all have interest alike Only the difference is in the vessels they bring if one man bring a large vessel a large faith he caries more and another that brings a less faith caries lesse but it lies open to all alike As St. Cyprian saith we carry as much from God as we bring vessels but all have Interest alike in divine comforts Therefore among Christians there is little envy because in the best things which they value best all may have alike and that which one desires another may have as much as he he knowes he hath never the lesse The point is comfortable to all even to the meanest and to them especially that howsoever there be a difference between others and them in outward things that cease in death for all differences shall cease ere long between us and others yet the best things are common In this life those things that are necessary they are common as the Light and the Elements Fire and Water c. and those are necessarie that are not common but especially in spiritual things the best things are common Let no man be discomforted if he be Gods Child comfort belongs to him as well as to the greatest Apostle The chiefest comforts belong to him as well as to the chiefest Christian. Therefore let us envy none nor despise none in this respect In the next place we may observe here hence that Though these comforts be common yet God derives these comforts commonly by the means of men This is Gods order in deriving these comforts to the soul he comforts one that another may be comforted Not that the comforts themselves that joyn with our spirits come from men but that together with the speech and presence of men whom we love and respect and in whom we discern the appearance of the Spirit of God to dwell together with the speech of persons in whom the spirit is strong and powerful the Spirit of God joyns and the Spirit raiseth the soul with comfort so the Spirit comforteth by comforting others that they may comfort us This is not only true of Ministers but it is true of Christians as Christians for St. Paul must be considered in something as an Apostle in something as a Christian in something as a Minister of Christ. As an Apostle he had the care of all the Churches c. As a Christian he comforted and exhorted others one Christian ought to comfort another therefore he would have done it as a Christian if he had not been an Apostle And in something he is to be considered as a Minister of Christ as a Teacher and Ambassador of Christ a teacher of the Gospel He was somewhat as an Apostle somewhat as a Minister somewhat as a Christian. Therefore it concerns us all to consider how to comfort one another as Christians We are all members of the same body whereof Christ is the Head therefore whatsoever comfort we feel we ought to communicate The Celestial bodies will teach us this whatsoever light or influence the Moon and the Stars receive they bestow it on these inferiour bodies they have their light from the Sun and they reflect it again upon the creatures below In the Fabrick of mans body those official parts as we call them those parts and members of the body the Heart and the Liver which are both members and official parts that do office and service to others parts they convey and derive the spirits and the blood to all other parts they receive strength partly for themselves first and then to convey it to other members The Liver is fed it self with some part of the blood and it conveyes the rest to the veins and so to the whole bodie The heart is nourished it self of the purest nourishment the spirits are increased and those spirits are spread through the Arteries The stomach feeds it self with the meat it digests and with the strength it hath being an official part it serves other parts and strengtheneth other parts and if there be a decay in it there is a decay in all the parts of the body So a Christian ought to strengthen himself and then strengthen others no man is for himself alone And although whatsoever the means be the comfort comes from God yet he will have comfort to be conveyed to us by men this way Partly to try our obedience whether we will respect his Ordinance he will have us go to men like our selves Now if we will have comfort we must look to his Ordinance we must have it of others and not altogether from our selves And that is the reason why many go all their life time with heavy drooping spirits out of pride and neglect they scorn to seek it of others they smother their grief and bleed inwardly because they will not lay open the state of their souls to others Although God be the God of comfort he hath ordained this order that he will comfort us by them that he hath appointed to comfort us he comforteth others that they may comfort us Though God be the God of comfort yet he conveyes it for the most part by the means of others I say for the most part for he ties not himself to means though he tie us to means when we have means Occasion may be when a man is shut from all earthly comforts as in contagious diseases and restraint c. A man may be shut from all entercourse of Worldly comforts but even then a Christian is never in such an estate but he hath one comfort or other then God comforts immediately and then he comforts more sweetly and strongly then the soul cleaves to him close and saith now thou must comfort or none now the honour is all thine Now the nearer the the soul is to the fountain of comfort the more it is comforted but the soul is never so near to God as in extremitie of affliction when all means fail then the soul goes to the fountain of comfort and gives all the glory to him But I say when there is means God hath appointed to derive his comfort by means when we may have the benefit of the Communion of Saints of the word c. God will not comfort us immediatly in the neglect of the means he comforteth us that we might comfort others And as he doth it to try our obedience So partly to knit us in love one to another For is not this a great bond to knit us one to another when we consider that our good is hid in another the good that is derived to us it is hid in others And this makes us to esteem highly of others how sweet are the looks and sight of a friend and more sweet the words of a friend especially of an experienced friend that hath been in the Furnace himself Thus God to knit us one to another in loveâ—… hath ordained that the comfort that he conveyes it should be conveyed by the means of others
