his neighbour as Solomon speaks Prov. 12.26 because he is so like to God he is made a partaker of the divine nature which is the highest priviledge in the world by vertue whereof a godly man being a god-like man is worth ten thousand reprobates Christ would not part with such an one for all the wealth in the world You heaven-born Saints who walk with God by imitating him his heart stands most to you and he will own you for his at the last day when others shall be rejected and condemned 5. I told you in the fifth place that a Christian walks with God by his daily observing the passages of divine providence whether of mercy or justice This Use still serves to comfort all such as walk with God this way happy are you that are thus qualified God hath opened your eyes to see the holy One of Israel you may see many tokens of Gods favour to you which will confirm your faith in his promise and providence Isai 26.8 In the way of thy judgements have we waited for thee you wait for God in the way of his judgements therefore he will meet you in every cross and sanctifie it to you that it shall leave you better than it found you he will mitigate the smart of his rods to you and enable you to bear them and at last he will give a gracious issue out of all crosses Psalm 123.2 So our eyes wait upon the Lord our God untill that he have mercy upon us you gracious Christians wait for the Lord in the way of his mercies likewise doubtless mercies shall be mercies indeed to you you may see love in a little you may perceive the love of God in small favours because the mercies of God come to you by the merit of Christs bloud and through the conduit pipe of divine promises you walking so exactly with God he sends you many blessings in his special providence to maintain you in your journey until you come to heaven where you shall have enough 6. I told you in the sixth place that a Christian walks with God by having his conversation in heaven This Use still serves to comfort such as have their conversation there you sweet soules you may expect your Saviour confidently to come from thence to change your vile bodies and to make them like to his glorious body oh blessed are you that ever you were born but especially that ever you were born again you shall flourish like the tree planted by the water side you shall bring forth fruit in season your leaf shall not wither and whatever you do it shall prosper you live more like blessed Angels than men upon earth your life must needs be the sweetest life of all for you converse with Christ and are most inward with God you taste those sweet comforts and have a glimpse of those glorious joyes which the earth-worms of this world never see I am perswaded you would not change conditions with the wealthiest worldling upon earth I honour your holiness I admire your happiness 7. I told you in the seventh place that a Christian walks with God by fervent and frequent prayer expecting an answer This Use still serves to comfort all such as walk thus with God you may take much comfort to your selves in that God hath given you the spirit of supplication your prayers are sweet musick and delightful melody in Gods eares so Christ speaks to his Church Cant. 2.14 O my dove that art in the clefts of the rock in the secret places of the staires let me see thy countenance let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely A father delights more to hear the pratling of his little child than the bawling of many beggars at the door God regards not the howling of hypocrites but for you that walk with God your prayers are as sweet incense in his nostrils though you chatter like a Swallow and cruttle like a Turtle yet the Spirit helps your infirmities and God who knows the meaning of the Spirit accepts of your desires though you can utter but non-sense in words and broken English yet God will make good sense of your suits because he delights in them Prayer is a corner of heaven to you your petitions shall not come weeping home for want of answer but God will fulfill the desire of them that fear him he will hear their cry and will save them for he is nigh unto them that call upon him in truth 8. I told you in the eighth place that a Christian walks with God by the life of faith This Use still serves to comfort all such as walk with God after this manner You blessed Christians that live by trust and confidence in God you live the surest life for comfort of all people in the world you are seated upon the Rock of eternity let the world be changed and turned upside down yet you stand safe you may see the rising and falling of many but you shall hold your hold for you have the surest hand hold by the hand of faith upon Gods all-sufficiency that is in the world when the creature is drawn dry and these broken cisterns can hold no water of consolation for you then shall your faith find super-abundant comfort in God the fountain of living waters Habak 3.17.18 Although the fig-tree shall not blossome neither shall fruit be in the vines the labour of the olive shall fail and the fields shall yeild no meat the