11. He is called the great God the Supper of the Lamb is called the Supper of the great God Rev. 19.17 The true God 1 John 5.20 It should fortify Christians against those abominable Opinions wherein the God-head of Christ is questioned 2. Observe That Christ as Mediator hath power over all Flesh. All Kings and Monarchs have certain Bounds and Limits by which their Empire is terminated but God hath set Christ higher than the Kings of the Earth He is the true Catholick King his Government is unlimited Psal. 89.27 Also I will make him my First Born higher than the Kings of the Earth All Power is given unto me both in Heaven and in Earth Mat. 28.18 And Dan. 7.14 There was given him Dominion and Glory and a Kingdom that all People Nations and Languages should serve him His Dominion is an everlasting Dominion which shall not pass away and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed There is some difference about the extent of Christ's Mediatory Kingdom 1. It is not only confined to the Elect. We must distinguish between Christ's Power and his Charge He hath a Power given him over all but there are some given to him by way of special Charge which is given for the Elect as to all spiritual Ends to rescue them from the Power of Satan as in this Verse As Joseph in Egypt the Power of all the Land was made over to him though his Brethren had a special Right in his Affections The Kingdom of Christ as meerly Spiritual and Inward is proper to the Elect that Kingdom where Christ hath no other Deputy and Vicar but his Spirit but for his Judiciary Kingdom
the Gentiles the Wrestlers were anointed Which may be applied to Christ who was now to wrestle and conflict with all the Prejudices and Difficulties of Man's Salvation But it is rather taken from the Customs of the Ceremonial Law Three sorts of Persons we find to be anointed among the Jews Kings as Saul David Solomon 1 Sam. 9.16 Thou shalt anoint him to be Captain over my People Israel Therefore they were called the Lord 's Anointed 1 Sam. 26.11 Priests All the Priests that ministred in the Tabernacle or Temple chiefly the High-Priest who was a special Figure of Christ Exod. 29.29 And the Holy Garments of Aaron shall be his Sons after him to be anointed therein and to be consecrated in them Prophets 1 Kings 19.16 Elisha the Son of Shaphat shalt thou anoint to be Prophet in thy room As Oil strengthneth and suppleth the Joints and maketh them agile and fit for Exercise so it noteth a designation and fitness for the Functions to which they were appointed So Christ because he was not to be a Typical Priest or Prophet or King therefore he was not typically but spiritually anointed not with a Sacramental but real Unction not of Men but of God immediatly Therefore we shall inquire how Christ was anointed It implyeth two things 1. The giving of Power and Authority Heb. 5.5 Christ glorified not himself to be made an High Priest but he that said unto him Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Therefore though Christ be of the same Power and Authority with the Father yet as Mediator he must be appointed Christ took not on him the honour of a Mediator but received it of his Father God needeth not to appoint a Mediator it was his free Grace To save Sinners is not proprietas Divinae Naturae but Opus liberi Concilii This Council had its rise from the Mercy and free Grace of the Father he might have required this punishment of our selves If any had interposed to mediate for us without God's Will and Calling his Mediation would have been of no value a Pledg whereof we have in Moses Exod. 32.32 33. Yet now if thou wilt forgive their Sins and if not blot me I pray thee out of the Book of Life And the Lord said unto Moses Whosoever hath sinned against me him will I blot out of my Book And besides where should we have found a sufficient Mediator unless he should have given us one Therefore there is much in the Father's anointing or appointment therefore is the Mediation of Christ so effectual it is made by his own Will John 8.42 I proceeded forth and came from God neither came I of my self but he sent me John 6.27 Him hath God the Father sealed as a Magistrate hath the King's Broad Seal Which is a great comfort when we go to God we may offer him Christ as authorized by himself thou hast sent thy own Son to be a Mediator for me And we may plead it to our selves in Faith God the Supream Judg the wronged Party hath appointed Christ to take up the Controversy between him and me 2. The bestowing on him the Holy Ghost who might make the humane Nature fit for the Work So Acts 10.38 Him hath God anointed with the Holy Ghost and with Power The humane Nature of Christ was fitted for the Employment for though it were exalted to great Privileges yet it could not act beyond its Sphere and Sanctification is the personal Operation of the third Person Now the Work of the Holy Ghost was in the Womb of the Virgin to preserve the Humane Nature of Christ from the infection of Sin From a Sinner nothing could be born but what was unclean and sinful by this Anointing Christ was made perfectly just strengthned to all Offices especially to offer up himself Heb. 9.14 Who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God To overcome all Difficulties and Temptations Isa. 42.1 Behold my Servant whom I uphold my Elect in whom my Soul delighteth I have put my Spirit upon him The Work of Redemption was a weighty Work Christ had to do with God Devil and Man to bear the Wrath of God for the whole World 2. To what was Christ anointed To the Office of a Mediator in general particularly to be King Priest and Prophet of the Church To be a Prophet to teach us by his Word and Spirit Mat. 17.5 This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased hear ye him God bespeaketh audience To be a Priest to intercede and die for us To be a King to rule us by his Spirit and to give Grace and Glory to us Vse 1. Let us receive Christ as an anointed Saviour Christ is set over us by Authority Let us come to him as a Prophet denying our own Reason and Wisdom as a Priest seeking all our acceptance with God through his Merit Let us plead Lord Thou hast anointed Christ to offer himself a Sacrifice for me As a King let us give up our selves to the Authority and Discipline of his Spirit God's anointing is the true Reason and Cause why we should come to Christ. Vse 2. Comfort We are anointed too Christ's Ointment is shared amongst his Fellows he was anointed more than we but we have our part Psal. 133.2 Like the precious Ointment upon the Head that ran down upon the Beard even Aaron 's Beard that went down to the Skirts of his Garment 1 John 2.27 The anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you We are made Prophets Priests and Kings Prophets meet to declare his Praises Priests fit for holy ministring Kings to reign over our Corruptions here and with Christ for ever in glory as the Queen is crowned with the King SERMON V. JOHN XVII 4 I have glorified Thee on the Earth I have finished the Work which Thou gavest me to do IN this Verse there is another Argument to inforce the main Request of his being glorified it is taken from the faithful discharge of his Duty and his Integrity in it it was all finished and finished to God's Glory therefore it was not unjust that he should now desire to be glorified When our Work is ended then we look to receive our Wages Now saith Christ I have finished the Work and besides which giveth weight to the Argument I have glorified Thee The Reason of Christ's Request seems to be taken from the Eternal Covenant Do your Work and you shall see your Seed and from those Promises 1 Sam. 2.30 Them that honour me I will honour Prov. 4.8 Exalt her and she shall promote thee she shall bring thee to honour when thou dost embrace her Well Christ sheweth that his Request is not unequal Though this be the general Relation of the Context yet it is good to note the particular dependance between this and the former Verse Christ said that it was Eternal Life to know him that was sent now he sheweth he had discharged that Work for which he was
his Office was to be Mediator between God and Man An Office of so high a Nature that it could be performed by none but him who was God and Man in the same Person For he that would be Mediator was to be Prophet Priest and King As a Prophet he was to be Arbiter to take knowledg of the Cause and Quarrel depending between them and as an Internuncius and Legate to propound and expound the Conditions of Peace that are to be concluded upon As he was a Priest he was to be an Intercessor to make Interpellation for the Party offending and then to be a Fidejussor or Surety making satisfaction to the Party offended for him As he was a King having all Power both in Heaven and Earth he was to keep and present the Church of God so reconciled in the state of Grace and to tread down all Enemies thereof Here is a great deal of Glory far above any Creature Secondly What he wanted that he should pray to be glorified The Glory of his Person and Office was yet but imperfect 1. Of his Person in both Nature It is said Phil. 2.7 He made himself of no Reputation and took upon him the form of a Servant and was made in the likeness of Man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he made himself empty and void not simply and absolutely for then he would cease to be himself and then he would cease to be God but Oeconomically and Dispensatively vailing and covering his God-head under the Cloud of his Flesh the Beams of his Divinity as it were wholly laid aside only now and then it broke out in his Works and Speeches Certainly he abstained from the full use and manifestation of it He did not cease to be what he was but laid aside the manifestation of it and hid it in the form of a Servant as if he had none at all The World could not discern him to his own familiar Friends he was now and then discovered as occasion did require it Otherwise in his whole Course his Incarnation Nativity Obedience to the Law of Nature to the Law of Adam Law of Sin of Abraham were a vail upon him He suffered Hunger Thirst Weariness bitter Agonies shame of the Cross pain of Death ignominy of the Grave Yea he was not only in the form of a Servant to God this Commandment have I of my Father John 6.38 But he was subject to worldly Powers a Servant of Rulers Isa. 49.7 wholly at their dispose His Human Nature was subject to natural Infirmities Hunger Thirst Fear Sorrow Anguish he had not attained Incorruption Impassibility Immortality nor that glorious Purity Strength Agility Clarity of Body which he expected Phil. 3.21 together with the fulness of inward Joys and Comforts in his Soul He lost for a while all Sense and actual Fruition of his Father's Love Mat. 26.46 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me So that tho he had the Spirit without measure in Holiness and Righteousness yet he was still humbled with unpleasing and afflictive Evils 2. For his Office It was managed as suited with his Humiliation and all his Actions of Prophet Priest and King could not be performed gloriously but in an humble manâ—er as suited with his present State He was an ordinary Prophet teaching in the World as a Priest hanging on the Cross as a King but he had but few Subjects therefore it is said Acts 5.31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour as if he had not exercised any of his Kingly Office before but he was but as a King anointed he did not so evidently shew forth the Kingly Office as afterward Now he doth not overcome his Enemies by Force or by Power 1 Sam. 16.13 David was a King as soon as anointed but for a long time he suffered Exile and wandred in the Wilderness before he was taken into the Throne So it was with Christ. II. His Exaltation What Christ prayed for might be known by the Event His Exaltation begun at his Resurrection and received its accomplishment by his sitting at God's right hand His Exaltation answered his Humiliation his Death was answered by his Resurrection his going into the Grave by his ascending into Heaven his lying in the Grave by his sitting at God's right hand which is a Privilege proper to Christ glorified In the other we share with him we rise we ascend but we do not sit at God's right hand By his Grave tho this Body was freed from Corruption his Human Nature was discovered but his Body had not those glorious Qualities as afterwards at his Ascension Therefore leaving his Resurrection let us speak of his Ascension and sitting on the right Hand of God First His Ascension Three Things happened to Christ at his Ascension 1. The Exaltation of his Body and Human Nature it was locally taken from the Earth and carried into Heaven Acts 1.9 While they beheld he was taken up and a Cloud received him out of their sight into the same Heaven into which we shall be translated They err who say that Christ's Ascension standeth in this that Christ is invisibly present every where which destroyeth the Properties of a Body there was not only a change of State but a change of Place it was a created Nature still finite 2. The Glorification of his Person which is the thing spoken of in this Text then all the thick Mists and Clouds which eclipsed his Deity were removed Not that there was any Deposition or laying aside of his Human Nature that is an essential part of his Person and shall continue so to all Eternity but only of all Human Infirmities he laid aside his Mortality at his Resurrection and necessity of Meat and Drink but was not restored to his Glory till his Ascension his Body was so bright that it shall pass through the Air like Lightning clearer than the Sun Upon the Earth he was ignorant of something of the Day of Judgment now he hath all Wisdom not only in Habit but in Act. Before he grew in Wisdom which he manifested by degrees now the Glory of his Deity shineth forth powerfully 3. A new Qualification of his Office Christ hath exercised the Mediatory Office from the beginning of the World till now before his coming in the Flesh when on Earth and after his Ascension Secondly The next thing we are to speak of in the Glorification of Christ is his â—itting at God's right hand Psal. 110.1 The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou at my right Hand till I make thine Enemies thy Footstool It is Christ's welcome as soon as he came to Heaven The Angels guarded and attended him and they brought him near the Ancient of Days Dan. 7.13 I saw in the Night Visions and behold one like the Son of Man came with the Clouds of Heaven and came to the Ancient of Days and they brought him near before him They that is the Angels did it they are his Ministers Heb.
