face and with twain his feet and with twain did he flee and one cryed to another Holy holy holy Lord of Hosts the whole earth is full of his glory The Angels are pure and innocent Creatures they fear not his angry justice but they adore his excellencies and perfections his is a dread when a most Serene Majesty Penal fear is inconsistent with the joys of heaven but the fear of admiration is perfected there and in this sense the fear of God continues for ever Psal 19.9 In all our addresses to him we should compose our spirits by the awful apprehension of that infinite distance which is between God and us Eccles 5.2 Let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God for God is in heaven and thou upon earth the greatest distance in nature is but an imperfect discovery how much we are beneath God 't is the effect of grace to represent the Divine being and glory so to the soul that in the most social duties it may have impressions of fear Psal 2.11 Serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling We should fear his greatnesse and power in whose hands our life and breath and all our wayes are the fear of God having its actual force upon the soul is operative and instrumental to holy walking from whence the fear of God is taken in Scripture for the whole duty of man it being an introduction to it The fear of God and keeping his Commandments are joined together Eccles 12.13 This is the Prepositus which governs our actions according to Gods will this is a watchful Centinel against the most pleasant temptations it kills delight in sin by which the integrity of most men is lost for delight cannot dwell with fear this is the guard and security of the soul in the days of trouble the fear of God countermines the fear of men this cuts off base and unworthy complyings therefore the Lord brings this as an antidote against the base fear of men Isa 51.12 13. Who art thou that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall dye and of the son of man that shall be made as grass And forgettest the Lord thy Maker that stretcheth forth the Heavens and laid the foundations of the Earth This exalts a Christian above humane frailty and makes him despise the threatnings of the world whereby many are terrified from their constancy It is the most unreasonable thing to be Cowards to men and fearless of God Men have but a finite power and so they cannot do that hurt they would and they are under the Divine Providence and therefore are disabled from doing that hurt which otherwise they could do but the power of God is absolute and unconfined therefore our Saviour presses with vehemency upon his Disciples Matth. 10.28 Fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul but rather fear him who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell He lives for ever and can punish for ever therefore when duty and life cannot stand together he that flies the danger by delivering up his soul exchanges the pain of a moment for the torments of Eternity Timent Carcerem non timent Gehennam timent Cruciatum Temporalem non poenas ignis aeterni timent modicum mori non aeternum mori Austin upbraids the folly of such They fear the Prison but they fear not Hell they fear temporal torment but they fear not the pains of unquenchable fire they fear the first but not the second death 3. Dependance in respect of his al-sufficiency to supply our wants and Omnipotency to secure us from dangers First his al-sufficiency can supply our wants he is the Sun Fountain and Mine of all that is good from hence the Prophet glories in God Habbakkuk 3.17 18. Although the fig-tree shall not blossome neither shall fruit be in the Vines the labour of the Olives shall fail and the fields shall yield no meat the Flock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herd in the stalls yet I will râ—joyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation He expresses not only things for delight as the fruit of the Vine and fig-tree but things for necessity as the meat of the field and the flocks of the stall and the utter failing of these together for otherwise the want of one might be supplied by the enjoyment of another Now in the absolute losse of these supports and comforts of life the Prophet saw all things in God want of all outward things is infinitely recompenc't in the presence of God The Sun needs not the glimmering light of the Stars to make day God without the assistance of the Creatures can make us really happy in the enjoying of him we have all things and that to the greatest advantage The things of this world deceive our expectations and draw forth our corruptions but in God we enjoy them more refinedly and more satisfyingly the dregs of sin and sorrow being removed by possessing God there is no burden which we are not able to bear but he takes it aâ—ay our wants weaknesse and sufferings and there is no excellency of his which we are able to enjoy but he conveys to us his grace his glory There is true riches in his favour true honour in his approbation true pleasure in his peace He is the treasure and triumph of the soul Lam. 3.24 The Lord is my portion saith my soul therefore will I hope in him He is such a portion that all temporal crosses cannot hinder its influence on us and his influxive presence makes heaven he is a portion that cannot be lost he inseparably abides with the soul The real belief and application of this will keep a Saint in an holy independency on earthly things Cum mundus exarserit cogitat se nihil habere de tanta mole perdendum the flames which shall burn the World cannot touch his portion he may stand upon its ruines and say I have lost nothing Moreover this will keep the soul upright in the course of obedience for all the exorbitancies and swervings from the Rule proceeds from the apprehensions of some particular good in the Creature which draws men aside Those who want the light of faith which discovers Gods al-sufficiency only admire present and sensible things and to obtain these they depart from God but the more eagerly they seek after these temporal good things the further they run from the Fountain of goodnesse which alone can sweeten the best things we enjoy and counterbalance their absence the Creatures are but of a limited benignity the necessity of their number proves the meanness of their value but one God answers all he is an infinite and indefective good he is for all the powers of soul and body to hold them in their pleasant exercise and to give them rest he is alone able to impart happinesse and to preserve that happinesse he imparts
and said Thou art Christ the Son of the living God and Jesus answered and said unto him Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Jona for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in heaven It so farre transcends the capacity of humane reason that reason cannot so much as approve of it Gerhard Alting when it was revealed without inward illumination and perswasion of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 2.9 10 14 15. Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath it entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him but God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God but the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned but he that is spiritual judgeth all things and hereupon it is called the Nâ—w Covenant not in respect of the time that it had no being before the incarnation of Christ but in respect of the knowledge of it the knowledge of the Legal Covenant was born with us and it was fore-known to nature but the Gospel-Covenant was whoâ—ly new revealed from the bosome of the Father it was administred by new Officers confirmed by new Sacraments let into the hearts of people by new pourings out of the Spirit therefore the Apostle prayes Ephes 1.17 18. * Maccovius That the God of oâ—r Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory may give unto you the Spirit of wisdome and revelation in the knowledge of him the eyes of your understanding being enlightened that ye may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints God would never have instituted the Legal Covenant but for the Gospels sake Galat. 3.24 Wherâ—fore the Law was our School-master to bring us unto Christ The Law was a sharp School-master by meanes whereof the refractory and contumacious minds of the Jewish people might be tamed for Rom. 10.4 Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to evâ—ry one that believeth 2. The Gospel-Covenant is better than the Legal in respect of the manner of it the Law was a Doctrine of works commanding and prescribing what we should be and what we should do Gal. 3.12 And the Law is not of faith but the man that doth them shall live in them But now the Gospel requires faith in Christ for righteousnesse and salvation Rom. 3.21 But now the righteousnesse of God without the Law is manifested therefore saith Augustine faith obtaines what the Law commands we have no help from the Law * Gerhard the condition of the Law is simply impossible it finds us sinners and leaves no place for repentance * Camero and notwithstanding the sprinkling of Gospel that there was with the Law yet it was but obscure And that shall be the next particular 3. The Gospel-Covenant is better than the Legal in respect of the manner of holding forth Christ in it though the Gospel is one and the same whereby all Saints are saved in all times for there was not one way of salvation then and another since Acts 10.43 To him give all the Prophets witness that through his Name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sinnes Yet the Doctrine of the Gospel was more obscure in the Old Testament Umbratili per se inefficaci ceremoniarum observatione c. Amyrald partly through Prophesies of things a great