to do this daily so when we are to comfort others we ought not onely to comfort them but to search them as much as we can what sin is in them and what miserie is upon them and acquaint them with their own estate that they are in as far as we can discerne we may judge of them partly by our selves For we must not prostitute comforts to persons that are indisposed till we see them fitted God doth comfort but it is the abject Christ heales but is the wounded spirit he came to seek but it is to those that are lost he came to ease but it is those that are heavy laden Therefore that we may comfort them to purpose we ought to shew and discover to them what estate they are in that we may force them to comfort if they be not enemies to comfort and to their own souls He is an unwise Physitian that administers cordials before he gives preparatives to carry away the noysome humours they will do little good we ought therefore to prepare them this way if we intend to do them good And then when we see what need they stand in bring them to Christ and the Covenant of Grace that is the best way to comfort them to bring them to see that God is their father when we discern some signs of grace in them For this is the maine stop in all comfort that there is none but they shall find by experience they are ready to say you teach wondrous comforts that there is an inheritance in heaven that God hath provided and on earth there is an issue of all for good and there is a presence of God in troubles this is true but how shall I know this belongs to me This is the cavil of flesh and blood that turnes the back to the most heavenly comforts that are The main and principal thing therefore in dealing with others and with our own hearts is to let them see that there are some signs and evidencies that they are in the covenant of grace that they belong to God Unlesse we see that all the comfort we can give them is to tell them that they are not yet sunk into hell and that they have space to repent But as long as men live in sinful courses that they are not in the state of Grace we can tell them no comfort except they will devise a new Scripture a new Bible if they do so they may have comfort but this word of God and God herein speaks no comfort to persons that live in sin and will do so we should labour therefore to discern some evidence that they are in the state of Grace And ofttimes those are indeed most intitled to comfort that think it furthest from them therefore we should acquaint them with the conditions of the covenant of grace that God looks to truth therefore if we discern any true broken humble spirit a hungring and a thirsting after righteousnesse and a desire of comfort Blessed are those that hunger and thirst it belongs to them we may comfort them If we see spiritual poverty that they see their wants and would be supplied blessed are the poore in spirit be of good comfort Christ calls such If they see and feel the burden of their sins we may comfort them Christ calls them Come unto me yee that are weary and heavy laden If we descern spiritual and heavenly desires to grow in grace and overcome their corruptions if we discover and descern this in their practise and obedience God will fulfil the desires of them that fear him And he accepts the will for the deed There is a desire of happinesse in nature that comforts not a man it is no sign of grace to desire to be free from hell and to be in heaven it is a naturall desire every creature wishes well to heaven but if there be a desire of the meanes that tend to heaven a desire of Grace these are evidences of grace these are the pulses that we may find grace by when they see their infirmities and groane under them and would be better and complain that they are not better and are out of love with their own hearts there is a combat in their hearts they are not friends with themselves When we see this inward conflict and a desire to better and to get victories against their corruptions though there be many corruptions and weaknesses a man may safely say they are in the state of Grace they are on the mending hand For Christ will not break the brused reed nor quench the smoaking flax And where he hath begun a good work he will perfect it to the day of the Lord. He will cherish these weak beginnings therefore we may comfort them on good ground Then besides that in our dealing with them when we have discovered by some evidence that they belong to the covenant that we see by some love to good things and to Gods Image in his Children and by other evidences then we may comfort them boldly and then to fetch from our own experience what a comfort will it be to such When we can say my estate was as yours is I found those corruptions that you groane under I allowed not my self in them as you do not when a man can say from his own experience that notwithstanding these I have evident signs of Gods spirit that I am his then he can comfort others by his own experience And what a comfort is it to go to the experiments of scripture it is an excellent way As now let a man be deserted of God David will comfort him by his experience Psal. 77. Where he saith he found God as his enemie and as Job saith the terrors of God drank up his spirit be of good comfort David would come and comfort thee if he were alive If the terror of God be against thee for sin that thy conscience is awakned be of good comfort Christ if he were on earth would shew thee by his own example that he indured that desertion on the Cross. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me If thou be molested and vexed with Satan Job will comfort thee by his example his book is most of it combating and comfort and so for all other grievances go to the scriptures whatsoever is written is written for our learning Pray to God and he will heare thee as he did Elias Oh but Elias was an excellent man The scripture prevents the objection Jam. 5. he was a man subject to infirmities if God heard him he will hear thee Believe in Christ as Abraham did the Father of the faithful in the promised Messias and he will forgive thee all thy sins Oh but he had a strong faith What hath the scripture to take away this objection In Rom. 5. This was not written for Abraham onely but for those that believe with the faith of Abraham I but I am a wretched sinner there
the Spirit of God is set at peace and is fit for the praise of God and is fit to do good when it is a healthful soul. As in the body it is a sign it is sick when the actions are hindered so it is likewise with the soul. We should blesse God for ability to do good for any health in our souls more then for health of body Do but consider if hwe are to thank God for the instruments of good much more are we to thank him for the good things themselves If we should thank God for the Ministers for now I stand upon that many prayers and praises were given to God for Saint Paul much more should we be thankful for that which we have by the Ministery that is for all the blessings of God for grace and glorie for life and salvation It is the Ministery of life And the power of God to salvation We should be thankful to God for peace We are the messengers of peace We should be thankful to God for grace and for his holy Spirit the Spirit is given with it We should be thankfull especially for spirituall favours A man cannot be thankful to God for health and libertie unlesse first he know God to be his that he can blesse God for spiritual favours Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ Ephes. 