their Minds to wean their Affections from the World We should be where Christ is Phil. 3.20 Our Conversation is in Heaven whence we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ Col. 3.1 If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sits at the Right-hand of God Who would not desire to be in Heaven now Christ is there As the Loadstone draws Iron to it let us be present in Heaven as Christ is present on the Earth by the Spirit Though our Bodies are tied with the Fetters of the Flesh yet let our Souls ascend let our Minds be there our Wishes our Desires there by these means we walk in Heaven before our time A Stone though it breaks to pieces by the fall will move to its Center though we naturally abhor Death we should desire it to be with Christ. It is a shame that a Stone should be carried with greater force to its Center than we to Christ. Vse 3. Comfort We have Christ for us in the Heavens Heb. 4.14 Seeing therefore that we have a great High-Priest that is passed into the Heavens Jesus the Son of God We have Christ always for us in Heaven he hath a part of his Office to perform there his Absence doth not hinder us from having a Right to him or a Spiritual Possession of him He is ours and he hath his Residence in Heaven and hath Power to open it to us and give us entrance His high Honour doth not hinder him from the Discharge of his Office to do us good he is at God's Right-hand and yet a Minister of the Sanctuary Christ hath a Ministry and part of his Service to perform in Heaven he is our faithful Agent Heb. 8.1 2. We have such an High-Priest who is set on the Right-hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the Heavens a Minister of the Sanctuary For all his Glory Christ is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Minister of holy Things he taketh care of all holy things which we present to God and to convey holy and spiritual Things to us Christ is not stately many forget their poor Friends when advanced Christ regardeth his poor Church as much as ever The Butler when he was advanced forgot Joseph but he remembreth us he disdaineth not to look after every poor Christian Heb. 4.15 We have not an High-Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our Infirmities His Heart is not changed by his Honour but he is in a greater Capacity to do us good Having such a Friend in Heaven we need not fear a Foe upon Earth Heaven is open for us Heb. 10.19 20. Having boldness to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the Vail that is to say his Flesh. Vse 4. Direction in the Sacrament If we have any thing to do with Christ we know where to seek him Blessed are they that believe and have not seen John 20.19 Those that are far from Court never saw the King God hath removed Christ out of sight that we might behold him by Faith Let us look for him in the Sacrament not for his bodily Presence how can he be there bodily when he is received into Glory but for his Spiritual Presence the Influences of his Grace and a Derivation of Vertue from his Person II. The next Point is the necessary ceasing of his Corporal Presence upon his Ascension I am no more in the World but these are in the World Let us see the Reason why he will be no more with us Now the Reasons why Christ would withdraw his bodily Presence from us are these 1. That he might try the World and yet in a way suitable to his glorious Estate Christ when he came to try the Jews he came in Disguise not as the Son of God in Majesty and Glory John 1.11 He came unto his own and his own received him not Still to try Men's Obedience there must be some Vail If he should be present in the World in a glorious way becoming his Majesty and Empire there would be no Trial and therefore in a manner he still cometh in Disguise his Glory is vailed under the Ministry of Men and carried on in a spiritual manner If he should appear in Glory and Power Sinners durst not quack and so the Wickedness of Man would not be discovered nor would the Faith of his People be exercised with such Praise and Honour if he were personally and gloriously present This is the Commendation and Praise of Christianity that they can walk by Faith when they cannot walk by sight 2 Cor. 5.7 We walk by Faith not by Sight They see not Christ because he is absent in Body yet they believe in him and love him and send their Hearts after him So 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom having not seen ye love in whom tho now ye see him nâ—t yet believing ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of Glory Faith is Eagle-eyed and can look above the Clouds The absence of Christ did not prejudice their Comfort and Hope Faith contenteth it self with an intellectual Sight and Certainty This is a trial of Christians when they can believe in Christ and rejoice in Christ as if they did see him with their bodily Eyes and hear him with their bodily Ears Ibi figunt desiderium quo nequeunt inferre conspectum saith Leo They fasten their Hearts upon him tho they cannot fasten their Eyes Faith is sight enough Thus would Christ try the World but yet as I said in a way suitable to his glorious Estate If he should still have continued his Body among us in that state of weakness wherein he conversed in the World his holy Body would still be subject to abuse and the injuries and scorn of wicked Men which would not agree with his Glorification and therefore after his Resurrection he only shewed his Body to some few chosen Witnesses and so departed into Heaven that it might be no more seen till he cometh to the last Judgment with Glory and Power So Christ himself saith Mat. 23.39 Ye shall not see me henceforth till ye shall say Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord that is till ye be compelled to say so tho now ye are angry at the Children that welcomed me in this manner Mat. 26.64 Hereafter shall ye see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of Power and coming in the Clouds of Heaven Never till then after I am taken down from the Cross and buried 2. That way might be made for his Spiritual Presence Some Presence of Christ there must be for our Comfort and Safety I will not leave you comfortless 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but will come unto you John 14.18 That Christ is still spiritually present with the Church is clear by those Promises to the Apostles and to Believers To the Apostles and their Successors Matth. 28.20 I am with you always
the next Trial a mortified Saint that is drawn up to Heaven and would live by the Laws of his Father's House must look for frowns Yea and all those that will live Godly in Christ Jesus must suffer Persecution 2 Tim. 3.12 Christ's Grapes must expect the Wine-press all their Care should be to yield good Liquor It is a Statute like the Laws of the Medes and Persians Acts 14.22 That through many Tribulations we must enter into the Kingdom of God Neither doth Experience cross that Rule the Apostle saith Rom. 8.35 36. Who shall separate us from the Love of God shall Tribulation or Distress or Persecution or Famine or 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 The World is the Slaughter-house and Shambles of the Saints here Christ was slain all his Witnesses butchered Christ's Lambs must look to have their Throats cut There is an old Enmity between the Seed of the Woman and the Seed of the Serpent it lasteth from Abel till the Day of Judgment Jacob's and Esau's Quarrel began from the day of their Birth Psal. 129.1 Many a time have they afflicted me from my Youth may Israel now say from my Youth upward ever since Christ had a Seed in the World The World would not be the World nor you Christians if the World did not hate you Satan cannot change his Nature and the World waxeth worse and worse instead of marvelling to see the Children of God afflicted and persecuted we should marvel to see it otherwise If one should tell you that your way lieth through a stony Country and full of Bushes and Briars you would think your selves to be out of the way if you should meet with nothing but green and pleasant Plains The Road-way to Heaven is through a howiing Wilderness if you have a foot of good Land it is God's Blessing 3. The Men of the World A Man cannot hold any Communion with them but he shall be the worse for them 1 John 5.19 We know we are of God and the whole World lieth in Wickedness The Men of the World are sooty dirty Creatures we cannot converse with them but they leave their filthiness upon us It is hard to touch Pitch and not to be defiled Acts 2.40 Save your selves from this untoward Generation We grow in a Wilderness and there are many crooked Trees that are like to twine about us and to hinder our growth towards Heaven To disintangle our selves there must be a great deal of care So 2 Tim. 2.21 If a Man therefore purge himself from these he shall be a Vessell unto Honour From these From what In a great House there are Vessels of Gold and Vessels of Earth some to Honour and some to Dishonour there are carnal Seducers that are apt to pervert us by their Inticement and Example As black Pots leave their soil upon those that touch them so base Persons and carnal Hereticks infect us with their sinful Pollutions By Converse we are tainted unawares as Antinomian Doctrines make the Children of God less strict tho they do not pervert their Judgment yet they weaken their care and strictness Nature is more susceptible of Evil than of Good We easily catch a Sickness but we do not get Health from one another Ears of Corn do not catch and hang upon Men but Thorns do Phil. 2.15 We live in the midst of a crooked and perverse Generation that are as Briars and Thorns very catching 4. The Things of this World The World is the Valley of Snares and so to the Children of God it often proveth the valley of Sorrows Frequency of Converse maketh the Snare more easily to insinuate It is hard to be much conversant in any Matter and not to receive some tincture from it These Things Honours Pleasures Profits they are accustomed Objects they are bred up with us we must of necessity be conversant with Meats and Drinks and worldly Substance and insensibly they leave a taint upon the Soul especially where we have them at full Worldly Prosperity is a great Snare to the Saints and things are better preserved in Brine than Hony How soon is the Soul corrupted The warm Sun-shine maketh the Weeds grow as well as the Flowers I observe great Alterations in David's Spirit in Adversity he spared his Enemy when he found Saul in the Cave in Prosperity he killed his Servant when he plotted Vriah's Death when he threatned Nabal in Affliction he bore with Shimei God's Children have a better Country when they have the World 's best Advantages Some Fruits are not natural in England tho the Weather be good they do not agree with the Soil 2 dly Why God permitteth them to be in the World he might have taken them to himself and glorify them as soon as sanctify them or else have gathered them into some Island some obscure Angle and Corner of the World out of harms way But I Answer that doth not suit with God's Dispensations John 17.15 I pray not that thou wouldst take them out of the World but that thou shouldst keep them from the Evil. The Lord hath some Ends to be accomplished He can at first Conversion make us perfect and glorified Saints it is his Wisdom to take a time As Absalom was not to see the King's Face presently so we must wait our Time 1. For his own Glory The Sweetness and Power of Grace is more discovered in this worldly Estate It is more wonder to maintain a Candle in a Bucket of Water than in a Lanthorn or a Spark in the midst of the Sea God's Power is made perfect in Weakness 2 Cor. 12.9 That is it is more gloriously discovered Excellent things suffer a kind of Imperfection till there be an occasion to discover them therefore the Apostle would glory in Infirmities as they occasioned a greater Exercise of the Divine Grace In this worldly Estate Grace is discovered not only by its Operation but by Conquest and Victory not only as it worketh but as it fighteth 1 John 4.4 5. Ye are of God little Children and have overcome them because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the World They are of the World therefore speak they of the World and the World heareth them There is a Spirit that worketh in the Saints and a Spirit that worketh in the World these two are conflicting the World is the Lists and place of Battel but Satan is beaten in his own Territory Stronger is he that is in you than he that is in the World The Saints may be molested but not overcome Still God hath his Elect and Christ his Members though Satan hath so many Factors and Agents for his Kingdom Look as Israel was sent into Egypt that God's Power might be made known For this cause have I raised thee up for to shew in thee my Power and that my Name may be declared throughout all the
if they were not accepted in and for Christ. Nothing can be acceptable to infinite Purity but what is pure Habbak 1.13 Thou art of purer Eyes than to behold Evil and canst not look on Iniquity We should not have one good look from God were it not for Christ. To salve this Attribute was Jesus Christ sent into the World We think that Christ was only sent to satisfy Justice God hateth Sin out of Holiness punisheth it out of Justice and executeth that Punishment by his Majesty and Power so that we dread God for his Wrath Power and Justice but all these are awakened by his Holiness there is the Root of all So that consideration of God's Holiness maketh us to prize Christ. Alas what should vile Creatures do before an Holy God out of Christ 3. It is God's principal Glory Exod. 15.11 Thou art glorious in Holiness God is mighty in Power rich in Grace glorious in Holiness It is good to mark the distinctness of Expression in all the Attributes God that he might shew us how much we should prize Grace would be glorious in nothing so much as in Holiness This is Seraphical Divinity the Angels would teach us no other Divinity and Notions of God but Holy holy holy Lord God of Hosts Isa. 6.3 this is most pleasing to God profitable to Men. Christ taught us to pray first of all Hallowed by thy Name This should be the chiefest thing that we should think of in our Addresses to God So when the Angel Gabriel came to give notice of Christ Luke 1.35 That Holy Thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God Priùs sanctum quà m Dei Filium nominavit saith one of the Fathers You cannot call God nor Christ by a better Title it is his darling Attribute So the Saints in Heaven Rev. 4.8 They rest not day and night saying Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty it is nine times in Plantius's Edition as if they were delighted with the mention of it they take a sweet content in the Work Holy Father Holy Son Holy Spirit In Heaven they bless and praise God praise him for his Excellencies bless him for his Benefits We praise him for his Holiness we bless him for his Mercy in Christ this will be our Employment in Heaven Psal. 99.5 Exalt ye the Lord our God and worship at his Footstool for he is Holy God counteth it his chiefest Glory that he might teach the Creature that Moral Perfections are to be preferred before Natural it is better to be Wise than Strong to be Holy than Wise. III. Why especially must we thus look upon him when we deal with him for Grace and Sanctification 1. Because it is a Relief to Faith when we represent God to our selves as the Fountain of Holiness He is the Holy One of Israel and Christ calls him Holy Father Jude 1. To them that are sanctified by God the Father There is enough in God when we come for Pardon he is rich in Mercy when we come for Holiness he is glorious in Holiness he is the God of Grace you may have enough if you be not wanting to your selves Men are willing to spare out of their Fulness the Holy God is as able as willing to sanctify you it is a Work that he delighteth in Joab interceded for Absalom when he perceived the King's Heart was towards Absalom 2 Sam. 14.1 2. It may be a means to enlarge your Spiritual Desires You are to be holy as he is holy 1 Pet. 1.15 The Children if they be of the right Stock they should have some Resemblance of their Father Now you ask Holiness of God that you may be as God in some degree of Conformity tho not in exact Equality Assequi non possuâ—â—â— saltem nanquam sequi desinamus we cannot overtake God but we should never cease to follow him We have an high Patern that we might not be content with any low measures of Grace When you are asking it is good to be thinking of your Patern that you may inlarge your Spiritual Desires Lord wash me throughly Lord make me holy as thou art holy I forget the things that are behind it is nothing that I have already Vse 1. Information It informeth us 1. How greatly they sin that deride Men for their Holiness which is the express Image of the glorious God God is glorious in Holiness therefore they that despise Holiness they despise God himself Holy Brethren should no more be a Disgrace than Holy Father That is your Scorn which is the Divine Glory one of the chiefest Excellencies in the Godhead You hate God more than you do the Saints Holiness in them shineth with a faint Lustre 2. How much we should prize Holiness It is the Glory of God and the Glory of holy Angels the Devils also excel in Strength and the Glory of the Saints Ephes. 5.27 That he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having Spot or Wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without Blemish This is the Glory of the Church the Church that are are a distinct People from all the World should have a distinct Excellency Other Societies are made glorious by their Policy their Pomp their Trade the Church is a Society for Holiness and therefore it is called The fairest among Women the best of all Societies though it hath little of worldly Pomp and Splendor Psalm 93. ult Holiness becometh thy House O Lord for ever Some Ordinances became God's House for a time Ceremonies and Sprinklings and the Vail and the covering of Badgers Skins c. but Holiness is a standing Ordinance So private Christians are changed from Glory to Glory 2. Cor. 3.18 it is from Grace to Grace for the Apostle speaketh of our being changed into the Likeness of Christ. The World counteth Purity and Strictness a base thing Religio ignobilem facit but the Word is quit with the World and calls a wicked Man a vile Person Psal. 15.4 and the basest of Men Dan. 4.17 Vse 2. It presseth us to draw nigh to God as unto an Holy Father Worship must always be proportioned to the Object of it Conformity maketh way for Communion John 4.24 God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth As he is a God of Peace he will not be worshipped with wrathful Affections 1 Tim. 2.8 I will that Men pray every where lifting up holy Hands without Wrath and Doubting A living God must have a lively Service so a holy God should have a holy Worship this doth make us fit to enjoy God in the way of a sweet and gracious Communion 1. We must be in an holy State If we be accepted by God we must be like him holy as he is holy Partakers of a Divine Nature The Majesty and Glory of God we are not capable of God would not have us to imitate his Power and Majesty but his Holiness We enjoy him
