dead man but when cloathed with divine authority then it beateth down every thing that opposeth it self If then we are bound to pray to God that he would make naturall causes though with so much inherent pronenesse to cause their effects as that our bread may nourish us our cloaths may warm us how much rather when there is no such naturall efficiency If man lives not by bread alone but by every word proceeding out of Gods mouth much lesse is man converted enlightned or regenerated by Preaching of the Word only without the power of God manifested from heaven Yet oh the security the sencelesnesse of most people herein They do not earnestly contend in praier with God before they come hither What earnest wrastlings and strivings hast thou had with God to day that thy soul might be put into an heavenly travell and Christ be formed in thee This is the true reason why you heare your selves into damnation and we preach you into greater and greater spirituall judgements daily because few are diligent in praying for a blessing upon that which shall be delivered to them In the third place After doctrinal Instruction there is great need of praier to God because of the utter insufficiency and inability that is in every man to what is good Such is the contrariety and enmity in every mans heart against Truth preached that we had need pray and pray again that God would open our eyes and soften our hearts The Scripture in severall places doth describe mans Impotency and his utter aversenesse to what is holy He is a Tyger a Lion a wilde Bear he is a meer briar and bramble There cannot be any good wrought in him till God make dead men to rise out of their sinnes We doe not hear Sermons as the Heathens did their morall Orations for they had some imbred strength to doe those things that were civilly good but when we have to doe with supernatural things there all must be planted in us There is nothing in us to love or embrace it yea whatsoever we are think or will it all riseth up in rebellion against God and certainly if the godly themselves though endowed already with an heavenly life do yet earnestly pray that God would open their eyes Psa 119. That he would quicken them and make them to grow up in an higher stature how much more do men destitute of Gods Spirit need this help yea we may take notice Eph. 6.18 that when the childe of God is fully compleated with the whole Armour of God he hath his helmet his shield his brestplate upon him yet he must not trust to this but after all this he is to pray alwaies with all praier and supplication So that you see in all holy exercises we are to be as the little childe who leaneth only upon his Father we are like the Fowl when we have drunk down a little presently to lift up our heads to heaven that it may work on us Vse of Instruction From this order of Christs learn we in Preaching and you in hearing what we ought to do know it must be Praier that will sanctifie every Sermon According as thou hast laid up Praier beforehand so do thou expect to speed What a wofull thing will it be if God make this Heaven brasse and iron these helps of salvation furtherances to damnation and all because thou dost not carefully seek to him Canst thou pray in other things and not here Is not every Sermon of eternall consequence Is not heaven or hell delivered at this time why then are we such stupid blocks as not to lay fast hold on God and say I will not let thee go till thou givest me a blessing It 's taken up as a sad Question Why in these latter daies the Word preached makes no more wonderfull works At first Propagation of the Gospel so many fish were caught in the Net that it was ready to break And at the first Reformation out of Popery the Kingdom of God suffered violence but now he that is prophane is prophane still the blinde are blinde still the proud proud still What is the matter Is not the Word of God as powerfull as ever Is not the Lords arm as strong as ever Yes but the zeal of people is grown cold There are not such fervent praiers such high esteems of the means of grace Men do not besiege Heaven giving God no rest day or night till he come with salvation into their souls and truly the Spirit of praier is a sure fore-runner of spirituall mercies to be bestowed Optat dare qui mandat orare when God will blesse the Word and Ministery to thee he will stir up thy appetite make thee hungry and thirsty fill thee with daily pantings after his grace And thus much of the order I proceed to the gesture used in praier He lifted up his eyes to heaven In the Scripture we reade of severall gestures in praier one of the Publican clean contrary He cast his eyes upon the earth and that did arise from the great and reall sence he had of his unworthinesse and of the multitude of sins that were upon him but yet that which is most commendable and indeed most natural is to lift up the eyes to Heaven the place of Gods speciall presence though he be also every where for the eye in this case should be the demonstration of the heart Cor in oculis that if it were possible we would both in soul and body while praying be lifted up into heaven Now how our Saviour who was God as well as man could pray and what kinde of Praier this was will hereafter be cleared From this gesture Observe That all our Praiers should come from a spiritual and heavenly heart It 's the very definition of praier that it 's Elevatio mentis ad Deum The lifting up of the minde and of the whole soul to God To pray is a farre more difficult and noble exercise then most are aware of It 's not the running over a few words like a Parrot but the soul is then to be on the Mount of Transfiguration There must be many things meeting together ere thy praier be an heavenly Praier It 's good to set this home for praier is the universall Instrument of all thy good if that be blunted or unprofitable all is marred If a poor man that liveth by his handy labour hath marred his tools that he cannot work by them how shall he subsist Praier is the Key to open heaven if that be empty and unprofitable how canst thou be replenished You ask and pray and have not Jam. 4.2 No sins are removed no spirituall mercies are bestowed on thee and all because thy praier is not heavenly Now these things make an heavenly Praier 1. It 's necessary the Spirit of God do enable and move the soul to this duty Rom. 8. It is the Spirit of God that helpeth against our infirmities and enableth us with
which relateth to eternity so that the first and the last thing thou hast to think on is how to come to this eternall life The Apostle useth an emphaticall word 1 Tim. 6.12 Lay hold on eternall life as a man that runneth in a race at the end thereof streacheth out himself to lay hold on the garland so that as he who runneth in a race neglects all the pleasant objects he runneth by and hath his eye only upon the prize Thus it ought to be with us neither riches honours friends or earthly advantages ought to be inordinately minded by us but eternall life that is the prize upon that our eye is to be after that we are to pray and strive But who may not blame himself and judge himself for neglect herein Oh how little is this eternall life in thy affections and hopes thy cares about thy body about thy estate will greatly condemn that sluggishness about eternall life 2. As this ought to be the great question we are to rise with and go to bed with so we must take the right way to answer it It 's not enough to make the question as Pilate did to Christ What truth was and never matter an answer but we are to be restlesse in our souls till we have a full answer till we know the way Now that we can only be instructed in from Gods Word John 6.68 Whither shall we go thou hast the words of eternall life The Scripture then is this Tree of Life the fruit thereof and the leaves likewise are for eternall healing Hence our Saviour in the next verse tels us what is the way to have this eternall life even by knowing of God and Jesus Christ As all the Heathens were in dark confused thoughts about immortallity so they were in Egyptian darknesse or like the blinde Sodomites groping and feeling for a way to it but could never get in Wouldst thou therefore be resolved in this How may I have this eternall life betake thy self then to the Scriptures make them thy counsellers do not attend to the waies of the world matter not what they say or what they do for that telleth thee the way to heaven is clean contrary to the manners and practises of the world If you do not rectifie your self by the Scripture and resolve to follow the light of this starre though you should hear many hundred Sermons of eternall life yet they would do you no good say then let me consider what way the Scripture would put me into my life I yet live is wholly repugnant to Gods Word whatsoever course that prescribeth though never so contrary to my lusts to my former practises yet I will gladly renounce all Do this and then expect eternall life 3. Consider this deeply that upon this little moment we have here depends all eternity Thou hast a short brittle life in this world and upon the good improvement of this depends all eternity Oh the searchings and turnings of heart this particular should make in you My everlasting condition that estate which is to be for ever and ever it wholly hangs upon this uncertain life It may be thou hast but a day an hour to live longer and all thy eternity depends on this Oh men foolish and unwise who will not lay these things more to heart God hath given us a candle to work by a short day we have to improve and if this passe over thy head then comes unchangeable eternity As at thy death thou art cast for eternall life or everlasting torments so it must be without ever any recovery or alteration Oh how precious should thy time be how dear should every day every hour be all this hath influence into eternity Well might the Apostle Ephes 5.16 command us to redeem the time Time is the most precious jewell in the world eternity depends on it and therefore wilt thou let thy lusts or wicked companions steal away this jewel that is more worth then all the world Oh let us so live every day every hour as those that say as I do now so will eternity be to me 4. Consider this that the most of men even called and injoying the means of grace shall misse of this eternall life What is a thunderbolt if this be not Luk. 13.24 There are few that enter into the strait gate and many are called but few chosen our Saviour used that apothegm more then once How formidable and dreadfull should these words many and few be unto us Many perish in the broad way few enter in the strait way What will make thee cast off presumption security and negligence if this do not The number of those who shall have this eternall life is very few a little flock they are comparatively to those many millions that are cast into everlasting flames Oh how long shall we hear these things and yet be void of all spirituall understanding If such an asseveration should be used concerning any temporall misery or calamity Many shall dye of the plague few shall escape Many shall be cut off by famine or the sword and a very few shall be preserved who would not fear lest he should be one of the many And yet in these things many are as idle having ears they hear not and hearts they understand not 5. Desire to have such thoughts and resolutions now as if thou wert already in eternity For if the damned in hell that see no escape from those everlasting flames were asked what they thought of their sinne how they loved it would they not make miserable howlings it 's that which hath undone us oh that is the sting that enters into the very bowels that 's the scorpion which pierceth to the very heart Oh we mad men and void of all understanding who though forewarned of this and threatned about it yet regarded nothing beleeved nothing but now oh now after millions of years in this tormented place we are as unlikely to come out as at the first Think you they are not then altered and changed do they not cry out of those bitter sinnes which were once so sweet Should God give them leave to be here again upon the earth would they not repent in sackcloth and ashes would they not day and night mourn after God and his forgivenesse Oh that every wicked man who findes pleasure and delight in his sinnes would think and say Do the damned in hell judge it so Do they feel sinne so sweet And thus also desire to have the same inlarged affections and delight in God as those glorified Saints in heaven have Dost thou finde thy heart worldly unruly distempered say Do those in eternall life rejoyce no more have they no more enlivened flames of zeal for God then I have Thus to judge as those who are in eternity would be an excellent spurre to all piety 6. Remember this likewise that it 's farre better thou hadst never been born then to misse of this eternall life
be so wellcome Had the Prodigall not met with husks and extream hardship he would not have resolved to go back to his Father again Think and practise these things so wilt thou be greatly affected with eternity And to encourage thee herein consider the blessed effects which a lively meditation of eternity accompanied with a firm faith will put thee upon For first Who so hath this eternity set upon his heart he will not be immoderatly and inordinatly desirous after these things below As the beams of the sunne will put out the fire so will the thoughts and affections about eternall things overcome temporall The Apostle 1 Cor. 7. presseth all upon an hard duty To marry as if we married not to buy as if we bought not Why so because the time here is short eternity is coming upon us And thus those holy Patriarchs mentioned Heb. 11. they accounted themselves pilgrims and strangers and they sought a City to come not built with hands Thou complainest thy heart is so full of deadnesse dulnesse so full of the world the cares and distractions thereof devour thee up there is nothing will help thee against this temptation then often thoughts and affections about eternity 2. As the thoughts of eternall life will thus moderate our affections so it will work in us 〈◊〉 longing for and hasting of the coming of Christ who then will bestow this eternall life upon us We wonder how Paul should be lifted up above all these earthly comforts as to desire to depart and to be with Christ Phil. 1. It seemeth very difficult to us that any hasten in their praiers and desires Christs coming but all this is because our hearts are not as full of hope and expectation of eternall life as theirs were Alas many of us know no better and so cannot desire any better then what may be had in this world and therefore the thoughts of death and the coming of Christ are unwelcome to us Whereas to The godly it 's the coming of the bridegroom and they are to lift up their heads with joy when that approaches Matth. 26. Let then that godly soul which doth so complain that it loveth life too dearly and feareth death too immoderately let that be strengthened and comforted with the sure hopes of this eternall life If an heavenly frame of heart were powerfull in us this very world would be a wildernesse it would be tedious to us to be kept so long from that home we have in heaven The Saints have a rest provided for them and who doth not desire to be at his rest Oh blame your selves more that you have not Davids exclamation and now Lord what long I for truly my soul waiteth for thee As the heart panteth after the water brooks so doth my soul after thee O God Psal 42.1 David spake this but of enjoying God in the Ordinances in this life Oh but how greatly must the soul be inflamed for the life to come 3. Powerful thoughts of Eternity will quiet and wonderfully calm the soul under any afflictions and troubles No such antidote as this Paul abundantly witnesseth that we account not the light afflictions of this life comparable to that eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 4. so this Eternity made him not value or regard any temporary affliction It was this that made the Martyrs joyfully take the spoiling of their goods and the losse of their lives Thus in every affliction and exercise if sanctified to thee how sweetly and joyfully maist thou dwell in heaven while thou art on earth Thou maist be in heaven every day even while thy condition is beset with many troubles It 's thy sinne and unbelief if thou makest thy house a prison Thy self a torment to thy self if thou set faith on work about this Eternity it will put thee into heaven before thou comest to possesse it Eternal Life will give thee a better body a better house a better heart oh this Eternal life it 's the health of our bones the light of our countenance a continual Feast and a perpetual cordial Hence the godly even in this life are said to have Eternal life because of the right they have to it and partly because they have the beginnings and first fruits of it upon their souls Vse of Admonition Take this Subject more into your thoughts how many roving thoughts hast thou but if placed on Eternity it would be great profit How many thoughts hast thou unbeleeving disquieting and troubling if fixed on Eternity they would all vanish especially let the wicked man turn from all sinne saying There is an Eternity If it were only death that would not so much trouble thee but it 's Eternity after Death SERMON XIV The Necessity of Divine Knowledge And Arraignment of Ignorance JOH 17.3 And this is life eternall that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent IN the Verse before we had the great priviledge vouchsafed viz. eternall Life and the Subject to whom viz. Those that are given to Christ In this Verse our Saviour informeth of the manner or way how we may come to it For to speak of eternal life and not direct to the enjoying of it is to see Canaan but to want a pillar of fire to guide to it and although our Saviour had described such as should inherit eternal life yet because it 's a secret written in Gods Book which no man can reade who are given by the Father to Christ and who not Therefore it 's necessary we should be told the way and that is done in the Text. In the words you have then affirmed the way to this happinesse This is eternal life this will make you have eternal life None can ever attain it that take not this course for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may either relate to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or else after the manner of the Hebrews be put absolutely for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This phrase is like John 12.58 Now therein Consider 1. The way or duty enjoyned 2. The object of it The duty is To know Among other distinctions this is very obvious in Scripture to speak of a twofold knowledge 1. That which is meerly speculative and apprehensive If ye know these things happy are you if ye do them Joh. 13.17 2. Which is practicall and operative for it 's a known Rule that among the Hebrews Words of Knowledge are put for all the affections and effects that use to follow such Knowledge Thus God is said to know the way of the righteous Psa 1. That is so to know as to approve and preserve the righteous and in this sence To know the true God is taken so to know as to do all those things that are commanded by him and the reason why the Scripture comprehends all under knowledge is because this is the Introduction and gate to all practicall piety Although to know here is more particularly taken for beleeving for
God draweth him out to hate it and in duties good because it 's good doth move him Now the least sinne is sinne and we kill young Serpents as well as old ones and the least good is acceptable to God and he will reward it Reasons 4 Lastly In respect of the privative part of the punishment of sinne all are equall which is the losse of God and Heaven The least sinne depriveth of the happy Vision of God as well as the greatest so that in this sence we may say there is no little sinne no more then there is a little God and so likewise for the good of any duty The least shall have heaven as well as the greatest though not such degrees Even a cup of cold water doth not lose its reward Mat. 10.42 Vse To discover that Hypocrisie and falshood in many men some sins they avoid others again they embrace Is not all sinne poison Is there any good sinne Were thy heart sound those beloved and customary sins of thine could have no more welcome in thy heart then toads in thy bosome SERMON XXXVII Sheweth That Gods People are ready and willing in Obedience Whence it is that they are so Tending to rouse men up from dulnesse and Formality in Gods service JOH 17.8 For I have given them the words which thou gavest me and they have received them THere remaineth two things more considerable in the description of the Disciples Obedience The next thing to be considered is their readinesse and willingnesse implied in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They did not cavill or dispute They did not draw back or maliciously oppose but they were like melted wax ready to receive any impression like white paper whereon Gods Will and Law might be immediatly written and indeed if you observe the Disciples all along from their first call to this present time there appeared much readinesse in them Christ did no sooner speak the word commanding them to follow him but immediatly they leave all and obey though it was so much to their outward disadvantage though it was to fall in the Whales mouth yet they readily resign themselves and although sometimes they shewed dulnesse to beleeve and unwillingnesse in his service yet our Saviour excuseth it saying The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak and certainly had there not been a ready free spirit in the Disciples to take Christ above all and to cleave to him only they could never have devoured these troubles with so much patience as they did Obs That it 's a sure character and property of the children of God to be a willing ready people in obedience They are not as hypocrites kept from sinne by constraint meerly from a principle of fear within but Psa 110. They are willingnesses in the day of Gods power To explain this a little First There may be the presence of dulnesse and unwillingnesse sometimes in the Children of God but this is not reigning nor is it habitually consented to but resisted and with much agony praied against There is no garden but hath some of this weed in it No gold but some of this drosse No godly man but now and then hath wearisomnesse and unwillingnesse to holy duties seizing upon him Thus we reade the Church when Christ knocked at the door though he had stood all night and his locks were wet with the dew yet the Church out of a dull sluggish humour doth refuse to open to him Cant. 5.2 3. So Rev. 2. There the Church is reproved for suffering her graces to decay and that her duties were not filled up with fervency and solidity yea we may reade of the Church complaining of this slothfulnesse and coldnesse when she said Draw us and we will run after thee Cant. 1.4 And at another time Why hast thou hardened our hearts from thy fear Isa 63.17 So that it 's too manifest the people of God have much coldnesse and negligence in them What is that which fils their hearts with so many complaints but this what makes them so full of fears and doubts about their spiritual condition Is it not want of life vigour and willingnesse Oh they finde their hearts can take delight and be willingly drawn out in earthly affairs but they are like so many lumps of earth in heavenly things when yet there is farre more excellency worth and dignity in holy things then in all the whole world to draw out the heart so then let the godly for their comfort distinguish between the presence of unwillingnesse and the power of it Between unwillingnesse in the command and power over the soul and the reluctancy and striving against it The Apostle speaketh generally of sinne Let it not reign in your mortal bodies Rom. 7. Non dixit non sit sed ne regret This stumbling-block removed let us consider why the people of God must needs be so willing and ready in their obedience And first The sence of their guilt and all the misery sinne hath brought upon them puts them into a melting yeelding frame while mens hearts are hardened and they are not apprehensive of the damnable estate they are in while they are not in the fire of Gods displeasure they are stubborn and untractable but when they are kindely humbled for sin then they will do anything Thus Paul He that was mad in his oppositions against Christ no sooner did the Lord touch his heart with the sense of his sins but he crieth out Lord what wilt thou have me to do Thus David when the Lord had humbled him and used afflictions for his sinne see how humbly and obediently he speaks If he say he hath no delight in me behold here I am let him do what he pleaseth 2 Sam. 15.26 and the Church Mic. 7. I will hear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him Nothing then will so humble and mollifie the heart to make a man do and be any thing as a deep sence of sinne Thus the cold hard Iron is put into the fire and it may be beaten into any shape Secondly As the sence of sinne so the sence of Gods goodnesse and grace in being reconciled notwithstanding all our provocations doth much more enlarge the heart to thankefulnesse and obedience The love of Christ saith Paul constraineth us We cannot hold we cannot keep in as you may see David upon the apprehension of Gods goodnesse to him resolving to take the cup of salvation and to praise God in the great Congregation Psa 116.13 Gospel grace doth not in a filiall spirit harden and make wanton but doth more soften and enflame to an active obedience This made Paul run like the Sunne in the Firmament You see it 's the grace of God which lieth kindling and warming of him This is like the Spirit in Ezechiels wheels the dejected unbeleeving soul is not so readily obedient An Evangelical frame of heart assured of Gods love carrieth out to filiall fruitful
when some eminent calamity comes near unto thee Then thou cryest out of sinne then thou speakest well of godlinesse but all this is forced It 's a Land-floud It 's a Morning dew why didst thou not in thy prosperity shew forth willing affections to God Vse 2. of Direction To humble the people of God that though there be so eminent and pregnant Reasons for their willing obedience yet they should be so dead so heartlesse so full of excuses as they are Oh is not this the sinne of every godly man May he not cry out of his slothfulnesse and barrennesse Are the things of God and Heaven as operative and lively upon thee as the things of the earth Oh how hard is thy heart many times like the Mountains of Gilboa whereon no dew fals Oh how often do they keep the door shut even when Christ knocketh so that if you ask wherein may the people of God fear their ruine most It may be said In their unwillingnesse in their deadnesse and coldnesse Oh how many times are we not so much as capable of that excuse our Saviour gave the Disciples The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak for how often is thy flesh weak and thy Spirit unwilling also For these things Gods children have cause to have poverty and shame of spirit within them We come to the fourth and last observable particular viz. That these words are such as the Father gave Christ to communicate to his Disciples so that Christ himself did not take upon him any other doctrine or preach any other matter then what he had received Hence he did so often say The doctrine was not his but his Fathers Joh. 7.16 Neither did he speak of himself but what he heard the Father Obs That the Ministers of the Gospel are to preach that and only that which they have out of Gods Word As Paul said That which I have received of the Lord that I delivered unto you And the Prophets Introduction is commonly Thus saith the Lord If Pythagoras Disciples were satisfied with nothing but ipse dixit how much rather must the beleever whose Faith in the very nature of it doth relate to some word or Testimony Hence it is that they are called the Embassadors of God 2 Cor. 4. And such must not go a word from their Commission We are to be Conduits not Fountains The Word of God must exire per te non a te as Bernard It 's the good thing committed to our trust 2 Tim. 1.14 We must therefore give the same that is committed unto us we have received gold we must not deliver copper Thou art not author but custos Religionis not Res ingenii but doctrinae To open this Consider It 's first Their duty So that they will be found guilty of high crimes if they doe otherwise To mint false coin or to forge a mans will are hainous faults amongst men Thine is greater for thou counterfeitest Gods Truth yea thou putst a lye upon God thou attributest that to him which belongeth to thy folly The Apostle saith If it be a mans will or Covenant none may adde to it or disanull it Gal. 3.15 how much rather should this be so in Gods Word Oh then consider thou wilt be found guilty of high Treason against God if thou speakest any thing but his Truth 2. As it 's our duty so it 's our glory It 's the greatest honour we are capable of to have such divine Mysteries committed to us the Truths of God have onely Majesty in them they onely convince the Conscience and awe it They onely breed reverence and admiration so that although humane Learning and parts have a subservient excellency yet if the Word of God and the Truth of God be not principall there is no mastering of the Conscience and captivating of it Hence are those commands to attend to their doctrine 1 Tim. 3.13 15 16. and to give themselves to reading that so they may deliver only Gods will as it is revealed in Gods Word It 's their glory as well as their duty for the glory of a thing lieth in the excellency of its due and proper perfection The glory of a King is a higher thing then the glory of a Peasant and in another nature All arts and Offices have their peculiar Glory Logick in disputing well Rhetorick in speaking well and the Glory of Divinity lieth in divine Arguments and Motives so that those who preach onely humane or moral matter they goe below the Majesty of Divinity Those that study words and fancy-fall things that may tickle the ear these regard not the gravity of their office nor of their emploiment But as in the Ecclesiastical History the Heathen said all the while a Christian argued with reason he could answer him but when he brought forth the Authority of the Word Thus saith the Lord then he had no more to reply Thus it 's here all the while thou hast strains of wit and preachest like an humane Orator not as one speaking the Oracles of God Men will hear thee and applaud thee but they will retain their lusts still they thâ—nk thou art not in earnest That thou lookest more to an expression that may please then to an Argument that may wound the heart and conscience It 's therefore the glory of a Minister to be potent in divine Scripture Truths 3. It 's his comfort and safety as well as his glory His comfort because his own heart tels him he hath not dealt deceitfully he hath not purloined he hath not corrupted or mixed the Word of God to serve mens lusts and pleasures He did not like the False Prophet daub with untempered mortar Paul found this a great Testimony of Conscience to himself 2 Cor. 3.17 Thou wilt have more comfort in Preaching Gods Word powerfully then in all the applause of hearers for thine own subtle Inventions Now as it 's their comfort so it s their safety They are sure not to do hurt to their flock when they alwaies break of the Bread of Life they may be sure this will nourish but thy own thoughts are many times poison and destruction Lastly It 's most usefull and profitable For they are the Scriptures only that are able to make us wise to Salvation 1 Tim. 3. From this Brook we can only get stones that will kill the Goliah The Word of God is an Hammer and a Fire and a two-eged Sword so that although to the swelling proud fancy of the world it may seem dulnesse and plain simplicity yet to the good and honest heart it 's the power and wisedom of God Vse of Instruction To the Ministers of God how narrowly they are to look to their Commission To preach Scripture-Truths such as will endure a fiery Triall For the Apostle saith Every mans work must be tried and he that builds hay and stubble shall suffer losse and he himself with much ado shall be saved Vse of
all his offices and works are spiritual so it 's onely the spirituall and heavenly heart that can close with it There must be a proportion between the Object and the faculty or Subject Supernaturall will not agree with that which is naturall If therefore thou art carnall earthly and wholly minding worldly Comforts thou wilt preferre every Thistle before this Jewell To you that beleeve Christ is precious saith Peter 1 Peter 2.7 but to others he is not so Oh then if thy heart doe not leap for Joy within thee as John did in the womb at the Presence of Christ it 's because thy heart is carnall and sensuall Thou knowest no better good then what pleaseth sence It 's not because the matter is empty but because thy heart is empty of heaven What makes Paul desire to know nothing but Christ and him crucified Was it not the high spirituall Frame of his heart and it cannot be otherwise for Christ is all that an heavenly heart can desire He is the Way the Truth and the Life He is the Head and the Vine He is the true Bread that came down from Heaven He is made of God Wisedome Righteousnesse and Sanctification If then there were more Pauls Christ in his Mediatourship would be more magnified but the generall sort of people are like the Gadarenes they had rather that Christ should depart out of their Countrey then that they should lose their Swine Or like unto the Jews that desire to shew more favour to Barabbas then to Jesus 3. Would you be affected with this Truth then pray earnestly for the Spirit of Adoption and an Evangelicall Frame of heart An heart not under the Law in a well-explained sence but under Grace Pray that ye may be led by the Spirit of God and so be as Sonnes For by this means Christ will be all in all It 's our hard unbeleeving and distrustfull thoughts of God that makes us keep at such a distance from Christ and so neglect him who is the Peace-maker and Reconciler Whereas an Evangelical disposition would make us draw nigh to God as a Father in Christ It would remove the great Gulf that is in the way It takes away the partition Wall So that the longer we are kept in discouraging Fears the lesse Fellowship have we with the Father and the Sonne and so the lesse esteem and respect of him who is to create and work all this 4. Would you Rejoyce in this Truth Then Acquaint your selves with the Imperfection of your graces and the insufficiency that is in you even when you have done the best For by this means you will finde that every thing within faileth you Nothing will stand sure enough and thereby you will be necessitated to seek for a Mediatour without Thus Paul Rom. 7. when he discovered all that drosse within himself That when he would do good evil was present with him Yet what doth this drive him to at last I thank God through Jesus Christ And David upon the apprehension of what defects did cleave to him praieth That God would not enter into Judgement for then no flesh should be justified Psa 133. Not any one person in the world because he is flesh Oh there is little cause for any man to bear up his Head though he did ten Thousand times more then he did though he were a Gyant in Grace whereas now he is but a Dwarf because there is so much Imperfection in the best Duty that it needs pardon Not onely our sinnes but our Righteousnesse needs the Righteousnesse of Chtist as you see Paul acknowledged and the Church of old complained comparing them to a menstruous Cloth Isa 64.6 Oh then if thou wert setled in this thou wouldest cry out Christ he is all in all Vse 3. of Invitation Even to great and grievous sinners to bewail their Iniquities and to come in to Christ For even your case is not desperate Seeing we have such a Mediatour if Christ be truely apprehended what he is all our sinnes will be no more to him then the Earth to Heaven It 's a long while ere the Law hath its due efficacy upon many sinners They blesse themselves when God curseth them They acquit themselves when the Law condemneth them But when once their hearts are mastered and they feel the wounds of sinne whether they will or no Then it 's as hard to direct them to this Mediatour Then they think their sinnes greater not onely then they can bear but then Christ can or at least will bear Then the thoughts of the Multitude and bloudy aggravations of them are so great that they see no way but Hell and Damnation before them Oh let such consider what this Mediatour is who is sufficient to save to the uttermost That he is more able to justifie then the first Adam to condemn Let them remember how well-pleasing it is to throw our selves into the Arms of Christ That he will not in any wise cast out those that come to him That he will not break the bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax. But you will say This Truth if preached publiquely will do more hurt then good For the Prophane ungodly Wretch he will go home in the hardnesse of his heart and when he can sinne no longer nor live no longer then he will say Oh it 's good to trust in the Mediatour But first Consider That there is an Order and Method in our Trusting in Christ It 's not the first Duty we are to set upon But as he that would get the Fruit of some Tree must first pull away the Briars or thorns that haply hang in the way So it is here Before thou art called to beleeve in him thou art called to Know thy Self and thy sinnes how wretched and damnable thy Estate is Unto what wrath and vengeance threatned by the Law thou art obnoxious Thou must be lost in thy own self ere Christ will finde thee and further thou art called to have strong desires even as hunger and thirst is after Christ above all worldly and earthly things so that none can bid thee beleeve and as for thy Repentance or thy love to thy sins that is no matter Christ will receive you howsoever And then Secondly As you cannot come to Christ but this Preparation must be made so neither can you keep him as yours but with a constant holy and earnest endeavour to all Godlinesse 2 Cor. 5.17 He that is in Christ is a New Creature and He that is Christs hath mortified the affections of sin Never think the Spirit of Christ will abide with willfull and obstinate wickednesse SERMON XLI Of Praying both for the Godly and the Wicked With the Reasons and Motives thereof JOH 17.9 I pray for them I pray not for the world IN this Verse we see the End why Christ so largely commended the Faith and Obedience of his Disciples It is to shew that they were such Subjects for whom his Praier was proper and
stopt them Now you must know There is a great difference between the Degrees or quickenings of Grace and the Essence of Grace Christ did not so pray that his Disciples might not fall from any Degree of their Grace Neither doth God so keep them as that they never stumble No we see the contrary to this For the Disciples fled through fear when Christ was apprehended and though Christ in particular praied for Peter That his Faith might not fail him yet it did in some measure otherwise he could not with cursing and swearing so sadly have denied the Lord Christ Christs Prayer therefore and Gods keeping doth infallibly extend to the Essence and Truth of Grace They shall never lose that but for the Degrees and Intensions they are amissible yea so farre loseable that to the eye of others there is no difference between a wicked man and them As in the dead of Winter we cannot by the outward appearance tell which is a dead Tree or a living onely there is inward sap in one which is not in another And thus there is an inward principle of Life in one which is not in the wicked man The Godly then notwithstanding Gods keeping and Christs praying may lose much of their grace fall into sad waies and run much into debt though they do not prove Bankrupts Therefore Thirdly God keeps them spiritual by making them to persevere and to hold out till the very last So that notwithstanding all the difficulties which are in the way to Heaven yet as it is said of Christ He will not suffer his Holy One to see Corruption So neither will he suffer his Holy Ones eternally to perish Here we see Christ praying for his Dâ—sciples and afterwards for all Beleevers that they may be kept by his power and be one with him so that this is a sure Argument for the perseverance of the Saints Christ hath praied to God to keep them and the Father heareth him in all that he prayeth For hence God hath promised Jerem. 32.40 to put his fear into the godly wans heart that he shall never depart from him and he hath the immortall Seed within him keeping of him that he cannot sinne viz. unto Death and so as Cain and wicked men sinne who are altogether corrupted Oh then what matter of Encouragement is this to the Godly man who is apt to fear his entrance into Canaan when he seeth so many Anakims and tall Giants in the way He begins to tremble when he thinks of the Apostles Exclamation who shall be saved If it be such a difficult thing to get to Heaven the way be so streight and so many prove Hypocrites and Apostates What will become of me How shall I doe When the Godly are thus afflicted let them remember God keeps them and with him all things are not onely possible but easie He that could keep the Israelites shoes that they did not wear out he can much more preserve and deliver thee from being tyred out in thy way toward Heaven 4. God keeps his people from the Temptation of sinne or their hearts in the Temptation Rev. 3.10 Because the Church kept Gods Word therefore God promiseth to keep her from the hour of Temptation This keeping Austin acknowledged with much affection saying O Lord when I had a heart to sinne thou keptst off the Temptation and when I had the Temptation thou keptst off my heart Had Josephs heart been as ready as his Temptarion was strong he had been wholly overcome Oh then how great a Favour and Mercy is this which the Godly enjoy every Day They may as soon Number the Starres in the Heavens as the preventing Graces of God to them continually This is so great a matter that as often as we are to pray we are commanded to pray that God would not leade us into Temptation But how un-apprehensive are we of all Gods Goodnesse and Kindenesse toward us herein but even as the Sucking Infant apprehends not all the care and love the tender Mother vouchsafeth to it so neither are we affected with all that grace of God in keeping us continually Vse of Admonition to the people of God To whom all their praise is due while they are not undone in soul or body and to whom their Praiers are to be directed in Fears or Danger of either Even unto this mighty and wise God who is the Keeper of Israel Every Day would bring forth evil to undoe thee were not Gods gracious Power ready to stop it Be then humbled under thy own Weaknesse Say O Lord I lean and depend wholly and continually upon thee Thou art my Refuge my Strength and my strong Tower All other things they are but Reeds and tottering Wals Especially desire Gods spirituall Preservation Thy own Danger and Sence will make thee pray to God to be kept corporally but a man must have a spirituall Eye and a tender heart that can fear his Spirituall Destruction In the midst of bloudy Warres what a wonderfull Mercy was it thought to have your Estates Houses yea and your Lives kept from the Fury and Violence of an Enemy Oh that we could every Day and every hour be as sensible of the Danger of hell and the Devil with his subtle Suggestions and Temptations seeking to allure us and thereby fly unto God for his Defence Vse of Terrour to wicked men who are given up to Spirituall Judgements For God neither softens their heart nor removeth Temptations but a ready Door is set open to act all their wickednesse Thus Solomon saith Eccles 7.26 He that is abhorred of the Lord shall be enticed by an whorish Woman And Rom. 1. Men are there given up to vile affections Oh the heavy doom of ungodly men that have none to keep them from falling in the Mire They have many Occasions to sinne and they love and embrace them SERMON LVI That it 's not enough to be put into a state of Grace unless by Gods Power we are kept therein How farre Men may acknowledge Gods Help and yet with the Pelagians Arminians and Papists not give him his due Glory And also sheweth How many wayes the Power of God keepeth his People JOHN 17.11 Keep through thy own Name those thou hast given me THe Mercy prayed for and the Subject for whom described in these words Those whom thou hast given me have been treated of Our Saviour doth so often repeat this Description of his Disciples Whom thou hast given me that although we have said much of it yet what more may be added shall be brought in vers 34. where in the last place it 's mentioned I proceed therefore to the Instrumental Cause or Manner how God is pray'd to keep them and that is Through his own Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which expression admits of various Interpretations although all be subordinate and none contrary to each other Some take Name for Glory Gods Name for his glory Ezek 36.22 Psa 79.9 and then the Preposition
