that to come short of Heaven This is a very awakening Truth but I shall by Gods assistance make it clear to you and confirm it in the three Branches of it First That it is possible for many Professors of the Truth or true Religion to come short of Heaven Secondly That it is possible for many that are confident that they are in a state of Grace to come short of Heaven Thirdly That it is possible for many that come very near to Heaven yet to come short of Heaven I shall prove these three and let your hearts go along with me and oh that you and I could follow the counsel of the Prophet Isaiah To hear the word of the Lord with trembling For the first That it is possible for many that profess the Truth and true Religion to come short of Heaven I shall give you two instances for this the Scribes and Pharisees were those that professed the truth and true Religon they sate in Moses Chair our Saviour commanded his Disciples to hear them because they opened the Law they were Expounders of the Law and our Saviour commanded his Disciples to hear them although they should not do as they did they professed the Truth and true Religion and in the outward acts of Piety these Scribes and Pharisees went exceeding far I will shew you how far they went in these six particulars First They searched the Scriptures they were very diligent in reading the Law of Moses they gave themselves so much to the study of the Law that they could tell exactly almost every verse in the five books of Moses nay they could tell you how often every letter in the Hebrew Alphabet was repeated in the Law of Moses for example the Letter Aleph was repeated Three-hundred seventy-seven times in the five books of Moses Secondly They were frequent in prayer they prayed in the Streets and in the Synagogue and made long prayers for a pretence to devour Widows houses Matth. 23.14 Thirdly To Prayer they added Fasting also hear what one of them saith Luke 18.12 I fast twice in the week and this he did for the taming of the body Fourthly They were very strict in the observation of the Sabbath insomuch that they quarrelled with our Saviour because his Disciples did but pluck the ears of Corn upon the Sabbath day nay they were so superstitious in the observation of the Sabbath that if one had got a thorn in his foot they would not pull it out upon the Sabbath-day for fear of breaking the Sabbath Fifthly They were very industrious in teaching of others they compassed Sea and Land to make a Proselyte Matth. 23.15 they would have taken any pains to win others to the same Sect or Religion with themselves Sixthly They were very exact and unblameable in their outward conversation for 1. They were free from more gross and scandalous sins which stare a man in the face God I thank thee saith the Pharisee that I am not as other men are extortioners unjust adulterers or even as this Publican Luke 18.11 Nay they separated themselves from notorious sinners they would not come into the company of Drunkards and Sabbath-breakers they were of the strictest Religion amongst the Jews their Religion was the most strait Sect Acts 26.5 which knew me from the beginning if they would testifie that after the most strait Sect of our Religion I lived a Pharisee insomuch that it was generally conceived among the Jews that if there were but two men in all the world that should go to Heaven a Scribe was one and a Pharisee the other and yet those Professors for all that fell short of Heaven and our Saviour saith That except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees you shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of heaven Matth. 5.20 Let me give you another example of the five foolish Virgins which you read of in Matth. 25 Our Saviour tells us That five Virgins were wise and five were foolish By Virgins there are meant Professors and they are called Virgin-Professors because they were not tainted or defiled with any gross or scandalous sin even those five foolish Virgins they notwithstanding in their own opinion and in the opinion of others were waiting for the coming of the Bridegroom Christ and yet for all this those Virgin-professors fell short of Heaven Matth. 25.10 And while they went to buy the Bridegroom came and they that were ready went in with him to the Marriage and the door was shut the door of Heaven the door of Mercy was shut against them so you see the first Branch proved 2. Let me prove the second Branch That it is possible for many that are confident that they are in a state of Grace and that they have an interest in and belong to the Lord Jesus Christ to come short of Heaven in Matth. 7.22 23 Many will say to me in that day at the great day of Judgment Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out Devils and in thy name have done many wonderful works and then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity Mark how confident they are have we not prophesied in thy name and cast out Devils in thy name We have eaten and drunk in thy presence Luke 13.26 To whom Jesus Christ will say Depart from me ye that work iniquity get you out of my sight I cannot abide to look upon you these were confident What a deal of confidence express they as if they had been as really acquainted with Jesus Christ as any were Lord Lord have not we prophesied in thy name c Again in Rom. 2.17 18 19 the Apostle speaks there to that boasting Jew Thou restest in the Law and makest thy boast of God and knowest his will and approvest the things that are more excellent being instructed out of the Law and art confident that thou thy self art a guide of the blind a light of them which are in darkness an instructor of the foolish a teacher of babes which hast the form of knowledg and of the truth in the Law thou therefore which teachest another teachest thou not thy self Such a one as teacheth others and teacheth not himself such a one is stark naught so that it is possible for a man to be a teacher of others and confident of coming to Heaven and yet for all that come short of it that 's the second Branch 3. Let me prove the third branch of the Doctrine That it is possible for men to come very near to Heaven and yet for all that to come short of Heaven Let me give you some Examples for that This was the case of the young man in the Gospel which you read of Matth. 19 20 21 when our Saviour bid him to keep the Commandments saith he Lord all these things I have kept from my youth up the meaning is this as to his outward
conversation he was unblameable he came so near Heaven that as St. Mark relates the story Mar. 10.21 Jesus beholding him loved him that is he looked upon him in a very friendly manner and pitied him that such a one should come so near to Heaven and yet come short of it by resting on his own self-righteousness he came near Heaven but yet he came short of it so Herod came near Heaven Mar. 6.20 he heard John Baptist gladly and he did many things that John Baptist bid him and yet he came short of it So you read of a Scribe Mar. 12.34 that answered very discreetly to our Saviour our Saviour tells him Thou art not far from the Kingdom of God and yet he came short of it What a sad thing was that So Agrippa Almost thou perswadest me to be a Christian Act. 26.28 but yet he was not a whole Christian so he came near to Heaven but yet he came short of Heaven But here it may be demanded Quest But how far then may a man go on in the profession of the truth and true Religion and yet come short of Heaven To this I answer Truly a Professor may go so far that the hearing of it may make some of you tremble and to say What will become of me Now I shall shew you that in three particulars A man may have 1. A very glorious shew of grace and holiness and yet have no true grace at all 2. Admirable gifts and parts and qualifications and yet have no true grace at all 3. Some superficial beginnings and tasts of Grace and Holiness and yet have no truth of Grace but come short of Heaven First A man may have a very glorious shew of holiness and yet have no true grace and so come short of Heaven he may have something like grace as in a Garden Weeds may be so like good Herbs that it may be hard to know one from the other a man may have such a shew of grace that he may be thought to have grace in truth Let me give you instances in these four particulars First A man may be a fair civil carriaged man very innocent and inoffensive in his conversation one that doth not oppose the Gospel nor oppose the Truth this is something Some there are that are Lions of whom David complains Psalm 57.4 My soul is among Lions and I lye even among them that are set on fire Some there are that have Lion-like Spirits whose hearts are all set on fire that would overthrow Magistrates and Ministers and Sabbaths and Ordinances and all it is something for a man