1. We should be thankful for Christ and all the benefits we have by Christ much more then for any other blessings whatsoever Therefore now seeing we are a Communion let praise be given by many We have greater matters then the health of a Minister or any particular person either our selves or others to be thankful for we have greater cause being to blesse God for the greatest gift that ever he gave even for Christ. The disposition in a feast is to be joyful and chearful to praise God now we are to feast with God and with Jesus Christ. Christ is not onely the food but he invites us he is with us What will we do for Christ if we will not feast with him What a degree of unthankfulnesse is it when we will not so much as feast with him when we will not willingly receive him What will he do for Christ that will not feast with him how unfit will he be to praise God and praise Christ that when Christ makes a feast of himself and gives himself together with the bread and wine representing the benefit of his bodie and blood broken and shed for us and all his benefits if we will not feed upon himself when he stoopes so low as to give himself for us and to feed us with himself what will we do How can we be thankful for other blessings when we are not thankful for himself And how can we be thankful for himself when we will not come and partake of him Let us stir up our hearts and think now to take the Communion As for matter of repentance and sorrow it should be dispatched before It is the Eucharist a matter of thanksgiving we should raise our hearts above earthly things We should consider that we are to deal with Christ and these are but representations When the bread is broken think of the body of Christ and when the wine is poured out think of the blood of Christ and when our bodies are cheared by these elements think how our soules are refreshed by the blood of Christ by faith If we should be thankful to God for bodily deliverance how much more should we thank him for our soules being delivered from hell by the blood of Christ which is the grand deliverance Let us dispose our hearts to thankfulnesse it is a fit disposition for a feast And as I said take heed of sin it choaks thankfulnesse therefore examine thy purposes how thou comest if thou come with a purpose to live in sin thou art an unfit receiver The place we stand in is holy the business is holy we have to deale with a holy God and therefore if we purpose not to relinquish wicked courses and to enter into Covenant with God to abstain from fin we come not aright When thou commest into the house of God take heed to thy feet saith the Wise man take heed to thy affections consider with whom thou hast to deale but if thou hast renewed thy repentance and thy purposes with God for the time to come come with chearefulness with a thankfull disposition thankfulness is a disposition for a feast if it be a disposition for bodily deliverance it is much more for the deliverance of the soule and much more for Christ and the blessings we have by him who is all in all That thanks may be given by many on our behalfe VERS 12. For our rejoycing is this the testimonie of our conscience c. SAINT Paul in these words doth divers things at once First He shews a reason why many should pray for him and give thanks on his behalf you have cause saith he for our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience c. therefore if many of you give thanks to God for me it is your duty my conscience beares me witness that I have carried my self well towards you you have cause to pray for us and to praise God for our deliverance for you have received much good by us God conveys much good by publick persons to those that are under rhem therefore there ought to be many prayers and many thanks for them And again they ought to pray and give thanks for him because they should not lose their labour they should not lose their prayers their incense because it should be for a man that was gracious with God that had the testimonie of his conscience that he walked in simplicity and godly sincerity as he saith Heb. 13. Pray for us for we are assured that we have a good conscience so they are a reason of the former Another thing that he aimes at is the preventing of some imputations he was accused in their thoughts at least and by the words of some false teachers that were his worst enemies as you have no enemy next to the divell to a Minister like a Minister If a man would see the spirit of the divel let him look to some of them Saint Paul had many enemies many false brethren that laid false imputations upon him to disparage him in the thoughts of others in the thoughts of his hearers They accounted him an inconstant man that he came not to them when he promised and that he suffered affliction and it was like enough for some desert they accounted him a despicable man he suffered afflictions in the World he wanted discretion to keep himself out of the crosse Nay saith he whatsoever you impute to me and lay upon me Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience c. Again he aimes at this to lay the blame upon those false brethren
the greatest judgement that God can shew in this world to give us up to our own wits to our own devices for we shall wind and turn and work our own ruine And that is the hell of Hell in hell when the soul there shall think with it self I brought my self hither God will be exceedingly justified when men by their own wit shall damne themselves When God hath revealed to man taught them this is the way O man I have shewed thee what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee he hath revealed it in his Word doe this and doe that and he hath given conscience to help and yet out of policie to contrive thy own pleasures and profits and advantages in the world thou hast done the contrary When a mans soul shall reason thus My owne wit brought me hither I am damned by wit I am damned by policie a poore policy it is that brings a man to damnation Therefore we should beg of God above all things that he would not deliver us up to our selves As Saint Austin hath a good speech Lord free me from my self from my own devices and policy The divell himself is not such an enemie as I said as our own carnal wit for it is that that betrayes us to Satan Satan could do us no harm unlesse he had a friend within us Therefore beg of God above all things Lord give me not up to my own brain to my own devices for man is a beast by his own knowledge but let thy wisdome and thy will be my rule Again if so be that we ought not to make this carnal fleshly wisdome the rule of our life then let us have a negative voyce ready presently for it whensoever we find any carnal suggestion in our hearts say nay to it presently deny it presently have a jealousie presently when any plot ariseth that is not warrantable by the Word of God and that is contrary to conscience and to simplicity and sincerity presently deny it consult not with flesh and blood as Saint Paul saith of himself Gal. 1. I consulted not with flesh and blood And when you have any thing to do Considering that this is not the rule you are to live by or when you have any thing to resist when you have any thing to suffer Consider what God requires consider what is for the peace of conscience consider what is for the good of your selves and for the good of the Church consult with these advisers with these intelligencers and not with flesh and blood Consider not what is for your profit for your pleasure for your ease but resolve against them