stock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no heard in the stals yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation the holy Prophet foreseeing by the Spirit the fearful desolation that the Babylonians should make in the Jews Nation comforts himself and other true beleivers in this that when all livelihood is wasted and outward maintenance perished when the Babylonian had plundered their Nation had not left them an house to dwell in nor any provision to nourish and releive them yet by the strength of his faith he assures both himself and others of comfort provision and nourishment enough in God The life of faith is a most secure life when a man by reason of want is ready to sink then faith holds the head above water and makes one to see contraries in contraries as fulness in want health in sickness life in death vivitur ingenio is the life of worldly men but vivitur fide is the life of righteous Saints Vse The last Use serves for exhortation to stir us up to walk with God as Enoch did 1. I told you that a Christian walks with God by acquainting himself with God and being at peace with him This life serves to exhort us all to walk with God this way consider the pathetical motives the Holy Ghost useth in Job 22.24 c. Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brook Ophir was a
thee an upright body so as thou mayest look often up towards heaven that thine heart may be lifted up thither aquila non capit museas scorn to imbase thy noble soul by doting upon things of the earth a little meanes will suffice nature thou needest not be so greedy after gain hadst thou a whole Lordship nay a whole Kingdom yet thou canst dwell but in one house at a time hadst thou the richest Wardrobe in the world thou canst wear but one suite of apparrel at a time hadst thou thy Table furnisht with all varieties thou canst eat but a bellifull of meat at a time enough is as good as a feast Oh let thine heart mount up towards heaven daily upon the wings of divine contemplation then thy soul shall go thither at last it s no easie thing to get thither the way to hell is down the hill and down the stream but the way to heaven is up the hill and against the stream rightly said the Poet facilis descensus Averni Sed revocare gradum superasque evadere ad auras Hic labor hoc opus est Therefore look upward often whither thy Redeemer is ascended the sight of the outside of heaven here below should draw up our hearts thither and make us less regard these worldly delights for if the outside of heaven be so glorious that is bespangled with the Sun Moon and Stars how glorious is the inside of it you are daily within the sight of heaven your Fathers house Oh let your hearts be there till your soules be there for ever lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees and make straight paths for your feet loose not heaven for want of paines and labour you may buy gold too dear but heaven you cannot 7. I told you in the seventh place that a Christian walks with God by fervent and frequent prayer expecting an answer This Use still serves to exhort us all to walk with God after this manner pray continually ply the Throne of grace hard give the Lord no rest until he hath brought thee to sing everlasting hallelujah in heaven God hath in many places of his Word promised to hear and grant the sutes of his people if thou beest one of his thou mayest pray with confidence to be heard Moses talked with God in the Mount until his face shone be thou also frequent in fervent prayer and it will make thy soul to shine in grace Jacob wrestled with Christ by prayer untill he halted be thou likewise earnest with God until thou hast weakened thy corruptions and made them lame thou that hast the spirit of grace and supplication hast such a treasure to enrich thee such a weapon to defend thee as no worldling hath thou mayest by the key of prayer unlock heaven gates and fetch mercies thence in any place whereever thou livest for the way to heaveÌ„ is as near to a true Christian in one place as in another it s a sweet thing to talk often with God and to be inward with him he will give no little joy to such 8. I told you in the eighth place that a Christian walks with God by the life of faith This Use still serves to exhort you all to walk with God this way let your life be a continual dependance upon him trust in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength he is faithful that hath promised he never deceived any that trusted in him this is your sure hold true faith in his promises and providence will not fail you you will find friends riches pleasures honours and other delights of this world to be miserable comforters but rest upon God by faith and you will find him a fast friend and a sure comforter endeavour daily to rest upon him with such strength of faith as that when all outward helpes fail you may not doubt nor fear but may in patience possess your soules and quietly rest upon God for releif and succour not seeking after indirect meanes for your help if you can attain to this life of faith you will find more comfort in want than others in their wealth more