state of men afterwards The former of these especially could never be discovered by natural light even Adam though created after Gods image yet needed a revelation of these We have no innate or acquired knowledge about them and though many worthy Divines have indeavoured to prove the Trinity by reason and humane similitudes yet the surest and most evident way is the Scripture so that we may say of them all which Austin speaks of one of them viz. Of Christs being God and man If you can give a reason it would not be mirabile and if an example it would not be singulare It 's true there are many things in Scripture which we know by natural reason as that there is a God but the knowledge by reason is nothing so evident and firm as that by Revelation so that the truth of God being in the chiefest parts of it supernatural It 's no wonder that the wisest Heathens became vain in their imaginations and that their greatest Religion was their highest impiety and within the Church The more men have forsaken Scripture and pleased corrupt reason in the doctrinal part and corrupt fancies in the worshipping part They have been very erroneous and absurd hence the truth of God is called a mystery and said to be revealed because mans reason could no more attain unto it then a dwarf can reach to the heavens Zacheus must get upon this Tree to see Christ Hence no others have been able to endure the glorious lustre of the Scripture because errours are natural the Scripture supernatural All heresies have runne up and down from one age to another like Cain fearing least every Text of Scripture should kill them Do not then judge of Scripture-truths by thy carnal reason The work is above thy natural understanding 6. It 's a godly holy Truth The holy Scriptures they are called and well may they be so called for nothing is a stronger argument to demonstrate the Divine Authority of Scriptures than the holiness thereof Take all the moral books in the world they do as much come short of the holiness of the Scripture as coals do of the glory of the Sunne Plutarch Seneca Epictetus these will teach you to have the clean skin of morality but not the inward life and sound vitals of holiness What transcendent holiness doth the Scripture teach us such as the men of the world know not Holiness in our natures first of all Regeneration neither the name nor the nature of it was known amongst the Heathens they knew not mans natural pollution neither did they see a necessity of such an internal renovation Again Such holy duties the Scriptures teach that not only the doctrinal but the practical part of it is a mystery to flesh and bloud such are faith in Christ love to our enemies self-denial and a readinesse to take up the Crosse Many of these duties are accounted folly and madness by wise men after the flesh It teacheth an heavenly life fellowship and communion with God to do all things from holy principles and to holy ends so that the holinesse that is in the truth of Scriptures should much affect us But oh how few reade and delight in the Scriptures because of the holinesse in them You reade them for dispute or to know the History and to be able to hold up Arguments but who is there that thinketh this the truths of Scripture are holy They are to make heavenly and pure they will forewarn of sin they quicken to grace they inflame to faith and love Oh minde this all Scripture-truth is for holiness As meat is not to be looked upon but eaten and digested 7. They are precious excellent Truths and therefore compared by David to fine gold and by Solomon preferred above all jewels Prov. 3.15 The Apostle also compareth true Doctrine to gold silver and precious stones 1 Cor. 3.12 and they are called precious promises as a precious faith 2 Pet. 1.1 4. These shew in what high degree and dignity the truths of Scripture should be with us Austin said Veritas Christianorum was incomparabiliter pulchrior Helenâ Graecorum If they did strive about her How much more ought we for the truth of God The Prophet complained of old None pleaded for the truth Isa 59 4. neither were valiant for the truth Jer. 9.3 The truths then of the Scripture should be more unto us then any earthly comforts whatsoever You see Christ makes this one main end of his coming into the world to bear witness unto the truth John 18 37. Ann thus the Martyrs they thought Gods truth more worth then their lives and how many millions have willingly endured the worst of deaths to bear witness to the truths of the Scripture So that it 's very strange how such a spirit of delusion should be upon men to make no matter of true Doctrine to think Heresies and Errours are nothing Certainly the godly Martyrs that burnt at the stake had other thoughts of it and the Scripture doth commend it as the great mercy of God unto a people Therefore God promiseth Jer. 33.6 He will reveal abundance of peace and truth and in many places truth is still joyned unto peace as if all the peace and earthly advantages in the world were nothing if we might not have the truths of God also Therefore the Apostle John told that elect Lady He had no greater joy then to see her children walking in the truth and the Spirit of God is promised as the greatest mercy we can have John 16.13 That he will guide us into all truth Natural truth is precious What pains and travel have many used to finde that out They have dispossessed themselves of their goods to finde it out yea they have been so ravished in the contemplation thereof that they have forgotten to eat their bread and have wholly neglected themselves and all pleasure Hence in their Sacrifices to Apollo whom the Heathens made God of truth they cried out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Truth is sweet Truth is sweet Truth is the natural food to the soul as meat is to the body but then divine supernatural truth which doth so immediately concern our salvation and eternal happiness how precious and dear should that be to us In other things ignorance is not damnable but here to misse of the truth is to fall into destruction It profits not a man to measure the heavens and the motions thereof To understand all the Laws of Nations with their cases thereupon or with Solomon to be able to speak of the nature of all things if a man want the knowledge of Scripture-truths Lastly This truth though precious yet because it 's opposite to a corrupt heart It 's very bitter and makes most men enemies to it It 's a truth requiring holiness hatred of sinne mortification of lusts and because it 's so therefore the vain corrupt hearts of men love errours and lies or deceits by the devil and sinne rather then the
some while he was here on earth or mediately and that is by the discovering of the work of grace upon our souls whereby we gather Gods love toward us and this is the ordinary safe way that we are to take otherwise under the pretence of immediate revelations we may fall into sad delusions and this way the Scripture suggests viz. that by our love to the brethren by keeping his Commandements we may gather that we are loved of God Do not then expect as if thou shouldst hear a voice from heaven in a glorious manner as Christ did Thou art my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased but begin at the work of grace and Sanctification in thy heart by which thou maist certainly conclude of Gods love as by the Sun-beams we may conclude the Sun risen yet this must be necessarily added that we can neither discern of the work of grace in us or have such full perswasions of Gods love thereby but by the spirit of God as in Rom. 5.5 we of our selves through the sight of the imperfections of our graces would run from the presence of God only it 's the spirit of adoption given unto us which makes us have an Evangelical boldness before him Lastly This love of God perceived and felt by the godly is of a transcendent and incomprehensible nature So that if we should spend our whole life in the meditating of it yet we are never able to go to the bottom of it This is admirably expressed Eph. 3 19. that ye may know the love of Christ which passeth all knowledge from whence followeth that we are filled with the fulness of God for this love to us is the same in kinde though not in degree with that whereby he loveth Christ himself Christ and his members are comprehended in the same act of love what an unspeakable consideration is this to a poor believer Again the love of God is such that he gave his only begotten Son to the vilest and most ignominious death for them which the Apostle puts also upon it Joh. 3.16 God so loved the world and this love was to us while enemies while adversaries and it 's not to bring about a temporall mercy for us but eternal even everlasting glory and lastly this love is immutable and unchangeable God will never alter his love or cease to love such Certainly such a love is that which the heart of a man can never sufficiently comprehend must needs inflâ—me the soul there cannot be any cold Ice under this torrid Zone Therefore in the next place let us consider the great advantages that a believer hath which hath this powerful sence and feeling of Gods love within his heart And 1. It doth in a wonderful manner encourage and embolden the soul and that under the thoughts of death and the day of Judgement If so be this were to be the next moment if this voice were heard Arise and come to judgement yet the experimental feeling of Gods love would keep the heart so far from being dejected and perplexed that it would rather rejoyce a man and make him lift up his head 1 Joh. 4.17 Herein is love made perfect that is not our love but Gods love to us as the Greek intimateth that we may have boldnesse in the day of judgement That day which is so terrible to the wicked the very name of it is dreadful to them that bringeth much comfort to him who is loved of God Now what a desirable life is this who would not give the whole world to enjoy it viz. that he may walk in such powerful apprehensions of Gods favour that though death come though the day of judgement come yet his heart is not terrified within him The Apostle John speaks of Gods love perfected in us 1 Jo. 4.12 that is in respect of manifestation and discovery as Gods power is said to be perfected in our infirmities or faith to be perfected by love which sheweth that though God doth love us yet till this be manifested and discovered to us his love is not perfected to us 2. The sence and feeling of Gods love doth make us patient and contented yea even rejoycing under all tribulations the more grudgings and discontents thou art assaulted with under any exercises it 's an argument thou hast the less feeling of Gods love upon thee for if this did diffuse it self thou wouldst be more then a conquerour in all these things and certainly if Calvin said gravely from the former consideration out of the place mentioned in John That so far a man is proficient in faith as he is well composed in his heart for the expectation of the day of judgement We may also speak in this particular that so far a man hath profited in Christianity as he can from the sence of Gods favour rejoyce and be above all tribulations whatsoever This the Apostle mentioneth Rom. 5.5 the cause of all those glorious graces mentioned viz. patience and glorying in tribulations as also hope which will not make ashamed all cometh from that love of God shed abroad in their souls and Rom 8 It 's the love of God which he felt in his soul that made him triumph in so glorious a manner that he challengeth all things as not able to hinder him from this love of God 3. This sence of Gods love is a notable inflamer and quickner of the heart unto all godliness to all holy duties How dull how cold and lukewarm are all such performances that flow not from this fire within All is but formality and a meer outside in Religion till we have some apprehension of Gods love toward us yea those that are truly loved of God but yet not assured of it how heavily do they move in any holy duties how sad and divided with unbelieving thoughts how prone to yield to such temptations that because God doth not love them therefore it 's a vain thing to seek his face any longer but if once God let this love shine in upon his heart then it 's like oyl to his bones then it 's like Ezechiels spirit in the wheels then many waters cannot quench this love So that any duty performed out of the apprehension of Gods love is in some respect worth a thousand of those done without it Oh therefore labour to keep this fire alwaies upon the Altar of thy heart 2 Cor. 5.14 the Apostle there saith that the love of Christ constraineth him the word is thought to be used of those Prophets who being immediatly wrought upon by the spirit of God could not keep in what they felt but they must deliver it and thus it is with a man strongly possessed with the feeling of Gods love he cannot keep it in he is in an holy extasie and ravishment he praieth he heareth he doth all things with all his might 4 This apprehension of Gods love will make us wonderfull heavenly It will take us from all things here below As a man on
unto all his Disciples even in this life and of Union with him as the ground of it SERM. CXXIII Practicall Conclusions from the foregoing Doctrine SERM. CXXIV That Jesus Christ though God co-equall with the Father had many things given him by the Father and how that can be SERM. CXXV Unity among Christians is part of that Glory Christ hath purchased for them SERM. CXXVI JOHN 17.23 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 Of Union with Christ Shewing how or in what respect Christ is in every Beleever and how he is not SERM. CXXVII Shewing somthing of the Nature Manner and Effects of Christs being in Beleevers SERM. CXXVIII Of the Fathers being in Christ of both their being in Beleevers and how that can be and yet they not quite freed from sin and sorrow SERM. CXXIX Of the Unity of Beleevers of the cause and nature of it and what makes to the perfect consummation of it SERM. CXXX Sheweth that every one that beleeveth knoweth the thing that he beleeveth Against the Popish implicit faith and what Knowledge the knowledge of Faith is SERM. CXXXI Of the unspeakable love of God to Beleevers shewing wherein Gods love to Christ and Beleevers is alike and wherein it differs SERM. CXXXII Sheweth of what high concernment it is to the men of the world to know how greatly Beleevers whom they hate and persecute are beloved of God SERM. CXXXIII 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 which thou hast given me for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world Of the Connection between Grace and Glory and that Glory even to the most Godly is the free gift of God SERM. CXXXIV Of immediate Injoyment of and Communion with Christ in Heaven as the Complement of mans Happiness SERM. CXXXV Of an humbled Christians improving in his prayers the sweet Apellation of Father SERM. CXXXVI Of the state of Glory shewing what it is to behold Christs Glory in Heaven SERM. CXXXVII How Christ as Mediatour had his Glory given him although as God he could not properly have it given him except by way of Manifestation Against the Socinians SERM. CXXXVIII Of Gods love to Christ as Mediatour and in him to all Beleevers from all Eternity SERM. CXXXIX JOHN 17.25 O righteous Father the world hath not known thee but I have known thee and these have known that thou hast sent me Of the Righteousness of God as Judge in his Administrations to Devils and Wicked men and as a Father unto his own people SERM. CXL That every unregenerate man whether in or out of the Church is destitute of the true saving Knowledge of God SERM. CXLI Christ is the great Teacher of his Church SERM. CXLII Setting forth the singular Christian cleaving to God though the multitude go another way and how his Godliness in that case endears him to God SERM. CXLIII JOHN 17.26 And I have declared unto them thy Name and will declare it that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them Of Christs teaching Beleevers Shewing what great need the most illuminated Christians have still to be taught SERM. CXLIV Of the powerfull sense and feeling of the Love of God How it is attained and what a great advantage it is to him that hath it both in reference to Duty and Comfort SERM. CXLV Directions how to obtain and alwaies to preserve the Knowledge and Assurance of Gods Love in our Hearts IF any thing in the Contents of this Book appear incongruous either to the Author or his Work let it be hereby known that not the Author but a Friend of his gathered them as well as he could T. U. CXLVI SERMONS Upon the whole Seventeenth Chapter of the Gospel by St JOHN SERMON I. The Necessity of adding Prayer to Preaching for its good effect Shewing also what kinde of cause the Word is of Conversion And what are the requisites of Heavenly and Spirituall Prayer JOHN 17.1 These words spake Jesus and lift up his eyes to Heaven and said c. MY Purpose is God assisting to go through this Chapter being the Praier of Christ immediately before his Passion If the words of a dying man are much to be regarded how much more of a dying Christ And words put up in a Praier way which came from the most serious and heavenly affection within Christs love was sincere and naturall Now as in naturall motions the nearer the body comes to the center the swifter the motion is Thus Christs Love though great alwaies yet the expressions of it were overflowing most at last His best wine was at last And certainly if it be lawfull to preferre Scripture before Scripture we may say Though all be gold yet this is a Pearl in the gold Though all be like the Heavens yet this is like the Sun and Stars Oh that both my heart and your hearts were purified with a coal of fire from the Altar for this Subject Not onely parts but great grace is required both to preach and hear this Subject But let us enter into this Land of Canaan The Apostle John of all the Evangelists is compared to an Eagle because he treateth of the highest and most sublime matter For as it is commonly received He outliving all the other Apostles there were damnable Hereticks risen up that denied Christ to be God at the Churches entreaty therefore he wrote this Book mainly asserting Christs Godhead and handling those things especially which the other Evangelists had left out especially insisting upon those excellent discourses and dialogues Christ had with the Pharisees As also those divine Instructions and consolations he gave his Disciples at his departure from them of which the other Evangelists record nothing at all Now when our Saviour had been large in instructing and confirming them he bends himself to earnest praier for them that what he had said might take place in their hearts so that in the Chapter you may take notice of 1. The Introduction to the matter and 2. The Matter it self The matter is Christs earnest prayer and that for a threefold Object 1. Himself 2. His Apostles 3. All others who in time should beleeve in him For the Introduction there we have 1. The order of Christs Praier and 2. the description of his gesture The Order is These words spake Jesus that is after Christ had finished those admirable and comfortable Instructions then he betakes himself to praier From whence observe That to all Instructions and Consolations Praier is necessary for their good effect Christ himself doth not think it enough to plant but he prays there may be a watering from above Thus all Ministers and all hearers are to take Christs way Even as at other times we reade that Christ spent the day in Preaching and the night in Praying For
if the Apostle 1 Tim. 3.5 say of every creature for nourishment it is sanctified by Praier when yet the creatures have in themselves a naturall strength to nourish how much more is this to be seen in the means of grace which work not by inherent but instituted efficacy altogether If therefore we would have our preaching and your hearing doe any good be powerfull to an heavenly alteration and change then look up with your eyes to heaven It 's from God that this must do me good It 's from God that this must teach my heart In vain is a Teacher without if there be not also a Teacher within 1 Cor. 3. You see the Apostle there taking beleevers off from all Ministers and Instruments and to rest on Jesus Christ They are necessary but as Ministers by whom we do beleeve not as authours of our faith Let us consider Why Praier is thus necessary in the use of all other means And First From God in these respects 1. He is the sole author and fountain of all grace It 's not the gifts or parts of Men and Angels that remove the stone of the heart that can make the withered dry bones to live again unlesse the Spirit of God breathe upon us Jam. 1. Every good and perfect gift is said to come from above That as the naturall Philosophers say The Sun and Stars are the cause of all the life and perfection which is in these things below insomuch that without them all things would be destroyed This is much more true in heavenly and supernaturall effects therefore he is called the God of all grace and the God of all consolations 2 Cor. 1.3 There is no godlinesse no comfort can stream in the heart but from this Fountain we lie like so many lumps of earth like so many noisome Lazarusses in the grave till God bid us Come forth So then to have any doctrine or truth enter into thy heart to have the Ministry effectuall and powerful to thee is of greater consequence then thou art aware of There must be much strugling and striving with God ere thou canst behold him in his glory in the Ordinances Thou must be Jacob ere thou canst be Israel as an Ancient said Wonder not if you see men living in the same lusts and roving in their former excesse of riot though the clouds drop upon them daily yet they are a barren wildernesse Alas all the rain in the world would not make the Earth spring forth and encrease had not God at first commanded the earth to doe so and certainly if God can by his Word make the dull dead earth so glorious that Solomon is in his greatest state not like the glory thereof how much rather can he make a heavy dull earthly carnall people glorious and admirable in variety of graces he can make them a Paradise who were a parched heath Praier therefore is necessary because God onely hath the command over all Ordinances to blesse as he pleaseth 2. On Gods part we are therefore to pray that so all the glory and praise in every thing may redound to him so 1 Cor. 1. that he who glorieth may glory in God only Hence it is that as in the Old Testament we reade of many good women and they were most of them barren to humble them and that they might see it was not their goodnesse but Gods glory and power to give them children So it is here God many times causeth not the best and choicest Ministers to be fruitfull in conversion of others to be able to say Behold I and the Children which thou hast given me that hereby all the glory may be attributed to God onely 3. Therefore after all doctrinall Instructions is Praier to be used because God in anger many times for mens sins doth blast the Word to them doth not give them a tender and an understanding heart Oh then how much is he to be sought to that hath the key of all mens hearts that openeth and none can shut that shutteth and none can open Rev. 3.7 Observe that expression it denoteth Gods absolute Soveraignty that all the devils in hell and all the wicked Instruments in the world are not able to hinder the good effect that God hath appointed such a Sermon or such a Ministry to produce What then though we sow all the day long though we exhort entreat and beseech yet if God be angry with thee and will let thee alone in thy sins thou shalt die and be damned in thy obstinacy and unbelief Though Solomon with all his wisedom were here to perswade thee thou wouldst be wilful in thy iniquities The seeing eye and the hearing ear are both said to be the gift of God Pro. 20.12 and what a terrible expression is that to the Israelites where after all the miracles and wonderfull works that God had done before them it 's said God had not given them an heart to understand till that day Deut. 19.4 and famous is that place Isa 6. thrice repeated in the New Testament of blinding their eyes and hardening their hearts lest they should understand and be converted Who then is there but must necessarily conclude that God is earnestly to be praied unto lest he be left to a spirit of slumber and giddinesse lest God sware in his wrath that no preaching shall ever do thee good How did Paul rejoice to be at Ephesus because an effectual and large door was opened to him 1 Cor. 16 9 It was opened by God the Ministers themselves nor the people had not ability to doe it Thus on Gods part we have cause to pray Secondly If we consider the nature of all Preaching and what kinde of cause the Word is of conversion that will also compell to Praier It 's disputed among Divines what kinde of causality the Preaching of the Word hath in regenerating of men I shall not now lanch into that deep Ocean but two waies are wholly to be denied 1. The Preaching of the Word doth not convert necessarily as the Fire doth necessarily burn the Sun doth necessarily shine No for then wheresoever the Word is preached all their eyes would be opened all their hearts softened that hear it but experience doth wofully confute this We see Christ who preached as one having authority and no man ever spake like him yet he threw in his Net and catched few fish yea we doe not reade of so many converted by his Ministry as by some of the Apostles 2. As it doth not work necessarily so neither as a natural cause that hath inward power to produce its effects As the fire hath an inherent strength to burn the Earth an inherent power to bring forth fruit or as a two edged Sword pierceth For though the Word be compared to it yet 3. This efficacy is only by Institution according to the command and good pleasure of God Of it self it worketh no more then Exhortations to a
others that knew not what they did many of them were converted afterwards and did beleeve in him whom they had pierced so that we need not doubt of speeding when we bring Christ with us Hence Joh. 16.24 Whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my Name he will give it you If we were to draw nigh in our Name If we did appear in our own Name we might justly look for anger in stead of mercy but God is not angry with Christ he doth not frown upon Christ Fifthly The praier of Christ had all those internall qualifications that are requisite to acceptation For first There was holy faith and confidence the Preface is Father which is not a bare Title but an expression from inward affection indeed Christ was not capable of justifying faith he was too perfect a subject to need such a grace yet as the habit of faith doth include no imperfection in the subject but a full dependance and affiance on God so Christ did beleeve and in this sence he cried My God My God why hast thou forsaken me My God My God were acts of fiduciall dependance As for repentance and sorrow for sinne which is requisite in all our praiers such also Christ was not capable of but then for love and zeal to God for heavenly affections c. The Sea is not fuller of water then his soul was of such enlargements No distraction no deadnesse no imperfection did cleave to his praier but as he himself was without sinne so also was his praier Besides the extrinsecall dignity and worth of Christs praier there was an inherent perfection and fullnesse of all graces in him Oh then though the godly labour and groan under manifold weaknesses Their praiers are so imperfect that they need to be praied over again and confession is requisite for our imperfect confession yet remember the perfection of Christs praiers There was no spot no blemish in this Sacrifice of his lips At the end of thy praier when thy heart smiteth thee for thy roving thoughts thy dulnesse thy distractions comfort thy self with this there was no such defect in Christs praier Christs praier was like that curious confection and ointment which had so many precious ingredients in it Sixthly Consider this Praier of Christs had that generall nature in it which all our praiers have to be a condition and medium to bring about the good things we desire For some have disputed about praier What use is there of it seeing God knoweth all things before we ask and he is unchangeable our praiers cannot alter his purpose To this it 's answered That our praiers are not to acquaint God with that he knew not or to change his will only God who hath decreed to do such things he hath appointed praier as a condition or means for the accomplishment of them Even as God hath ordained the earth to bring forth fruit but it must be tilled and sown and as mankinde is to be multiplied but by marriage so good things are appointed for the godly but by praier Mat. 7.7 This is therefore called the golden chain reaching from earth to heaven Ascendit precatio descendit miseratio and for this end is both a command of praier and a gracious promise to it so that he who praieth not presumeth grosly if he expect the fullfilling of any good thing to him As it is thus with praier in the general so also with Christs praier whatsoever Christ was to purchase at Gods hand for his people the same he was to pray for Psa 2.8 Ask of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance And thus in this Chapter he praieth for that glory which yet was from the beginning appointed for him so that Christs Praier was a speciall means to bring about all those admirable mercies promised to his people Seventhly Take notice of this that this Praier of Christ sanctifieth all our Praiers They become accepted of through him He is the Altar upon which the incense of the Churches praiers is offeted Rev. 8.4 As our tears need washing in his bloud so our praiers need Christs praier he praied that our praiers may be received There is not any one Praier could ever ascend to heaven were it not for Christs Intercession The Popish doctrine therefore is very injurious to Christ which inventeth other treasures besides the treasures of Christ They tell us of a treasure or bank of praiers which may be applied to this or that necessitous person They tell us of other Mediators in heaven besides Christ Mediators not of expiation but intercession whereas you see it 's Christs expiation and intercession that go together to work our redemption But if Christs praier be thus all in all what need we pray are not our praiers superfluous Answ No for they are not to that end which Christs was not for merit or mediation Even as though Christ suffered for our sinnes yet we also are afflicted but not for that end so our praiers are for other ends to set up God to debase our selves to quicken up our graces to give us an holy Communion and fellowship with him to shew our obedience to his command who doth in so speciall a manner require this duty Vse Are the people of God under the benefit of Christs praier then how happy and blessed are they what can be denied them There is no fear of having their requests granted for God looks upon them and Christ as one mysticall person as the head and members Who is able to preach of this Subject It is too glorious Christ is in heaven making Intercession for thee Wo unto thee every day every hour Were it not for this Advocate wo to thy own praiers though never so laudable were they not put up in Christs Name Oh how little do the people of God run to this Fountain when their hearts are like a dry wildernesse This is indeed the Key of heaven that opens it for thee and thy duties if not for my sake yet for Christs sake Though I am unworthy yet Christ is worthy to be heard But oh the terrible estate of wicked men I pray not for the world They have no benefit in this Mediation SERMON III. Sheweth how prevalent the Praiers are that are poured out to God as a Father And what disposition and frame of heart this compellation Father may breed in every one that doth fervently pray to God JOH 17.1 These things spake Jesus and lift up his eyes to heaven and said Father c. THE next thing in order to be treated of is Christs Praier it self and that is first in reference to himself and therein we may consider 1. The matter of the Praier Glorifie thy Son 2. The Arguments to enforce this for that is the best praier which is most argumentative Many words without arguments is like a great body without nerves or sinews Now these arguments are several and strong 1. From the Relation he stands in to
these do accuse thee say if a discharge had not been fully made how could Christ be glorified 2. It makes much to our eomfort because of that near relation which is between us so miserable and afflicted here and Christ our head now glorified What can be a greater cordiall then in the midst of all those exercises and trials and reproaches the people of God are debased with then to think they have a glorified head in heaven Though they be contemptible he is not This is but a conformity to him in his sufferings that we may also resemble him in glory 3. It is much to our comfort and advantage to hear of this because his glorification is a sure and effectual cause of ours so that our hearts may greatly rejoyce at this truth For as the Apostle argueth from Christs Resurrection If he be risen then shall we also certainly rise So doth the Argument unavoidably follow if Christ be glorified then shall we also be glorified with him so that when those innumerable Objections do arise how shall these vile bodies ever be made glorious How shall these corrupt and weak souls ever be made happy and blessed The answer is easie What is already done to Christ glorified will in time be fulfilled to us Death and the grave had no dominion over him no more shall it have over us Hence it is that the Scripture saith We are already set down with Christ in heavenly places Eph. 2.6 because he is our head Fear not then such a glorified head will not forget his members He said He went to provide a mansion place Joh. 14.2 It cannot then be but that Christ will set you on Thrones of his glory as well as he himself is set So that this doctrine is wholly for thy comfort 4. It may much rejoyce us to hear that Christ is glorified because in this state of glorification he is mindeful of us and pleading for us So that howsoever the greatest parts or effects of our mediation were seen in the time of his humiliation by his life and his death The Scripture attributeth all the mercies we do enjoy yet since he ascended into heaven and is partaker of all this power he maketh intercession for us his daily will is that the priviledges he purchased should be applied to us He daily acts as a King subduing our lusts conquering our corruptions applying his comforts and consolations to his people Well then Christ is glorified not for himself only neither is he exalted for his own honour meerly but it is for our glory as well as his for our honour as well as his As Joseph was lifted up in Pharaohs Court not for himself meerly but for his brethren to succour them in their necessities And as the glorious effects of the Sun are not so much for it self as for us the Creatures below oh then let thy soul cast off all unbelief and trouble when it heareth of Christ glorified for in all this glory he doth not forget thee he is not ashamed of thee Lastly This advantage the soul may make of this Truth thereby to lift up our hearts to heaven and to desire to be there where our glorified head is Thus the Apostle he longs to depart to be with Christ Phil. 1.23 and the Church longs for and hastens the coming of Christ from whence we look for Christ saith the Apostle Phil. 3.21 Who shall change our vile bodies into his glorious body Oh this should make us draw off all our affections and desires from other things Christ glorified should be the loadstone we should not be at ease or quietnesse till we come to him which made Austin say That as there were some men who needed patience to die so there were others who needed patience to live for the love and desire after Christ did so burn in their hearts that having tasted of this honey they judged every thing else gall and wormwood so that this Truth may be like fire burning in our bones In the next place let us consider the nature of this glory which Christ praied for And 1. There were three degrees to it The first and immediate beginning of this glory was upon his Resurrection After the black and dismall clouds this Sunne had been in the first glory of it began to appear in its Resurrection from the grave By this he was conqueror of death and the grave By this he judged the Prince of the world Till this was in all mens thoughts Christ seemed to be overcome in all appearance he was now brought under the power and command of death and Satan He was judged weak till this power discovered it self and this resurrection being not only by the Fathers power but his own He being the Sampson that brake the barres and bonds of death it was thereby made manifest to all the world that he was the Sonne of God Resurrection is such an impossible thing to humane reason and so incredible that Paul was cried down for a vain babler Act. 17.18 in promulging such doctrine and only in the Church of God Was ever such a thing heard of But this Resurrection was remarkable in Christ who not only raised himself from the dead but also caused many others to rise with him here was the first degree of his glory 2. The second degree was his ascension into heaven and this did exceed his Resurrection for though he was risen yet he conversed with his disciples did eat and drink with them occasionally so that he was to partake of greater and fuller glory when he ascended into heaven This Ascension of his into Heaven was great matter of wonderment and astonishment to his Disciples They all stood admiring when he was carried up thither Act. 1. 3. The last and chiefest degree of this glory was sitting down at the right hand of God By which expression is meant that great and wonderfull honour which God put upon him he sitteth at the right hand that demonstrateth a full and compleat victory over all his enemies and a quiet possession of this glory In these three things lieth all the glory Christ praieth for Resurrection Ascension and sitting down at Gods right hand all which immediatly followed his passions and sufferings and God had appointed such an order that one must be before the other and such a way God also doth take with his people They must have a Crown of thorns before they have a Crown of glory In the third place let us consider some of the most eminent and chiefest particulars wherein this glory of Christ doth manifest it self And 1. It lieth in that spirituall command and authority which he hath in his Church This is expressed when he saith All power is given to me in heaven and earth therefore go make disciples and baptize Here you see the Institution of Sacraments is founded upon that power given to Christ and from this it is Eph. 4 That upon his Ascention He led