Get the truth of God so planted in your hearts that it may carry you through all these impediments and all these suggestions whatsoever And because we cannot do this without a change we cannot have a disposition contrary to carnal wisdome without a change for except a man be born anew except he be a new creature he cannot have holy aimes you must labour therefore more and more to have the spirit of your mind renewed and to grow in assurance of a better estate for what makes men carnally to project for this world they are not sure of a better They reason thus with themselves It may be I may have heaven it may be not I am sure of the pleasures present of the profits present although alas it be but for a short time whereas if thy soul were enlightned with heavenly light and thou wert convinced of the excellent estate of Gods Children in this world in the state of grace That a Christian is incomparably above all men in the first-fruits of heaven in the peace of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost which is above all prosperity and all profit whatsoever And that in heaven which is above our capacity and reach every way they shall be happy if men were convinced of this certainly they would not prostitute their pates to work so worldly If they were sure of heaven they would not so plod for the earth Let us therefore labour to grow daily in the assurance of salvation beg of God his Spirit to have your minds enlightned And withal to joyn both together to see the vanity of all earthly things which set carnal wisdome on work For first outward things they work upon the sense upon the outward man profits and pleasures are outward things and therefore they work upon sense they work upon opinion in opinion they be so as indeed worldly things are more in opinion then in truth A carnal worldly man he thinks poverty a hell he thinks it is such a misery it is not so Labour to have a right judgmenr of the things of the earth that set carnal wisdome on work to avoid poverty to avoid suffering for a good cause The Devil inflames fancy fancy thinks it is a great hurt to be in poverty fancy thinks it is a great good to be in honour to be in credit to have great place that other men may be beholding to us Alas get a sanctified judgment to see what these things be that set our wits on work What are all these things Vanity and vexation of spirit Let our meditations walk between these two often think of the excellent estate of a Christian in this world and in the world to come and that will set heavenly wisdome on work it will make you plot and be politick for heaven And then withall see the vanity of all other things of pleasures and honours and profits and whatsoever that we may not prostitute our soules to them which are worse then our selves that our soules may not set themselves on work to project and proule for these things that are worse then themselves Let this be your daily practice the meditation of these two things is worthy to take up your cogitations every day To consider the vanity the vexation and uncertainty that accompanies all these things when you have got them as we see in Ahab when he had gotten the Vineyard Besides the vanity of thâ—… consider how you have gotten them and how miserable will you judge your selves presently How doth God meet with the carnal wits of men in the attaining of things The wicked man shall not roast that which he took in hunting He hunted after preferment he hunted after riches to scrape a great deal for his posterity how doth God deal with such he overthrowes them utterly and his posterity perhaps they spoyl all Himself roasted not that which he took in hunting Ahab got much by yielding to the carnal wisdome of Jezabel Hast thou gotten and also taken possession What became of Ahab with all his plots and devices Achitophel and others God may give them successe for a while but afterward he gives them the overthrow Herod he had successe a while in killing of James and therefore he thought to work wisely and get Peter too God struck him with Worms
God with them I trust in God depend upon God in good courses that God do not punish us and give us into desertion for our presumption and then we may know that our state is good Look to S. Paul and see the property of a good conscience it looks back it looks to the present and to the time to come Our rejoycing is this that we have had our conversation hitherto well Is that enough for a good conscience No you have acknowledged me to be as I have written to have a good conscience in my Ministerial course and in my conversation and you shall acknowledge me still This is the glory of a good life that whether a man look above him he hath God to witnesse for him or whether he look to the world to right judging persons he hath them to judge for him he dares appeal to their conscience or whether he look within him he hath a good witnesse from his own conscience which way soever he looks he hath comfort You have acknowledged me and you shall acknowledge I know God will not leave me for the time to come So that which makes up a compleat good conscience is the looking to the time to come as well as to the time past and present A good conscience that is purged by the blood of Christ from the guilt of former sins shall alway have grace to stablish the heart in good resolutions For where there is a cleansing from the guilt where there is pardon of sin there is alway given a power against sin for the time to come We usually say in Divinitie That the grace of God and a purpose to live in any sin cannot dwell in one heart and it is true if there be not a purpose to obey God in all things to leave every wicked way if there be an inclination to any iniquity the heart and conscience is not good A good conscience gives testimony of the time past present and to come And alwaies as I said remember to take God in all your resolutions or else you are liable to S. James his exception in a higher degree Go to nâ—…w ye that say We will do this to day and tomorrow and that in strength and confidence of your own not remembring the uncertainty of humane events how many things may fall out that God may crosse it If it be a presumptuous speech in matters of this life how much more in matters of grace for the time to come which God onely hath in his keeping and gives the will and the deed according to his good pleasure Therefore we should make an end of our salvation with fear and trembling Let us do as S. Paul did trust in God my trust and dependance on God is this that I shall do so because I have a constant resolution to be so to my lives end Therefore joyn them both together every day renew our dependance on God and his Promises The life of a Christian is a life dependant Salvation is wrought out of us by Christ procured by him and our carriage to salvation is wrought out of us by Grace coming from Christ. He keeps the Fountain and he lets out the streams more or lesse as we humbly depend on him so that both salvation is out of us and the carriage to salvation is of Grace all is out of us How should this make us carry ourselves humbly in a dependance on Christ for salvation and the carriage of