from the evil of your doings yet ye have not harkned unto me Jer. 2.25 With hold thy feet but thou saidst no for I have loved strangers and after them I will go 3. Many men are so unwilling to leave their sins that none of God's judgments nor mercies will prevail with them to forsake their sins Great judgments will not do it Prov. 27.22 Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a Morter among Wheat with a Pestle yet will not his foolishness depart from him Isa 1.5 Why should ye be stricken any more ye will revolt more and more Amos 4.6 to the 12th verse Neither will great mercies prevail with many men to leave their sins Isa 1.2 I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against me Yea there is a very great unwillingness in most men to leave their sins now I shall lay down some arguments to perswade you to be willing to forsake all your sins in order to your being partakers of Christ and all his saving benefits 1. Either you must leave your sins or leave Christ You cannot have Christ and his saving benefits and continue in your sins Math. 6.24 No man can serve two Masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other Ye cannot serve God and Mammon The like may be said of enjoying Christ ye cannot enjoy Christ and enjoy your sins too for either you will hate your sins and love Christ or you will hold to your sins and despise Christ And therefore what Christ said to the Jews concerning his Disciples Joh. 18.8 If ye seek me let these go their way That may I say to you concerning your sins if ye seek Christ and would have Christ ye must let these go away That we must part with our sins or part with Christ for ever is evident these ways 1. Because he requireth of all those that will become his Disciples and have Salvation by him that they depart from Iniquity 2 Tim. 2.19 The foundation of God standeth sure having this Seal the Lord knoweth them that are his And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity Our Lord Jesus Christ will not own any one man for his that doth not depart from iniquity it is the immutable purpose of God that no man shall have Salvation by Christ that doth not depart from his sins Luk. 13.5 I tell you nay but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish .. 2. Our iniquities separate between us and our God Isa 59.2 Your iniquities have seperated between you and your God And if we continue ever in our sins there will be an eternal separation between God and our Souls 3. At the great day of judgment he will not own one Man Woman or Child for his or admit any into his Kingdom that have been workers of iniquity but that would not depart from their sins shall depart from Christ for ever though they have prophesied in Christs name and cast out Devils and done many other wonderous works Math. 7.23 24. Many will say unto me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name c. And then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye workers of Iniquitie Now is it not better parting with our sins than parting with Christ and the Kingdom of Heaven for ever What is there in sin that should make us more willing to part with Christ than to part with our sins 2. God makes great proffers and great promises of very great things that he will give to us and do for us if we will forsake our sins that he may perswade us to be willing to leave our sins If any ask why what will God do for us what will he give to us if we will forsake our sins A. 1. If we will forsake our sins God will receive us into his love and favour and will bestow himself upon us for our God and accept us for his people he will become our Father and own us for his Sons and Daughters Jer. 7.24 Obey my voice and I will be your God and ye shall be my people 2 Cor. 6.17 18. Come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord God Almighty 2. If we will forsake our sins the Lord will forgive us all our sins for ever and will not so much as mention any of our sins unto us Ezek. 33.15 16. When I say unto the wicked thou shalt surely dy if he turn from his sin None of his sins which he hath committed shall be mentioned to him he shall surely live Isa 1.16 17 18. Cease to do evil and learn to do well Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as scarlet they shall be white as snow though they have been red like crimson they shall be as wool Isa 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his way and return unto the Lord for he will abundantly pardon 3. If we will leave our sins God will pour out his Holy Spirit upon us to dwell in us for ever to enlighten quicken sanctifie and comfort us under all our troubles Prov. 1.23 Turn ye at my reproos behold I will pour out my Spirit unto you Act. 2.38 Repent and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost 4. If we will turn from our sins God will take us into covenant with himself and give us all the blessings of the new Covenant Isa 59.20 21. The Redeemer shall come to him and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob. As for me this is my covenant with them See here with whom God makes his Covenant his Covenant is with them that turn from transgression in Jacob. And when he makes a Covenant with us his Covenant is to give us Grace and Glory and to withhold no good thing from us 5. If we will