and that many would yield up themselves to the Obedience of the Faith therefore to shew that they have a room in his Heart they have a Name in his Testament As Parents provided for their Childrens Children yet unborn so doth Christ remember future Believers as well as those of the present Age and pleadeth their Cause with God as if they were standing by and actually hearing his Prayers for them It was Esau's complaint Hast thou but one Blessing O my Father when he came too late and Jaaob had already carried away the Blessing We were not born too late and out of due time to receive the Blessing of Christ's Prayers Hath he no regard to us are his Thoughts wholly taken up with the Believers of the first and Golden Age of the Church Certainly No. I pray not for these only but for them also which shall believe on me through their Word We that now live hundreds of Years after they are dead and gone have an Interest in them Increase and multiply was spoken to the first of the Kind of all the Beasts and to the end of the World all Creatures do produce and bring forth after their Kind by virtue of this Blessing Christ doth not only speak of the first of the Kind but that we might be sure to be comprized he telleth us so in express words Certainly much of our Comfort would be lost if we were not comprehended in Christ's Prayers for his Prayers show the Extent of his Purchase 2. The Honour that is put upon private Believers their Names are in Christ's Testament they are bound up in the same Bundle of Life with the Apostles Here is a Question Whether this Passage relateth to the foregoing Requests or else to these that follow What part of the Prayer hath this Passage respect to Answer I suppose to the whole it looketh upward and downward The middle part of the Chapter doth chiefly concern the Apostles and Disciples of that Age some Things are proper to them yet there are many Things in common that concern us and them too He had lately said I sanctify my self for their sakes he would not have that restrained In the latter part of the Chapter all Believers are more especially concerned yet some Passages are intermingled that do also concern the Apostles Vers. 22. The Glory which thou hast given me I have given them Vers. 25. They have known that thou hast sent me Vers. 26. I have declared my Name to them and will declare it Thus you see we are partly concerned in all the Prayer it is a great favour that he would make mention of us to God As David when about to die did not only pray for Solomon his Successor but for all the People so doth Christ not only pray for the College of the Apostles to whom the Government of the Church was committed upon his departure but for all Believers to the end of the World He prayeth for the Apostles as intrusted with a great Work and liable to great danger and hatred but yet he doth not neglect the Church Secondly Positively The Persons for whom he prays They are described by their Faith and their Faith is described by the Object of it that believe in me and by the Ground and Warrant of it through their Word And so the Points will be two 1. That Believers and they only are interested in Christ's Prayers 2. That in the sense and reckoning of the Gospel they are Believers that are wrought upon to believe in Christ through the Word Doct. 1. That Believers and they only are interested in Christ's Prayers Tho Christ doth inlarge the Object of his Prayers yet he still keepeth within the Pale of the Elect. He saith V. 9. I pray not for the World and now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for them that shall believe in me He doth not pray for all whether they believe or no but only for those that shall believe Now this Christ doth partly because his Prayers and his Merit are of equal extent I sanctify my self for their sakes and then I pray not for these only but for them that shall believe in me through their Word Rom. 8.33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect It is God that justifieth Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right Hand of God who also maketh Intercession for us 1 John 2.1 2. If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is the Propitiation for our Sins His Prayers on Earth do but explain the Virtue and Extent of his Sacrifice he sueth out what he purchased and his Intercession in Heaven is but a Representation of his Merit both are Acts of the same Office Partly because it is not for the Honour of Christ that his Prayers should fall to the ground John 11.42 I know that thou hearest me always Shall the Son of God's Love plead in vain and urge his Merit and not succeed then farewel the sureness and firmness of our Comfort Now Christ's Prayers would fall to the Ground if he should pray for them that shall never believe Vse 1. It is much for the Comfort of them who do already believe You may be sure you are one of those for whom Christ prayeth whether Jew or Gentile Bond or Free. Particulars are under their general How do we prove John or Thomas to be Children of Wrath by Nature all were so So Christ prayeth for all those that shall believe as much as if he had brought them forth and set them before God by Head and Poll. And if Christ prayed for thee why is not thy Joy full Why did he speak these things in the World It is a Copy of his Intercession Christ would shew a little before his departure what he doth for us in Heaven he sueth out his Purchase and pleadeth our Right in Court It is a sign we have a Room in his Heart because we have a Name in his Prayers And what Blessings doth he seek for Union with himself Communion with him in Grace here in Glory hereafter It is a Comfort against all Temptations Doubts Dangers you are commended to the Father's Care Vse 2. It is an engagement to others to believe If he had commanded some great Thing ought we not to have done it This Comfort cannot be made out to you till you have actual Faith however it is with you in the Purpose of God yet you cannot apply this Comfort till you believe If a Man should make his Will wherein Rich Legacies should be left to all that can prove a Claim by being thus and thus Qualified would not every one put in for a Share Believe believe this is the Condition Vse 3. It sheweth the Excellency of Faith Those that have an Interest in Christ's Prayers are not described by their Love their Obedience or any other Grace tho these are necessary
this sense he is the Apostle of our Profession an Ambassador sent from Heaven God's Representative in this sense he is called the Angel of the Covenant Mal. 3.1 The solemnest Messenger that ever God sent into the World Isa. 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good Tidings unto the Meek c. Christ was anointed principally for this Work to preach the Gospel he came from Heaven to shew us the Way of Life Heb. 1.1 2. God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in Time past unto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last Days spoken unto us by his Son He hath spoken to us by Apostles Pastors and Teachers Why doth he make mention only of Christ Because in the Roll of Gospel-Preachers Christ is the First Christ's Name is first enrolled he was first in Commission and he sent forth Apostles and the Apostles others The Mystery of Redemption was never clearly known till Christ came to preach it then all the deep Counsel of God for Man's Salvation came out which was hidden before Christ brought out of God's Bosom the Doctrine of the Gospel APPLICATION We learn hence many Things As 1. The distinction of the Persons in the Trinity Christ is a distinct subsistence from the Father for he that sendeth and he that is sent are distinct Mark it implies a Distinction but not an Inferiority against the Arrians Persons equal by mutual consent may send one another as the Elders of Antioch sent out Paul and Barnabas but it doth not follow that they were inferior to the Elders of Antioch So here it implies Distinction but not Inferiority 2. The Knowledg of Christ's Person he was sent into the World therefore is God-Man He was one that was sent therefore had a being before he was Incarnate and was sent into the World therefore there was an Assumption of the Humane Nature 3. It sheweth us the Love of God he would not intrust an Angel nor Arch-Angel with our Salvation but sent his Son 1 John 4.10 Herein is Love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the Propitiation for our Sins There is nothing too near nor too dear for us It will take the more wih us if we consider the infinite complacency and contentment God had in Christ yet he sent his Son Man's Love is defensive he loves his Children out of design of Immortality because he lives in them God had no reason to do so he had many reasons to the contrary yet he sent his Son to die for us when we were Enemies And his Son is sent What to do Not only to treat with us not only to borrow a Tongue to speak to us but to take a Body to die for us to be substituted in our room and stead 4. It informs us of the great condescention of Christ that he submitted to be sent 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 He was ready when God would send him like a Servant ready to be dispatched upon his Errand That Christ would be sent that he would take our Nature not while it was innocent but when it was guilty liable to the Wrath of God when all Mankind were proclaimed Traytors and Out-Laws and whoever partaked of our Nature was to partake of our Sorrow yet then was Christ sent he came in the similitude of sinful Flesh Rom. 8.3 Christ did not partake of the infection of our Nature he was not a Sinner by being born of our Stock the Infection was stopped by the Holy Ghost but he took our Nature when it was sinful tainted with Sin and in this Message and Errand he laid aside his Majesty and by an unspeakable dispensation he abstains from the full use and exercise of the Godhead not from Godhead it self Therefore he prays John 17.5 And now O Father glorify thou me with thine own self with the Glory which I had with thee before the World was He begs for his Glory again which he had laid aside for a while It cannot be meant of the Divine Nature for to that nothing can be given it cannot be meant of Humane Nature because that is not capable of the Glory which Christ had before the World was the meaning is he desires to be restored to the full use of the Godhead from which he had abstained by an unspeakable Dispensation a long time and by the interposition of his Humane Nature the Glory of the Godhead was as it were eclipsed as a Candle in a Dark Lanthorn and therefore he desires that the Vail might be taken away and he might return again to the full use of the Godhead having done his Work It is irksome to us to go back a few degrees in Pomp and Pleasure even upon just and convenient Reasons but how did Christ condescend and stoop when he was thus sent into the World by God for our sakes 5. Here is some ground of Comfort to them that believe you may offer to God a Mediator of his own chusing one that was authorized by himself When you plead with God you may say Lord thou hast sent thy Son Or when you plead with your own Hearts you may urge thâ—m with this God sent him to be helpful to my Soul These things may be observed from the first thing the Mission of Christ. SERMON XXXI JOHN XVII 18 As thou hast sent me into the World even so have I also sent them into the World Secondly I Come to the Mission of the Apostles So have I sent them into the World as thou hast sent me The words intimate a comparison between God's sending of Christ into the World and Christ's sending the Apostles into the World But how doth the Comparison hold good Christ was sent to Redeem they to Preach the Apostles were no Redeemers Christ was sent not only as a Prophet but as a Priest as we have seen before And again for the manner Christ was sent by being Incarnate God-Man in one Person he must be Man if sent but they were Men and therefore there is a difference Christ was sent as the Supream Officer of the Church as God with Original Authority they as Ministers and Servants Christ could teach immediatly outwardly by his Word inwardly by his Spirit they only outwardly How then could it be said As thou hast sent me into the World so have I sent them into the World I Answer There is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some Likeness but not an Equality As the Union of the Apostles is compared with the Unity of the Trinity so the Mission of the Apostles with the Mission of Christ. The Similitude holdeth in several Things they were Authorized Ministers and Officers of the Church as Christ was Christ was authorized by
given to his Justice that his Mercy may have the freer scope the sinner saved and the sin branded and condemned Oh what shall we render to the Lord for so great a benefit Let us unboundedly give up our selves to be governed and ordered by him at his will and pleasure noâ— loving our lives to the death Rev. 12.11 Life must not be excepted out of this resignation Luke 14.26 4. How this must be improved First by consideration Secondly By determination For 't is said we thus Judge 1. Consideration Whereby spiritual truths are laid close to the heart the Soul and the object are brought together by serious thoughts God will not govern us as bruits and rule us with a Rod of Iron by meer power and force the heart of man is overpowered by the weight of reason and serious inculcative thoughts which God blesseth to the beginning and increase in our Souls Therefore cast in weight after weight till the Judgement be poised and you begin to judge and determine how just and equal it is that you should give up your selves to God and to Christ who have done those great things for you God often complaineth for want of consideration Isa. 1.3 But my people will not consider And Deut. 32.29 Oh that my people would be wise and consider their latter end And Psa. 50.22 Consider this ye that forget God Most of our sin and folly is to be charged upon our inconsideration so also our want of grace 'T is God doth renew and quicken the Soul yet consideration is the means The greatest things in the World do not work upon them that do not think of them Therefore how shall the power of the word be set on work but by serious and pressing thoughts The truth lyeth by reason is asleep till consideration quicken it The fault of the highway ground is they hear the word but understand it not The first help of grace is attention Acts 16.14 She attended to the things that were spoken by Paul What is this attending but a deliberate weighing in order to choice minding esteem and pursuit Those invited to the wedding Matth. 22.5 They made light of it Non-attendency is the bane of the greatest part of the World they will not suffer their minds to dwell upon these things 2. There is determination or a practical decree We thus Judge in all reason when we have considered of it we cannot Judge otherwise the Scripture often speaketh of this Acts 11.23 He exhorted them all with full purpose of heart to cleave to the Lord 2 Tim. 3. This like a bias in a bowl carryeth the authority of a principle in the heart these decrees enacted in the heart are frequently mentioned in Scripture in the case of religion in general as Psa. 119.57 Thou art my portion O Lord I have said I would keep thy words Sometimes some particular duty when the heart is backward Psa. 32.5 I said I will confess my transgression unto the Lord. Sometimes in compliance with some divine motion Psa. 27.8 I said thy face Lord will I seek Sometimes after a doubtful traverse or conflict with temptations Psa. 73.28 It is good for me to draw near to God I have put my trust in the Lord God Generally 't is a great help against a sluggish and remiss will Christians are so weak and fickle and inconstant because they do not use this help of decreeing or determining for God and binding and ingaging their Souls to live to him VSE It exhorts us 1. To affect our hearts and ravish our thoughts with this great instance of the love of God 'T is the commending circumstance to set it forth John 15.13 Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends And Rom. 5.8 God commended his love towards us that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us God hath not another Son to bestow upon us a better Christ to die for us love is gone to the utmost nor can we be redeemed at a deare rater That we may be affected with it 1. Let us not look upon it only as an act of heroical friendship but in the mediatory notion for so 't is most penetrating and sinketh into the very Soul and that 's the way to draw solid comfort whereas the other only begetteth a little fond admiration we look upon it as an act of generosity and gallantry and that begets an ill Impression in our minds But to look upon it as a mediatorial act breedeth the true broken-hearted sense and thankfulness which God expecteth We all stood guilty before the Tribunal of Divine Justice and he was surrogated by the covenant of redemption and made sin and a curse for us He was to be responsible for our sins according to the pact and agreement between him and his Father Isa. 53.10 There is the covenant of redemption described 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 hand 'T is not to be looked upon as a strange history and so to stir up a little wonder or a little fond pitty as at a tragical story but to fill us with a broken-hearted sense and deep thankfulness that the Son of God should come to recover our forfeited mercies When we were sentenced to death by a righteous Law and had sold our selves to Sathan and cast away the mercies of our creation and by our multiplied rebellions made our selves ready for execution then the Son of God pittyed our case undertook our ransom and paid it to the utmost farthing 2. Consider the Consequent benefits both here and hereafter Isa. 53.5 But he was wounded for our transgrâ—ssions he was bruised for our iniquities and the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed And Rev. 1.5 6. Who hath loved us and washed us in his blood and made us Kings and Priests unto God In the Heavenly Priest-hood nothing will appear in us displeasing to God The love and praise of God will be our whole Imployment In expectation of this happy hour we must begin our sacrifices here 3. Let us not by affected scruples blunt the Edge of our comfort Christians would know too soon their peculiar interest in Gods love whether intended to us and so disoblige our selves from our duty These affected scruples are a sin because secret things do not belong to us but the open declarations of God concerning our duty Deut. 29.29 'T is the part of a deceitful heart to betray a known duty by a scruple we would not do so in case of temporal danger if a boat be overturned we will not make scruples when any come to our help whether they shall be accepted or not Do not refuse your help and cure but improve the offer 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a true and faithful saying Jesus Christ came to save sinners of whom I am chief