all honour and glory shall be given by the Saints in heaven to all Eternity to the Sonne only it shall be to him as the meritorious and procuring cause whereby we are brought to enjoy the Father Having thus considered Christs intentions in all his works that the Sun cannot be free◠from spots then his holy will was from all oblique and sinister respects Let us consider man who being a meer creature having all both in being and continuation from God as the beams from the Sun and the streams from the Fountain it lieth as unavoidable upon him to be affected more with Gods glory then his own good This is a very hard task to flesh and bloud but self-love and de-ordination of the faculties of the soul hath made it thus difficult Now we may divide the good of a godly man into two sorts Either that in heaven his treasure laid up there in the upper Region Or all the good he can have in this life in the lower Region And of both these we commit a kinde of horrible Idolatry when we desire them upon any other terms then in tendency to God If it be so great a sinne to alter the bounds and change the Land-marks which the Laws of a Nation have set how much more to break that good and excellent order which God hath appointed between him and the creature Let us consider the first kinde of a godly mans good his eternall felicity and salvation even this glory he is to desire in subordination to Gods glory For if Paul could make a conditionate wish and veleity that he might be accursed from Christ Rom. 9.3 to serve his brethren how much rather might this be done for the glory of God yet take heed of a mistake here some have gone so farre as to say that a godly man is never truly humbled till he can be willing to be damned for Gods glory and that it 's unlawful to look at the reward in heaven This is dangerous as well as false for it 's not lawfull but a duty to seek our salvation Rom. 2.7 To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for honour and glory and Moses is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to have a fixed earnest eye upon the reward Heb. 11.26 So that it 's a Speech full of vanity and no man can speak it truly that he is willing to be damned for Gods glory for such a thing cannot be and our salvation we are bound to desire so that we must take heed lest by overmuch wringing a good truth we make bloud come out instead of milk yet though this be so it 's no contradiction to say that a godly man hath such an holy principle within him that would carry him out to the obedience of God though there were no heaven and that the glory and honour of God is his principal end that it 's dearer to him then his own soul and truly if we see in nature God hath so ordered it that every particular denieth it self to preserve the universall The water will ascend upwards that there may not be a vacuum and the particular orbes are carried about against their own motion according to the power of the first mobile how much more must this hold in man and God all his life comforts and happinesse it self is to give place for Gods honour and glory Let God be glorified and ruat mundus but I shall not insist on this Let us descend to those particular good things we have in this world riches honour greatnesse and parts We shall see it 's the greatest reason in the world that we should not desire these things to advance our selves to satisfie our appetites but only thereby to glorifie God but who doth this yea who is able to bear this truth to take this yoke till a renewed nature hath made it easie And therefore let us first consider the causes procreant or principles constituant of such a gracious disposition as to be able to say O Lord I begge for health for a good name for outward comforts in this world but it 's not for my own sake so much that I do this as that hereby I might glorifie thee And 1. He must necessarily be born again or from above he must be partaker of a divine nature that can ascend thus high He that is of the earth is earthy he that is of heaven is heavenly Till a man have the Image of God and be made like him he cannot but minde earthly things When men are made godly you cannot say O Curoae in terras animae No then their souls as well as their bodies are made streight up towards heaven A worm can never do as the Lark soar up on high singing as she goeth but when descending towards the earth silent as if she were grieved Till then God hath made us new creatures given us new hearts and a new spirit within us we cannot desire these worldly comforts for any other end but our selves To be rich to be great to be wise only for our selves 2. There must be great love to God that can make us relate all things to him Jacobs great love made him do every thing to obtain Rachell and so a strong love to God will make us sacrifice all to him insomuch that our love is of so great an operation that God in a speciall manner commands that for himself and that not a meer love but love with all the heart and might Mat. 22.37 Nothing is to be left out love is fire and where that is it will burn separat heterogenea it divides all heterogeneous matter if riches if honors if friends oppose this it trampleth on them all and for this reason it is that our Saviour saith If a man hate not Father and Mother he is not worthy of me Luk. 14 20. so that the love of God is not kindled in mens hearts if it were as fire assimilateth all things into it self so would this love make us referre all things to him whom our souls love Thus David Whom have I in heaven but thee and Paul the love of Christ constraineth me 2 Cor. 5. Oh that we had the experience of this more Dost thou not see what the love of money puts the worldly man upon What the love of pleasures puts the voluptuous man upon They doe all things in reference to such corrupt ends Thus where there is an heavenly love that makes use of every thing to glorifie God that studieth and meditateth how may I advance and set up the honour of God by these things This love would quickly put out all carnall and worldly love as the beams of the Sun will put out the materiall fire 3. Mortified affections to every thing here below when we can perform the Apostles commands To buy as we bought not to weep as if we wept not 1 Co. 7. This duty of mortification the Scripture often speaketh of as a
and enlightning mens understandings so farre as to see their sinful and damnable estate as also the absolute necessity of a remedy through Christ Thus Christ doth exceed the Sunne for though the Sunne give light to the world yet it doth not give eyes or ability to see but Christ doth not only make the bodily blinde to see and deaf to hear but those that are spiritually darkened in their understandings he makes them to know Christ he doth so teach that the soul cannot but learn it cannot refuse or gainsay O Lord I feel such light in my heart such evidence upon my conscience that I cannot hide this light any way But as those glorious apparitious of light which Paul had and others came with great amazement filled them with trembling and astonishment so doth Christs power upon the hearts of Beleevers Oh then enquire who are they where are they that have found Christs power thus upon their mindes and consciences How weak are books yea the best Book the Bible it self tâ—ll Christ take such a threatning or such a promise and set it home with power on thee This heavenly teaching and perswading Christ speaks of as to be wrought by his Spirit Joh. â—4 And it was wonderfull in the beginning of the Gospel yea in the first beginnings of Reformation out of Popery the glorious workings of Christ were admirable to this purpose Then Christ and the Ministry went along together No sooner did the Trumpet blow but the wals of Jericho fell down When Christ thus powerfully taught them they were quickly perswaded to leave their Idols and their lusts to follow him The first Reformers were so many divine Orpheus's that made the very beasts and trees to move the illiterate and stupid people to seek out for wisedom and heavenly understanding You may say then Why doth not Christ still come with the same power Why are not our Churches Christs Schools wherein every day he teacheth some or other many learn by the Minister but few are taught by Christ They do not know the truths as they are in Jesus There are many go to false causes But those impediments which indeed resist this Point are 1. The atheism and unbelief reigning every where so that we may take up that old complaint Lord Who will beleeue our report It 's said of some Christ could do no miracles there because of their unbelief Mar. 6.5 6. Not but that he had power but to shew what an obstacle unbelief was When they insulted over Christ at the Crosse Let him come down and save himself if he be the Sonne of God let him deliver him Heb. 4.2 Christ did not these things not because he wanted power but they were wicked so Christs power is not shortned It 's not because there is no Ministry but because the unbelief of man is great 2. Christ demonstrates not his power it may be because Customarinesse under the Word breeds contempt and negligence At the first mens affections are quick but when accustomed to the world all the excellency and livelinesse of it is taken away A blinde man upon the first recovery of sight would admire the Sunne but those that are used to it regard it not though so glorious a creature 3. The unthankefulnesse and unfruitfulnesse under the means of grace makes Christ deny his power When the people of Israel murmured at their Manna then God was provoked against them He punished the Heathens because they did not glorifie God according to their knowledge neither were thankfull how much more Christians for abusing the Light of the Gospel 4. Though there are not so many yet there are some few in most places that have found this mighty power of Christ on their souls Though there were not many raised out of the grave by Christ yet one Lazarus is enough to demonstrate the glorious power of Christ One in a Family one in a Town yea one in a whole Nation is enough to prove that Christ though now in heaven hath this power over men in the earth Let such then who have been thus taught so as no man no book could teach them give glory to Christ blesse Christ for good Sermons good Books especially the Word of God but above all that vertue cometh from Christ by these to heal thee Though the woman had touched the hem of Christs garments a thousand times yet if Christ had not caused vertue to come out of him she had not been cured so it is here SERMON VIII The Effects and Appearances of the Kingly Power and Dominion of Christ JOH 17.2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh WE are treating upon that main and necessary point in Religion Christs Power and Kingdom We have mentioned some effects or acts of this power We shall proceed to discover more And first Herein is his power over all flesh especially his Church seen that he is the authour and fountain of all the grace the godly have And this is a glorious demonstration of his power that not we our selves or any Angel in heaven can inspire one good thought mollifie and convert the heart adorn the soul with all kinde of graces but Christ only Joh. 1.16 Of his fulnesse we all receive grace for grace that is as some expound abundance and heaps of grace as it were or grace that is sutable and proportionable to that in Christ As the childe receiveth from the Father limb for limb Of his Fulnesse Christ then hath Fulnesse not only for himself but for us as the Sunne hath fulnesse of light for the whole world The Ocean Fulnesse of water for all the streams The Angels and Saints glorified in Heaven yea Adam in the state of integrity he had a Fulnesse of grace but it was limited and stinted in him only Christ received it without measure In Christ there is plenitudo fontis in Angels or Adam there was only plenitudo vasis as Divines expresse it Now this Fulnesse of Christ is for communication and our participation of â—t Therefore in other places he is compared to the Olive Tree from which the godly receive all their fatnesse Rom. 9. To the Vine Joh. 15. so that unlesse we are branches in him we can do nothing If than we should say Where is the power of Christ how is it manifested I answer look upon all the godly Are they able to mourn for sinne with a godly sorrow Are they able to beleeve in the promise Can they mortifie their lusts Herein is Christs glorious power seen I know this doth not so much affect us as outward extraordinary instances of Christs power in temporall things but certainly this is greater for as Moses and Joshua's deliverance of the people of Israel out of Egipt is nothing to that spiritual deliverance which Christ as Jesus vouchsafeth to his people in saving them from sin and hell yet no doubt an Israelite or Jew after the flesh would farre prize the former before the latter though the
restlesse till it fix there Take all the men in the world who have drunk deepest in the streams of these earthly comforts yet still they thirst There is a dropsie on them still they would have more and other objects They have a feavoriâ—h heat with them That makes them restlesse whereas when we come to Christ we shall finde rest to our souls and He that drinketh of this water shall never thirst more Jo. 4.14 so then we see what eternal life is it 's all the good that God is What good is in God that the beleever hath and how unreasonable is it to think that there is a better good then he If the Creator cannot satisfie can the Creature From hence it is that the godly do so long for this time of enjoying him I desire to depart saith Paul Phil. 2.23 The Church crieth for Christ to Come quickly Those Patriarchs looked on themselves as Pilgrims and desiring a better City then that of this world so then you can but judge of this happinesse by the footsteps by the drops of it If there be any attractive good in the creature it 's but a drop God the Fountain he is the Ocean Now in this object God enjoyed there are these remarkable properties of his goodnesse 1. He is the Vniversal good he is the bonum in qua omnia bona There cannot be any desirable perfection but it is in him The Creatures have their particular limited goodnesse health hath its wealth hath its learning its but now God is the Jehovah all beings are eminently in him As the Psalmist argueth He that made the eye shall not he see he that made the ear shall not he hear Psal 94.9 He then that makes this and that thing desirable is not he much more desirable Is there a ground to love Father Mother Wife or Children and not much rather to love God so that that Command Mat. 22. hath the greatest reason where God willeth to be loved with all the heart all the soul all the might for there is nothing hath any good which is the Object of love but it 's in God or from him There is none good but God saith Christ so then what are Stars to the Sunne The Starres cannot dispell the night only the light of the Sun can do that Thus only God and the light of his countenance can make the heart happy as having all things 2. That good which God is it is an unmixed sincere good He is so good that there is no trouble in him for that is the imperfection of all earthly good things as there is a drop of honey so there is a drop of gall Every Rose hath its thorn If God gives thee any mercy in this life yet still there is a sting as well as hony so that no condition no mercy hath every thing in it Though they have this yet they want another and hence Solomon who gave himself to finde out this Philosophers stone to obtain an happinesse if it could be in this world yet upon experience he giveth this Motto of every thing Vanity of vanities all is vanity Eccl. 1.1 But do the Saints in heaven who have had the experience of enjoying God passe such a sentence upon that happinesse in heaven Of this honey in the world we must not eat too much lest we surfet But there is fullnesse without nauseating There is replenishing and yet alwaies hungring God is as much desired after millions of years as at the first moment in heaven Hence this life is to be spent only in joy in praises and gladnesse of heart Oh that we could affect our hearts more with this eternal life it would be a great comfort in afflictions and a quick spur to all duties Lastly God who is thus the object of this Eternall life is the proper peculiar and convenient good No object is so sutable and adequate to the heart as he is howsoever morall Philosophers say good is the object of the will yet they say It 's not good in the generall or absolute but that which is proportionable and convenient The sick man desireth health because it 's the good proportionable to his wants so the tormented man ease Thus although it be true that since man is fallen and corrupted with sinne God is not proportionable or sutable to him Hence wicked men are said to hate God Exod. 20. yet take we man according to his Creation and the Image of God first planted in him and so God was his ultimate end in him only could he have full complacency and so as farre as we are regenerated and this holy Image restored in us Nothing can satisfie us but God We see David in many of his Psalmâ— he discovers severall extremities and necessities upon him yet the only cure is the light of his countenance Let God look graciously on him let him draw near to him and then the troublesome waves are presently quiet 2. This Eternall life doth positively consist in the beatifying the soul and the whole body sanctifying it so fully that now it can enjoy God For though God be never iâ— glorious an object yet till the soul be made perfect he cannot enjoy God No more then the Sunne which is primum visibile yet because of its dazling lustre the eye is too weak to behold it stedfastly Now in heaven the spirits of iust men are said to be made perfect and no corruptible thing can inherit the Kingdom of heaven This then this eternal life is seen in that the soul yea the whole man is â—o heavenly and holy so perfected in every thing that it 's made capable of all this happinesse The godly have communion and fellowship with God in this life now they are no more capable of this if not sanctified then a beast can converse with a man Hence because this sanctification is impotent we know in part we beleeve in part We see him but in a riddle not face to face but then shall we know him even as we are known of him 1 Cor. 13.12 It was a general received opinion as appeareth by severall examples in the Old Testament that if God made any glorious appearance to man he should presently die so Manaoh and others argued and whence rose that apprehension but because of the glorious Majesty of God and the vain weak frail nature of man Oh but in heaven where God is in all his glorious manifestation and we shall behold him continually yet there shall be no faintings no fears within us and all is because the Saints are then glorified and perfected in soul and body There 's not the least spot or wrinkle of sinne to put them to any shame or fear within 3. This Eternall Life consists in a quick and lively apprehension of this happinesse it hath without which happinesse could not be happinesse A man in a Lethargy though he liveth yet he is as good as dead because he perceiveth not his
own life neither doth he take any pleasure in any earthly contents Hence it is that the inanimate creatures Trees and Rocks though they should be free from pain yet cannot be said to be happy because they have no faculty of reflexion They cannot perceive or discern their happinesse but in this eternal life The knowledge and assurance of their happinesse is that which makes it indeed to be a blessed life The Heavens are not happy though they shall abide ever because they have not life nor can they reflect upon what they are A childe in the womb though heir to a vast inheritance yet cannot take any comfort from it because he hath no reason to discern it But then our souls shall have the most accurate quicknesse and there will not be the least circumstance that shall aggravate our happines but we shall apprehend it we shall know how to improve every comfortable consideration Alas in this life the godly through their weaknesse of knowledge and faith make not that advantage of Christ as they may There are many blessed arguments to refresh their souls and they know them not or attend not to them but when we shall come to eat of this bread of life we shall not lose one crumb of it Then there is nothing shall be hid from our eyes but according to our capacity we shall then love God and Christ and enjoy them to the full Come we in the next place to the properties of this life for we can better speak of them then the life it self as we can better look upon the Sun-beams then the Sun it self And 1. It 's a continued life of happinesse There is no interruption or stop put to this joy and comfort and that is a transcendent thing for in this life two things intermit our joy 1. Occurrent adversities contrary miseries our health is taken away by diseases our wealth by poverty our hopes by fears so that every mans life hath more gall then hony And 2. If there were no opposite calamity as there was not to Adam yet there is a naturall intermission of it by sleep so that if we were never so happy yet as often as we sleep our Sun would be ecclipsed but this happy life we speak of admits of neither of these Interruptions There cannot be any misery or grief there for God will wash away all tears from their eyes and it must needs be so because all the cause of misery which is sinne is there taken away so that as there cannot be any thunder or lightning in the upper Region because the vapours which are the materials of it cannot ascend so high can have no entrance there so because no unclean thing no sinful thing can enter heaven therefore no evil no misery or affliction can come there This should make us all despise this valley of tears for that Mount of Vision or transfiguration What is this Wildernesse to that Canaan What are these husks to that Manna Why are we so hardly plucked out of this world that hath so many thorns and troubles with it to enter into heaven where there is no grief no complaining or discontent at all Again There is not the second intermission of this happinesse for there is no night no sleep nor drousinesse but it is a waking joyful life to all Eternity Alas if here we should have the most desirable comforts that can be yet we would call for a time to sleep they could not keep us alive without this bodily Rect but there the body is made so glorious a body that it 's no more capable of sleep then it is of hunger or thirst Oh then happy and thrice happy is that life where thou shalt not for a moment be taken off from God It 's impossible for the godly in this life to have an actual love and complacency in God never to be distracted or diverted by other thoughts something or other comes and steals the heart away and laieth the dead childe in the room of the living one but then we shall have a constant intuitive beholding of God and nothing shall withdraw us from him Thus it is not to be interrupted 2. In this life there is an affluence and an accumulation of all things to make it blessed The very Philosophers thought happinesse must be such a state wherein was an aggravation of all good things so that if a man could have all good things and want but one he could not be called an happy man Hence in the Scripture the Hebrew word for happinesse is in the plural number because it is not one or two or twenty good things can make a man happy but there must be all things And for this reason it is that the Scripture hath so many variety of resemblances to represent this blessednesse To shew you that it hath all desirable things It 's called a Kingdom a Crown of glory a Feast and Banquet a place of joy Heaven is said to be paved with all precious stones Now why doth the Scripture use such expressions Not that we should conceive any carnal pleasures or worldly contents there as Mahomets Alcoran speaketh of a bruitish happinesse altogether sensual but from earthly things would lift up your hearts to heavenly it would gather you a Posie of the finest flowers and tell you heaven is this Do but abstract the imperfections of the creatures and the perfection that is in heaven Even as Divines say concerning the perfections of creatures God hath them but in an eminent manner abstracted from the imperfections he hath wisedom but not the imperfection of mans wisedom he doth understand he willeth as well as a man but not with the imperfection of a man So it is here Heaven is riches heaven is health heaven is glory heaven is honour but still without the imperfection of these earthly comforts 3. This life is a glorious life Beside freedom from evil and a positive affluence of all good there is external glory to make it yet more desirable Our souls shall be made glorious souls our bodies glorious bodies Heaven is a glorious place The Angels are glorious the Majesty of God will then be resplendent in all his glory If the Queen of Sheba had no more spirit within her beholding Solomons temporal glory how ravishing must this heavenly glory be The Scripture every where speaks of the glory of this condition now glory is that which exciteth all generous spirits What did the Romans the Pharisees doe for glory but it was a vain empty glory This is called by the Scripture The exceeding weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 It 's a solid substantial glory glorious within and without also 4. It is an holy life For if you ask what shall be the emploiment of those who have this Eternal life The Scripture tels us that both Angels and Saints are wholly exercised in this in praising and glorifying God The Angels Isa 6. are brought in crying Holy Holy
worshippeth that which others doe where he liveth but whether it be God or an Idol that he understands not The Athenians had an Altar dedicated To the unknown God Act. 17.23 and Paul with much zeal doth reprove this their superstition and Idolatry telling them they were out of the way to heaven yea the more devout and zealous a man is for that worship he understandeth not the more swift he runneth in the way to hell so then where ignorance is It 's all one whether Christ or Mahomet be worshiped whether an Image or the true God So truly doth Seneca observe of the common people Eunt qua itur non qua eundem est They do and go not whither they ought but whither they see others before them yea by this means men come to worship the devil in stead of God Oh terrible and heavy aggravation Thou that thinkest thou dost worship God yet by thy ignorance going on in Idolatry dost worship the devils Thus Jeroboam is said to set up calves to the devil 2 Chron. 11.15 the people little thought so and so those that would be at the Idolaters Feasts they did partake of the cup of the Lord and of deuils 1 Cor. 10. Now although it be true that thou art brought up in that Religion where the true God is worshiped yet this is all one to thee who hath no knowledge of God or Christ for if it had been to Moloch to Baal or Ashtaroth had it been to Mahomet or to Images and Idols in every high way thou wouldst have done that as well as this for any true knowledge or understanding thou hast O pray then that God would give thee true knowledge As it is thus for the generality of Gods worship so in more special manner ignorance doth wholly overthrow praier unto God which is more necessary then food or raiment and is a duty to be performed to God every day Now saith the Apostle Heb. 11.1 He that cometh to God must beleeve that he is and that he is a rewarder of those that seek him but how can this be when a man by ignorance is in a confused chaos Oh that ignorant people would attend to this They say they pray yea they hope to be saved by their good praiers when alas thou that knowest nothing of God or Christ canst not pray at all Thou never didst pray acceptably to God all thy life time If a Parrot be taught to say the Lords Praier shall that be accounted a praier and is there not many that pray Gods Name may be hallowed his Kingdom may come and yet understand not at all the sence of their praier Thus in Popery they do sinfully nourish people in their ignorant praiers for seeing their praiers are in Latine it 's all one whether they pray good matter or blasphemy The Apostle 1 Cor. 14. doth expresly argue against praying in an unknown tongue saying for himself He will pray in the spirit and with understanding also What terrour then doth this proclaim ignorant people pray they cannot they do not no not when they pray If that Question should be put to them which Philip put to the Eunuch Vnderstandest thou what thou readest So Understandest thou what thou praiest Were they able to say one word of knowledge to you We may cry out Be astonished O Heavens and the Earth at the ignorance and blindenesse of many people and yet nothing will provoke them to get knowledge 3. We cannot do that great and necessary duty which is the substance of all Gods command viz. to love him with all our heart with all our soul and might neither the consequents of this love which is to desire after him to delight and rejoyce in the light of his countenance without knowledge for what a man knoweth not he cannot love Ignota nulla cupido Let ignorant people by this see the great gulf that is between them and heaven Thou canst not love God nor desire him as long as thou dost not know him so neither can you fear God if you know not his infinite Majesty the greatnesse of his power and his hatred against sinne What makes men so desperately wicked to commit sinne without any fear or trembling They know not God Hence is that frequent expression in Scripture when God saith he will bring such and such punishments Then they shall know that I am God 4. Those that serve God ought to be full of fervency and zeal For all duties without zeal are like a Sacrifice without fire a Bird without wings a Messenger without feet Now all zeal without knowledge is refused by God They have a zeal but not according to knowledge Rom. 10.2 Ignorant people may be very zealous as those that offered their children to Moloch That did cut and lance themselves in calling upon Baal but this fire of zeal was like that of hell calidus and not lucidus hot but not light Vse If Eternal life be to know God then this is eternal death not to know God This is eternal damnation to be ignorant of him It was Gods promise that all should know him from the greatest to the least Jer. 31.34 but how few finde the fruit of this promise How many Families how many persons are there who do all they do to the unknown God yet these hope to be saved yet these say They have a good heart when nothing can be good while ignorance is predominate neither a good faith or good love or good duties or a good heart and as ignorance is damnable of it self so much more when it is where the means of knowledge are where the Sun shineth where the Ministry is instructing Oh what wo and woe again will befall such men SERMON XV. More Reasons of the Necessity of Divine Knowledge And the Causes of Ignorance JOH 17.3 And this is Eternal Life to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent THe Doctrine observed was that without the knowledge of God and Christ there cannot be any eternal life obtained The first ground or reason of this was from those several duties that are required of us towards God which without some knowledge could never be acceptably performed The second ground shall be from those duties we owe to Christ And herein damnable ignorance will farre sooner possesse us then in the former for there are some common notions and dictates about a god which made Tertullian cry out O animam naturaliter Christianam But in respect of Christ we have not the least implanted notion about him so that the doctrine of Christ is far more supernatural then that about God for the hoti quod si Deus is I discovered by natural light but who he is and how to be worshiped this is meerly supernatural but concerning Christ both the quod sit and the quid sit That there is a Christ and what he is are both by divine manifestation So that whatsoever we have of Christ it must only be
Ghost is also requisite to Eternal Life appeareth in that we are baptized into his Name so that it 's a principle and Foundation to be instructed about the holy Ghost as well as the Father and the Sonne We reade that the Apostle doth in most of his Salutations pray for grace and peace from God the Father and the Lod Jesus Christ yet none may from thence gather the Spirit is excluded for 2 Cor. 1.13 14. There is the communion of the Spirit added to the love of God and the grace of Jesus Christ 3. You may demand If the Knowledge of those things be enough to eternall Life what then needs the Ministry or Preaching to a man that knoweth these If a man have these is he not above Ordinances and the Ministry This indeed some have arrogantly thought But 1. There is no man knoweth as much about God and Christ as may be known The Apostle that was lifted up to the third heavens yet he saith We know but in part 1 Cor. 13. If Paul then knew but in part what must others do We see the Angels themselves desire to have the Mystery of Christ made more known to them Eph. 3. so that it 's a foolish conceit to think thou knowest enough already for though our knowledge shall be perfected in heaven yet even there we cannot know God as much as he is known for the infinite object cannot be comprehended by a finite faculty 2. Suppose thou couldst not grow in knowledge which yet is impossible yet the Ministry is necessary for thy heart and affections The devils know more then any man but there will is obdurate and hardened in wickednesse So thou maist have great knowledge and understanding yet thy heart may need much quickening much mollifying and for this end the Ministry is appointed 3 If thou didst not finde a need of them either for understanding or heart which yet is more impossible then the former yet God having appointed such a way thou art only for obedience sake and to testifie thy submission to God to do it Christ needed not to be baptized for he wanted not the grace signified viz. remission of sinnes Yet to shew his obedience he did it Adam though created in a state of integrity yet had a command of triall to manifest his obedience and so though never so perfect yet thou canst not be exempted from obedience to Gods commands Vse of Instruction to the full self-righteous man that is not burthened and loaded with the sence of his sinnes whatsoever knowledge thou maist have yet thou canst not know any thing in a saving manner about Christ Till thou be affected with thy misery and the remedy thou art not yet a knowing man in Christs School or to those who labour and are greatly affected with their sinne They know sin They know the Law They know the terrors of an angry God but they know not Christ Consider how Paal was affected herein he knew nothing but Christ crucified 2 Cor. 2.2 All things were accounted dung and drosse for the excellency of this knowledge Phil. 3.8 Consider Eternal life is as well in knowing of Christ as in knowing of sin or what duties God requireth of thee SERMON XIX Sheweth how a Godly Life though it merit no good is a Ground of Comfort at the hour of Death JOH 17.4 I have glorified thee on Earth I have finished the work thou gavest me to do IN this Verse our Saviour addeth a new argument for that Petition mention mentioned v. 1. Glorifie me Why because I have glorified thee on earth I have finished my work Now his work is done he expects his reward These words our Saviour doth not speak out of ostentation and boasting but to shew the order God appointed that by his sufferings when perfected he should enter into glory In the words we have Christs profession of the end he intended in all things I have glorified thee on earth 2. The manner how or the means by which I have finished the work thou gavest me to do I have glorified thee though Christ as God had all divine glory due to him yet as Mediatour in the state of humiliation so he was inferiour to the Father and in this sence he did glorifie him To glorifie is either when really that glory is exhibited which was not before and so God glorifieth us or else when we celebrate acknowledge and declare that glory which is already possessed and thus we glorifie God For when we glorifie God we adde nothing to him we do not make him more glorious then he is indeed We cannot advantage him but our selves by serving of him as a man by seeing doth not profit the Sun but himself nor the thirsty Traveller by drinking refresh the Fountain but himself Christ then being by the state of humiliation made lower then God yea lower then Angels had this purity of intention in all that he did and all that he suffered to glorifie God Q. If you say Was not the redemption and salvation of these the Father gave him his end how then is the glory of God his end A. The Answer is the ultimate and chief end is Gods glory The proxime and immediate was the salvation of man and therefore in respect of the chief end this is the manner or the means of glorifying of God and this is intended when he saith He had finished his work 2. Consider the restriction or limitation of this glorifying of God from the place where I have glorified thee on earth That is mentioned because here only on the earth was he to be in a state of debasement here only he was to work in heaven he was to receive his glory The Schoolmen use to call a man while he was in this life the way to heaven viator and when he is possessed of glory they call him comprehensor Now they say That Christ was both viator and comprehensor together but if they mean that in this life he possessed all that glory which he should have in heaven that is false for we see him here praying for it and other places God promiseth it as a reward of his obedience and sufferings Indeed the humane nature of Christ was alwaies united personally to the godhead but there was a suspension of that glorious influance and happinesse while on the earth 3. Consider the time when Christ makes this profession at the end of his daies when he is to go out of this world This was the ground of his confidence in his Petition Now although we are not able in the same degree and perfection to say as he did yet for the main we ought to be like him in this when Death comes when our daies are to be finished to be able to say Lord we have glorified thee we have finished the work thou gavest us to do and of this particular I shall treat Obs That it is a blessed and most happy thing to be able at the time of
yea there is no man but his failings are more then his duties there is more corruption then grace so that if there be sincerity though imperfection we may say Lord we have finished the work thou gavest us to do Indeed humility is required because of our imperfections but not diffidence To doubt and to refuse the comfort God offers is not humility but disobedience like that of Peters who would not let Christ wash his feet 2. Another mistake may be about the nature of true faith and hope as if we were to divide between Christ and our selves and so from both conjoyned together gather our assurance even as the Papists define spes hope to be partim à gratiâ partim à meritis nostris proveniens but those that go thus to divide must needs divide themselves from comfort for the object of our faith and trust must be Christ only We may joyfully take those evidences of grace we see in our selves but to put confidence in them would be to make our selves our own saviours 3. This mistake may breed much disconsolatenesse when we limit our assurance and evidence to the time of our death that if God give us it not then we give up our case as desperate Indeed it 's a most blessed thing and a mercy much to be prayed for that as Simeon so we having seen Christ in our hearts and lives may then depart in peace It 's the haven after all the tempests we have had here but yet God may deny us this cordiall even the best of Gods children have found that God hath not kept the best wine for the last but God doth sometime to his as they did to Christ give him gall and vinegar to drink For as the wicked ungodly man who the next moment is to drop into eternall flames may yet die with great carnal presumption that God is his God that Christ is his Mediator in whom he will trust and so feareth not quakes not at the dolefull judgement coming upon him so the godly man though ready to be crowned with Immortall Glory and there is but a moment between him and everlasting happinesse yet may think his case doubtfull if not desperate may seem to have no hopes no joy yea be so tempted that he shall think all he did was but in hypocrisie and falsehood that there was no truth in him this may be Therefore let the godly not limit God to that time of death Vse of Admonition to awaken your selves at this truth Think how nearly it concerns you Dost thou live in such a way as that thou art able to make this glorious profession Is not God is not his word is not thy own conscience against thee How speechlesse and confounded wilt thou be when God shall bid thee give an account of all thy talents Oh that men should not lay this later end no more to heart that none saith O my soul now all is well now thou takest thy mirth but what a change will the hour of death make With what comfort wilt thou look upon the devils work and sins work which thou hast been doing all thy life time especially take heed of unprofitablenesse and decayings in the way of godlinesse thou that hast looked towards heaven but art turned out of the way be sure thy end will be miserable It had been better for thee saith the Apostle never to have known the way of righteousnesse You may have desires may have breakings of heart and yet return to sinne again oh think with what a violent flood these thoughts will come upon thee Oh me wretched and undone sinner I have no refuge no hope many resolutions I had but they vanished away and now I must live no longer my time is expired my course is finished Oh that God would adde as to Hezekiah some years to my life Oh that I could bid the Sun stand still or time go no further till I were at peace with God but these are vain wishes Let not then this truth go before it hath left a sting in thy very heart O Lord nothing troubleth me but that I did not think or minde these things sooner Meditate on these things your night is coming upon you Will you alwaies delay or else be secure and not matter these things many have done foolishly and dropt in a moment into hell do not thou be so overtaken May we not conclude that the auditor with whom this truth will not avail may fear he is delivered up to an impenitent heart SERMON XXI Of Gods being Glorified by Mans Salvation That Christs chief end in what he did for man was the Glory of God which bespeaks both our Imitation and unspeakable Consolation JOH 17.4 I have glorified thee on earth THe cirumstance of this holy profession which Christ made being considered Let us proceed to the Profession it self and that is He had glorified God on earth Christ in the state of humiliation was inferiour to God and so he did referre all things to his Fathers glory so that in this profession we may consider 1. What is the matter or object whereby God is glorified 2. The end or final cause that moved Christ therein The matter is our salvation and that redemption Christ purchased for us The end which Christ looked at in all this was chiefly the glory of God Indeed he looked also at his own glory and our glory but the ultimate and chiefest of all was Gods glory So that from hence we may observe That our redemption and salvation obtained by Christ is a glorifying of God and Christ did thereby chiefly aim at Gods glory We put both the matter of Gods glory and Christs end together and certainly this Truth discovered will be like that sweet box of perfume which opened caused such a fragrant smell And 1. Let us see how or wherein God was thus glorified by Christs Mediation for us It being of infinite comfort to know this for how many times are we apt to be cast down What are we that God should regard our salvation who are we that God should crown us with glory God doth not need us he is happy without us Now this may exceedingly encourage Though we be not worthy to be saved God is worthy to be glorified If there were nothing but our good and happinesse involved in Christs death who would think it probable Christ should suffer meerly and ultimately for us but there is also the glory of God deeply concerned which is more worth then all the world yea then all our souls for though one soul be more worth then a world yet Gods glory is more worth then all our souls and their salvation So that a Christian fixing his faith and meditation here may be in a transfiguration and say It is good to be here God doth not lose by thy Salvation If Gods honour were to be impaired if his truth broken if his justice violated then who dare open his mouth for salvation but God is