way off and partly through types Christ was wrapt up in shadowes and figures in the Gospel the body of those shadowes and the truth of those types is exhibited the Land of Canaan was a type of heaven Israel according to the flesh was a type of Israel according to the Spirit the spirit of bondage of the spirit of Adoption the blood of the Sacrifices of the blood of Christ the glory of divine grace was reserved for Christs coming they had at most but starre-light before Christs coming * When Christ first came it was but day-break with them Christ was at first but as a morning starre 2 Pet. 1.19 though soon after he was as the sun in the firmament Mal. 4.2 The Apostle saith Heb. 10.1 The Law having a shadow of good things to come and not the very image of the things and in this respect it was that the Apostle saith the Gospel was promised to the Fathers but perform'd to us Rom. 1.1 2. It was hid to them and revealed to us Rom. 16.25 26. and not only by fulfilling of Prophesies which we may see by the comparing of Scripture but by the Spirit Ephes 3.5 The mystery of Christ in other ages was not made known unto the Sons of men as it is now revealed unto his holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit They had but a poor discovery of Christ but we have the riches of this mystery made known unto us Col. 1.26 27 * Alting The old Covenant leads to Christ but 'tis a great way about the Gospel Covenant goeth directly to him their Ceremonies were numerous bâ—rdensome and obscure those things that represent Christ to us are few easie and cleare * Synops pur Theol. 4. The Gospel-Covenant is the better Covenant in respect of the form of it the promises are better promises the promises of the Law are conditional and require perfect obedience Lev. 18.5 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgements which if a man do he shall live in them the condition you see is impossible Beloved 'pray ' mistake not there is expresse mention of eternal life in the Old Testament Isa 45.17 Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end Dan. 12.2 Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlâ—sting life and some to shame and everlasting contemp and that the Law cannot save us that is accidental in respect of our dâ—filement with sin and our weaknesse that we cannot fulfill the condition Rom. 7.12 The law is holy and the Commandment holy and just and good and it is the Word of life Acts 7.38 Who received the lively Oracles to give unto us and the Apostle brings in Abraham and David for examples of Justification by faith Rom. 4.6 13. but yet their promises were chiefly temporal we have the promise of temporal good things in the New Testament as well as they in the Old only with the exception of the Cross Mark 19.29 30. Verily I say unto you There is no man that hath left house or brethren or sisters or fathers or mother or wife or children or lands for my sake and the Gospels but he shall receive an hundred fold now in this time houses and brethren and sisters and mothers and children and lands with persecutions that was the exception with persecution
voice to be in vain for their bodies though they know not what it means would not have it to be in vaine for their soules and he that hears the young Ravens when they call Psal 147.9 would not have you deafe in this respect when your Children cry Lastly Let the consideration that Original sin is thus in us weane us from the world 4. Exhortation Be wean'd from the world by reason of it and that immoderate desire of living in it Alas wheresoever we go we carry these chains of darknesse with us if it be grievous to be in pain or want how grievous is it to a gracious heart to sin I know gravia non gravitant in eorum loco sin seemes not heavy to a carnal man to whose heart 't is naturaliz'd but if thou beest spiritual and tender sin is a burden to thee to purpose Now by death peccatum non homo moritur it is sin that dies a Childe of God does not dye but only changes his life this life for a better these pleasures relations c. for better and if it be good to live surely to live eternally is best of all Some have thought that the soule was put into the body for a punishment as into a Prison and who would not willingly be at liberty If we consider what paines care torments and diseases which are but the effects of sin we endure we cannot but be of Theophrastus his mind that the soule payes a deare rent for the body which it dwells in and 't is but a house of clay how finely soever dawb'd over being then we cannot be without these enemies these mischiefs let us be content when God pulls down the house of sinne in which they all are that he may bury them all in the rubbish of our mortality and with the Spirit and the Bride Rev. 22.17 20. let us say Come even so Come Lord Jesus Christ come quickly Amen THE MISERY OF MANS ESTATE BY NATURE EPHES. 2.3 And were by nature the children of wrath even as others YE have heard the Doctrine of Mans fall and of Original sin opened and applied This Text genuinely leads to speak of Mans misery through sin As to the Coherence briefly The Apostles scope is to display the glory of the Lords grace by comparing the sinful and cursed estate of the Ephesians and others by nature with the dignity and priviledges conferred on them in Christ He insists mainly on three heads 1. He describes the natural estate and course of the Ephesians and all other Gentiles in them their estate ver 1. You were dead in trespasses and sins their course ver 2. Ye walked wholly in sin pricked forward by corrupt customes which in several Ages had taken place and were effectual to hold and hearten you in the same Tracts and the Devil that eminently bore sway in others ruled and acted you likewise at his very will this was yours and the Gentiles estate and course 2. He applies the whole equally and indifferently to himself and to the whole body of the Jewish Nation ver 3. among whom also we all had our Conversation c. q. d. such children of disobedience were we all to as deep in sin and open to wrath as you Gentiles were He would by no means have any think that speaking so of the Gentiles he exempted the Jews from the same ground of shame and despair in themselves though he knew full well that this point went exceeding crosse to the grain of that people who greatly a Ezra 9.2 John 8.33 Gal. 2.15 Rom. 10.3 chap. 11.24 boasted themselves to be the holy seed and children of Abraham and despised the Gentiles as an idolatrous unclean bastard brood and especially of the Pharisees of which b Acts 26.5 Phil. 3.5 leaven himself once was who not only disdained the Gentiles but thought and spake contemptibly of Gods heritage viz. the common people of their own Nation as a base and cursed crew John 7.49 chap. 9.34 He pricks this bladder affirming roundly of himself and all the Jews without exception that as to their course whilest unregenerate they did whatsoever their sensual and carnal man willed liked and inclined to And as to estat◠were children of wrath as much as others even as the very despised Gentiles themselves were The great temporary difference flowing from grace Psal 147.19 20. hindered not their being the very same with the Gentiles by nature this and no other was the estate and course of the Jews likewise 3. He sets over against all this in them both the quickning and recovering grace of Christ in the Gentile ver 1. and in the Jew ver 4. The words read contain a brief comprehensive description of the misery that Jews and consequently Gentiles with them are under by nature And in the words observe these two particulars 1. The Case of all men Jews and Gentiles alike described children of wrath Do not understand this actively as children of disobedience ver 2. are disobedient children so that children of wrath should be angry and wrathful people but passively that are obnoxious unto wrath indefinitely which though it principally relates to that chiefest pressing insupportable burden viz. the Lords wrath yet includes consequently the wrath and power of Satan the terrours and rage of conscience the vengeance and assaults of every creature c. The Hebraisme children of wrath implies 1. Desert Deut. 25.2 It shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if the wicked man be a child of beating that the Judge shall cause him to lye down and to be beaten before his face c. which the Sept. solidly renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worthy of stripes And so the Targums in like manner concurrently with our Bibles a sonne guilty and worthy to be beaten so Mat. 23.15 Ye make him twofold more the childe of hell that is more worthy of hell-fire than your selves 2. Tendency bent and addictnesse to involve themselves under wrath John 17.12 But the sonne of perdition which poured out himself in ways of self-destruction He had many and excellent means to the contrary but nothing would hold him back self-damnation is not proper to Judas but a very common sin and men ordinarily Rom. 2.5 treasure up to themselves wrath Prov. 8.36 love death 3. The event and issue which shall befall them if they do abide such viz. that they shall be destroyed and the eternal wrath of God abide upon them so Judas gave up himself to those sins that not only deserved and tended to destruction but would certainly destroy him so 1 Sam. 20.31 he is the son of death viz. deserves to dye and shall surely dye Now gather all these things together our estate and course is such by nature as deserves destruction tends and leads to destruction and will end and the Lord hath peremptorily fixed and ordained without a change shall end in Eternal destruction 2. The rise of this case expressed by nature which implies