as no Temptations do assault or sensual Objects stand up in any considerable strength to intice them but then they bewray their weakness But that Faith that is serious and hearty doth so believe the Promises of the Gospel as to seek Happiness in them to make it his business so to believe the mysteries of our Redemption as to build all his Comfort and Peace upon them so believe the Commands of God as to frame his heart to observe them in short to improve every thing to the use of Holy Living II. The next Theological â—race is Hope Here was an expectation of the Bridegrooms coming as well as a belief of it all Christians profess that they expect Christ to come to Judgment and many desire and hope to be entertained at the Nuptial feast as well as others and hope to goe in with him into coelestial Joyes Now there may be much of this in temporaries not only a bare Profession but some real motions this way Oh how often are they pressed to keep on this joy and comfort Heb. 3.6 Whose house are we if we hold fast the Confidence and rejoycing of the hope firm to the end And Heb. 3.14 For we are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our Confidence stedfast to the end And to maintain it with all serious diligence Heb. 6.11 that it may grow into more certainty But to evidence this to you let us see what Christian Hope is It seems to be described by the Apostle Rom. 2.7 Those that seek for Life and Immortality by patient continuing in well doing or a Looking for the Mercy of God unto Eternal Life Jude 21. Or more formally a certain earnest or desirous expectation of blessedness promised in that way wherein 't is promised We believe there is such a blessedness therefore wait with earnestness and patience 'till it come to pass and exercise our selves with all diligence for the obtaining it True hope ever quickeneth our diligence Act. 24.16 And herein do I exercise my self to have alwayes a Conscience void of offence towards God and towards men Most Interpreters say Hereupon do I exercise my self he had spoken of the hope of Israel so that 't was upon the account of his hope he did use that diligence But more plainly Acts 26.6 7. Vnto which hope our twelve Tribes serving God diligently hope to come A man that hopeth for any thing will earnestly pursue it in the way wherein 't is to be obtained and follow his work close day and night There is an Hope that is but a devout sloth but the true Christian is lively and active 1 Joh. 3.3 He that hath this hope in him purifyeth himself as Christ is pure Ignorant People say they hope well that he that made them shall save them but live as if they fled from Heaven and Salvation but the true hope encourageth us to hold on our course with diligence and chearfulness notwithstanding the troubles and difficulties and temptations we meet with in the way to it They make it their constant work and business now they that are unrenewed may go far in hope especially when they are under the Initial work of the Spirit they may have not only the careless mans hope which is a sleight and superficial hope which groweth upon them they know not how without any warrant or ground nor a dead and cold hope which is the fruit of Opinion a loose and fond conjecture rather than a certain expectation but an Hope that hath some Life in it nor the Presumers hope which is a lazy loytering Hope that severeth the end from the means but may have some lively tasts which for a while sets them a work in the spiritual life but the fault is 't is not so fixed as it should be neither doth it beget in us that constant assiduous labour seriousness and Self-denyal but enough to keep up a blazing Profession but doth not make them so earnest for the Possession of what they hope for III. The third Theological Grace is Love or Charity Love to God and love to our Neighbour there is somewhat of both here they were well affected to the Bridegroom they went forth to meet and carry Lamps before him for his Honour as well as Light and they went in consort and company with their fellow-Virgins So some are so well affected to the wayes of God as to make Profession of them to the People of God so as to walk with them But let me speak of Love to God Love to God is not a fellow-like familiarity but ready subjection to his Laws If ye love me keep my Commandements John 14.15 and 1 Joh. 5.3 For this is Love that we keep his Commandments Now they may so far do this as to make Profession of the wayes of God and walk blameless in them as to men yet strangers to Heart-mortification and a true preference of God in the Soul The knowledge of Christ may make men cleanse their external Conversations but live in secret love with some lusts which they serve in a more cleanly manner They love Happiness more than Holiness they love God but do little for him Labour and Love are often spoken of they have not that active and serious diligence that is commanded in doing the things that please God Then for Love to the Brethren they may magnifie the People of God Acts 5.13 joyn with them and do many offices of Love for them but the Heart needs to be purified before there can be that unfeigned love to the Brethren 1 Pet. 1.22 And 't is not easie to hold on in the wayes of God in all Conditions There are many sins contrary to the grace of Love pride envy self-seeking self-love wrath it must be such a Love as floweth from holy Principles and breaketh out in real performances And this to be carryed out in a Christian manner will be found very hard to doe 2. Second Reason Though a common work may go far 't is not likely to hold out Their Lamps went out and they had no Vessels to supply them Notwithstanding the sudden pangs and fervours and forward Profession of Temporaries yet usually they fail in the issue they believe for a while Luke 8.13 and hope for a while Col. 1.23 If ye continue stedfast and be not moved from the Hope of the Gospel Love for a while Matth. 24.12 The Love of many shall wax cold and good reason partly because they have not the grace to which the Promise of Perseverance is made There is Donum perseverantiae there is such a thing as the gift of Perseverance and 't is assured by Promise to special saving Grace Now they that have not this radicated state of Grace have not this Promise for Christ saith John 4.14 The water that I shall give him shall be a well of water springing up to eternal Life A Cruse may fail a Bucket emptied a Pond dryed up but a Fountain is ever flowing and never dryed
at last As in the Text the foolish Virgins and in the 7th of Matth. The foolish Builder There are four Reasons of this 1. Self-love Which blindeth a man in Judging of his State and actions Pro. 16.2 All the wayes of a man are right in his own eyes 'T is natural to a man to have a good conceit of his own wayes so Pro. 30.12 There is a Generation of men pure in their own eyes yet not washed from their filthiness A man will favour himself be a Parasite to himself A self-suspecting Heart is very rare John 13.23 24. and 2 Sam. 12.7 2. An Overly sense of their Duty and belief of the World to come Temporaries have but a taste of heavenly Doctrine Heb. 6.4 a light tincture the act of their Faith is not so intense and serious as to set them a work with all life and diligence or to enable them to Judge impartially whether they are able to bear the coming of Christ yea or no. Presumption is the Child of Ignorance and Incogitancy they do not consider of the strictness of the Gospel-law or the Impartiality of the last dayes Account there is but a notional sleight superficial uneffectual apprehension of these things An Ignorant person is fool-hardy he doth not weigh the danger 'T is not the greatness of our Confidence but the acuteness of our Sense 3. Want of searching or taking the course whereby we may be undeceived Jer. 8.6 No man repented of his wickedness saying What have I done Yea when searched and their natural face shewed them Jam. 1.23 24 they will not search and try their wayes A Temporary is seldom discovered to himself 'till it be too late but you may find him by these notes usually he is sloathful he is not a laborious Christian sound exercise maketh us feel our Condition he is not self-searching he doth not look into himself he smothereth those misgivings of Heart which he hath and will not consider the Case or return upon himself If they do not search they cannot know themselves if they should search they do not like themselves they chuse the latter 4. Building upon false Evidences or upon sandy foundations A formal Professor may go very far towards Salvation Temporaries may have awakening Grace much trouble about their Condition as Ahab and Judas So many are full of doubts and stinging fears and make their case known would fain be eased of their smart They may have enlightning Grace Heb. 6.7 more than many true Christians have Rom. 2.18 have an approbation of the things that are excellent being instructed out of the Law 2 Tim. 3.5 having a form of Godliness Grammatically and Logically have a clearer understanding of the sence of words the contexture and dependance of Truths be able to defend any sacred Verity and express their minds about it yea some sense of Christ and Heaven and Glory yea they may have affecting grace be wonderfully taken with the glad tydings of the Gospel may have some taste of the Grapes of the good Land may desire to die the death of the Righteous Numb 23.10 desire the bread of life Joh. 6.34 they may delight in holy things Isa. 58.2 as Herod heard the Word which John preached gladly and Mark 6.20 the stony ground heard the Word with joy But they have not renewing Grace heart-transforming Grace sin-mortifying Grace nor world-conquering Grace yet something like these they may have something like transforming grace a Change wrought in them though not such as puts Grace in Sovereignty and Dominion As to Sin-mortifying grace there are some Conflicts with sin and they may sacrifice some of their weaker Lusts yet the Flesh is not crucifyed As to World conquering grace they may profess long hold out against a Persecution 1 Cor. 13.1 If I should give my body to be burnt and have not Charity it profiteth not Compare Acts 19.33 with 2 Tim. 2.10 and 2 Tim. 4.14 Yea they may keep some Profession till death have a good esteem among the People of God and yet the Heart never be throughly subdued to God 1 VSE Oh then let us not be high-minded but fear Rom. 11.20 And let all this that hath been spoken tend to weaken the security of the Flesh but not the Joy of Faith Let it batter down all your false confidence and carnal security by which you are apt to deceive your own Souls and make you build more surely for Heaven Consider 1. God may see that which your selves or men do not For he seeth not as man seeth Others look upon appearance you your selves may be blinded with your own self-love but God knoweth all things seeth all things therefore though thou hast a Name yet perhaps art dead Rev. 3.1 And though we know nothing by our selves yet we are not thereby justified 2 Cor. 4.4 2. How dreadful it is to know our Errour by the Event rather than by a Search The foolish Virgins said to the wise Give us of your Oyl for our Lamps are gone out They began to see their defect when it was too late The foolish Builder that built his House upon the sand his Building made as fair a shew as any but it fell and great was the fall of it So is the Hope of the Hypocrite when God cometh to take away his Soul then they will see and bewail their deceits of Heart but have no time to remedy them Many think they have Godliness enough while they live but when they come to die they will find it little enough and all their false hopes will leave them ashamed 3. We have need again and again to bring the grounds of our Confidence into the sight and view of Conscience that we may be sure they will hold weight Psal. 44.18 Our heart is not turned back neither have our steps declined thy way 2 Cor. 1.12 This is our rejoycing the testimony of our Conscience At least when you suspect your selves how do you make a shift to quiet your Consciences Is it upon solid grounds and such as will bear weight in the day of Christ Many are strongly conceited of themselves when there is little ground for it Luke 13.24 Many shall seek to enter but shall not be able Rev. 3.17 Thou thoughtest that thou wert rich and increased with goods when thou art poor and wretched and blind and naked In a poor case to meet the Bridegroom but they thought themselves in a happy Condition 2 VSE To excite you to this Duty Take these Considerations First Your Cure is not fully wrought you are not yet brought home to God 1 Pet. 3.18 Christ also suffered for sin the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God Secondly To keep to your first beginnings after a long time of growth is to be Babes still Heb. 5.12 13 14. When for the time ye ought to be teachers ye have need to be taught the first Principles of the Oracles of God and are become such as have need of Milk
foolish nor the foolish the wise But every man shall be judged according to what is within him 3. As to the keeping off of temporal Judgments the very Society and Neighbourhood of the Godly may be a Means to respit the wicked Jer. 5.1 Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem and see now and know and seek in the broad places thereof if you can find a man that executeth judgement that seeketh the truth and I will pardon it If they are not pardoned they may be respited for a time So the sentence against Sodom we read that if ten righteous persons had been found therein Gen. 18.32 God would have spared it And God gave Paul the Lives of all them that sailed in the Ship with him for his sake As to temporal things God may stay the Judgment upon others for the Godlies sake though not alwayes for 't is said Ezek. 14.14 Though Noah Daniel and Job stood before me they should deliver but their own Souls by their own righteousness When the Decree was irrevocably past and their provocations grown to an insufferable height So 't is said in the Jewish Proverb That two dry sticks may set a green one on fire To which Christ is supposed to allude when he saith If this be done to the green Tree what shall be done to the dry Well but bating these Cases we shall not be the better for others Righteousness and this is often pressed in Scripture Hab. 2.4 The just shall live by his Faith by his own not by another mans Ezek. 18.20 The Soul that sinneth it shall die the Son shall not bear the iniquity of the Father nor shall the Father bear the iniquity of the Son The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him That is as to eternal Rewards and Punishments every one is to be considered according to their own personal Estate Every Tub shall stand upon its own bottom and every Soul shall be dealt with according to its own capacity So Rom. 14.12 Every one of us shall give an account of himself to God We shall give an account of our own thoughts words and actions not shuffled together by the lump and in gross but every one severally One shall not appear for another as here we may appear by Proctor or Atturney nor the whole Party and Profession for single persons But every one is to give an account of himself apart man by man So Gal. 6.4 5. Let every man approve his own work and then shall he have rejoycing in himself alone and not in another for every man shall bear his own burden We should every one look to his own actions and our own spiritual Estate and frame of Heart To fetch the grounds of our rejoycing from abroad will not be so comfortable and safe to us We are to look to our own selves 1. VSE Is to disprove the Conceit of works of Supererogation or doing more than is required of us to increase the Stock of good Works to be put into the Treasury of the Church as if others should fare the better for their Over-godlying it 2. To disprove the vain and foolish Confidence by which men please themselves in the Goodness of others about them their Relations and Societies in which they live They have friendship with such good People are in relation to such eminent and pious Persons a godly Wife or Husband or Father Matth. 3.9 And think not to say within your selves we have Abraham to our Father No they cannot give us of their Oyl Men will catch at any thing rather than a right Ground of Confidence 2. VSE Is to Exhort us to work out our Salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2.12 or to be more carefull of our own personal Qualification if we would be saved in the day of the Lord. 1. 'T is not enough that Christ engaged for us as the publick Surety of the Church Heb. 7.22 He did some things for us and in our Names that we might take a Bond upon our selves that we may enter our selves Heirs to the Benefits of his Undertaking You must give up your selves to the Lord 2 Cor. 8.5 All that are brought home to God do personally Covenant for themselves Ezek. 20.37 I will cause you to passe under the rod and I will bring you into the bond of the Covenant one by one God would not trust the Jewes with their own choice but would take the tenth that came out of the Fold by course God will not covenant with us in the Lump and mass but man by man 2. 'T is not enough that the Church as a visible political Body professing Faith in Christ doth engage for us Ezek. 16.7 I entred into Covenant with thee and thou becamest mine There is a visible Church-covenanting which is made between God and whole Societies as they do profess submission to Christs Gospel Alas in these Societies there may be many persons whose Souls have not particularly and personally each one for himself entred into Covenant with God therefore we cannot satisfie our selves with this but every one of us must engage himself to the Lord. 3. 'T is not enough that our Parents did engage for us and dedicate us to God in Baptism as they did in their own names and in the names of their little ones Deut. 29.10 11 12. as we devote and dedicate and engage our Children to God in Baptism but this is a work and business that no man can savingly transact for another The engaging of a Soul to Christ is a thing that a man cannot doe by Proxy or Assignee we must personally enter into Covenant with God for our selves or else our Parents Dedication will not profit us we shall be Children of Ethiopians to God though Children of the Covenant Amos 9.7 4. 'T is not enough that we belong to strict and reformed Societies unless we come visibly to ratifie the Covenant in our own Persons by that which the Apostle calleth a professed Subjection to the Gospel of Christ 2 Cor. 13.9 Unless there be an hearty and real subjection as well as a publick professed subjection our company will not save us nor our Church save us Many fall asleep in Christs own Lap that shall awake in flames He looketh to single Persons knoweth his Sheep by Name and whether they obey and follow him yea or no. He considereth the frame of their Hearts and how they stand affected to him My Son give me thy heart Prov. 23.26 'T is the Heart he seeketh for Jer. 30.21 Who is he that hath engaged his Heart to approach unto me saith the Lord. Lastly Consider the distinction Christ will make at the last day between Persons of the same Vicinity Family Religion The one is taken the other left Now to excite you to get Grace into your own hearts consider 1. None is more near to you than your selves God hath made you Guardians of your own Souls We
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