must we needs go out of the World As the Soul is in the Body but not of the Body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just. Mart. So a Christian is in the World but not of the World Use the World we may without offence when a Christian is sanctified he is not glorified and doth not diveâ—â— himself of the innocent Interests and Concernments of Flesh and Blood they have Bodies as others have and must eat drink sleep and put on Apparel as others do 1 Cor. 7.31 And those that use the World as not abusing it The Use is allowed the Abuse only is forbidden We may use the World as a means to sweeten our Pilgrimage but not to weaken our Hopes A Man may use the Comforts of this Life to draw good out of them to imploy them for God as Incouragements to Piety and Instruments of Mercy and Bounty But how then positively are they not to be of this World Not of the World's Gang and Faction nor acted by the same Principles to the same Ends. 1. There is a difference in the inward Principles the Spirit of the World and the Spirit of God Christians are acted by the Spirit of God not by the Spirit of the World 1 Cor. 2.12 Now we have received not the Spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God There is a particular Genius that suiteth with Worldly Affairs and fits Men to turn and wind in outward Employments as the Ostriches Wings serve her only to run not to fly their Hearts and Affections wholly run out this way It is the Character of some John 3.31 He that is of the Earth is Earthly and speaketh of the Earth They mind nothing affect nothing speak of nothing but the Earth 2. They are under different Rulers Christ is Head of the Church and he professeth that his Kingdom is not of this World John 18.36 But now the Devil is called the God of this World 2 Cor. 4.4 the Head of the Worldly State 3. There is a difference in their Course and Conversation The Children of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 6.16 Walk according to the Rule of the Word The Men of the World 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes. 2.2 According to the course of the World as Fishes swim with the Stream A Christian is the World's Nonconformist Rom. 12.2 Be ye not conformed to the World he is estranged from the Pursuits and aspiring Projects of worldly Men and can deny the Interests and Concernments of the Flesh for God's sake 4. There is a difference in their Aims A Christian liveth to glorify God 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether ye eat or drink or whatever you do do all to Glory of God And a Child of the World is all for aspiring Projects how to compass the Conveniences of the present Life and advance his secular Interests Phil. 2.19 They mind earthly Things 5. Their Ends are different A Christian is hastning to his Country his way is upward first he gets his Heart in Heaven and then his Soul and then his Body But a Carnal Man is groveling and tending downward first to the Earth and then to Hell So that you see there is a perfect difference and counter-motion they are not of the World nor of that Faction Communion or Fellowship But if you ask me Why 1. Because of Christ's Example We do not worship the God of this World nor Mammon but Christ. Worldly Men had need seek another God Jesus Christ is not for their turn I am not of this World he is not a worldly Christ. We are to imitate our great Master to be unlike the World and like Christ to be led not by the course of the World but by Christ's Example Christ by his own Example hath put a disgrace upon worldly Greatness he chose a mean Estate to teach us to be contented with a little and his Eye was to the Glory set before him Heb. 12.2 Christ's Poverty was not out of necessity but choice his were the Cattel upon a thousand Hills At his Birth he was born in an Inn to shew that he came into the World as a Stranger and Passenger In the course of his Life we find that he had a Bag that was filled with Alms but no annual Rent or constant Possessions Mat. 8.20 Foxes have Holes and the Birds of the Air have Nests but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his Head Christ was no landed Man he had no Tenement of his own Christ speaketh it when a young Man came to him and professed to follow him he had no certain place of Residence neither House nor Furniture nor Houshold-stuff certainly he was little beholden to the World it would hardly afford him House-room and Lodging The Earth is the Lord's and the Fulness thereof yet Christ his own Son had but little of it He begged a draught of Water of a Stranger when he was weary John 4. and every was lived as a poor Man not out of necessity but choice He refused a Crown when proffered him John 6.15 When Jesus perceived that they would come and take him by force and make him a King he departed again into a Mountain himself alone He had no Heart to these Things no relish in Crowns and worldly Glory When he died he was not Master of a Cup of cold Water to quench his thirst his Coat was all his Legacy and he lodged in a borrowed Grave This was the Captain of our Salvation whose Steps we are to follow You see what a disgrace he put upon Crowns and Honours and Pleasures and the Glory which we doat upon Christ came from Heaven on purpose to cast contempt upon the World by his own choice and course of Life 2. Because of their new Birth Man's Heart naturally is addicted to the World and runneth thither whither the World carrieth it even to forsaking God but by Grace it is turned the quite contrary way We have forsaken all and followed thee Mat. 19.27 And Psal. 45.10 Forget also thine own People and thy Father's House It is the proper Work of Grace to alter the course of Nature to take us off from the World and bring us to God by degrees first in Heart and then in Soul and then in Body It is every where made in Effect of the New Birth 1 John 5.4 He that is born of God overcometh the World The Children of God have somewhat of the Father in them Grace of all things cometh nearest the Nature of God Now God is our Heavenly Father therefore the Children that are born of him cannot be worldly See another place 2 Pet. 1.4 That by these ye might be made partakers of the Divine Nature having escaped the corruption that is in the World through Lust. There is something Divine in a Christian therefore he cannot live as other Men. When we press Men to strictness they will say We are Saints and not Angels yea but Saints have a new Nature over and above that Nature which
time Christ shall appear without Sin unto Salvation Heb. 9.28 So we shall be then disburdened of all the Fruits and Effects of Sin which shall be blotted out when the Times of Refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord Acts 3.19 We are like him in his Offices Kings Priests and Prophets but in a Spiritual Manner to rule ou◠Lusts to minister in Holy Things and to instruct our Hearts Thus you see there is a conformity in Grace and Glory Now Christ is thus earnest to make us like himself partly out of his own Love he cannot satisfy his Heart with giving us any inferior Privilege Whatever he had and was it was for our sakes as Man he received it for us Psal. 68.18 Thou hast received Gifts for Men compared with Ephes. 4.8 He gave Gifts unto Men His Life Righteousness and Glory is for our sakes Wherefore doth Christ make himself like unto us but that we might be like unto him Partly in obedience to God's Counsels and Decrees Rom. 8.29 For whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his Son that he might be the First-Born among many Brethren There is Wisdom in it Primum in unoquoque genere est praestantissimum Christ is the Example and Patern set forth by God and that in our Nature he is the second Adam a new Root and it is meet that Head and Members should sute otherwise it is monstrous Vse 1. It sheweth who are Christ's they that are like him there is a conformity between them and Christ first in Grace and then in Glory Here we are like him in Soul in regard of Dispositions and Moral Excellencies and in Body in regard of Afflictions and Weaknesses Hereafter we shall be like him in Soul and Body in a glorious manner here in Holiness hereafter in Happiness He beginneth with the change of the Soul the Resurrection is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Regeneration Mat. 19.28 Then we shall be perfectly renewed our Carnality is done away by Grace our Corruption and Mortality by Glory All Things are there made new new Bodies new Souls Glory it is but the full Period of the present Change and Transformation into Christ's Image 2 Cor. 3.18 We are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory Glory is but the Consummation of Grace or our full Conformity to Christ or that final Estate which is suitable to the Dignity of the Children of God Therefore every one that looketh for Eternal Life in Christ must be like him in this Life they are partakers with him of Glory hereafter because followers of him here Therefore see Art thou like Christ Hast thou the Image of Christ that is our Title Alas many are not conformable but contrary to Christ Christ spent whole Nights in Prayer they in Gaming and filthy Excess it was Meat and Drink to him to do his Father's Will but it is your Burden Christ was Humble and Meek you are Proud and Disdainful Vain in Apparel and Behaviour Were you ever changed Till you resemble Christ here you shall never be like him hereafter Vse 2. It presseth us to look after this Conformity and Likeness unto Christ. It is the Ground of Hope you cannot otherwise think of Death and Judgment to come without Horror 1 John 4.17 Herein is Love made perfect that we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment because as he is so are we in the World David was not ashamed to own his Followers when he was crowned at Hebron So neither will Christ be ashamed of us if we have followed him If you profess Christ and be not like him Christ will be ashamed of you Heb. 2.11 For both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one for which cause he is not ashamed to call them Brethren He is not ashamed to own the Saints if one of your Name were stigmatized and branded with a Mark of Infamy you would be ashamed to own him To this end 1. Eye your Patern Christ's Life should be ever before your Eyes as the Copy is before the Scholars Heb. 12.2 looking unto Jesus c. He hath set forth himself in the Word to this end and purpose 2. Often shame thy self that thou comest so much short Phil. 3.12 I follow after if I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Jesus Christ. Alas we do but lag behind Christ is a great way before We have so excellent a Patern that we may never want Matter for Humiliation and Imitation It is a good sign to desire to come nearer the Copy every day 2. Observe Our Glory for Substance is the same that Christ's is In the Degree there is a Difference according to the Difference that is between Head and Members The Head weareth the Crown and Badg of Honour and the Eldest Son had a double Portion So doth Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 excel in degrees of Everlasting Glory but the Substance is the same Therefore we are said to be Coheirs with Christ and to be glorified with Christ Rom. 8.17 Christ and we hold the same Heaven 2 Tim. 2.11 12. If we be dead with him we shall also live with him If we suffer we shall also reign with him More particularly Our Bodies are like his Glorious Body Phil. 3.21 Who shall change our Vile Body that it may be fashioned like unto his Glorious Body according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself When the Sun ariseth the Stars vanish their Glory is obscured but it is not so here Christ's coming doth not eclipse but perfect our Glory the more near Christ is the more we shine And so for our Souls they see God and enjoy him tho not in that same Latitude and Degree which Christ doth yet in the same manner they solace themselves in God We shall be like him for we shall see him as he is 1 John 3.2 When we behold him in the Glass of the Gospel we are transformed much more when we see him as he is As the Iron held in the Fire is all Fire so we being in God and with God are more like him have higher Measures of the Divine Nature So our Privileges are the same with Christ's Rev. 3.21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his Throne We sit upon his Throne as he doth upon his Father's there are two Thrones mentioned for our distinct conceiving of the Matter as God is over all so is Christ and then we next Vse 1. It is a great Comfort 1. Against Abasement Will any one believe that these poor Creatures that are so slighted and so little esteemed in the World shall have the same Glory that Christ hath 1 John 3.2 Beloved now are we the Sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be The World thinketh meanly and contemptibly
How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard We must know what Christ is before we can trust him with our Souls Would a Woman accept of a Man when she knows not what he is nor from whence he came Can the Soul rest it self with Christ and venture its Salvation upon him till it knows what he is 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 unto him against that Day Faith is an advâ—sed Act it is a Child of Light Presumption is but a blind Adventure an Act that is done hand over-head without Advice and Care but Faith certainly presupposeth Knowledg The blind Man speaks Reason in this when Christ asked him Dost thou believe on the Son of God John 9.35 He answered Vers. 36. Who is he Lord that I may believe on him And then for Love No Knowledg no Love an unknown Object never affects us Love proceeds from Sight those that have a sight of the Excellencies of God by the Light of the Spirit accompanying the Word they love the Lord. And then where there is no Love there is no Knowledg 1 John 4.8 He that loveth not knoweth not God for God is Love And then for Worship and Obedience that is also the Fruit of Knowledg that Worship which is performed to the unknown God is never right As those Fruits that grow out of the Sun are crabbed and sowr so all such Acts of Worship as proceed not from Light and Knowledg are not right and genuine There cannot be a greater Preservative from Sin than Knowledg 3 Epist. John 11. He that doth Evil hath not seen God Certainly he that makes a trade and course of Sin was never acquainted with God 1 John 2.4 He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a Lyar and the Truth is not in him And there can be no enjoiment of God without Knowledg neither in a way of Grace nor in a way of Comfort Not in a way of Grace there can be no Grace without Knowledg if we be renewed and changed it is by Knowledg Col. 3.10 And have put on the New Man which is renewed in Knowledg after the Image of him that created him If we be strengthned in Affliction and enabled for the Duties of every Condition it is by Knowledg 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 All Communications of Grace are conveyed by Light Nor can there be any enjoiment of God in a way of Comfort without Light and Knowledg Fears are in the dark till we have a distinct Knowledg of the Nature and Tenor of the Covenant we are full of Fears and Doubts which vanish as a Mist before the Sun when Knowledg is wrought 2. Proposition There is no Knowledg of the True God without the Knowledg of Christ as Mediator For two Reasons 1. Because God will accept no Honour from the Creature but in and through Jesus Christ. John 5.23 That all Men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father that hath sent him God hath revealed himself in Christ and you make God an Idol if you think of him otherwise 2. Because God out of Christ is not comfortable but terrible The fallen Creature cannot converse with God without a Mediator As Waters which are salt in the Sea strained through the Earth are sweet in Rivers So are the Attributes of God in and through Christ sweet and comfortable to the Soul for we cannot draw nigh to God without a Screen Vse To press us to get Knowledg The more Knowledg the more a Man the more Ignorant the more Brutish Psal. 49.20 Man that is in Honour and void of Vnderstanding is like the Beasts that perish And again as Knowledg doth distinguish you from Beasts so the Knowledg of God doth distinguish you from other Men to know God is your excellency above other Men. Jer. 9.23 24. Let not the wise Man glory in his Wisdom neither let the mighty Man glory in his Might let not the rich Man glory in his Riches But let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord c. As if he had said If you will needs glory it is not who is most Wealthy nor most Mighty nor most Wise but who hath the greatest Knowledg of God in Christ. Above all know God in Christ that is most comfortable Horribile est de Deo extra Christum cogitare It is an horrible thing to think of God out of Christ. God in Christ is the greatest Mercy the World was ever acquainted with this is a Speculation fit for Angels 1 Pet. 1.12 Which things the Angels desire to look into Eph. 3.10 To the intent that now unto the Principalities and Powers in Heavenly Places might be known by the Church the manifold Wisdom of God And therefore much more should it be the study of Saints But do not rest in a naked Contemplation there is a Form of Knowledg Rom. 2.20 as well as a Form of Godliness 2 Tim. 3.5 which is nothing else but an Artificial Speculation a naked Model of Truth in the Brain which aâ— the Winter-Sun shines but warms not But what is true Knowledg How shall we discover it I Answer 1. It must be a serious prudent Knowledg c. See on Ver. 8. I now come to speak to the Illustration of this Qualification of Saving-Knowledg It is illustrated I. By its Opposite the affected and obstinate Ignorance of the World The World hath not known thee II. By its efficient and exemplary Cause But I have known thee I. The first Illustration is from the Opposite Ignorance and Obstinacy of the World The World hath not known thee Why is this alledged I Answer Partly to shew the Reason why they should be otherwise dealt withal than the blind World As if he had said By thy righteous and wise Constitution thou hast appointed different Recompences to Men of different States but now They have known thee but the World hath not known thee Partly in commend their acknowledgment of Christ the World neither knowing nor believing yea rather hating and persecuting thee In the Original there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tho so that neither hindred by Fears nor Snares the Rulers and great Men were against the acknowledging of Christ the Multitude blind and obstinate yet the Disciples knew him and owned him as the Messiah or one sent of God 1. Observe That it is exceeding praise-worthy to own Christ when others disown him and reject him to own him in the midst of the World's blindness and madness against 〈◊〉 Now he is publickly received among the Nations it is no great matter to own his now as those