to be civil and inoffensive in his carriage that he is no Enemy to the Gospel Secondly A man may be a frequenter of Ordinances and a man may be a countenancer of Religion and an owner of Magistracy and Ministry and yet all this while have but a shew of grace and no true grace at all In Luke 13.26 27 there you have some that will say to our Saviour Lord we have eaten and drunk in thy presence and we have heard thee teach in our streets There are many that frequent Ordinances that come to the Assemblies of Gods people day after day and wait upon God in the use of his Ordinances some that honour the Ministers of God and yet for all that come short of Heaven Thirdly They may go farther they may be maintainers and supporter of Ministers both by their Persons and Purses and thus it was with Ananias and Sapphira they went and sold their possessions and laid them down at the Apostles feet and yet come short of Heaven Fourthly They may go so far not only to have a good opinion of themselves but they may gain the good opinion of others Nay they may be well thought of by those that are men of judgment those that are godly may think well of them that they are real Saints and that their names are written in the book of life as is meant by that Scripture in Psalm 69.28 where David saith Let them be blotted out of the book of the living and not be written with the righteous It cannot so be understood that a man that hath once his name written in the book of Life can have it blotted out but the meaning is this Blot them out of the book of Life that is discover their names were never written in that book discover them to be but Hypocrites though they carry themselves so fairly that for the present others do think that their names are written in the book of Life Judas carried the matter so fair that the rest of the Disciples questioned themselves rather than Judas Master is it I saith one of them Master is it I saith another they never dreamed that Judas should betray their Master Simon Magus carried the matter so fair that Philip that was one of the Deacons reckoned him to be a true Believer and was baptized and continued with Philip. This is the first particular That a man may have glorious shews of grace and holiness and yet have no true grace at all Secondly The second thing is to shew that a man may have admirable gifts and parts and qualifications that are like to grace and yet are not true grace For example A man may have an admirable gift in Preaching he may be a very able Preacher having a very acute and quick Invention a profound Judgment a retentive Memory a clear Elocution Judas I make no question was as good a Preacher as the rest of the eleven Apostles a man may preach to others and yet he himself in the mean while be a cast-away Oh we that are Preachers we may preach against Pride with proud hearts against Covetousness with covetous hearts press Self-denial with self-seeking hearts press Repentance with impenitent hearts we may preach these things and yet not feel them at all in our own hearts So a man may have an admirable gift in Prayer I do not say the grace of Prayer there is a great deal of difference between the gift and the grace of Prayer the gift of Prayer makes a man proud the grace of Prayer makes a man humble the gift of Prayer abounds in outward expressions the grace of Prayer consists in inward impressions upon the heart the gift of Prayer vents its self in publick but the grace of Prayer is most enlarged in private the gift of Prayer makes a man pray in his own strength but the grace of Prayer makes a man pray in the strength of Jesus Christ the gift of Prayer makes a man expect an eccho of praise from men but the grace of Prayer expects only the approbation of God the gift of prayer that may be lost but the grace of Prayer is never lost I say a man may have admirable gifts in Prayer excellent Expressions and seeming-impressions upon the heart some may pray like Saints and in the mean time live like Devils I am confident this deceives many Some there are that have
Christ the Saviour of the world 2. Be much in Duty if you would not be weary of well-doing be much in well-doing It is a Paradox in other things to say He that would not be weary of running let him run the more and if you would be weary of working work the more I but here in Divinity it is a truth the more you are doing the better you will be able to do be acting grace and in the acting of it your grace will be encreased grace acted intends the habit and the habit intended does encrease strength therefore up and be doing and God shall be with you 3. Walk in the spirit and then you shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh if the Spirit of God help you you shall run and not be weary walk and not faint Isa 40. ult Remember what I have told you It is not the strength of habitual grace but it is the auxiliary the assisting-grace of the Spirit that carries you through every duty Though you do duty yet the Spirit of Christ is the moving and working-cause for without him you can do nothing 4. Set before you the example of the Saints that is another help to perseverance it is said of Moses he held out though he met with temptations on the right hand and on the left he held out why because he saw him that was invisible Heb. 11.27 So Job Job 23.11 My feet hath held his path his way have I kept and not declined So David I was almost consumed on earth by trouble and persecution that he met with yet have I not forgotten thy Law Psal 119.87 So Daniel when he knew the Writing was sealed and his Religion would cost him not only his liberty but his life Daniel was Daniel still he went on his course as he was wont to do Dan. 6.10 The blessed Martyrs that went through imprisonment bonds reproaches persecution yet with what courage did they press towards the Mark and so with courage they held out to the end and in the end 5. Be often meditating on the rich and royal Reward those rich and glorious hopes laid up for those that persevere this if any thing will bear up your hearts and hopes when they are ready to faint What made the Apostle hold out in the midst of all temptations 2 Cor. 4.16 For this cause we faint not Why because says he our light afflictions which are but for a moment work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Ver. 17. Moses he held out chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Why he had an eye to the recompence of reward Heb. 11.26 A Traveller after a long journey when he is weary and faint and sits down if he see the Town before him it puts life into him and he plucks up his feet and resolves not to be weary till he be at his journeys end O look at the Crown and white Robe set before you and faint if you can get on the top of Mount Nebo look on the Land of Promise those good things set before you taste the grapes of Canaan before you come to Canaan Consider two things from what you are delivered and to what you are appointed You are delivered from wrath and appointed to mercy delivered from Hell and appointed to Heaven delivered from a hopeless condition to a most hopeful and happy condition that the heart can conceive or tongue express If these things were soundly digested and seriously considered they would awaken your drooping drowsie spirits and set the wheels a going and make us redouble our endeavour and encrease our diligence that the Kingdom of Heaven might even suffer violence yea these things will constrain us in the midst of all afflictions temptations and tryals to press towards the Mark therefore awake thou that sleepest the Apostle speaks of a sleep of drowsiness Rom. 13.11 For says the Apostle your salvation is nearer than when you believed A stone the nearer it comes to the Center the swifter the motion will be Redeem and recover lost time by double diligence set on Heaven by a new resolution set thy face towards Sion as one that looks on all these creature-comforts as vanishing into smoak and as one that resolves to have Heaven or nothing do much and suffer much thou wilt never repent Be stedfast and unmovable abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. To set home this Exhortation of holding fast what you have received there are two Motives in the Text which I will dispatch with a quick hand First Behold I come quickly What coming does our Saviour here speak of I Answer This coming of our Saviour may be understood three ways He comes either in a way of Tryal or in a way of Mercy or in a way of Judicature He comes in a way of Tryal so he foretels the heavy temptations and persecutions that came upon his Church in the time of Trajanus the Emperor as Mr. Brightman well observes This lasted fourteen years yet our Saviour calls it but an hour of temptation in ver 10. Likewise Strabo the Geographer writes That the