sent From Christ's suing for Glory upon this Argument I might note That we may plead Promises God saith Put me in remembrance There is difference between a Plea and a Challenge Hypocrites challenge God upon the Merit of their Works Believers humbly urge him with his own Promises Not as if God did need excitement to make good his Word but we need grounds of Hope and Confidence Again Because Christ asketh nothing but what God will give I might observe That when we have done our Work we may expect our portion of Glory But I rather come to the particular discussion of the Words The words may be considered in a Mediatory or in a Moral Sence In a Mediatory sence so they are proper to Christ he prayed to the Father that thy Son may glorify thee Vers. 1. Now he saith I have glorified thee meaning in the days of his Flesh. By a Moral Accommodation they may be applied to every Christian every Christian should say as Christ I have glorified thee on the Earth I have finished the Work which thou gavest me to do First And which is most proper Let us consider them in the Mystical and Mediatory sense The first Phrase is I have glorified thee Christ glorified God many ways by his Person as being the express Image of his Father's Glory Heb. 1.3 By his Life and perfect Obedience John 8.46 Which of you convinceth me of Sin And Vers. 49. I have not a Devil but I honour my Father By discovering his Mercy John 1.14 We beheld his Glory the Glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth By his Miracles then the sick of the Palsy was cured it is said the multitude glorified God Mat. 9.8 Mark 15.31 at other Miracles they glorified the God of Israel Mark 2.12 So his Passion exceedingly glorified God's Justice In his Doctrine by discovering his glorious Essence and the Purity of his Worship The System of Divinity was much perfected and advanced by the coming of Christ. Doct. That God was much glorified in Christ. God was much glorified in the Creation of the World Psal. 19.1 The Heavens declare the Glory of the Lord and the Firmament sheweth his handy-work The Fabrick of the whole World especially of the Heavens declares his Goodness Wisdom and Power His Goodness in communicating Being to all Creatures Life and Motion to some His Wisdom in making the Creatures so various and so excellent in their general kinds His Power in educing all things out of the Womb of Mother Nothing God was glorified in his Providences especially in the great Deliverances of the Church from Egypt and from the North but mostly in Christ Redemption being the most noble Work with which he was ever acquainted It is notable that the Spirit of God in Scripture often varieth the Expression at first it was Blessed be God that made Heaven and Earth then I am the God that brought thee out of the Land of Egypt then it is Jer. 16.14 15. It shall no more be said The Lord liveth that brought up the Children of Israel out of the Land of Egypt But the Lord liveth that brought up the Children of Israel from the Land of the North then it is Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Ephes. 1.3 In Creation the Wisdom Goodness and Power of God appeared there was no need of other Attributes In Providence the Justice Mercy and Truth of God appears but these in Christ in a more raised degree In Creation the Object was pure Nothing as there was no help so no hindrance but now in Redemption Sin hinders so that here is shown not only Goodness but Mercy In Creation we deserve nothing now we deserve the contrary There was more Wisdom seen in our Redemption The Quarrel taken up between Justice and Mercy Mercy would pity and Justice could not spare In Redemption there is more Power in Creation Man is taken out of the Earth in Redemption out of Hell God's Justice opposed Redemption Christ must be sent to satisfy Justice and the Spirit sent to take away Unbelief God made all with a Word he saved all with a Plot of Grace In Creation Man was made like God in Redemption God is made like Man No Deliverance like this Babylon was nothing to Hell and the Brick-kilns of Egypt to the Lake that burneth with Fire and Brimstone When God delivered his People out of Babylon he had to do with Creatures when he delivered them from the Wrath to come he had to do with Himself Justice put in high Demands against the compassions of Mercy his own Son must die with the Wrath of God and his own Spirit must be grieved in wrestling with the Denials of Men. Instead of our own Obedience we have the Merit of Christ. Oh here are depths of Mystery and Wonder Vse God loseth no honour by Christ. God hath more Glory and we have larger Demesnes of Comfort and Grace to live upon All Parties are satisfied we have a better Portion Adam had Paradise we have Heaven God hath more Glory the Creatures are more acquainted with the infiniteness of Mercy Power and Wisdom Innocence continued had been a great benefit but now it is more gracious and free and it is not the greatness of a Benefit that worketh on Gratitude so much as the graciousness and freeness of it Our Heaven costeth a greater price and it is not given to God's Friends but those that were once his Enemies On Earth This Phrase signifieth that Christ did not increase God's Essential Glory for that is uncapable of any addition his Nature is infinite and cannot be made more glorious and excellent but only that Christ manifested his Glory more fully to the World Observe Christ came down from Heaven to make Men glorify God We had Lesson enough before us in Creation and Providence but Men were stupid Things to which we are accustomed do not work upon us in the Gospel God would set his Praise to a new Tune God needeth us not and our Respects are due and yet at what cost is God to purchase the Praise of the Creature Blind and unthankful Men to dethrone the great God and set up every paltry Creature Therefore God sent his Son to revive the Notions of the Godhead and to give us further manifestations of his Glory That was Christ's Errand to glorify him on the Earth I have finished the Work Christ's Work was to manifest the Gospel and to redeem Sinners and how can he say I have finished the Work seeing the chief Work of Redemption was yet to come the offering up himself to Divine Justice upon the Cross I Answer He had determined to undergo Death and it was now at hand in the consent and full determination of his Will it was done So upon the Cross just before his Death he crieth It was finished John 19.30 It implieth 1. The Submission Faithfulness and Diligence of Christ he never left doing of
some live by Manual Labours others by more Noble Employments as Magistrates Ministers who study for Publick Good Manual Labour is not required of all because it is a thing that is not required propter se as simply good and necessary but propter aliud as for Maintenance and Support of Life to ease others and to supply the Uses of Charity Ephes. 4.28 Let him that stole steal no more but rather let him labour working with his Hands the thing that is good that he may have to give to him that needeth When the Ends of Labour cannot otherwise be obtained then Handy-Labour is required All others are to serve their Generation according to the Will of God Acts 13.26 As Instruments of Providence to serve the Common Good to promote the Welfare of their Family Neighbourhood Country Those that spend their whole Life in Eating Drinking Sporting and Sleeping are guilty of brutish Idleness one of Sodom's Sins Ezek. 16.49 Behold this was the Iniquity of thy Sister Sodom Pride Fulness of Bread and abundance of Idleness was in her and in her Daughters And therefore those that are freed from Service and Handy-Labour are not freed from Work and Business If any Man must be allowed to be Idle then one Member must be lost in the Body Politick A Man is born a Member of some Society Family or City and is to seek the good of it he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 a confusion but all have their Use either as an Eye or as a Hand or as a Tooth So in the Body Politick no Member may be useless they must have one Function or another wherein to imploy themselves otherwise they are unprofitable Burdens of the Earth Again every Man is more or less intrusted with a Gift which he is to exercise and improve for the good of others and at the day of Judgment he is to give up his Accounts as you may learn from the Parable of the Talents Mat. 25. If he hath but one Talent it must not be hidden in a Napkin Well then if every Man hath a Gift for which he is accountable to God he must have a Calling 1 Cor. 7.17 But as God hath distributed to every Man as the Lord hath called every Man so let him walk and chuse his state of Life Besides a Calling is necessary to prevent the Mischiefs of Idleness and those Inconveniences that follow Men not employed Standing Pools are apt to putrify but running Waters are sweetest an idle Man is a Burden to Himself a Prey to Satan a Grief to the Spirit of God a Mischief to others He is a Burden to himself for he knoweth not what to do with his Time in the Morning he says Would God it were Evening and in the Evening would God it were Morning The Mind is like a Mill when it wanteth Corn it grindeth upon it self He is a Prey to Satan the House is emptied swept and garnished And then he goeth and taketh with himself seven other Spirits more wicked than himself and they enter in and dwell there Mat. 12.44 45. The Devil findeth them at leisure When David was idle on the Tarras he was tempted to Adultery Birds are seldom taken in their Flight but when they pitch and rest on the Ground He is a Grief to God's Spirit Ephes. 4.28 Let him that stole steal no more but rather let him labour working with his Hands that he may have to give to him that needeth with Vers. 30. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God Idle Men quench the vigor of their Natural Gifts and lose those Abilities that are bestowed on them He is a Mischief to Others 2 Thess. 3.11 For we hear there are some that walk among you disorderly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 working not at all but are busy-bodies They that do nothing will do too much no Work maketh way for ill Work or for Censure and busy inquisition into other Mens Actions and so they prove the Fire-brands of Contention and unneighbourly Quarrels There must be a Calling and a Work to do 3. This Work is given them by God He appointeth to every one his Task and will be glorified by no Works but what are by himself assigned to them in their Station 1. By his Word 2. By his Providence 1. By his Word There is no calling and course of Service good but what is agreeable to the Word of God Psal. 119.105 Thy Word is a Light unto my Feet and a Lamp unto my Paths We must not settle in a sinful course of Life Men may tolerate Evil Callings but God never appointed them As for instance if any Calling and Course of Life be against Piety Temperance Justice it is against the Word Titus 2.12 Teaching us that denying Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present World Against Piety as to be an Idolatrous Priest or to make Shrines for Idols which was Demetrius his Calling in Ephesus and Tertullian in his Book de Idolatria sheweth this was the practice of many Christians to get their Livings by making Statues and Images and other Ornaments to sell to Heathen Idolaters Against Justice as Piâ—â—cy Usury and other oppressive Courses Against Sobriety as such Callings as meerly tend to feed the Luxury Pride and Vanity of Men so Mountebanks Comedians Stage-Players It were endless to instance in all In general the Calling must be good and lawful 2. By his Providence which ruleth in every thing that falleth out even to the least Matters especially hath the Lord a great Hand in Callings and appointing to every one his Estate and Condition of Life In Paradise God set Adam his Work to dress and prune the Trees of the Garden Gen. 2.15 And still he doth not only give Abilities and special Inclinations but also disposeth of the Education of the Parent and the Passages of Mens Lives to bring them to such a Calling Isa. 54.16 Behold I have created the Smith that bloweth the Coals in the Fire and that bringeth forth an Instrument for his Work Common Trades and Crafts are from the Lord. The Heathens had a several God for every several Trade as the Papists now have a tutelar Saint but they rob God of his Honour he giveth the Faculty and the Blessing Isa. 28.24 to the end His God doth instruct him to discretion and doth teach him c. He giveth the State and appointeth the Work Your particular Estate and Condition of Life doth not come by Chance or by the Care Will and Pleasure of Man but the Ordination of God without whom a Sparrow cannot fall to the Ground In the higher Callings of Ministry and Magistracy there is a greater solemnity But how should a Man glorify God in his Place and Station wherein God hath set him Answ. 1. Be
have finished the work that thou gavest me to do The greatest work that ever could be done if you respect the importance of it The creating of a thousand Worlds would not bring in such a Revenue to Heaven as this one work of Redemption Or the difficulty of it the Son of God to be made Flesh Sin a Curse States most abhorrent from the Felicity of the Divine Nature Or his willingness to undertake it Lo I come to do thy Will He longed to be at it tho he had infinite complacency in the Bosom of the Father yet as soon as God had made an habitable World Prov. 8.30 31. There I was by him as one brought up with him and I was daily his delight rejoicing always before him Rejoicing in the habitable part of his Earth and my delights were with the Sons of Men. He longed for that time when he might leave the company of Angels and dwell among us and feasted himself with the thoughts of his own Grace And with so much faithfulness I not only finished the Work but glorified thee all he did was for his Father's Glory This could Christ plead as the ground of his Requests he hath paid for all that he asketh not only made satisfaction for Sin but given a price for Glory He cannot out-ask his own Merit his Blood speaketh if Christ should hold his peace Heb. 12.24 And to the Blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel ' s. As clamorous as Abel's Blood for Vengeance It doth not speak against us tho we have made him to serve with our Iniquities but speaks the more for us to pacify his Wrath to pardon us and to do us good 3. The Sublimity of his Office It is an Authoritative Act. God hath always refused such Mediation as is not authorized by himself When Moses interposed for the Children of Israel said God Exod. 32.10 Let me alone that my Wrath may wax bot against them Because he would reserve this honour for him who alone hath this Office under the Broad Seal of Heaven So it is very notable that Christ refused all Mediation to him in the days of his Flesh. As of his Apostles Mat. 15.23 His Disciples came and besought him saying Send her away for she crieth after us c. But Christ would shew that he was sollicitous enough for the welfare of Sinners he needed no Intercessors So his own Mother when she interposed for the Honour of the Wedding John 2.4 Woman saith he What have I to do with thee As if he had said Cannot I do it without your intermedling In these Answers Christ would shew that he would have Sinners come of themselves without any mediation of their Fellow-Creatures they being no authorized Mediators God alloweth no other Mediator of Redemption but Christ and Christ no other Mediator of Intercession but himself It is Sacriledg in the Papists to set up others none is worthy to appear before God but Christ and how unworthy soever we are Christ will have us to come to himself God hath set him up for this purpose and no Copartners are allowed As it was said to Vzziah 2 Chron. 26.18 It pertaineth not to thee to burn Incense but to the Priests the Sons of Aaron that are consecrated to burn Incense Incense could be offered by no other but a Priest and our Prayers by none but by Christ. Heb. 7.28 The Law maketh Men Priests which have Infirmity but the Word of the Oath which was since the Law maketh the Son who is consecrated for ever-more Christ is consecrated by an Oath to abide ever-more in the Office which Oath is renewed and confirmed upon his return to Heaven Psal. 110.4 The Lord hath sworn and will not repent Thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedeck compared with Vers. 1. God will never repent of dispensing Grace in and through him to Sinners as long as Christ's Consecration lasteth none must meddle with his Office 4. The Articles of the Covenant or the Promise of being heard Therefore Christ speaketh with such Confidence John 11.42 I know that thou hearest me always and Psal. 2.8 Ask of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance c. There was a Covenant drawn up between God and Christ the Lord promised him as the Fruit of his Labours and Sufferings that he should obtain all manner of Grace for his People All these things shew us the Advantages of having such a Mediator and Intercessor Secondly The Nature of Christ's Intercession It is a part of his Priestly Office of which there were two Acts Oblation and Intercession Oblation was made once on the Altar of the Cross and Intercession is the continuation of his Sacrifice or the presenting it in Heaven It must be explained by Analogy to the Priests of the Law The Sacrifice was slain without the Camp and then the Priests were to enter with the Blood within the Vail into the Holy of Holies with sweet Incense and so to cause a Cloud to arise over the Mercy Seat But Christ being come an High Priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect Tabernacle not made with hands that is to say not of this Building Neither by the Blood of Goats and Calves but by his own Blood he entred in once into the Holy Place having obtained eternal Redemption for us Heb. 9.11 12. Jesus Christ having offered up himself upon the Cross where he was both Priest and Sacrifice he is gone within the Vail Not into the Holy Places made with Hands which are the Figures of the True but into Heaven it self now to appear before the Presence of God for us Heb. 9.24 It is not a vocal but a real Intercession Christ is gone into Heaven and there presents his Person both in our Nature and his own together with his Merits lifting up Desires which are as a Cloud of Incense before the Mercy-Seat for our Comfort and Salvation Rev. 8.3 And another Angel came and stood at the Altar having a Golden Censer and there was given unto him much Incense that he should offer it with the Prayers of all Saints upon the Golden Altar which was before the Throne The High Priest entred not for himself but for the People having the Names of the Twelve Tribes upon his Breast and Shoulders So Christ is entred on the behalf of us all bearing the particular Memorial of every Saint graven upon his Heart The High Priest staid within the Sanctuary for a short time and so came out to bless the People Christ entred within the Vail at his Ascension and we must wait till his coming out to bless us which will be at the Day of Judgment All this while he hath his Residence in Heaven and then he will open to us and give us entrance So that Christ's Intercession is A constant representation of his Merit for the pardon of our Sins and for our Acceptance together with strong Desires