times because of our blockishness Col. 2.3 In him are hid all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledg Hidden not that they should not be found out but because they are seen by the Eye of Faith Hidden because deposited there to be dispensed to us God made Christ a Storehouse to furnish all our Necessities 1 Cor. 1.30 Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption Wisdom to give us Spiritual Illumination Be not discouraged it is not the Pregnancy of the Scholar that prevaileth here but the Excellency of the Teacher If Christ be the Teacher no matter how dull the Scholar be Pride in Parts hath been in hinderance but Simpleness hath never been an hinderance Psal. 19.7 The Testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the Simple Jer. 31.33 34. I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my People And they shall teach no more every Man his Neighbour and every Man his Brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord. Mat. 11.25 I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the Wise and Prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes God can give to shallow and weak People great understanding in Spiritual Things as he cured him that was born blind John 9. 2. With Earnestness cry for Knowledg and lift up thy Voice for Vnderstanding Prov. 2.3 Many times God withholdeth Knowledg that we may cry for it especially when the Case is doubtful and litigious John wept when the Book was sealed with seven Seals Rev. 5.4 We need to cry for all Grace but especially for Saving-Knowledg Let us groan and sigh when we are in the Dark 1. Consider the Necessity of Knowledg The blind Man cried after Christ because he knew what it was to want Eyes Luke 18.41 Lord that I may receive my Sight We are not sensible of our natural blindness as we ought to be There is Ignorance and Folly in all but Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledg in Christ. If we are not ignorant yet we are indiscreet Men know not how to guide and order their Course Certainly if you were acquainted with your selves you would not hold your peace 2. Consider the Excellency of Knowledg All Knowledg is Excellent as all Light is Comfortable Knowledg is your Excellency above the Beasts that you have Receptive Faculties capable of knowing and understanding Things that you are intelligent Creatures this is your advantage above the Beasts But Saving-Knowledg is far more excellent even the Knowledg of God in Christ. This is the Glory of a Man Jer. 29.23 24. Let not the wise Man glory in his Wisdom neither let the mighty Man glory in his Might let not the rich Man glory in his Riches But let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord c. If Men should be able to dispute of every thing that might be known from the highest Star to the lowest Shrub this Knowledg is nothing to the Knowledg of God in Christ which is far better than all the Knowledg of the Questionists and Disputers of this World The Fear of God that is the best Excellency and that is it which Christ teacheth I observe the Providence of God in that one thing viz. Solomon had wrote many Books of Philosophy which are not extant when the Books of some Heathens as Aristotle's Book de Animalibus c. are extant but his Books of the Fear of God are preserved by a special Providence not one of them lost we may want the other without any loss of true Wisdom but we cannot want these And therefore you are more concerned in the getting of Saving-Knowledg than you are aware of Light was the first Creature that God made so it is the way by which all Grace is wrought in the Soul for in all Communications of Grace God beginneth with the Understanding Jer. 31.19 After I was instructed I smote upon my Thigh He makes the Creature to submit to his Providence to be contented in all Estates and Conditions Phil. 4.12 In all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need God draws you to Christ but his drawing is accompanied with a Teaching John 6.44 No Man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him Ver. 45. And they shall be all taught of God Every Man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me God's drawing is not a blind Force but there is a teaching with it God loves rational Service not blind Obedience And therefore cry for Knowledg and run to Christ that he may teach you and lead you into the Paths of Righteousness SERMON XLIV JOHN XVII 26 And I have declared unto them thy Name and will declare it that the Love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them THIS is the second Reason taken from the Benefits Christ had bestowed upon them Here is his Gift and his Aim In the first what he had done what he will do Where 1. Quid the Manifestation of his Father's Name 2. Quibus to whom principally to the Apostles and from them to Believers 3. Quomodo I have that is by his Ministry upon Earth and I will in the pouring out the Spirit and his Discourses with them after the Resurrection All that needeth Explication is What is meant by God's Name Answ. The use of Names from the beginning was a distinction to separate Creature from Creature by their Appellations At first Adam gave Names to the Beasts that their Species and Kinds might be distinguished for Beasts are distinguished only by their Herds and Kinds But the Names which Men bear are individual and particular Man being an excellent Creature made for Rule and Commerce and therefore is to be known not by his Kind but Name But now what is God's Name Where there are many there is need of Names but where there is but one the singularity is distinction enough But yet God hath his Name by way of distinction from Creatures so we have a Negative Name removing the Imperfections of the Creature and to distinguish him from those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods that are so called and his Name is a Jealous God Exod. 34.14 For thou shalt worship no other God for the Lord whose Name is Jealous is a Jealous God And by way of Notification that we may conceive of him aright as Names are not only distinctive but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Damascen So all that by which he is known or distinguished that is his Name and so God hath many Names because one cannot enough express him his Works are a part of his Name but chiefly his Word the Doctrine
2 Tim. 1.12 For 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 It is an advised Act it is fit the Soul should be in safe Hands We are sensible that as long as this Life lasts we are subject to many Trials and Changes therefore we put our Souls into Christ's Hands in a confidence of his Alsufficiency It is a knowing Trust. Vse 1. To press us to mind this great Privilege Christ in us This should be our chief Care We cannot mortify Sin till we be in Christ He is our Sanctification We can have no security against God's Wrath till then Acts 4.12 Neither is there Salvation in any other for there is none other Name under Heaven given among Men whereby we must be saved Whatever shifts they made against the Flood it would not serve nothing but the Ark could save them Make this the Business of your Lives wait upon the Word and other Ordinances with this Aim improve Providences to this end to draw you the nearer to God by Christ. Let this be the constant breathing of your Souls Yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the Knowledg of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but Dung that I may win Christ. Phil. 3.8 Measure all the Business and Employment of your Lives by this A tender Mother that nurseth her Child she hath other Work to do but still she remembreth her Child when she awaketh she thinketh of her Child when she is abroad when employed in the Affairs of her Family her Mind is on her Child God is pleased to resemble his Love to us by this So a true Christian faith My Work is to get into Christ. When he is about Business of the World he still remembreth that this is his great Care and it must be minded every Day When he riseth when he goeth to sleep this should run in his Mind This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Work John 6.29 This is the Work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent All other Business is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his by-work that he may get or lose it Make more room for Christ in the Soul Vse 2. Examination 1. Is Christ in you who liveth there and worketh Christ or Satan These two divide the World between them the strong Man and the stronger than he The Heart of Man is not a waste Christ ruleth in the Church and the Devil in the World And yet all that are in the Church are not in Christ. John 15.2 Every Branch in me that beareth not Fruit he taketh away They that are where Christ is in Honour will make a general Profession The Devil hath a great Party in the Church Therefore who is in you Christ or Satan Satan is in all Carnal Men their Hearts are his Forge or Workhouse Ephes. 2.2 According to the Prince of the Power of the Air the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience 2 Cor. 4.4 The God of this World hath blinded the Minds of them which believe not He blindeth them and hardneth them and leadeth them captive by their own Lusts. Consider there is no Neutrality We are under Christ or the Devil The Devil is a Spirit he possesseth Men when they do not feel him He is called the Prince of the Power of the Air and infected Air is drawn in without pain and we get a Disease before we feel it and die of a Pestilent Air. Were you never changed Conversion is a Dispossession The Devil is in all the Children of Disobedience Did you ever consent to chuse Christ for your Mediator and Lord and King When you refuse Christ offered the Devil is most ready to entertain you and to enter into you and possess you the more securely There is a Tradition upon your Refusal God giveth you then up to Satan to be blinded and hardned Therefore consider this observe your Course Some are Satan's Slaves they that walk in the ways of their own Hearts and according to the Lusts of the World John 8.44 Ye are of your Father the Devil and the Lusts of your Father ye will do Satan's Mark and Brand is upon them that live in Malice and Envy against God and good Men Satan was a Murderer from the beginning in filthiness and uncleanness he is an unclean Spirit in railing swearing cursing whose Tongues are set on Fire of Hell tempting seducing lying Satan is a Liar and a Tempter enticing to drink and gaming Again Is Christ in you A great deal of Bran will remain if we use too course a Bolter Doth Christ dwell in your Hearts You will know it by the Effects of his Presence 1. Doth Christ fill the Heart So great a Guest is enough the Believer desireth no more to his Peace of Conscience Joy and compleat Blessedness There is a full acquiescency of the Soul in Christ he desireth above all things to enjoy him There is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 6.6 Godliness with contentment is great Gain There is nothing in Heaven or Earth that can fill the hungry Soul of Man but Jesus Christ. He that hath his Heart full of Christ all things seem base and vile to him a little portion of the World serveth his turn They are cheap things to Jesus Christ after which the World runs a whoring 1 Sam. 19.30 And Mephibosheth said Nay let him take all forasmuch as my Lord the King is come again in peace unto his House Mephibosheth is contented to see the King's Face in Peace They have the Pearl of great Price there is little room for other things Christ filleth every corner of the Heart Phil. 4.12 13. 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 I can do all things through Christ which strengthneth me 2. He ruleth and acteth and swayeth all these He doth not dwell as a Stranger or Guest in another Man's House or as an Inmate but as a Lord in his Possession therefore he still directeth counselleth quickneth destroyeth the Kingdom of Satan reneweth us more and more dwelleth in us as the King of Glory Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty Light Joy Strength Peace 2. What Entertainment do you give him The more Faith is inlarged the more room hath Christ in thy Heart With great chearfulness should you receive him not always frowning he looketh for Reverence not constant Mourning Do not grieve him by Sin by such things by which the Wrath of God cometh upon the Children of Disobedience If an earthly King lie but a Night in a House what care is there taken that nothing be offensive to him but that all things be neat clean and sweet How much more ought
them so as to affect and esteem them and esteem and affect them so as to seek after them and so to seek after them as to seek after them in the first place 1. We must know them For the Things of the Spirit must be understood before they can be chosen and desired John 4.10 If thou knewest the gift The brutish world know not the worth of spiritual and heavenly things therefore mind them not 2. Believe them None will seek after that which they judg to be a fancy or of the certainty of which they are not perswaded especially when they must forgo present delights and contentments to obtain it such is Salvation by Christ 2 Pet. 1.5 10 16 And besides this giving all diligence to add to your faith virtue and to virtue knowledg Wherefore the rather brethren give all diligence to make your calling and election sure 3. Affect and esteem them above all other things Heb. 11.13 Being perswaded of these things they imbraced them So esteem them that your desires may not be checked and controled by other things Heb. 11.26 By faith Moses when he was come to years refused to be called the Son of Pharoahs Daughter 4. To pursue after them with all diligence Phil. 2.10 Working out your salvation with fear and trembling and John 6.27 Labour not for the meat that perisheth but that which endureth to everlasting life 5. Seek them in the first place that you may not only make it your business but the chiefest business of your lives to obtain these Things Mat. 6.33 First seek the kingdom of God This is to set your faces heavenward when you make it your great business to please God and save your souls 2. This is Life and Peace By Life and Peace is meant Eternal Blessedness he addeth to the Word Life the Term Peace because in Eternal Life there is freedom from all evil and the presence of all good for there can be no true solid peace where there is the fear of any evil or a want of any good but here being neither the Soul is fully at peace and rest therefore 't is said that God will give glory honour and peace to every one that doth good Rom. 2.10 Heaven is the new Jerusalem the City of Peace where we converse with God who is a God of Peace and enjoy full peace and rest from all our Molestations but tho it be meant of Heaven yet peace of Conscience is not excluded partly because 't is the beginning and earnest of it that peace which we now have in the Kingdom of the Messiah by our Reconciliation with God Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God and the testimony of a good conscience 2 Cor. 1.20 This is a continual feast Now the fruit of righteousness is peace Peace in Heaven and peace on earth Luke 2.14 and Luke 19.38 Blessed be the king that cometh in the name of the Lord. Peace in Heaven and Glory in the highest 'T is begun here and perfected there And partly because whatever the Spirit worketh tendeth to our Peace and Blessedness not only hereafter but now Rom. 15.13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing The Reasons are in common 1. With respect to Gods Justice God who is the most Righteous Governour of the world will make a just difference between the Righteous and the wicked by rewards and punishments it belongeth to his general Justice ut bonis bene sit malis male that it should be well with them that do well and ill with them that do ill Psal. 11.5 6. Vpon the wicked he shall rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest shall be the portion of their cup for the righteous God loveth righteousness his countenance beholdeth the upright Surely God is not indifferent to good and evil to them that will please the flesh and obey the Spirit his Justice will not permit that the carnal and the regenerate who are so different in their lives should meet together in the end no surely the end of the one will be death and the other life and peace 2. To suit his Motives to the profit of Men. 1. There needeth something frightful to make sin a terror to us therefore doth he counterballance with advantage the pleasures of sin that are but for a season we are vehemently addicted to carnal delights therefore to check this inclination God ballanceth the choicest and highest pleasures with eternal pain that by setting one against the other we may be deterred from pleasing the flesh Rom. 8.13 If ye live after the flesh ye shall die 2. To encourage the godly in their self-denying Obedience The godly quit and forgo many pleasures which others enjoy Now to restrain and deny the flesh seemeth a pain and trouble therefore to encourage them to continue in an holy course tho it be distastful to the flesh and to renounce worldly pleasures and sensual delights while they may injoy them God hath told them of life and peace they shall have joy enough 1. VSE is Information To shew us the folly of wicked men who are self-destroyers and wrong their own souls while they despise the ways of Wisdom and prefer carnal satisfactions before the pleasing of God All that hate me love death Prov. 8.36 Not formally but consequentially a wicked man sinneth not purposely that he may be damned but that is the issue 2. It sheweth us the security of the wicked they sleep most soundly when their danger is nighest as Jonah in the storm that was raised for his sake they are upon the brink of Hell yet they go on merrily lulling their Consciences asleep with outward and vain delights but tho they sleep their damnation sleepeth not it were better to waken and escape the danger Prov. 27.12 A prudent man foreseeth the evil and hideth himself but the simple pass on and are punished A little sober Consideration of this truth may be of use to them VSE 2. Is Admonition Oh let this stop us from going on in a flesh-pleasing course Consider whither it will lead you what followeth upon this 1. 'T is Death If it were a small thing you might bear it but 't is a case of Life and Death eternal Life and Death This will be the eternal ruin of your precious and immortal souls The more you please the Flesh the more you add Fuel to that Fire which shall never be quenched and provide matter for that never-dying Worm or eternal sorrow and confusion of face to your souls Those things that now please the Senses will one day sting the Conscience We should not affect that which will be Death to us Remember the Hook when the Flesh looketh only to the Bait. 2. T is Death threatned in the Word of God and therefore certain as well as dreadful Rom. 6.21 The wages of sin is death and Rom. 7.5 The motions of sin did bring forth fruit unto death If a man warn