neither of these were to bow their souls down with what joy and gladnesse could they live and die Now Christs works have a two fold remedy to this twofold grievance His works have a satisfaction in them and therefore whatsoever failings and corruptions there are if humbled for and endeavouring to be reformed they are sufficiently conquered and his works have a meriting nature in them and therefore though thy work be weak his work was perfect and compleat say not then who shall go up to heaven this is to bring Christ back It is an excellent place Rom. 10.7 where the beleever is forbid to doubt or say in his heart Is Christ ascended or was he made a curse for us or how shall we be able to ascend to heaven or to be delivered from hell Vse 3. Did Christ perfect and finish his work Do thou imitate and follow him Christs working excludes ours for justification but not for a duty and way to heaven None but doers and workers shall have heaven though not for their works Now thy work is first as a Christian so the Law of God in the purity and exactnesse of it is a rule of all thy works What the Law bids thee do doe though not to have life by it 2. The work of thy relation as a Magistrate Minister Husband or Wife finish this work It 's not enough to be good in the general unless good in relation 3. The work of thy condition as a rich man as a poor man when the Master gave talents to all this was his command Work ye trade ye be in constant improvement SERMON XXIII Of a Holy Working Life the Excellency Equity and Necessity thereof in order to Glory JOH 17.5 And now O Father glorifie me with thy own self c. THis fifth Verse containeth a repetition of the matter praied for v. 1. and enforced by divers arguments in the former Verses wherin observe 1. The object matter of Christs Petition Glorifie thou me I shall not consider that because spoken to before Only in that we see our Saviour twice within so little a space praying for this glory though appointed and promised to him We may observe two particulars 1. That all repetition and ingemination of the same matter in praier is not unlawful but sometimes is useful and necessary 2. That even those things that God hath appointed and promised to his people must yet be obtained by praier In the next place we have the description of this glory 1. It must be an heavenly glory such as God approveth of Glorifie thou me with thy own self This may be spoken exclusively to all humane glory which he regarded not or else in opposition to his work he had done I have finished thy work on earth and now let me have my reward in heaven 3. From an external adjunct It 's the glory which he had before the world was That admits of some difficulty to be dispatched in its proper place Lastly There is the causall inference from what was said before and now Father glorifie me this is a causall conclusion from the work finished by Christ and of this because first in order at this time And now glorifie me as if he had said Hitherto I have been finishing my work all the while I was doing that I looked for no reward I expected no glory but now all is completed I pray for and expect the glory due unto me From whence observe That as Christ so all the people of God when they have finished their work and not till then may look for and desire the glory prepared for them 2 Tim. 4.8 Henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Glory Henceforth he expects now his fight is over but not before Let us consider this briefly in Christ and then in our selves First Concerning Christ God had so ordained and appointed That he should first be eminent in doing and suffering and then should have a reward It behoved him first to suffer and so to enter into glory Luk. 24.26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things There was a debt and duty upon Christ to wear the Crown of thorns before he put on the Crown of glory To be debased more then all before he was exalted above all so that the stipulation and agreement which the Father made with the Sonne contained in it both duty to be done by Christ and a reward to be vouchsafed to him He was to drink of the brook and so to lift up his head Psa 110.7 This was the order that God had indispensably commanded and nothing could hinder it though all this was supposing Christs willingnesse to undergo the office of a Mediatour for otherwise though he had become man yet he might alwaies have kept up the manifestation of his divine glory and hence it is that the Scripture saith he ought to have suffered There was a necessity from the justice of God which will punish sinne in the offender or in the Surety and he ought to do it because of his own faithfulnesse and trust he should not discharge that which had undertaken unlesse he became thus obedient 2. The order that is between Christs work and reward is far different from ours and of another nature for that is an order of merit and causality but ours only of antecedency and by a promise Therefore when Christ looks for his glory it 's upon farre other grounds then when Paul expects his Crown of glory for Christ looks for his glory upon his work as a cause and a merit it being fully perfect and more then he was bound unto if absolutely considered though when once he became our Surety it behoved him to perform all so that Christ had his glory by the Title of justice and desert though in respect of the personal Union he had alwaies a right to all glory But Paul and all the godly have it by meer grace and favour for when the Children of God have done all they can yet such is their imperfection that they need a pardon and so their salvation and glory is of meer grace Therefore though there be a similitude between Christs work and his glory and ours yet there is not an equality The one is of justice and merit the other of grace and favour The more inexcusable then are all these Popish doctrines that would puff up a man to such a conceit of himself and Christ together of his free-will and grace together not Christ and grace alone that hence they will pleade their Title to heaven Christs merits and their own In the next place let us consider this doctrine as true in our selves for hereby our security and carelesnesse especially our prophanesse shall be greatly confounded when we shall know that without our working there cannot be glory we must look to labour in the Vineyard before we come to have our wages And 1. God the Father who appointed such an order for Christ hath also decreed
the like for us Heaven and eternal glory cannot be had without much working and suffering Rom. 8.17 If we suffer with him we shall also be glorified with him Hence are those commands and expressions Strive to enter in at the strait gate Mat. 7. Be in an agony The violent take the Kingdom of heaven That the righteous is scarcely saved Be not weary in well-doing because we shall have a recompence if we faint not Gal. 6.9 That implieth such labour and discouragements in the way to heaven that it is very hard not to faint not to be weary to give over all As the people of Israel in the wildernesse murmured and wished themselves in Egypt again because they found it so difficult to get into Canaan Hence Heaven is called a rest Heb. 4.9 There remains a rest What doth that imply but here in this world we are toiling and troubled and never have any rest but in heaven there is rest that also denoteth how sweet and excellent a place heaven is and how much we while in this world shold desire it and pray for it Whereas our desire to be in this world is as if a man should be willing to lie in a bed full of thorns pricking and gaâ—ling of him Thus hath God appointed a Fight before the Crown labour before our wages tempests and storms before the haven wearisomnesse before a rest Therefore in the 2d place Every Christian must up and be doing that doth expect Salvation Sluggishnesse and lazinesse will deprive of this glory Oh when such shall see themselves shut out of all happinesse and tormented for ever in those eternal flames then how will they cry out of their lukewarmnesse and unprofitablenesse what a terrible sentence is pronounced upon the unprofitable Servant Mat. 25.30 He is to be cast into utter darknesse where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth If Christ himself must first work and then look for a reward let not the Servant think to be above his Master We must not think to have heavenly glory as our Saviour saith Mat. 5. The Lillies of the Field have a greater glory then of Solomons yet they spin not they labour not No but the Scripture crieth out aloud to every one To work out his Salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2.12 Oh then that the consideration that Christianity is a work No work no glory would make us shake off slothfulnesse and negligence Do not think God will provide heaven for thee as he did a Wife for Adam in a deep sleep he thought of nothing he took no care about any such thing They that say Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die little think of the way and the work God requireth before happinesse Those that like Dives fare deliciously every day that live in ease and security let them think this Calm will breed a great Storm as they say before Earthquakes there is a wonderful stilnesse and calmnesse So all their pleasure ease and delight is but the forerunner of unspeakable torments and misery 3. Hence we see That good works and an holy active life is not forbidden but commanded by the Scripture To preach Christ or faith or grace or the benefit of the Sacraments so as that a godly exact and diligent walking and working is excluded is to preach another Christ another Gospel then we have received Our Saviour by those Parables of divers talents as also of the foolish Virgins and of the unjust steward Mat. 25. of hiring Labourers into the Vineyard did hereby commend the necessity of working Paul fought a good fight and all the godly Worthies commended by him Heb. 11. had an active laborious faith and they are accounted blessed that die in the Lord Why because their works follow them Rev. 14.13 yea at the day of judgement that judicial processe will be according to the works we have done or we have not done for omission of duties though there be no commission of sinne the sentence of condemnation will be pronounced so that concerning this duty of working there have been errours on both sides sometimes Satan hath so prevailed as to perswade men against working to fancy a kinde of notional faith that will not purifie or clense the heart a painted fire that will not burn Sometimes again when he could not prevail that waies then he hath set up working to overthrow beleeving to make Christ and his grace ineffectuall Take we heed then that we split not our selves at either of these rocks but conform our selves to Christ who was never idle but like a careful Shepherd went up and down seeking the lost Sheep This is the devils great temptation to tempt thee not to work or if thou workest to puff thee up with confidence about it and so to make thee â—un in vain The Popish Doctrines they have so infected men about works teaching them to put confidence therein that it was an infinite mercy to the Church when the true doctrine about Christ and the grace of the Gospel beâ—aâ—e to be published and by reason of some expressions there arose up the Antinomians and others who cried down working as if that were to bring the Law in again for justification but both these misse the mark both the Pharisee with confidence in his works and the Publican without his works are excluded this place of glory 4. There is therefore a necessity for many considerations while we are in our journey to heaven that we should be working all which are good to be laid to heart that so we may avoid all unprofitablenesse and at last to be able to say and now my work is done O Father glorifie me The first is from the command and will of God Every Page in the Bible presseth doing Gods will yea we are to be stedfast immoveable alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord 1 Cor. 15. So that if there were no other motive to excite us the command of God might be greatly provoking He who hath a command and a Soveraignty over all That commands the very inanimate creatures and they obey how much rather should we yeeld obedience to his will and the rather because whatsoever work he commands as it is good in it self so it 's good to us It 's good in it self When the devil and sinne tempt to that which is evil thou presently givest up thy self and shall God require that which is good and thou refusest it Besides It 's good for thee as well as good in it self It 's a work thou wilt never repent of it will never be matter of grief to thee Whereas for all other works of the flesh and the devil they will prove thorns in thy side There will be a horrour upon thy Spirit for them making thee to cry out Oh that I had never done this or that sin is called dead works Heb. 6.1 because they argue a man dead and devoid of spirituall life and so they also carry to eternal
troubled at the reproach he had in the world so neither was he lifted up with the glory and honour he had here and then partly in reference to his work done on earth for on earth he did his work in heaven he expects his reward I shall not handle this peculiarly as it relates to Christ but take in all the Children of God for herein Christ and all his members are alike In the midst of their afflictions and trials they are to support themselves with hope and pour forth earnest praiers for the glory God hath prepared for them So that the Observation is That all the Children of God like Christ himself are earnestly to pray for their glory with God above all earthly honour or glory Christ praied not with such imperfections as the godly do as is in time more largely to be shewed only both he and the godly agree in the matter praied for viz. glory in the generall though Christs glory is not of the same nature with theirs This glory is the center in which the several lines of their desires and praiers are to meet This should be the cordiall in all their temptations and exercises though poor here though miserable here though despised here yet my eye is fastened upon the glory hereafter oh that our Auditors were so spirituall as to be affected with this eternal Crown of glory for none but the heavenly and truly godly man can desire to hear of this The other sort of men had rather have their barly-corn then this Pearl Their Garlick then this Manna Their husks then this fatted Calf But to open this Doctrine there are three particulars implied in it 1. The nature of this glory 2. It 's earnestly to be praied for 3. It 's to be the comfort and support of the godly in this valley of tears and death Did we not expect glory to come we should look upon our selves as most miserable But of the first The nature of this glory and that is expressed first in the Text a glory with Gods own self and that doth imply these particulars 1. That it is a glory in the hand of God to dispose and give to him whom he pleaseth You see Christ himself beggeth for this at Gods hand None can violently invade this glory or break into those heavenly mansions whether God will or no all heavenly glory is with God who is therefore called the God of glory or glorious not only because he is glorious in himself but because he is the bountifull authour and dispenser of all glory as the Sunne is the Fountain of all light so then it 's not in the power of any earthly Potentate to make men thus glorious Though Ahashuerus could make Haman and Mordecai outwardly glorious yet for this heavenly glory the greatest powers of the world need it from God as well as the poorest beggar 2. It is a glory with God because he is the object of this glory In him it is that we have all our happinesse and glory Even in this life we are forbidden to glory in riches in honours and greatnesse but let him that glorieth glory in this that he knoweth God 1 Cor. 1.31 and then much more in heaven it is our glory that we enjoy God So that all the happinesse excellency and glory which is said to be in heaven is reductively in this that we are made partakers of God with God and in God is only glory and seeing that glory and our utmost happinesse are all one in this Point of what great concernment is it for every one to consider what that is in which he placeth his happinesse Dost thou not think thy self happy if thou hast the good things and the great things of this world Art thou not of the Serpents breed and not the womans seed in that thou lickest up the dust of the earth It is that that all men miscarry in They do not consider what that is which if obtained would make a man happy Whereas the Scripture is plain and clear informing that it is in having God for our God and then not only happy here but happy hereafter 3. In that this glory is said to be with God it implieth that it is such which God approveth of and liketh off It 's not an appearance of glory but true reall glory The Hebrew word Canod for glory signifieth weight As the Apostle distinguisheth between Circumcision of the Letter and the Spirit which latter he saith hath its praise of God and not of men Rom. 2. ult That is glorious before God so the glory in heaven hath its praise from God What will it avail to affect glory and praise from men when God will abhorre and dishonour will despise and curse thee That which is highly esteemed amongst men is abominable before God Luk. 18. Think it not enough to live so that thy self and others do applaud thee no though they be good men for God judgeth the heart Oh then again and again say Is this glory such as God accounts of Doth the Lord say this is happinesse that I have The rich man bid his soul take his ease but did God bid him do so also 4. This phrase doth imply the glory that is in heaven as oppositely to the work we do on earth This is that all the Children of God should look after a glory in heaven This made them long for and hasten the coming of Christ this made them judge themselves but Pilgrims here and so to seek out for a better City Take we heed then that we be not in the Number of those who minde earthly things that judge nothing glorious but what seems in this world full of greatness and admiration The state of men living here is a condition of misery and calamity which made Job say that man who is born of a woman is born for sorrow as the sparks fly upwards Job 5.7 So that we may say God makes this life so bitter that the glory in heaven may be sweeter Therefore he keeps us a while in this wildernesse that Canaan may be the more prized This is the nature of this glory as implied in that phrase with thy own self but there are other properties of it also that may raise our expectations after it As 1. It 's an everlasting and eternal glory There is no dust or ashes in heaven There is no mortality or corruptibility but every thing is then made like God to abide for ever The Scripture doth often mention this incorruptible Crown and eternal glory and certainly were we heavenly and holy this would greatly enlarge our hearts but these two things are wanting that would put us highly to esteem it There are few that have a spiritual nature Few are born of God and so seek after such a glorious priviledge What careth a Swine for the pearl no more doth a natural man for this heavenly glory he cals for that which may satisfie his
carnal appetite his lustful heart Thus they eat and drink and go down quick to hell The second thing is faith and herein the godly themselves are greatly to be blamed They do not often in private Meditation and by faith inflame their hearts with the thoughts of glory No wonder if they be so ready to faint and swoon under distresses They have not this water of life to drink of They think They speak They are affected as if all their hopes were in this life only Oh what a shame is it that when the earthly man can day and night comfort himself in his great treasures and abundance of wealth that this eternal glory should not raise thee up There is nothing will make thee a Christian of an excellent and heroical Spirit but faith about this eternal glory Shall the thoughts of a Crown or of a great Inheritance keep up the heart of worldly men and shall not the thoughts of eternal glory keep thee from sinking in the waters of affliction 2. It 's a full substantiall glory It 's called the weight of glory by the Apostle 2 Cor. 3. It 's so full that the heart of man cannot speak or conceive about it As humane glory is compared to all the empty things that are vapors and bubbles and a meer breath a shadow without any substance So this glory in heaven is a massie weighty glory it hath all fulnesse in it There is fulnesse of holinesse We are made pure and without the least spot There is fulnesse of peace and joy The Sea is not fuller of waters then their hearts and souls of eternal comforts There is fulnesse of all thy desires and expectations Here we have the dropsie disposition we have and still we ask yea we can sit down and fancy golden Mountains Oh what compleat conditions and happinesse may men in their thoughts make to themselves and their thoughts are wide but the matter is nothing at all but here this glory is above our thoughts above our desires above our wishes we cannot desire better then what we have The second part implied in the Doctrine is That this glory is to be earnestly praied for by the Children of God And the grounds of this are First Because as you heard God will not vouchsafe this mercy but to a praying people Rom. 2. To those that seek for immortality and honour Hence this is directed to in that Petition Thy Kingdom come and certainly if Christ himself who was thus unquestionably assured of this glory and had merited it at Gods hands doth yet pray for it how much more ought we to have it solely of meer grace Some have put it as a doubt whether it be not a mercenary disposition too unworthy the childe of God to pray for glory Yea it 's disputed by Papists against Protestants that it 's lawful in all our godly actions to have an eye to this reward of glory but they fight with a shadow The Protestants do acknowledge it not only lawfull but a duty to seek after and pray for this crown of glory only we say The love to Gods glory should be preferred before ours We are to desire his glory principally and our salvation as subordinate Oh then let the prophane and wicked men of the world tremble at their death when their night approacheth for how canst thou look for glory who never didst pray for it how canst thou think to be partaker of it who wast never much in seeking after it 2. We are to pray for it because hereby our desires and esteem of it will be more kindled and enflamed Praier is nothing but the desire of the soul expressed by a strong inclination of heart Hence it is That where there are cold desires there are cold praiers where there are importunate desires there are importunate praiers and for this reason it is that even natural men can put up hearty praiers to God for earthly mercies as they are their desires because of the sutablenesse therein but as for spirituall mercies they are like dead men in the grave not at all affected so then by earnest praier for this eternal glory we demonstrate our heavenly desires of it and also our desires are thereby more quickned and enlarged after it Oh what a shame is it that we should pray for health of body freedom from pain pardon of sinne and encrease of grace and not pray for this which containeth it all for everlasting glory is all mercy 3. By earnest praying for it our hope of it is much strengthened and confirmed Now a divine hope of this glory is rhat which makes us bear all afflictions endure all chastisements This is the Oyl to keep our Lamps up It 's the anchor to the Ship It 's that only which keeps the heart from breaking The Scripture cals it the lively hope 1 Pet. 1.3 all worldly hopes are dead and fading but this hope is in the power and promise of God Now there is no way to blow up these sparks of hope into a flame so much as by praier for praier if rightly discharged being a praier of faith it must needs beget a lively hope Oh then that we had this hope of eternal glory reigning in us more Thou hast carnal hope worldly hope all the day long is spent in hoping after some earthly comfort or other but this divine hope is a stranger to thee In the third place let us consider how this glory earnestly praied for will be a cordiall against all temptations will be a reviving to the dry bones in all afflictions yea our whole life in all the changes of it is to be maintained and supported by this hope of glory It 's as necessary the Meditation of this is as the very air we live in as we cannot breath without it so neither can we live without this hope so that the things we hope for in heaven should be the bread we feed on the treasure we inrich our selves by And 1. Because this glory with God is an universall medicine to all our diseases It 's a full treasury for all our wants The Pool of Bethesda was only for one kinde of mercy he that being diseased stept in was healed of his bodily infirmity but it did not cure all other grievances it did not make a poor man rich nor a grieved man chearful or a mortal man immortall but eternal glory doth all things Thou art a Lazarus in soul and body all over full of sores Thou wantest all soul-mercies and all body-mercies here is glory that will do all for thee This is the Ocean other are but shelves This is the Sun other are but Stars In praying for glory thou praiest for all things together in one this one word glory hath every thing in it to say Lord glorifie me there is all things comprehended in it 2. This is the most sutable mercy to a gracious and spirituall heart To be glorified is to be put out
of a state of sinne into pure and perfect holinesse It 's from seeing God in a glasse and obscurely to see him face to face Oh then how enamoured and ravished is the soul with the enjoying of this if the glimpse of this glory If the branches of this Canaan be so goodly what is Canaan it self If the Church praied so earnestly Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth Cant. 1. What then would the total and full enjoyment of God be never to be divided or separated more Glory is not only the advantage and welfare of a godly man the preservation of him from hell and misery or giving him happinesse but it is the ordering of him with all graces more glorious then the Sunne Hence the godly are compared to the Sunne and Starres in the Firmament for the great lustre God puts on them 3. This must needs be a great support because of the emptinesse and insufficiency in all these things here below to fill and satiate the heart The eye is not satisfied with seeing or the heart with wishing in this world but in the world to come there the faculties of the soul and all the parts of the body are fully replenished There is no want no desire no wish for more then they have It 's no wonder if Solomon who took all waies possible to satisfie his minde and to finde out happinesse in this life yet instead of happinesse found nothing but briars and therefore wrote upon all Vanity of vanities all is vanity For it cannot be otherwise Can an hungry man fill his belly with empty air Can a cold man warm himself at a painted fire Could these birds fill themselves that fled to Zeuxes painted grapes taking them for true ones no more can any thing in this world satisfie man No it 's only in the world to come that can fill up every corner of the soul Lastly Glory with God must needs be the only support because the way to heaven is full of briars and thorns Great are the afflictions and tribulations which abide all that go in this way to glory Were it not then that the heart is full of hopes in this matter it would soon be discouraged it would presently give over saying Why should I deny such pleasures and comforts as others take Do I not wrong my self Am I not a defrauder of my own comforts No saith this hope of eternal glory hold thy tongue from all grudgings and repinings There is glory coming will make amends for all Heaven in reversion is better then all the world in actual possession know then if at any time thy soul be dejected or cast down within thee if at any time thou art impatient and discontented It 's because this hope of glory doth not fill the heart In the last place this is farre to be desired above all humane glory and that although it be the Idol adored by the world if we consider how most men referre all their actions to this We may presently judge that description of man to be true That he is animal gloriae vanissimum all those actions the Heathens did were dedicated to honour Even as the Romans consecrated a Temple to it yea which is the highest degree of vanity men have made all their Religious actions to serve this Goddesse The Pharisees in all their alms fastings and praiers did all to be seen of men as our Saviour who knew their hearts condemned them Mat. 6.2 It went so far with some that they placed the chiefest happinesse of a man to be in honour and how prone this is to keep in the hearts even of godly men appeareth in the often prohibitions of it in the Scripture and our Saviours advice about private Praier and alms This is the Pirate that many times surpriseth the Ship which is come richly laden to the very haven it depriveth us of our duties and the benefit by them Well as glorious as it is yet it is no more comparable to this eternal glory then a straw to a Pearl For 1. It 's but the puff and breath of men whose breath is in their nostrils There is no solidity in it it brings no true solid joy and peace to the conscience What if men applaud thee abroad and thy conscience condemneth thee at home No doubt but the Pharisees humored and flattered Judas to betray his Master but what could that help him when he roared out I have sinned in betraying the innocent bloud Gal. 5. Let every man prove his own work so shall he have rejoycing in himself and not in another That is terrible of Austin Many are praised of men who lie tormented in hell 2. All humane glory will not avail us if at our death God findes us in our sinnes To be praised by men and reproached by God to be blessed by men and cursed by God this will be little case Oh that men would look to this who look only to have the good words of men Alas can man save thee can man deliver thee from those eternal flames Gal. 1. If I should please men I should not be a Servant of Christ What an unworthy thing is this to pray to professe Religion for vain-glory and not for glory with God Our Saviour speaks it as a great curse to have a mans ends satisfied in that way Verily I say unto you they have their reward Vse of Exhortation so to live and so to walk as that you may be prepared for this eternal glory Oh what a glory will it be when God at the day of judgement shall say Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you When God and Angels shall put honour upon you why should not the faith of these things raise up your spirits why should it no more affect you and that you may obtain this take heed of what will totally deprive you of it or else greatly weaken your thoughts and hopes about it That which totally depriveth is a constant wilful continuance in grosse sinnes Be not deceived neither whoremonger or drunkards c. shall inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6.9 and without the heavenly Jerusalem are said to be dogs Rev. 22.15 The Scripture cals all wicked men such who lick up the vomit of their sin Oh then the hopelesse and damnable condition of most people Doth not the Land in every place mourn for the whoredoms and drunkennesse and oaths that are every where if God say the Lord shall spue out such Inhabitants God thinketh the earth too good for them will he bestow heaven on them And then 2. The godly who have a right and interest to this glory they weaken their hopes and entreat their fears when they walk negligently when they are earthly or dejected through diffidence you might have this glory here on earth and be in heaven before you are in heaven were you not wanting to your selves SERMON XXVII The Eternall Deity of
is insufficient to salvation Therefore it 's a pernicious assertion of Venator the Remonstrant that the Heathens they had the Light as it were of the Starres The Jews of the Moon The Christians of the Sunne and all might be saved by their respective Lights 4. God is manifested by the Scriptures in a common way of Light Many men by an Historicall faith beleeving the Scriptures must also beleeve a God for there is no such clear evidence any way as by that and thus we may judge of most Christians they know there is a God they beleeve him to be because the Word doth so fully affirm it Lastly There is a knowledge of God in a practicall obedient way so to know him as to fear him to obey his Commandments to walk humbly before him and to depend upon him and this is the manifestation or knowledge the truly godly only have and the number of these is very few so that if you set aside those who know God only upon a natural conscience or by education or by a general historical Faith The residue who know him by speciall illumination and sanctification are like the gleaning after harvest so that we may hence conclude that whatsoever parts learning understanding men have in Religion yet till inwardly sanctified they know not God They are wholly estranged from him They live without God in the world Eph. 2. God is not in their thoughts in their hearts neither have they any enjoyment of him Oh that we could make every Auditor sensible of this I live in the world I know much I have great acquaintance but yet am a stranger to God Now these following particulars will plainly discover that the godly only do truly know God R. 1 First Because though men have this speculative knowledge yet they do not love him and delight in him above all things It 's Gods command that we should love him with all our heart our minds and strength yea above Father Mother life and every thing that is dear Insomuch that the Scripture saith Whosoever loveth the world the love of the Father is not in him 1 Joh. 2.15 Now whence is it that we love these poor empty comforts more then God Is it not because we do not know God Had we clear manifestations of the goodnesse excellency and fulnesse that is in God our whole heart would be ravished with him As it is with the glorified Saints in heaven they have an immediate vision of God They behold him in this glorious beauty and hence it is that they cannot sinne The understanding seeth such infinite perfection in God that they abhorre all things that would divert from him As the eye dazled with the Beam-light of the Sun cannot behold any thing else As he that hath eaten honey findeth all things else unsavoury As the Saints in heaven do thus so the Saints on earth do in part and in some good measure They beholding the Image of God 2 Cor. 4. are transformed into the same Image The more we know God as revealed in the word the more our hearts pant after him as you see David often manifesting the breaking of his heart after God Well then by this you see that few know God if they did how could they leave the Ocean for a drop how could they part with God for every fading creature thy lusts thy sins are more then God in thy thoughts and affections Oh pray for a knowledge of God in Christ The blinde man doth not admire the glory of the Sunne because he cannot see it ignoti nulla cupido R. 2 2. No wicked man though never so great a Scholar knoweth God if he doe not fear him if he stands not in an holy awe and reverence of him who would not fear thee Isa 10. O thou King of Nations for to thee it appertaineth and sanctifie the Lord God let him be your dread Our Saviour likewise Fear not them that can kill the body Mat. 10.28 but I tell you whom you shall fear c. You see then that if we did rightly know God how pure and just he is how full of wrath and vengeance against impenitent sinners we would cry out with Joseph upon every temptation How can I do this and sinne against God I cannot I dare not Thus Paul Knowing the terrour of the Lord we perswade men 2 Cor. 5.11 Did men know the greatnesse and the terrour of God the power and Majesty he is cloathed with That no sinner though never so great can stand before him any more then the stubble before the fire That he can immediatly raise hellish torments in thy conscience That he can bid thee go out of this Church a trembling Cain a despairing Judas Did I say People know this God to be so great how could they riot it in all excesse as they do as our Saviour told the Woman Joh. 4. If thou hadst known who it is that asked water of thee thou wouldst have given him Had you or did you know that the God whom you offend all the day long is so great and terrible in Majesty it would have been a stop to all thy bold impieties but men know not God R. 3 3. Only the godly know God because they only are carefull to obey his Commandments and to walk in the way he requireth 1 Joh. 2. If we say we know him and keep not his Commandments we are lyars and abide not in the Truth Their knowledge of God and a carefull obedience to his commands cannot be separated The Apostle saith all others are but lyars and hypocrites Dost thou boast of knowledge and yet break his Sabbath wallow in the lusts of the flesh Thou art a lyar thou dost not know God Hence it followeth in my Text I have manifested thy Name to my Disciples and they have kept thy Word Oh then never talk of thy knowledge never speak of what thou readest or what thou understandest unlesse also thy obedience to Gods will be as manifest so that when we see any prophane wicked man indued with great parts you may say Lo there is such an one though he knoweth all Points in Religion though he knoweth every Chapter in the Bible yet he knoweth nothing of God for whereas God saith Be not drunk with wine c. and Wo be to those that are strong to drink yet every week if not every day he is drunk Though God saith Swear not at all yet some cannot speak without an Oath scarce Oh that these things might enter into you If you know God you would obey him you would say I dare not I must not do this or that God whom I know and serve commands the contrary Therefore the Prophet Hosea when he speaketh of much wickednesse in a Land swearing and whoring and injustice he saith There is no Knowledge of God in the Land Hos 4.1 Argum. 4 4. The godly man only knoweth God because he only hath these gracious effects of Gods grace upon his heart