the strength of Desire Many of God's Children are tempted to make away themselves but I never heard of any that were tempted to make away themselves in the heighth of Assurance or out of the vehemency of Spiritual Desire tho the present Life be accompanied with many Vexations and Afflictions Despair maketh Men to lay violent Hands on themselves but not Assurance as Saul fell upon his Sword and Achitophel went home and hanged himself and Judas was his own Executioner But Assurance tho it desireth God's presence yet it tarrieth God's leisure Waiting is a Fruit of Faith as well as Confidence Spiritual Desires are always conceived with Submission and Obedience if God hath more work they can brook the delay of the Reward and tarry for their Wages I remember a Passage of a Heathen of Tully in his Somnium Scipionis when Scipio had said If true Life be only in Heaven why stay I then upon Earth why haste I not to come to you No saith his Father unless God free thee from the Fetters of thy Body thou canst not come hither Men are born and bred upon this Condition that they should promote the good of the World You must not fly from the Duty assigned by God the Soul is to be kept in the custody of the Body till it be commanded thence by God that gave it at first This was his saying and indeed it is wonderful Christians learn to wait Gâ—d's leisure it is better to be with Christ but you must not look for your Wages till you have done your Work When a Sentinel is set upon the Watch he must not come off without the Commander's leave and till he is discharged by Authority God hath set us in a Watch and we must not leave our Ground till we have done all that is injoined us till we receive a fair Discharge This Point will serve to open two Cases 1. Case Whether Men confessing Christ may make away themselves to avoid the cruel Torments of their Persecutors and they know not certainly what their strength may be able to sustain This was a great Case in the Primitive Times and it may be still of use Eusebius telleth us lib. 8. cap. 24. that in the Time of Dioclesian's Persecution which was very bloody and cruel there were divers that procured Death to themselves by leaping down from Losts and high Places or else thrust themselves through with Knives or Swords I Answer This is sinful Christ prayeth not that his Disciples might be taken out of the World but kept from the Evil. The sinfulness appeareth 1. Because this is an Act of Disobedience contrary to the Law of God Thou shalt not kill now the more unnatural any Act is the greater is the Crime A Man is not Lord of Life and Death 2. It is an Act of Distrust 1 Cor. 10.13 There hath no Temptation taken you but such as is common to Men but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able but will with the Temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it God will either temper the Affliction to our strength or raise our strength to the degree of the Affliction Christ hath laid in this Prayer for our encouragement in this Case Keep them from the Evil it is a making haste as if God would not be faithful but require Brick where he giveth no Straw 3. It is a disparagement and dishonour to the Cause which we maintain It robbeth God of a great deal of Glory when he calleth us out to shew our Love to him to take our Lives out of God's Hands when he claimeth them Rom. 14. 7 8. For none of us liveth to himself and no Man dieth to himself For whether we live we live unto the Lord and whether we die we die unto the Lord whether we live therefore or die we are the Lord 's Providence hath singled you out to be Witnesses God by his Providence challengeth his due It is a retracting of your Vows And therefore tho God may be merciful to the Soul yet the Act is unnatural and sinful and base when God hath drawn you out to be him Champions and Witnesses to the World 2. Case is about wishing for Death You know the Law doth not only forbid Acts but Thoughts and Desires Therefore is it lawful to long for Death and Dissolution We find Instances on both Hands in the Scriptures The murmuring Israelites are taxed Exod. 16.3 Would to God we had died by the Hand of the Lord in the Land of Egypt And it is usual for Men in a pet to wish themselves dead to curse the day of their Birth and long for the day of their Death On the other side Paul out of a spiritual Affection desireth to be dissolved and to be with Christ. Phil. 1.23 I have a desire to depart and to be with Christ. What shall we say in this case I Answer in several Propositions 1. There is a great deal of difference between serious Desires and passionate Expressions The Desires of the Children of God are deliberate and resolved conceived upon good grounds and after much strugling with Flesh and Blood to bring their Hearts to it Carnal Men are loth that God should take them at their word as he in the Fable that called for Death and when he came desired him to help him up with his Burden Alas they do not consider what it is to be in the state of the Dead and to come unprovided and unfurnished into God's Presence We often wish our selves in our Graves but if God should take us at our word we would make many Pauses and Exceptions Men that in their Miseries call for Death when Sickness cometh will run to the Physician many Gifts are promised if Life could be restored None more unwilling to die than those that in a Passion wish for Death 2. We must carefully look to the grounds of these Wishes and Desires Carnal Wishes for Death arise either 1. Out of violent Anger and a pet against Providence as Jonah 4.3 Therefore now O Lord take I besâ—ech thee my Life from me for it is better for me to die than to live And Vers. 8. He fainted and wished â—n himself to die and said It is better for me to die than to live The murmuring Israelites when they felt the Famine of the Wilderness wished they had died in the Land of Egypt When Men are vexed with the World they look upon Death as a Release to take vengeance upon God to deprive him of a Servant 2. In deep Sorrow as Job 3.11 Why died I not from the Womb Why did I not give up the Ghost when I came out of the Belly And Job 6.8 9. O that I might have my Request and that God would grant me the thing that I long for Ever that it would please God to destroy me that he would let loose his Hand and câ—â—â—e off Elisha 1 Kings 19.4 He
the Sickness as being the chief of the kind Before I come to the Observations I must clear up the latter part of the Text Thy Word is Truth Why is this added I Answer Either by way of Explication or by way of Argument and Reason 1. By way of Explication Christ would pray intelligibly some might ask as Pilate did What is Truth John 18.38 Christ answereth Thy VVord is Truth The Word is the authentik and publick Record of the Church the Truth whereby we are sanctified is no where else to be found all pretended Truths are hereby to be examined 2. Or else by way of Argument and Reason why Christ would have them to be sanctified by the Truth that they might have a saving experience of the Power of it and so the better preach it to others then we know the Truth of the Word when it sanctifieth This premised I come to the Point Doctrine That God sanctifieth by his Truth I shall open the Point in these Propositions 1. God's way of working is by Light and in infusing Grace he beginneth with the Understanding He dealeth with Man as a rational Creature and therefore not only teacheth but draweth and sanctifieth the Heart by enlightning the Mind As the rising of the Sun doth not only dispel Darkness but Mists and Vapors so doth a saving Light not only dispel Ignorance but Lusts. This way is Spiritual Life begun Ephes. 5.14 Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the Dead and Christ shall give thee Light A Man would have thought the Apostle should rather have said and Christ shall give thee Life than give thee Light It is the Apostle's word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall shine upon thee rather than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall quicken thee But Light is enough the Power of Grace breaketh in upon the Soul by the Light of the Gospel As it is said of the Natural Life John 1.4 In him was Life and the Life was the Light of Men. Reason and Understanding are the Fountain of Life to Men so is Spiritual Reason and Spiritual Understanding to the Soul If the Mind of a Man were once Spiritual inlightned and possessed of the Ways of God the Heart could not utterly reject them There is a notional Illumination that like a Winter-Sun shineth but warmeth not leaveth no comfort and profit upon the Heart But a Spiriâ—â—al Light is always effectual for tho the Will and the Judgment are distinct Facâ—lties and the Will is averse as the Understanding is blind yet God doth never soundly and throughly convince the Judgment but he moveth and inclineth the Will If we know things as we ought to know as the Truth is in Jesus Ephes. 4.21 the Heart must needs close with the Ways of God for the Will of Man is not brutish but reasonable and acteth reasonably Answerably â—o the discovery of Good or Ill in the Understanding there is a Prosecution or Aversation in the Will Therefore a through conviction of Judgment must be the ground of Grace in the Heart for God worketh in us not only by a powerful and real Efficacy but agreeably to an intelligent Nature by teaching perswading counselling nothing can be wrought in this moral way unless Light and Knowledg go before 2. It must be a true and not a false Light Truth sanctifieth and Error defileth Titus 1.1 According to the acknowledgment of the Truth that is after Godliness Right thoughts of God and his Ways preserve an awe in the Heart which both restraineth and reneweth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Chrysostom It is Truth that cleanseth the Heart Error leaveth a stain and defilement The Understanding and the Will are like the Head and Stomach a corrupt Heart blindeth the Mind and a blind Mind corrupts the Heart they mutually vitiate one another As in a ruinous House the upper Room being uncovered lets down the Rain to founder the Supporters â—â—low and the rottenness of the Supporters below weakeneth all above Erroneous Persons are generally represented in Scripture as vain and sensual Jude 8. These filthy Dreamers defile the Flesh First there is Dreaming and then Defilement Error maketh way for Looseness and a vain Mind for vile Affections Partly by God's just Judgment some Opinions seem to be remote and lie far enough from practice yet the Persons that profess them are generally loose Nay some Errors seem to encourage strictness as Doctrines concerning the Power of Nature and the Merit of good Actions but we find it is otherwise Duty is best pressed upon God's Terms Phil. 2.12 13. Wherefore my Beloved as ye have always obeyed not as in my presence only but now much more in my absence work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his own good pleasure By the Judgment of God such are of loosest Life God will have his Glory kept unstained Idolatry is expressed by Whoredom Bodily Uncleanness ends in Spiritual Hosea 4.12 13. My People ask counsel of their Stocks and their Staff declareth unto them for the Spirit of Whoredoms have caused them to err and they go a whoring from under their God They sacrifice upon the tops of the Mountains and burn Incense upon the Hills under Oaks and Poplars and Elms because the shadow thereof is good Therefore your Daughters shall commit Whoredoms and your Spouses shall commit Adultery So Rom. 1.23 24. They changed the Glory of the uncorruptible God into an Image made like to corruptible Man and to Birds and four-footed Beasts and creeping things Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the Lusts of their own Hearts to dishonour their own Bodies between themselves Partly by a natural Efficacy the Spirit is embased by Error and all false Principles have a secret and pestilential influence on the Life and Practice We lose a sense and care of Piety if we have not a right apprehension of God's Essence and Will a frame of Truth keepeth an awe Therefore where there is so much Truth as to sanctify yet because it is mingled with Falshood there is no such reverence of God no such strictness Unbelief is the Mother of Sin Misbelief is the Nurse of it In Error there is a sinful confederacy between the rational and the sensual Part and so carnal Affections are gratified with carnal Doctrines 3. Every true Light will not serve the turn but it must be the Light of the Word God hath reserved this honour of sanctifying the Heart to the Doctrine of the Scriptures to evidence their Divine Original James 1.18 Of his own Will begaâ— he 〈◊〉 with the Word of Truth The great change that is wrought in the Heart of Man is by the Word a Moral Lecture may make a Man change his Life but the Word of God maketh a Man change his Heart as Xenocrates's Moral Lectures made Pollemo leave his vitious and sensual course of Life But Regeneration is only found in
the Institution must be carefully observed if we would have the Blessing God is said to imploy not only those who are called extraordinarily but in the ordinary way The Elders of Ephesus had no extraordinary Call yet it is said The Holy Ghost had made them Overseers Acts 20.28 2. In respect of Satan He will soon spy out our want of Commission as he did in the Sons of Sceva Acts 19.14 15. Jesus I know and Paul I know but who are ye I know Jesus as the Lord Paul as an authorized Minister one that had a lawful Commission But who are ye And then the Devil fell upon them and wounded them Vers. 16. It is true we have not such visible Instances of the Devil's Power now as then because God rules the World now by Wisdom not by Power but yet we may observe the secret Power of the Devil upon those that run of their own accord and venture upon the Office of the Ministry without a Call None are more apt to be led aside into Errors and those of the grossest Nature than those that venture upon this Office without a Call Origen's Errors are by many ascribed to his neglect or want of Ordination And the Arrians saith the Synod of Alexandria were Fabrose vitro â—â—ae creationis infamous for want of a right Call to the Ministry and therefore fell into that damnable Error 3. In regard of your selves that you may digest Difficulties with the more Patience You can never endure any thing with comfort but when you can thus say I am in God's way doing God's Work This is a great ground of Patience Conscience in a time of Danger will take hold of the least faulty Circumstance Vzzah had little comfort in his stroke because he was out of God's way Jude 11. Wo unto them for they have gone in the way of Cain c. and perished in the Gainsaying of Korah Korah was a sad instance 4. In respect of the Church This External Mission is necessary that the Church may receive you comfortably It is made a Character of Christ's Sheep not to hear the Voice of a Stranger John 10.5 nor of such as do not enter in by the Door Vers. 1. And in the Old Testament it is often said Hearken not to them for I have not sent them In the Primitive Church this was strictly observed When Chrysostom was banished and Arsanius unduly succeeded him the People would not so much as hear him Theodoret witnesseth that some of them would rather go into Banishment than join with him in Publick Worship So when Felix was set over Rome instead of Liberius against the Consent of the Church the People would not enter while he was present tho Felix was Orthodox and nothing could be objected against his Doctrine This Instance is approved by Luther in his Comment on the Psalms of Degrees and in his way of Expression he saith the same should be done to an Angel or Arch-Angel tho he came with never so good Tidings if we knew they came without lawful Commission Vse 1. Information in two things that the Ministry is an Office and a standing Office 1. The Ministry is an Office not a Work of Charity which every one must perform there must be fit Persons sent therefore it is said Acts 10.41 that Christ appeared Not to all the People but unto Witnesses chosen before of God whom he commanded to preach unto the People Therefore he that cannot say he is chosen of God for this work must not take this honour upon him lest he run before he be sent and so they do but prattle not preach for Preaching is an Ordinance So the Lord said to Ananias concerning Paul Acts 9.15 He is a chosen Vessel before me to bear my Name before the Gentiles and Kings and the Children of Israel He is called a chosen Vessel not in regard of Eternal Election but in regard of Designation to the Work of the Gospel Every one is bound by the Law of Charity to use his Gifts to the edification of others but still in a regular way A King hath many Subjects but all his Subjects are not Courtiers and special Servants All Members of the Church are Subjects of Christ's Kingdom but all are not Officers for these are chosen Members 2. That the Ministry is a standing Office When Christ was about to depart then he sendeth Apostles with a Promise that he would be with them to the end of the World He sendeth them that they may send others and so continue the Succession So that the Apostles are not only sent by Christ but the Ministers of the Gospel virtually being sent by Christ's Deputies as they are the King's Officers that are not only immediately created by the King but by his Power Still God hath ever had an ordinary standing Ministry in the Church In the Old Testament there were not only Prophets that were immediately called to deliver God's Message and to write Scripture but an ordinary Ministry to open the Law and the Prophets and to preserve Knowledg in the Church Mat. 2.6 7. The Law of the Truth was in his Mouth and Iniquity was not found in his Lips c. For the Priest's Lips should keep Knowledg and they should seek the Law at his Mouth for he is the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts Therefore the ordinary Levites are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Teachers of the Law In the New Testament Christ gave not only Apostles to write Scripture but Pastors and Teachers to open Scripture Ephes. 4.11 He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists ad some Pastors and Teachers The Bible is not enough for your Edification without this Institution the same Christ that instituted Apostles to write Scripture instituted Pastors and Teachers to open and apply Scripture This is always necessary tho Religion be never so throughly planted in a Nation for we need continual Remembranceâ—s And the end of Preaching is not only to learn what we knew not before but that we may have Spiritual Things always before our Eyes and in the view and consideration of Conscience and that the Heart be always kept lively and soft and tender by the frequent droppings of the Word and that we may receive new Influences of Grace in God's Way Yea for Nations how soon would they degenerate without a Monitor and standing Ministry and all Things would be wrapt up in Error and Darkness This was the first occasion of Idolatry among the Nations when their Monitors ceased and Religion began to be confined to a few Families Experience will best shew the necessity of such a standing Office in the Church Vse 2. Reproof of those that invade the Minister's Office and of those that countenance them Jude says of them They perished in the gainsaying of Corah Jude 11. God's Judgments will overtake them Corah's Sin was levelling of Offices in the Church All the Lord's People are holy why should any take a special Office