it And therefore resolve not to offend God in any thing but to trust in God and to look to his Word to trust in God and his Word is all one Psal. 130. Thus we should take S. Paul's course to trust in God and renew our purposes every day And then take S. Paul's comfort to your selves perswade your selves that neither things present nor things to come as S. Paul saith Rom. 8. nothing shall intercept your crown For what he said here before-hand that he experimentally saith of himself 2 Tim. 4. a little before he dyed which was the last Epistle that ever he wrote he saith here they should acknowledge him to the end and there when his end was come what saith he of himself I have fought a good fight I have kept the faith I have run my race now henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of righteousnesse c. Before this time I depended upon God that he would carry me to my end as he hath done and now I am to close up my daies and my Sun is to set this all I have done God that was with me from the beginning is with me to the end I have done all this and what remaines now but a crown of righteousnesse Therefore I beseech you take in trust the time to come as well as any time past resolve well and trust with your resolution live by faith and obedience joyn them both together the one to be the evidence of the truth of the other then take in trust for the time to come all the good that you can promise your selves from God you cannot honour him more I trust you shall acknowledge to the end Saint Paul saith of himself That the grace of God should lead him to his end and that they should acknowledge it you shall not acknowledge me to the end to be rich or to be in favour c. but this you shall acknowledge that I shall be the like man It is uncertain for any thing in the world we cannot promise our selves nor others cannot promise for us but you shall acknowledge this that I will be as I have been to the end You have acknowledged and you shall acknowledge c. Seeing acknowledging is repeated twice as an evidence of a good Christian to approve of the Image of God in another and to acknowledge it Therefore often examine your hearts what you acknowledge do you acknowledge that the abstaining from evil courses from fraud and cunning in your callings that the abstaining from sensual living from carnal policy is good why then take that course resolve upon it Are the courses of Gods Children good why will you oppose them Saint Paul gives an excellent rule Rom. 14. 22. we should not condemn our selves in that which we allow Do you allow in your judgment and in your conscience the best courses as indeed you will do one day then do not condemn your selves in the present for them Happy is that man that condemneth not himself in that which he alloweth saith the Apostle Examine oft-times seriously how your judgment stands in the waies of God how it is built whether upon humane fancy to please any man or upon Divine directions the Word of God If it be so take heed that you do not condemn your selves in those courses and those persons that you allow Do you in your soul justifie such persons why do you not joyn with them why do you not walk their waies are such courses good
Christ. The best things are behind our chief rejoycing is behind our rejoycing now is our hope that we shall rejoyce then The Corinthians were S. Paul's joy now because he knew they should be his main rejoycing then If we rejoyce in any thing now let it be that our names are written in heaven in the testimony of our conscience that we are Gods that our hearts are wrought on that we have something that Christ will acknowledge when he sees his stamp and Image on us when he shall look on us and see his own Image upon our hearts there will be matter of joy in that day There will be joy in our selves and joy in all the blessed instruments that are under Christ the Ministers they shall rejoyce likewise in us and all of us shall joyn in joying in Christ all shall meet there For their joying in S. Paul and he in them it was that Christ was theirs And Christ shall come as it is in 2 Thess. 4. to be glorified in his Saints not onely in himself but in his believing members for his glory shall reflect upon them as the Sun reflects upon light bodies all light bodies are made light by the Sun So the Sun of Righteousnesse shall come and all them that have glory it shall be by reflexion from him they shall be glorious in him so he is both the Ministers joy and the peoples they shall all glory in Christ whose glory is their glory He shall come to be glorious in his Saints therefore frame your courses that way to have glory then to have comfort in the hour of death and at the day of Judgment And to end the point Let us labour to be acquainted with him now before that day we shall never have comfort in the day of the Lord Jesus except we be acquainted with him and acknowledge him in the Ministery now and in the Sacraments for none shall ever be acquainted with him there that have not been acquainted with him and known him in this world How do we come to be acquainted with Christ To be present where he is present and he is present where two or three are met together in his Name He is present now in our meetings he is present when we hear the Word He is present in the Sacrament more especially we have his very body and blood As verily as we take the outward signs so verily Christ is present to our hearts at the same time from heaven he reacheth us himself with all the benefits of his passion when the Minister reacheth the bread he reacheth his body As our outward man is refreshed with the elements so our soules are refreshed with the spiritual presence of Christ. Now he is excellently present in heaven he is present to our senses in the Sacrament and by his Spirit in the Word Would you have him then at his appearing come and own you and say then Come ye blessed be acquainted with him now upon all occasions hear the Word receive the Sacrament and come to the Sacrament as acknowledging him there How is that Why then you acknowledge the bread and wine to be Seales of him and of all the blessings by him when you come prepared when you come to them as his or else you do not acknowledge them you know them to be such and such things but you acknowledge them not to be set apart for such a holy use except you come with prepared hearts Will any body acknowledge him to go to a great person when he goes deformed and in rags do you know whither you go would some say to him He considers not whither he goes that comes to the Sacrament in his old sins Come acquainted therefore with Christ to acknowledge him that shall be your Judge at the latter day therefore come prepared And then because the Sacrament is a means to seal to us all the benefits we have by Christ and to incorporate us more nearly into Christ he that comes to the Sacrament as he should must come with joy Is it not a joyful thing to be united to Christ and to have further assurance of all the good things by him Yes it is a matter of great joy Therefore when you have repented of your sins come with joy And come with holinesse The things are holy as our Liturgy hath it