thus it is alwaies any errour any false way is more pleasing to corrupt men then the truth and hence it hath many followers People will run out to see to gaze and hear some new thing If a man be a dwarf or a gyant every one will run to see him but not the man of ordinary stature Vse Is this the end of the Ministry of all our labour and preaching to bring you to the saving knowledge of God Oh then may we not take up the Prophets complaint That we labour in vain the bellows is burnt the lead is consumed but the reprobate silver is not purged away Jer. 6.27 Do not many Families and persons proclaim they know not God for in this it is seen that they call not upon God there are no Family-duties no worshiping of him whereas our houses should be like the Temple of the Lord they are slies of sin rather Christ is to come in flaming vengeance against those that know not God May not the Ministers of God cry with Isaiah Isa 6.5 Wo be to us we dwell among men of polluted lips and lives It 's a Wo to dwell there Isaiah was much affected with it SERMON XXXI That Gods People are not of though in this world Wherein is also shewed the vast difference between them and the men of the world JOH 17.5 I have manifested thy Name to those that thou gavest me out of the world THE next thing considerable is The description of the Subject about which Christ did thus imploy himself and they are set out 1. From their original descent and heavenly rise These God hath given Christ but of this we have already treated and shall say more before we come to the end of the Chapter it being often repeated 2. From the term from which they are given out of the world They are given to Christ out of the world The Scripture in this Chapter makes a distinction of being in the world and of the world The people of God even as Christ himself and his Kingdom are in the world but they are not of the world As a Stranger in a forreign Countrey he is in that Countrey but not of it he hath not the nature the Language nor doth he accustome himself to the fashion of that place Thus it is with the godly Though they are born and so live in the world yet their natures and affections and conversations are not worldly As the Fowls that were at first created out of the water yet did not continue there but flew up to heaven and continue for the most part there As clouds though of the earth yet are carried about after the motions of the heavens They are not then given out of the world so as if every good man were presently upon his godlinesse removed out of this earth to heaven but in respect of their nature affections and conversation localiter they are not but in respect of heart and affections in which sence Paul said he was crucified to the world and the world to him Gal. 6.14 Now you must know that the word world hath several significations in Scriptures Est mundus cujus Deus est creator est mundus cujus Deus est redemptor est mundus cujus Satan est seductor Sometimes it is taken for the whole Fabrick and Vniverse with the parts thereof as when the world is said to be made by God and Christ a Lamb slain from the beginning of the world Rev. 13.8 Sometimes it 's taken for the greater part of the world as they said all the world did run after Christ or the world said to be taxed by Augustus Luk. 2.1 Sometimes for the power riches pleasures and glory of the world but then most commonly fot the wicked men of the world Thus often by John The world hath not known thee if ye were of the world the world would love you and now wicked men are called the world because their whole heart and desires are fixed on worldly things No worms no Moles delighting more in earthly things then they do and therefore they are the Serpents seed which live on the dust of the earth And then they are called the world because they are the farre greater visible and more flourishing part of the world Alas take these that are godly and they are but a despicable and contemptible handful to those that ruffle it in the world Obs That the people of God they are called out of the world He that is truly godly is no more a man of this world as we say of a dying man he is not for this world his heart his thoughts his desires are quite taken off Thus the godly are said to be dead and crucified to the world Gal. 6.14 They have not those carnal worldly affections and dispositions as formerly and from hence the people of God are called Ecclesia the Church as much as persons called out of the world not bodily but in respect of their souls and hence the world and the Church is opposed 1 Cor. 5.10 The Fornicators of this world in opposition to the Church so that by this we see there is none in the Church of God but they should have renounced the waies customes and sinnes of the world To be a Christian and yet of the world is a contradiction as if we should say a black Sun yet how is the garden of God made a Wildernesse how is the Church become the world So much prophanesse wickednesse and carnal living as there is so much of the world there is Oh that men did consider what an holy obligation their Christianity brings upon them Art thou a Christian and yet the drunkard of the world the fornicator of the world the proud the earthly of the world this ought not to be no more then the Angel a worm no more then a Starre a clod of earth The Apostle cals those of the world without What have we to do to judge those that are without 1 Cor. 5 ult but those of the Church within Oh but how many â—â—eâ— within according to Christs Rule ought to be turned out of Christs sheepfold To illustrate this necessary Truth let us observe those demonstrations or discoveries whereby it may appear that the godly are not of the world And first This makes it manifest because they have not the Spirit of the world but of God 1 Cor. 2.12 Now what is the Spirit of the world even a judgement and wisedom to discern only worldly things to see the necessity of them the excellency of them To be wholly affected with them To meditate on them day and night But the godly they have received the Spirit of God whereby they savour and discern spiritual things They have hearts alwaies depending upon God and they have hearts wholly fixed and placed upon God They see incomparable excellency in heavenly things above all earthly They say with David My soul breaketh for the longing it hath to God at all times
yea if a godly man were to desire a way for to put him out of all doubts between God and his soul what better way could he require then this 4. In beleeving there is a receiving and a participation of all that Christ hath and hence receiving and beleeving is put for one another It 's also metaphorically expressed by eating and drinking Joh 6. That as by those actions we receive meat and it becometh our very substance so it is here by beleeving in him Christ is made ours even all that he hath is ours Thus by Faith we are said to be branches partaking of the fatnesse of the Olive Rom. 11. Oh then how excellent is this act of Faith which is the hand to put on all the glorious robes of Christ upon our soul It being not enough to know there is a Christ so qualified unlesse he become ours 5. This beleeving works an holy confidence and boldnesse at the Throne of grace It makes our praiers and duties full of fervency and alacrity Eph. 3.12 We come with boldnesse through Faith We see the Scepter is held out and so we may readily enter in and Heb. 4.16 Let us come with boldnesse to the Throne of grace Oh how much should the broken hearted sinner live in the Meditation of these things God opens the way by his grace and thou shuttest it by thy unbelief Through Christ the way to heaven is made a broad way and thy doubtings make it narrow When Christ cals Peter to come to him though upon the waters it 's not presumption but disobedience if Peter refuse 6. This is accompanied with large and vast thoughts of Christ This file their hearts and mouths with Christ as you see the Apostle Paul in every verse almost affectionately mentioning him Phil. 3. with what disdain doth he renounce and throw away all things in comparison of Christ The excellency of the knowledge of Christ and at another time He would know nothing but Christ crucified 1 Cor. 2.2 He that doth thus beleeve in Christ so manifested cannot but have his soul and all within him taken up this way Though there be many speak of Christ and talk of Christ yet none hath him indeed and none do truely esteem him but such persons as these Is then Christ dearer and closer to thy heart then all earthly comforts and delights Canst thou say the thoughts of Christ are sweet the meditations about him are my meat and drink all the day long this is precious Lastly This purifieth the heart and makes us an holy heavenly people If we be risen with Christ we set our affections on things above Col. 3.1 2. and he that hath this hope purifieth himself as God is pure 1 Joh. 3.3 Act. 15 9. As the Sun brings heat and light where it is so where faith is it makes the heat active and operative as Heb. 11. This is the beholding of God as in a glasse whereby we are transformed into his Image from grace to grace Beleeving gets spirituall strength even as eating and drinking doth bodily Therefore while thou abatest in thy faith thou dost not only lose thy comfort but thy spiritual strength If thou cease to beleeve not only doubts and fears but even lusts and sinnes will prevail over thee Thus you see what it is to beleeve in Christ thus manifested Now the grounds why it 's the duty of Gods people thus to know and beleeve are 1. Because Christ would otherwise be in vain he would not be of that use and improvement God hath appointed him for If the childe will not suck the breasts are filled in vain If the Prodigal will not eat the fatted Calf is in vain provided The Fountain runneth in vain if none will drink of it Oh then consider this if I do not by faith thus receive Christ I do as much as lieth in me make Christ of none effect I do as much as lieth in me make as if there had never been such a person as Christ If then the Apostle makes those false Teachers in such a dangerous estate that by corrupt opinions did make Christ to die in vain and his Crosse of none effect no lesse provoking must thy sin of unbelief be It takes Christ out of the world R. 2 2. We are thus to beleeve in Christ because in and through him God doth magnifie his glory His attributes of grace mercy and unspeakable bounty are exalted through Christ If then we do not thus receive Christ we deprive God of all this intended glory The Creation of the world and all the mercifull wondrous works God hath done for his Church were not intended to exalt God as Christ in all his benefits and therefore if it be so great a sin not to give God the glory in them how inexcusable will it be to fail in this R. 3 3. The insufficiency of all other things to satisfie the broken and troubled heart may justly make the godly fly to this So the disciples being to acknowledge Christ as the Mediatour they say Whither should we go thou hast the words of Eternal life If they run to their duties to their graces these are too weak to lean upon They are as Noahs Dove that findes the waters covering all the Mountains and highest Trees Seeing then we must have something to fix all our hopes and affections upon and all other things will fail how unwise are the godly if they keep a moment from Christ R. 4 4. Our necessity may enforce us And this floweth from the forenamed insufficiency in all other things Doth not thy own heart disquiet thee Doth not the perfect Law trouble thee Doth not the devil accuse thee and shall not all this make thee seek out for that which will answer all Paul tried all other things but he found nothing like Christ and thou art the rather to improve this to the full because there is not the least ability or priviledge in Christ that thou canst spare Christ is all over bread and food There is nothing in Christ but is of special use Oh then what folly is it that thou shouldst bour to know the fulnesse of any creature for thy wants and not of Christ He is an Ocean and not one drop in him but is of admirable efficacy He is a Pearl and so the least of that must be very precious if thou continuest in fears and lusts it 's because thou dost not improve all of Chrsst It 's not enough to touch the hemme of his garment but thou must receive whole Christ Vse of Instruction That all those sinners who love their sins and will not depart from them are wholly barred from all this comfort stand aloof off and bewail thy Leprosie Christ received not that fulnesse from his Father for thee abiding and continuing in thy sins Oh miserable and wretched though they live in ease and pleasures having all things their carnal appetites desire one thing is necessary and that
Motto which Solomon puts upon all these fading things here below shall likewise be set upon thy Religion and devotion Vanity of vanities all is vanity and vexatien of spirit It 's the promise that a godly man embraceth that he looketh after for even in holy actions truly so it 's not thy performance thy grace but the promise that bears thee out Therefore we are all said to be Children of the Promise Gal. 4.28 and heirs of the Promise and 2 Cor. 7.1 Having these Promises let us cleanse our selves If then thou art never so zealous though thou shouldst give thy body to the sire and have not a promise it would profit thee nothing Shouldst thou give away all thou hast Shouldst thou endure all hardship yet if thou hast no promise to this action thou art but a tinkling Cymbal Oh then let the people of God in all their acts of obedience minde the command for the lawfulnesse of them and the promise for the encouragement therunto if no command then no promise God will not water that plant or give encrease to it which he hath not planted And for this end Austin and others did condemn all those famous moral actions of the heathens as glittering sinnes because they had no promise belonging to them of Eternall life As they did them upon humane inferiour motived not supreme and divine so their recompence was but the cockleshels of this world not that weight of glory in heaven Thirdly Obedience must have a command because of the great corruption and pollution which is upon mans understanding so that it 's impossible it should ever choose or do that which is acceptable to God Rom. 8. They that are in the flesh cannot please God And the Heathens even those that were judged most learned yet were darkned in their Imagination Rom. 1. They became vain and the Apostle cals it their foolish hearts It is therefore a most absurd and insufferable indignity offered unto God for thee to take upon thee how thou wilt worship him how thou wilt serve him and for this it is that the Scripture so often complaineth that they went after the imagination of their own hearts So that by this you may judge of what little consequence those excuses are which some make for superstition That they were done out of pious Intentions and a fervent zeal for although such things may in some respects excuse a tanto yet not a toto Hence Vzziah though out of a good intention stopping the Ark not according to Gods order is stricken dead Paul persecuting the Church of God though out of zeal for he thought he was bound to do what he did yet was not thereby excused from being a blasphemer a persecutor and the greatest of sinners Nothing is to be added to Gods precepts Etiamsi vel bonum nobis videtur said Ambrose So that the right understanding of our deep pollution may justly make us afraid of any thing which is ours and hath not Gods command The Apostle Col. 3.2 condemneth even those things because not of God which yet had a shew of humility and great mortification Fourthly Obedience must have a command from the fulness and sufficiency of the Scripture It 's a perfect Rule Whosoever walketh according to this Rule Gal. 6.16 and David commends it for a Lanthorn and Light to his feet Psal 119. So that if our obedience might run out in such things where there is no word for it the Word would not be an adequate Rule It would be too narrow and then if once you grant a Rule besides that you go in infinitum yea we fall into manifest contradictions for how many times doth one mans spirit think that best which is contrary to another mans How comes that opposition in matter of Religion but that the word is not made the Rule but either there are reasons or lusts or temporal interests so that it 's necessary we have the Word for obedience else the Enthusiastical Revelations and Popish Traditions they will both pleade a good Title for acceptableness with God Lastly An Obedience must have a command because else we can never bear up our hearts in all the discouragements we meet with in doing Gods work What hardened the Prophets so that their foreheads were like brasse and iron but only this that they knew God had commended them and they went upon his message Shall Absalom use such an argument to the man when he had killed Ammon Be of good courage I have bid thee How much rather then when God commands 1 Cor. 15. Be stedfast immoveable in the work of the Lord knowing your labour was not in vain Let all the world oppose us when we know it's Gods command our hearts need not shrink within us Thus the Apostles Whether it 's better to obey God or man judge ye Act. 5.29 Vse 1. of Instruction Of how terrible and dreadful a judgement are they worthy of who are so farre from being obedient to Gods command that they live in open and professed disobedience to it if the most devotionall and Religious actions are refused by God for want of a command what shall become of those which are in plain opposition to it Such are all the works of the flesh Such are the works of most men when thou hast been wallowing in the mire of sin to which of Gods commands hast thou been obedient Nay sinne hath its command the devil hath his commands and thou givest up thy self a Servant to them Oh that the eyes of men shall not yet be opened nor their hearts yet mollified who is thy Father thy Master thy Lord Is it not the devil When God commands thee who is the Lord of Hosts who promiseth heaven and an eternal reward that God who hath all sharp arrows of vengeance in his quiver to shoot immediatly into thy heart That God though commanding thee thou refusest and the devil while he bids thee go and fullfill this lust and that lust immediatly thou goest That devil who deludes and deceiveth thee who is the known Enemy of thy soul and will be thy cruell tormentor to all Eternity Oh then lay it closer to heart I am under command either of God or the devil I am an obedient Servant to one or the other and thy works they quickly manifest it Vse 2 Vse 2. of Direction to people That they would be like those noble Bereans examine the ground of their faith and obedience Do not offer a Sacrifice without eyes Blinde obedience is contrary to that command offer up your selves a reasonable Sacrifice or a Sacrifice according to the Word as some expound Rom. 12 1. There are dangerous Syrens that would inâ—ice you out of this way we are apt to judge that a duty that most do not which God commands we think a multitude will dispense against a precept when yet Gods expresse charge is Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil Exod. 23.2 The very heathen could
also in Divinity our own Righteousnesse our own good thoughts they cleave so close to us and so we are not able to put forth any spirituall sence But as even the Ethiopians think the flattest nose and the blackest colour to be the best beauty and the Persians the contrary and all because that they are so It 's a National property So it is here because our heart is ours our works ours our duties ours therefore we think them good and so put secret hopes therein and though in this high bloudy sinne yet our Consciences do not cannot smite us therefore fear Security more then all despair and trouble of Conscience for this is felt and discovered and thereby the better prevented but the other is a secret Impostume never manifesting it self but when immediatly killing 2. As it is a secret sinne hardly perceived so it 's a deep radicated one It 's our very nature and essence almost You see by these many disputes that Paul had against those who would joyn the works of the Law with the Lord Christ that it is not only imbred in us to put confidence in them but even to pleade for it and to justifie this doctrine and this was not only amongst the unbelieving Jews but even such as did acknowledge Christ also The danger therefore is that when we can cast away other sinnes yet this will cleave the faster to us The more we abstain from iniquities the more trust we are apt to put in our selves This our Saviour urged when he said unlesse a man become like a little childe he cannot enter into the Kingdome of heaven Mat. 18.4 And when he spake a Parable to this purpose that when we had done all we should say we were unprofitable Servants Oh then take heed of this sweet poison within thee Do not say within thy heart Such and such sinnes I have left I am none of the prophane ones of the world I have a constant care about all holy duties for if thy heart be hereby confident in these things it is Idolatry Though it be more subtle yet he that fals down before a stock or stone and worshipeth Idols is no greater an Idolater then thou art for thou makest thy self a Saviour and saist of thy duties as they did of the golden Calf These are the Gods that brought thee out of Egypt 3 This trusting in our own Righteousnesse and not in Christ solely is a Spirituall sin It 's a sicknesse not of the body but of the soul and so the greater sinne All sinnes that are immediatly subjected in the soul have the greater guilt and defilement ceteris paribus more then any bodily sinnes As the Schoolmens Rule is The sinnes of the Spirit are maioris reatus but bodily sinnes maioris infamiae We see it in the Devils Their sinnes are wholly sinnes of the Spirit and are therefore called vnclean spirits yet they are more sinfull then men Therefore they are called spirituall wickednesses in high places Eph. 6. Though then these sinnes of spirituall pride and secret confidence in our selves do not make a noise in the world and bring reproach as bodily sinnes doe yet in other respects they may be of a crimson colour 〈◊〉 â—loudy aggravation They are a corruption of the best and choicest part â—hin thee and therefore look not only to outward but inward heart-sins Lastly The grievousnesse of this sinne doth appear in the immediate contrariety and opposition it hath to Christ and the Gospel of grace There is no sinne doth so formally and immediatly reject Christ as a Mediatour as this self-fulnesse and self-righteousnesse as we may see by our Saviour and the Pharisees That which kept them from Christ was their self-justification They thought they had a Righteousnesse of their own which made our Saviour call them Blessed that did hunger and thirst after Righteousnesse That were heavy laden and burthened And indeed Reason will tell us that a false Righteousnesse set up against the true is more dangerous then open and plain sinnes and Christ must needs be more jealous of such a person Seeing therefore that God requireth a Righteousnesse there must be a Righteousnesse procured and this of Christs can onely be satisfactory it is an high sinne to set up thy Absalom King instead of this David Thou dost in effect say All that Christ did it was needlesse it was in vain for thou hast a Righteousnesse of thy own works thou wilt trust to and never think to wash thy self from this sinne because by thy words thou speakest the clean contrary There is none that professeth Christ will grosly and palpably own his works for Justification but there is an inward secret tickling of heart and confidence because of them so that God onely can charge this sinne upon men for he knoweth and trieth the hearts and reins of men But thus you will say If this Self-righteousnesse and trusting in what we doe be in some sence worse then all the grosse sinnes that are committed how should we become convinced of it and so forsake it Oh that we could tell how to get this Ivy from cleaving thus to us lest it consume all that is within us Now the ready and onely way for a man to be driven out of this self-righteousnesse is First Seriously convince and inform thy Judgement of that Originall pollution which cleaveth to thee as soon as ever thou hast a Being Remember those place In iniquity did my Mother conceive me Psal 51. The Imaginations of the thoughts of the heart are onely evil and that continuly Gen. 6. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean We are by nature the Children of wrath Ephes 2.3 Oh the true apprehension of this loathsome contagion will quickly make us cry out of our selves and any thing that is ours Secondly Remember the purity and perfection of the Law what it is that requireth even the perfect actings of all grace so that if there be wanting but one duty yea one degree of grace The Law rejects all and curseth all There is no way but Hell and eternal damnation Nâ—â— the knowledge of this must needs make a man cry out of himself because he fails in all things Thirdly Consider the examples of those that have been most holy and godly how still they would go out of themselves They would not have their own life to be the Rule to be justified by David that is so highly commended and who breaths out such divine affections to God 〈◊〉 saith If thou enter into Judgement with thy Servant who can be Justified Psal 133. Oh it 's not for us to stand upon our works and duties when God cals to account and Job Though he pleadeâ— his Integrity yet he humbled himself under his imperfections comparatively to God Paul likewise would not be found in his own Righteousnesse It would be shame to 〈◊〉 â—â—d guilt to him to be found so Fourthly The reliques and remainders of corruption still cleave to us
little knowest what thou maist be and do even the most abominable things that are if left to a Temptation Now this is a special thing in Christs praier to have present help of grace in such a streight Thus v. 15. I pray that thou shouldst keep them from the evil of the world Not to be taken out of the world but to be preserved from the sinfulnesse of it and thus for Peter Christ saith Satan had a desire to winnow him but he praied that his faith might not fail Luk. 22.32 Had not the fruit of this praier intervened Peter and Judas might have been both alike Oh then the tender godly man that is obnoxious to over-whelming fears if such and such temptations should befall him he should be undone that saith one time or other this or that affliction will break him Let such consider that it 's not their strength but Christs praier is their support he that praied Peters faith might not fail hath done the like for thee 3. Perseverance in the way of grace against all oppositions and difficulties This his praier extends to v. 34. Father I will they be where I am and how careful was he to keep them that none of them who were given him might perish The perseverance of Gods Children doth not depend upon grace within for Angels and Adam lost it but upon the promise of God and Christs Intercession Oh how often do we break our Covenant with God on our parts if we were left to our selves we should be branches broken from the Vine pulled from the root we should become Trees not twice but twenty times dead But it is the praier of Christ that keeps up all life and vigour It 's better with us then with the People of Israel all the while Moses held up his hands he prevailed but when he was weary then their enemies prevailed But it is not so here Our Intercessor never giveth over he doth not intermit for a moment so that as long as Christs Intercession shall abide so long shall we be preserved 4. Christs praier extends to their vivification and quickning up to holinesse Sanctifie them by thy Truth They were already sanctified but he praieth for encrease and growth therein The hearts and affections of the most holy are in some degree polluted and unclean therefore they need this further Sanctification and preparation of them for what is holy Lastly This praier doth extend to our communion and intimate Fellowship with the Father as is abundantly expressed That they may be one as thou and I am one they in me and I in them Man as he is a man is Animal sociale and as a Christian he desires fellowship which is not only with other members but chiefly with the head And this Communion is the ground of all spiritual and heavenly joy the fulness of it being that eternal glory in heaven 7. The excellency and comfortablenesse of it is the more aggravated by the contrary viz. the devil who is the accuser of the Brethren and he continually brings in matter of accusation against us If Joshua hath rags on Satan will revile him certainly he that is so great an Enemy to a godly mans praier labouring either to hinder it or distract it or marre it with some proud self-confidence how much rather if he could would he hinder the praier and intercession of Christ Now though he can finde much accusation against the godly mans praier yet none against Christs Though he be an accuser of the Brethren yet not of Christ the head The Prince of this world cometh and findeth nothing in me Joh. 14.30 Vse 1. of comfort to the Godly behold we open to you Treasures of consolation when you cannot do not pray yet even then is Intercession made for you We are apt to think as the Disciples did If Christ were corporally present with us If he were visibly speaking to us as to that Woman Be of good comfort thy sins be forgiven We should judge our selves happy but it 's better for us Christ appeareth for us in heaven This is more advantagious then his corporal presence can be Oh then see what is thy staff to lean upon not thy praiers or duties but Christs Intercession Oh maintain this plea against the devil and thy own troubled heart Say what condemnation or accusation can there be of Christ how can the Father refuse him pleading for us O Lord if I had nothing but my praiers my duties I were not able to look up to heaven Vse 2. To discover the woful and damnable estate of wicked men They have no Intercessor for them If they sinne they have no Advocate It was a dreadful thing when God bid Jeremiah pray not for this people Oh but when Christ shall not pray there is no way or hope open for thee Should all godly Ministers and Friends pray for thee yet if Christ intercede not they can doe thee no good The devil accuseth thee Justice arraigneth thee and there is none to speak a word for thee SERMON XLIII Of the Extent of Christs Mediatory Praier and of his Death That he Praied and Died not for all and every one of mankinde but onely for the Elect And that the Scripture-Expressions of Christs Dying for all are to be understood Indefinitely and not Vniversally JOH 17.9 I pray for them I pray not for the world HAving handled the positive part I come to the exclusive The Subject that is shut out of Christs praiers and that is the world I pray not for the world The word world is as large in signification according to Scripture-use as it is in comprehension so that we may say it hath a world of significations Some say It 's not used at all in the Old Testament but that is a mistake for in our Translations it 's very frequent I shall instance in some choice ones It is used sometimes for this whole Universe in all the parts of it as when it 's said Before the Foundation of the world Sometimes and that most frequently for men who are the Inhabitants of the world and it 's observed by the Learned that John the Evangelist doth use it in the most various significations The world when it signifieth men the Inhabitants of it either is used â—niversally for all or else Synechdochically for the greater part for all as Joh. 3. God so loved the world viz. mankinde he did more for that then for Apostate Angels Though Learned men expound that otherwaies it 's used synechdochically for a greater part but indefinitely good and bad as when it 's said the whole world went after Christ but it 's many times used definitely for a certain kinde of men And that either the wicked and ungodly who are the greater in quantity and thus by our Evangelist often The world hateth you and I have overcome the world Or else it 's used for the better part of the world though the lesse for the world of the Elect and
Neither soul or body shall escape him if thou continue his Be thou awakened out of thy desperate estate If thou art not Gods Inheritance thou art the devils possession and thy tongue thy eyes thy body thy whole life proclaimeth to whom thou dost belong 2. In being the Fathers as we are no longer Satans so neither the worlds or mens in the world Hence we are commanded not to be Servants to men 1 Cor. 7.13 or please men and to call none Father on earth Mat. 23.9 The sense of such commands is that we are not to put our hopes and trust in men not to give up our selves to their commands when contrary to God yet this is a sinne that all are prone unto It 's the Favour of men the power and greatnesse of men that swayeth us more then God Alas thou wert not created or redeemed or regenerated to make man thus a God unto thee Whence is it that our fear is a mans fear yea our Religion a mans Religion but because we are not yet delivered from mans thraldom so neither are we the worlds For our Saviour saith We are given out of the world to Chrict Why then are we so immoderate in our cares and affections about these things It 's not the world that is ours The Church was seen clothed with the Sunne and the Moon under her feet Rev. 12.1 God hath made the earth under us and Gold and Silver to be in the bowels thereof implying the low esteem we ought to have of them and that we look not on the world as a resting place but seek for heaven Lastly We are none of our own in being the Fathers Thus the Apostle We are none of our own Therefore we are to glorifie God both in soul and body 1 Cor. 6.20 Our Tongues our Body our Affections are not our own We may not love as we list nor desire as we list It 's thset and Sacriledge thus to steal from God Why should it be a wound in thy Conscience to detain that which is another mans and not rather that which is Gods My Son give me thy heart If sinne hath it If the world hath it these are not the right owners Remember whose thou art and this will keep thee solely and wholly for God These things premised let us now see How the Propriety we have in God is the cause of all our good And in the generall there is no temporall or spirituall good we have but our propriety in God is the Foundation of it If the Apostle argue that because he hath given us Christ how shall he not with him give us all things else Rom. 8. How much rather if God give us himself shall he not give us all things The marrow and whole substance of the Covenant of grace lieth in this That God will be our God and we shall be his People God doth not finde us but make us his and when so made then all good things are bestowed on us We will select some choice particulars and that two waies 1. Of those good things we have from God 2. Of those good things we have by approaching to good our active and passive good And first Pardon of sinne in which the Psalmist speaks our blessednesse to consist is given us because we are hiâ— Thus Heb. 8. when God promised to be the God of his People in the Covenant of Grace Then followeth the Forgivenesse of their sinnes And he will remember their Iniquities no more And this they must necessarily enjoy For Guilt of sinne separateth between God and the sinner it makes him at a distance and in a state of Enmity But this propriety takes away all Ground of Condemnation Rom. 8. Because they belong to God therefore they are pardoned Davids sinnes were fouler then Sauls But besides that David had a better heart then Saul David had a propriety in God and so had not Saul Oh the Encouragement that Gods Children have upon this account to pray for pardon It 's more in God then in thy Repentance or Tears That is the surest Refuge they have they are the Fathers Therefore 2. Because they have more choice and intimate Fellowship and Communion with the Father then the world They have the Light of his Countenance assurance of his Love They have the hidden Manna They have a peculiar Enjoyment of him which is more as David saith Psal 4. then the wicked men have when their Wine and Oyle encreaseth They are called Friends in opposition to Servants by Christ Joh. 15.15 And therefore are admitted into that presence and those heavenly Secrets which wicked men know not which made the Church repeat this so often She was her well beloveds and her well beloved was hers Cant. 6.3 And from this followeth that holy and heavenly Communion with Christ which the Church hath Oh if the world did but know what the Godly have from God Other meat Other Riches Other Comforts then they understand How would they lament their distance from God They have Husks onely when there is the fatted Calf in our Fathers House Insomuch that though the Godly have not the good things of this Life alwaies yet they have the good yea the better things of Heaven and Happinesse as a Viaticum in their Journey thither 3. Because they have a Propriety in Christ therefore they are protected and preserved The Eye of God is said to runne up and down the Earth to stand in the behalf of the upright in heart They are Gods Treasure and so his heart and love must be towards them I am thine save me saith David Psal 119.94 Propriety engageth God all Creatures look to their own yea they venture their lives to save their young ones The cruell and most wilde Creatures are fierce to defend their own Now at the Psalmist argueth He that made the Eye shall not be see He that planted the Ear shall not he hear Thus he that hath put into the nature of all creatures to protect their young ones Will not he do the like This Argument the Church useth when she saith Isaiah 63 9. We are thine and are called by thy Name Insomuch that there is a wonderfull expression in Zech. 2.8 He that toucheth you toucheth the Apple of my Eye How carefully hath nature defended that as being a precious and dear part in a man Yet thus God is pleased to account of those that are his And therefore he is said to be afflicted in all their afflictions Oh then that the Godly would improve this propriety more They fear this danger this Triall this Calamity Art thou not the Lords Will not he look to thee more then thou couldest thy self Thou art more his then thy own It 's indeed no such matter for thee to lose thy health thy Comforts thy Life but for God to lose his goods his Inheritance his Jewels would highly redound to his dishonour Therefore the Lord is said to know how to deliver those that are Righteous 2
Heb. 11. They that say such things declare they look for a better City Oh how apt are we to make the world our home To desire we might abide here alwaies To think of no other Happinesse or Blessednesse but what is in the Creatures but God by the Troubles therein doth convince us that there must be a better Condition then this We have no abiding place in this world we are here to day to morrow we may be gone and therefore we should be Diligent in Watching and Praying and preparing for our Masters Coming Oh what a Bridle would it be to our carnal Affections to remember we are but Sojourners and Strangers here To look upon thy Estate and Inheritance no otherwise then a Traveller doth upon the Goods in an Inne Reasons 3 Thirdly The Lord makes this world full of Enmity and Hatred against us That we might not symbolize with it or contract any of the guilt and pollution of it upon our Souls It is a Mercy that Wicked men are Scorpions and Serpents That they are Wolves and Lyons hereby thou art chased and affrighted from their Company and Society whereas if they were loving and pleasing thou wouldest be often with them and so sit in the Chair of the Scorner and come into the Assemblies of wicked men Is it not a Mercy to be kept from a Pest-house or a Place where Infectious Diseases are Thus God hath put such an Enmity and Contrariety between the Godly and the Wicked There is such a great Gulf and vast distance that Solomon saith The wicked is an abomination to the Righteous and the Righteous to the wicked Prov. 29.27 The Godly man can no more endure the wicked mans waies then the Wicked can abide a Godly mans waies Therefore blesse and praise God for this Enmity and opposition and make good and profitable use of it Reasons 4 Lastly The Lord doth it That Heaven and the Enjoyment of him to all Eternity may be more prized and better esteemed by us We must with Lot even be violently pulled out of this Sodom Oh our sinnefull and our unworthy Hearts that we should so delight to be tossed and hurried up and down in the Ocean and be afraid to come to the Haven That Death should be so unwelcome when it is the Passage to incomprehensible and immortall Glory What have not all thy Pains Afflictions and Grievances yet made thee long and thirst for Heaven Dost thou not think Here I am sighing crying diseased distressed when the Glorious Saints in Heaven are rejoycing Vse of Instruction To the people of God Not to be dejected but rather to be exceeding glad as our Saviour commands when the wicked world opposeth them for their Godlinesse and Uprightnesse For mark our Saviours Expression herein Matth. 5.20 It must be for Christs Sake and Righteousnesse Sake not for any wickednesse or ungodlinesse of thy own Doe not take the just reward of thy sinnes to be the glorious Consequents of holinesse But if it be because thou fearest God thou ownest God and his way thou standest up for his Truth and Godlinesse then leap and dance for Joy that God hath put so much honour upon thee Say with David I will be more vile still The Starres are never the lesse glorious though they have given them ugly Names of the Bear and the like So neither are the godly lesse Glorious though the world labours to besmear them with dirt a Jewell is a Jewell though soiled with dirt SERMON LIII The Exaltation of Christ improved for the joy of of all Beleevers JOH 17.11 And I come to thee THis is the Third distinct Argument in this Verse which Christ useth in his Petition for his Disciples Some indeed take it Exegeticall or Declarative of what he meant by saying He was no more in this world But others take the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ratiocinatively as a Reason why he is no more to be in the world because he is going to the Father This Argument implieth then that Christ by going out of the world doth not cease to be but that he goeth to the Father and there will be a potent Favourite in the Court of heaven for them Christ then speaking here of his Locall Motion we may in this as in all such Motions Consider 1. The term from which that is the world which is not to be understood as if he did depose and lay down his humane Nature or that he was not still present in an efficacious invisible manner but in respect of a bodily presence This place confutes Popish Transubstantiation and the Lutheran Vbiquity of Christs Body 2. There is the term to which to thee 3. The Via per quam the way by which and that is implied by his Death and Sufferings In the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in other places it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and once that is used absolutely The Sonne of man goeth c. Mat. 26.24 That is he dieth here there is contained much comfort to his Disciples that neither Christs Enemies or Death did overcome him but by Death he goeth to his Father and that for the great benefit and advantage of all true Believers Obs That Christ by Death went to his Father Here is much practicall Divinity in this Point We see our Saviour again and again instructed his Disciples about his He knew how much his Sufferings and Death would amaze them and shake their Faith he knew what a false principle they were possessed with viz that he would erect a temporall Glorious Kingdome Therefore that they might not be undone by these thoughts he tels them often both of his death and whither by that he was to go Ioh. 14.3 Our Saviour comforts their troubled hearts with this that he was going to the Father and that not meerly for his own glory and honour but also for their good Even as Ioseph was advanced in Pharaohs Court as well for the good of his Father and his brethren as for his own glory and by the way observe that our Saviour tels them That they knew whither he went and the way yet Thomas in the name of the rest saith Lord we know not whither thou goest Now you may ask Either Christ who is Truth it self spake not right or Thomas The answer is Both spake right for the Disciples knew in the general and confusedly but not distinctly or particularly or they knew it habitually but in time of temptation they did not put this knowledge forth By this we see the Godly may have that grace and that faith in them which yet they think is not there To open this Doctrine let us consider the several particulars that are enclosed in it First That it was appointed by God that the way whereby Christ should from this state of humiliation come to glory with him should be the way of ignominy reproach and death It behoved the Son of man to suffer and so enter into glory Luk.