before Hill or Mountain were brought forth Prov. 8.30 31. Then was I with him as one brought up with him and I was daily his delight rejoicing alway before him Rejoicing in the habitable part of his Earth c. As two that are brâ—d up together take delight in one another 2. As Mediator he loveth the Humane Nature of Christ freely the first Object of Election was the Flesh of Christ assumed into the Divine Person Col. 1.19 I pleased the Father that in him should all Fulness dwell it deserved not to be united to the Divine Person When it was united the Dignity and Holiness of his Person deserved Love There was the Fulness of the Godhead in him bodily the Spirit without measure all that is lovely And then besides the Excellency of his Person there was the Merit of his Obedience he deserved to be loved by the Father for doing his Work John 10.17 Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my Life that I might take it again that was a new ground of Love Christ's Love to us was a fâ—rther cause of God's Love to him Thus you see how God loveth Christ. Vse 1. It giveth us confidence in both Parts of Christ's Priestly Office his Oblation and Intercession His Oblation Mat. 3.17 This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased God hath proclaimed it from Heaven that he is well-pleased with Christ's standing in our room tho so highly offended with us and with him for our sake Eph. 1.6 To the praise of the Glory of his Grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved All that come under his Shadow will be accepted with God He is beloved and will be accepted in all that he doth his being beloved answereth our being unworthy of Love surely he will love us for his sake who hath purchased Love for us His Intercession if the Father loveth Christ we may be confident of those Petitions we put up in his Name John 16.23 Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name he will give it you Our Advocate is beloved of God When we pray in the Name of Christ according to the Will of God our Prayer is in effect Christ's Prayer If you send a Child or a Servant to a Friend for any Thing in your Name the Request is yours and he that denieth the Child or Servant denieth you When we come in a sense of our own Unworthiness on the score and account of being Christ's Disciples and with an high estimation of Christ's Worth and Credit with the Father and that he will own us that Prayer will get a good Answer Vse 2. It is a Pledg of the Father's Love to us and if God gave Christ that was so dear to him what can he with-hold Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his own Son but gave him up to the Death for us all how will he not with him also freely give us all things He spared him not the Son of his Love was forsaken and under Wrath and will he then stick at any thing God's Love is like himself infinite it is not to be measured by the affection of a Carnal Parent Yet he gave up Christ Love goeth to the utmost had he a greater Gift he would have given it How could he shew us Love more than in giving such a Gift as Christ John 16.22 The Father himself loveth you because ye have loved me and have believed that I came forth from God God hath a respect for those that believe in Christ and receive him as the Son of God Vse 3. It is an Engagement to us to love the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 16.22 If any Man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha Shall we undervalue Christ who is so dear and precious with God Let us love him as God loved him 1. God loved him so as to put all Things into his Hands John 3.35 The Father loveth the Son and hath put all things into his Hand Let us own him in his Person and Office and trust him with our Souls He is intrusted with a Charge concerning the Elect in whose Hands are your Souls 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day 2. God hath loved him so as to make him the great Mediator to end all Differences between God and Man God hath owned him from Heaven Mat. 3.17 This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased Do you love him so as to make use of him in your Communion with God Heb. 7.25 Wherefore he is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God through him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for us That is the sum of all Religion 3. God loveth him so as to glorify him in the Eyes of the World John 5.22 23. The Father judgeth no Man but hath committed all Judgment to the Son 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 Do you honour him Phil. 1.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To me to live is Christ should be every Christian's Motto This is Love and not an empty Profession Christ will take notice of it and report it in Heaven it is an endearing Argument when the Father's Ends are complied with John 17.10 And all thine are mine and mine are thine and I am glorified in them SERMON XL. JOHN XVII 23 I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one and that the World may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me I Come now to the Second Observation That God loveth the Saints as he loved Christ. The Expression is stupendous therefore divers Interpreters have sought to mitigate it and to bring it down to a commodous Interpretation First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As is a Note of Causality as well as Similitude He loveth us because he loved Christ. Therefore it is said Ephes. 1.6 He hath made us accepted in the Beloved The Elect are made lovely and fit to be accepted by God only by Jesus Christ accepted both in our State and Actions as we are reconciled to him and all that we do is taken in good part for Christ's sake who was sent and intrusted by the Father to procure this favour for us and did all which was necessary to obtain in The Ground of all that Love God beareth to us is for Christ's sake There is indeed an Antecedent Love shewed in giving us to Christ and Christ to us John 3.16 For God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting Life The first Cause of Christ's Love to us was Obedience to the Father the Son loved us because the Father required it Tho afterwards God loved us because Christ merited it
he loveth him as Mediator and Head of the Church he doth not only love us in Christ but in a sort he loveth Christ in us because of the complacency that he took in his Obedience John 10.17 Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my Life that I might take it again God did therefore eternally love him and glorify his Manhood for his Love to us 2. In God's loving Christ he loved us We are elected in him before the Foundation of the World Ephes. 1.4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the Foundation of the World When God chose Christ to be Mediator he chose us in Christ. This is the Method of the Divine Decrees God from all Eternity resolved to create Man pure and innocent but with a changeable Will to permit him to fall and he resolved on the Remedy Christ and in Christ to receive them to Grace and accept them to Life again First he loveth Christ and then us in him as a King doth not only love a Subject that hath done him Service but all his Friends and Kindred they are brought to Court and preferred for his sake 3. This Love to us was Eternal also 2 Tim. 1.9 Who hath saved us and called us with an Holy Calling not according to our Works but according to his own Purpose and Grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the World began So Titus 1.2 In hope of Eternal Life which God that cannot lie promised before the World began But how then are we Children of Wrath by Nature the Elect as well as others Ephes. 2.3 And were by Nature Children of Wrath even as others Answ. That sheweth the Merit of the natural Estate not the Purpose and Decree of God There are Vessels of Wrath viz. the Reprobate and Children of Wrath viz. the Unregenerate Elect and Children under Wrath viz. Children of God under desertion It notes not what God hath determined in his Everlasting Counsel but what we deserve by Nature and in the course of his Justice Vse 1. It is a ground of Hope why we may look for Everlasting Life because of God's Eternal Love So it is urged here There are two Grounds of Hope The Eternity of his Love and his Love to Christ. 1. The Eternity of his Love From Eternity it began and to Eternity it continueth before the World was and when the World shall be no more Psal. 103.17 The Mercy of the Lord is from Everlasting to Everlasting upon them that fear him and his Righteousness unto Childrens Children It is the weakness of Man to change Purposes God's Love is not sickle and unconstant We have good Purposes but they are speedily blasted but certainly God's Eternal Purpose shall stand So that the great Foundation of our Hope is the immutable Love of God the Father He that â—eeth all things at once cannot be deceived we are ignorant of Futurity and therefore upon new Events change our Minds Whatever falleth out God repenteth not Rom. 11.29 For the Gifts and Calling of God are without Repentance His Ancient Love continues still We have many back-sliding Thoughts we think to love God but new Temptations carry us away and so we are fickle and changeable but God changeth not he cannot deny himself 2. His Love to Christ which is the ground of his Love to us It is the Wisdom of God that the Reasons why Man should be loved should be out of Man himself in and among the Persons of the Godhead The Son loveth us because the Father requireth it and the Father loveth us because the Son merited it and the Holy Ghost that proceedeth from the Father and the Son loveth us because of the Father's Purpose and the Son's Purchase And then the Holy Ghost's Work is a new Ground of Love As long as the Son is faithful to the Father and God regardeth the Obedience of Christ and the Work of the Spirit we are sure to be loved But will not such an absolute Certainty make way for loosness It is possible it may with a Carnal Heart for the very Gospel is to some the savour of Death unto Death but to the Elect it cannot be the great Gift of God's Eternal Love is Holiness Ephes. 1.4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the Foundation of the World that we should be holy and without blame before him in Love And so for Christ's Love Ephes. 5.25 26. Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctify and cleanse it by the washing of Water by the Word And the Holy Ghost worketh us to this very thing 2 Thess. 2.13 Through sanctification of the Spirit If we turn a Wheel round the Wheel of necessity must run round If God loveth us Eternally we must be Holy There is not only a necessity of Precept but of Consequence he hath not only commanded it but it must be so Vse 2. It commandeth God's Love that you may admire it Remember it is eternal of an old standing and all that is done to us in time are but the Issues and Fruits of Eternal Love 1. It is Eternal as Ancient as God himself There was no time when God did not think of us and love us we are wont to prize an ancient Friend the oldest Friend that we have is God he loved us not only before we were lovely but before we were at all he thought of us before we could have a thought of him in our Infancy we could not so much as know that he loved us and when we came to Years of Discretion we knew how to offend him before we knew how to love him and serve him Many Times God is not in all our Thoughts when he is thinking how to bless us and do us good Let us measure the sâ—ort scantling of our Lives with Eternity wherein God sheweth Love to us We began but as yesterday and are Sinners from the Womb the more liberal we find God to be the more obstinate are we yet be repenteth not of his Ancient Love Certainly if God should stay till he found cause of Love in us we should never be loved 2. Look to the Effects of his Love in time We receive new Effects of his Love every day but all cometh out of his ancient and eternal Love in Christ tho the Effects be new the Love is ancient It is good sometimes to trace God in the Paths of his Love by what strange Providences our Parents came together that we might have a being how wonderfully were we preserved that we might not be cut off in our natural Estate How were we converted many times when we did think of no such Matter Everlasting Love sets it self awork Jer. 31.3 I have loved thee with an everlasting Love therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee What could move God when Paul was in the heat of his Persecution How wonderfully did God take us in our Month send Afflictions to stop the course and
is Love in them It is the common Error of the World to be led with false Evidences Many think God loveth them because he spareth them and followeth them with long-suffering and patience and maketh them thrive in the World and blesseth them with the increase and fatness of an outward Portion Ay but Love and Hatred cannot be known by the things that are without us it must be something within us must discover it Eccles. 9.2 All things come alike to all Some are fatted to Destruction and condemned to worldly Felicity God will give them enough Jer. 17.13 All that forsake thee shall be ashamed and they that depart from me shall be written in the Earth because they have forsaken the Lord the Fountain of Living Waters Worldly Happiness may be God's Curse they shall be written in the Earth they shall have Happiness here that have none hereafter On the other hand there are some whose Names are written in Heaven and tho they have little of outward Comforts yet that is matter of Joy Luke 9.20 Rather rejoice because your Names are written in Heaven We must have a better Evidence than things without us before we can see our Names in those eternal Records and be assured that God loves us When God only gives things without you it is a sign you are only hired Servants You have your Reward and are satisfied and when you die your best Days are at an end there is no Inheritance kept for you as Abraham gave Ishmael and the rest of the Sons of the Concubines Gifts and Portions but he reserved the Inheritance for Isaac This is so far from an Evidence of Love that it is rather a sign of Hatred if your Hearts are herewith satisfied Nay as it excludes and cuts off all outward things so it cuts off all outward Profession as Baptism and Hearing of the Word For where the Heart is not washed Baptism is but the Monument of your unfaithfulness and breach of Vows And so for Hearing of the Word it is but like Vriah's Letters he thought they contained Matter of Preferment but when opened they contained Matter of Danger for he was to be set in the Fore-front of the Battel to be destroyed So when you think to come to God with these pleasing Excuses it is Matter of Condemnation because you have heard so much and profited nothing Here is no Evidence without you of the Love of God 2. Things within are excluded There are some Moral Inclinations meer Instincts of Nature which God hath left in Men out of his common bounty and pity to Humane Society Rom. 2.14 15. For when the Gentiles which have not the Law do by Nature the Things contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law unto themselves Which shew the Work of the Law written in their Hearts These Moral Inclinations by which we avoid gross Sins are not an Evidence of God's Love Again there are Gifts for the use of the Body Hypocrites may have a great share in them Achitophel and Saul had excellent Gifts but this is not an Evidence of God's Love How did God love Christ Herein was a great Evidence of God's Love to Christ he loved him and gave the Spirit to him without measure John 3.33 34. So we know his Love by his Spirit that he hath given to us to witness our Justification and to work our Sanctification The Gift of the Spirit we may know by his Witness and by his Work 1. His Witness Hast thou a full Testimony of thy Adoption Rom. 8.16 The Spirit it self beareth witness with our Spirits that we are the Children of God It is such a certainty as ariseth from gospel-Gospel-Grounds working Joy and Peace stirring up to Thankfulness and Love to God which you have in God's way by praying reading hearing meditating I confess there is something lower that may be called the Witness of the Spirit There are Expressions and Impressions Have you not some secret Impressions of Confidence and Liberty in Prayer and Resolutions to wait upon God Doth he not stir you up to cry Abba Father put you upon often calling upon God and waiting upon God There is something in your Heart that carries you to God These Impressions are a kind of Witness and Testimony of the Spirit tho you have not those actual Testimonies of God's Favour 2. His Work Have you the Work of the Spirit what is that The Work of the Spirit is to sanctify and cleanse Ephes. 5.25 26. Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctify and cleanse it It is the greatest sign of God's Anger and Wrath that can be to live and die under the Power of Sin not to be sanctified not to be cleansed not to be washed from Sin And therefore are you sanctified cleansed and washed Rev. 1.5 To him that loved us and washed us from our Sins in his Blood Is there any care of Obedience stirred up in your Hearts The Spirit will cause us to grow in Obedience John 14.23 If a Man love me he will keep my Words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him 3. There is one thing more in the Expression that the Love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and that is If God love thee thou canst not but love him again 1 John 4.16 For we have known and believed the Love that God hath to us God is Love and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him If thou lovest God his People his Ordinances and delightest in Communion with him his Love is in thee These are the Fruits and Effects of it Vse 3. To press us to labour after the Sense of his Love We should go to Heaven as comfortably and as richly as we can not only creep thither but labour after an abundant Entrance 2 Pet. 1.12 Tho it is not always our Sin to want it yet it is our Duty to strive after this Sense of God's Love in us The Sense of God's Love it is the Flame of Faith Gal. 2.20 I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the Life which I live in the Flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me It is the ground of our Love to him again 1 John 4.19 We love him because he first loved us The more full and direct the Beams are cast upon any solid Body the stronger the Reflexion It is the Life of Joy that which inlargeth our Hearts in Thankfulness It is our Stay in Afflictions and our Strength in Duties especially in Prayer How can we call God Father unless in Custom and Hypocrisy except we have some sense of our Adoption Therefore labour after the Sense of his Love that it may be in you SERMON XLV JOHN XVII 26 And I have declared unto them thy Name and will declare it that the Love wherewith thou hast loved me may