comfort in sickness than others in their health it will make you better in your worst estate than unbeleivers are in their best estate you are better in disgrace than they are in honour you are better in bondage than they are in liberty when thou wast a little child thou couldst sport and play and tookest no care for maintenance but didst rest upon thy earthly parents for food and rayment and now thou art come to yeares of discretion wherein thou shouldest have attained to knowledge and faith hast thou not yet learned to trust thy heavenly Father for body and soul why do ye doubt oh ye of little faith cast thy care wholly upon God and he will care for you thou pretendest thou canst trust God for thy soules everlasting peace and canst thou not trust him for thy present bodily mantenance â—oul the weight of all thy cares wholly upon the Lords blessed providence live the life of faith and thou shalt die the death of the righteous yea thy last and shall be like his SERMON III. Text JOHN 13.8 If I wash thee not thou hast no part with me WE are all by nature polluted with iniquity both in soul and body and have need to cry with the Leper unclean unclean if this sinful pollution be not washt away it will prove destructive to our soules and bodies eternally the onely meanes to wash away this pollution is the pretious bloud of our blessed Redeemer which he doth by the merit and efficacy of it for if he wash us with his bloud we shall be Kings and Priests unto God Revel 1.5 6. but if he wash us not we have no part with him Touching the occasion and coherence of these words we read in the first verse of this chapter it s said Now before the feast of the Passover when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father c. verse 2. and supper being ended c. verse 4. he riseth from supper and laid aside his garments and took a towell and girded himself verse 5. After that he poureth water into a bason and began to wash the Disciples feet and to wipe them with the towell wherewith he was girded verse 6. Then cometh he to Simon Peter and Peter saith unto him Lord doest thou wash my feet verse 7. Jesus answered and said unto him what I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter verse 8. Peter saith unto him Thou shalt never wash my feet Jesus answered him If I wash thee not thou hast no part with me Christ washt their feet partly to shew his admirable love to them partly to give them an example of humility and love one to another and lastly to intimate that he onely cleanseth us from our sins 1 John 1.7 when Peter said
a full age like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season that is as full ripe corn is made into shocks and carried into the bâ—rn so thou shalt die in peace and shalt not be as wicked men cut off in their sins thy last day shall be thy best day and the day of thy death will be better than the day of thy birth whosoever closeth thy bodily eyes at thy dissolution the eye of thy soul shall see Christ in his glory whosoever bears thy body to burial the blessed Angels shall bear thy soul to heaven Vse 3. For direction I told you in the first place that Christ washeth us by baptisme This Use serves to direct us how to get our soules washt by baptisme First remember what a solemn promise we made in our baptisme and how often we break it this will be a good meanes to humble us and to make us more carefull to keep our covenant 2. Repent for the frequent breach of it else it will lie very heavy upon your consciences at the hour of death we would be ashamed to break our peace so often with man as we have done with God let Gods faithfulness to us make us be ashamed of our perfidiousness to him 3. Labour to feel the efficacy of your baptisme by faith in Christ indeavour to feel corruption mortified through the power of Christs death and your soul quickened with grace through the spiritual efficacy of his resurrection then you put on Christ to your eternal comfort 2. I told you in the second place that Christ washeth us by his Word This Use still serves to direct us how to get our soules washt by it First We must hide it in our hearts Psalm 119.11 Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee and when it cleanseth thy heart which is the fountain then it will cleanse thy words and actions streaming from it 2. Hear it with a purpose to practise it Psalm 119.33 Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I shall keep it unto the end verse 34. Give me understanding and I shall keep thy law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart what good will the best meat do to an hungry man if he eat it not Or what good will an excellent plaister do to a wounded man if he apply it not So what is a man better for hearing and reading Gods Word if he do it not Micah 2.7 Do not my words good to him that walketh uprightly but if he walk not uprightly they are not like to do him good 3. Make use of it upon all occasions then as Christ said John 15.3 ye shall be clean through the word spoken to you obey the precepts of it apply the promises and stand in awe of the threatenings that your