forsake our sins the Lord will save us from the torments of Hell for ever and give to us his Heavenly Kingdom Job 33 27 28. He looked upon me and if any say I have sinned and perverted that which was right and it profited me not He will deliver his Soul from going down into the pit and his life shall see the light What is there in sin that we should refuse all these great things rather than leave our sins 3. Consider that Sin is the greatest evil in the world that there is nothing doth us so much mischief and is so prejudicial to our wellfare as sin is and that may make us willing to forsake our sins See what an evil thing sin is 1. Sin is worse than any affliction as the Sword Pestilence Famine Poverty noysome Diseases c. For neither Sword nor Famine or any other affliction can separate us from the love
of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief Luk. 19.10 The son of man is come to seek and save that which was lost Hos 13.9 O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thy help There is help in Christ not only for such as have hurt themselves for such as have wounded sorely wounded themselves but for such as have destroyed them yea though they be Israelites which is an aggravation of their sin and misery for its worse for an Israelite then for a Moabite or an Egyptian to destroy himself Here is the extremity of misery destruction and the height of sin which is for a man to be the Author of his own destruction yet there is help in Christ for such as are undone destroyed and have been the Authors of their own destruction O Israel thou bast destroyed thy self but in me is thy help And as our Lord Jesus came into the world purposely to save lost and undone sinners so he is able to save perfectly those that come to him and unto God by him from all their sins and all their misery Heb. 7.25 Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them And as there is Salvation to be had in Christ for lost and perishing sinners so this Salvation is to be had no where else and by no other way or means whatsoever but by Christ Act. 4.12 Neither is their Salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be savtd Isa 43.11 I even I am the Lord and besides me there is no Saviour We are not able to save our selves neither can all the men on earth or all the Angels of heaven save us We cannot save our selves by any ways or devices of our own or by any works or duties that we can perform if we could any way save our selves it must be either by fleeing from God and hiding our selves where God should not find us out but that is impossible for God filleth Heaven and Earth and is present in all places so that a man cannot flee from God or hide himself where God should not find him Jer. 23.24 Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord Do not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord. Psal 139.7 8 9 10. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit or whither shall I flee from thy presence If I ascend up into heaven thou art there c. Or else it must be by doing some works whereby we may procure the pardon of our sins and the Salvation of our Souls Neither of these can be purchased with mony If a man would give all that he hath in the world to purchase the love of God and the pardon of his sins and the Salvation of his Soul it would be despised and contemned Cant. 8.7 If a man would give all the substance of his house for love it would utterly be contemned Job 36.18 19. Because there is wrath beware lest he take thee away with his stroke then a great ransome cannot deliver thee Will he esteem thy riches no not gold nor all the forces of thy strength It is a most detestable thought for a man to think that the gifts of God can be purchased with mony Act. 8.20 Thy mony perish with thee because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with mony And as we cannot purchase our pardon and Salvation so neither can we obtain it by any works of Righteousness that we are able to do Rom. 3.20 By the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight Tit. 3.5 Not by works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us And as we are not able to save our selves so neither can any men on earth or angels of Heaven save us Psal 60.11 Give us help from trouble for vain is the help of man And if man can't save us from troubles on earth then much less from the torments of hell Jer. 3.23 Truly in vain is Salvation hoped for from the hills or from the multitude of mountains truly in the Lord our God is the Salvation of Israel By the hills and mountains we may understand either 1. Their Fortifications which were very strong by reason of the hills and mountains There were many hills and mountains round about Jerusalem which made it very strong Psal 125.2 As the mountains are round about Jerusalem And therefore called the hill country Luk. 1.39 Or 2. By the hills and mountains may be understood the mighty Kings and Princes of other Nations that had promised them aid and assistance Hos 7.11 Hos 5.13 Isa 31.1 Or 3. The Idols which they worshipped on the hills and the mountains Jer. 2.20 Jer. 3.6 'T is as much as to say Salvation is to be had from no creatures from none of the Gods of the Heathen but only from the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ 3. If you