whom yet they fastened many impious actions upon for certainly nature would have told them That was God quo nibil melius cogitari potest Thus the God whom Christians according to the Scripture doe serve is the onely holy and true God Thirdly He is holy in respect of his will command and approbation His word is an holy Word The Scriptures are holy Scriptures They command They approve They encourage and comfort nothing but holinesse David Psal 19. compareth them to Gold often refined that hath no drosse and Hab. 1. God is of purer eyes then to behold Iniquity viz. by approbation Therefore he is said to be angry with the wicked all the day long Oh then though other men love thee and thou art in love with thy own self yet if not holy God doth not God cannot love thee Fourthly God is holy efficiently He is the Authour and cause of all the holinesse we have Iames 1.17 Every good and perfect gift comes from him We are his Workmanship created to good works He made the Angels holy He created Adam holy yea he infused all holinesse into Christs humane Nature and therefore much rather must he cause all the holinesse that is in us Therefore Christ by praying that God would sanctifie his Disciples doth thereby teach that none can make holy but God alone Let then the proud Patrons of free-will be confounded at this They that cannot make themselves Creatures will they say ' they make themselves holy Creatures Minus est te fecisse hominem quam justum Fifthly He is finally holy That is all our holinesse is to terminate in him Holinesse doth properly respect God as the Object and therefore though a man praieth heareth giveth alms yea his body to be burnt and doth not with a pure and chaste Intention look at Gods glory in all this it is not holinesse Hence it is that many have low thoughts about holinesse and grosly mistake in it taking copper for Gold and Samuels Ghost for Samuel himself Thou art not holy till thou canst truly say in some Degree at least though with much opposition Whom have I in Heaven but God and none on Earth besides him In Heaven Heaven it self would not be heaven to a gracious heart but because God is there Sixthly God is holy exemplarily He is the Rule Pattern and Example of holinesse 1 Pet. 1.15 Be ye holy as I am holy Levit. 20.26 So that if we would know how we are to be holy it must not be as men think or as the world prescribeth but as God is holy Not that we can attain to an equality but to a similitude onely So that the principle of the world must fall to the ground They will doe as others doe or as most doe Oh but rather Consider that God himself hath set down a Form for thee and because there is such fulnesse in him as in an Ocean therefore we have a necessity of growing every day No man is as holy as the patern therefore still he is to be perfecting Holinesse and Righteousnesse in the Fear of God 1 Cor. 7.1 Thus you have heard that God is holy But in the next place know it is our Duty to improve this Attribute for our Good For so our Saviour doth not look upon it as an absolute property in God but as that which may be profitable unto his Disciples So that we are to make use of this by Faith And that first Because when God becomes our God by the Covenant of Grace he is wholly ours and all his Attributes are for our benefit and advantage I will be their God Now God is not our God nulesse his Wisedome be ours his Holinesse be ours that is for our benefit For we cannnot separate God and these Oh then what an unwise and foolish thing is it in a Christian when he hath such a Treasure and yet will make no use of it Such a Mine and yet improveth it not In God there is holinesse for all Angels and men much more for thee Secondly God being thus absolutely good he is communicating of it and it is a Rule The more any thing is good the more diffusive it is of it self As we see in God who though glorious and happy enough in himself yet he created a world and ordained many to Eternall Glory out of his meer good pleasure and Fullnesse not that he needed or wanted any Oh then it is very acceptable and well-pleasing to God that we should come with thirsting Souls unto this Fountain and draw Water out of it That we should suck plentifully at these full Breasts and be refreshed Vse of Instruction to the People of God who are greatly afflicted under this great Temptation They are not an holy People Oh they finde sinne captivating them sinne prevailing over them but where is an holy heart holy affections and holy aims in what they doe Oh they say Could they finde they were more holy though they were poor and afflicted yet they should rejoyce Let such Consider It is their Unbelief and want of earnest Praier if they be not richly supplied and furnished in this for God is infinitely holy and he delights to communicate it The larger the Vessell is the more willing he is and will be to fill it and there cannot be any Prayer more acceptable then to begge for this above all things Vse 2. Is God thus holy Then let the most holy be humble in all their approaches to him for he is of such pure Eyes that he findes spots and blemishes yea damnable matter in thy most holy duties Angels holinesse is not proportionable to him Thirdly Of Reproof to wicked men who deride scoff and maliciously oppose holinesse What is this but to rise up against God himself Is not Holinesse the Glorious Attribute of God And do the Beams of this shining in his People offend thee This argueth thou art of a perverse and of a devilish Spirit for thou shouldest rather reverence and honour it saying Oh that I might live and dye like such holy men Indeed there are many would like Balaam die like a Godly man but not live like him as One said He would live like Croesus but die like Socrates Yet this is impossible There must be an holy Life else there will hardly be an holy Death SERMON LV. The Great Lord-Keeper of Israel from inevitable Ruine both of Body and Soul extolled JOH 17.11 Holy Father keep through thy own Name those thou hast given me c. WE have dispatched the Introductory Compellation and now proceed to the Petition it self and in that Consider 1. The mercy praied for and 2. The Amplification of it The mercy praied for is Keep The amplification is 1. From the Subject described by their Election from Eternity And 2. Actuall donation to Christ in time Those thou hast given me This is often repeated by our Saviour as being a main Argument why nothing should he denied them that were thus
as those Spies did of the Land of Canaan saying It 's impossible for any man ever to come thither and with the Disciples to say Who then can be saved but with God nothing is impossible To open this Doctrine consider that there is a fourfold principle which is operative to the conservation of the believers First There is an inward vital and vivifical principle of grace abiding in the godly which will never fail Not but that of it self it would as in Adam and Angels but as God could confirm and establish the grace of Angels that it never shall perish so doth God that supernatural principle of holiness put into his people 1 John 3.8 He that is born of God he neither doth sinne or can sinne viz. so as to be given up wholly to it and that because the seed of God abideth in him Though there be different thoughts about this seed what it is I do now suppose it to be that inward principle of supernatural life from whence all gracious operations do flow This God hath set in the heart and inward parts of his people never to be rooted out Thus John 4 14. The believer is said to have in him a well of water springing up to eternal life Here is a fountain that cannot be dried up Therefore it 's said He shall never thirst more viz. with a thirst of a total indigence and want Even in the greatest deficiencies and barrenness of Gods people there hath been sap in the root when the branches seemed dead A second principle thus conserving is That daily help of grace quickning and corroborating the soul in all holinesse The former grace is permanent and habitual this transien t actual and by way of motion This latter doth compleat and actuate the former For as it 's not enough to have a naturall life unlesse there be a further concourse of God by which we actually move and stirre So in our supernatural life it 's not enough to have that principle of life infused but we are to receive the daily impressions and powerfull quicknings of his holy Spirit and this is to have both the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 posse and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 operari the will and the deed These are the two internal principles of our conservation for the Lord Christ doth not keep us immediately but by means in a subordinate manner In the next place there is a two-fold principle extrinsecal of our preservation And The first is Our Election that is the fountain of all our perseverance This is the first round in that ladder by which we ascend to Heaven Rom. 8. It 's from Predestination that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Rom. 11. It 's Election hath obtained that elected remnant shall never perish and thus in this prayer of our Saviours all security of the godly it 's because the Father had given them to Christ viz. by Election as the root and source of all their good This is so cogent a truth that many who hold a falling away from true grace do yet maintain That no Elect man can ever perish finally because then God should be frustrated of his purpose and the counsel of man should make void the counsell of God This Election of God is the vivificall cause of all Preservation As by this they were Called and Converted from a state of sinne Election did bring them in so the same Election when they are Converted doth protect and keep them if they fall doth raise and repair them whereby they safely at last arrive at Eternity so that their Perseverance is not a merit or reward of their former holinesse but it 's a free gift of God and an effect of Election as their effectual Vocation was The second externall Principle is The Covenant and Promise of God made in Christ to the Godly So that the Covenant of Grace being confirmed by Christs death In whom the Promises are Yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 being among other glorious ends to perpetuate and continue the work of Grace in them it 's impossible that hell or the world should quite put them out of the way to Heaven Jerem. 32.40 God there promiseth an Everlasting Covenant a Covenant that shall abide for ever And what is the Priviledge vouchsafed in that Deed of Gift It 's the putting his fear in their heart that they shall not depart from him You see by this notable place That it 's not we our selves but God who keepeth us and for this we have his Promise So that the godly may triumph in an holy Confidence because of it Many other Promises that are branches of this Covenant the Scripture declareth which should be sweeter then the honey and the honey-comb For what can be more precious to hear then that God will safely preserve thee in the way to Heaven so that no fraud or force without nor any lust or corruption within shall hinder thee of the Crown of Glory Isai 40.29 30 31. He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might he increaseth strength c. God in the verse before is said Himself not to faint or to be weary Though he created the Earth and doth still preserve it yet he is not weary and because he is thus he will make his people so They in themselves may be fainting and weary but he will renew strength And he illustrateth this from natural strength Though young men in their full strength may be weary yet these shall not And again he compareth their strength to the Eagle that mounteth up with wings to the Heaven and is not weary Thus God will enable the godly soul Though they runne or walk they shall not be weary What a reviving place should this be to the dead dull and languishing believer Why do I lie groveling on the ground Let me flie up to Heaven like an Eagle We have also a remarkable Promise of Divine Protection Isai 4.5 6. where God by two similitudes doth notably declare it First by an allusion to that wonderfull Preservation of the people of Israel It was not enough that God had brought them out of Aegypt they would have perished for all that without his Protection Therefore we may reade the History Exod. 13. how God created a directive Protection for them both by day and night In the day time there was a Cloud and smoak and a shining flaming fire by night Thus God promiseth he will do upon every dwelling-place in Zion and upon her Assemblies by these are figured the several Churches that are assembled to serve God For upon all the Glory shall be a defence By Glory is meant the Ark which is here made a Type of Gods people and they may be called Gods Glory both because they glory in God and God is glorified by them So that the meaning is Look what care and defence God did once show to the Israelites to preserve them from
is a grief thou must be grieved for how many sad thoughts and tears will require more sad thoughts and tears Vse of Instruction on the contrary It 's Christs special will that all who live wickedly should have no comfort Wo to ye that laugh and there is no peace to the wicked Isa 57.21 SERMON LXXVIII The severall Sorts of Joy and the Nature of Spirituall Joy Shewing also how farre it transcends and differs from Worldly Joy JOHN 17.13 That they might have my Joy fulfilled in themselves THese words are the finall cause of Christs solemn prayer for his Disciples Wherein you have The Benefit it self described and the Manner of possessing of it The Benefit it self is My Joy This may be understood Actively and Passively Actively for that joy which Christ might take from his Disciples being preserved in purity of Doctrine and Unity amongst themselves Thus some understand it and parallel a like place Phil. 2 2· where Paul bids them fulfill his joy which was the joy he would take by seeing their happy agreement but because it 's said in the Text That this joy may be fulfilled in the Disciples themselves Therefore it is more consonant to understand it passively of that joy which the Disciples took in him and the benefits flowing from him So that it may be called Christs joy both effectively because he is the Authour and giver of it as also objectively because it is in him in divine and holy things not in the world much lesse in the pleasures of sin Now the Manner of possessing is that it may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filled up that they might have a good measure of joy overflowing he would have every part of the soul filled with it and every kinde of joy yea degree of it some superficiall joy for the degree of it or some transient joy for the continuance of it doth not answer our Saviours prayer it must be filled up Lastly Here is the Subject recipient of it in themselves This say some is spoken oppositely to worldly joy to such as men take in the pleasures of the world these are but in the face in the countenance they are not cordial and hearty Observ 1. That there is a joy in Christ which his people are to have fulfilled in them As they are to be filled with grace so with consolations and one floweth from the other though not naturally It 's of great concernment to treat of this joy because the people of God look upon it as a thing above their reach They are convinced of repentance of humiliation but not of walking joyfully There is a three-fold Joy 1. A Naturall Joy which is an implanted affection in a man and of it self simply considered is not a sin 2. There is a Sinnefull Joy which runneth into two streams either when the Object is wholly unlawfull when it 's a forbidden Tree and we may not eat of it And thus to rejoyce in our evil doings to take delight in the wayes of wickednesse this is a wicked joy that will end in tormenting sorrow and it argueth a wretched distemper of the soul otherwise it would finde sinne to be terrible and bitter but through the corrupted constitution of the heart it comes about that they delight in sinne as distempered stomacks do in coales ashes or such drosse Again there is a sinnefull joy when the Object matter is lawfull but then we exceed in the measure in the bounds or limits we over-joy The water runnes over the bank and then it gets soyl and it 's as hard to rejoyce in these things and to sinne not as it is to be angry and sinne not 3. There is a gracious and an heavenly Joy when the soul delights it self in God and Christ in all heavenly Objects For though to wicked men these things are a burden yet to an heavenly heart they are the most connaturall Object They are the proper center of the soul as David often professeth his joy in the Lord It 's of this we are to speak of only we must inform you something of joy in the generall The Philosophers speak of a three-fold affection sutable to one another There is Love which is carried out to an Object that is good simply considered There is Desire which moveth to some good thing but absent and not yet obtained And then there is Joy which ariseth from the obtaining and possessing of it And answerable to these there are Divine Graces and supernatural works of Gods Spirit in the soul There is the Love of God which next to Faith is of the greatest glory and activity in the soul 2. There are Desires and earnest longings after God to which hunger and thirst a promise is made of being fully satisfied 3. There is Joy which ariseth from the enjoyment of God onely you must know there is Gaudium viae a joy we have while in the way to Heaven which admits of much increase and meeteth with much opposition and there is Gaudium Patriae a joy in Heaven where the soul will then be so filled that it cannot receive any more To know the nature of this Joy Consider First That the efficient cause of it is onely God The Spirit of God is called the Comforter as you heard because he alone poureth it into the heart as the Heavens onely give rain and it 's called Gal 5.22 The fruit of the Spirit which doth imply that it comes solely by Gods Spirit and that there is excellent sweetnesse in it Lusts are called the workes of the flesh but this with other Graces The fruit of the Spirit Hence it is that as in respect of Regeneration the Spirit bloweth where it listeth So also in respect of Consolation How many of Gods children walk with much consolation and abound in much joy And others again go bowed down and greatly tempted not obtaining comfort though they would give a world for it So that as the Husbandman cannot have rain when he would nor the Merchant winde when he would neither can the godly have comfort when they would as appeareth by David praying so earnestly for the Joy he had lost It 's the fruit of the Spirit Therefore joy doth not flow from Graces exercised as by a natural resultancy as heat doth from the fire and light from the Sunne but by Gods voluntary dispensation of it The Schoolmen use to say That a man doth not merit that is their proud phrase by rejoycing in God or good things but by his Love which was antecedent and from which joy they say floweth by a naturall necessity But the Scripture makes these two Love and Joy two distinct works of Gods Spirit and that they are separable experience confirmeth it for many men that are high in Grace are low in Comfort As the tall Mountains have few flowers on them or Mines of Gold little grasse covering them Secondly To this Christian Joy is required a knowledge of God and faith in him as revealed
in the Word As there cannot be any love or delight in what we know not so neither any joy The bruit beasts have no joy properly because they have no knowledge They have a naturall delight but that is not truely joy Infants may have grace yet have no actuall joy Therefore when John Baptist a babe in the womb did leap for joy it was extraordinary and this is the reason why ignorant and carnal men are wholly destitute of all heavenly joy They have no knowledge no spiritual illumination so that as the blinde man cannot delight in pleasant colours nor the deaf man rejoyce in curious musick neither can the naturall man rejoyce in heavenly and holy Objects for he knoweth no better he is not acquainted with any other Comfort or Consolation but what is in the bowels of the creature Thirdly There is required a sanctified and heavenly frame of heart For such as a man is such is his joy The voluptuous man rejoyceth in his pleasures the intellectuall man doth so rejoyce in his studies and finding out of truth that some have forgot their time of food yea have not attended to their lives so great hath their joy been in such contemplations Thus the people of God being made new creatures and made partakers of a Divine Nature they now become to love and delight in those Objects which once they hated and abhorred They finde all the Consolations from the creatures contemptible in respect of God concerning whom they say with David The Lord is my portion and whom have I in Heaven but thee and in earth in comparison of thee The old Rule is Simile gaudet simili The heavenly heart delights in heavenly Objects Heaven it self and all the Glory of it do not or cannot affect a wicked man no more then fine flowers or pearles do a Swine So that this duty of rejoycing in God is altogether impossible to an ignorant carnall man they can no more in their souls thus be raised up to God then in their bodies they can flie in the air As our vile earthly bodies must be made spirituall and immortall ere they can be filled full of agility and be enabled to meet the Lord in the air So these souls of ours must be renewed and sanctified ere they can take any delight in that which is good Fourthly This Christian Joy requireth some kinde of possession at least in some degree of Christ or those good things we long for Propriety and possession is requisite to joy To know of never so many excellencies if a man have them not it doth but increase his misery The famished Lepers knew there was food enough abroad but till they were replenished they could not rejoyce in it What joy hath a poor man to hear of many others that are rich the sick man of many others in health If they have not such things in peculiar possession it advanceth them not at all Hence full and compleated joy is onely in Heaven because there is full and compleat fruition of God Then we are come to our journeyes end we cannot goe further or desire more then we have But in this life our joy may be daily filling our hearts There be many vacuities to be filled up There be many desires still to be satisfied so that we are to grow in our joy as well as in knowledge and in grace But yet because even in this life God is the God of his people and they are said to have him and to enjoy him and so Christ is said to dwell in their hearts yea the Father and the Sonne are said to be in them to sup with them to take up their mansions with them to dwell amongst them Hence it is that even in this life they may have unspeakable joy Therefore when the soul hath left the presence of God or is under many sad and black temptations thereby as we see sometimes in David and in the Church Oh the anxieties and perplexities that it is filled with Therefore in the Devils there is no capacity of any joy For although they have a self-love and though their wicked desires be many times successefull in tempting of men and destroying of their souls yet they cannot rejoyce because the state of misery they are in cuts off all hopes from them If therefore the godly would live joyfully let them take heed of interrupting their communion with God see you do nothing to eclypse this Sun If God hide his face all your comfort will presently wither In the next place Consider the transcendency and excellency of Christs Joy above all worldly joy It cannot be denied but that many wicked men spend their lives in jollity they seem to be the onely merry men and godlinesse is decryed for Melancholy for moping and for that which will undo a man But true joy in the Lord surpasseth all humane and worldly joy First The soul can more intimately and fully receive it's object then the body can Bodily and worldly pleasures are received in by the senses which are but narrow doors and gates of the soul but the soul of a man what it receiveth it doth let in with greater abundance Hence if the Object be finite and a meer creature it cannot fill the heart the heart is too bigg for it onely God is more then the heart can comprehend Therefore all the pleasures and all the joy that any man can take though he set himself to it as Solomon did yet are but like the joy of tickling or scratching comparatively to those immense joyes and consolations which God vouchsafeth Hence our Saviour saith Your hearts shall rejoyce John 16.22 This heavenly joy is like Elisha's oyl that multiplieth exceedingly and stayeth not till thy cruises fail to receive it Secondly This heavenly Joy surpasseth worldly in the pure and unmixed Nature of it It 's joy without sorrow It 's honey without any gall called The fruits of Gods Spirit because of the sweetnesse of it as the Apostle saith Perfect love casts out fear tormenting fear Thus joy from Christ and in him expels dejections troubles of heart No sooner doth this Sunne arise but all black and noisome vapours are dispelled Here is a joy that is like the Elementary fire they speak of pure and unmixed here are no mixtures to debase it or allay it But as for those worldly delights it 's as a mad man that teareth his own flesh and yet laugheth while he doth so So thou eatest and drinkest and makest merry while thou damnest thy own soul Thirdly It surpasseth in dignity for this Joy is in God himself it is in the highest good that can be There cannot be a greater cause or motive to rejoyce in but as for the creatures they are broken cysterns they are limited in their comforts they have their vexations as well as their delights but above all they are below man He debaseth himself when he taketh delight in these sublunary things they were made for him not
he for them It is as ridiculous as if a man should delight in childrens baby-clouts Oh do thou remember of whom thou art born and thou wilt take the best things to rejoyce in Fourthly Heavenly Joy surpasseth in the certainty of it The joy which God createth in the soul cannot be taken away by any but God himself Though sicknesse come though poverty come though afflictions arise yet all these cannot take away his joy yea in death it self many times he doth most abound and overflow whereas all worldly joy under such calamities are turned into wounds into howlings and tremblings so that they know not what to do Fifthly It surpasseth in the Vniversality and Extent of it Joy in God is all Joy because God is an Universall Good There is no want but he can fill it no misery but he is a peculiar remedy to it whereas the Creatures have their peculiar Joyes Health is one Joy Wealth another Joy but no one Creature hath all Comforts in it Sixthly It transcends in the Fulnesse and Degrees of Joy Solomon speaks of worldly Comfort That even in laughter the heart is sad Even Seneca could say Think you of those many that laugh any one hath true Joy Res severa est Gaudium Digge to the bottome of the heart of these merry blades and you will finde terrours and fears there Vse of Instruction Which is the way to get true Joy A life in Christ a life of holinesse Omnis vita est propter delectationem Judge not jolly bodily delights worthy the name of Joy These will turn to bitter howlings and gnashings of teeth Oh what a bitter alteration will death make upon you Now laughing then roaring now excessive in drinking then crying for a drop of water to quench those eternal torments SERMON LXXIX The Excellent Effects of Christian Joy JOH 17.13 That my Joy might be fulfilled in themselves IN the next place Let us Consider the Effects of this Christian joy and they are admirable First It doth dilate and enlarge the heart so that the Soul rejoycing is far more capacious then otherwise it would be Some have died they say for joy because of the too much dilating and dispersing the spirits The Saints glorified in heaven enjoy more then ever they could here of God because their hearts are more widened and prepared Our Souls are narrow and streightned within us till joy doth extend them A man of a joyful spirit is like a Vessell of a broad mouth that receiveth far more of God and Christ then a dejected unbeleeving person so that when we are commanded to set open the doors that the Prince of Glory may enter into us It 's joy that will thus prepare us It 's the complaint of many of Gods Children of their narrownesse and straitnesse of heart that they have no room for Christ Fears they fill the heart Worldly cares they also fill so that as men in a Consumption complain of a stopping and streightnesse in their breast they have much ado to fetch their winde Thus do the Children of God oh they have such stoppings upon their hearts that they have much ado to pray or to do any heavenly duty Now joy is an excellent opener That removeth these sinful obstructions so that this should make thee endeavour after a joyful life it will make thee dilate in all dimensions of grace Thou wilt be a Christian of a higher pitch or like Daniels Tree whose branches spread themselves abroad exceedingly 2. This Joy makes a man active and serviceable to God Neh. 8.10 The joy of the Lord is your strength Weak hands and feeble knees which are the Instruments of action and motion are attributed to fear as the cause of them Thus on the contrary Joy makes strong hands and firm knees The Incestuous person when almost swallowed with sorrow could no more vigorously serve God then a piece of wood whose moisture is not yet dried up would be useful for building Hence any service done to God that is accompanied with dejections and sorrow hath a kinde of uncleanesse in it as we have a notable expression Hos 9.4 Their Sacrifices shall be unto them as the Bread of mourners all that eat thereof shall be polluted Lev. 11.1 Persons that mourned for others that were dead were accounted unclean and thus doth all sinful sorrow and dejection it makes thy duty unclean it polluteth thee for God loveth not only a chearfull giver but chearfulnesse in all duties and therefore we reade of Gods severe threatning for the neglect of this Deut. 28.47 One great cause of all those heavy Curses there mentioned is because they did not serve the Lord with joy and gladnesse of heart Adde to this Deut. 12.7 12. as also Deut. 26.14 where the person offering Sacrifices was to make this Protestation that he had not eat thereof in his mourning If you say God is of such infinite purity and holinesse that I being full of infirmities have cause to tremble before him We grant it yet remember the Psalmists Advice Rejoyce with trembling Psal 2. That is the fat of the Sacrifice Oh then thou that complainest of thy dulnesse listlesnesse and lukewarmnesse in Gods Service whose duties look like Pharaohs lean Kine and though they swallow down many fat opportunities as these did the fat Kine yet remain withered and ill-favoured still Consider whether unbelief and sinful dejections are not like Ivy to the Tree or like rottennesse in the bones so Solomon cals Sorrow The bones which are the chief strength of a man if they have rottennesse in them how weak must that man be Consider then whether thy want of heavenly joy be not the cause of the evil upon thee whether that do not make thee a barren Wildernesse and a parched heath whether thou hadst not fulfilled all Relations and opportunities more fruitfully if this Joy had been fulfilled in thee 3. Christs Joy fulfilled in the heart doth consume and expell all carnall and worldly and sinful joys He that rejoyceth in the Lord cannot rejoyce in sin because the Objects are clean contrary no more then a man at the same time can with one eye look upward and with another downward A body may as well be in two places at the same time as the soul be intensly affected with two contrary Objects so that if thou complainest of the pronenesse of thy heart to rejoyce in earthly and worldly things Know there is no such medicine to cure this as heavenly joy as they say fire will drive out fire so joy will expell joy Joy in the Lord Joy in the world What made David professe so much joy in God but the heavenlinesse of his heart and this greater joy put out the lesse As the Sun-beams will the fire Seeing therefore a man cannot live but he must have joy in something Do thou pray and endeavour that the joy of the Lord may take up thy heart for when this Sun is in thy soul the Starres cannot
be seen David saith At Gods right hand is fulnesse of joy Psa 16.11 If then the Soul have already fulnesse it doth not desire any other Object If a man have the Ocean he wants not the stream If a man have the Sun he needeth not the Candle Thus he that hath fulnesse of joy in God wanteth not the joy of other creatures Insomuch that he who hath this heavenly joy may be said to be in Heaven while he is here on earth No life comes so near to that of the glorified Saints in heaven as an holy life accompanied with this joy If there can be an heaven upon this Earth this is it This is the Mount of Transfiguration that changeth a mans heart and his countenance that makes him say It 's good to be here Oh what enemies are we to our selves Thou makest thy house thy chamber a prison yea an hell by thy distrustfull fears when every place would be an heaven 4. This Joy of Christ will exceedingly wean a mans heart from the world it will make him undervalue all these earthly things which the world so much admireth Psa 4.7 Thou hast put more gladnesse in my heart then in the time their Corn and Wine encreaseth If then the soul have more joy and gladnesse in Gods presence and in his favour then in all earthly contentments whatsoever no wonder if the heart he loose from the one and fixed upon the other As he that hath eaten honey findes an unsavoury taste in other things compartively or as he that hath stddfastly beheld the Sun is so dazeled with the lustre thereof that he cannot see other inferiour Objects Thus the heart that is once ravished with the sweetnesse and glory that is in God and Christ knoweth not how to stoop to these inferiour fading joys No man then sets so loose in heart from earthly Comforts as he that hath this heavenly joy Every thing tempts him to his losse Shall he lose his fatness and sweetnesse by embracing the Creatures 5. This Joy of Christ will facilitate all holy and religious actions They will make us think the time short and grudge the work of God is so soon over Your worldly joy is called pastime and thus is heavenly upon a better account When a man rejoyceth in the Sabbaths and cals them a delight then they do not as those worldly wretches in the Prophet Amos c. 8.5 say when will the time be over that we may be buying and selling There is nothing makes the duties of holinesse so burthensome to thee as want of joy if they were matter of delight thou wouldst with joy wish that the Sun would stand still be grieved to give over Isa 61.3 It 's called the Oyle of Joy as the Oyl makes the Wheel go speedily or the yoke easie so doth a joyfull heart The voluptuous man The worldly man thinks not the day or week long enough to enjoy his delights much lesse doth the godly man the time of enjoying of God Hence Eternity doth not glut the Saints in heaven and make them weary of God 6. This Christian Joy will bear up the heart above all afflictions and tribulations Thus Jam. 1. They are to account it all joy when they fall into tribulation and 1 Pet. 1.8 he speaketh of those who for the present were in heaviness through manifold temptations yet at that time did greatly rejoyce and that with joy unspeakable and full of glory They could glory over all their tribulations This joy you heard is compared to Oyl and that will alwaies keep us above the waters Oh how happy is it when thy Temptations do not devour thy joy but thy joy takes away the sting of thy Temptations This made the Martyrs and Confessors finde thorns grapes and thistles figs Oh we think that it 's impossible ever for such weak and infirm wretches as we are to go through such Tryals as the Godly have done but if we had their joy it would be no more to us then it was to them 7. Joy as it is participated in this life encreaseth more hungring and desire after the object we desire to have more of it still Take any Object of delight which we do not perfectly enjoy and oh how it quickens and stirs up the appetite to have more still for although perfect joy doth fully satiate the desire and extinguish all thirst because as Aquinas saith well Gaudium se habet ad desiderium sicut quies ad motum and so when the stone is come to the center it moveth no further yet because in this life we have not a perfect fruition of God only have some bunches of the Grapes of Canaan not Canaan it self Therefore the sweetnesse we have in God or Christ doth more stir up the desire after God as you see in David those inchoate enjoyments of God did make him restlesse and impatient for further Communion with him Hence David exhorteth to taste how good God is if once we had but an experimental sweetnesse of the Excellency of his love we should still be breathing after him as David Psal 119. My soul breaketh for the longing it hath to him at all times But especially the heavenly joy produceth this admirable effect so contrary to flesh and bloud that it makes a man look for the coming of Christ and hastening it in his praiers and desires as that which will compleat his joy Here sorrow and joy will be mixed together but there is pure and unmixed joy and that to all Eternity Oh what a wilderness what a place of banishment is this world to such a tempered heart This is the valley of Tears and that is the mountain of joys Now to all this may be Objected That it cannot be a Christians duty to be alwaies rejoycing for many times they lie under sad Temptations especially there are times and seasons when God cals to mourning Is any man afflicted let him pray Is any merry let him sing Psalms And Solomon of old said There is a time to weep and a time to laugh David also saith Psa 126.5 Such as sow in tears shall reap in joy which implieth a time of tears only To this Consider these things 1. It may not be denied but that there are some times wherein God doth in a peculiar manner call to the duty of mourning fasting and humiliation Insomuch that the Prophet Isay complaineth that when God called to mourning they went to their mirth and jollities Isa 21.12 And thus when God shall plainly afflict thee for any sins thou hast committed as David with the losse of his Childe for his Uncleanesse In such cases it is our duty to be humbled and to mourn under his hand But these humiliations and fastings lie in the abstinence of that natural and lawful joy we might take in the Creatures not in spiritual Joy In daies of humiliation it 's a duty to rejoyce in the Lord and such joy will like fire melt and thaw the heart This joy that
till at last they put him to death in the most scornfull and reproachfull manner Consid I To open this consider That God out of his great love to mens souls hath appointed a Ministry and Officers in his Church that should be as Embassadours to intreat Reconciliation with God But because there could not be any commerce or communion between God absolutely considered and man fallen therefore the Lord Christ interposed and made peace but that what he had merited and purchased might effectually be applied to such as shall be saved among other instruments he set up Officers in his Church whose whole study and care should be to informe and reforme men So that people do enjoy the Ministers of God upon a two-fold special account First Gods great and special love to them That God hath taken care to send such is more then the creating of a world for you or vouchsafing all the temporal mercies you enjoy Hence it 's so often spoken of 2 Chron. ult and in other places that God sent his Prophets rising up early This is spoken as the great love of God to them And then Consid II The second Foundation of the Ministry is Christs Death and Resurrection his Ascending into Heaven as Ephes 4.11 He gave some Apostles some Pastours and Teachers Oh then how ingratefull and wicked is the world which doth no more regard this love of God and purchase of Christ in the Ministry Hence by the Prophet God promiseth That he would give them Pastours after his own heart Jer. 3.4 Though he feed them with the bread of adversity and drave them into corners Isai 30.20 Hence when God threatens a people with his uttermost wrath it is to remove the Candlestick and to make the Vision cease and to make no Clouds to rain upon them How much would people complain under a drought and want of Rain if for many years together there should not be so much as a Cloud seen But the gracious heart would think the removing of Christs Ministers not onely the taking away of Clouds but of the Sun and Stars in Heaven Secondly God and Christ who are thus the cause of their Office hath appointed them their worke and endowed them with abilities thereunto Their imployment is to publish the Word of God which is two-fold 1. The Word of the Law to convince men of sinne to inform of duty to make them sensible of their undone and damnable estate they are in Thus they are first to be wise Phisicians to detect and discover the disease the danger and cause of it Then secondly There is the Word of the Gospel which are the glad tidings of Gods favour and Reconciliation with those that are humble and contrite before him This is to publish the acceptable year of Jubilee to such as were spiritually indebted and under the thraldome of Gods wrath This is a work in it self absolutely necessary for what doth a sinner more want then these two things the Law in it's use and the Gospel in it's use Men in their temporal necessities respect the Physicians the Lawyers but soul necessities are not apprehended And as the necessity of it is so cogent so the dignity and excellency is admirable As the Soul and Heaven do farre exceed all earthly things so doth this subject all other Consid III Therefore in the third place God and Christ do justly expect that the world should with all gladnesse and obedience receive these his Messengers For shall God purpose so great love and Christ at so dear a rate purchase such Officers and must not the world set open the doors to receive them Shall not they cry Blessed are the feet of such as bring the glad tidings of the Gospel Are they not to be affected as the Galatians once to Paul To pull out their very eyes to serve him Certainly if David did so celebrate Gods goodnesse in creating Heaven and Earth and appointing the fowls of the air and the beasts of the field for mans use much more ought we in this great matter of the Church Consid IV Yet in the fourth place Though so much love be in this Institution and God expects so much thankefulnesse and obedience because of it it may make us tremble to see how little entertainment their Office and work hath in the world We speak not in regard of their outward honour and esteem For as Paul saith so ought we pray men might do no evil though we be accounted as reprebates 2 Cor. ult but we complain of the unsuccessefulnesse of it in respect of the divine operations of it We take up our Saviours complaint That light is come into the world and men love darknesse rather then light John 3. Oh this is that which the Scripture doth so bitterly complain of Who hath believed our report and I told them the wonderfull or great and honourable things of my Law and they accounted them a strange thing Psal 119. This sad usage in the world made Paul cry out That they were the off-scouring of the world worse then the dust of the feet and were made a spectacle to the world and Angels 1 Cor. 4.9 Consid V Fifthly The Devil knowing the excellent end and use of this Office and worke doth by himself and all his instruments oppose it He rageth and the world rageth when this work is set up So that as when Christ sent his Disciples to preach he saw Satan fall like lightning Thus if it were in his power he would have Christ and his Officers be thrown down As they are to destroy his works and dispossess him so he labours to do to them It being thus thou that in the Ministry we may see Gods great love and mans great wickednesse Let us consider the cause why it should thus stirre up the wrath of men that they should be moved like so many hornets And First This work of the Ministry is contrary to the Nature and inclination of the world That as the Sunne is burdensome to the Owl and other night-birds and sweet smels to swinish creatures Thus is the glorious Gospel and the precious favour thereof abominable to corrupt men They can no more love godly and holy preaching then fire and water can agree therefore the more thy heart and tongue is set against it the more thou discoverest that hell which is in the bottome of thy heart Now the true preaching of the Word of God is contrary unto the world in these respects 1. The very nature and frame of their hearts admits not of Christs word till regenerated The old house must be pulled down even with the very foundation of it Thus Jam. 1. God is said to beget by his Word and our Saviour here Sanctifie them by thy truth Now this is directly contrary to mans nature to account all that he is and all that he doth damnable to judge every thing he hath done fit fuell for hell so as to have no comfort in any thing he hath