â—s above others for that we cannot know till we love him but his common love and mercy to sinners and that was manifested in Christs being sent as a propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but for the sins of the whole world 1 John 2.2 This is that which is propounded to us to recover and reconcile our alienated and estranged affections to God 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself This grace God offereth to us as well as to others namely that God for Christs sake will pardon our sins if we will but forbear further hostility and enter into his peace None are bound to believe that God especially loveth them but those that are specially beloved by him for none are bound to believe a falshood and a falshood it is to us till we have the saving effects and benefits and therefore it is not the special but the general love of God which draweth in our hearts to him yea his Saints after some testimonies received of Gods special love make this to be the great engaging motive Gal. 2.20 I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me 2. There is a special love when this grace is applied to us Eph. 2.4 5. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us when we were dead in trespasses and sins He did not begin to love us when we were converted that is of a more ancient and eternal rise but then he did begin to apply his love to us and this no ordinary but great love when God was angry with us and pronounced death on us in the sentence of his law then he quickned us and reconciled us to himself when his law represented him as an enemy and in the course of his Providence he appeared as an enemy and the apprehensions of our guilty fears bespeak him an enemy then did God for Christs sake bestow his converting grace upon us Now 't is a great advantage to draw nigh to God as a reconciled Father and actually in covenant with us surely this is and will be the object of our everlasting love and joy Rom. 5.18 And a notable prop of confidence in prayer could we once believe that he dearly loveth us and is actually reconciled to us and taketh us for his children and delighteth in our prosperity Oh how chearfully should we come into his presence John 16.27 The Father himself loveth you because you have loved me and believed that I came out from God We have then not only his own intercession but the Fathers especial love as the ground of our audience and acceptance Now this particular interest dependeth on something wrought in our souls by the holy Spirit our Lord mentioneth two things their faith in Christ and love to God or a thankful acceptance of him as our Lord and Saviour love to God or a thankful obedience to him John 14.22 23. We cannot perceive our special interest in the love of God but by the evidences of our sincerity when we see Gods love tokens in our hearts faith and love wrought in us by his spirit then we may know that he loveth us by this special love the question is Doth God love me Hath he given his Spirit How shall I know that Answer By the Effects Do you believe in Jesus Christ How shall I know my faith is sincere and the faith of Gods Elect Doth it work by love Gal. 5.6 How shall I know that I love God The acts of sincere love are seeking after God and delighting in him if you cannot find the latter the former is a comfortable evidence Prov. 8.17 I love them that love me and they that seek me early shall find me The desiderium unionis the desirous seeking love if it be serious and earnest it is sincere tho you find not such delightful apprehensions of his grace to you clear this once and when you come to pray you may know that God loveth you with a special love the dearest friend we have in the world doth not love us the thousand part so much as he doth nay as Valdesso saith the highest Angel doth not love God so much as he loveth the lowest Saint God loveth like himself becoming the greatness and infiniteness of his own Being and with this perswasion pray to him 2. Gods love is not a cold and uneffectual love That consists only in raw wishes but an operative active love that issueth forth to accomplish what he intendeth to us tho by the most costly means and at the dearest rates God is good and doth good Psal. 119.68 He hath a love to us and will do good to us our love many times goeth no further than good wishes and good words be warmed be cloathed but give not those things which are needful to the body Jam. 2.26 Our Lord rested not in kind wishes but giveth a full demonstration of his love if Christ be needful for the Saints they shall have him God spared not his own Son 3. 'T is a great love such as may raise our wonder and astonishment and so may enlarge our expectations and capacities for the reception of other things Eph. 3.18 19. That ye may with all saints comprehend what is the heighth and breadth the length and depth and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledg that ye may be filled with all the fulness of God There is such an infiniteness and immensity in this love of God in Christ as raiseth our desires and hopes to expect all other things from him which belong to our happiness if God will do this what will he not do for those whom he loveth he that hath given a talent will not he give a peny We confidently go to one with a request who hath done some great thing for us already What greater thing could there be than his giving his Son to die for a sinful world John 13. 13. Greater love hath no man than that he lay down his life for his friends We were not friends in state but only friends in his purpose nay we were actual enemies but reconciled and brought into friendship by his death No man can express greater love to his dearest friends than to adventure to die for them This did Christ for us 4. 'T was a love expressed to us when our case was not only difficult but desperate and remediless as to any other agent Isa. 56.16 And he saw that there was no man and wondred that there was no intercessor therefore his own arm wrought salvation for us Psal. 40.8 The redemption of the soul is precious and ceaseth for ever Like perplexities often occurring in the Churches case 2 Chron. 22.12 O our God wilt thou not judg them for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us neither know we what to do but our eyes are unto thee And Esth. 3.14 When the writing was signed and sent abroad
superstitious carnal part of the world falleth to his share but Christ hath cast him out and will still go on to do it Death hath an Empire and Kingdom Rom. 5.14 Death reigned from Adam to Moses and verse 17. by one offence death reigned Now for the destruction of these powers was Christ exalted at the right hand of God and by degrees he doth destroy and subdue them yet this destruction is not so universal but that sin and Satan and death doth still continue yet though there be not a total destruction of them there is an absolute subjection of them to the Throne of the Mediator They cannot do any more than Christ permitteth they cannot hurt those whom God hath given to Christ in a deadly manner they cannot hinder the bringing them unto the Heavenly kingdom He doth annihilate the guilt of sin by his death the dominion by the power of his Spirit In the dispisers and refusers of his grace sin continueth in its absolute power but still in a subjection to the Throne The wrath of the Mediator is seen in their condemnation and destruction Satan is destroyed as to his Princely power but so as we must use the means still at last he shall be judged Death is the last enemy 1 Cor. 15.26 that shall be destroyed It will be finally destroyed in the Resurrection For the present it serveth Christs ends 1 Cor. 3.22 Fourthly His Intercession for us this is a notable prop to faith 1. Christ presents himself and the merit of his Sacrifice before the face of God to preserve us in his favour Heb. 9.24 He appeareth before God for us As the High Priest did enter with Blood into the holy place Levit. 6.7 The Priest shall make an atonement for him If he did not interpose before God night and day how should the accusations of Satan be repelled breaches prevented a mutual correspondence preserved between us and God 2. He doth interpose his love will and desire for our salvation and all grace that is necessary thereunto in all our difficulties conflicts and temptations to intercede is the part of an inferior towards a superior thus is Christ as Mediator to God John 14.16 I will pray the father He is to ask his own glory Psal. 2.8 Therefore what Grace is necessary for us 'T is a comfort Christ doth nor forget us now in Heaven as Pharaohs Bâ—tler forgat Joseph Gen. 40.23 But 't is much more a comfort that he will take notice of our particular case that he knoweth us by name and our necessities and wants and doth particularly intercede for us Nay he is mindful of us when we are not mindful of our selves for his intercession doth make way for the effectual application of his grace to us when we think not of it He obtaineth first the convincing then sanctifying then comforting spirit 3. To prevent breaches 1 John 2.1 We have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous An advocate so he is opposite to our accuser And Heb. 2.17 He is a merciful and faithful high priest in things appertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people Merciful to undertake faithful to accomplish merciful to us faithful to God merciful in dying faithful in interceding and so mindful of us at every turn Surely 't is the office of a Saviour to be Gods instrument in procuring our discharge if we our selves should only plead for pardon having carried our selves so unworthy of it it would be uncomfortable to us but he that hath redeemed us pleadeth for us we do not go to God alone 4. He presents our prayers which are made acceptable to God not as coming from us but as perfumed with his merits Heb. 8.2 and Rev. 8.3 And another angel came and stood at the altar having a golden censer and there was given to him much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of the Saints He hath intendred his own heart by suffering hunger contempt in the world exile weariness pain of body heaviness of mind Heb. 4.14 15 16. Seeing then that we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens Jesus the Son of God let us hold fast our profession for we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in a time of need Therefore come boldly for such mercies as we stand in need of He knoweth the heart of a tempted man VSE You see then what abundant cause we have to triumph and glory in Christ. You have his Humiliation as the ground of your comfort his Exaltation which qualifieth him to apply it to you and work it in you the merit and power If he had not wrought our deliverance long might we have born the wrath we deserved and had no means to help our selves If he should not make continual intercession for you the remnant of your sin would still bring damnation if he did not hide your nakedness and procure your daily pardon you would every day be your own destroyers nay you would not be an hour longer out of hell if he did not bring you to God you could have no comfortable access to him in any of your wants and necessities if he leave you to your selves to resist one temptation even to the foulest sins how quickly would you be born down and wallow like a swine in the mire We can with Jonah easily raise the storm but we know not how to allay it All from first to last must be given and ascribed to God in Christ. SERMON XLV ROM VIII 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword THE Triumph over the evil of sin being ended the Apostle beginneth his Triumph over afflictions Here observe 1. The Challenge Who shall separate us from the love of Christ 2. The evils enumerated Shall tribulatiâ—n or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword 1. The Challenge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who for what The things mentioned are spoken of as a person but the chief difficulty is about the meaning of that Clause the love of Christ Whether it be meant of our love to Christ or Christs love to us Reasons may be given on both sides 1. That it is meant of our love to Christ for tribulation is not like to alienate Christ from us but us from Christ This doth rather tend to draw us from loving God than God from loving us 2. That it is meant of Christs love to us because 't is very unlikely that the Apostle would boast of the constancy of his own love 'T is more comely to triumph in Gods love to us than our love to God What shall we then
increased their fury bâ—t still the other grew more resolute Enemiâ—s have confessed themselves overcome So What shall we do to these men Acts 4. â—6 When they imprisoned and scourged them they were at a loss Sozomon saith of Sapores that he was tired with destroying the Christians and at length caused the trâ—ubles to cease so Dioclesian leaves his Empire because he could not root out the Christians but that they still continued 2. VSE is to perswade us to get such a degree of faith and love and patience that we may be more than conquerors in all our trials 'T is a great degree of heroical fortitude or an high Christian pitch which is here described for mark 1. Here is not one sort of trials but many Col. 1.11 Strengthned with all patience 'T is not enough to overcome one evil but all crosses of all kinds in all these things A little distress a man might bear but famine and nakedness and sword terrifieth our thoughts but nothing must be excepâ—ed out of our resignation to God 2. Here is conquest It â—ll becometh the godly to fâ—int in affliction Prov. 24.10 If thou faintest in affliction thy strength is small Affliction will try what our strength is 'T is one thing to talk of it another to bear it there is a great difference between a tryal apprehended in our judgment and felt by sense Job 4 3 4 5. Behold thou hast instructed many and thou hâ—st strengthned the weak hands thy words have upholden him that was falling and thou hast strengthned the feeble knees but now it is come upon thee and thou faintest it toucheth thee and thou art troubled We are other manner of persons in trouble than we seemed to be out of trouble The well will give good counsel to the sick 't is easie for them that stand on the shore to say to those that conflict with the waves and tempests Sail thus When troubles come upon our selves we are restless and impatient the self-confident and presumptuous will find it another thing to â—ear trouble than to talk of it but the humble and those that are sensible of their weakness will find that though they are weak yet the power they are assisted by is mighty and that Gods power is perfected in their weakness when weak then strong That evils dreadful in the hearing are not so grievous when God layeth them on us and giveth us strength to bear them 2 Cor. 12.9 And he said unto me my grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness they have a quite contrary experience when weak then strong as the other who conceited themselves strong are then weak 3. We are not only to be conquerors but more than conquerors That is 1. As to the frame of your hearts to be not only patient but cheerful under the Cross upon right gounds Col. 1.11 Strengthned with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness So Matth. 5.12 Rejâ—ice and be exceeding glad and James 1.2 Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations If we have no other burden upon us than the affliction its self let us bless God rather than repine 2. As to the success you must not only keep from miscarrying but get good by the affliction and persecution it must purge out sin Isa. 29.9 By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged out and this is all the fruit to take away his sin Make you more plyable to Gods will and careful to perform your duty Psal. 119.67 Before I was afflicted I went astray but now have I kept thy word v. 71. It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes Retrench your carnal liberty and complacency and bring you to a greater contempt of the world Gal. 6.14 But God forbid that I should glory in any thing save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world Quicken you to be more frequent and fervent in prayer Isa. 26.16 Lord in trouble have they visited thee they poured out a prayer when thy chastning was upon them From what hand soever the evil cometh these must be the effects of it this is to be more than a conqueror 2. If you mean to be so you must get a holy obstinacy that is to say an invincible resolution to adhere to God 1 An holy obstinacy of Faith Job 13.15 Though he kill me I will trust in him Satans great design in all temptations is to crush our confidence now to cast away our confidence is to do our selves as ill a turn as Satan can wish for nay however God deal with you resolve to cleave to him let my trouble be what it will yet I will depend upon God 2 An holy obstinacy of Love as he told his master That he should not have a club big enough to drive him from him Isa. 26.8 Yea in the way of thy judgments O Lord have we waited for thee the desire of our soul is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee They are resolved to desire and seek after and delight in God 3 An holy obstinacy of Obedience Job 17.9 The righteous shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger When opposed vexed by the hypocrite by disadvantages and pressures he gathereth strength 4 An obstinacy of Patience Luke 21.16 17 18. And ye shall be betrayed both by parents and brethren and kinsfolks and friends and some of you shall they cause to be put to death And ye shall be hated of all men for my names sake but there shall not an hair of your head perish In your patience possess ye your souls Whatever befall you either by persecution or death its self it shall not turn to the least disadvantage to you but greatest gain for those that suffered death were eternally Crowned and others are under the protection of God therefore endure with constancy Lastly An obstinacy of Zeal Dan. 3.17 18. Our God is able to deliver us but if not we will not serve thy gods nor worship thy golden image which thou hast set up Godly resolution is ever requisite in point of Religion and it should not be weakned in us by the greatest sufferings 3. Doctrine That it is the love of Christ which secureth believers in their conflicts and maketh them triumph over temptations All their victory is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Let me give the emphasis of the expression 2. Give you the proof of the point 1. 'T is not Power that is here spoken of but Love 't is not through him that strengthned us but through him that loved us elsewhere 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 4.13 I can do all things through Christ that strengthneth me The effect indeed cometh from the influence of his Power but 't is his Love which sets his power a work The ground