let us give holy things to holy persons here is presented holy bread and wine and here you are to deal with Christ therefore come with holy reverence in the whole carriage of the businesse And come with faith and assurance and then you shall acknowledge Christ in this Ordinance in the Sacrament You shall acknowledge that he deales not complementally with you to feed you with empty signes but you shall have himself with his signs you shall have the Lord himself in the Word and in the Sacraments With the field you shall have the treasure in the field as the wise Merchant had With the Word you shall have Christ wrapped in the Word and in the Sacrament you shall have Christ and all his benefits Trust to it make it your weapon against Satan he will tempt you to doubt of your interest in Christ. Think with your selves Had I grace to receive Christ to be incorporate nearer into him why should I doubt to renew my Covenant And though I have fallen by weaknesse yet I have a gracious Intercessour in heaven that makes my peace continually Come in faith Know that God in good earnest here offers Christ with all his benefits And come with a purpose and resolution to be led by him You come to renew your Covenant here is the Covenant when Christ is given to you and you give your selves to Christ. Therefore as I said if you come with a purpose to live in sin come not at all Christ will not live in a heart where there is a purpose to sin therefore esolve to leave all sin or else you cannot receive him To move you to come and to come thus do but consider that it will be your joy in this world and in the world to come before Christ that you have been thus acquainted with him herc on earth acquainted with him in the Ministery acquainted with him in the Sacrament in private prayer and meditation in all the blessed means that he hath appointed and then he will look on you as upon his old friends But now he that is a Rebel that goes away or else comes not acknowledging with whom he hath to deal him that shall be his Judge ere long the Great God of Heaven and Earth that shall come in glory and majestie with thousands of his Angels Then he shall be Wonderfull indeed as his Name is Isai. 9. 6. and as the Apostle saith 2 Thess. 2. where he useth the word he shall be wonderful in his Saints Then all the world shall wonder at the glory of a poor Christian when he shall put down the Sun and all the
yea and amen to be yea and nay We make truth a lie and do rather believe our own lying hearts then Gods immutable and unchangeable Promises Therefore let us see the fulnesse of our hearts and complain of them to God and desire him to cure it and redresse it and he will do it This is to give glory to God indeed we cannot honour God more then to believe his Promises and build on him This will breed love when we feel the comfort of the Promises Foolish men think to honour God by complements by dead performances filly men consider that the principal honour in the world to God is to seal his truth that thou shouldest not make him a liar Hath he promised all things in the world get faith that will honour him and he will honour thy faith What makes God honour faith so much He that believes he will bring him to heaven Faith honours him it gives him the glory of his truth the glory of his goodnesse of his mercy of his truth c. as it honours him he honours it The Believer shall come to heaven when the idle fashionable Christian shall vanish with his conceits that thinks to serve God with empty vain shadowes Honour God with the obedience of faith man cast thy self upon him trust in him in life and death and then thou givest him the honour that he requireth at thy hands For as the honour of his mercy is the greatest honour he will have in this world more then that in the Creation so thou honourest him more in the Gospel to cast thy self on him for forgivenesse of sins and life everlasting and for the guidance of thy daily course of life thou honourest him more then by looking on the creature or by doing him any service He is honoured more by faith in Christ then by any other way Let faith go to him as faith honours him so he will honour it Let it be according to thy faith Let not all be lost let us bring vessels for the precious Promises the vessel of a believing heart Shall all this be lost for a vain heart that will not lodge up these promises shall we have a rich portion and neglect it shall we have so many promises and not improve them and make use of them Therefore I beseech you let it be our practice continually every day of all portions of Scripture make the Promises most familiar to us for duties follow promises if we believe the Promises with our heart they are quickning Promises we will love God and perform other duties Faith works by love If we believe love will come kindly off Therefore he saith here All the Promises are Yea and Amen insinuating that all is included in the Promises Let us empty our hearts of confidence in any thing and fill them with the Promises in Christ that are Yea and Amen Let us stablish our hearts with the Promises let us warm and season and refresh our hearts every day with these In these times of infection what do we those that are careful of themselves that go abroad in dangerous places they have Preservatives they take something to preserve their spirits and to strengthen them against the contagion abroad and it is wisdome so to do it is folly to neglect it and to tempt God not to be careful in this kind it is very well done But what is this if thou do not fence thy soul and thy spitit and take a draught of the Promises every day afresh Let us take out our pardon of course every day of the forgivenesse of sins We sin every day let us go for our pardon If we sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ and he is the propitiation for our sins And the blood of Jesus Christ shall purge us from all sin And he is in justifying us still every day he is acquitting our soules and there is a pardon of course to be taken out every day Let us renew and refresh our hearts with the Promises of pardon and forgivenesse of sins every day Let us strengthen our soules with renewing the Promises of grace for that day to walk comfortably before God that he will keep us by his Spirit from sin that he will be a shield and a Sun to us that he will give us wisdome to carry our selves as we should and he will give us his holy Spirit if we beg it Let us every day take these Promises to be Cordials in these dangerous times and then come life come death all shall be welcome why because we are in Christ and have imbraced the Promises and Christ and all in Christ is Yea and Amen it shall go well with us What a wondrous comfortable life would a Christians life be if he could yield the obedience faith answerable to the promises What a shame is it that having such rich promises we should be so loose so changeable that we should be cast down with crosses and lift up with prosperity It is because we believe not the promises of better things therefore we are proud of present things and cast down with present crosses and are fast and loose Now we have good things for the present