would get a saving interest in Christ know and consider well that God maketh a free and general offer of Jesus Christ and all his saving benefits unto every one that findeth a want of him and is willing to receive him I say Jesus Christ and Salvation by Christ as all things requisite to Salvation is offered freely to every one that findeth the want of him and is willing to receive him Rev. 22.17 And let him that is a thirst come and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely For opening of this Scripture let us observe 1. Here is an offer of Christ and Salvation by Christ Let him take the water of Life By the water of Life understand Jesus Christ and those saving benefits we have by Christ Christ and Salvation by Christ is set out by the water of life For as Christ is the bread of life Joh. 6.48 I am that bread of life So he is also the water of life and as he is called the bread of life because he giveth eternal life to those that are pertakers of him Joh. 6.51 I am the living bread which came down from Heaven if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever So he is called the water of life because he giveth eternal life to those that are partakers of him And as Christ himself is signified by the water of life so also are his saving benefits Remission of sins is set out by clean water Ezek. 36.25 I will sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean The Spirit of Christ and his saving graces are compared to water Joh. 7.38 39. Eternal Life and Salvation is set out by Fountains of living waters Rev. 7.17 2. The offer of Christ and Salvation by Christ is general it is to every one whosoever he be that finds his want of him and is willing
when thus menaced by the King Be it known unto thee O King that we will not serve thy Gods nor Worship the Golden Image which thou hast set up Neither the hope of the greatest gain nor fear of the greatest punishment should make us go against the word of Christ in things pertaining to the worship of God 3. The word of Christ is to be the rule of our Conversations We must not make our gain our rule our credit or the example of others but the word of Christ Ps 119.105 Thy word is a Lamp unto my feet and a Light unto my path In doubtless cases we must make Gods Testimonies our Counsellors And after we have consulted with the word what we find agreable to the mind of Christ that we must do though it be cross to our own interests and what is contrary to the word that we must avoid though it would be very beneficial to us Thus David Psal 119.24 Thy Testimonies also are my delight and my Counsellors Thus the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 13.7 VVe can do nothing against the Truth but for the Truth It was an excellent speech of Balaam and worthy our imitation although he did not do what he said Numb 22.18 If Balak would give me his house full of Silver and Gold I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God to do less or more We may know that we recieve Christ as our Priest these ways 1. If we look for remission of our sins and Eternal Life not by any works of Righteousness which we have done but from the mercy of God and the merits of Christ who offered up himself to God a Sacrifice for our sins Rom. 5.9 Being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him Tit. 3.5 Not by works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us Act. 15.11 But we believe that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they See also Gal. 2.16 2. When we ground our Faith and Hope for audience and acceptance of our Prayers upon the intercession of Christ Heb. 10.21 22. And having an high Priest over the house of God let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith Dan. 9.17 O our God! hear the Prayer of thy Servant and his Supplications and cause thy face to shine upon thy Sanctuary which is desolate for the Lords sake We may know that we recieve Christ as our Lord these ways 1. If we are willing to be ruled and governed by Christ Many men are unwilling to recieve Christ for their Lord to rule them that would have him for their Saviour to save them from wrath to come They say in their hearts as they did Luk. 19.14 We will not have this man to Reign over us Then we are willing to be Ruled and Governed by Christ when we yield ready obedience to his word and the motions of his Spirit For Christ Rules us by his Word and Spirit What Pharaoh said to Joseph Gen. 42.14 According to thy word shall all my People be ruled So may I say here They that recieve Christ as Lord they are all Ruled according to his word Now we may know that we are willing to be Ruled by the word of Christ 1. When in doubtfull cases we consult the word of Christ and desire to know the mind of Christ VVhen we say with the Apostle Lord what wilt thou have me to do Act. 9.6 VVhen we say with David Ps 143.8 Make me to know the way wherein I should go Psal 86.11 Teach me thy way and I will walk in thy Truth And that we may find out the mind of Christ we make his Testimonies our Counsellors as was hinted before 2. Such as are willing to be ruled by Christ as soon as they understand this or the other thing to be the mind of Christ they yield obedience to it Psal 18.44 As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me Psal 119.60 I made hast I