Body and so remaineth a widdow as it were till the Body be raised up and united to it 'T is without its mate and companion so that it remaineth destitute of half its self which though it may be born for a while yet not for ever 2dly 'T is agreeable to the Wisdom Justice and Goodness of God that the Body which had its share in the work should have its share in the reward 'T is the Body which is most gratified in sin and the Body which is most pained in obedience What is it that was wearyed and tyred and endured all the labours and troubles of Christianity Therefore the Body that is the Souls Sister and Coheir is to share with it in its Eternal Estate whatsoever it be before that the wicked are but in part punished and the Godly in part rewarded There is a time when God will deal with the whole man 3dly The state of those that dye will not be worse then the state of those that are only changed at Christs coming The Bodies are not destroyed but perfected the substance is preserved only endued with new qualities Now there would be a disparity among the glorified if some should have their Bodies others not 4thly In the Heavenly estate there are many objects which can only be discerned by our Bodily senses The Humane Nature of Christ the beauty of the Heavenly place or Mansion of the Blessed with other the works of God which certainly are offered to our contemplation Now if God find objects he will find faculties How shall we see those things which are to be seen hear those things which are to be heard unless we have Bodies and Bodily senses 5thly As Christ was taken into Heaven so we For we shall bear the Image of the Heavenly He carryed no other flesh into Heaven but what he assumed from the Virgin that very Body which was carryed in her womb which was laid down as a sacrifice for sin that very Body was carryed into Heaven Phil. 3.21 The Body that is subject to so many infirmities that is harrassed and worn out with labours exposed to such pains and sufferings even that Body shall be like Christs Glorious Body 1 Cor. 15.43 44. It shall not be decayed with Age nor wasted with sickness nor need the supplies of meat and drink nor be subject to pains and Aches c. Well then let us serve God Faithfully 1 Cor. 15.58 Therefore my beloved brethren be ye stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as ye know that your Labour is not in vain in the Lord. SERMON VII 2 Cor. 5.5 Now he that hath wrought us for this self same thing is God who also hath given unto us the Earnest of his Spirit HAving shewed 1. The Persons who desire Eternal Glory v. 3. 2. The Manner of desiring not simply to be unclothed v. 4. 3. He now shews the grounds of desiring in this verse They are two 1. God hath fitted us for this very thing 2. He hath given us the Pledge and Earnest of this Glorious estate All the business will be 1. To open the Expressions 2. To shew how these are grounds of the Desire First To open the meaning of the Expressions 1. God's forming us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is that self same thing he speaketh of A groaning and an earnest desire after Immortality say some We would gladly be rid of our Burthen here and be in Heaven and surely the sense of Nature would not incline us to so holy an Affection No God hath wrought us for this self same thing hath framed such a desire in us We know and are assured that when this earthly Tabernacle is dissolved we have a Building c. say others Surely this persuasion is of God created and produced in the hearts of his People by his Special Grace Flesh and Blood hath not shewed it to us Still good Others carry it higher That we eye things unseen and make them our scope still this is from Grace not from Nature for Nature looketh only to things before us to present welfare That we are contented though our outward man perish so that our inward man be renewed Surely all this is from God A man may admire Coelestial Happiness but not industriously desire it and self-denyingly seek after it to the loss of the Contentments and Interests of the bodily life unless God move his heart and supernaturally bestow such a disposition towards himself All this is true and good but 't is a part of this sense The Apostle speaketh not of the Desire but of the Happiness its self that we may be capable of it He first formeth us and frameth us for this very thing 1. Here in this World he fits us and prepareth the Soul by Sanctification or Regeneration purifying and cleansing us from sin 2. For the Body the Spirit that now dwelleth in us will at last raise our mortal Bodies Rom. 8.11 and prepare us for that Immortality God now frameth the Souls of his People hereafter their Bodies They are wrought to this thing Man must be new made before he is capable of entring into glory There is a new work on the Souls and on the Bodies of his Saints they must be new moulded and transformed before they are brought into this Blessed estate The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 noteth a powerful work and an exact work None who are unfit or unmeet for Heaven get an access to it no we are framed for this very thing II. Given us the Earnest of his Spirit This better life is sealed and confirmed to us by Earnest Dona gifts that is one thing As we give a shilling to a Beggar Pignus a pawn or pledge is another As when a poor man layeth his Tools at pledge with an intent when he can make up the money borrowed to fetch it away again But Arrha earnest is a part of the bargain till the whole be performed God will not deal with us by bare Covenant but give Earnest to assure us the more of that life which he hath promised in his Covenant we have a tast and experience of it in the present work of his Spirit Secondly How these are grounds of this Desire There are Two things considerable in that glorious estate which we expect according to promise the Certainty and the Excellency both are confirmed by God's working us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And giving us the Earnest c. 1. The Certainty of it is confirmed by both these by things the frame of the New Creature and Earnest of the Spirit 1. By the Frame of the New Creature If a Vessel be formed 't is for some end and what doth not attain its end is vain and lost A man may make a thing useless and short of its end but God cannot for he cannot mistake in the forming nor change his mind and therefore if God had made us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the end is sure to be
obtained there is everlasting glory and we shall have it Now God hath made and framed Believers to this Happiness So the second Argument by giving us the Earnest of the Spirit That 's also an Argument of the Certainty of the glory to come for if he hath given us Earnest he will also give us the whole Sum. An Earnest is lost when either the Bargain is repented of or 't is beyond the power of the party to make good the Bargain or else when 't is not much regarded being of small value but none of these things can take place here for God repenteth not of his Covenant Rom. 11.19 God is able to give what he hath promised Rom. 4.21 Being fully persuaded that what he had promised he was able to perform And the Spirit is no mean gift next to Christ the greatest gift that can be bestowed upon mortal men God that giveth the Creatures by meer gift to carnal men loseth nothing but the creatures Corn and Wine and Oil it may be lost c. But God that giveth his Spirit to his People will not lose his earnest where this is given he will give more 2. The excellency and worth of these blessed things which are also a ground of this earnest desire Now this is represented both by Gods forming and also by the earnest of the Spirit 1. By Gods Forming If we must be formed wrought for this self same thing Surely this estate is an excellent blessed and glorious estate A natural man is counted fit for any thing this world hath but he must have a new fitness for what God will confer upon him in the other world therefore the preparation sheweth what the blessedness is God hath framed us with curious and costly Artifice and therefore for a noble end and purpose Ordinary Utensils are thrown about the House without any care the meanest place will serve for them But this Workmanship is too good to be left in this world therefore God hath designed it to a better place Surely so much ado would not be made about a thing of nought 2. The earnest sheweth the greatness as well as the certainty The things of the Spirit are very precious Compared to light life a pearl joy One dram of grace is more precious than all the world Yet these are but an earnest which is a small part of the whole sum The Argument runneth thus If Joy unspeakable and glorious if Peace that passeth all understanding be but the earnest then surely the whole purchase and possession is beyond all that can be thought of and imagined You would judge that to be no ordinary Bargain where a thousand Pound earnest is given The Scripture compareth all that we injoy of God here but to a tast to an earnest to the first fruits little in comparison of the full glory and happiness that shall ensue The Points are Two 1. That God frameth his people unto that happy estate which he hath appointed them 2dly That they may look and long for it with greater affection he giveth them the earnest of the Spirit 1. That God frameth and suiteth his people unto that happiness which he hath provided for them That truth you have in other Scriptures Rom. 9.23 Vessels of mercy aforehand prepared unto Glory Sometimes we read that Heaven is prepared for us at other times that we are prepared for Heaven Heaven for us Matth. 25.34 Come ye Blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the world In the decree of God By the mediation of Christ Joh. 14.2 I go to prepare a place for you But that 's not enough we must also be prepared for Heaven fitted and suited to that estate So again Col. 1.12 He hath made us meet to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in light God puts into his people an agreeableness unto that happiness which he hath appointed to them Heaven is a clean and Holy place and none but the purified and cleansed are meet to go thither A place of Spiritual delights not fit for the sensual but the mortified So Rev. 3.4 They shall walk with me in white For they are worthy There is a twofold worthiness the worth of exact Equality and the worth of suitableness conveniency and proportion 1. The worth of condignity or exact equality As a work man is said to be worthy of his wages so we are not worthy For there is such a distance between God and his Creatures that no Creature can make him his Debter But there is also the worth of meeetness suitableness c. Thus they that kept themselves clean when others were defiled these were worthy to walk with Christ in white when others are stained with the blot of everlasting shame they possess everlasting glory For in the days of their solemn Festivals they appeared in white Garments So we are bidden 1 Thes. 2.12 to walk worthy of God who hath called us to his Kingdom and his glory Meaning suitably and becoming the God whom we serve and the glory and blessedness which we expect But 1. What is the meetness This framing and preparing of us 1. It implyeth a remote fitness with is regeneration For in our natural estate we were wholly unfit partly being under Gods Curse Gal. 3.13 Eph. 2.3 and so uncapable to enjoy that Blessedness which God hath appointed us unto Partly being dead in Trespasses and Sins Eph. 2.1 and so unable to help our selves Therefore 't is God alone that maketh us to come out of that corrupt estate Surely we ought to be changed John 3.3 Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God And flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 15.50 That these impediments may be removed and we made fit God reneweth us by his Spirit worketh in us a new life of Grace a Divine Nature a Spiritual and new Being to make us capable of Spiritual and Divine Things Of our selves we are not fit to think a good thought There is a great unfitness of any Spiritual good to understand it to do it to receive it Well then since we ought to be changed and made new creatures before we can be partakers of Spiritual benefits God's powerful operation is necessary He must frame us for this very thing 2. It implieth an actual preparation and a farther degree of meetness After we are entred into the new estate though at first Conversion we have a right and so are remotely capable yet we are not meet and nextly capable of injoying this blessed estate a Child in the Cradle hath a right to the Inheritance yet he is not fit to manage it till he come to just years of maturity and discretion They distinguish of Jus Haereditarium and Jus Aptitudinale An Heir is not admitted to the management of his right 'T is true we are begotten to a lively hope 1 Pet. 1.3 But we have not the possession of the
and being spoken to by him out of Heaven Therefore he saith 1 Cor. 9.1 Am not I an Apostle Have not I seen Jesus Christ the Lord But Paul did not seek his esteem meerly for his vision of Christ and that extasy which befell him at his first conversion but for his faithful discharge of his work on the grounds formentioned for he would not Glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as others did but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mortified Christians that have given up themselves to the Lords use should more mind that and esteem themselves and others for true and real worth more than the advantage of external priviledges I am confirmed in this exposition by what is said verse 6 th wherefore henceforth know we no man after the Flesh yea though we have known Christ after the flesh yet henceforth know we him no more That is we should not esteem and judge of persons by their conversing with him in the flesh but by their Loyalty and Obedience to him If they be zealous for his Kingdom and can upon the hopes which he hath offered run all hazards and encounters of Temptations and upon the confidence of his coming to Judgment be faithful to him and out of Love to his person and gratitude for the work of Redemption deny themselves and live to his Glory they have cause to Glory in heart whereas others who boast only of personal acquaintance with him but are not found in Doctrine and the practice of Religion do only Glory in a meer appearance or outward shew before men but can have no true solid confidence in their hearts Well then here lay the case between Paul and his opposites They gloryed in some external thing which could give no solid peace to the Conscience But Paul could Glory in his perseverance diligence patience and self-denyal for the Gospel The sense of which made his heart rejoice and by the way the same glorying may be taken up by all the faithful painful Preachers of the Gospel against their opposites who are the Popish Clergy who Glory in their pomp and their great revenues and that they are the Successours of the Apostles and can pretend an external title to this inheritance and sit in their Chair as Pope Alexander the 6th Haec est bona persuasio quia per hanc nos regnamus Now you are to Judge who are they that Glory in Heart or in Appearance They that Glory in their riches or outward possession or they that Glory in their labours sufferings and converting of Souls to God Doct. That then a man hath the full comfort of his sincerity when he hath the approbation of God and of his own Conscience and hath also a Testimony in the Consciences of others All these had Paul 1. The approbation of God For he saith We are made manifest unto God God knew both his actions and his aims for the Lord considereth both Prov. 16.2 Now the Lord knew his labour his patience his travelling up and down to promote the kingdom of his Son as also that he did this out of hope fear and love Pauls main care was to approve himself to God and to be accepted with God 2. He had the Testimony of a good conscience He telleth them so now and told them so before 2 Cor. 1.12 This is Our rejoycing the Testimony of our Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not in fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we had our conversation in the world but more abundantly to you ward Not by violent or fraudulent means did he seek to promote the Gospel not his self opinions not self ends they had more experience than others for whereas he was maintained by the poorer towns yet with them he laboured with his hands and still preached the Gospel As usually it falleth out often that handy-craft people are more liberal for the support of the Ministry than the Gentry or Nobles upon the account of the Gospel nay though he could speak of seeing Christ by extraordinary dispensation yet he would glory rather in the real and general evidences of grace than in any external priviledge and advantage whatsoever if Paul had never seen Christ yet he had wherein to glory 3. And he had a testimony in their consciences as well as his own I trust also we are made manifest in your consciences He was confident that he had a witness in their Bosoms of his sincere and upright dealing the greatest approbation that we can have from men is to have an approbation in their consciences for conscience is the faculty which is most apt to take Gods part We may easily gain their respect and applause by complying with their humours but that is not lasting that will not do Gods work and the Gospels Our greatest advantage if we be Faithful servants to God will be to have a witness in their consciences Thus did Paul he wanted not opposers at Corinth some questioned his Apostleship some slighted his abilities some saw no such evidence and excellency in his Doctrine what should the poor man do He courted not their affections by arts of insinuation but approved himself to their consciences But how did Paul commend himself to the Corinthians By three means 1. By the evidence of his Doctrine which he managed with such power and Authority that it was manifestly seen by all who had not a mind to lose their Souls and were not prejudiced by their worldly interest that it was not calculated for the Lusts and Interests of men but their Salvation 1 Cor. 4.2 By the manifestation of the truth commending our selves to every mans conscience in the sight of God Paul preached such necessary Truths as if men were not strangely perverted they might see he aimed at their spiritual and eternal benefit 2. By the success of his Doctrine 2 Cor. 3.1 2 3. Do we begin again to commend our selves or need we as some others Epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you Ye are our Epistle written in our hearts known and read of all men for as much as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministred by us written not with Ink but with the Spirit of the Living God Not in tables of stone but in the fleshly Tables of the heart The conversions which he had wrought among them gave a sufficient Testimony to their consciences that he was not a vagrant self-seeker he had been the Instrument of transcribing the Doctrine of Christ upon their hearts Paul prevailed with many at Corinth and had converted many God himself assured him of this success Acts 18.9 10. Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision Be not afraid but speak and hold not thy peace For I have much much people in this city 'T was an opulent but a wanton Town but God would be with him and had much People therefore Paul ventured and prevailed 3. By the purity holiness and self-denial which was seen