afterward the devil comes between us and the promises and makes us let go our hold Religion stands on this which makes me to presse it the more If this were well taken to heart and digested we should know what Religion means if we know Christ and the promises all other things will come off All others are but formalities they will never comfort without the confideration of knowing God in Christ and the rich promises to us in Christ. Likewise if this be so that the promises of God in Christ are Yea and Amen This teacheth us how to make use of all former examples of others and of all former goodnesse to our selves Was God merciful to Abraham and to David Our father 's trusted in thee and were not confounded Psal. 22. Therefore he reasons If I trust in God I shall not be confounded for the Promises are Yea and Amen they are true to one as well as another And whatsoever was written afore was written for our comfort Rom. 15. And this is a singular good use we may make of reading of the stories of the Scripture and of holy men that the same God he lives for ever his arm is not shortened he that was is and is to come and therefore we should read histories with application Did God make sure his Promises to them surely he will make sure his Promises to us Had David forgivenesse of sins upon his confession surely so shall we Abraham believed and it was accâ—…ed to him for righteousnesse and â—…o it shall to us if we believe It is alledged for that end Rom. 4. And S. Paul prefixeth his example to all posterity God was mercifull to me and not so onely but to all that believe in him 2 Tim. 2. This is an Use
certainly these promises being apprehended by faith as they have a quickning power to comfort so they purge with holinesse We may not think to carry our filthinesse to heaven Doth the swearer think to carry his blasphemies thither filthy persons and liars are banished thence there is no unclean thing He that hath these promises purgeth himself and perfecteth holinesse in the fear of God He that hath this hope purifieth himself as he is pure 1 Joh. 3. So these promises affect and quicken and purge And then the promises they do settle the soul because they be Yea and Amen they make the soul quiet If a man believe an honest man on his word he will be quiet if he be not quiet he doth not believe so much faith so much quiet Being iustified by faith we have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So much faith so much peace Philip. 4. In nothing be carefull but let your desires be known to God in prayer supplication and thanksgiving and when you have done this The peace of God which passeth all understanding shall preserve your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus So where there is prayer and thanksgiving and doing of duty The peace of God which passeth all understanding will keep the mind in Christ and where there is not quiet and peace to preserve the heart mind there is neglect of duty before not committing our selves to Gods promises to build on them Again where there is a believing the promises there is not only a staying of the soul in generall but when all things are gone when all things are contrary that is the nature of faith in the promises Put the case that a Christian that is of the right stamp have nothing in the world to take to only Gods Word and Promises surely he knowes they are Yea and Amen It is the Word of God al-sufficient he is Jehovah he gives a being to his Word and to all things else therefore he hath the Name Jehovah therefore thinks the soul Though I have nothing yet I have him that is the substance of all things all other things are but shadowes God the Father Son and Holy Ghost are the substance that give all things a being and therefore I will cast my selfe on God here now is the Tryumph of faith when there is nothing else to trust to nay when all things else are contrary when it is faith against faith and hope against hope when there is such a conflict in a man that he sees nothing but the contrary here faith will shut the eye of sense and not look to present things too much though I see all things contrary though I see rather signes of anger then otherwise yet I will hope and believe in God for this or that Here is the wisdom of a believing Christian that believes the promises he will shut his eyes and not look on the waves on the troubles they will carry him away and dazle him but he looks to the constant love of God in Christ and to the constant promises of God his nature is constant and his truth is as his nature he cannot deny himself and his own Word when he hath made himself a debtor by his promise and bound himself by his Word Therefore in contraries say as Job Though he kill me yet will I trust in him True faith when it is in strength will uphold a man when all failes nay it will hold a man when all is contrary This our Saviour Christ in whom all the promises are Yea and Amen did excellently teach us by his own example For when all was contrary and our blessed Saviour felt the wrath of God which made him sweat drops of blood and made him cry out My God My God why hast thou for saken me yet here faith wrastled with My God my God still even under the wrath of God He brake through the seeming wrath of God into the heart of God Faith hath a piercing eye it will strive through the clouds though they be never so thick through all the clouds of temptation Christ had so piercing a faith it brake through all he saw a Fathers heart under an angry semblance So a Chistian triumphs by faith in oppositions to faith when all is contrary to faith yet notwithstanding he can say My God still This is an evidence of a strong faith in the promises Again an evidence of faith in the promises is faithfulnesse in our selves in our promises to God for surely the soul that expects any thing of God that he should be faithfull it studies to be faithful in the Covenant Psal. 25. All the wayes of God are mercy and truth All his dealings to his Children are mercy and truth to them that keep his Covenant For you know the promises have conditions annexed and where God fulfils his promise he gives grace to perform the condition to walk before him to allow our selves in no sin for if we allow our selves in any sin we perform not the Covenant on our part Now God will give grace to perform the Covenant where he will perform his own Therefore those that are unfaithful in their Covenant and yet think God will be faithfull to them it is presumption When we come to the Communion we think we do God a great deal of service but we must consider we enter into Covenant with God as well as he binds himself to us He gives us Christ all his blessings he reacheth forth Christ with all in him if we will receive him I but we bind our selves to God to lead a new life and to be thankful and to shew it in obedience And so in Baptisme we do not only receive in the Sacraments but we yield we bind our selves to God And we must be careful of what we promise to God as well as expect that which he promiseth to us if we expect his truth we must be faithful and careful of performing our Covenants to him Oh but how shall I do that saith the distressed soul I have no grace God knowes that well enough therefore he that promiseth he promiseth grace to perform the condition that is one part of the Covenant to give grace to fulfil the Covenant For he that saith If we believe and repent c. he will give us hearts to repent if we ask them he hath promised to circumcise our hearts to give us new hearts and to give us his holy Spirit if we ask him Why Lord thou knowest I have no grace in my self to fulfil the Covenant no but thou must perform both parts thou givest the grace and good thing promised and grace to keep the Covenant too therefore let none be discouraged Many things are required it is true but the things are promised that are required if in the use of means we depend on him by prayer For the promises are Legacies as well as promises what is the difference between a legacy and a