to this hour There was the innocent desire of his humane nature to be freed from the burden but his greater respect to Gods glory and the publick benefit of mankind made him submit to it His humane nature was to shew a reasonable aversation from what was destructive to it but his resolved will was to submit to God and overcome all impediments Take the instance lower Nature prompted Paul to ask freedom from the Thorn in the flesh but grace taught him to submit to Gods will Paul sinned not in having or giving vent to the natural inclination but the spiritual instinct must guide and overrule it So when we ask natural conveniences we sin not but yet this is not the spirit which God heareth in prayer Christ was heard in that he feared Heb. 5.7 Yet the cup did not pass away but he was supported so Paul was heard not for the removal of the thorn in the flesh but for sufficient grace 2 Cor. 12.9 And he said unto me My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness 2. There is a carnal sinful spirit which may be working in prayer as when the Disciples called for fire from Heaven Christ telleth them Luke 9.55 Ye know not of what spirit ye are of Men often miscarry in prayer being blinded either by an erring Judgment or their carnal Passions 1. By an erring judgment They put their false conceits and opinions into their prayers and so would engage God as Balaam sought by building Altars against his own people This kind of praying 't is a begging of God to do the Devils work to destroy his own Kingdom and suppress his most serious worshippers to gratifie the faction that opposeth them Nothing is so cruel and bloody but false and partial zeal will put men upon if their judgments be once tainted they think the killing of others is doing God good service John 16.2 Their devotions will be soon tainted also for men that follow a blind conscience will hallow and consecrate their rage and cruelty by prayer and solemn worship Isa. 66.5 Your brethren that hate you that cast you out of my names sake said Let the Lord be glorified Thence the old by-word in nomine Domini incipit omne malum Prayer is made a Preface to cruelty Now 't is a comfort to the faithful that God will not hear these prayers he knows what is the mind of the spirit 2. By carnal passions and desires Fleshly interest breedeth partiality and men think God should hear them in their worldly requests the motions of the flesh are very earnest for corrupt nature would fain be pleased Jam. 4.3 Ye ask have not because ye ask amiss that ye may consume it upon your lusts 'T is the flesh prayeth and not the spirit You ask meat for your lusts Psal. 78.18 When their wants were abundantly supplyed yet they remained querelous and unsatisfied They must have dainties as well as necessaries as if Gods providence must serve their carnal appetites In these and such like cases the flesh prayeth and not the spirit but Christ will not put this dross into his golden Censer nor perfume our lusts with his sweet incense 3. The new Nature called also spirit which incineth us to God and Heaven Zech. 12.10 I will pour upon them the spirit of grace and supplication This prompteth and urgeth us to ask spiritual and heavenly things And such kind of requests are most pleasing to God 1 Kings 3.10 those things which are necessary to Gods glory and our salvation There is what the flesh savoureth and what the spirit savoureth the wisdom of the flesh perverteth and diverteth hearts from God and heaven to base low things such as the good things of this world pleasures riches honours But the spirit or the renewed part savoureth other things What is the savouring of the spirit What the new nature would be at or chiefly desireth And 't is a truth that the same spirit which is predominant at other times will work in prayer for the desires follow the constitution and frame of the heart Rom. 8.5 For 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 As their constitution is so will their gust be and this tast and relish will shew its self in all things even in their prayers and devotions and whatever their words be the working of their hearts and according to their universal bent and temper 4. The holy spirit of God Jude 20. Praying in the Holy Ghost His assistance is necessary to prayer not only to sanctifie our hearts but to excite our desires and direct our addresses to God so that we are inabled and raised to perform this duty with more ardency and regularity than we of our selves could attain unto A Christian hath both flesh and spirit in him and they remain in him as active principles always lusting against each other Gal. 5.17 In prayer we feel it for the Saints speak sometimes in a mixt dialect half the language of Ashdod and half of Canaan both of the flesh and of the spirit only the one overruleth the other by the power of the Holy Ghost take it in either property of prayer confidence or fervency of desire 1. For confidence Jonah 2.4 I said I am cast out of thy sight yet I will look again to thy holy Temple There is a plain conflict between faith and unbelief unbeliefs words is first out as if we were utterly rejected out of Gods care and favour yet faith will not suffer us to keep off from God and therefore corrects and unsaith again what unbelief had said before yet I will look again to thy holy Temple Try what God will do for me so Psal. 94.18 When I said my foot slippeth thy mercy O Lord held me up yet there is relief in God when all their own confidence and courage faileth them 2. In point of fervency The flesh valueth esteemeth earnestly craveth temporal mercies fancieth a condition of health wealth liberty and worldly conveniencies as best for us We admire carnal happiness Psal. 144. But the spirit corrects the judgement of the flesh There is an higher and better happiness and that we should mainly seek after and all our worldly interests should be subordinated thereunto Now 't is not meerly the spirit or new nature in us which doth hold out in these conflicts but the new nature assisted by the Spirit of God who helpeth us in all our infirmities and to whom Religious manners sheweth we must ascribe all that we have and do All our faith and fervency cometh from him and without his assistance we should either sink under the difficulties or be cold and careless in our requests 2. In what sense God is said to know the mind of the spirit 1. By way of distinction 2. By way of approbation 1. By way of distinction God perfectly knoweth the mind and intention of those
The glory of Kings and Emperors compared to his glory is less than the light of a candle compared with the Sun in his brightness 3. Couple Nor things present nor things to come Thereby he meaneth all things that had happened or might hereafter happen to them before their departure out of the world As we bear up under present pressures so we need fear those which are to come we often forecast what shall become of us if the Lord permit great troubles trials and calamities to befal us a Christian is as sure of things to come as things present the present hopes fears and enjoyments are transitory and contemptible and future evils will sooner be past over for our salvation will be much nearer than when we first believed Rom. 13.11 4. Neither height nor depth The creatures above us or below us neither sublimitary of honours nor depth of ignominy dignities do not intice nor disgraces discourage us no power from the highest to the lowest of the creatures no estate or condition of life from the highest honour to the lowest beggery can prevail with us to quit Christ. Secondly The general expression nor any other creature comprising thereby all things on this side God how amiable or terrible soever they seem What can creatures do when they are in the hands and under the care of the Creator Well then The sense is That no force or fraud shall untwist the bands and cords of this love no temptation shall blast or persecution cause that faith to wither which hath taken root in a good and honest heart 2. Their attempt or design To separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord That is from the love wherewith we through Christ love God and the love wherewith God loved us through Christ this as the cause that as the effect for the embraces are mutual we apprehend that for which we are apprehended of Christ Phil. 3.10 Only he first layeth hold upon us by his effectual Grace and we lay hold upon him and our standing dependeth upon our love as a means and his love as the principal conserving cause 3. The fruitlesness of the attempt nothing shall be able to separate us from the lovs of God Mark The Apostle doth not only say that nothing shall but nothing can separate us which is more emphatical 4. His confidence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am perswaded The Apostle doth not go by thinking and guessing but undoubted knowledg Elsewhere we have two words 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep what I have committed to him There are two acts of the understanding apprehension and judication The first is implied in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the second in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We must know the grounds and assent to them Heb. 11.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being perswaded of these things they embraced them The mind acquiesceth in the evidence of truth the will in the worth of truth evidenced Once more Paul doth not speak of his resolution what he would do but his perswasion what God would do the first included but the latter more clearly asserted Quest. The only Question which remaineth for Explication is Whether Paul spake this of himself and in his own person only or in the name of all believers Ans. My Answer is the same with that which Paul giveth in somewhat a like case of Abraham Rom. 4.23 24. Now it was not writ for his sake alone but for us also who believe in Jesus For he doth not speak this out of any special and personal Revelation made to himself and concerning himself but that common spirit of faith which falleth upon all believers and so we may say as Paul of David 2 Cor. 4.13 We having the same spirit of faith according as it is written I believed and therefore have I spoken we also believe and therefore speak My reasons are first Because he afterwards changeth the number I am perswaded but 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 separate us Secondly The grounds are the same to all the promise the same and 't is the common interest of all the faithful to be preserved in Jesus Christ If any be weak and grow not up to this full perswasion and triumph over all doubts and fears 't is their own fault for this is not so peculiar to Paul but they also if they be not wanting to themselves may be carried to heaven in Christs triumphant Chariot with confidence and rejoicing notwithstanding all impediments and difficulties in the way All may and if they do not 't is because they do not improve the common grounds 1. Doct. This is matter of triumph to believers to be perswaded that nothing be it never so great and powerful can separate them from the love of God in Christ. 1. I shall enquire What is this love of God in Christ. 2. That as long as God loveth us the people of God apprehend themselves in good condition 3. That from this love nothing can separate us 4. We ought firmly to be perswaded of this 1. What is this love of God in Christ Here I take it actively for the love wherewith he loveth us Love may be considered First As an attribute or a perfection in God so 't is said 1 John 4.8 God is love Which noteth his readiness self-propension or inclination to do good Secondly as it relateth and passeth out to the creatures so there is a common love and a special love his common love is set forth Psal. 145.4 The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works This love floweth in the channel of common Providence But then there is a special love which is called his love in Christ Eph. 1.3 Who hath blessed us with spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. This love may be considered as purposed or expressed as purposed 2 Tim. 1 9. According to his purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world begun His gracious purposes were from everlasting he determined within himself that we should receive these fruits of his love through Jesus Christ. 2. As expressed and that two ways as revealed in the Gospel and as applyed to our hearts First the love and free grace of God is revealed in the Gospel there is the discovery of Gods good will to sinners and the rich preparation of Grace he hath made for those who are truly willing to receive him therefore called the unsearchable riches of grace Eph. 3.8 Or those many blessed advantages that belong to Christians Secondly as applied to our hearts The application may be consideâ—ed as to the effects or sense First as to the effects When the Gospel is made successful to our conversion and his eternal love beginneth to take effect Jer. 31.3 I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore in loving-kindness have I drawn thee And again Eph. 1.6 He hath made us accepted in
Tears and Snares Blessed be God that there are any hopes mingled with our Tears therefore they groan and desire earnestly Fevv and evil are the days of the years of my Pilgrimage said holy Jacob Gen. 47.7 Our days are evil and 't is well they are but few That in this Shipwrack of mans felicity we can see banks and shores and a landing place where we may be safe Here all our days are Sorrow and our Travel grief but there is our repose There are many things to wean a Christian from the present life Manifold temptations from Satan grievous Persecutions from the world and sharp afflictions from God himself All these may be ranked under the head of miseries 1. Manifold temptations from Satan who seeketh all advantages either to dissuade us from serving God or distract us in it 1 Pet. 5.8 9. All these things are accomplished in our Brethren which are in the flesh They are all acquainted with a busy Tempter who seeketh to insnare their Souls and this is one of a Christians burthens that in this world which is Satans walk and Circuit they meet with so many snares laid for them 2. Bitter and grievous Persecutions which sometimes make them weary of their lives hard Task masters that trouble them 2 Thes. 1.6 7. To you that are troubled rest with us but before the rest cometh they groan and long 3. Sharp afflictions from God himself God is jealous of our hearts because we are not watchful over them we are apt to take up with an earthly happiness and to root here and look no farther whil'st we have all our comforts about us our hearts say 't is best being here but God awakeneth us our of our drouzy fits Arise depart hence this is not your rest Micah 2.10 We are so pleased with our entertainment by the way that we forget home God is fain to imbitter our worldly portion that we may think of a remove to some better place and state where all Tears shall be wiped from our eyes We would sleep here and rest here if we did not sometimes meet with thorns in our Bed 2dly The next Reason of our groaning is our having had a tast of better things Rom. 8.23 We that have within our selves the first fruits of the Spirit groan within our selves waiting for the Adoption the Redemption of our Bodies A Christian here is unsatisfied he waiteth for a better and surer state of Bliss and Immortality The first fruits shew us what the Harvest will be and the tast what the Feast will prove 1. This Vnion and Communion with Christ is not perfect We are one Spirit by being joyned to the Lord but yet many things hinder this Union from being full we have but a glimpse of Christ as he sheweth himself through the lattis But there we shall see him with open Face Here sometimes he affords sometimes he withdraws his presence But there ever with the Lord and the Lord with us Here we get a little from him in an Ordinance and that little is as much as we can hold but there he is all in all and we are filled up with the fulness of God Christ in us now is the hope of glory but Christ in us then is the fruition of glory Col. 1.27 Here we enjoy him in part and by Faith there we shall enjoy him to the full This mighty Sea is pent up and floweth now by so narrow a Channel that it cannot diffuse its self but his interest is not crouded up there is full room for Christ in the Soul 2. Our Holiness is not perfect and therefore we groan and long for more There is much corruption left the new nature is called the Seed of God 1 John 1.9 and the immortal Seed 1 Pet. 1.23 look as a little Seed will work through the dry clods that it may grow up unto its perfect estate so doth this Seed of God work towards its final perfection A Christian is not satisfied with such imperfect degrees of conformity to God and slender tasts of his love he must have more Grace tendeth to the place whence it cometh as a spark of Fire tendeth to the Element of fire and they groan and long for the time of perfection 3. His comforts are not perfect The Joys of the Spirit are unspeakable things but at his right hand there is fulness pleasures for evermore Psal. 16.11 These the Soul longeth for therefore tho they are thankful for a refreshing by the way yet they groan as longing to be at home the Spirit now is a Well springing up but it wasteth its self in an Ocean of Glory John 4 14. Look what difference there is between the Springs head and the out-fall of a River into the Sea so between our comforts now and hereafter 3dly The excellency of this estate requireth it that we should groan after and earnestly desire it If it be not worth your desires it is little worth When happiness is provided for you will not you send a groan after it 'T is great ingratitude and folly That when Christ hath procured a state of Blessedness for us at a very dear rate we should value it no more He procured it by a life of labour and sorrow and the pangs of a bitter cursed Death and when all is done we little regard it Surely if we choose this for our happiness we shall be longing and looking for it No man would flie from his own happiness Where a mans Portion is there not only his mind will be but his heart will be Mat. 6.21 If you prize it you will sigh and groan after it our chief good is that we can least want you will be waiting as at Heaven Gates expecting when God will let you in Surely something else satisfieth you are contented to be here always if you do not send your desires thither before you can get thither The Apostle saith I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is much more better Phil. 1.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If you count it better to be there than elsewhere your Souls will begroaning to be there and longing to be there For we are always longing for that which is better chiefly best of all There is the best estate the best work the best company all is better But if you do not think it so though it be best in itself yet if not best to you you will not long for it but if you count it best is it so difficult to bring you earnestly to desire it 4thly The three Theological Graces imply it Faith Hope and Love Therefore we must seek and earnestly desire it These Graces 1 Cor. 13.13 Faith Hope and Charity 1 Thes. 5.8 1. Faith They that believe that there is another sort of life infinitely more desirable than that which we now enjoy will find their affections stirred towards it for sound persuasion sheweth its self in answerable affections Heb. 11.13 If we did believe that when this