done It was a mystery to Nicodemus a master of Israel but it 's not only a mystery to natural men it 's that which they hated they cannot abide For Solomon saith Every mans way is clean in his own eyes Prov. 16.2 To come then to people and tell them you are all out of the way to Heaven There is nothing good in you unlesse you be new creatures even all new you cannot be saved new hearts new affections new thoughts Will not this be a two-edged sword in their hearts Shall they leave their former course Shall not they speed as well as others This is a Doctrine not to be born this is durus Sermo when indeed they are duri auditores and so let not the Word have that penetrating power it would 2. As it 's opposite to their natures so to their lives and conversations Ephes 2. Paul there describes what kinde of men the Ephesians were and that it might not be thought their peculiar wickednesse he saith They walked after the course of this world and therefore Rom. 12. The command is not to be conformed to the fashion of this world Can flesh and blood then endure that the Ministers of God should damn to hell The lives the manners the daily customs and practises that generally men live in When Moses did but in a fair way reprove two Israelites that were quarrelling how frowardly did they answer Who made thee a Judge over us Exod. 2.14 And so the Sodomites to Lot they judged it all Lordliness and domineering and is not the same stubbornnesse still reigning every where All reproofs all denunciations out of Gods Word are judged to be the pride the lordlinesse or the malice of the Minister Wonder not then if the faithfull preaching of Gods word meeteth with such violent opposition for they perswade a life a way directly contrary to what the world delights in 3. It 's opposite to that way of worship which men take up by natural reasonings The Prophets did not only reprove for morall impieties but Idolatry and superstitious Worship Who hath required these things at your hands And our Saviour his Doctrine was salt to the Pharisees it corroded and fretted their sore hearts he layeth the axe of his Ministry to the root of all their superstition and proveth that to be abominable which they did so highly advance before men Insomuch that Christs first coming into the world because of his severe Doctrine and reprehensions is Mal. 3. described to be as terrible as the day of Judgement Who shall abide the day of his coming And why Because he shall sit as a refiner to purge the house of Levi. Austin did much complain what a difficult matter it was to take off people from their superstitions and vain customs Veh tibi torrens moris humani quis resistet Certainly such will say no lesse to powerfull and faithfull Ministers then the devils to Christ Why art thou come to torment us before our time Again fourthly The preaching of the Word must be opposed because the powerfull obedience thereunto brings all calamity and persecution They shall be hated as well as the word is hated Now to be troubled reproached and despised is contrary to mens temper who loveth applause and glory Hence some though they are said to believe John 2. yet would not confesse Christ because they loved the praise of men more then of God And our Saviour saith How can ye beleeve who seek glory one of another Pride and love to be esteemed of in the world doth disdain all good preaching 5. The Word preached meeteth with opposition because the instruments are men subject to infirmities especially if faithfull So that though they do not hate them for their infirmities yea the more prophane and dissolute the Minister is they like it the better yet because the Apostle saith We have this treasure in earthen vessels they are men and not Angels therefore they quarrel and oppose Paul himself though an Apostle and giving mighty demonstrations of Gods Spirit in him yet he was despised and slandered though not so guilty of humane infirmities and that because he was faithfull Am I become an enemy because I tell you the truth Gal. 3. Oh this is it because we preach the truth because we meet with mens corruptions and cannot bear sin This is that which raiseth up malice Lastly The world hath not received the Spirit of God and therefore all the glorious and wise things of Christ are but foolishnesse and uselesse to them They have not that spiritual annointing they are not taught of God Hence it is that they rage and revile those things they know not or understand Therefore till God give them eye-salve and seeing eyes no other thing can be expected Vse of Instruction Wonder not if in all ages this be true the Word is purely preached and obeyed by some therefore the world hateth and rageth For what will a Tyger and a Wolf lay aside their natures Will the Devil cease to be a Devil But wo be to those that make Christ the foundation-stone to be a stone of stumbling and offence Woe to thee that findest light made darkness and life death to thee SERMON LXXXI Of Suffering for Christs Cause And how it engageth God to take care of such as so suffer Also the Duty of Ministers about Preaching Gods Truth JOH 17.14 I have given them thy Word and the world hath hated them c. A Second Observation may be That when the People of God suffer not for any Faults of their own but because they own God and professe his Truth This is a great obliging of God to take care of them For our Saviours Petition is founded upon this equitable and just Consideration The world hateth them But why Not for any wickednesse or injuries they have done but meerly because they have beleeved in thy Word If so be they had opposed and rejected the Word of God and had ordered their lives according to the course of this world They would have been the worlds darlings all men would have spoken well of them but now it was for Gods sake and his Gospels sake that they were thus maligned so that if we be hated in the world upon Christs account and because of Gods Interest we are sure to have his special care and protection To open this doctrine Consider these things First That it 's possible for those who acknowledge Christ to be hated and persecuted in the world not for their Christianity but for their other grosse impieties and if so then they cannot take that joy or expect that protection which God doth promise to his Therefore the Apostle Peter speaks excellently to this 1 Pet. 4.14 15 16. where having shewed how happy yea and how gâ—orious a thing it is to be reproached for Christs Name because the Spirit of Glory resteth upon them The world scorneth and despiseth them in their low estate but the Spirit of Glory resteth
the Earth earthly And then 3. If it be taken for the wickednesse of it Then Christ was never so of the world Therefore here is a difference between Christ and his Disciples for though they were not now of the world yet once they were plunged in sinne and corrupted through pollutions as others were but Christ never was of the world in this sence Therefore in the last place the particle of similitude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not of equality as if the Disciples were in every respect not of the world as Christ was but in some resemblance only The words thus explained two Doctrines arise Doct. 1 First The not being of the world is that which makes wicked men hate the Godly If there were sutablensse of Naturee and Manners then like would agree with like Hence 1 Joh 3.12 when the Apostle instanced in Cains murther of his Brother because his own works were evil he saith v. â—3 Marvell not if the world hate you Never wonder at that but rather if it should not hate you Our Saviour speaks notably of this to his Brethren Joh. 7.5 7. For they did not beleeve in him though so greatly acquainted with him and saw his Miracles The world cannot hate you but me it hateth because I testifie of it that the works thereof are evil It cannot hate you No wicked man can hate another viz. in respect of fundamental principles as a Godly man is hated It 's true wicked men may be at deadly fewd one with another but it is not from contrary principles of nature but from matter of profit and injuries or wrongs done As the Dogge doth not hate another yet for bones and other matters they will be ready to kill one another Though therefore Herod and Pilate cannot endure one another yet that opposition was upon carnal Interests it was not like that hatred which was to Christ Therefore when such Earthly Interests are removed they can heartily embrace one another but the wicked man can never love the Godly till his Nature he changed till he become godly also as the wolf can never love a sheep unlesse he be made a sheep To open this Let us Consider What it is not to be of the world And first It consists in Doctrine to be beleeved Such are not of the world who receive those hevenly Truths that the world cannot reach unto yea that it scorneth and derideth When Peter made that Solemn Confession That Christ was the Son of the Living God It was told him Flesh and bloud had not revealed this to him Mat. 16.16 There is a worldly Religion worldly Doctrines such as are sutable to the principles and Interests of the world and these are readily embraced The world loveth such Preachers and such Doctrines 1 Joh. 4. 4. The Apostle John speaking of the Antichristian Spirit that was coming into the world saith of such Teachers They are of the world therefore the world heareth them but we are of God and he that is not of God heareth us not Therefore there is a remarkable opposition 1 Cor. 2 12. between the Spirit of the world and the Spirit of God For by this only we come to know the things that God hath given us Then therefore are we not of the world when God shall so enlighten our mindes by Faith That we do assuredly beleeve those Truths God hath revealed in his Word that neither our corrupt Reasons nor our Education to the contrary nor the Opinions of the most men and great men in the world shall make us go contrary and certainly the Lives of men are so worldly because their Understanding is so We receive our Religion not as it 's revealed of God but as we can any waies turn it to our corrupt ends 2. Not to be of the world is to be Regenerated and born again To have another Nature then what we come with into the world another not substantially but qualitatively whereby we are said 1 Pet. 1.4 to be partakers of the divine Nature So that though at first made of the dust yet now we fly up to Heaven as the vapours though arising out of the Earth yet ascend up to Heaven and follow the motions thereof Joh. 3. and 2 Cor. 5.17 A man must be born again or from above and he is made a new Creature Old things are past away This is to be above the world not of the world and indeed seeing the Soul is not naturally of the world being created by God why shouldst thou voluntarily debase it and make it a Servant to every worldly Object to love the world To delight in the world To be ensnared by the world Oh pray for this Divine Nature beg for Regeneration for till this be done thou art all over earthly a worm is as good as thou art Thy Love thy heart thy thoughts thy all is nothing but earth 3. Not to be of the world is to have an Heavenly Conversation To live as one whose heart is with Christ already in Heaven It 's not enough to be once regenerated but the progresse of our Lives is to be spent on Heavenly motives and Considerations As the Fowls of the Heaven though they light upon the Ground to eat their meat yet immediatly fly up again Thus it is with the godly though they take the lawful comforts of this world yet their hearts are presently off ascending to God Thus the Apostle Our Conversation is in Heaven Phil. 3 20. And because we are risen with Christ we set our affections upon things above Col. 3.1 2. See our Lord Christ he was not of the world Did he not manifest it by his conversation when he made it his meat and drink to doe his Fathers Will when he was alwaies either praying to God or preaching to the people Oh then do thou endeavour after this life Though thou art in thy Family in thy Trade in thy Calling yet be not of the world because the choicest part of thy self is from God Thou canst say what are all these to the favour of God They are good to use but not to enjoy They are good sawce but not good meat a good Inne but not a good home 4. Not to be of the world is to partake of other joys other comforts then the world knoweth of and so to be exercised with other Temptations then the world understands with other joys Therefore it 's said It hath not entred into the heart of man to conceive of this 1 Cor. 2.9 It 's called Joy unspeakable in the holy Ghost 1 Pet. 1.8 David acknowledged God had put more joy in his heart then worldly men could have in all their abundance Psa 4. Alas what is thy carnal mirth and delight to that admirable and unspeakable joy which the godly finde in God This is a joy that will hold in tribulations and death it self when in such a Drought the wicked mans stream is quite dried up his temptations also are such as the world
accounts madnesse To be in spiritual desertions to have no sence of Gods favour to fear himself a damned Castaway to have no rest in his bones day or night To be assaulted with the devils buffetings to be filled with hideous thoughts These things the world also knoweth not and therefore they count them melancholy and mad Such as by their too much poring about Sermons and good Books put themselves out of their wits Lastly They are not of the world in respect of their Conversation Rom. 12. they are not conformed to the fashion of the world The one goeth Westward the other Eastward as it were Their words and language are different their actions are contrary What the Righteous man loveth the wicked abominateth and what the wicked loveth the godly man abhorreth Thus as they say of the heavens the primum mobile hath one motion of its own and the inferiour Orbes a contrary motion to that Thus the godly man he moveth one way toward heaven he presseth hard thither The wicked man he maketh as much haste to hell So as there were two strugling in the Mothers womb which encreased her pain Thus there are two striving upon the face of the world an Isaac and an Ismael a Jacob and an Esau the Seed of the Woman and the Seed of the Serpent This enmity will not be extinct in this life Vse of Exhortation to the godly Remember what ye are Not of the world Therefore take heed of worldly affections worldly hearts For where your treasure is there will your heart be also If it be in God in Heaven there the heart will be If in Earth and in earthly things there it will be You tremble at the commission of grosse and grievous sins you think hell it self would immediatly devour you upon such sins Be afraid of the world Let it not be a Dalilah to thee a Judas to thee by kissing thee to destroy thee Consider therefore God hath put gall into all worldly comforts therefore every creature every condition in the world hath a sting in it that thy soul should be more on God Thou canst never live quietly till above the werld In heaven only there are no storms no waves no disquietings and this life thou maist attain unto He that is not of the world The troubles of the world hurt not him the losses of the world grieve not him The vexations of the world disquiet not him But because we are still of the world in part we are not compleatly and perfectly out of disquietnesse Therefore in this life we remain in a combating conflicting way that heaven may be the sweeter Doct. 2 Obs 2. That it is the honour of Beleevers that they are like Christ They are not of the world as he is not What a glorious condescention was this that he who is the God of all the Earth and hath all things at his command yet be in the world hated scorned and at last crucified That it shall be no better with him then it was with us Hence our Saviour added this as I am of the world both for consolation and information Information that they should look for such hatred misery and trouble as they saw him grapling with such a contradiction of sinners as he sustained and then also for consolation They could not think much if the Disciple were not above the Master so could they expect to be more loved of God then he Could they think to walk more wisely and holily then he did It must needs bring much comfort when we shall Consider that it can never be so bad with us but it was worse with Christ Are we hated so he Did he seem forsaken of God So may we be To open this Consider That there is a twofold conformity and likenesse to Christ The first is active the second passive An active conformity consists in the Imitation of Christ and resembling him in our lives That as Christ lived so we endeavour to do Although there be some things wherein it 's impossible for us to imitate him as in his actions which he did as God yet in those things which he did as being under the Law we are to conform to him We are to be humbles meek and patient as he was We are to do Gods Will and to seek Gods glory as he did Let the same minde be in you saith the Apostle which was in Christ Phil. 2.5 Christs life and death was chiefly satisfactory and meritorious but secondarily it was exemplary being as a Copy to write after Thus Paul bids them be Followers of him as he was of Christ Phil 3.17 Heathens have prescribed to have some grave sober man in our mindes alwaies to think him present but behold a greater then all men even Christ himself Check thy self when impatient discontented repining at sufferings saying Did Christ do thus 2. There is a passive Conformity of which the Text speaks To be like him in his Sufferings To have the same hard measure in the world as he had Rom 8. We are said to be predestinate to be conformable unto Christ in this very particular What befell Christ God hath so ordered that it should befal us Not indeed for the same end for Christs Sufferings were not for himself or because he had sinned but to make an atonement to God for us But our sufferings are for our sins not to satisfie Gods justice but to humble us and to make us in some measure to feel how much Christ suffered for us what the wrath and anger of God was he endured for us This passive resemblance then unto Christ in his state of humiliation God hath ordained all beleevers unto That as it behoved Christ to suffer and so to enter into Glory Thus it doth behove every godly man through many Tribulations to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven As he had a Crown of Thorns before a Crown of Glory as he must drink of the Brook and then lift up his head so it must be with all his Disciples and this is matter of Comfort though otherwise grievous to flesh and bloud For 1. Hereby we see that we may be never the lesse loved of God though greatly afflicted in this world For was not Christ though dearly beloved of his Father yet delivered up to the cruell mockings and rage of men Did not he cry out My God why hast thou forsaken me We may reade but of one Sonne of God without sin but not of one without chastisement even Christ himself drank deep of that Cup Do not thou then doubt of thy Sonship or Interest in the Fathers love because of the present afflictions that are upon thee Christ was a man of sorrows and yet God from Heaven said This is my well beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased 2. There is matter of comfort because hereby we are ascertained of our Conquest over them That no tribulation shall separate God and us for Christ hath undergone these conflicts as
so farre as their presence was comfortable and necessary to us we may grieve God would not have the old bird killed with her young ones and he that would have mercy shewed to the fowls of the air will much more shew it to his people It is true God in his wisdome many times takes his own children betimes out of the world even too soon for them we would think being in the prime of their service and too soon also for their children and dependents on them but therein God is even mercifull though for the present we do not perceive it For this you know God hath determined in mercy the time of our abode in this world Thou canst not follow me now said Christ to Peter but he should in his time John 13 3◠Lastly It 's not alwayes best to have the best good immediately but in it's time It 's true to be with the Lord to be freed from sinne is best in it self absolutely considered but then respectively if this and that be considered quoad hic nunc it 's not best God doth every thing beautifull in his season None could be more loved of the Father then Christ himself he came from the bosome of his Father yet till he had finished his course he is kept from him We say even the best and holiest thoughts or desires may come in unseasonably into our hearts and so not be best at that time As the childs duty is not to learn the best book at first but what he is most capable of Though Heaven and glory be best yet not at this time for thee partake of it So that when it 's best to go out of this world must be left to the wisdom of God But you will ask Is it never lawfull to pray unto God that he would take us out of the world May we not desire to die and to be freed from sin Are we not to pray that Christ would come To this I answer First It 's never lawfull to desire to go out of the world from impatiency or discontent because we have troubles and vexations in this world Thus Elijah sinned when he prayed to God to take away his life for this was through the discontent then upon him So Job when he breaketh forth into those dreadfull imprecations about himself expostulating with God Why life was continued to such who sought for death more then for hid treasures Look then to this that no impatient discontented thoughts make thee weary of this world Secondly Earnest desires to be with God and hearty affections for eternal glory are lawfull and a special duty Thus we are to pray Gods kingdom may come and thus the Saints are said to long for and hasten to the coming of Christ 2 Pet. 3.12 Thus if we speak abstractedly take the thing in it self Our hearts ought to be so heavenly that we are to be as pilgrims here longing for heaven our rest Thirdly It 's never lawfull absolutely and peremptorily to desire of God that he would take us out of this world though our hearts be heavenly but with submission and resignation If Lord I have done my work I have finished my course as we see Christ in this Chapter I have done the work thou gavest me to do therefore glorifie me Austin expresseth this disposition well when he said O Lord if I be yet necessary to my people I do not refuse to live not refuse because in another place he saith Some godly men have need of patience to live as others to die It must be alwayes therefore conditionally If you object Many Martyrs for I mention not those Circumcelliones that would force men to kill them hereby glorying in a contempt of death who willingly offered themselves to the persecutors when none accused them To this some say They were some Hereticks that did so not the true Christians But yet Histories record it of true Christians and then that was an extraordinary spirit in them which as we cannot condemn so neither must we imitate we must live by precepts not examples no not of holy men Vse Do not thou break out into impatient discontents about any exercise or temptation thou art afflicted with say not Why doth not God remove it from me or me from it Consider this in the Text I pray not thou shouldst take them out of the world What did Christ say when Peter drew out his sword Could not I pray for legions of Angels and the Father would send them to help me but the Scripture must be fulfilled So do thou say God could deliver me from all these troubles he hath thousands of ways to put me into rest but I open not my mouth because thou Lord dost it Indeed if they should never be taken out of this world if thy troubles were eternal as the torments of the damned in hell thou mayest justly cry out in the horrour of thy soul But God hath put a period he hath set his time for thy being in this world when thou art ripe thou shalt be cut down and carried into Gods barn When thy service is done then God will call thee to glory SERMON LXXXVI That it is a greater Mercy to be kept from Sinne and all Evil in our Afflictions and Troubles then from the Afflictions themselves JOH 17.15 But that thou shouldst keep them out of the Evil. THis is the positive part of Christs Explication of himself in his Petition for his Disciples viz. to keep them from the evil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sometimes this is applied to the thing or matter which is evil as in the Lords Praier Mat. 6.13 Deliver us from evil 2. To Persons Thus often in the Scripture Mat. 12.45 So it shall be to that wicked generation in that day Sometimes it 's applied to the devil as the Original of all wickednesse who also tempts to it So Matth. 13.19 Then comes the wicked one 1 Joh. 2.13 Ye have overcome the evil one Now there are some who limit this to the devil keep them from the devil because it is with the article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but that is not necessary as appeareth Matth. 5.37 Whatsoever is more then this cometh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So Mat. 5.49 Resist not evil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that cannot be the devil for we are commanded to resist him but we may take the word generally both for sinne and the devil and sinful persons That the sence may be thus Though I pray not that thou should keep them free from all evil and afflictions yet I pray that they may be preserved from sinne thereby that whatsoever may befall them yet they may not sinne and here we see also that it's Gods gift to keep men in their afflictions that they sin not Otherwise they would undo themselves and through many tribulations they would go not into the Kingdom of Heaven but of hell from misery here to misery hereafter Obs That it 's a greater mercy to
be kept from sinne and all evil in our Afflictions and Troubles then from the afflictions themselves This is a speciall Truth for whose heart is not troubled about the Affliction more then the Sinne Whose heart is not more upon the passive evil he suffers then the active evil he doth Whose soul is made so spiritual that no vexation or pain and losse in body or Estate doth affect him so greatly as the sinful distempers and troubles of his soul doth But to open this Consider 1. That it's Gods special Gift and his power only that keeps his people from sinne in their afflictions For did not God sanctifie Did not God teach as well as chasten the Evil of Sinne and the Evil of Punishment would alwaies go together the time of our trouble and the time of our transgressions would never be separated When David could say That out of very Faithfulnesse God had afflicted him that before he was afflicted he went astray This was wholly from the Grace of God for how many in their distresse are like Ahaz that then did worse then ever before for certainly Afflictions to wicked men are like the fire or pouncings to ill and unsavoury Herbs the more they are medâ—ed with the more they stink As the damned in hell their Torments make them rage and blaspheme against God Thus it is with the wicked on the Earth their present troubles draw out their corruptions They are more impatient more discontented and never more evil then when they have the greatest cause to be exceeding good But to the Godly it is otherwise that light which burneth the wicked enliveneth the Godly as the fire in Nebuchadnezzars Furnace did lose the bonds that the Worthies were bound in and made them at Liberty when it consumed the ungodly Thus Afflictions many times set the Godly at Liberty from their sinnes loose their hearts more from the world but how comes this about it 's the meer Gift of God Did not God support as Christ did Peter in these waves we would presently be over-whelmed Oh then reflect on thy self Hath any trouble Have any Afflictions made thee more humble and more upright Hath Beleeving outed thee from the world and earthly things know that it's God that hath kept thee from the evil Secondly The Scripture speaks of it as a special favour when God will be with us in our Afflictions so that we shall not be left to Temptations Therefore we are constantly to pray Mat. 6.13 that God would deliver us from Temptation Now although prosperity and outward mercies are a Temptation yet the Scripture doth for the most part call Afflictions only Temptations because we are so hardly able to keep our Integrity and holinesse in them We can hardly overcome flesh and bloud or conquer our selfish Inclinations so as to lie humbly and with deep Resignation into Gods hand Oh then what great thoughts of heart should there be that such a Condition such a streight such an Affliction be not a Temptation to thee that God do not leave thee in it It 's a special mercy to be kept from a Temptation but a greater in it This is miraculous like those that were in the fire and yet not burnt There is not a more comfortable evidence of Gods love when thou shalâ—be bruised and broken with many afflictions and yet they are not able to stir up corruptions in thy heart Never forget to pray That as Temptations and Afflictions shall come on thee so Gods sutable Grace and tender Preservation may accompany thee Though Christ prayed thus for the Apostles to be kept from the evil yet Peter gradually though not totally or finally was left by God in his Temptation when he was surprised with fear how grievously doth he deny Christ with bitter curses and swearings Here Peter was not quite from evil though so farre as Christ prai'd for him he was preserved viz. that his faith might not fail Oh by this sad instance we see if God withdraw his Arm from us how dreadful our Estate would be That thou hast not blasphemed God and his Providence and charged God foolishly in thy streights blesse and praise God for it and remember that self confidence is the great sinne to provoke God to leave thee to the evil of temptations as we see in Peter and Hezekiah Take heed of going out of Gods arms of letting go his hand or provoking him any way Thirdly Afflictions and Tribulations do not of themselves make us holy but they work according to the subject exercised with them Indeed naturally to every man unregenerate they draw out corruption and sinne and Physick to an incurable disease doth but hasten Death and fire to wood and such like Combustibles doth not refine but consume The more a muddied Pool is stirred the more noisome it is and thus it would work even in a godly man did not grace live within him as well as sinne Yet even to a godly man it 's a very difficult thing not to have the waves of his heart rise high when these windes and tempests have blown upon them and for this reason it is that the more troubles are upon us the greater assistance and discoveries of grace we need and therefore there is more comfort in this praier of Christ then the heart can conceive Here is a provision made for thee in that which thou dost most want for if the least temptation the least Evil fall on thee if that fall upon thy heart it will presse thee to hell should not God support and sanctifie it a gnat will choak thee as well as a Camel God only moveth on these deeps and makes them fruitful In the next place Let us consider the Grounds and Reasons why it 's more blessed to have preservation from sin the evil of an affliction then from the affliction And First Because an Affliction is but a particular temporall Evil but Sinne is an infinite universall Evil Sicknesse depriveth of Health Poverty of Wealth and thus every Streight doth but oppose some temporall particular Good that is the Creatures Good But Sinne is an Universall Evil it depriveth of God and it divesteth of all Glory and Happinesse so that as Anselme said It ought to be our Resolution That if Hell were on one side and Sinne on the other we ought rather to choose Hell-Torments then Sinne and the Reason is because Sinne is an Offence and a Dishonour against God God is infinitely more then the Creature and his Glory and Honour is more worthy then all we are It 's better the whole World should be annihilated and destroyed and come to nothing in all its Comforts then that the least glimpse of the Glory of God should be Eclipsed Oh then whosoever had rather sinne then be afflicted he preferreth himself above God he preferreth himself above Christ and he sets up his own particular Safety and Security above Gods Glory Oh then that we could be more afraid of Sinne then we
Graece This distinction is greatly to be marked for a Christian through bodily distempers and old Age may decay in parts not have the memory nor the activity or the hot affections he had once and yet be a more mortified and solid Christian for Grace will not cure a man of bodily Diseases or of Old Age and because the Soul doth work dependantly upon the body as the body it 's Instrument doth decay so are the Souls Operations impaired thereby But be not discouraged this is not a decay in Grace it 's only in parts and gifts or a bodily constitution which though comfortable mercies yet are not Essentials to grace On the other side there are too many that encrease in Knowledge that are enlarged in parts but decay in grace yea their corruptions and lusts grow with them 4. Distinguish between a further Sanctification in respect of the solidity of it and the affectionatenesse of it Every decay in affection is not presently an abating in grace for godlinesse lyeth chiefly in the minde and will If these be solidly established and really bent for God Though affections be not passionately and sensiby put forth yet thou maist grow a more sound and firm Christian 5. There is difference between a further Sanctification and the certainty and evidence of it Many a Christian groweth in holinesse yet he is not sensible of his growth as in nature a man groweth yet doth not perceive it What our Saviour spake of the spreading and growing of the Gospel is true also in respect of Sanctification Mar. 4.27 It 's as if a man should cast Seed in the ground and should sleep and rise night and day and the Seed spring up and grow he knoweth not how Thus the godly they shoot out in grace when yet they do not perceive it yea sometimes they are tempted to the clean contrary 6. Grant it be true that thou art lesse sanctified then before thou hast decaied sadly Let this then quicken thee up to make the more haste for the future Let this stumbling make thee get ground Sometimes a David a Peter are left to fall that they may rise and go the faster After some diseases the childe groweth more then ever The Traveller that hath overslept himself doubles his pace Thus let thy very decaies do good to thee In the third place Let us Consider the Reasons why that it 's not enough to be sanctified but we must be more and more holy every day And 1. We are not sanctified to stand still there We are yet in the way we are not yet come to our journeys end Hence our Christianity whilst in this Life is compared to running in a Race We are not come to the term and end of our Sanctification when we are first converted We are but put into the right way to happinesse we are but beginners We have much work to doe ere we shall receive a Crown of Glory You see that glorious Saint Paul who laboured more then they all yet Phil. 3.14 I presse towards the mark forgetting the things that are behinde 2. We are further to be Sanctified because there remain Reliques of corruption still to be subdued Sanctifying grace doth expell sinne but by degrees Even as the heat by degrees doth expell the cold Now the Apostle tels us Gal. 6. what is in the hearts of all the godly There are lusts rebelling against the Spirit and there is a law of sinne in our members If then Sanctifying grace do not encrease sin will encrease If we be not further sanctified we shall be further corrupted The heart of a man is immediatly susceptible of one of these either grace or sin If then there be not more grace there will be more sin you cannot stand at a stay If you swim not against the stream the stream will bear thee down 3. This is the end of all those afflictions and chastisements which God laieth upon us that we should be more sanctified John 15. Every branch is purged that it may bring forth more fruit These are like the compost laid on the ground these are the plowing and the harrowing of the ground to make it more fruitful The fire is to make the gold more pure from drosse The winnowing is to separate the Chaff from the Wheat and thus are all Gods Dispensations which come in Severity to thee They are to sanctifie thee more to make thee more Heavenly-minded 4. This is one great end of the Word and the Preaching thereof Sanctifie them by thy Word and Eph 4. We are to be edified to a full stature in Christ by the Officers in his Church So that as the Sun and the Clouds help to make the Ground fruitful as the Winde filling the Sails of the Ship makes it go more swiftly So should the Ministry and Ordinances Oh what knowledge and grace shouldest thou have attained to by this time Let thy profiting appear to all as Paul said to Timothy 5. The sweetnesse and excellency of grace if once tasted of should make thee insatiable to have more Shall the hydropical man the more he drinketh the more desire it and the earthly man the more wealth he hath be the more covetous of it What a shame then is it if the more gostlinesse thou hast thou art not the more desirous still to have more 6. It 's Gods promise that such who are godly shall grow more holy Isa 40.29 30 51. They shall renew they shall mount up like Eagles So Hos 14.6 7. That as it is a curse upon the wicked to grow worse and worse so it 's a blessing to the godly to grow better If God will blesse their outward store make their oyl encrease much more their graces Vse of Exhortation to stir up your selves in holinesse Endeavour after more grace then thou hast yet oh bewail thy leannesse thy barrennesse In how many things maist thou be bettered still Thou dost greatly deceive thy self if thou thinkest now I may sit down I have gone far enough Vse 2. to confute corrupt Opinion of most men that do not like this forwardnesse and strictnesse in the way to Heaven Can a man be too godly then he may be too happy as well and have too much of Heaven Doth not our Saviour pray here for his Disciples sanctified already yet to be more sanctified Do we not daily pray that Gods grace may come more into our hearts why then are we displeased to see it doth encrease SERMON XCI Of the Causes of Sanctification and in particular of Gods Word as the Instrumentall Cause JOHN 17.17 Sanctifie them by thy truth thy Word is Truth WE are now come to the Manner or rather the Instrumentall Cause of our Sanctification and that is Truth Sanctifie them by thy truth Some understand this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 truly sincerely and so those that limit this Sanctification to their Ministerial Separation for to preach the Word of God