and troubled and we hear many comfortable truths let us lift up our prayers to God let there be ejaculations of spirit to God Now Lord by thy holy Spirit set and seal this truth to my soul that as it is true in it self so it may be true to me likewise This is a necessary Observation for us all Oh we desire all of us in the hour of death to find such comforts as may be standing comforts that may uphold us against the gates of Hell and against the temptations of Satan and terrours of Conscience why nothing will do this but spiritual truths spiritually known nothing but holy truths set on by the hoy Spirit of God But what course shall we take when we want comfort when we want joy and peace In the third of John there are three witnesses in heaven and three in earth to secure us of our state in grace and the certainty of our salvation The three witnesses upon earth are the Spirit the water and the blood and these three agree in one and the three that bear witnesse in heaven are the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and the three on earth and these three in heaven agree in one Now the Spirit is the feelings and the sweet motions of the Spirit The water may well be that washing of the Spirit sanctification The blood is the shedding of the blood of Christ and justification by it When therefore we find that part of the seal that extraordinary seal that I spake of before the joy of the Spirit of God that it is not in us what shall we do shall we despair No go to the water when we find not spiritual joy and comfort when the witnesse of the Spirit is silent go to the work of the Spirit in sanctification I but what shall we do if the waters be troubled in the soul as sometimes there is such a confusion in the soul that we cannot see the Image of God upon it in sanctification we cannot see the stamp of Gods Spirit there there is such a Chaos in the soul God can see somewhat of his own Spirit in that confusion but the Spirit it self cannot Then go to the blood of Christ there is alwayes comfort the fountain that is opened for Judah and Jerusalem to wash in is never dry go therefore to the blood of Christ that is if we find sin upon our consciences if we find not peace in our consciences nor sanctification in our hearts go to the blood of Christ which is shed for all those that confesse their sinnes and rely on him for pardon though we find no grace For howsoever as an evidence that we are in Christ we must find the work of the Spirit yet before we go to Christ it is sufficient that we see nothing in our selves no qualification for the graces of the Spirit they are not the condition of coming to Christ but the promise of those that receive Christ after Therefore go to Christ when thou feelest neither joy of the Spirit nor sanctification of the Spirit go to the blood of Christ and that will purge thee and wash thee from all thy sins This I onely touch for a direction what to do when our soules want comfort when perhaps we cannot see the seal of the Spirit in sanctification so clearly To go on now to the next And given us the Earnest of the Spirit Here is the third word borrowed from humane affaires to set out the work of the Spirit in our soules Anointing we had before and Sealing now here is Earnest The variety of the words shewes that there is a great remainder of unbelief in the soul of man that the Spirit of God is fain to use so many words to expresse Gods dealing to the soul to bring it to believe to be assured of salvation And indeed so it is howsoever we in the time of prosperity when all things go well with us we are prone wondrously to presume yet in the hour of death when conscience is awakened we are prone to nothing so much as to call all in question and to believe the doubts and fears of our own hearts more then the undoubted truth and promise of God therefore God takes all courses to stablish us he gives us rich and precious promises he gives us the holy Spirit to stablish us on the Promises he seales us with his Spirit and gives us the earnest of the Spirit and all to settle this wretched and unbelieving heart of ours So desirous is God that we should be well conceited of him he loves us better then we love our selves He so much prizeth our love that he labours by all means to secure us of his love to us because except we know his love to us we cannot love him again and we cannot joy in him c. But that onely in the general Here is earnest and the Earnest of the Spirit that is in plain termes he gives us the Spirit with the graces and comforts of it which doth in our hearts that which an earnest doth amongst men But what is this Spirit an earnest of It is an Earnest of our inheritance in heaven of our blessed estate there We are sons now but we are not heires invested into the blessed estate we have title to God leaves us not off in the mean time while we are in our Pilgrimage he keeps not all for heaven but he gives us somewhat to comfort us in our absence from our Husband from our Lord and King Christ he gives us the Earnest of the Spirit that is he gives the holy Ghost into our hearts which is the Earnest of that blessed everlasting glorious condition which we shall have in heaven hereafter that is the meaning of the words In what regard is the Spirit called an Earnest First of all an Earnest is for security of bargains and contracts so the Holy Ghost assures the soul of salvation being present with his graces and comforts the Holy Ghost is given for security Secondly an Earnest is part of the whole bargain though it be a very little part yet it is a part and so the Spirit of God here and the work of the Spirit and the graces and joy of the Spirit it is a part of that full joy and happinesse that shall be revealed The Spirit dwells not fully in any one he dwelleth no further then he sanctifieth and reviveth but that is an Earnest for the time to come that the Spirit shall be all in all wherein we shall have no reluctancy nor nothing to exalt it self against the sure regiment of the Spirit Thirdly an Earnest is little in comparison of the whole bargain so the work of the Spirit the comforts the joy the peace of the Spirit it is little in comparison of that which shall be in heaven in regard of the fulnesse of the Spirit which we shall have there An Earnest though it be little in quantity yet it