in time shall be admitted into his immediate presence Now this seeking Reconciliation with God is not a thing to be once done at our first acquaintance with him and no more no but you must be daily renewing and keeping afoot this friendship by Godly sorrow for sin and a lively Faith in the Mediator Repentance and Faith must be still reneewed that all breaches between God and us may be prevented 2dly Every day we must labour more to deck and adorn the Soul with the graces of Gods Spirit For these make us lovely in the Eyes of God Eph. 4.24 Put on the new man which after God is created in Righteousness and true holiness When the Soul is clothed and adorned with these Spiritual qualities of Righteousness and Holiness then 't is like God these are Ornaments and Garments which never fade and wax old The Lord delighteth in his own Image in us 3dly That we should Honour God in the world by an Holy Conversation His people that are reconciled to him God will not take them into his immediate presence by and by as Absolom 2 Sam. 14.24 The King said let him turn to his own House and let him not see my face c. That his people may be exercised and tryed that hope may set them a longing and that God may have Glory from the Heirs of Heaven here on Earth in their Conversation Matth. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and Glorifie your Father which is in Heaven SERMON VI. 2 Cor. 5.4 For we that are in this Tabernacle do groan being burdened not for that we would be unclothed but clothed upon that mortality might be swallowed up of Life IN these words the Apostle still persists in explaining the nature of that groaning and desiring after the Heavenly estate which is in the Saints by declaring the reasons and ends of it They do not desire simply Death it self which is a fruit of sin but that happy change not altogether out of a wearisomness of this Life but out of a sense of a better In the words observe 1. The time when we groan For we that are in this Tabernacle groan 2dly The occasion of groaning Being burdened 3dly The end of groaning Expressed 1. Negatively not that we would be unclothed 2. Positively Expressed 1. Metaphorically But clothed upon 2dly Literally That mortality might be swallowed up of Life Let me explain these Clauses 1. The time when we groan We that are in this Tabernacle that is while we are in these Bodies of Clay 2dly The occasion Being burdened scil with sin and afflictions We have many pressures upon us which are very grievous and give us a great weariness 3dly The end 1. Negatively expressed Not for that we would be unclothed Those who interpret the Apostle to speak of the change of the living at Christs coming say the meaning is We would not at all put off the Body as others do at Death But this conceit I have already disproved The words therefore may have a threefold sense 1. With respect to the ground of this desire not that we would part with the Body out of impatience There is a double groaning one of Nature another of Grace 1. Of Nature out of a bare sense of present miseries 2dly Another of Grace out of a confidence and earnest desire of Eternal Life which the Spirit kindleth in us And so the sense will be As weary as we are yet we are not so weary as if for afflictions sake we would part with the Body wherein we may be serviceable to Christ and injoy something of him No this groaning arises not so much from a weariness of Life natural as from the hope of a better Life For therefore he saith though they were burdened and grieved in the Body yet they did not desire to be unclothed of the Body 2dly The manner They did not simply desire to be unclothed but only in some respect that they might be clothed upon with a better Life 'T is natural to all living Creatures to desire the Continuance of that being which they have No man ever yet hated his own flesh Therefore the Saints do not simply desire to be unclothed but do as all men do naturally shun Death But the natural horrour of Death is in a good measure overcome by the confidence of a better estate and therefore desire not to be unclothed but to be clothed upon as we would put off an old torn Garment for a new and a better 3dly They did not desire to part with these Bodies so as to part with them finally as if they were altogether uncapable of this immortality The Soul loveth the Body and would not part with the Body but upon necessity and that for a while only but being corruptible they would not lose the substance but the corruptibility There is another sort of Body and another sort of Life infinitely more desirable than this an Eternal immutable State of Life This we pant desire and groan after and from this we would not have the Body excluded i. e. we would not wholly and everlastingly be deprived of the Body which now we bear about with us And so the state of the case lyeth thus If we lived in an House which were our own where the Walls are decayed and the Roof ready to drop down upon our Heads we would desire to remove and depart for a while but would not lose the ground and the materials but have it built up into a better frame So not another Body but we would have it otherwise 2dly Positively So 't is doubly expressed 1. Metaphorically 2dly Literally 1. Metaphorically And so those that interpret the words of those which remain at Christs coming think the expression favoureth their opinion Because it is not said clothed but clothed upon keeping the Body still without being divested of it But the compound word is not always Emphatical and signifieth no more than the simple verb 1 Cor. 15.53 Then this corruptible shall put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are the same putting on or being clothed upon well then we desire to be clothed upon What is that With Heavenly Glory 1. In Soul presently after Death the very getting into Heaven and the Glory wherewith we shall be encompassed there is a clothing upon Quos circumfusum vest it pro tegmine lumen 2dly In Body when it shall be restored to us at the last day and likened to Christs Glorious Body Phil. 3.21 2. Literally expressed That mortality might be swallowed up of Life The Patrons of the former disallowed opinion here challenge again the phrase as full for them as if the meaning were that that which is mortal should be swallowed up of Life without the pain or necessity of Death But the true meaning is that our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our mortal that the mortality wherewith the Body is now
present life requireth many ministries and services at our hands Besides sinful distractions there are many worldly occasions to divert us but then 't is our work and our wages to see God our business and blessedness to study divinity in the Lambs face John 17.24 That they may be where I am and Behold my Glory 'T is our constant work in Heaven to admire and adore God in Christ. The difficulties and distractions are removed and that mass of Flesh which we then carry about us will be then no clog to us 1 Cor. 6.13 Meats for the belly and the belly for meats but God shall destroy both it and them Nature calleth for them and in this life there is an absolute necessity of them but the necessity and use shall cease the Spiritual body will need no other supplies and put us upon no other Imployments than the loving pleasing and serving of God All the things which we shall see will leave more sweet enlivening and powerful Impressions on us than possâ—bly now they can because we shall understand them better and have more leisure to attend upon them 3. Our presence with him shall be perpetual We shall meet never to part more 1 Thes. 4.17 We shall be for ever present with the Lord. Wicked men shall see Christ for they must appear before his Tribunal but they shall see him to their confusion Rev. 1.7 Every Eye shall see him and they that have pierced him shall wail because of him But the Godly shall see him to their Consolation Job 19.26 I know that my Redeemer liveth and with these Eyes I shall see him The one shall see him as their Judge the other as their Saviour but the chiefest difference is the one shall see him for a while and then be banished out of his presence Matth. 25.41 depart ye cursed There is a dispute whither paena damâ—i or Paena sensus be the greatest I cannot determine such nice points The sense of pain is from the wrath of God Conscience reflecteth upon our loss the Agents are not to be compared yet on the other side the object is greater the thing lost is God himself 'T is the creature that is pained but I am sure the loss will be much greater than now we apprehend it to be for the present we do not value communion with Christ we have other things wherewith to entertain our Souls there are no pleasures of the flesh to abate and divert the sense of our loss nothing left but the vexing remembrance of our own folly and perverse choice which will torment us for ever but now to be received into Christs presence and ever abide with him how great is the Happiness 4. The person whom we see and with whom we be present he is our best friend 'T is with Jesus Christ who is the life of our lives and the whole felicity of his people as long as the Church is without him she cannot take full contentment What doth the Spouse esteem when she seeth him not to whom she is espoused What can delight the wife when the husband is absent What comfort when they want the presence of Christ to whom their Souls cleave When the Church is here upon Earth she heareth much of Christ he is evidently set forth before their eyes in the Word and Sacraments but we do not see him face to face we do not injoy his presence nor his Immediate Imbraces The Church is left upon earth but Christ is received into Heaven with his Father we believe in him now rejoyce in him now when we see him not 1 Pet. 1.8 But how shall we love him when we see him and see him glorious in our nature and injoy him by seeing Hearsay and report could not convey such a knowledge and report as this personal experience as they said John 4 42. Now we believe not because of thy saying but we have seen him our selves Here is but a sight at Second hand as the Queen of Sheba 1 Kings 10.17 It was a true report which I heard in my own land of thine acts and thy wisdom but when I came and mine eyes had seen it the half was not told me We believe the report of Christ in the Word but when we come to see him we shall find that prophesy was but in part the one half was not told us however sight is the more precious because faith went before we believed him a Saviour and now we find him to be so How glad was Simeon when he had Christ in his Arms Luke 2.29 30. Now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy Salvation 5. The Place and the Company where we shall be present with him The place is glorious the Heaven of Heavens must contain him Acts 3.24 The Earth is not a fit place for his glorified body nor for us to converse with him in his glorified estate We shall be there where God dwelleth and where he hath designed to manifest himself to his People and amongst the Servants of the Lord shall we ever remain Heb. 12.22 23. To an innumerable company of Angels to the general Assembly and Church of the first born which are written in Heaven and to God the Judg of all and the Spirits of just men made perfect A choice company picked and chosen out of the World to be objects of his grace In this Council of Souls we are to abide for ever Use. Let us often think of this Blessed Estate what it is to be present with the Lord among his Holy Ones to be called to Heaven as Witnesses of his glory The Queen of Sheba said of Solomon 2 Kings 8.10 Happy are the men that stand in thy presence They that stand before the Lord and see his glory are much more happy Zacheus being a little Man pressed to see Christ upon Earth and got upon a Sycamore Tree The Wise men came from the East to see him in his Cradle 'T is our burden in the World that the Vail of the Flesh and the Clouds of Heaven interpose between us and Christ that there is a great Gulph between us and him which cannot be passed but by Death That Christ is at a distance therefore our Enemies so often ask us Where is your God But then when we are in his Arms then we can say Here he is here is he whom we loved here is he in whom we trusted Then our Redeemer shall be ever before our Eyes to remember us of the grace purchased for us and we are as near him as possibly we can be we dwell in his Family and abide in his House David envyed the Swallows that had their Nests about the Tabernacle He telleth us Psal. 64.10 One day in thy Courts is better than a thousand elsewhere Now you shall be always before the Throne and look upon Jesus so as to live on him This sight shall ravish and content your hearts The Three Children walked comfortably in the Fiery
promised Were the believers of the Old Testament deceived that expected his coming in the flesh Surely Christ never meant to deceive us when he said John 14.2 3. I will come again if it were not so I would have told you See Serm. on Matth. 25 th v. 6. 2. The types shew it I shall instance in one which is the High Priest's entring with Blood into the Holy place within the vail and when he had finished his Service and Ministration there he came forth to bless the people which the Apostle explaineth and applyeth to Christ Heb. 9. from 24. verse to the 28. 3. There are Ordinances appointed in the Church to keep afoot the remembrance of his promise the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11.26 For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ye do shew forth the Lords death till he come He hath left it as a monument of his faithfulness that upon all occasions we may renew our hopes and expectations of it 4. We have an inward pledge his Spirit and the visits of his grace He hath taken our flesh and left with us his Spirit He went not from us in anger but in love to set all things at rights and to bring us there where he is 5. Christs interest is concerned in it that the Glory of his Person may be seen His first coming was obscure and without observation Then he came in the form of a Servant but now he will come as the Lord and Heir in Power and Glory Then John Baptist was his forerunner now an Archangel Then he came with Twelve Disciples men of mean Condition in the World a few poor fisher men now with Legions of Angels Jade 14. Then as a Minister of Circumcision now as the Judge of all the World Then he invited men to repentance now he cometh to render vengeance to the neglecters and despisers of his grace Then he offered himself as a Mediator between God and Man as an high Priest to God and an Apostle to men Heb. 3.1 But vailed his Divinity under the infirmities of his flesh now he cometh in Gods name to Judge men and in all his Glory Then he wrought some Miracles which his enemies imputed to Diabolical Arts and Magical Impostures at the day of Judgment there will be no need of miracles to assert the Divinity of his person because all will be obvious to sense Then he prepared himself to suffer death now he shall tread death under his Feet Then he stood before the Tribunals of men and was condemned to the cursed death of the Cross now he shall sit upon a Glorious Throne all Kings and Potentates expecting their doom and sentence from his mouth Then he came not to Judge but to save now to render unto every one according to their works Then he was scorned buffeted spit upon Crowned with Thorns but now Crowned with Glory and Honour Then he came to bear the sins of many now without sin not bearing our burden but our discharge not as a Surety but as a pay Master not as a Sufferer but a Conqueror triumphing over Death Hell and the Devil He cometh no more to go from us but to take us from all misery to himself 2. That he may possess what he hath purchased He bought us at a dear rate and would he be at all this loss and preparation for nothing Surely he that came to suffer will come to Triumph and he that purchased will possess Heb. 2.13 3. With respect to the wicked 'T is a part of his office to Triumph over them in their final overthrow All things shall be put under his feet Isa. 45.23 Rom. 14.10.11 Phil. 2.10 4. To require an account of things during his absence what his Servants have done with their Talents Matth. 25. What his Church have done with his Ordinances how things have been carryed during his absence in his house 1 Tim. 6.14 Keep this Commandment without rebuke unto the appearing of Jesus Christ. Whether men have carryed themselves well or beaten their fellow Servants and eaten and drunk with the Drunkard whether they have strengthned the hands of the wicked oppressed with censures the most serious of his Worshippers what disorders in the World what violation of the Law of Nature 2 Thes. 1.8 2. The Vniversality Who must be judged we must all All mankind which ever were are and shall be No Age no Sex no Nation nor Dignity nor Power nor Wealth nor Greatness can excuse us In the World some are too high to be questioned others too low to be taken notice of But there all are taken notice off by head and pole not one of the Godly shall be lost but will meet in that general assembly Nor shall any of the wicked shift the day of his appearance as we may obey in every state and sin in every state so in every state we must give an account All that have lived from the beginning of the World till that day shall without exception appear from the least to the greatest before the Tribunal of Christ. This will be illustrated by considering the several distinctions of mankind 1. The first and most obvious distinction is into grown Persons and Infants 2. Distinction is those whom Christ shall find dead or alive at his coming 3. Distinction is of good or bad 4. The next distinction of men whom Christ shall Judge are believers and unbelievers 5. Men of all Conditions high and low rich and poor of these see Matth. 25. v. 33. Ser. 3. 6. Men of all callings in the Church Apostles and private Christians Ministers and People for the Apostle here in the text joineth himself with others and saith We must all appear before the Judgment seat of Christ. Besides the Law of Christianity by which all shall be Judged the Officers and Guides of the Church must give an account of their faithfulness in their ministration There is much spoken in Scripture of their account 1 Cor. 4 4.5 I know nothing by my self yet am I not thereby justified but he that judgeth me is the Lord therefore Judge nothing before the time until the Lord come who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and shall make manifest the Counsels of the heart and then shall every man have praise of God He speaketh there of the execution of his Apostolical Office though he was Conscious to himself of no fault in it yet this was not the clearing of him only God that searcheth and seeth all must do this 'T is a great matter to clear a mans fidelity first as a Minister then as a private Christian. Paul would not venture it upon the single Testimony of his own Conscience So again Heb. 13.17 They watch for your Souls as they that must give an account Their work is to watch over Souls for their Eternal Salvation if Souls miscarry through their negligence they are answerable to God for it but if they miscarry through their own willfulness the