profiting may appear to all live by the rules of it walk in the light of it that you may be such as God would have you 3. I told you in the third place that Christ washeth us by the merit of his precious bloud This Use still serves to direct us how to get our soules washed by it that must be by faith Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God We read in the New Testament how our blessed Saviour healed many that beleived in him there is mighty efficacy in a true lively faith to cleanse the soul by applying the merit and efficacy of Christs bloud beleive stedfastly in the Lord Jesus with all your heart and you shall find the strength of sin dying in you 4. I told you in the fourth place that Christ washeth us with the saving graces of his holy Spirit This Use still serves to direct us how to get our soules thus washed First Get a clear sight of the worth and necessity of them then you will pray to Christ with Peter Lord wash not my feet onely but also my hands and my head there is no desire of a thing unknown grace is so exceedingly sweet and lovely that the spiritual sight of it will set the heart a longing after it 2. Hunger and thirst exceeding fervently after grace and you shall be satified and washed Christ is very bountiful of his blessings now he is in glory for Revel 22.17 he freely invites us And let every one that is a thirst come and whosoever will let him take the waters of life freely The more you thirst after these living waters the faster will they flow into you 3. Labour to grow in these graces that you may be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect and holy as he that calleth you is holy think not that a stock of grace at your conversion without daily growth will bear you out to your latter end as many in their youth provide worldly riches enough to maintain them in their old age you must be alwayes adding to your stock if a child were no bigger at twenty yeares old than when its new born how could it help it self how could it maintain it self defend it self against dangers so if you grow no better after the receit of Gods abundant mercies and in particular under the plentiful meanes of grace how will you be able to serve please and glorifie God how will you be able to suffer for Christ to work out your salvation with fear and trembling therefore grow in grace and then you shall be more clean from iniquity 5. I told you in the fifth place that Christ washeth us by afflictions sanctified to us This Use still serves to direct us how to get our selves washed by them First Labour to know the right cause of them this course is prescribed in Lamen 3.39 40. Wherefore doth a living man complain a man for the punishment of his sins Let us search and try our wayes and turn again to the Lord that is let us not repine at Gods hand in correcting us but let us search and try our wayes to find out our sins our personal and particular failings which provoked God to afflict us this course if we take we may find cause enough in our selves to justifie Gods righteous hand in afflicting us 2. Let afflictions drive thee to repentance to make thee a partaker of Gods holiness Hebr. 12.10 But he for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness then they are sanctified to thee and will tend to the health of thy soul as physick that works kindly proves healthful to the body let crosses make thee more penitent more holy more heavenly more upright then it will be comfortable to thee in thy latter end 3. Pour out earnest prayers and hearty suites to God in miseries this course Gods people took formerly Isaiah 26.16 Lord in trouble they have visited thee they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them pray to our Redeemer to be with thee in
Lords day now under the Gospel for an holy Sabbath to God because he saith Let no man judge or condemne you in meat or drink c. where Paul shews that we are delivered from the bondage of the observation as of meats so now of Sabbaths But such as oppose the morality of the Sabbath hold it not unlawful to observe a Sabbath now but onely indifferent and arbitrary likewise the Apostles kept the Lords day John 20.19 Acts 20 7. 1 Cor. 16.2 therefore the Sabbath day was mutable from the last day to the first day of the week and that by the authority and power of Christ for he is Lord of the Sabbath and he onely hath power to appoint and change it which it is like he opened to his Disciples Acts 1.3 or if the Apostles altered it they did it by authority and direction from him for Christ promised John 16.13 the Spirit should guide them into all truth therefore into this truth the Sabbath was not cerimonial for the word ceremony comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cherem which is a thing consecrated and devoted to God typifying something to be accomplished in the new Testament but the Sabbath day was no type of the Lords day Paul said the Jewish Sabbaths were shadows but the body is of Christ Col. 2.17 or else the word ceremony comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because ceremonies were to indure but for a time therefore