Paul say unto you he affixeth his name and sets to his hand q. d. I say it and I will stand to it and so if your heart be uncircumcised by not putting off the body of the sins of the flesh if you live in any one known approved sin Christ and the death of Christ shall profit you nothing Ah! revenge the blood of your dearest Lord upon your dearest lusts and when Satan presents to you a sugred spiced cup tempting you to the commission of any sin say as David of the waters of Bethlehem Farre be it from me oh Lord 2 Sam. 23 1â— that I should do this is not this the blood of my Saviour that not only hazarded but laid down his life for sin 2. Did Christ let out his blood for us let our lives then run out for Christ in a vigorous activity and unwearied exercise of grace It is the Apostles argument and it 's very forcible We judge that he dyed for all that they that live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him that dyed for them 2 Cor. 5.15 Christ did not shed two or three drops of his blood only or breath a veine and shall two or three duties a few shreds and odde parcels of holinesse serve to return back to Christ What can we think too much for him Tit. 2.14 that thought not much of his blood for us the blood of Christ is as well for the purity as the purchase of his people 3. Did Christ thus humble himself to death for us let us then prize him exceedingly and raise him in our esteem above riches honour pleasure father mother husband wife friend yea life it self Quanto pro me vilior tanto mihi charior Ber. or any other thing that we are apt to account precious how ought he to be prized and preferred above all things that prized such in considerable nothings as we are at so high rates as his own blood if you put Christ into one end of the scale be sure he out-ballances every thing that can be laid in the other To you that believe he is precious Other things may be rated according to that particular excellency that he hath put into them 1 Pet. 2.7 but you will be careful to keep the highest Room for the best friend and say Come down this and t' other vanity this friend must take place whatever other things may make twelve Christ shall be thirteen to a carnal heart nothing so low prized and undervalued as Christ but with believers that have an interest in him and know the worth of him he is in highest esteem Cant. 5.9 What is thy beloved more than another beloved say the daughters of Jerusalem they have sleight low thoughts of him and another be it who it will is to them as good as he but what answer makes the Spouse My Beloved is white and ruddy Ver. 10. the chifest among ten thousand If there were a general Muster and all the sons of men stood together Christ would be above and beyond them all and Paul is of the same mind who desired to know nothing but Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2.2 as if he had said Let me but be acquainted with Christ and his Crosse such a superlative esteem he had of him that I care not this if I burn all my Books Whatever he had heretofore accounted excellent when his judgement was byassed with wrong apprehensions he now accounts drosse dung dogs meat Phil. 3.8 for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord all not worthy to be named the same day with Christ Nay Christ himself hath told us they are not worthy of him that do not think him most worthy Mat. 10.37 4. Christ humbling himself thus low should teach us highly to prize our souls by the price that was paid for them we may conceive at what a raâ—e God values them If God should have said concerning any soul I so esteem it that rather than it shall perish I 'le dissolve and unpin the whole Fabrick of heaven and earth that you 'le say had evidently demonstrated an high valuation of souls but the course God hath taken shews a much higher esteem of them Now let this deare bought ware be precious ah let none of us adventure a soul for the satisfying of a base lust let not any sin steale that away upon easie termes which put the Lord of glory to such expences Christ that best knows the worth of souls for he paid for them so values them that he tells us the gaine of the world were no sufficient or satisfactory compensaâ—ion for he losse but of one of them Mark 8 36. and a man that should make that bargaine as too many do might put all his gaines in his eye Ingenâ—i hominis nulla si aestimatio and see never the worse after it What the Civilian saith of a Free-man is much more true of an immortal soul Noâ—hing can be valued with it Tradesmen know that buying deare and selling cheap will undo them but it will much more undo you to sell châ—ap that which Christ hath bought so deare Do not pawn your soules to Satan that is do not adventure upon the commission of any sin with this reserve I will repent before I dye and then all is well that is as if thou shouldst say Here Satan I give thee my soule to pawn in lieu of the pleasure or profit of this or that sin and make it in my bargaine that if I repent I will have it again till then I deliver it into thy custody and if I never repent take it it is thine own for ever Nay but ask Satan when he comes thus higgling for thy soul and bids thee pleasure profit preferment or any such toyes and trifles but canst thou subtile Tempter give any thing aequivalent to the blood of God the price that hath been already paid for it our souls were not Redeemed with silveâ— and gold 1 Pet. 1.18 and let us never sell them for that with which Christ could not purchase them 5. Did Christ humble himself to the shedding of his blood let us then be willing if need be to shed our blood for Christ. We needed Christs death and possibly Christ may need ours though not for merit and satisfaction No that was our need for which his death was abundantly sufficient and needs not ours to make any additions or heapt overplus measure but Christ may need our death to seale his truth and credit his Gospel Act. 20.24 the Apostle Paul counted not his life deare that he might finish his course with joy to testifie the Gospel of the grace of God And the Holy Ghost gives an honourable character of some Heroical noble-spirited Christians that they loved not their lives unto the death Rev. 12.11 and the blood of the Lamb animated them to such valour that they overcame and conquered by the
Gospel-knowledge into the dark world and an heart full of love to that truth which he holds forth to others that what he publisheth with his lips he may be ready to witnesse with his life and to seale up the testimony of Jesus with his dearest blood Both these our Apostle in this Chapter after a passionate salutation in the five first verses commendeth to Timothy scil 1. To look to his light by stirring up the gift of God that was in him Timothy must not suffer his gifts to lie sleeping under the ashes but must blow them up as the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ignem sopitum suscitare word signifieth into a fire by study prayer and execrise 2. He calls upon Timothy to look to his zeal that that may not be extinguished but that his heat may be equal with his light And this he doth two ways 1. Negatively 2. Affirmatively Ver. 8. 1. Negatively Be not ashamed of the testimony of the Lord nor of me his Prisoner Ministers of the Gospel must neither be a shame to the Gospel nor ashamed of the Gospel no although attended with disgrace and persecution from the reprobate world And what herein he commends to Timothy he first practised in his own person ver 11. Though he was a prisoner for the Gospel yet he was not ashamed of the Gospel I suffer c. neverthelesse I am not ashamed Rom. 1.16 2. Affirmatively The Apostle exhorteth Timothy to prepare for persecution Ver. 8. Be thou partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel The Ministers of the Gospel should be so farre from being scandalized at the sufferings of their leaders that they should be always disciplining themselves for the same warfare to preach the Cross of Christ and to be ready also to bear the Crosse makes a compleat Minister of the Gospel This the Apostle urgeth upon a three-fold account 1. A good Cause 2. Good Company 3. A good Captain Timothy and other Evangelists they have no reason to be afraid or asham'd of their sufferings for 1. They have a good Cause ver 12. For the which cause I suffer what Cause is that why the Gospel ver 10. And this he presents under a twofold commendation 1. The glory of the Gospel 2. The manifestation of that glory Ephes 3.8 1. The glory of the Gospel As having wrapt up in it the unsearchable riches of Jesus Christ grace and glory holinesse and happinesse He hath saved us and called us with an holy calling Believers have begun their everlasting salvation on this side heaven 2. The manifestation of that glory It was given from eternity but it is revealed by the appearance of our Lord and Saviour in the flesh it lay hid in Gods purpose but it is brought to light in the Gospel ver 9.10 Such a glorious gift and so gloriously unveiled is worth not only our sweat but our blood not pains only but persecution yea to suffer in such a cause is not more our duty than it is our dignity 2. They have good company Saint Paul himself is in the Van of them who though an Apostle by extraordinary missi n and commission ver 11. yet was not only a Preacher of the Gospel but a Sufferer for the Gospel ver 12. For which cause I suffer these things what things scil Imprisonment and affliction ver 8. A sufferer and yet not ashamed of his sufferings Neverthelesse I am not ashamed They may be ashamed of their sufferings Causa facit Martyrem non poena 1 Pet. 4.15 that suffer for sinne but sufferings for Christ and his Gospel are matter of triumph and rejoycing 1 Pet. 4.13 16. Here is encouragement for Gospel-sufferers And Thirdly They have a good Captain Iesus Christ the Captain of our salvation Who that he might intender his own heart towards his suffering-followers by his own experience was made perfect through sufferings and accordingly he is very tender of and faithful to all that endure persecution for his sake Heb. 2.10 this was a ground of the Apostle his confidence I am not ashamed for I know whom I have believed I know him by report and I know him by experience I know his faithfulnesse and I know his All-sufficiency I have deposited my liberty my life my body my soul my all in his custody and I am perswaded as he is able so he is willing to keep all safe to his glorious appearance I may be a loser for Christ I shall be no loser by him whatever I lay down now I shall take up again one day with the advantage of immortality he will keep the trust I have committed to him it is but equity that I should keep the trust which he hath committed to me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ver. 14. 