loss is the peoples they have the Crown of faithfulness if not of fruitfulness The Crown of fruitfulness is spoken of 1 Thes. 3.19 20. What is our hope or joy or Crown of rejoicing Are not even ye in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ at his coming For ye are our Glory and joy The Thessalonians were a good people famous for their proficiency in the Faith and endurance of Persecutions and this was Pauls Crown who had begotten them to Christ in the day of doom Now when they give up their account not with joy but grief that 's not unprofitable to the Ministers but to the people 't is unprofitable It may be good unto the Ministers who have been faithful but not to the people who have been disobedient 7. Every individual person all and every one must appear See Matth. 25. v. 33. Serm. 3. Well then since there is such a day let it be our care to approve our hearts and lives to God SERMON XIV 2 Cor. 5.10 For we must all appear before the Iudgment seat of Christ. THirdly I come to speak of the Judge who shall be the Judge And there I shall prove that the Judge of the World is the Lord Jesus Christ. For we must all appear before the Judgment seat of Christ. For the evidencing of this I shall enquire 1. Why this honour is devolved and put upon the Second Person 2. Shew in what Nature he shall judg the World whether as God or man or both First how Christ comes to be the World's Judge and with what conveniency and agreeableness to Reason this honour is put upon him To a Judge there belongs these four things Wisdom Justice Power and Authority 1. Wisdom and understanding by which he is able to Judge of all persons and causes that come before him according to the Rules and Laws by which the Judgment is to proceed No man can give sentence in a cause where he hath not skill as to matter of Right or sufficient evidence or knowledge as to matter of Fact And therefore in ordinary Judicatures a prudent and discerning person is chosen for Judge one that knows what 's Right and what 's Law and that goes upon the evidence that is brought upon the matter of Fact 2. Justice is required or a constant and unbyast will to determine and pass sentence ex aequo bono according as right and truth shall require He that gives wrong judgment because he does not accurately understand the matter is imprudent which in hiâ— station is a great fault but he that understands the matter yet being byass'd by perverse affections and aims gives wrong Judgment in a cause brought before him he is not only imprudent but unjust and that 's the highest wickedness the most impious and flagitious 3. Power is necessary that he may compel the Parties judged to stand to his judgment and the offenders may receive their due punishment for otherwise all is but precarious and arbitrary and the Judgment given will be but a vain and solemn pageantry a meer personating or acting of a part if there be not power to back the sentence and bring the Persons to the Tribunal that accordingly it may be executed upon them 4. There 's required Authority for otherwise if a man should obtrude himself of his own accord we may say to him as they to Lot Who made thee a Judge over us If by force he should assume this to himself or have a pretence of right I may decline and shift his Tribunal and appeal from him Certainly he that Rewards must be Superior and much more he that punisheth for he that punisheth another brings some notable evil detriment and damage upon him but to do that to another unless we have right to it is a high degree of Injustice Now Wisdom and Justice and Power and Authority do all concur in the Case For these things as they are necessary in all Judicial proceedings between man and man much more in this great and solemn transaction of the last Judgment which will be the greatest that ever was both in respect of the Persons Judged High and Low Rich and Poor Prince and Subject in respect of the Causes to be Judged the whole business of the World for 6000 years or thereabouts and in respect of the Retributions that shall ensue This Judgment the punishments and rewards in the highest degree the highest punishment that ever was inflicted and the highest reward that ever was distributed and that infinite and everlasting Therefore there must be a Judge that hath an exact knowledge knowing not only the Laws but all Persons and Causes That all things should be naked and open to him with whom we have to do Heb 4.13 Such a Judge who knows the thoughts of our hearts 1 John 3.20 And can proceed upon sufficient evidence against every one that comes before him Again he must be exceeding just without the least spot and blemish of wrong dealing for otherwise he cannot sustain his office if he be not immutably just See how the Judge of the World is described Gen. 18.25 Shall not the Judge of all the World do right So when something was spoken which seemed to blemish the Justice of God the Apostle faith Rom. 3.5 6. Is God unrighteous How then shall he Judge the world That were impossible Judgment may be put into a persons hands that possibly may be unrighteous But it cannot be that the universal and final Judgment of all the world should be committed to him that hath or can do any thing that is unlawful amiss Again power is necessary To summon the offenders to gather up the dead from all the places of their dispersion to give every dust it s own body and make them appear and stand to the Judgment which he will award without hope of escaping or resisting That Power is very necessary will easily appear because the offenders are so many and are scattered to and fro some in the Sea some in the Earth some buryed in the bodies of wild Beasts multitudes in the maws of Fishes It must be a mighty power that can give every one his own body again If it were possible they would fain decline the Tribunal and hide themselves from the throne of the Lamb Rev. 6.16 But it cannot be And Authority is necessary also which is a right to govern and to dispose of the persons Judged which being all the World it belongs only to the universal King it must be such a person that made all things that preserves all things that governs and disposes of all things for his own glory Legislation and execution both belong to the same power Judgment is part of Government Laws are but shadows if no Execution follow And therefore let us come particularly and see how all this belongs to Christ that he is the only wise God and he is the just God that cannot err That he is the mighty God whose hand none can escape And
Christ Jesus Eph. 2.10 It concerns you to ask why am I made To what use and purpose do I serve but to glorify God and admire his Grace and to live answerable to his love and in a thankful obedience to his Precepts and to promote his Kingdom and Interest in this world By Regeneration we have new faculties and dispositions the great effect of grace is to beget a tendency towards God to restore and incline the heart of man to his proper end to know the end distinguisheth a man from a Beast but to choose the end and seek the end distinguisheth one man from another to make Gods glory the chief scope and end of all our lives and actions is the great fruit and effect of grace Naturally we are either ignorant or mindless of our great end and the way that leadeth to it All of us are gone astray like lost Sheep Isa. 53.6 and Psa. 14.2 They are all gone out of the way Or that path which will lead us to the end for which we were created And naturally we spend our time in serving our lusts and are taken up with other business have no heart nor leisure to live unto God and for God but imploy our Souls only to please our Bodies and to serve and please the senses and are slaves to all the Creatures who by original institution were put under mans feet But now Christ died to bring us to God 1 Pet. 3.18 And by his Spirit doth change the heart that we may be to the praise of his glorious grace Eph. 1.13 Not only as passive objects but as active instruments Indeed there is objectively a greater impression of God upon the new Creature than there is upon any thing else which hath passed Gods hand This work sets forth more of his Attributes of his Goodness Wisdom and Power than all things else The very being of the new Creature sets forth more of the praise of God to all beholders though the man himself were silent yet the work would speak for its self But we are not speaking of that now how the new Creature objectively and passively sets forth the praise of God but how as active instruments they should glorify God both in word and deed not only as the praise of his glory is to be manifested in them but as it is to be manifested and intended by them having renewed faculties to inable them how they should live unto God and bring forth fruit unto God Yea besides the renewing of their natures they have the actual influences of his grace And therefore since they have all from God they should use all for him and live to the glory of God whose grace inableth them to do every thing 'T is by the grace of God they are what they are and therefore it is for the glory of God that they do what they do All the fruits of Righteousness wrought in them are by Jesus Christ to the praise and glory of God Phil. 1.11 Gods glory and not any by respect must be the main scope and end of the new Creature Otherwise he perverts the influences of grace and would serve himself of the supply of the Spirit 3. We by the providence of God are disposed in all our relations for this end that we might have some sphear wherein to glorify God Some as Magistrates some as Ministers some as Masters some as Servants so that the glorifying of God concerneth every man in all that he doth in all that relation wherein God hath placed him Every man is sent into the world for some end for no wise Agent worketh at random God hath made nothing in vain but hath assigned to every Creature it s own use and operation To do a thing to no purpose will not agree with the wisdom of a considering man Therefore God who is a God of Judgment hath certainly in every work of his some scope end Therefore every man hath his service imployment if he were made for nothing then hath he nothing to do in the world Surely life and reason was given us for something not meerly to furnish and fill up the number of things in the world as stones and rubbish do nor meerly to grow in stature as life was given to the plants to grow bulky or increase in length and breadth nor meerly to tast sensitive pleasures as that is the happiness of the Beasts to injoy pleasures without remorse God gave man those higher faculties of reason and conscience to manage some profitable work and business for the glory of his Creator and his own eternal happiness And by some honest labour and vocation as Instruments of Gods Providence to serve their Generation Acts 13.26 the world was never made to be a Hive for Drones and idle ones if any man might be allowed to be idle and serve for no use then God would make one rational Creature in vain and one member would be useless in the Body Politick We see in the Body Natural there is no member but hath its function and use whereby it becometh serviceable to the whole All have not the same Office that would make confusion but all have their use either as an Eye or as an Hand or as a Foot or as a Sinew or as a Vein or as an Artery so in humane Society no Member may be useless they must have one function or another wherein to imploy themselves otherwise they are unprofitable burdens of the Earth Every man more or less hath some relation which he is to improve for the glory of God and the good of others Every one hath his Talent which must not be hid in a Napkin he is accountable to God for that state of life wherein God hath set him The Mediator hath his work and he giveth up his account to God John 17.4 I have finished the work thou gavest me to do The Courtier hath his work Neh. 1.11 The Lord shew me favour in the sight of this man for I was the Kings Cupbearer He useth this as an Argument that he had improved his place for God The Minister hath his work 2 Cor. 1.20 For all the promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen to the glory of God by us And Heb. 13.17 Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your Souls as they that must give an account The Master and Parent his work and he is to glorify God as a Master and Parent The Parent is to bring up his Children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord Eph. 4.6 The Master hath a Master in Heaven Eph. 6.9 The Servant his work Titus 2.10 'T was well said of Epictetus the Heathen if I were a Nightingal I would sing as a Nightingal or if I were a Lark I would pear as a Lark but now I am a Man I will glorify God as a Man and praise him without ceasing if a poor Man I will glorifie him by my patient
innocent contentedness and humble submission if Rich by liberality and publick usefulness when well I will glorify God by my health being hard at work for him when sick by meekness and patience if a a Magistrate by my zeal and activity if a Minister by diligence and faithfulness if a Tradesman by my righteous and conscionable dealing So that from Christ to the meanest Christian from the King to the meanest Skullion all should be at work for God for every man is sent into the world for some cause and born for some end or other to act that part upon the stage of the world which the great Master of the Scenes appointeth 4. All our sufficiencies gifts and abilities were given us for this end Every man hath some gift more or less as well as some relation as Matth. 25. Every man received his Talent and he that had but one Talent was to give an account of it Now all these must be improved for God As the Husbandman when he scattereth his Seed on the Earth looketh for a crop and increase So when God scattered his gifts 't was not to disposses himself but that they might be used for his glory Every gift and grace received is not barely donum a gift but Talentum a Talent We are Stewards and not owners not to act for our selves but to honour our Master Therefore what honour and glory hath God by our gifts and graces God hath dominium we have but dispensationem 'T is ours for use but not ours for injoyment as a Factor intrusted with his Masters goods at length it will be seen how we have improved them 5. The end much varieth the nature of the action It maketh an act to be of another kind an indifferent action by the end may become a duty a meal is an act of Worship Alms a Sacrifice Heb. 13.18 Trading for God an act of Religion as well as Prayer On the other side a duty by the end may become a sin as Prayer is howling Hos. 7.14 when it hath only a natural or a carnal end Fasting the bending of a Bulrush Isa. 58.5 Obedience Murther Hosea 1.4 Jehu did not the Lords work sincerely but for his own base ends and interests he was Anointed at Gods command to execute Judgment on Ahabs house 2 Kings 9.6 7. And was Temporally rewarded for it 2 Kings 10.30 his Children to the fourth Generation should sit on the Throne of Israel yet I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu Why Because he did it only to get a Kingdom to himself and though he executed Gods Quarrel on Ahab and his House yet he clave to the Idolatry of Jeroboam for securing his interest So Reformation may be a covetous design Non pietate everterunt idola sed avaritia Indeed an act for the matter â—inful is not altered by the end for I must not do evil that good may come thereof nor use the Devil to serve God But how vile is it then to make God serve with our Iniquities and use his Worship as a stale to our own ends SERMON XXII 2 Cor. 5.13 For whether we be besides our selves it is to God or whether we be sober it is for your cause USE is to press you to make this your great aim to Glorify God You must take care not only negatively that God be not dishonoured but positively that he be honoured and glorified by you and that in all states and Conditions and also in all businesses and imployments Some have wholly deviated from their great end and are not yet come to themselves and live unprofitably in the World and do nothing but Eat and Drink and Play and Sleep they live to themselves and to their own ease and carnal delights Alas what are these men good for To what end have they reason and Conscience Some things if they be not good for one thing yet are good for another But a man if he doth not know God and love God and delight in God and seek the Glory of God is like the wood of the Vine Ezek. 15.2 3 4. Good for nothing Not so much as to make a pin whereon to hang any thing Good for nothing but to be cast into the fire and to reflect upon the Glory of his justice to be fuel for the Lords indignation 2dly Another sort are those who are convinced they should live to God and do now and then look after him but are not so overcome by grace as that this should be the over-ruling principle in their hearts The last end is principium universalissimum it should have an universal influence upon us and be minded and regarded in all our desires purposes actions injoyments relations Gods Glory should be at the utmost end of every business nothing is good that is not directed to the last end 'T is done to the flesh and not to God 'T is impertinent to our great scope First in all our desires if we desire increase and estate 't is to honour God with it Jam. 4.3 Agur measureth every estate by ends of Religion Pro. 30.8 9. Nay Spiritual things must be desired in order to Gods Glory Eph. 1.6 We must not please our selves meerly in the Consideration of our own Happiness and personal benefit but as Gods Glory is promoted by it 2dly Our purposes dependance is the proper notion of a creaâ—ed being Man hath God for principium finem 'T is no more lawful for a man to abstain from respecting or seeking his end than it is possible not to depend on his principle The Creature is from another and for another Man is for Gods Glory and for no other end As he is from Gods Power and no other cause And therefore in whatever we deliberately purpose and resolve upon the Glory of God must have the casting voice 2 Cor. 1.17 The things that I purpose do I purpose according to the flâ—sh That is am I swayed by carnal motives A Christian should not lightly and rashly resolve upon any course but consider how it may conduce to the Glory of God 3dly Our actions civil sacred all the pots in Jerusalem must have Gods impress Holiness to the Lord as well as the utensiles of the Temple Zach. 14.21 In a Kings House there are many officers but all to serve the King So in a Christians there are many duties of several kinds but all must have an aspect upon and a tendency to the Glory of God I must mind it in the closet mind it in the shop mind it in the family 4thly For injoyments I must value them more or less as they conduce to the Glory of God In every thing I must ask what doth it Eccl. 2.2 How doth it contribute to mâ— great end The delight in an estate is not in the possession but use for that hath a nearer connection with the Glory of God The delight in an ordinance as it giveth out more of God or inableth me more to honour him The delight