remember to keep holy the Sabbath day now called the Lords day and God will blesse you with great prosperity and comfortable success the week following Vse 4. I told you the fourth Reason was because every godly man is Gods factor the Use arising out of this Reason serves to exhort you all to lie ligier for God be his faithful factors Motives 1. Consider God hath few godly servants in many places Psalm 12 1. Help Lord for the godly man ceaseth for the faithful fail from among the children of men and where they be wanting Satans followers sow the tares of errour and impiety from the dayes of the Prophet Malachy until the birth of Christ were four hundred and fifty yeares during which time the Jews had no extraordinary holy Prophet to guide them then sprang up the three sects of Pharisees Sadduces and Essenes 2. Consider how many trade for Satan in most places many swear oathes few fear oathes many prophane the Sabbath few keep it holy many hate and persecute holiness in Christians few do love and honour them for it Christ hath been persecuted three wayes 1. In his person when he lived upon earth we read how his enemies abused him many times 2. In his name for three hundred yeares after his ascention such as bare the name of Christians suffered much misery during the ten persecutions under those bloudy Emperours of Rome 3. For the power of godliness is Christ persecuted in his members and that is now adayes for our enemies Papists and Protestants at large put on a form of godliness and would be accounted Christians but the life of God the power of godliness they hate in the righteous and persecute their persons for it 3. God gives you gifts of knowledge and grace for this end to trade for him imploy your talents diligently for your heavenly Masters honour and at your death he will say Well done good and faithful servant c. Vse 5. I told you the fift Reason was because the godly man is best fitted and prepared for Gods work The Use springing out of this Reason serve first for comfort to the truly godly For first you shall find God ready to save succour and defend you in time of distress Psalm 32.6 For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found surely in the flouds of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him and though thine enemies be mighty to wrong thee yet God is Almighty to protect thee Three kinds of afflictions Gods children meet with here first corrections or chastisements which God inflicts upon them for their sins next are trials which God inflicteth on them to try the truth of their graces as he dealt with Job Last are persecutions when God suffers wicked men to abuse them for holiness yet God in his wisdom useth these three kinds of afflictions to drive them farther from sin as Ionathan shot three Arrows to warn David to beware of Saul 1 Sam. 20.20 2. You have the promises of this and a better life you are heires of them and they are your portion Hebr. 6.17 and they are a worthy portion 1 Tim 48. Godliness is profitable unto all things having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come 2. It may serve to exhort you all to labour to be fitted for your heavenly Masters use and prepared to every good work the way and meanes is in 2 Tim. 2.21 If a man therefore purge himself from this c. that is from these cursed heresies and corrupt teachers and keep himself unspotted from the world by the grace of the holy Ghost dwelling in him then he shall be a vessel unto honour be like the Sun whose body stayes in the heaven yet his light shines upon earth neither can any stinking dunghil on which it shines infect it live so purely that such as be without may in time honour and affect thee for thy vertue not infect thee with their vice Vse 6. I told you the sixt Reason was because onely the heart of a godly man will bow and bend to do God his work The Uses arising out of this Reason serve first to reprove the pride and stubbornness of such hearts as will not bow and bend to do Gods work but say as the Jews to Ieremiah Jer. 44.16 As for the word that thou hast spoken to us in the Name of the Lord we will not hearken unto thee these pray in the Lords Prayer Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven yet in their lives they set themselves to do their own wils and to cross Gods will what cursed dissembling hypocrites are these they cry out of Gods service what a weariness is it they think his service an irksome yoke an intolerable burden but these that will not obey Gods word shall feel his power 2. It may serve to exhort you all to bow and bend heartily to do Gods work withdraw not your shoulder from it but be forward to do it with all your might think it not too mean for it is the work of God think it no loss or prejudice to do it for God will reward thee Directions to help you 1. Set your love exceedingly upon God and it will be your meat to do his will and finish his work love makes labours light indeavour to be able to say truly as the Prophet Psalm 73.26 My flesh and my heart faileth that is for love of the Lord of the same sense with the Churches speech in Canticles