1 Tim. 1.11 even the glorious Gospel of the blessed God committed to my trust committed to me upon those very termes that I should not only publish it with my lips but attest it with my blood Thus in his own person the Apostle sets Timothy and his Successors a Copy and an Encouragement which he windeth up in the words of my Text the sum of the Precahers duty Hold fast the forme of sound words c. q. d. The premises considered let neither pleasures nor persecution the love of life nor the fear of death take thee off from a faithful and vigorous discharge of thy Ministerial office but whatsoever it may cost thee Hold fast the form of sound doctrine c. Briefly for the opening of the words The form 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek it signifies a Module or Platforme a Frame of words or things methodically disposed as Printers set and compose their Characters or Letters in a Table Types Words By words we are to understand doctrine evangelical truths the principles of Christian Religion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sound And they are called Sound words either from the intrinsecal nature when they are purely taught and delivered Evangelical truths without mixture the principles of Religion in their native purity and simplicity Truth and nothing else but truth Or else sound words from their effect and operation because they be of an healing vertue and influence like the waters in Ezekiels vision that issued out from under the * Ezek. 47.1 threshold of the Sanctuary which * Ver. 9. healed wherever they came Which thou hast heard of me It may be understood of the whole Platforme of Gospel-doctrine in general Or Else very probably of a Collection of some principal points of Religion which the Apostle had methodically digested and either preached in Timothy his hearing or drawn up in writing and committed to Timothy as a trust and treasure not only for his own help and direction in preaching but to transmit over to others for the use and benefit of succeeding generations in the Church of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 6.20 so called
my conscience and speaks not a word of comfort to me The Word 1. Rings many a sad peale in the ears of conscience and which he cannot abde to hear or think of in that it doth declare 1. His sinne The Word faithfully disovers Gods streightness and mans crookedness and swervings from that platforme and rule to which he should be conformed as the Counter-part to the Original This charges omissions commissions and bunglings in the good which he does do Psal 05.21 and sets all in order before his eyes if possible to make him ashamed and confounded in himself 2. The due and desert of sinne every breaker of the Law the Law pronounces and dooms to be cursed There is that necessary connexion that it is impossible to be chargeable with sin against the Law and not liable to the Curse of the Law Gal. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continueth not in every thing that is written in the Book of the Law to do it Justification it self takes not away the desert of sin pardoned sins are as well sins and as much sins as they were pardon makes not the Malefactour none makes not that the fact was not committed or not faulty or that it deserved not death for then he should have been legally acquitted not graciously pardoned Those will never take heaven of grace that take not hell as their proper desert The Lord will have his own weare this rope about their necks the desert of hell in their hearts to the very grave Assurance and in the very highest degree takes not away the sense of the deserts of sin but amplifies and enlarges them The deserts of sin shall be perfectly acknowledged in the state of glory and the Ransomer adored and admired upon this score Nothing so heightens grace as this that persons deserving to suffer are yet freed in Christ from suffering eternal wrath as if they had not deserved it This desert was no doubtful and dark point in the consciences of the Hearthens themselves Rom. 1. ult They know the judgement of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death But the Word more distinctly layes this home to the heart Prov. 11.23 The expectation of the wicked is wrath There is nothing else that he can justly and solidly expect in that estate and expecting otherwise he does but cozen himself 3. The sinners exclusion while in that estate from any part in the great and precious promisâ—s of the Gospel The Word opens the promises but knocks his fingers off from touching and eating of this Tree of life This is none of the meanest heart-cutting terrors to natural men to see many come from the East and West and sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdome of heaven and themselves cast out Mat. 8.11 12. incorporated with the Patriarchs into fellowship of the same grace and title to the same glory and themselves debarred from both to view the unsearchable riches of Christ displayed and themselves justled off from any intermedling as to present application or grounds of application of them as their own I met lately with a godly woman who heard a Sermon full of choice comforting supporting promises to weary and heavy laden sinners which warmed her heart but in the closure was strucken through with the first arrows of God discerning her self excluded in her present estate from any part in them This makes the Gospel a fiery Serpent to sting them which is the Pole holding up the brazen Serpent for healing to others 2. The Word attaches and binds him over Ye shall answer this at the day of Christ and hangs the writ upon his door as the man that is in Gods debt and is to look for an Arrest and to be dragged into prison till the utmost farthing be paid unlesse a speedy timely peace be made and inforces this partly from the will and justice of God that hath made indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish the portion of every soul that goeth on to do evil Rom. 2.8.9 and partly from the nature and circumstances of sin it self Debts may be so great so long owing so growing and the negligence and boldnesse of the debtor such that makes it necessary in point of wisdome not to keep the writ longer off from his back 3. The Word excites terrours A man bound in a very great summe in which the forfeiture will be his undoing the very obligation troubles There are no debts but where any ingenuity is induce answerable cares And the Lord knowing the frame and tendring the peace of his people advises therefore against all debts especially sticking under them and not coming timely and carefully off Rom. 13.8 Owe nothing unto any man much more to be over head and eares in Gods debt and no care to agree with him is a very dreadful condition Mat. 5.25 If these terrours actually are not yet they are very subject every moment to be excited The Sea may be very calme but the least storme makes it nothing but commotions conscience though now quiet hath a very wide and clamorous mouth when the Lord commissions and commands it to rebuke for sin These terrours hold the sinner in bondage or all his life time subject unto bondage Heb. 2.15 This is the second branch of the misery of a natural estate to be in all these respects under the Curse of the Law and to have the Lord fight against him with the sword of his mouth Revel 2.16 Here is patience that the Lord will fight with this sword first that he may reclaime and lead to repentance rather than destroy him and if this prevaile then is the curse turned into a blessing and the bondage ends in liberty indeed but if this do not prevaile then there remains nothing else but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devoure the adversaries Heb. 10.27 3. Every natural man and woman is obnoxious to all the effects of the wrath of God and of the curses denounced in his Word 1. There are manifold effects of Gods wrath that are upon him or are apt every moment to be rushing in upon him in this life 1. Upon the body Look upon all the breaches flawes defects monstrosities in the body and set them upon the score of sin Every man else had been like Absalom and much more 2 Sam. 14.25 From the sole of his foot even to the Crown of his head there was no blemish in him these argue not special sin Joh. 9.2 yet had never been without sin look upon all diseases natural or adventitious John 5.14 Sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee there had never been a stone in the reins or in the bladder if not first in the heart These crumblings by degrees into the dust flow in by sin We pity the ruines which War hath made in goodly Palaces but those are nothing to the havock which sin hath made in the more noble Fabricks of