Church of Philadelphia was often shaken with Earth-quakes both she and other Cities were shaken with Political Earth-quakes as well as Natural with Adversaries that sought their ruine Hence you may take this Observation That God hath sore and shaking Tryals to exercise his Church withal Through many Afflictions we must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven And they that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution In one kind or other in one measure or other God sees shaking is needful to awaken us to shake us out of our security and to purifie and reform and refine us therefore let us not settle upon our Lees and promise our selves security from Tryals The hand of God hath been heavy upon the Protestant Churches in Piedmont in Poland Oh the dreadful things that they have suffered Why should we expect exemption are we better than they Be forewarned that you may be fore-armed lay in provision against the day of Tryal lay in a stock of Faith and Patience and Self-denial c. Gird on the whole armour of God that you may be able to stand 2. It may be understood in a way of mercy I come quickly in a way of mercy I come to moderate the tryals and to deliver thee from temptations God will not suffer the Rod of the wicked to lie on the back of his righteous servants Psal 125.3 So then the Doctrine is this Doct. The troubles and tryals of Gods Church and Chosen though they may be sharp yet they shall be but short I come quickly I come to deliver my Church quickly Nero's Tribulation was but for ten days Rev. 2.10 For a small moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercies will I gather thee in a
and this turns all it toucheth into Gold Blessed is the man that by Faith can touch Jesus Christ no man ever toucht him by Faith but was healed by Grace Secondly You shall have this benefit it will yield you abundance of joy and satisfaction in the expectation of your desires before you come to the fruition of your desires You read of the joy of Faith Phil. 1.25 And the Apostle prays for the Romans that their hearts may be filled with joy and peace in believing Rom. 15.13 When Hannah had once poured out her Soul before God now her heart was quieted by Faith as if she had enjoyed her desires for the present She went away and did eat and her Countenance was no more sad 1 Sam. 1. Thirdly Faith will reallize all the Promises Heb. 11.1 It is the substance of things hoped for it makes things that are absent present that are afar off to be near at hand it will bring you to Heaven before you come to Heaven O what a precious grace is Faith And this is the grace you will most stand in need of in your approaches to the Lords Table Now the Lord strengthen this hand of Faith that by it we may make vigorous applications of the blood of Jesus Christ to our poor Souls who is the living bread that is able to give fit and full satisfaction to our Souls who is that living water whereof whosoever drinketh shall thirst no more CHRIST'S True Disciples ARE Doers of Gods VVill. JOHN VII 17. If any man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self THese words are the words of our Saviour uttered at that great feast the feast of Tabernacles the occasion of these words was this The Jews marvelled at our Saviour as you may read Verse 15 How knoweth this man Letters having never learned That is how comes he to be so skilful in the Scriptures seeing he was never taught by man Our blessed Saviour to this Query answers two things First He tells them in the foregoing Verse the 16th verse that his Doctrine was not his own but was taught him of the Father Secondly He shews them an excellent way or means whereby they may discern truth from falshood true Doctrine from corrupt Doctrine namely by obedience to the will of God for If any man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self So then in the Text you may take notice of two particulars First An Invitation to a Duty Secondly An Encouragement to that Duty First An Invitation to a Duty in these words If any man will do his will that is that will do the will of God my Father Secondly The Encouragement to it in these words He shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self that is he shall know which is true Doctrine and which is false which is the Doctoctrine according to God and Godliness or what is spoken for popular applause and spoke of a mans own head and according to these two parts of the Text there are these two Doctrines that may be raised from the words Doct. 1. That the true Disciples of Christ are Doers of the will of God Doct. 2. That they that do the will of God shall know more of it and shall be more confirmed in their knowledg I begin with the first That the true Disciples of Christ or true Christians are such as are Doers of the will of God For the proof of this Doctrine take two or three places of Scripture Matth. 7.21 Not every one that saith to me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven A true Child of God a true Professor of the Gospel is described by this he is a Doer of the will of God Rom 2.13 For not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified that is shall be owned and accepted of God the Father So James 1.22 But be ye Doers of the Word and not Hearers only deceiving your own souls cozening your selves with false Syllogisms as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there signifies If a man be a Hearer of the Word only and not a Doer of it he cozens himself with false arguments and the like you have in the 25 verse of the same Chapter But whoso looketh into the perfect Law of liberty and continueth therein he being not a forgetful Hearer but a Doer of the Word this man shall be blessed in his deed the man is a blessed Disciple of Jesus Christ But for the better Explication of this Point there are three things I shall open to you First What is meant by the Will of God Seconly How the Will of God must be done by those that are the Disciples of Christ Thirdly Why the Disciples of Christ must be Doers of the Will of God First What the will of God is Not to trouble you with the various distinctions of the Schoolmen briefly there is a twofold will of God mentioned in Scripture the one is called a Secret will the other is called a Revealed will you have them both mentioned in one Verse Deut. 29.29 The secret things belong unto the Lord our God but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our Children for ever that we may do all the words of the Law Now our Saviour speaks here in the Text of the Revealed will of God and it is called a Revealed will because it is made known to us in three Books In the Book of Nature In the Book of the Creature In the Book of the Scripture First The will of God is made known unto us partly in the Book of Nature Thus many of the better sort of Heathens that had nothing but the light of Nature by the dictates of their own Conscience knew what the will of God was as appears by that Rom. 2.14 15 For when the Gentiles which have not the Law do by Nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law to themselves which shew the work of the Law written in their hearts their Conscience also bearing witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another Mark the Gentiles which had not the Law that is they had not the Law of Scripture yet did by Nature the things contained in the Law The Gentiles which had not the Law of the Scripture yet by the Law of Nature did those things that were agreeable to the will of God and by the dictates of their own Consciences did some things that were agreeable to the will of God and although this light of Nature was not sufficient to bring them to Heaven yet it was sufficient to leave them without excuse Secondly This will of God is revealed in the Book of the