thy faith against anothers diffidence If it be so great a sinne to see thy brother in temporal want and not relieve him How much more in spiritual and so for help Gal. 6.1 If any be overtaken ye that are spiritual restore such an one Put this bone in joynt again Now doth not experience tell us that where divisions and discord are there is no love no compassion no watching over one another if this unity were established a man would then endeavour the growth of grace in others as in his own self and therefore observe whether the power of godlinesse doth not much abate when differences do arise There is not that heavenly communion nor hearty concurrence in the waies of holiness There is not that mutual helping of one another as at other times Fifthly Vnity amongst the godly is so necessary that therefore God many times suffereth sad and heavy persecutions to befall them that thereby their discords and divisions may be removed and they be more endeared to one another Times of prosperity in the Church made the greatest heresies and schisms but the times of bloudy persecution made the godly more united Thus the Martyrs some of them in Queen Maries dayes did bewail their differences and contests they had formerly one with another but the prison and persecution made them highly prize one another Josephs brethren in their plenty envied and fell out with one another but in their distresse they were glad to cleave together The sheep that were scattered one from another when a sudden storm ariseth makes them all company together It may be though the godly are so censorious so shie so strange to one another God may in time work so that they may be glad to enjoy one another glad to have the communion of each other one godly mans company may be more then the gold of Ophir and therefore if love and godlinesse do not unite you take heed God doth not make some outward trouble and affliction to put you together If you do not imbrace one another willingly he may binde you in his chains together That promise to Judah and Israel of making those two sticks one was after the cruel enmity and opposition which had been amongst them Sixthly Vnity is not only a sanctifier but a strengthner also It 's that which confirmeth and establisheth the Church The old Rule is Vis unita sortior the Sunne beams united together cast the greater heat It 's union in an Army in a Nation in any Society that preserveth it as a Wise-man said Publique Societies are immortal if they do not kill themselves by division Our Saviour confirmed this when he said No Kingdome divided against it self can stand Matth. 12.25 He brings this as an argument That he did not cast out devils by the help of devils but by the Spirit of God Thus if the people of God cast out errour and prophanenesse by Gods Spirit then they will not entertain the like themselves for this would be to set a Kingdome at variance within it self The old Rule is Divide impera It was a peculiar providence that Christs bones should not be broken to demonstrate hereby say some that Christ though he died yet he did not lose his strength We must justly fear God hath some heavy scourge upon the godly when they are first divided if their bones are broken their strength is weakened their evil and misery will not stay there So that it 's a very foolish and weak thing in the godly to continue in their divisions for have they not mighty and numberlesse enemies Doth not the whole world hate them Are they not as Wolves to the godly who are as Sheep Now if not only the Wolf and the Fox but also one Sheep shall devour another Must not this bring utter ruine The Apostle Paul speaks fully to this Gal. 5.15 If ye bite and devour one another take heed ye be not consumed of one another Observe the notable expression biting and devouring one another How unnatural is this to sheep dogs use to do so And further by this means you will consume one another That which the devils of hell and all the wicked adversaries thereof could not do that you will do to one another En quo discordia cives perduxit miseros Look not then upon your differences as meer sinnes but heavy prognostiques of Gods wrath The veil in the Temple did rend in peeces which was a presage of the destruction of the Temple Seventhly It is a most comely and beautifull thing to see It 's a ravishing thing to behold such an Harmony amongst the godly therefore the compleatnesse of it will be in Heaven There those many thousands will all have one heart and one tongue to praise God There will be no difference one shall not have one way of seeing God another another way There will be no censuring as reproachfull terms one against another Now the nearer the people of God come to this on earth the more like are they to glorified Saints in Heaven and those innumerable companies of Angels that do Gods will They have no jarrings and contests one Angel is not of one opinion and another of another We ought to do Gods will as they doe it not onely in respect of zeal and purity but unity also David is affected with it and one of those Songs of Degrees is wholly to praise it Psal 133.1 2 3. It 's compared to that precious ointment that was so curiously to be composed that none might presume to make the like and it was to be poured on the High-priest only He compareth it also to the fruitfull and pleasant Dew upon the Mountains The whole Psalm is considerable 1. There is the note of admiration or indication Behold as if he had said You have by bitter experience seen what dissentions and differences doe produce 2. It 's good and pleasant Profit and pleasure use to winne all and hereby is denoted our aversnesse to such unity that we need those low Arguments to draw us He doth not say It 's just holy and acceptable to God but good and pleasant 3. For Brethren He saith Not men but brethren because sinfull discord is apt to creep in amongst them 4. Even together He speaks not of local but soul-conjunction Now the sweetnesse of it is represented by the oil poured on Aaron and so descending It must be a peace grounded on Christ our Head and High-priest then it is to diffuse to others The profitablenesse of it is described by the Dew that as it 's from heaven So it sanctifieth the barren ground This Concord is Gods gift only and if received doth wonderfully blesse the Church Who would not have rejoyced to live in those dayes when all believers were of one heart and one soul Oh what a comfort was it to hear no grudgings no repinings at one another But the Devil that envious one he quickly sowed tares amongst them and there became ulcers
freely given us of God which he illustrateth by a similitude from a man As no man can know the things of a man but a man so neither can a man meerly of himself discern the things of God Hence the white stone and the new Name Rev. 2.17 are such things that no man knoweth but he that hath them 3. The world of it self cannot know Gods love to his children because they have not the experience of it in their own hearts And therefore though they may read and hear of such a thing yet they cannot conceive what it is As a man that never tasted honey cannot guesse what the sweetnesse is It 's the want of this experimental knowledge that makes the world so despise the priviledges of believers Balaam had but a glimpse of this and immediately he breaketh out into those wishes That he might die the death of the righteous and his latter end might be like his Lastly It 's hard for the world to know the Fathers love to the godly because his outward administrations are so clouded that by the external events you would sometimes judge they were the only people whom God hateth Even as it was with Christ himself though he was solemnly from heaven pronounced to be the beloved of his Father yet in outward consideration he was a man of sorrows and contempt insomuch that the Prophet saith Isa 53. we thought him smitten of God for his sins and at his death they insulted over him as being forsaken by God Vse of Admonition to all wicked men Let this bridle their hearts and tongues and pray God would open their eyes to understand this blessednesse and happinesse of believers Then Saul would be amongst these Prophets then thou wilt desire to live and die one of them that your soul might be in their souls stead Then your cry will be We fools and miserable wretches thought them the vilest and most miserable men in the world but how greatly doth God honour them SERMON CXXXIII Of the Connexion between Grace and Glory and that Glory even to the most Godly is the free Gift of God JOHN 17.24 Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am c. THis verse containeth a new and distinct Object or Matter of Christs prayer for whereas before he had prayed in reference to his Disciples for their Sanctification and Vnion now he prayeth for the last and ultimate priviledge they are capable of which is their eternal glory So that in the words we may observe 1. The Compellation Father 2. The Subject of his prayer Those thou hast given me 3. The Object matter of it That they be where I am 4. The Manner of petitioning this expressed in that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will Lastly The ultimate End of all this That they may behold my glory which thou hast given me From the general Connexion of this prayer with the fore-going petitionings and that prayer-wise two things are observable 1. That without grace here there is no glory hereafter 2. That even to the most gracious that are Glory is given by God as a gift obtained in prayer After they have done all yet still they must pray for it For the former we see that truth established from the order and method that Christ useth having before earnestly prayed for their Sanctification and Unity in this life he stayeth not there neither is his love confined within the things of this world but it extends it self to the world to come as the chiefest of all As happiness and glory is the ultimate end of man concerning which every natural man mistakes so grace is the only path that leadeth thereunto and there is as great a mistake about grace what it is as wherein happiness doth consist So that although it be very convenient to discover what grace is and when a man may be said to be godly yet I shall wave that as to a large discourse about it Only to clear the Doctrine Consider That by grace we mean that new creature or those holy divine and supernatural principles within a man whereby he is carried out to work all holinesse in his life For the Scripture describeth this gracious man sometimes by that inward work as the root and foundation of all sometimes by the outward fruits of holinesse as being the visible demonstration of it So that in the discovery of grace we must alwayes attend to these two things 1. That our religious duties be upon a root deep enough that they proceed from a supernatural principle within that no external motive be the only principle to put it into action And then 2. That we do not content our selves with any supposed inward work of grace upon the heart but do accordingly as occasion invites manifest the powerfull efficacy thereof in our lives for thus the Prophet Ezekiel declareth Gods promise for both The writing of his Law in their inward parts and making of them to walk in his wayes Ezek. 36.28 Secondly Men are very prone generally to delude themselves in this particular thinking to obtain glory hereafter though they have no grace here Hence are such exhortations Be not deceived 1 Cor. 6.9 No fornicator or idolater shall enter into the Kingdom of heaven c. Who would think the Apostle needed to set such a prohibition or signal mark upon that for we would think no body could deceive himself in such a thing notoriously known as that is yet there is nothing more ordinary for if all the grosse visible sinners should be asked one by one Do you hope to obtain eternal happinesse he would answer with great confidence and expectation of it and yet how grosly and notoriously doth he deceive himself Is it not as plain as that he liveth that such pleasures of lusts shall be rewarded with eternal torments and yet he hopeth otherwise Thirdly Grace here is not meritorious of glory hereafter Rom. 4. To him that worketh the reward is of debt but eternal life is called the Gift of God Our Saviour in this Chapter doth pray for one as well as the other We may justly wonder to see how prone men are naturally to look upon grace as meritorious of glory that the Roman Church should so confidently maintain it Doth not all this arise because men are not acquainted with those reliques of corruption that cleave to the best things we do Certainly that which is meritorious of hell can never be of heaven that which deserveth eternal vengeance can never procure everlasting favour but this proud opinion creepeth subtilly into mens hearts under pretence of advancing grace even while it debaseth it for so the Papist would perswade us that they give more to Christ then we because they make him merit that our grace may be meritorious insomuch that they say we give little or nothing to Christ but to hold Christ merited that we might merit is to evacuate the merit of Christ and to
should be justified Though David was Gods servant and that after his own heart yet he could not be justified and so not saved unless God did graciously forgive what was imperfect Oh then how greatly should this humble us when we shall consider we never did any thing in our lives though in the most holy manner but it needed a pardon as Nehemiah when he mentioned the many particulars he had done for God and desired to be remembred for them yet added also that he might be spared and have mercy shewed unto him Nehem. 13.22 2. It 's the gift of God because any gracious action is so farre from making a man to merit at Gods hand that he is thereby the more obliged and bound to God So that the more holy he is the lesse he can deserve because in that he is the more indebted unto God So that it is absurd to think that because God hath heaped more mercies upon us that therefore still we deserve more but rather to acknowledge that both grace here and glory hereafter is wholly from the gift of God 3. Glory cannot be the proper and natural reward of our grace Because of the vast disproportion and distance which is between one and the other Alas what is an act of faith or love or patience or all of them put together which have been in the short time of this life unto all eternity If thy body hath endured the pains of Martyrdom for an hour what is that to have honour glory and freedom from all pain with unspeakable joy and delight to all eternity Vse To humble the best of Gods servants under the highest exercises of grace How often doth the devil and thy own corrupt heart upon any holy duty puff thee up and make thee secure and confident seeking for Justification by something in thy own self How apt to think thy self better then others and to trust in thy own heart Is not this to say thou comest to heaven and happinesse by thy own power How often doth God speak to the people of Israel that they should not say they entered into the Land of Canaan for their righteousness If for a temporal mercy they were to take heed their hearts were not lifted up much more for heaven it self If Jacob said Gen. 32.10 He was lesse then the least of Gods mercies much more then the greatest SERMON CXXXIV Of immediate Enjoyment of and Communion with Christ in Heaven as the Complement of mans happinesse JOH 17.24 Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am THE next thing considerable is the object matter of this Petition which is two-fold 1. To be where Christ is 2. To behold the glory which the Father had given him Let us Consider the first particular To be with Christ where Christ is and Austin doth well observe that he doth not pray They may be where he is for though a man be wretched and miserable he is where Christ is but not with Christ as saith he a blinde man may be where the light is but not with the light It 's therefore added to be with him where Christ is and that denoteth the gracious and happy enjoyment of him Some understand it of Christs gracious presence here vouchsafed to beleevers but the context doth more genuinely comprehend the former For our Suviour was now to be no longer in this world and besides the expression of being with God and Christ in the Scripture-sence is proper to that eternal felicity and glory which they are made partakers of only the doubt may be if it be understood of glorious presence with Christ why Christ speaks in the present tense where I am Some answer that this is to be understood in respect of his divine nature by which he was alwaies glorious Others understand it spoken in the present because he was very immediatly to be glorified every way and then it may well be received There are some who make this Argument that this must be understood of a glorious presence not a gracious because say they of a gracious presence the phrase alwaies is God is with us but of a glorious presence We are with God but though this may be admitted as the most common expression yet some few instances may be shewed to the contrary Therefore the former Reasons especially if we adde the words following That they may behold my glory which seem to be exegeticall of what went before will evidence that we must understand the sence of that happy eternall presence with Christ in heaven Obs That the greatest part of our glory and happinesse which we shall have in heaven lieth in this that then we shall be with Christ and have immediate Communion with the Lord Though we are apt to look upon the happinesse of heaven as it freeth from all pains and torments as it delivers us from the curse and vengeance of God yet that which is indeed the sublime and chief part of our happinesse is that we shall there have an immediate enjoyment of God and Christ It 's asserted as a Truth that the greatest misery in hell is in the poena damni not in the poena sensus and Chrysostome considering that dreadfull Sentence pronounced Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire makes these words depart to be farre more terrible then eternall fire The doctrine of heaven and hell was not so fully and evidently preached in the Old Testament as in the New yet even then we have David thus breaking forth into an holy passion Whom have I in heaven but thee and whom in earth in comparison of thee Psal 73.25 Whom in heaven but thee implying that heaven would not be heaven if God were not there and that in heaven he looketh not to Angels or Saints there but God himself Now though the happinesse of heaven be described from other particulars yet that this is the sum of all may appear from these two places Phil. 1.23 where you finde Paul in a divine perplexity and heavenly streight whether he should desire to live or die and although for the Churches good he is contented to live yet absolutely and simply his desire was to depatt and why because this was to be with Christ which is farre better So then this was that which so moved Paul to be no longer in this world viz to be with Christ No doubt Paul had many godly Friends in seeing whose faces and enjoying their company he took great delight and this he often expresseth but all these are nothing to Christs Company Thus to godly hearts though it be a great comfort to enjoy their Wives and Children yet when raised by grace they can preferre the company of Christ above all The second place is 1 Thess 47. when the Apostle in a divine and ravishing manner had treated on the Resurrection then he mentioneth this as the summe and Complement of all our felicity that we shall be with the Lord for ever To
be with the Lord and to be with him for ever comprehends so much that the heart can never suck out all the honey of it But let us not with Moses stand afar off and behold the glory and sweetness of this Land but let us enter into it and these things are considerable First That we deny not but the happinesse of Heaven may be amplified from severall other particulars besides our presence with Christ such as the enjoying of Angels and Saints for a state of happinesse is the aggregation of all good thing desirable but yet that which is the Sun among the Stars That which is the principall and great happinesse is that we shall then more perfectly know and enjoy God and Christ It 's true indeed most Divines do yield that we shall there know our godly Friends and shall greatly rejoyce in their salvation and happinesse yet so that all these lines will meet in God as the center that all these streams will be emptied into the Ocean so that though Heaven hath unspeakable priviledges and every thing therein is glorious yet that which is the Heaven of this heaven the glory of this glory is the enjoyment of Christ himself It 's Gods presence that makes heaven to be heaven Secondly We are to know that the Schoolmen whom Divines follow speak of a twofold happinesse beatitudo objectiva and formalis an objective happiness and this is acknowledged to be only God himself There is no other object that can make the soul happy but God only As the stars cannot dispell darknesse and make light but the Sun only The other is called beatitudo formalis or subjectiva and that is the internal perfecting of all the faculties of the soul with such perfect grace that they are able to carry us to God in a most perfect manner and the glorifying of the body with all those admirable qualities that the Scripture speaks of so that when we say Christ in heaven is our happinesse we speak of the objective happinesse not the formall That object in the enjoyment whereof the glorified Saint is made eternally happy is Christ only Thirdly Consider that even in this life we are with Christ and Christ is with us Though as you heard to be with Christ is most commonly the expression of glory yet it may sometimes denote our gracious presence here for thus though Christ be in Heaven yet he is said to dwell in our hearts by Faith Eph. 3. Therefore we must needs in this life be with him now this is the beginning of that glory we shall have hereafter He that beleeveth hath Eternal life Joh. 3. not only de jure but doth actually possesse some beginnings of it The Transfiguration Peter was in and the extasie Paul speaks of were forerunners of Heaven and although the godly may not have such an extaticall ravishing sence of it yet the Lord doth many times bestow on his people a taste of this joy whereby they rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory whereby they are above the world and can despise all earthly comforts comparatively Austin and Bernard do sometimes speak their experience of this upon their souls and no doubt but the Martyrs who were to suffer so bitterly for Christ were had up into the Mount of Transfiguration before they were carried to Mount Calvary Crus nihil sentit in ligno quando animus est in coelo In the next place let us Consider the Grounds why Christ or Gods presence in heaven is that which makes the happinesse of a glorified beleever And 1. Because in Christ or God there is all fulnesse to make us happy he is objectively all what the soul can desire If Christ be represented in this life all to the Church when yet we have but the glimpses of him how much more in Heaven when we shall have the full enjoyment of him Therefore wonder not if having of God there be our happinesse for he is the universal good he is that bonum in quo omnia bona as Paul said having a Revelation from God this was enough and that those who were pillars could not adde unto him so much more may it be said in this case having full possession of the Lord Christ himself no comfort or content any other way can adde one cubite to that stature of happinesse 2. Christ is not only objectively full of that which may make happy but he is also efficiently communicative of it For suppose God be a Fountain sufficient and inexhausted yet as long as it is a Fountain sealed up as long as there is a stone upon the mouth of it that cannot be rolled away so long we are not able to come at any refreshment God is alwaies able to make us happy to the utmost he might vouchsafe us an heaven in this world but he is a free Agent and communicateth himself as he pleaseth Now it hath pleased him while we are in this life to communicate himself by degrees This Fountain is dispensed by drops but in Heaven there will God communicate himself as far as the creature is able to receive him Then this Sun will not be under any Cloud then there will not be any complaints why the Lord doth hide his face or withdraw himself 3 Heavens happinesse lieth in Christ because then the soul is made a prepared and sutable subject for him All pleasure and delight ariseth from the conveniency of the object with the faculty for if there be contrariety or dissonancy then instead of happiness there is nothing but misery Now in Heaven the the whole soul will be so perfected with Grace that it cannot delight in any thing but such an holy God What is the reason that in this life a wicked man hateth God and refuseth his will and law but because of his contrariety to him and on the other side a godly man though he have but imperfect and inchoate grace yet he preferreth Christ and loveth him before Father and Mother and every thing that is dear all this ariseth because there is some similitude between God and him he is born of God and partakes of the divine Nature and so by this means delighteth and rejoyceth in God but if the green Tree be thus ready to burn in love with God what shall the dry Tree do 4. Christ is the chiefest happinesse in Heaven because he being chiefly beloved there is obtained the nearest Union with him It 's not the place of Heaven but the person in Heaven that a Christians love is fixed upon Hence some some have not been afraid to say That Christ with a godly man though in hell yet would make hell no hell for when the soul cometh to enjoy that which is most beloved then all further desires and distractions must cease then the stone is come to its center Then the fire of love hath ascended as high as it can go then it saith Sufficit I have enough Now all the while the Church is
world though some are elected and others are reprobated Because all those Divines who do hold such an absolute Election or Reprobation do so positively expresse themselves that the cause of mans damnation is wholly from his sin and mans sin is wholly and freely from himself That he is not necessitated and compelled to sin by such supposed pre-definitive Decrees but that he sinneth of himself and so his perdition is of himself as fully as if there were no such Decrees at all These two things the Orthodox suppose that the Scripture affirmeth both such Decrees of God and also man himself to be the only cause of his damnation and if so be that the understanding of man could not tell how to reconcile these two together It 's better with Cajetan to confess the weakness and imbecility of our apprehensions then to deny the things asserted in Scripture In the second place God is righteous as a Judge in that he bestoweth his effectual grace upon some and not upon others For this end it is that our Saviour doth call his Father righteous because he lets the world alone to it self it deserveth to perish in it's unbelief and rebellion but to others he manifesteth himself God is so righteous herein that Luk. 10. our Saviour is greatly affected with it and blesseth God therein Now to our corrupt judgements we are ready to think that Gods wayes are inequal why he giveth his grace to some that it may be are more wicked and more unworthy then others And then again Others that seem to be more civil and restrained from outward impiety he denieth his mollifying grace to them but if we could judge of things aright even in this wonderfull dispensation of God we should admire his righteousness For the full answer to all humane cavils in this respect is That there is none denied grace but such who by their sins have justly deserved so If Judas be not converted and Peter is Judas hath his sins for which God may justly give him up to spiritual judgements If the men of Tyre and Sydon have not the means of grace as well as Capernaum it 's because their iniquities make them unworthy of it So that there is no man living under the means of grace that can justly complain of God because he doth not give him a soft and mollified heart as well as others For it 's his own personal impiety and voluntary wickedness that makes heaven as it were like brasse and iron to him It 's true God could if he pleased give Judas a soft heart as well as Peter but there is no injustice if God doth not dispence his acts of liberality and grace for then justice and liberality a gift and reward would be all one So that the godly indeed who are partakers of converting grace they have cause to admire and bless God for his unspeakable goodness but the wicked who continueth and perisheth in his sins may say My destruction and damnation is of my self God hath done like an holy wise and righteous God but I have brought vengeance upon my own head But these divine dispensations of Gods justice especially as to spiritual judgements require a larger and more exact scrutiny which is not here to be insisted upon Come we therefore in the next place To take notice of Gods righteousness as a Father unto his own people and children And herein the godly are often sollicited they begin to question and to doubt of Gods promise and his kindness Oh they think If I be thus loved of God! If I be one that doth belong to the promise why doth the Lord deal thus and thus with me Every wicked man he prospereth and thriveth in his impiety but I am afflicted all the day long though I wash my hands in innocency Now to the godly thus exercised I have only two particulars to minde them of 1. That because God is righteous therefore it is that thou art afflicted and it may be more then many wicked men are Though it be an heavy temptation and such an one that we reade David at one time had much ado to overcome yet it is so far from being unrighteousness in God to afflict thee though his beloved childe that he would be unrighteous if he did not Doth not David at another time when the cloud was dispelled say That out of very faithfulnesse God hath afflicted him Psal 119.75 So that the righteousness of God as a Father doth require this It 's true thy afflictions are not properly penal to satisfie his righteousness for that is done already by the blood of Christ but they are castigatory of thy sins and by way of prevention for the future so that there is no exercise befals thee but thou art bound to justifie and clear him say It 's righteous with God to do thus to me because of my several corruptions that are so strong in me 2. Gods righteousness is seen as a Father in respect of his fidelity and veracity to keep his promise to us So that though the good things promised may be deferred thou hast not yet any enjoyment of them yet know The righteousness of God will not suffer him to forget thee Heb. 6.10 The Apostle doth there comfort beleevers That God was not unrighteous and therefore he would not forget their sufferings It 's true it 's Popery to plead the commutative and strict righteousness from God as if there were an inward condignity of our holy works in respect of heaven but a righteousness of fidelity we may and ought to encourage our selves with Vse of Exhortation to all the children of God that the meditation of God as a righteous Father should stop the mouth of impatience say as Christ concerning every chastisement Joh. 18.11 Shall I not drink of the cup that my Father hath given me What wouldst thou have God unrighteous for thy sake Wouldst thou have him not deal sutably to his holy and pure nature Thou hadst rather God should be unrighteous then thou suffer any outward evil Oh do thou abhorre and shame thy self Even wicked men have been forced to acknowledge God just and righteous as a Judge and shall not grace make thee acknowledge this in him as a Father SERMON CXL That every Vnregenerate man whether in or out of the Church is destitute of the true saving Knowledge of God JOH 17.24 Righteous Father the world hath not known thee OUr Saviour we heard is continuing Arguments why he should be heard thus in his Petition for all believers and that which is first suggested in these words is the opposition and contrariety between the world and them Though the world be ignorant and obstinate against Christ yet the Disciples they did readily believe in him Now this is a wonderfull aggravation of their holinesse for them only to believe amongst a world of unbelievers and opposers To see amongst so many that are blinde To be wise amongst so many that are mad yea to believe
in Christ while the world did oppose and persecute them this did greatly commend their ftith In the words you may observe the Subiect and the Attribute The Subiect is the world This word is taken variously yea in this very Petition it 's used differently for sometimes it 's taken for the wicked perishing and damned world the reprobate world Thus he said I pray not for the world but those thou hast given me The world is there the immediate opposite to all Elected persons but sometimes it 's taken indefinitely or negatively as when he saith That the world may know thou hast sent me Now in this verse we must take the word world for the company of perishing and damned men because they are opposed to the whole kinde of saving believers In the next place you must know that though the word world be for the most part opposed to the Church or number of believers yet some may be externally in the Church yet really and indeed of the world such are all who though outwardly professing Christ and submitting to his orders are yet unregenerated and so in the state of gall and bitternesse These know not God in a saving manner though they have a barren speculative knowledge of him It may therefore fall out that many may be of the world taken indefinitely not as limited to the reprobates who yet in respect of Gods purpose shall in time become his in an effectuall manner And again many may be in the Church of God who yet in the issue will be of the perishing damned world Some that are wolvs for the present shall become sheep and some that are sheep for the present in appearance at the day of judgement will be discovered to be goats 2. You have the attribute 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath not known thee This is put for the present tense as among the Latines Novi is sometimes for it doth not only denote that this hath been the custome heretofore but that still for the present and for the future The world is full of blindenesse and darknesse and doth not comprehend the light There is the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 added in the Original And the world hath hot known thee Some think that this addeth some affection and emphasis for either they expound it intensively for as much as etiam or adversatively for as much as quamvis although in both which sences the Hebrew particle Vau is used but it may be taken as a meer redundant particle which is very familiar to the Scripture-language and so it seemeth our Translators did take it who wholly omit it in the English The words thus explained observe That the world is ignorant in a saving manner of God Heaven is no more in hell then the true knowledge of God is in the heart of a wicked man In the pursuing of this I shall take the word world largely not only for that heathenish part of it who never heard of Christ but for that Christian part of it who though in the generall professe they know God yet in works do deny him and so the word shall be equipollent to every unregenerate man whether in the Church or out of the Church but because of this world there is two sorts as was hinted before One of those who though for the present have no saving knowledge of Christ yea do oppose it and rage at it as Paul for a while did and all converts once did serve divers pleasures and lusts And another of those who for a while give great and ready obedience to it but for want of a true root fall off wholly from God as Judas and many other Apostates I shall chiefly frame my discourse to the perishing wicked world though not excluding the other Bt before I go further you must take notice of what kinde of knowledge it is which we speake of and deny to the world It 's an effectuall saving knowledge for it 's plain the Heathens had some knowledge of God and unconverted Christians who will die and go to hell in their sins may have wonderful gifts and admirable knowledge with the utterance thereof in matters of religion yet have no saving knowledge So that knowledge doth not make happy unlesse it be practicall If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them Joh. 13 17. This premised let us proceed and 1. That the unregenerate world doth not or cannot know God may appear several waies 1. From the original pollution and pravity improved by actual wickednesse wdich is upon all till sanctified by grace Joh. 1.10 where though Christ be said to be the light of the world and the world was made by him yet it knew him not and Joh. 3.19 This is the condemnation of the world that light is come into it yet men love darknesse rather then light What a horrible and dreadful condition is this to love darknesse rather then light Hence 1 Joh. 5.19 The whole world lieth in wickednesse So that it 's no more wonder if the world do not know Christ then that the night is not the day that weeds are not precious flowers They are in darknesse and so cannot see and this reason doth not only prove the act they are not knowing of God but the defect of all power and ability they do not neither can they know God To which purpose the Apostle fully 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural man receiveth not the spiritual things of God neither can he know them This removeth both the act and power Therefore at the 12. verse he cals it the spirit of the world which is opposed to the Spirit of God that only makes us know the things of God Oh then the sad condition of all unregenerate men this darknesse is not dreadfull to them they are as men that are asleep yea or blinde who have a visive faculty though actually they cannot see but as men dead in sinne yea this original pollution doth still carry the demonstration higher for it doth not only negatively or privatively remove both the act and power of the knowledge of God but doth positively incline to the hating and opposing of all knowledge both of God and Christ hence the world is said so often to hate the godly and to hate the light and the reasons given because its works are evil So that it 's but a little wickednesse comparatively in the world that it doth not know for it hateth all knowledge it rebelleth against all light and therefore the wisedom of the flesh is said to be enmity it self against God Rom. 8 7. Is it any wonder then to see wicked men carried out with bloudy malicious and irreconcilable hatred to the knowledge of God for it cannot be otherwise There is a spirit of contrariety of opposition and madness against God for if Gods truth and will be received then there corruptions and lusts can no longer stand The world cannot endure that the light of the word should make naked
even as man there should be revealed unto him all the thoughts actions and circumstances thereof concerning every man in the world that so he might fulfill the office of a Judge 4. Christ as Mediator God and man is the author and fountain of all the light which is communicated to the Church Hence it is that one of his Offices is to be the Prophet of the Church He is called the chief shepherd of our souls 1 Pet. 5 4. and being our high-Priest he was to offer up himself for us so also instruct and teach us Therefore you heard the whole world is commanded to hear him and therefore it is that he cals himself the truth and the way Joh. 14.16 So that in all matters of Religion we are still to enquire what Christ hath revealed and what he hath manifested now he doth not only reveal the truth to be believed but the duties also that are to be performed and therefore the Apostle makes it so hainous a sinne to refuse Christ speaking above Moses Heb. 12.25 Tremble then all ye wicked men who do constantly refuse Christ still speaking from heaven by his Word and Ministers to leave your sins and impieties 5. The Scripture doth often as in all actions ad extra attribute the same work of teaching and enlightning both to the Father and to the Son and to the holy Spirit So that this great work of saving knowledge is attributed indifferently to all Thus the Father James 1. is called the Father of lights from whom cometh every good and perfect gift So our Saviour alledgeth that promise They shall be all taught of God Joh. 6.45 So the holy Spirit is said to guide and lead into all truth Illumination being frequently ascribed to the Spirit and 1 Cor. 2.10 God is said there to reveal things unto us by his Spirit And lastly Christ himself is said to be the great teacher of his people as Mat. 23.10 For one is your Master even Christ Hence the Apostle magnifieth the Gospel Heb. 1. that whereas formerly God had spoken by the Prophets in these later dayes he spake by his Sonne So that the geeat sinne against the Gospel and the aggravation of all wickednesse is from hence that though this light be come into the world yet men love darknesse rather then light 6. The Lord Christ doth teach several wayes either immediately when he was upon the earth or mediately by the Apostles and the Ministers that he hath appointed in his Church Therefore he is said still to speak from heaven viz. by the Word and the Ministry so that we are not to conceive as if we had nothing of Christ now because he is ascended to heaven for what the Ministers guided by the Word of God do that is as if Christ himself spake it and you are to receive it with the like faith and obedience Hence our Saviour speaking to his Apostles saith Luke 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me he that despiseth an Embassadour contemneth him from whom he is sent Oh that this truth may be as a two-edged Sword in thy heart What darest thou who livest in thy prophaneness if Christ himself were here upon the earth commanding thee to leave thy sins yet to persevere in them if not How is it that you refuse those who come in his name 7. Though Christ hath appointed a Ministry to teach and instruct people yet the whole efficacy and power cometh from Christ alone It 's God and Christ by the Word that can only open the understanding and give a spiritual knowledge so that conversion is so called the teaching of God John 6.45 Therefore a man must hear and learn of the Father before he can come to Christ onely Christ there addeth that this hearing and knowing of the Father comes by him So Joh. 3.26 27. when Johns Disciples said That all men come to Christ he answered A man can receive nothing except it be given him of heaven attributing it to the power of God that any come to Christ Therefore this Sun exceedeth the bodily one which giveth indeed external light but cannot give an eye to see the blinde remain blinde for all that Lastly Though Christ only do effectually give a knowing heart so that although we had the best Ministry of men and Angels yet it would do no good without his secret power and energie yet we must not from thence inferre the uselesness of the Ministry as some foolishly have done opposing the principal and subordinate For in our natural life although it be not the bread we eat but the word of blessing from Gods mouth that makes it to nourish us yet none casts away his food resolving to depend on God immediately Thus though Christ alone give the seeing eye and the understanding heart yet it 's by and in the use of the Ministry though it was God alone that did give the healing vertue to the pool of Bethesda yet the Angel must move it and every lame man must come into it else he could not be healed Hence although Jeremy prophesie of such abundance of knowledge that they shall not teach one another but be all taught of God which may seem and is brought by some to overthrow the Ministry yet the same Prophet Jer. 3.15 declareth it as a special blessing that he would give them Pastors according to his own heart which would feed them with knowledge and understanding So that Gods teaching and the Pastors teaching do not oppose one another It 's said also of Lydia that God opened her heart Act. 16.14 but to what end To attend to the words of Paul So that you must never oppose Gods work and the Ministry together In the next place Let us consider the Properties of Christs knowledge whereby he makes us also to know As 1. The Authoritative and potestative Nature of it he taught as one having authority not as the Scribes and Pharisees Mat. 7.29 Hence Mat. 5. when he had related the corrupt opinions of their Doctors in the Interpretation of the Law he addeth But I say unto you opposing his Authority to them all It 's true he saith he speaks not of himself but referreth his Doctrine wholly to his Father but withall saith He and his Father are one he doth not speak of receiving his Doctrine in the same manner as Paul and other Apostles did of him by revelation 2. There is the freeness of this he teacheth whom he pleaseth There are none so froward and so contumacious but he can open their hearts and others that are of high and eminent understandings for want of him do remain blind owls Mat. 11.26 27. where our Saviour giving God thanks for manifesting the things of the Gospel to some and not to others resolving all into Gods good pleasure Even so Father for so it pleaseth thee he addeth No man knoweth the Father but the Sonne and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him So that where