that Jesus Christ is the Lord. For the first of these we will enquire 1. What we are to understand by the Name given unto Jesus Christ 2. How this Name is a Name above every Name 3. How we are to understand this that God hath given 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Christ a Name above every Name In Answer to the first First Some by this Name do understand the Name Christ Jesus and so take it literally but neither Jesus nor Christ is a name above every name 1. Not Jesus for that was the name of Joshua the Son of Nun the famous Captain of Israel called Jesus by the Apostle Hebrews 4.8 And of this Name was the High Priest Joshuah the Son of Josedek Haggai 1.1 1 Sam. 24 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Unctus sive Christus Domini Isa 45.1 Nomen supra omne nomen non intelligendum est de aliquo externo cognomine vel Jesu vel Christi Brent Heb. 1.4 5. 2. Neither is Christ a name above every name for Saul is called the Lords anointed Christus Domini And so also the Prophet speaking of Cyrus calleth him the anointed of the Lord. We cannot therefore understand this of any name either of Jesus or Christ for Paul is here speaking not what the name of our Saviour was but of the Honour Dignity Power and Majesty to which Christ was advanced Secondly Others as Hierome and Theodoret do think that in that Christ was called the S nne of God he had therein a name above every name and this Exposition is gathered from that passage of the Apostle that Jesus Christ was much better than the Angels as he hath by Inheritance obtain'd a more excellent name than they for unto which of the Angels said he at any time Thou art my Sonne this day have I begotten thee But though this be true that to be the eternal Son of God is a Name above every Name yet this cannot be meant here for it is spoken of that which Christ was exalted to after his Humiliation but from Eternity he was the Sonne of God and did not cease to be so by his Incarnation and Humiliation Thirdly By Name therefore we are to understand that Power Dignity Per nomen potestas dignitas significatur Calvinus Gen. 6.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Viri nominis 1 Chron. 5.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Viri nominum John 1.14 and Authority which Christ was invested withal after the dayes of his flesh and Sufferings were finished 1 Sometimes in Scripture-phrase Name is put for glory and Renown So we read of men of Renown it is in the Hebrew Men of Name and of famous men Heads of the House of their Fathers What we read famous men is in the Hebrew Men of Names and thus the glory which Christ is invested withal is the Glory of the only begotten of the Father 2. By Name in Scripture-phrase is meant power and Authority and the Soveraignty by which Christ is King of Nations and King of Saints and thus the Scripture speaks The works saith Christ that I do in my Fathers Name John 10.25 they beare witness of me in my Fathers Name i. e. by the Power of God Acts 3.6 Acts 4.7 Thus Pâ—ter speaks to the Criple In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth arise and walk i. e. by the Power of Christ for so it is expressed when the Council questioned them for this thing they are asked By what power or by what name have you done this So then we are to understand by Name that Honour Authority and Dignity which Christ now enjoyes in Heaven of which he spake when he was ascending into Heaven All power is given me in Heaven and Earth Mat. 28.18 and the Glory of Christs Name is such that it shall be celebrated through all the Ages of the World Heaven and Earth shall Ring with the praises of his Name as the Angels praised his Name at his Birth Behold I bring you good tydings of great joy Luk. 2.10 11 13 14. which shall be unto all people for unto you is borne this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord and suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the Heavenly Hoste praising God and saying Glory be to God in the highest on earth peace good will towards men So they do now praise him and worship him in Heaven Heb. 1.6 Rev 5.12 saying Worthy is the Lambe to receive Power and Riches and Wisdome and Strength and Honour and Glory and Blessing Secondly How hath Christ obtained a Name above every Name This Nomen super omne nomen a Name above every Name is a demonstration of Christs Super-Exaltation and it notes four things First This is a Name above every Name that Jesus Christ should be the only Saviour of the World that his Name should be the Only One Name by which we are saved Of this the Apostle The stone which the builders refused Acts 4.11 12. is become the Head of the Corner neither is there any Salvation in any other for there is none other Name under heaven given amongst men John 4.42 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby we must be saved He is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the World which we may understand not only eminâ—ntly but exclusively He is the Saviour there is none besides him We read that God did raise Saviours to his people Israel so acknowledged the Levites in their solemn Fast-day Nehem. 9.27 Thou O Lord deliveredst thy people into the hands of their enemies who vexed them and in the time of their trouble when they cryed unto thee thou heardest them from heaven and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them Saviours who saved them out of the hand of their Enemies Such a Saviour was Moses to the Israelites from the Egyptians Joshua from the Canaanites Gideon from the Midianites Jeptha from the Ammorites and Sampson from the Philistims but all these were but partial petty and temporal Saviours These saved the body from misery and that but for a time Christ saves our souls from our sins Mat. 1.21 and that for ever All these Saviours stood in need of the Saviour Joshua himself had eternally perished had it not been for Jesus Jesus Christ was the only Saviour to whose most precious and saving Name all the Old Testament pointed at He was the Saviour in whom all the Promises were performed all the Types accomplished and all the Prophesies fulfilled Acts 10.43 Gen 49.10 Psal 110.1 Isa 7.14 Jer. 23.5 Dan 9.29 Hag. 2.9 Mat. 12.21 It was unto this only Name the Saviour that all the Prophets bare witness He he it was that was Jacobs Shiloh Davids Lord Isaiahs Immanuel Jeremies Branch Daniels Messiah and Haggie's desire of all Nations It is in his name and his Name alone that all Nations shall trust and that for salvation Secondly Jesus Christ hath a Name above every Name in that he
natural men minde something else than God would have them Phil. 3.19 they minde earthly things Herod mindeth the dancing of a lewd Strumpet more than the preaching of the holy Baptist the young man mindeth his great possessions the Epicure his belly the Farmer his barn Judas his bag the Silversmith his Shrines the Gadarenes their Swine Pila e the favour and applause of the people Let the best men speak ingenuously and they must needs confesse that there were many things if I may call them things rather nothings which they minded more than God or Christ or Heaven more than the highest concernments of their immortal souls the weightiest businesse of Eternal salvation they were all Gallios in respect of these things they cared for none of them till they were rouzed out of their waking dreams by the Effectual Call of the most gracious God This is the condition of every natural man 2. It presupposeth That it is an easie thing with God to bring us home to himself though we be never so far distant from him to awaken us to his service though in a dead sleep of sin to raise our minds to higher objects though they be never so deeply immersed in the things of this present world Is any thing hard to the Almighty with a word he made us with a word he can renew us When darknesse covered the face of the deep he did but ay Let there be light and there was light with the like facility can he shine in our hearts giving us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus He uttereth his voice saith David and the earth melteth Let but God utter his voice and the Rocks and Mountains of our corruptions will melt away like wax Come we now closer to the Point Toward the opening of which I shall entreat your Attention to the resolution of sundry Questions Question 1. What is this Calling It is the real separation of the soul unto God and a cloathing it with such gracious abilities whereby it may be enabled to repent of its sinnes and to believe in his Son It is our Translation from the state of Nature which is a state of sinne wrath death and damnation to a state of Grace which is a state of Holiness Life Peace and Eternal Salvation This Translation is wrought 1. By strong convictions of the minde First Of the guilt and filth of sin of the danger and defilement of sin of the malignity of sin and the misery that attends it Once saith the soul that is under this dispensation of Gods Grace Once I lookt upon sin as my wisdome now it is madness and folly Once I accounted it my meat and drink to fulfill the wills of the flesh sinne was a sweet morsel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I drank iniquity like water now 't is a cup of trembling to me and I fear it may prove a cup of Condemnation Once I hugged embrac't and delighted in sin as the Wife of my bosome now I clearly see that the fruit and issue of the impure copulation of my soul with her is nothing else but the shame of my face the stain of my reputation the Rack and horrour of my conscience and which is more than all these the provocation of the Almighty and therefore I begin to think within my self of an eternal divorce from her I slept securely in the lap of this Dalilah she robb'd me of my strength she delivered me up to Philistines that dealt unworthily with me that put me upon base and low employments what now should I think of but