delayed not to keep thy Commandments 3. Such as embrace Christ for their Lord their hearts stand in awe of the word of Christ they are afraid of Transgressing his commands Prov. 13.13 He that feareth the Commandment shall be rewarded Yea there is greater awe upon the word of Christ than the word of Princes If Princes command one thing and Christ another and Princes will persecute us because we are not obedient to them yet Christs Subjects stand in such awe of his word that they will not swerve from his word for avoiding troubles and persecutions from the greatest men on earth Psal 119.161 Princes have Persecuted me without a cause but my heart standeth in awe of thy word 2. As we may know we have received Christ for our Lord by our willingness to be governed by his word so also by our submiting our selves to all the disposals of Providence-relating to us or any of ours For it belongs to Christ as King to govern the world All power in Heaven and Earth is committed to him the Government is upon his should 〈◊〉 the Father hath committed all judgement into the hands of the Son Now such as receive Christ for their Lord submit themselves to 〈◊〉 the disposals of Providence without frâ—… or murmuring at their losses and crosses and that because it is the Lord that doth all that befalls them 1 Sam. 3.18 It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good 2 Sam. 15.26 But if he thus say I have no delight in him Behold here am I let him do to me as seemeth good unto him 2. We may know that 〈◊〉 recieve 〈◊〉 aright when we receive 〈…〉 heartily By receiving 〈…〉 mean when we understand on what terms Christ is willing to bestow himself upon us what he requires from those that will become his disciples and when we judge those terms to be equal to be good to be submitted to with chearfulness By receiving Christ heartily I mean a cordial and through complyance with those terms on which Christ will accept us for his disciples We must receive Christ judiciously that is understand the terms on which Christ will become ours and accept us for his and judge those terms worthy of all acceptation What these terms are on which he is willing to receive us for his disciples I will shew out of two or three Scriptures Mark 8.34 Whosoever will come after me let him deny himself take up his cross and follow me Luk. 14.33 So likewise whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath cannot be my disciple And ver 26. If any man come to me and hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yea and his own life also he cannot be my disciple Hating is not to be understood absolutely but comparatively For it is not lawful to hate father or mother or brother He that hateth his brother is a murderer but hating is less
and conversing with Angels did not could not satisfie her as long as she wanted Christ 7. We may know that we are Christs when we make it our great care to live and dye to the Lord. For they are most certainly the Lords that live and dye to the Lord. Rom. 14.7 8. For none of us liveth to himself and no man dyeth to himself For whether we live we live unto the Lord and whether we dye we dye unto the Lord whether we live therefore or dye we are the Lords But when may we be said to live unto the Lord and to dye unto the Lord. A. 1. VVhen we do not live according to our own minds and our own wills but we frame our lives by the will of God revealed in his word 1 Pet. 4.2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God They that live according to the will of God have no cause to doubt their interest in Christ For Christ owns loves and reckons upon them as his Brethren Mat. 12.50 Whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in Heaven the same is my Brother and Sister and Mother Now we may discern that we live according to the will of God these ways 1. VVhen we are careful to know and find out the will of God They that live according to the will of God observe that command of Christ Eph. 5.17 Be ye not unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is And if they be in doubt which way to steer their course they are careful to find out the will of God they do not consult so much what will be for their profit what their own inclinations lead them to what others would have them to do but what God would have them to do Act. 9.6 Lord what wilt thou have me to do And they are unwilling to engage in any business of moment till they have consulted the mind of God and found out what is his will They say to God as the Apostle did to Philemon Phil. 2.14 VVithout thy mind I would do nothing 2. VVhen we can and do resign up our wills to the will of God in cases of greatest moment and highest concernment when we deny our own wills and prefer the will of God before our own then we live according to the will of God Luk. 22.42 Father if thou be willing remove this cup from me nevertheless not my will but thy will be done Our Lord Jesus was very earnest to have the cup removed and therefore prayed that if it were possible it might pass from him and it was a case of the greatest moment yet he resigned up his will to the will of God 3. Then we live according to the will of God when we make the will of God the rule and the ground of our actions By making the will of God the rule of our actions I mean this when we are carefull to do nothing but what is agreable to the will of God and shun those things that are contrary to his will By making the will of God the ground of our actions I mean this when we do this or that because it is the will of God We find David in all that service he did for his Generation had respect to the will of God Act. 13.36 David after he had served his own Generation by the will of God fell on sleep The Apostle Paul in the exercise of his Calling and Ministerial work as he was an Apostle had respect to the will of God 2 Tim. 1 1. Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God 2. Then we live unto the Lord when we do not live unto our selves and seek and carry on our own ends but seek the honour and pleasing and enjoying God 2 Cor. 5.15 He dyed for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him that dyed for them They that live to the Lord do not in some one particular action seek the glory of God but they resolve by the help of Gods grace to shew forth his praise and seek his glory as long as they live Psal 146.2 VVhile I live I will praise the Lord I will sing praises unto my God while I have any Being 3. Then we live to the Lord when the great end why we desire life and the main design that we drive on in the whole course of our lives is to service for Christ in our Generation and to be fitted to live with Christ in Heaven This was the end the Apostle desired to live and the great design he drove on to do service for Christ Phil. 1.21 To me to live is Christ And the main thing the Psalmist had in his eye Psal 118.17 I shall not dye but live and declare the works of God And Learned VVhitaker upon his death-bed when he was told that Death was approaching replyed Vitam non expeto nisi ad promovendum honorem Dei ecclesiae inserviendum I do not desire life but for the promoting the glory of God and to be serviceable to his Church 4. Then we live and dye to the Lord when we are willing to be at the disposal of God for Life and Death both for the time manner and all other circumstances both of life and death When we are willing to live any kind of life that God shall call us to though it be a poor afflicted distressed life and when we are contented to dye such a death and at such a time as God shall call us to dye though it be a violent a painful a shameful death When a man is willing to lay down his life for Christ that is a good evidence that he liveth and dyeth to the Lord. Joh. 13.37 I will lay down my Life for thy sake Act. 24.13 I am ready not to be bound only but to dye at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus Doubts about a saving interest in Christ answered Having laid down several evidences of a saving interest in Christ I shall now resolve some doubts that hinder weaker Christians from being satisfied in their minds about their interest in Christ §. Imperfection in our obedience is consistent with a saving interst in Christ Obj. I hope Christ is mine and I am his but yet I have doubts and fears in this case because I come so short in my obedience to Christ May Christ be ours and yet the obedience that we yield be but imperfect obedience A. 1. Obeying Christ is a sure evidence of a saving interest in Christ for he is the Author not only of Temporal but Eternal Salvation not only to some but to all them that obey him Heb. 5.9 And being made perfect he became the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him 2. Though you come short in your obeying the Precepts of Christ yet can't you say you have sought his Precepts David concludes that he was the
how this is a ground of comfort in all Publick calamities as well as private and personal afflictions That there is nothing done in the world in any Kingdom in any City to any perticular person but by the providence of God is evident from such Scriptures as these Rom. 11.36 For of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory for ever Isa 45.7 I form the light and create darkness I make peace and create evil I the Lord do all these things Am. 3.6 Shall there be evil in a City and the Lord hath not done it Whatsoever evil comes upon a City or any person in the City whether Sword or Pestilence or Famine or Fire or any other evil it is the Lord that sends all those evils When any destroyers come against a Nation that lay it wast and make it desolate it is the Lord that raiseth up those wasters to destroy and furnisheth them with all their slaughter weapons and their instruments to carry on the designed destruction Isa 54.16 Behold I have created the Smith that bloweth the coals in the fire and that bringeth forth all instruments for his work and I have created the waster to destroy Such calamities as seem to be carried on in a confused disorderly way are governed and over-ruled by the providence of God so that there is no damage done to any mans person or estate but by the appointment of God Nahum 1.3 The Lord hath his way in the storm and in the whirlwind That is the Lord orders all things that are done by the storm and by the whirlwind and by all other judgments that come as suddenly as violently as confusedly as the storm or the whirlwind When the Sword or Pestilence come upon any place the Lord numbers all the persons that shall be slain by the Sword and that shall dye by the Pestilence Isa 65.12 Therefore