vanity of it are ready to draw away our hearts to it O then have a care to do Gods will Deut. 6.11 12 When thou hast eaten and art full when thou art in a prosperous condition then beware lest thou forget the Lord which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt c. The Apostle Saint Paul had learnt a great Lesson when he said I have learnt in whatsoever state I am in therewith to be content I know how to be abased and I know how to abound Phil. 4.11 12. There is more danger in prosperity than in adversity as in a croud a man is in danger to lose his Purse so in a croud of worldly businesses and prosperity a man is in greatest danger to lose his God Secondly In a time of danger then God calls you to do his will that you should not decline Duty for danger sake that you should not break a Hedg to miss a foul way See a singular example of this in Daniel when he knew the doing of his duty would be the hazard of his life when he knew the writing was sealed and that snares were laid for his life yet he would not omit duty for the saving of his life he prayed three times a day as he was wont to do his Window being open in his Chamber towards Jerusalem Dan. 6.10 So those three Noble Worthies who were so highly honoured by God as to be miraculously preserved they would not deeline duty for dangers sake Be it known unto thee O King our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from this burning Furnace but if not we will not serve thy gods nor worship the golden Image which thou hast set up Dan. 3.17 18. So singular was the courage of Saint Peter and Saint John Acts 4.20 We cannot but speak the things that we have seen and heard Threaten or not threaten imprison or not imprison we cannot but speak the things that we have seen and heard Thirdly A third Season when God calls us to do his will is this when he puts an opportunity into our hands of doing some special piece of service for him now is a price put into your hands now a man should do the will of God especially This is that which Mordecai told Esther Esther 4 Who knows whether thou art come to the Kingdom for such a time as this It is as if he should say It may be God hath put an opportunity into thy hand to help his Church at this time The third thing by way of Explication is this But why must the Disciples of Christ be Doers of Gods will The Reasons are these First Because the whole Body of Religion as I may say consists in these two things namely in Believing and Obeying take away one of these and Religion is a lame Religion Secondly By doing the will of our Father we shew our selves to be Disciples of Christ indeed because we now imitate our Lord and Master for thus did he see that remarkable Scripture John 6.38 I came from Heaven not to do my own will but the will of him that sent me Thirdly Because if we do not do the will of God we shall certainly do the will of a worse Master if we do not work in Gods service we shall do the Devils drudgery if we be not workers of righteousness we shall be workers of iniquity as appears by that in Matth. 7.21 23 He that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven he shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven compare it with verse 23 And then will I say unto them I never knew you depart from me ye workers of iniquity It is as if our Saviour should say Because you would not be workers of righteousness to do the will of my Father therefore it is that you are workers of iniquity Fourthly Christians must do the will of God because this is that which makes for the honour of God John 15.8 Herein is my Father glorified if ye bring forth much fruit Look as by believing we give honour to the Truth of God so by obeying we give God the honour of his Soveraignty As obedient Children we shall shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2.9 Before I come to the Application there are two or three Objections that lie in the way which I shall endeavour to remove Object 1. It may be some will say You do so cry up Duty and doing the will of God that you infringe or eclipse the Free grace of God this is not Preaching Free grace Answ I answer This is not an infringing or an eclipsing of the free-grace of God because you must know Faith and good Works are not opposite one to another but they are subordinate they are consistent and may stand one with another very well Secondly I answer The grace of God doth not exclude all works but it excludes those works only that are meritorious Good works therefore we may say truly are Causes without which we cannot be saved though they are not Efficient Causes nor instrumental Causes yet they are Causes without which we cannot be saved as the Apostle saith Without holiness no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 So may I say here Though we be not saved for our good works yet we shall never be saved without good works I would have you to remember this Good works though they are not necessary to our Justification yet they are necessary to our Salvation there is a great deal of difference between these two to be saved by faith and saved for faith this is certain we are not saved for our faith this is the errour of the Socinians that say The Act of believing is our righteousness Though we are not saved for faith yet the Apostle saith We are saved by faith So here we are not saved for our good works yet we are not saved without good works as the Apostle saith He that is a Doer of the Word shall be blessed in his deed James 1.25 He doth not say for his deed so you may be blessed in your good works though not for your good works Thirdly I answer Although faith alone doth justifie yet that faith that is alone doth not justifie though no man is justified for his works yet that faith that is a justifying faith is a working faith Secondly It may be objected But why do you press us to do the will of God when of our selves we are not able to do it we cannot of our selves think a good thought nor speak a good word much less do the will of God in that manner as you have laid down how it must be done To this I answer Our inability doth not nullifie or make void the Commands of God God for example bids you believe 1 John 3.23 And this is his Commandment that we should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ and yet Faith it is the gift of God
is that of the Prophet Jonah in the Whales belly in that remarkable place Jonah 2.2 Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fishes belly and said I cryed by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord and he heard me out of the belly of hell cryed I and thou heardst my voice If you would know a reason why God is thus ready to hear and answer the prayers of his Servants when they cry take these three or four reasons briefly First Because of Gods faithfulness He is very faithful that hath promised Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will hear and answer and thou shalt glorifie me Psal 50.15 So in Isa 65.24 And it shall come to pass that before they call I will answer and whiles they are yet speaking I will hear God is faithful to his promises All his promises in Jesus Christ are yea and in him they are amen Our unfaithfulness cannot make him unfaithful if we believe not he remains faithful he cannot deny himself Secondly God hears his Servants prayers Because of that compassion that is in him towards them as he is very faithful so he is very pitiful as he hath beams of Majesty so hath he also bowels of mercy and his bowels yearn towards his poor children when they cry to him Can a mother forget her sucking-child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee Isa 49.15 A tender-hearted mother if she hear her little child whimper in the cradle that does not move her but if the child cry to purpose then her bowels yearn towards it she can stay no longer from it but runs in all haste to it so here when we do but whimper pray coldly God may be is not ready to hear but if we cry in prayer if we follow God with our supplications then his bowels cannot but yearn towards us Third reason Because Gods servants have Jesus Christ to pray for them We have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous he is pleading our cause 1 John 2.1 And he ever lives to make intercession for us Heb. 7.25 Nay his very presence with the Father is our intercession he appears in the presence of God for us he appears as our advocate in our stead for our good Heb. 9.24 For Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands which are the figures of the true but into heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us The fourth reason is this Because the servants of God have not only Christ to pray for them but they have the Spirit of Christ to pray in them Rom. 8.26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groans which cannot be uttered If you ask me But how does the spirit of God help our infirmities I answer These four or five ways First The spirit of God helps our infirmities by affecting us with them with our wants and weaknesses that being humbled and lying low at the feet of God we may be vessels more capable of mercy God will not pour in the oyl of his mercy but into the vessels of a broken heart now the spirit of God by a sight and sense of our manifold infirmities doth empty us and work in us some kind of brokenness of heart and so fits us for mercy Secondly Again the spirit of God helps our infirmities likewise by acting his own graces in us by acting those beginnings of faith and love and humility and self-denial which he himself hath wrought in us Thirdly By stirring up in us holy motions holy desires and pantings and breathings after our heavenly Father even such breathings as these Psal 42.1 2. As the hart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God my soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God when wilt thou come to me when shall I come to thee And my soul followeth hard after God Fourthly The spirit of God helps our infirmimities by working in us a childlike-boldness enabling us to cry Abba Father we can come to God as a child to a Father Father I want this I want that God is delighted to hear the moan-makings of his poor children Fifthly By restraining Satan that he may not interrupt us and distract us in holy services for this is certain we seldom go to duty but Satan still stands at our right-hand When Joshua the high Priest stood before the Angel of the Lord Satan stood at his right-hand to resist him Zach. 3.2 But now Jesus Christ he is stronger than Satan and he by his spirit does rebuke him But there is one great objection I know will be ready to arise in every one of your hearts You say God is ready to hear and answer the prayers of his poor servants when they cry to him but some will say Experience seems to deny this Gods own servants pray oft and yet they have no answer nay God is sometimes angry with the prayers of his servants Psal 80.4 O Lord God of Hosts how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people the prophet Jeremy he professes he cryed to God and shouted and yet God shut out his prayers and wrapt himself in a cloud that his prayers should not pass through Lam. 3.44 Thou hast covered thy self with a cloud that our prayers should not pass through It may be some will say I have been praying for such a grace twenty thirty years together and yet have not got it for strength against such a corruption and yet have not got it For answer to this objection you must know First Gods people sometimes pray not when they seem to pray Secondly God hears his people when sometimes he seems not to hear First Gods people pray not when they seem to pray as when they pray coldly and carelesly this is as no prayer as the Apostle said in the like case When ye come together therefore into one place this is not to eat the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11.20 as if he should say irregular unprepared receiving is not receiving at all as good never a whit as never the better so here cold careless formal customary prayer is as no prayer Dan. 9.13 All this evil is come upon us yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God that me might turn from our iniquities and understand thy truth for these seventy years hath thine hand been heavy upon us yet we have not made our prayers before the Lord our God we made a shew of praying but our careless praying may be said to be no praying Again Gods people in praying may be said not to pray at all when they exercise only gifts in prayer and have not the grace of prayer for you must know the power and prevalency of
she was continually haunted with Satans temptations said she Satan I am but a weak woman I am not able to answer all thy cavils and objections but I will turn thee over to my Advocate I have an Advocate in Heaven to plead my cause and after that she was never solicited by him So do you turn over thy case to thy Advocate as a poor Client does that has got a learned and faithful Advocate leaves his cause with him turn over all to thy Advocate that appears in the presence of God continually for thee Heb. 9.24 For Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands which are the figures of the true but into heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us he appears as our Advocate And if God do not answer thee speedily or if he do not answer thee in the Letter of thy request yet if thou canst but get such a frame of heart as those three Worthies had Dan. 3.17.18 Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery-furnace and he will deliver us out of thy hand O King But if not be it known unto thee O King that we will not serve thy gods nor worship thy golden-image which thou hast set up So do thou say to Satan God is able to deliver me out of thy hands but yet if he do not I am resolved I will not yield unto thee Satan but I will lye at the feet of God and look up If God do but give such a gracious frame of spirit as this thou mayst be confident this Text shall be fulfilled to thee and that heaven and earth shall pass away before this truth shall pass away held forth in this Doctrine That Christs sufferings and temptations stir up in his heart a compassion to succour and relieve us in our sufferings and Temptations Fear of missing Salvation or the way to obtain Salvation HEB. IV. 1. Let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us of entring into his Rest any of you should seem to come short of it IN the last Text that I opened unto you out of 2 Tim. 1.10 And hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel I shewed you That the Salvation of God or eternal Life and Salvation was revealed to the sons of men by the preaching of the Gospel and how infinitely we stand indebted and engaged to our God for our Gospel-mercies and Priviledges that we are in a capacity of getting our souls saved that we sit not in darkness and in the shadow of death as others do that we are not aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel the Church of God as other are that we are not strangers to the Covenant of Grace Ephes 2.12 and strangers to the mysteries of Salvation and the way of Salvation revealed in the Gospel Certainly Brethren we shall never know how much we are indebted unto God nor can ever praise him enough for our Gospel-mercies until we come to Heaven That I aim at in the choice of this Text is to shew you and if it be possible to make you sensible of the infinite and unconceiveable danger of missing this Salvation this eternal Life that is held forth in the Gospel Let us therefore fear lest c. For as I shall shew you by Gods assistance if any of us who have the means of Salvation tendered to us in the Gospel and that hope of Salvation and the way to Salvation if any of us should come short of Salvation it were better a thousand times that we had never known the Gospel for none shall have a deeper place in Hell than they that have had Gospel-opportunities and have not known in that their day the things that belong to their peace And certainly the tears of Hell are not sufficient to bewail the loss of Heaven the loss of Salvation Let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us of entring into his rest any of you should seem to come short of it For the connexion of this or the coherence of these words with the former Chapter take it thus briefly If you look upon this Epistle to the Hebrews with a discerning eye you shall see that the scope of the Apostle is to lift up the Lord Jesus Christ in his three glorious Offices of a King of a Priest and of a Prophet and to shew his Dignity and Preheminence above the Angels in Chap. 1 above Moses in Chap. 3 above Aaron in Chap. 7. Now the Apostle proving in Chap. 3 the Dignity of the Lord Jesus Christ above Moses although Moses was the most eminent man that ever lived upon the earth there was none that ever had more acquaintance with God talking with him familiarly as a man talks with his friend and therefore he was said to be a King in Jesurun yet the Apostle proves the Dignity and Preheminence of Jesus Christ above Moses in Chap. 3.5 6 saith the Apostle And Moses verily was faithful in all his house that is in the Church of God as a servant for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after but Jesus Christ as a Son over his own house and therefore Christ is far above Moses And he takes occasion from hence to lay down this serious Exhortation to these Hebrews and in them to all succeeding Christians that they should take heed that they do not harden their hearts against the voice of Jesus Christ in ver 15 of the foregoing Chapter To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts as in the provocation Harden not your hearts against Christ against the voice of Christ in his Word that this Exhortation might take the deeper impression the Apostle puts them in mind of a dreadful example of Gods wrath and indignation executed upon the stubborn Israelites in the Wilderness they hardned their hearts they believed not his Word and therefore God was so offended with them that their carcasses perish in the Wilderness yea the Lord took an Oath he sware that they should never enter into his Rest Having laid down this dreadful example of Gods wrath in ver 17.18 of the foregoing Chapter thereupon he infers this serious admonition That all Christians should take heed that they run not into the same danger that they did and that they do not deprive themselves of that eternal Rest that is laid up in Heaven as the Israelites deprived themselves of the Rest of Canaan Let us therefore saith the Apostle fear lest a promise being left us of entring into his Rest any of you should seem to come short of it So then in the Text you may take notice of these three particulars 1. You have a serious Premonition or forewarning in these words Let us therefore fear 2. You have the ground or foundation of this Premonition in these words Lest a promise being left us of entring into his Rest 3. A dreadful danger discovered in case this warning be neglected in these