if it please the Lord to give new strength the death and destruction of them all Secondly Of the vanity and emptiness of the creature which we have Idolized confiding in it as the staff of our hopes breathing and pursuing after it as the perfection of our happiness Thirdly Of the absolute need of Christ that if he do not save vs we must perish Fourthly Of the absolute fulnesse of Christ and that in him we may be compleat if we be guilty he can justifie us if we be filthy he can purge us if we be weak he can strengthen us if we be poor he can enrich us if we be base he can ennoble us if we be deformed and ugly he can make us beautiful and lovely if we be miserable he can bless us and that with all Blessings in Heavenly places Fifthly Of the clemency goodness meekness sweetness graciousness of his disposition that if any man come to him he will in no wise reject him John 6.37 These things the minde is strongly convinc't of yet if there be not a farther work a man may carry these Convictions to Hell with him Therefore 2. In the second place this Translation is wrought by a powerful inclination and conversion of the will to close with Christ upon his own termes to embrace him as Soveraign as well as Saviour to take him as men use to do their Wives for better for worse for richer for poorer to stick to him on Mount Calvary as well as Mount Tabor to welcome him into thy bosome by bidding an everlasting farewell to thy sinnes In a word to make a voluntary tender and resignation of thy self unto him solemnly avouching that from this time forward thou wilt count thy self more his than thou art thine own and the more thy own because thou art his This work is carried on with a most efficacious sweetness so that the liberry of the will is not infringed whilst the obstinacy of the will is mastered and over-ruled If you ask me How can these things be I never studied to satisfie curiosity but if you can tell me how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child I also will tell you how the parts of the new man are formed in the heart but I suppose silence and humble admiration will be best on both sides if there be so great a mystery in our natural generation surely there is a far greater in our spiritual Regeneration if David could say of the former I am fearfully and wonderfully made much more might he say of the latter I am fearfully and wonderfully renewed Question 2. Who are the Called First Among creatures none but men are of the number of the called The Angels that kept not thei◠first estate but left their own habitation are never recalled Jude ver 6. but reserved in everlasting chaines under darknesse to the judgement of the great day Lord what is man that thou art mindful of him Psal 8.4 or the son of man that thou so regardest him Secondly Among men none but the Elect are capable of this grace the call is limited by the purpose Whom he hath predestinated them he also called Rom. 8. Touching these Elect Persons divers things fall under our Observation As 1. In regard of their internal condition before this call they are dead in sins and trespasses
Caesar By his passive Righteousnesse I mean all that he suffered in his life-time as the meannesse of his birth and education his persecution by Herod in his infancy after by the Scribes and Pharisees his hunger and temptation in the Wildernesse his poverty and straits he had not where to lay his head in a word he was all his life long in all things tempted as we are yet without sin Heb. 4.15 but especially what he suffered at his death First in his body he was scourg'd spit upon crown'd with Thornes and latength crucified which was 1. A cruel death the Latine cruciari to be tormented is derived à cruce from being crucified 2. A reproachful one Gal. 3.13 Heb. 13.13 it was the Roman death for slaves and Malefactors But secondly most of all he suffered in his soule witnesse those expressions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 26.37 Mark 14.33 adde his bemoaning himself to his Disciples in the following words and his passionate prayer thrice repeated Abba Father if it be pâ—ssible let this cup passe Adde further yet his sweating drops of blood in that bitter agony which so spent him in the Garden that an Angel was sent to comfort him but above all his desertion upon the Crosse witnesseth that he suffered unutterably in his soule when he cryed My God my God why hast thou forsaken me The Socinians are here puzzled to give any tolerable account how the infinitely good God could find in his heart to exercise his only begotten Son that never sinned with all these horrours in his soule for certainly it stood not with his goodnesse had not Christ as the second Adam been a publick person a Representative on whom the Lord laid the iniquities of us all Isa 53.6 But if we consider which they deny that Christ was then satisfying his Fathers Justice we need not wonder at those horrours and consternations of the manhood for he knew the vastnesse of his undertaking the numberlesse numbers and aggravations of sins the dreadful weight of his Fathers wrath the sharpnesse of that sword Zech. 13.7 which he was going now to feele not that God was angry with Christ upon the Crosse quoad affectum no he never more dearly loved him but quoad effectum adde Christs infinite abhorrence of the sins he bore and that infinite zeal wherewith he was inflam'd to vindicate the honour of Divine justice Now his infinite love to his Church struggling with all these produc't those agonies and overcame them all when he said It is finished Joh. 19.30 we meet him next triumphing in his Resurrection But here to resolve that great question whether Christs passive Righteousnesse alone or active and passive joyntly are the matter of Christs satisfaction which believers plead at Gods Bar for their Justification and which being accepted by God as a plea good in Law is said to be imputed viz. in a Law-sense for Righteousnesse Let these Reasons be weighed by such as do disjoyne them First each of them hath its proper interest in and its respective contribution towards the satisfying the injur'd honour of Gods Law For the honour of Gods Law is the equity of both its parts its command and its threatening Christs active Righteousnesse honours the equity of the first which man had dishonoured by his disobedience but the great God-man hath repaired the honour of Gods Commandments by yielding a most perfect obedience to every one of them and therein proclaimed the Law to be holy just and good Then Christs passive Righteousnesse in like manner honours the equity of the threatening for as by obeying he acknowledged Gods authority to make a Law and his unexceptionable righteousnesse in every single Branch of the Law made so by suffering he proclaimeth that man is bound to keep it or if he do not to beare the penalty He himself dyes to justifie that the sinner is worthy of death and offers himself upon the Crosse as a Sacrifice to the Divine Justice and hereby he hath proclaimed sin to be exceeding sinful and God to be so jealous a God as rather than sin should go unpunish'd and his justice want its glory the righteous eternal Son of God must be made an example what guilty man had deserved Thus God by two equal miracles of everlasting astonishment to be adored hath satisfied both his contending Attributes and rendred each of them Triumphant in making his righteous Son an example of his sin-avenging justice that guilty sinners repenting and believing might be made examples of his sin-pardoning-goodnesse In the second place as each hath its respective interest in satisfying the injur'd Law so neither of them can be anywhere severed from the other and those which God hath so indissolubly joyned let none part asunder for Christs active Righteousnesse was everywhere passive because all of it done in the forme of a servant for in our nature he obeyed the Law but in his very incarnation he was passive for therein he suffered an ecclipse of the glory of his Godhead And his passive Righteousnesse was everywhere active because what he suffered was not by constraint or against his Will no it was his own voluntary act and deed all along let me instance in the greatest of his sufferings his very dying was the product both of the freenesse of his love and the Majesty of his power John 10.17 18. Rev. 1.5 In the third place both Christs active and passive Righteousnesse what he did and what he suffered partake in common of the forme of â—atisfaction therefore they are both integral parts or joynt ingredients thereof for forma dat esse but this brings me to the second enquiry Query 2 What is the forme of Christs satisfaction or that which renders it satisfactory I answer the infinite merit of what he did and suffered which infinite merit stands 1. In the dignity of his person the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelt in him bodily Col. 2.9 John 1.14 Now for the work of a servant to be done by the Lord of all renders his active and for him to suffer as a Malefactor between Malefactors who was God blessed for evermore renders also his passive righteousnesse infinitely meritorious no wonder the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin for it is the blood of God Acts 20.28 1 Joh. 1.7 And this is the Reason why the Righteousnesse of one redounds unto all for the justification of life Rom. 5.18 19. because his active and passive Righteousnesse is infinitely of more value than all that all the creatures in heaven and earth could have done or suffered to eternity the very man Christ Jesus is above all the Angels Heb. 1.6 for he is the man that is Gods fellow Zechary 13.7 And this infinite worthinesse of the Redeemers person you have excellently described as irradiating and infinitely exalting all he did and suffered Phil. 2.6 7 8 9. Heb. 7.24 25 28. 2. The active and passive Righteousnesse of Christ are of infinite merit because not at all due but