rejoycing in their good as our own mourning for their evil as our own such a Justice as groweth out of love Rom. 13 8. Owe no man any thing but to love one another for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law But to our fellow Saints and everlasting companions a Christ-like love 2 Pet. 1.7 Add to Godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness charity Another man in his special relations Philem. 11. Which in times past was unprofitable but now profiâ—able to thee and me That 's the sphere of our activity In the government of himself he doth exercise a greater command over his passions and affections Gal. 5.24 They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof Alloweth no bosom sin Psa. 18.23 I was upright before thee and kept my self from mine iniquity And still a constant carefulness to please God Heb. 13.18 For we trust we have a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly 2. If so there will be a solemn dedication of our selves to God Rom. 6.13 But yield your selves to God as those that are alive from the dead The reason is because the great effect of grace is a tendency towards God and that tendency produceth a setting apart of our selves for Gods use and service and the reality of this is seen in using our selves for God 3. Where there is life there will be vital operations For life is active and stirring it cannot be hidden but will bewray its self in all that we do though not at all times in a like measure our prayers will be the prayers of a living man our conferences and discourses such as come from those that have life in them our whole Service of God such as hath warmth and zeal in it Jam. 5 16. The fervent effectual prayer of a righteous man And Rom. 12.11 Not sloathful in business fervent in Spirit serving the Lord. Our addresses to God such as become feeling of wants an appetite after and favour of Spiritual things And if Christians do not feel this life for sometimes 't is weak and obstructed they cannot be satisfied nor rest in this frame when dull of hearing or Cold in prayer they rowse up and stir up themselves Isa. 64.7 There is none that calleth upon thy name that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee What is wanting in fervour is made up in sense and feeling and bemoaning their condition so that the heart is alive because 't is sensible of its deadness living though not lively but the chief note is a sincere desire to please honour and glorify God and that by vertue of Christs Resurrection Christians obtain the grace of a new life SERMON XXXI 2 Cor. 5.16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh yea though we have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth we know him no more THere were false Apostles at Corinth who gloryed much in outward things not only Birth Wealth Abilities of Speech but such outward things as had a nearer connection with and respect to Religion as their acquaintance with Christ that they had known him in the flesh and owned him when yet alive And therefore are supposed to be intended in that expression I am of Christ 1 Cor. 1.12 As others received the Doctrine of Life from Peter Paul Apollos they immediately from Christ himself Now this boasting these Corinthian Doctors used as to keep up their own fame among the people so to lessen and weaken the credit of Pauls Apostleship for this objection lay against him that he had not as other disciples conversed with our Lord Jesus Christ on earth Now Paul that he might give the Corinthians occasion to Glory in his behalf and furnish them with an answer that gloried 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verse 12. in external priviledges though they knew in their Consciences they had little reason so to do He had more valuable things to boast of namely That he was much in Spirit much in labours much in afflictions for the honour of the Gospel and to all which he was carryed out by the hopes of Eternal Life the terrour of the Lord at the day of Judgment and the Love of Christ constraining him This was the threefold cord Hope of Reward Fear of Punishment and the Love of Christ And these were more valuable considerations whereupon to esteem of any one than external priviledges could be In their outward priviledges he could vie with them For though he was none of Christs followers here upon earth yet he was equal to them by seeing and having been spoken to by Christ out of Heaven 1 Cor. 9.1 Am not I an Apostle have not I seen Jesus Christ the Lord But Paul did not seek his esteem meerly for his vision of Christ and that extasie which befell him at his first conversion but for the faithful discharge of his work upon the ground aforementioned that he would not glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as those others did Mortified Christians or those that have seriously given up themselves to the Lords use should more mind that and esteem themselves and others for true and real worth rather than such an external previledge Wherefore know we no man after the flesh c. In the Words we have 1. A general conclusion inferred against the boasting of the Corinthian Doctors Henceforth we know no man after the flesh We own no carnal respect to any man living and do not value any by outward acquaintance with Christ but according to the Spiritual power that is in him and taught by him 2. The conclusion restrained unto the instance of Christ Yea though we have known Christ after the flesh Where there is 1. A supposition Though we have known Christ after the flesh 2. An assertion Yet henceforth know we him no more That is as a friend conversing with us upon earth in an outward way but as a King and Law-giver of the Church that is ascended up to Heaven there to govern the Church by his Spirit and Laws Offering and designing to us Eternal life upon our obedience fidelity to him Well then to know Christ after the flesh is not forbidden with intent to deny his Humanity or to exclude the comfort thence resulting So we must still know him after the flesh his Humane Nature is the ground of our comfort But that we should not esteem and judge of persons by their outward conversing with him but their Loyalty and Obedience to him This I think to be the most proper meaning of the words Though some with probability carry them another way thus Henceforth know we no man after the flesh that is we do not value men for their Wealth Honour Nobility and though we have known Christ after the flesh alluding to his esteem when a Pharisee according to the humour of that sect he looked for a pompous Messiah but now owned him as a glorified Saviour sitting at the right hand of God in the
he is ascended into Heaven he is to be known in Faith and worshipped in Spirit his body is above all kindness and his memory is to be respected not as the memory of an honourable man but as one who is Lord of the Church and governeth it by his Spirit to the end of the World Phil. 2.10 11. Not Lord Lord but obedience Matth. 7.22 1 USE is reproof of those that please themselves with that deceit of heart that if they had lived in the days of Christ conversed with our Saviour and heard his Doctrine and seen his Miracles and holy life they would not have used him as the Jews did but expressed kindness and love to his person Now to these let me say First That 't is an old deceit of heart We usually translate the scene of our duty to former times and lay aside at the present that work and expression of love which God hath called us to God knoweth in what age to cast you and what means and dispensations are fittest for you he that doth not improve present means will not improve any 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom having not seen we love in whom though now you see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory If ye receive his Doctrine obey his Laws believe in him love him rejoyce in the midst of afflictions you express your love to Christ. 2. It is not likely you would do otherwise having the same temper and constitution of Soul which they had that opposed Christ the same root of bitterness in you You hate those in whom there is the Image of Christ and some representation of his Holiness and Meekness We read of those Mat. 23.29 30. Who build the Tombs of the Prophets and garnish the Sepulchers of the Righteous and say if we had been in the days of our Fathers we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the Prophets who yet persecuted Christ as many will condemn the former Adversaries of the Martyrs Bonner and Gardiner Christ taught no other Doctrine than that which the Prophets and Martyrs had done but dead Saints do not exasperate And what entertainment would a rude dissolute sort of people give to such a mean but holy Person as Christ was that was so free in his Reproofs Ye are of your Father the Devil and the lusts of your Father ye will do John 8.44 He that now sheweth a spightful and malicious mind against the Truth and Servants of God shall never make me think otherwise but if he had lived in Christs days he would have been as ready and forward to persecute him as the worst Certainly an Herod and an Herodias to John Baptist would have been an Ahab and a Jezabel to Elijah ask them what they thought of Ahab and Jezabel they would have made many great Protestations that they would have done far otherwise but they did the same things to him that came in the Spirit and Power of Elias No miscreant but will cry out on the treachery of Judas the envy and malice of the High-Priests the fury of the Jews yet the same thing is done by them whilest Godliness is Persecuted they are still desirous to break this Vessel where this Treasure lyeth Dead Saints are out of sight no Eye sore to them no way offensive to their Ears 3. If you should this would not save you without Conversion to God The same Laws were in force then that are now knowing Christ after the flesh would do you no good but a spiritual and true affection to him The Reward was still promised to true Disciples John 12.26 If any man serve me let him follow me and where I am there shall also my servant be if any man serve me him will my Father honour When some came to see him he exhorted to imitation of his Example and subjection to his Laws It is not an outside appearance unless we humbly engage in his Service and have a desire to please him in all things Oh therefore let us make this use of the love of Christ and the sense of our engagements to him as to know Christ not after the flesh but so as to love him and serve him and subject our selves to his Laws Use 2. Have we a better knowledge of Christ Do we know him after the flesh or after the Spirit 1. The ground of our Knowledge what is it common Tradition Human Credulity or the illumination of the Holy Ghost The same Truths work differently as represented in a different light Common Report begets a cold Christianity Mat. 16.16 17. 1 John 5 4 5. 1 Cor. 2.4 Hear-say is an advantage yet not to be rested in We stand upon higher ground than Heathens yet are not taller men John 4.42 Now we believe not because of thy saying for we have heard him our selves and know that this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the World We our selves should be acquainted with Christ then we know the Truth with more efficacy John 8.32 Ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free with more clearness and certainty John 17.8 They have known surely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that I came out from thee Acts 2.36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have Crucified both Lord and Christ You may venture safely upon it build on it as a sure Foundation the other is but a dead and weak thing it vanquisheth no Temptations subdueth no carnal Affections 2. The fruits and effects of our Knowledge 1. It is a transforming Knowledge 2 Cor. 3.18 We all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from glory to glory Such a Knowledge as begets Union with Christ and a thorow change so as to be converted to him For it follows in the next verse to the Text Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new Creature Christ liveth a new kind of life in Heaven so should we upon Earth he hath laid aside his mortal life so should we our carnal life live to God in the Spirit Know him and the power of his Resurrection Phil. 2.10 Christians are to be esteemed by their profiting in Godliness that is knowing him after the Spirit When we know that Spiritual Power which is in him and feel it in our selves renewing and changing the heart we find the power of his Resurrection raising us from the death of Sin to the life of Grace if we are planted into Christ as living Members of his Mystical Body 2. It is a knowledge that obscureth the splendor of all outward excellencies in our Opinion Estimation and Affection 1 Cor. 2.2 For I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him Crucifyed Phil. 3.8 Yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom
these do not consider the strictness of the Law Covenant nor the purity of God nor themselves or their own defects A Broken hearted sense of sin would make us prize Christ 1 Cor. 4.4 I know nothing by my self yet am I not thereby justified but he that judgeth me is the Lord. FINIS ERRATA Page 3. line 8. read shed p. 7. l. 2. r. speaketh of it as already past p. 15. l. 14. r. He hath p. 16. l. 53 54. r. Is it not strange Things that are afar off and about which they have no present exercise They strongly believe p. 18. l. 2. r. Surety p. 19. dele 1. p. 23. l. 23. after long r. In the Lord's Supper we have a foretast of that New Wint that is in our Fathers Kingdom p. 26. l. ult p. 27. l. 1. r. T is our Ornament a beautiful Vesture to the Soul p. 43. l. 14. after comfort add is p. 47. l. 24. r. Therefore p. 53. l. 1. r. go p. 58. l. 41. r. Here is neither all evil p. 59. l. 39. r. worketh upon p. 60. l. 26 27. r. and be like him p. 61. l. 38. r. on our part l. 44. for of our way r. of Faith p. 62. l. 16. after self-denying r. r. or having and p. 65. l. 14. dele and report dele This p. 67. l. 7. r. when the body is weakest p. 73. l. 27 28. r. The being reconciled to him is his great care the pleasing of him his most industrious Imployment His life is nothing else c. p. 74. l. 215. a Carnalist p. 76. l. 39. dele is p. 107. l. 1. dele cheap p. 118. l. ult r. hating p. 121. l. 18. r. the difficulties of Obedience p. 151. l. 40. dele our p. 154. l. 43. r. intensivè l. 44. r. appretiativè l. 54. for secure r. severe p. 156. l. 25. for air r. awe l. 30. for alter r. of p. 159. l. 51. r. degree p. 163. l. 27. r. partialities p. 175. l. 9. r. increase of grace p. 177. l. 29. after nakedly add sin p. 181. l. 12. r. for sincers p. 187. l. 32. r. But according p. 188. l. 54. for men r. way for seek r. check l. 55. for his r. our for he r. we p. 203. l. 3. r. his Soul p. 207.l 40. for neither r. will then p. 211. l. 16. r. unregenerate p. 223. l. 57. for profess r. propose p. 232. l. 12. after with add God by p. 241. l. 20. for Abner r. Hanan A TABLE OF THE Principal Matters contained in the SERMONS On 2 CORINTH 5. A. ABsent how ae Believer is absent from the Lord in this World Page 54 Acceptation with God must be our great scope Page 72 And our great work Page 74 It will be our advantage and comfort Page 72 73 To be laboured after not only when we die but in this life Page 75 Why we should labour after it Page 76 v. Pleasing of God Afflictions why a burden Page 32 Approbation of God how Believers come to have it and why Page 119 Why it should be lookt after Page 120 Approbation of God to be lookt after before the Approbation of Conscience and the Approbation of Conscience before the Approbation of Men. Page 122 Assurance may be had Page 6 Why we should look after it Page 12 How it is wrought Page 7 v. Confidence Certainty Authority of Christ. Page 85 B. BOasting what the false Apostles boasted in Page 116 Body of Man compared to a House Page 2 Why called an Earthly House Page 3 Boldness holy wherein it appears Page 46 Boldness in Expectation of Heaven the grounds of it Page 29 Burden of Believers in this World for Sin and Misery v. Affliction and Sin Page 21 32 Burden of Sin felt by a tender and by a wounded Conscience Page 233 v. Sin C. CErtainty of Heaven the grounds of it Page 17 25 The degrees of it Page 11 How it is confirmed to us Page 37 Change there is a great Change wrought at Conversion Page 201 The Change that Grace makes in a Man Page 130 Moral Change what it is Page 201 This doth not amount to the New Creature Page ib. Sudden Changes may be soon worn off Page ib. Outward Change may be without change of heart Page 202 Partial Change not sufficient to denominate the New Creature Page ib. Christ delights to be with Men. Page 54 Christ Spirit Ministry must not be separated Page 239 Christ was made Sin and a Curse for us Page 171 Though he was made Sin yet not a Sinner Page 252 What in the punishment due to Sin Christ was freed from Page 172 Commendation how Paul commends himself to the Corinthians Page 118 Communion with Christ difference between it here and in Heaven Page 54 64 Confession of Sin hath a promise of pardon Page 96 Confidence of Heaven both of the Thing and of the Person Page 8 44 Of Faith and of Assurance Page 63 The Nature of it Page 45 The Kinds of it Page ib. The Opposites of it Page 46 The Properties of it Page 47 The Effects of it Page 46 The Force and Vertue of it Page 12 How it ariseth from the Earnest of the Spirit in our hearts Page 48 Conscience its Work and Office with respect to Sin Page 231 Checks of Conscience to be regarded and why Page 232 Believers have a Testimony in their own Consciences of their Sincerity Page 119 This must be regarded and why Page 121 They have a Testimony in the Consciences of others Page 120 This is to be regarded and how far Page 121 Consideration sets home Spiritual Truths on the Soul Page 175 Conversion Power of Man to convert himself the Absurdities that follow it Page 210 God's working all in Conversion is no ground for looseness or laziness to the Regenerate or to the Vnregenerate Page 211 212 Yet Exhortations to press us to become New Creatures are not in vain Page 212 The true Vse of this Doctrine of Man's Insufficiency to convert himself Page ib. Why the actings of Love are more vigorous at our first Conversion Page 157 Conviction How a good Life convinceth wicked men Page 120 How the Creature shall be convinced at the day of Iudgment Page 99 Covenant why we should often renew Covenant with God Page 250 Curse Christ was made a Curse for us Page 171 Objections answered Page 171 What there was in the Curse or Punishment due to Sin that Christ was freed from Page 172 D. DEath no Extinction Page 36 Desire of Death v. Desire Death of Christ. Christ died as a common Head or publick Person Page 179 Christ died as a Surety Page ib. Christ died not only for our good but in our stead Page 170 How the Love of Christ appeared in his dying for us Page 173 The End of Christ's Death Page 174 The Consequent Benefits of it Page 148 Death of Christ discovers the heinousness of Sin Page 174 181 What use the Death of Christ hath to make us die to