is of this Nature and when it is strong and vigorous it will make strong and mighty impressions upon the heart no opposition will extinguish it Waters will quench fire but nothing will quench this love Rom. 8.37 Nay in all those things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us There are two sorts of tryals that ordinarily carry away Souls from Christ the first is from the left hand from crosses these carry away some but not all though the stony ground could not yet the thorny ground could abide the heat of the Sun yet the Second sort of tryals the cares of the World the deceitfulness of riches and voluptuous living which are the Temptations of the right hand will draw away unmortified Souls and choak the Word Pleasures Honours Riches are a more strong and subtile sort of Temptations than the other But yet these are too weak to prevail with that heart which hath a sincere love to Christ planted in it They will not be tempted and inticed away from Christ If a man would give all the substance of his house such a Soul will be faithful to Christ and these offers and treaties are in vain If love be true and powerful 't is not easily ensnared but rejects the allurements of the World and the flesh with an holy disdain and indignation all as dung and dross that would tempt it from Christ Phil. 3.9 And these essays to cool it and divert it and draw it away are to no purpose Well then this warm love to Christ is the hold and bulwark that maintaineth Christs Interest in the Soul The Devil the World and the Flesh batter it and hope to throw it down but they cannot nothing else will serve the turn in Christs room 3. Whence love to Christ cometh to have such a force upon us or which is all one how so forcible a love is wrought in us I answer 1. Partly by the worth of the object And 2. Partly by the manner how it is considered by us and applyed to us 1. From the worth of the object When we consider what Christ is what he hath done for us and what love he hath shewed therein how can we choose but love with such a constraining unconquerable love as to stick at no difficulty and danger for his sake The circumstances which do most affect our hearts are these our Condition and Necessity when he came to shew this love to us we were guilty sinners in a lost and lapsed estate and so altogether hopeless unless some means were used for our recovery kindness to them that are ready to perish doth most affect them Oh how should we love Christ who are as men fetched up from the Gates of Hell under sentence of condemnation when we were in our blood Ezek. 16. Had sold our selves to Satan Isa. 52.3 Cast away the mercies of our Creation and had all come short of the Glory of God Rom. 3.23 When sentenced to death John 3.18 And ready for execution Eph. 2.3 Then did Christ by a wonderful act of love step in to rescue and recover us Not staying till we relented and cryed for mercy but before we were sensible of our misery or regarded any remedy then the Son of God came to die for us 2. The astonishing way in which our deliverance was brought about by the incarnation death shame blood and agonies of the Son of God Who was set up in our natures as a glass and pledge of Gods great love to us 1 John 3.16 Hereby perceive we the love of God because he laid down his life for us We had never known so much of the love of God had it not been for this instance He shewed love to us in Creation in that he gave us a reasonable Nature when he might have made us Toads and Serpents He sheweth love to us in our daily sustentation in that he keepeth us at his expence though we do him so little service and do so often offend him But herein was love that the Son of God himself must hang upon a cross and become a propitiation for our sins We now come to learn by this instance that God is love 1 John 4.8 What was Jesus Christ but love incarnate love born of a Virgin love hanging upon a cross laid in the grave love made sin love made a curse for us 3. The consequent benefits I 'le name three to which all the rest may be reduced 1. Justification of our persons Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God And Eph. 1.7 In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins And Rom. 5.9 Being justified by his blood we are saved from wrath through him To be at present upon good terms with God and capable of Communion with him and access to him with assurance of welcome and audience To have all acts of hostility cease this is to stop mischief at the fountain head For if God be at peace with us of whom should we be afraid Then to have sin pardoned which is the great ground of our bondage and terror that which blasteth all our comforts and maketh them unsavory to us and is the venom and sting of all our crosses and miseries the great make-bate between God and us Once more to be freed from the fear of Hell and the Wrath of God which is so deservedly terrible to all serious persons that are mindful of their Condition So that we may live in an holy security and peace Oh how should we love the Lord Jesus who hath procured these benefits for us 2. To have our natures sanctified and healed and freed from the stain of sin as well as the guilt of it and to have Gods impress imprinted upon our Souls this is also consequent of the death of Jesus Christ Eph. 5.26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it by the washing of water And Titus 2.14 Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works So that being delivered from the thraldom of sin which is a great ease to a burdened Soul and fitted for the service of God for Christ came to make a people ready for the Lord to be cleansed from all filthiness of flesh and Spirit and to have a Nature Divine and heavenly Let diseased Souls desire worldly greatness swine take pleasure in the mire and ravenous beasts feed on dung and carrion An inlarged Soul must have those higher blessings and looketh upon holiness not only as a duty but a great priviledge to be made like God and made serviceable to him This is that which indears their hearts to Christ he hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood that we might be Kings and Priests unto God Revel 1.5 3. Eternal Life and Glory 1 John 3.1 2. Behold what manner of love the Father hath shewed us That we should be called the Sons of God It doth
of the sufferings His Blood was the Blood of God Acts 20.28 3. Another circumstance accompanying the pains of the Second Death and unavoidably attending it in reprobates is desperation and a fearful looking for of the fiery indignation of God Heb. 10.7 But this is accidental to the punishment its self and only occasioned by the sinners view of their woful and irremediless Condition but this neither did nor could possibly befall the Lord Jesus for he was able by his Divine Power both to suffer and satisfie to undergo and overcome this dreadful brunt of the Wrath of God and therefore expected a good issue in his conflict Psa. 16.9 10. My flesh shall rest in hope for thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell nor suffer thy holy one to see corruption 'T is applyed to Christ Acts 2. A shallow stream may easily drown a Child whereas a grown man may hope to escape out of a far deeper place yea a skillful swimmer out of the ocean Christ passed through that Sea of Wrath which would have drowned all the World yea came safe to shoar Well then it sheweth the reality and truth of his Satisfaction 2. It sheweth the fulness and sufficiency of his Satisfaction And that Christ undertook no more than he was able to perform For though but one yet he is accepted for all As one Sacrifice offered by the high Priest was enough for all the congregation The burnt offering for private men and for the whole congregation was the same a young bullock without blemish All had but one Sacrifice only for private men the Burnt-offering was offered by common Priests and for the congregation by the high Priest Or as the same sun serveth for every one and also for all the World So the same Christ the Sun of Righteousness serveth for all Or as one Adam was enough to ruine all So one Christ was enough to save all Yea much more as in Christ the Divine Power is more effectual The Scripture often insisteth upon the oneness of the Person and the oneness of the Sacrifice as in that oracle which drop't from the mouth of Caiphas it is expedient for one to dye for all the people John 11.51 52. Which is interpreted of the Redemption of the Elect He prophesyed that Jesus should die for that Nation and not for that Nation only but that he should gather together in one the Children of God which were scattered abroad This one Christ is accepted for all For 't is more than if all the World had dyed God was more pleased with this Sacrifice than he was displeased with Adams sin or the sins of all the World 1 Tim. 2.6 There is one Mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus As one Mediator so one sacrifice Heb 10.10 We are sanctifyed through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all And verse 14. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified And Heb. 9.26 He once in the end of the World appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself And 28 verse So Christ was once offered to 〈◊〉 the sins of many The Scripture doth so emphatically insist upon this circumstance to shew that there needeth no more to be done to satisfy Gods Justice That is sufficiently done already which is a great comfort to us For you are not left under the care of making Satisfaction for your own sins But only of accepting the Redeemer who hath satisfied and if you perish it will be for want of Faith in you not for want of Satisfaction in Christ The business is even brought to your doors and left upon your hands whether you will accept of the grace offered 2. How the great Love of God appeareth in this 1. In that he would not prosecute his right against us who were faln in Law and unable to recover our selves Noxa sequitur caput The Soul that sinneth shall die Exod. 32.33 He might have refused any Mediation and all our necks might have gone for it 'T was great love that God would think of a Surety he might have exacted the whole debt of us thou hast sinned and thou shalt pay 'T is some relaxing of the rigour of the Law that he would take person for person Moses was rejected when he interposed as a Mediator but so was not Christ. 2. That he would take one for all Justice would not let go the sinner without a ransom but 't is the wonderful grace of God that he would take Satisfaction from one man in the name of all those for whom he offered to satisfy That God would accept of Christ Heb. 2.9 'T is said that by the grace of God he should tast death for every one That which moved God to transfer the punishment of our sins upon Christ was his meer grace and the special favour of God 3. This one so dear to him his own Son the Son of his love his only begotten Son he is the person that must be our surety John 3.16 God so loved the World that he sent his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have Everlasting Life And Rom. 8.32 He spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all Oh the unspeakable love of God! We are fond Eli would not let fall one rough word to his Children God had but one Son and he was made a Sacrifice for sin 4. This one so worthy in himself Person for person is the hardest bargain In some Wars Captives are redeemed with money But we are not redeemed with Silver and Gold but with the precious blood of the Son of God 1 Pet. 1.18 19. If there be man for man proportion is observed and men of like quality are exchanged You never heard of such a demand that a king should be given to ransom a Servant We were slaves and Christ was the Heir of all things The prince was given for Slaves The just for the unjust The Lord God Almighty who filleth Heaven and Earth with his Glory was given for poor worms The King of all the Earth came not to be ministred unto but to minister and to give his Life a ransom for many Matth. 20.28 5. And he given unto death One dyed for all if Christ had come on earth to take a view of our misery it had been another matter Captive Princes have kingly entertainment but he came to be fold for the price of a slave thirty pieces Exod. 21.31 The ransomer is not bound to suffer and be ruined if the Party be so But our redeemer must dye 1 Pet. 3.18 But Christ hath suffered for sin the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God Till death there was no full Satisfaction if ever any had cause to love his life Christ had his Soul dwelt with God in a Personal Union 'T is no great matter to quench and put out such glimering Candles as we are We are often a burden to our
Heaven The whole genius of the Popish religion runneth this way where the worship of Christ is turned into a theatrical pomp and the simplicity of the Gospel is changed into weak and silly observances and beggarly rudiments which betray it to the contempt scorn of all considering men and is no more pleasing to Christ than the mockage of the Jews Souldiers that put a purple robe upon Christ and cryed Hail king of the Jews when they spit upon him and buffeted him In Christians 't is but to complement Christ to feast and make mirth for his memory and deck our bodies and houses whil'st we look not after rejoycing in the Spirit to be all for sumptuous Temples and costly furniture and rich Altar Cloaths and Vestments while his Laws are trampled under foot and those that would sincerely worship Christ and make it their â—usiness to go to Heaven are despised and maligned and it may be condemned to the fires 'T is not the pomp of Ceremonies but Faith and brokenness of heart and diligence in his service and living in the Spirit that Christ mainly looketh after Religion looketh more like a worldly thing in a carnal dress but the Kings daughter is glorious within Psa. 45.13 The glory of the true Church and every member thereof is in things spiritual as knowledge faith love hope courage zeal sobriety patience humility these are the true glories of the Saints not golden Images and rich accommodations and outward triumph and carnal revilings and the great thing Christ hath commended to us in his Doctrine is an holy heart and an holy life Psa. 93.5 Holiness becometh thy house O Lord for ever Not pomp and gaudry of worship but purity and holiness that 's a standing ornament 4. By herding with a stricter party whil'st yet our hearts are not subdued to God There are three places prove this Gal. 6.15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision availeth any thing but a new creature And Gal. 5 6. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision availeth any thing but faith that worketh by love 1 Cor. 7 19. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing but keeping the commandments of God Men hug others because they are of their party and fellowship 't is religion enough to be one of them of such a party and denomination as obtains the vogue and is of most esteem among Christians in that age yet how strict so ever our party be if our hearts be not subdued to Christ all is as nothing in the sight of God till a man be a new creature 't is but a fleshâ—y knowing of Christ a man may change his party as a piece of Lead will receive any Impression either Angel or Devil or what you stamp upon it 3. This knowing Christ after the flesh will do us no good be of no comfort and use to us as to the salvation of our Souls 1. Because God is no respecter of persons 1 Pet. 1.17 If you call him Father who without respect of persons Judgeth every man according to his works The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the outward appearance but God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that doth not judge by outward respects The Prosopon of the Jew was his knowledge of the Law and injoying the Ordinances of God The Prosopon of the Christian is his profession of respect to Christ and esteem of him but God judgeth not by the appearance but by the internal habit and constitution of the heart manifested by an uniform obedience to his whole will otherwise circumcision may become uncircumcision or Christianity as Paganism Therefore 't is not enough to profess you are for Christ of his Faction and Party for there is a Faction of Christians as well as a religion they are of the Faction of Christians whose interest and education leadeth them to profess love to Christ without any change of heart or serious bent of Soul towards him Now this is the Prosopon according to which God may be supposed to judge for you do not think riches or poverty fear or love can so much as be supposed to be in God but profession or not profession is that he looks to 2. Because Christ hath put us upon another tryal than a fond affection to his outward person and memory namely by our respect to his commandments John 14.21 He that hath my commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me There 's the main other things will not pass for love though they be taken for such in the World And John 15.14 Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you Perfect friendship consists in harmony or an agreement in mind and will If you have any true love to Christ it will make the Soul hate every thing which it knoweth to be contrary to his nature and will Psa. 97.10 Ye that love the Lord hate evil and constraineth the Soul to set about every thing which it knoweth will please and honour him 2 Cor. 5.14 The love of Christ constraineth us If we do but love him and be sensible of the obligation he hath left upon us So it will be in a real spiritual love 3. Because they cannot truly challenge the name of Christians that do only know Christ after the flesh Christ being now exalted requireth a spiritual converse with him When Christ hath laid aside his mortal life we should lay aside our carnal conceits and affections There were some Jewish Impostors that Eusebius writeth of Mungrel Christians Chocabites and Nazerites who called themselves the Lords kinsmen a sort of Cozening and Heretical companions they were who for their own purposes forraged the Countrys up and down as the Gipsies now do amusing the World with genealogies and drawing the vulgar after them with many vain fancies denyed the Resurrection interpreting all said about it of the new creature pretending belief in Christ but observing the Law of Moses against whom the Epistle to the Galatians is supposed to be written And there were some that knew Moses after the flesh and seemed to pretend much zeal to the Law of Moses Now the Apostle saith they deserved to be called the concision rather than the circumcision whereof they gave out themselves to be patrons and defenders The true believers had right to that title because they had the thing signified by circumcision worshipping God with the inward and spiritual affection of a renewed heart and trusting in Christ alone for salvation who was the substance of the shadows and renouncing confidence in fleshly priviledges worship God in the Spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus So for Christians glorying in externals is scarce worthy the name of Christianity if they have the name not the reality 4. Because this knowing Christ after the flesh is inconsistent with his glorious estate in Heaven It pleased him not in the days of his flesh A Divine spiritual affection doth only befit the state of glory to which he is exalted Now