words Any of you seem to come short of it that is short of that Eternal Rest that is promised In the first the serious Premonition or forewarning you have these two particulars First the occasion of this Premonition in this word Therefore Now this word therefore hath reference to something that went before in the foregoing Chapter the Apostle had told us of a generation of sinners in the Wilderness that had provoked the Lord to anger for forty years together insomuch that the Lord sware that they should not enter into his Rest and so it came to pass for of six hundred thousand that came out of Egypt there were but two namely Caleb and Joshua that entred into the Land of Canaan I say not above two of those that were above twenty years old that entred into the Land of Canaan but their carcasses fell in the Wilderness the Wilderness was their grave therefore saith he because of this dreadful example of Gods wrath upon these stubborn Israelites Let us fear it is as if he should say let their wo be our warning their destruction should be our instruction from hence you may take this point of Doctrine The examples of Gods wrath upon other sinnners should make us very careful to shun their sins And then secondly You have the Premonition it self in these words Let us therefore fear and from thence you may take this Observation The life of a Christian must be a life of fear The whole course of a Christians life must be a course of godly and watchful fear And then you have the ground or foundation of this Premonition in these words Lest a promise being left us of entring into his Rest wherein you have three particulars 1. That there is a heavenly Rest an eternal Rest prepared this the Apostle takes for granted He speaks here of entring into this Rest therefore there is a Rest prepared from whence you may take this Observation That there is a Rest prepared in Heaven for Gods people 2. This Rest is not only prepared but it is also promised Observe here saith the Apostle Lest a promise being left us of entring into his Rest from hence you may observe That the Rest prepared in Heaven for Gods People is not only prepared but also promised to all them that do believe 3. Take notice This Rest though it be prepared and promised may yet be left and forsaken by those to whom the promise is tendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for so the word here in the original signifies lest the promise be forsaken I know our translation reads the word thus lest a promise being left us as if so be this were the sense of it lest a promise being given us lest a promise being left us as a Legacy lest a promise being bestowed upon us but the word Vs is not in the Original nor in the old Translation as a late Learned Eminent Writer in his Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews observes Dr. Gouge the old Translation seems to come nearest the sense which reads it thus Lest by forsaking the promise we be deprived of that rest so that although the promise be made though the promise of entring into rest be tendered to many yet notwithstanding this Promise may be left may be forsaken the words being taken in this sense you may observe this Proposition or Doctrine from them Though God be infinitely gracious in making a promise of eternal Rest yet many there are that do shamefully forsake this Promise The third and last branch of the Text is the dreadful danger discovered in case this Premonition be neglected that is in these words Lest any of you should seem to come short of it you have three particulars First The Persons that must avoid this dreadful danger in these words Any of you It is very observable here how jealous the Apostle is of these Hebrews lest any of them should prove Apostates and Backsliders and fall off from their profession and principles and so forsake the Promise and by forsaking the Promise should come short of eternal Rest from whence you may take this Observation or point of Doctrine In matters of soul-concernment Christians should be very jealous not only of themselves but of others also Secondly Observe the manner or extent of avoiding this dreadful danger in this phrase seem lest any seem to come short of it it is as if the Apostle should say It is not enough for you to abstain from Apostacy and Back-sliding which will cause your coming short of Heaven but you must avoid the very seeming and appearance of it it is not enough that you do not utterly fall away but you must likewise take heed that you give no occasion to others to think that you are fallen away or like to fall away from whence you may observe this Doctrine That it is not enough for Christians to abstain from evil but they must also abstain from the appearance of evil and avoid the occasions of danger But I come to the third and last particular in the last branch of the Text which is indeed the most awakening and soul-shaking truth that you meet with in the whole Book of God that is the unconceivable damage or unvaluable loss that will fall upon them that do neglect the Apostles Premonition here that is that the shall come short of eternal life lest any of you saith he should seem to come short of it or lest any of you should be deprived of that eternal Rest that is prepared for and promised to all those that do believe so then in this last particular in the last branch of the Text there is something implyed and something expressed that which is implyed is this That it is possible for those that do profess the truth to come short of heaven or else the Apostle would not have set down this Premonition here and then that which is exprest is this That it is a most unvaluable and unconceivable loss to come short of Heaven so then from hence there are these two points of Doctrine I shall commend to you and truly they are two very startling and awakening Truths as by Gods assistance you shall hear in the prosecution of them And the first Doctrine is this Doct. 1. That it is possible for many that profess the truth and are confident that they are in a state of grace and seem to come very near to Heaven yet for all that to come short of Heaven Doct. 2. To come short of Heaven or that eternal happiness which is prepared for the Saints in light is a most dreadful unconceivable unvaluable irrecoverable loss a loss that should be trembled at by all sorts of persons whatsoever I begin with the first Doctrine That it is possible for many that do profess the truth or true Religion and are confident that they do belong to God and are in a state of Grace and do seem to come very near to Heaven yet for all
their faith is true Faith when it is but Fancy they think their Repentance is true Repentance when it is but Worldly-sorrow they think their obedience is true Obedience when it is but Hypocrisie It may be they take Civility for Sanctity and natural parts for true Piety it may be they take Restraining-grace for Renewing-grace and so they are deceived in their spiritual Estates Thousands there are that deceive themselves in this particular Thirdly It may be demanded But how comes it to pass that it is possible for men to come near to Heaven and yet come short of Heaven For answer to this I shall give you but two Reasons First Men come near Heaven and yet come short of Heaven because they will not come up to the price I do not mean the price of merit I abhor that opinion to think that we can merit Heaven but my meaning is this they do not come up to the price of means though nothing can be done by way of merit yet much must be done in the use of means my meaning is they will not do that which Jesus Christ would have them do they will not suffer that which must be suffered they will not forsake that which must be forsaken 1. They will not do that which Jesus Christ would have them do for Example they will not walk exactly they will not renew their repentance they will not set about the work of God with all their might and mind and strength they will not work out their salvation with fear and trembling there is much to be done many duties to be done from a right principle in a right manner and to a right end 2. They will not suffer that which is to be suffered our Saviour saith If any man will come after me let him deny himself take up his cross and follow me You must be content to bear his Cross as well as to wear his Crown Now this they