of a reason God sends his Gospel proclaiming Acts 3.19 Repent ye and be converted that your sinnes may be blotted out His Ministers proclaiming We then are Embassadors of Christ 2 Cor. 5. as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled unto God Why dost thou hate thy soul and say I will not why wilt thou not Is it because it doth not concern thee or because eternal life and death are trifles small little things not worth thy considering or doth any body hinder thee No no our Saviour gives the true account Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life Let me entreat this small request of thee for Gods sake for thine own take the next opportunity and spend half an houre alone let thy spirit accomplish a diligent search pursue this inquiry to some issue am I justified or no if not what will become of me if it should happen sometimes such things fall out that I should dye now presently I cannot promise my self that I shall see to morrow morning Thus go on and bring it to something before thou leavest give not over till thou art not only clearly convinced of but heartily affected with thy guilt not only to see but feel thy self to be the man who art undone without an interest in this justification Be in good earnest thou canst not mock thy God and is there any wisdome in mocking and cheating thy own soul What thou dost do it heartily as unto the Lord as for thy life as one that would not rue thy self-deceiving folly when it cannot be recalled and if thou art hearty and serious in these reflexions 1. Thou wilt deeply humble thy self before the Majesty of the Judge of all the earth with that self-abhorrence and confusion that becomes one who feels himself even himself being Judge most righteously condemned 2. Thou wilt sollicite and assail the Throne of Grace with all redoubled favours and holy passionate importunities of prayer and supplication giving God no rest till he hath given thee his Spirit according to his own promise Luke 11.13 Ezek. 36.26 27. To help thee to performe the conditions of the Gospel-Covenant plead his own promise with him Wrestle with him for a broken and clean heart for faith for repentance unto life for these are not of thy self they are the gift of God let him not go till he hath blessed thee with these blessings in Christ Jesus This will confound every sinner at the day of Judgment that when he might have had grace yea the Spirit of grace for asking he either asked not or if he did it was so coldly as if he were contented enough to go without Now if thou art in good earnest God is I assure thee in full as good earnest as thou he is ready to meet thee Try but once whether it be in vain to seek him all that ever tryed found it good to draw near to God and found him easie to be entreated he useth not to send the hungry empty away He that commands us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling he it is that worketh in us both to will and to do of his own good pleasure Phil. 2.12 13. Secondly To them that are the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus Let me beseech them 1. To walk worthy of God who hath called them to his Kingdome and Glory to adorn their holy profession take the Exhortation in Pauls words Col. 2.6 As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him Receive not this grace of God in vain the interest of your comfort obligeth you hereunto hereby you will know that you know him that you are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 that there is no cond mnation to you if you walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit and herein will your Father be glorified John 15.6 if ye bring forth much fruit 2. To live up to the comfort of their state 1 John 3.1 Ye are already the sons of God it doth not yet appear what you shall be Who shall lay any thing to your charge it is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyed c. Rom. 8.33 Go eat thy bread with joy and put on thy white rayment God now hath accepted thy works Eccles 9.7 8. I conclude this particular and the whole discourse with the happy effects and fruits of Justification which every Believer hath as good a right and title to as the Gospel it self the Word of the God of truth can give him as I finde those sweet effects and consequences set down in my Text and the words next following it 1. Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ 2. By whom also we have accesse by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God 3. And not only so but we glory in tribulation knowing that tribulation worketh patience 4. And patience experience and experience hope 5. And hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is given unto us Wherefore the righteous shall be glad in the Lord and all the upright in heart shall glory Psal 64.10 THE BELIEVERS DIGNITY and DVTY LAID OPEN In the High-Birth wherewith he is PRIVILEDGED And the honourable Employment to which He is called John 1.12 13. But as many as received him to them he gave power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his Name Which were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God IN this Chapter Christ the principal Subject of the Gospel is admirably and Seraphically described 1. By his Divintiy as co-eternal and co-essential with the Father verse 1. 2. 2. By his discovery or manifestation 1. In the work of Creation ver 3. 10. 2. In the work of common providence ver 4.5 9. 3. In the work of gracious providence he being in the world and coming to his Church as our Immanuel God incarnate ver 11. 14. 3. By his entertainment which was 1. Passive his entertainment was poor the world knew him not ver 10. He was as a Prince disguised in a strange Country the Church sleighted and rejected him as Rebels do their natural Prince ver 11. And such entertainment Christ meets with at this day in his Truths Ordinances Graces Ministers and his poor members c. Object Was not Christ entertained by them what else means their harbouring him at Capèrnaum their flocking after him admiring of him seeking to make him a King c. Answ True they entertain'd him for a while civilly and formally upon self-interest but not spiritually by saving Faith Love and Obedience John 6.26 Matthew 11.21 23. Quest 1. Did Christ find no entertainment at all Answ This rejecting of Christ was not universal some did
delighting in flowers and their Tulipomania dreame of such a Paradise A silly Countrey Woman coming upon the Exchange was so amazed at the view that she fell down and said She had oft heard of Heaven but never was in it before The voluptuous Epicure will have his a Poetical Heaven of Nectar and Ambrosia the ambitious an Heaven of honours and Gallantry But holy Abraham passed all these by * Heb. 11.10 looking for a City that had foundations The Kingdomes of the world want legs and foundations to stand upon and while men dream of such Paradises they do but build Castles in the ayre without any basis but imagination But look you for the new Heavens Isa 65.17 wherein dwells Righetousness get a Copy of grace in your hearts out of Scripture-Records the Court-Roles of Heaven and then you have * 1 Tim. 6.19 laid hold upon eternal life 'T is easie to be a Saint of the earth a State-Saint a designing Saint nay a Church-Saint but it must be a heavenly Saint one truly holy that is * Col. 1.12 meet to be partaker of the Inheritance of the Saints in light Examine therefore what Authority and entertainment have the most searching truths and cutting Providences of God with you what spiritual wickednesse that never hurt your body Purie or Fame have you forsaken for Christ This sincere beauty of holinesse â—s able to make you Ornaments even to heaven it self 4. Is this Kingdome prepared for those that are Blessed of the Father Oh then labour to obtain your Fathers blessing though * Heb. 12.17 you seek it with teares Now the Father sayes Blessed are the pure the poor in heart the merciful they that pray for them which persecute them be careful not only * Mat. 25.4 to have oyle in your Lamps grace in your hearts but get your * Ver. 7. Lamps trimmed be upon your Watch * Ver. 13. for you know not what houre your Master comes Look how you improve your Talents what good you do in the world Remember it runnes thus in the last account I was an hungry you fed me naked you cloathed me in Prison you visited me and * Mat. 16.27 every man shall be rewarded according to his Works and the more you have of Heaven and Divine love here the more you shall have hereafter for one piece of it will lie in comfortable reflections upon what good we have done in the world though every one hath his * Mat. 20.9 peny that comes in at the Eleventh houre viz. all that is essential unto happinesse yet * 1 Cor. 15.41 one Starre differs from another in glory Art thou therefore in Authority use it for God Art rich alas * Prov. 23.5 riches make themselves wings and fly away Up then and be doing good and make thy self wings of thy Wealth for Heaven by all charitable expressions there is no way to lay your treasure up in Heaven but by laying it out here no way to lend God any thing but by giving to the poor How will hopes of Preferment nourish Conformity Tully tells us A Prince is to be fed with glory and drawn to worthy acts by the allurement of Honour and Renown Did but Christians feed more upon the Heritage of Jacob Isa 58.14 and their Immortal hopes they would act more for their immortal honour such Meditations do as the Philosopher sayes of speculations * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Eâ—â— immortalize men and make them spiritual ones indeed or as Ambrose phraseth it