will not do Again They will not forsake that which must be forsaken our Saviour saith a man must part with his right-eye and right-hand any thing that stands in opposition to or that comes in competition with him Now men will not do they will not suffer they will not forsake what Christ would have them It fares with them as with a pedling Chapman who likes a Commodity well but he will not come up to the price of it men are willing to do something but they will not do so much as is required they will not proportion their labour according to their work they will not make up the hedg according to the breach This is certain many there are that come short of Heaven because they do not use the utmost of their endeavours for the prosecution of the end many come short of Heaven because of their slight endeavours in the way of heaven Luke 13 Strive to enter in at the strait gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able What is the reason they only seek but do not strive It is not enough for you to seek to enter in at the strait gate unless you strive and you must strive as in an Agony so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies the Original Secondly A second reason is this Why some men come so near Heaven and yet come short of Heaven Because of their Apostacy they begin in the spirit and end in the flesh they put their hands to the Plow and look back you did run well who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth Gal. 5.7 You do not obey it constantly you are not steady and firm in the truth but you are starting aside like a broken bow falling from the truth in their profession and in their practice of Religion These are the reasons why men come near Heaven and yet come short of Heaven And thus I have proved the Point in the three Branches of it Now what use shall we make of it The Use is this by way of Conviction Oh what terrour may this strike into the hearts of all those who are only Nominal Christians that have a name only to live and in the mean time are dead that have a form of Godliness but are as great strangers to the power of it as Pagans are to the profession of it Oh what terrour may this strike into the hearts of all you that come short of those that come short of Heaven and if you come short of those that come short of heaven what will become of you For example May a man be a frequenter of the Word of God May a man make conscience of keeping the Sabbath I mean for the external observation of it May a man be a countenancer of Religion and yet come short of Heaven then what will become of them that neglect Ordinances What will become of them to whom the Word of the Lord is a burden The word of the Lord is unto them a reproach they have no delight in it Jer. 16.10 And what will become of them that say of the service of the Lord What a weariness is it Mal. 1.13 What a weariness is it to wait on God and to hear Sermons If a man may be a Believer and yet come short of Heaven I mean a temporary Believer to believe for a while then what will become of them that believe not at all believe none of the Precepts of God to obey them nor the promises to embrace them nor the threatnings to tremble at them If a man have outward reformation and yet come short of Heaven What then will become of them that have no reformation at all that wallow in the mire of their sins What will become of Lyars and Swearers and Drunkards The Pharisees were no friends to those gross sins and yet they came short of Heaven Oh that this might awaken all those that are yet asleep in their sins that are rockt in the Devils Cradle and that do not understand their own condition May a man have natural parts and qualifications and yet come short of Heaven What will become of them that are Sots in matters of Religion that have not obtained to their A B C in Religion but are ignorant of the fundamentals of Religion May a man have some superficial tasts and beginnings of grace and give his assent to the truths of the Gospel May he receive the word of God with joy May he be moved at a Sermon and have a resolution to obey and reform many things and yet come short of Heaven then how doleful and dreadful is their condition that have no affection to nor no delight in the Word of the Lord that have no purposes of new and better obedience but they come to hear the Word out of Formality and Custom and not to get any spiritual advantage to their own souls Oh! if this were seriously thought upon it would make Sinners to look about them and to fall down at the feet of God
with God be much in treasuring up grace against the day of glory as wicked men treasure up wrath against the day of wrath Study to be better acquainted not only with the principles of Religion but with the power of godliness Get more Communion with Christ and influence of grace from him get more conformity to him O mind this business of Eternity of getting this Crown that is laid up for those that hold out and persevere I conclude this Text with that in Rom. 2.7 To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality Eternal life MERCY DESPISED AND GOD PROVOKED thereby PSAL. CVI. 24. Yea they despised the pleasant Land and believed not his Word IN the last Sermons which I gave you out of Heb. 4.1 Let us therefore fear lest a Promise being left us of entring into his Rest any of you should seem to come short of it I shewed you what a dreadful invaluable unconceivable and irrecoverable loss it was to come short of that eternal Rest that God hath prepared for the Saints in Light In losing of Heaven you shall lose the presence of God in whose presence is fulness of joy and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore In losing of Heaven you shall lose the favour of God never never to enjoy a smile of his Face never to lie under the hope of one drop of mercy In losing Heaven you shall lose fellowship and communion with God that eternal happiness which is the portion of the Saints such an invaluable loss that Eternity it self will be little enough to deplore it and bewail it My Design in the choice of this Text is to shew you from it what one main cause is why men come short of that eternal happiness namely their despising and undervaluing those glorious hopes that are laid up in Heaven as the despising the Land of Canaan was the main reason why so many thousands of the Israelites were excluded from the Land of Canaan as the Text here tells you Yea they despised the pleasant Land they believed not his Word Many were the provoking-sins that the people of Israel stood guilty of after that the Lord had wrought that glorious deliverance for them in bringing them out of the Land of Egypt as the Psalmist reckons up a whole Catalogue of them in this excellent Psalm wherein my Text lies As First Their Rebellion at the Red sea in the 7 verse Our Fathers understood not thy Wonders in Egypt they remembred not the multitude of thy mercies but provoked him at the Sea even at the red Sea where God had wrought that glorious deliverance for them for you know they were ready to distrust the Power of God and they murmured against Moses the Servant of God Exod. 14.11 And they said unto Moses Because there were no Graves in Egypt hast thou taken us away to die in the Wilderness Wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us to carry us forth out of Egypt Secondly Another sin was their murmuring for want of flesh in the 14 ver of this Psalm But lusted exceedingly or they lusted with a very great lust Nothing but flesh forsooth would serve their turn they would not be contented with the provision that God made for them of Manna which was Angels Food which was called Angels food because that if so be the glorious Angels in Heaven should want bread for their entertainment and provision if they stood in need of bread they could not have better bread than that which God fed the Israelites with from Heaven every day but this would not content them they murmured and lusted exceedingly after flesh Thirdly Another sin was their Sedition and their Conspiracy against Moses and against Aaron in the 16 verse They envyed Moses also in the Camp and Aaron the Saint of the Lord You take too much upon you you sons of Levi why should you be more holy than we are not all the Congregation holy This was a horrible provocation that made the Lord to cause the earth to open and swallow up Corah Dathan and Abiram The fourth sin they were guilty of was their despising or undervaluing the pleasant Land that God gave them in the words of the Text Yea they despised the Pleasant Land they believed not his Word So then in the Text you may take notice of these two Particulars First Israels horrible ingratitude in this Phrase They despised the Pleasant Land Secondly The ground of that Ingratitude in these words They believed not his Word For the first First Israels horrible Ingratitude They despised the Pleasant Land By a pleasant Land here is meant the Land of Canaan that Land of Promise that God had promised to Abraham four hundred and thirty years before ever they did enjoy it and it is called in the Hebrew a Land of Desires or a desirable Land as dainty food is called Meat of Desires Job 33.20 in the Hebrew So that his Life abhorreth bread and his Soul dainty meat or meat of Desires This same dainty Land this same desirable Land this same pleasant Land this Land of Promise they despised they rejected they contemptuously scorned so the Original word properly signifies Now consider this Land of Canaan here which they despised in a two-fold Notion First As it was an earthly Possession Secondly As it was a Type or Pledg or Earnest-penny of that heavenly Inheritance laid up for the Saints in Light And you shall see in both these respects their despising this Land was horrible Ingratitude First Consider it in the first Notion namely as it was an earthly Possession it was very great Ingratitude But consider it in the second Notion namely as it was a Pledg and earnest-penny of the heavenly Inheritance so it was a far greater Ingratitude Take it in the first Notion for an earthly Possession so the Doctrine you may observe from thence is this Doct. That despising or undervaluing of those outward blessings and favours that God bestows upon a people is a God-provoking sin a sin of great Ingratitude This you see was the sin of Israel after they came out of the Land of Egypt to despise any Land that God should bestow upon them but especially considering that they had been bondmen in Egypt that they that had undergone such a base servitude that they had undergone-such burthens of Tyranny for God to bring them out of such a condition into a Land this had been a great mercy but to bring them into such a Land a Land flowing with Milk and Honey to bring them into a Land so desirable This certainly was a grievous provocation especially if you consider what Land this was for First It was very delightful in regard of the Scituation of it Canaan being scituated as Geographers observe in the midst or Center of the whole Earth for it had Asia upon the East and Europe upon the West and Africa upon the South and America and Scythia and Persia upon the North
will you not run do you not strive to enter Again You say you do not undervalue Heaven I beseech you consider What are you content to part with for Heaven will you sell all to buy this Pearl Will you part with any thing that stands in opposition to your hopes Will you take Christ in his own way and on his own terms and in his own time Can you be content to swallow down some discouragements and difficulties and temptations and bless God for them and say One smile of thy face will recompence a thousand years of adversity If I have Christ for my portion and Heaven in reversion though I carry a Rod of affliction at my back every day though I am fed with the water of affliction and with the bread of adversity Heaven will make amends for all But alas How many have weak hands and feeble knees and are not able to go on in the way of Salvation and will not come up to the price of Salvation Do not deceive your felves These are plain down-right Truths bottomed upon Scripture if I speak not the truth believe me not but if I do some of you have cause with serious self-reflection to smite upon your Thighs and you have cause greatly to fear this despising and undervaluing this heavenly Inheritance is your sin and Oh that it might be your sorrow and shame Secondly This Doctrine may justly serve for to reprove and I profess I know no reproof sharp enough for such persons as despise and undervalue that heavenly Inheritance that God hath prepared for the Saints in Light Let me say to some of you as God speaks Acts 15.41 Behold ye despisers and wonder and perish So say I Hearken ye despisers hearken ye secure careless sensless sottish Atheists I can call you no better Oh you that have such slight thoughts of Heaven you that look upon this heavenly Inheritance but as imaginary a Fools Paradise or as a meer conceit rather than any real existent thing you that never yet set your hearts and souls to seek the Lord Jesus Christ and his Kingdom you whose hearts are buried in Earth and Earthly things who mind nothing but Earth nothing in the World but raising great Estates and satisfying the brutish part of your selves Tell me Do you think that ever you shall enjoy this external Inheritance which you have despised Shall you ever taste of that everlasting happiness which you have so much undervalued Will the Lord cast Pearls before Swine Will he hang such a Jewel such an unvaluable Jewel which is better worth than ten thousand Worlds will be hang such a Jewel on a Swines snout No no you deceive your selves if you think so Do you think that Heaven will drop into your mouths as you lie a-dying Do you think our Saviour speaks in vain when he says Matth. 11.12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force If Heaven could be purchas'd with a Lord have mercy upon us if it could be procured in such a cold lazy luke-warm way as you walk in then certainly our blessed Saviour did not know what he said his exhorting to strive to enter in at the strait gate was to no purpose But if prizing of this Salvation and striving or this Salvation to the end of your lives if these must go before enjoying then as sure as the Lord lives you careless secure sottish Sinners that mind nothing less than that one thing necessary assure your selves you shall never have a portion in that Inheritance which is prepared for the Saints in Light no there is another place prepared for such Dogs and Swine as they are called that place without Rev. 22.15 For without are Dogs and Sorcerers and Whoremongers and Murtherers and Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lye You all cry out of Esau a prophane wretch the Spirit of God brands him for it a prophane Atheist that sold his Birth right for a Mess of Pottage he sold his Birth-right which was a Type of Heaven he sold this for an old Song as we say And you that neglect and undervalue and despise Heaven you are guilty of the same sin and have you not as prophane spirits as he You cry out of Judas because he sold his Master for thirty pieces of silver Oh hearken impenitent sottish Sinner It may be thou sellest Christ and Heaven and Glory and all may be for a base lust a base lye thou sellest it for some considerable advantage as thou conceivest for the present though at last it will be like Gravel in the Throat Take home this reproof with you the Lord set it home upon your Souls you that never set your hearts souls to seek the Lord. I have done with a word of Exhortation That is I beseech you and exhort you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that you would take heed of this God-provoking Soul-damning sin take heed of undervaluing this heavenly Inheritance Let it not be said of any of you that you despised the pleasant Land instead of despising it do you highly prise it and say as David Psalm 119.174 I have longed for thy salvation O Lord and thy Law is my delight And what a kind of longing was it Not a cold wish such a wish as Balaam had O that I might die the death of the Righteous that Heaven might drop into my mouth then but I would live as I list it was not such a desire no says David I have longed for thy salvation what then Thy Law is my delight That is a right longing that is accompanied with an endeavour he rightly longs for the Salvation of God that delights in the Commands of God In the 123 ver of the same Psalm Mine eyes fail in waiting for thy Salvation Look as the Lord Jesus Christ will never bestow himself upon that Soul that does not pant and breathe and break with longing desires after him So likewise he will never bestow this heavenly Inheritance upon that Soul that does not most earnestly wishfully and industriously pant after him and long for him and seek him that you may prize him Take heed in the fear of God of those four causes of undervaluing this Salvation First Take heed of Earthly-mindedness beg that you may be digged out of the thick Mire and Clay say Give me not my portion here O Lord How sad will it be with me if thou puttest me off only with these outward things Secondly Take heed of sloathfulness and sluggishness in the service of God and in seeking this Salvation Rom. 12.11 Not sloathful in business sèrvent in Spirit serving the Lord. Seek the Lord and seek his Salvation with all your might mind and strength Thirdly Be content to part with any thing for Christ take heed of placing your love upon the Creature be content to part with any thing that stands in opposition to or in competition with