carry them upwards as Birds of Paradise * Volucris in Spiritu factus Exod. 19.4 all upon Eagles Wings to soare on high Fifthly Will Christ say Come ye blessed c. then here is an Io triumphe over all the World Let it look as grim as it will upon thee yet Christ will smile though it gnash its teeth upon thee yet Christ will open his lips and * Cant. 1.2 kiss thee with the kisses of his mouth Lapides loquitur though the world speak words as hard as stones about Stephens ears yet Christ will speak comfortably If the World say Go Get you hence yet Christ will say Come if that say Go ye Cursed Christ will say Come ye Blessed Though men say Go ye Cursed Generation who are hated of all men yet Christ will say Come ye blessed of my Father They say Turn out Christ will say Turn in they cry Away from houses and lands and wives and children and all for Christs sake yet be not discouraged poor heart for Christ will recompence thee a hundred fold and thou shalt have a Kingdome for thy Cottage And when they have done all this they rejoyce that their Plot hath taken effect for they designed your ruine long ago I but Christs thoughts of love run higher yet Come blessed soul inherit the Kingdome prepared for thee from the foundation of the World The World may thrust thee out with both hands Christ will receive thee with both arms When Cyrus gave one of his friends a kisse another a wedge of gold he that had the gold envied him that had the kisse as a greater expression of his favour what if thou hast not the onions of Egypt if thou have the Quails and Manna in the Wildernesse Psal 17.14 if thou beest a man of G ds hand if thou beest one of his heart there is small ground to complain Upon all if an Epicurus was the best of the Philosophers without an Elysium If a Platonick lecture of the immortality of the soul made another cast his life away that he might enter upon that state If an Aristotle upon Euripus banks being not able to resolve himself of the cause of its motion dissolved himself by casting himself into the streame saying If I cannot take thee take thou me when we have such a glory as eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor can it enter into the heart of man to conceive what God hath * 1 Cor. 2.9 prepared for those that love him how shamefulâ—y are we run a ground if we cannot have a kinde of * Phil. 1.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 22.20 lust to be dissolved and when Christ holds this price in his hand and cryes Come ye blessed we do not answer Come Lord Jesus Come quickly THE Conclusion 2 TIM 1.13 Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus AT the beginning of this Moneths Exercise I entred upon this Text and then resolv'd the matter contained therein into these four Doctrinal Observations 1. Evangelical words are sound words Or All Gospel-truth is of an healing nature 2. It is of great use and advantage both for Ministers and private Christians to have the main Fundamental truths of the Gospel collected and methodized into certain Models and Platforms 3. Such Forms and Models are very carefully and faithfully to be
glory of God be it spoken since this Exercise was first set up such a moneth hath not been known in this City A word of Exhortation What now remaineth men and brethren but that the Ministers of the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril Hieros praef Cat. Nostrum est dicere vestrum vero agere Dei autem perficere Gospel having done their work in holding out unto you a Form or Model of sound words you stir up your selves in the strength of Jesus Christ to do yours and what is that but that which is commended here to Timothy That you hold fast the form of sound words which you have received of them They have held it forth it concerns you to hold it fast First see therefore that you hold it fast in your understandings My brethren in this Moneths Exercise you have had many of the chief Heads and Points of the Christian Faith unvailed to you * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem ut supra Non existimes institutiones istas homiliis esse similes c. Sed haec quae per ordinem tradimus documenta c. not only as so many single truths and several precious Jewels to lie by you but that to which possibly most of you have been strangers hitherto as far as the design could well suffer Methodized as it were into a Chaine of Pearls to weare about necks truths fitly joyned together and compacted into a body by that which every joynt supplyeth Now your duty is to wear this Chain or Bracelet carefully that it may not be broken Your labour must be to imprint this Method of truth in your mindes and judgements by vertue whereof you may be able to know them in their Series and Connexion and when you hear any of these Points handled in Sermons you may be able to know one truth from another where they are to be fixed in the Orb of Divinity and so to refer them to their own proper place and station which will prove to be a greater advantage to your proficiency in the knowledge of Christ then you can easily believe It is observable Rom. 8.28 when the Holy Ghost having hinted effectual calling as the ground of that blessed truth that all things work for good to those that love God yet he mentions it again in the very next verse and why but to shew us what place it obtains in the golden chain of salvation how it takes its room between Predestination and Justification Whom he did predestinate them also he CALLED and whom he CALLED them he justified of so great moment it is not onely to know Gospel-truths but how to posture them in their proper rank and file where every truth is to stand This advantage in a great measure you have had by this Moneths Exercise see that you improve it to the clearing of your understandings in the Method of Gospel Doctrines Secondly Hold them fast in yor Memory Truely the Order of this Moneths Exercise if you be not wanting to your selves will not contribute lesse strength to your memories than light to your understandings The truths themselves have been a Treasure given you by your heavenly Father and the Method will serve you for a sack or purse to keep them in and truely it would be a labour neither unprofitable nor uncomely to take so much paines your selves and to teach your Families to do so too scil to Conne this Model without book and the Lord teach you to get them by heart You may once a week or so revolve them thus in your minds I. There is a God II. The Scriptures are the Word of God III. In the God-head there be three Persons or Subsistencies Father Son and Holy Ghost God blessed for ever IV. God Created man in a perfect but in a mutable estate V. The Covenant of works God made with man in his innocency VI. Original sin in the first spring of it in Adams first transgression VII Original corruption derived from thence into mans nature VIII Mans liablenesse to the curse or the misery of mans state by nature IX Mans impotency to help himself out of this estate X. The Covenant of Redemption or the transaction between God and Christ from all Eternity about mans salvation XI The Covenant of Grace revealed in the Gospel XII Christ the only Mediatour between God and man considered in his Person Natures and Offices XIII Christs state of Humiliation XIV Christs state of Exaltation XV. Christs satisfaction to Divine Justice XVI Effectual calling XVII Vnion with â—hrist XVIII Justification by Christs Righteousnesse XIX Son-ship to God consisting in Adopition Regeneration XX. Saving Faith XXI Repentance XXII Holinesse XXIII The Resurrection XXIV The last Judgement XXV Hell XXVI Heaven Christians this and other such like Catalogues or Formes of the Articles of Christian Faith imprinted upon your memories will be of great benefit and service to you Do ye serve your memories and your memories will serve you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril Hieros praef Catechis labour to get them so imprinted upon your memories that they may never be blotted out Thirdly Hold fast yea hold forth these precious Truths delivered to you in your lives and conversations Christians let it be your care and behold it shall be your * Deut. 4.6 wisdom in the eyes of all the beholders to live this morning Exercise the glory whereof hath filled this Assemblie for a moneth together To engage and quicken you herein let me mind you of one rare advantage this Model carrieth with it above most of the acute and learned Treatises of Schoolmen or solid Tractates of Catechetical Divines who have taken great paines in opening and stating the Principles of Christian Religion The Reverend Divines who have travelled in this service of your Faith have in their several Sermons with singular skill and piety brought down Principles unto practice and improved all their Doctrines to Vse and Application wherein they have shewed themselves Workmen that need not be ashamed wise Builders that know how to handle the Trowel as well as the Sword and that made it their design to build up their hearers in holinesse as well as in knowledge The School and the Pulpit met together the Doctor and the Pastor have kissed each other Omne tulit punctum qui miscuit utile dulci. They have not discust the Doctrines of Faith in a jejune frigid speculative way only but what they cleared to the judgment they wrought it home upon the heart and affections with such warmth and sweetnesse as that the hearers seem'd for the present to be carried into the mountain of transfiguration where they cryed out with Peter It is good for us to be here So that although their Sermons were very large yet the greatest part of their Auditories thought they had done too soon and went away praising God that had given such gifts unto men Oh let it be your care dearly Beloved that as this Model hath been