will I number you to the Sword and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter Jer. 15.2 VVhen any man suffers by Fire Hail Snow or stormy VVinds he suffers nothing but what God hath appointed him to suffer for the Fire Snow Hail stormy Winds and all other creatures fulfill Gods word they do nothing to any man but what God hath appointed them to do Psal 148.8 Fire and Hail Snow and Vapour stor my wind fulfilling his word Mich. 6.7 Hear the rod and who hath appointed it Every rod hath its whole work appointed by God The Sea seems to be a very unruly creature especially when stormy winds causeth it to rage yet the Lord ruleth the raging of the Sea and suffers it to do nothing in its greatest rage but what he pleaseth Psal 89.9 Thou rulest the raging of the Sea when the Waves thereof arise thou stillest them And he that ruleth the raging of the Sea ruleth and stilleth the tumults of the most unruly people Psal 65.7 Yea he ruleth over all persons and all actions that are done in any part of the world Psal 103.19 The Lords Throne is in the Heavens and his Kingdom ruleth over all Now this is a ground of comfort to the People of God in Tumults and Insurrections and Massacres and all other National judgments that there is nothing comes to pass nothing befalls any Kingdom City or particular Person but by the providence of God Psal 97.1 2 3. The Lord reigneth let the earth rejoyce Clouds and Darkness are round about him Righteousnes and Judgment are the habitation of his Throne A fire goeth before him and burneth his enemies round about His Lightnings enlightned the world the earth saw it and trembled The Hills melted like Wax When we are under cloudy and dark dispensations when we meet with fiery tryals and God is burning up his enemies round about when he sendeth such judgments as make the inhabitants of the earth to tremble and the hills to melt like wax that is men of the highest degree Kings and Princes their hearts faint through fear and grief yet then we may rejoyce when we consider 't is the Lord reigneth and that all things are done by his Providence The Providence of God which ruleth and disposeth all things that are done in the world is a ground of comfort to the people of God in publick calamities on several accounts As 1. That God who ruleth and disposeth of all things by his providence is our God and our Father in Christ Psal 146.10 The Lord shall reign for ever even thy God O Zion unto all generations praise ye the Lord. This is matter of praise and joy to Zion not only that God reigneth but that he which doth and shall reign for ever is Zions God Thy God O Zion Reigneth unto all generations praise ye the Lord. The consideration of our Fathers hand in ordering all our afflictions may sweeten the bitterest cup which he at any time puts into our hands Joh. 18.11 The cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it 2. Whatsoever the Lord doth is done in Righteousness when he breaks in pieces Kingdoms and Nations this is matter of comfort God will do nothing to any place or people but what is consistent with Righteousness Ps 48.10 11. Thy right hand is full of Righteousness let Mount Zion rejoyce let the daughters of Judah be glad because of thy judgments 3. The Lord who ruleth the world by his providence is a mercifull and gracious God that will compass his own people with mercy at such a time as he is distributing sorrows in great abundance to wicked men Psal 32.10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked but he that trusteth in the Lord mercy shall compass him about Even when he lets his own people fall into the hands of cruel enemies such as hate them he is mindfull of his mercy towards them Psal 106.42 43 45. 4. This God who ruleth and governeth the world and disposeth all things that are done therein by his providence is a God in Covenant with us that he will never turn away from doing us good Jer. 32.40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good This was spoken to the Jews when they were under very dark providences the King of Babylons Army had Besieged Jerusalem and God told them by his Prophet that he would give Jerusalem into the King of Babylons hands ver 2 3. And besides the Sword of the enemy the City was visited with the Famine and Pestilence ver 24. Yet under these sad providences God comforts his people with his Everlasting Covenant wherein he assures them that though they were surrounded with all these evils the Sword the Famine and the Pestilence yet he would not turn away from doing them good Whatever aspect some of Gods providences may have upon the world and the Sinners in Zion yet they are all mercy and truth to the people of God even when they have the greatest appearance of severity Psal 25.10 All the
when he is sending his judgments upon wicked men 2 Tim. 2.19 The foundation of God standeth sure having this seal the Lord knoweth them that are his Some of the Lords People walk in darkness and do not know that they are the Lords but there is no darkness with the Lord he knoweth them that are his Nah. 1.7 The Lord is good a strong hold in the day of trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him The Lord hath such perfect knowledge of all that are his that wheresoever they are dispersed or scattered into any parts of the world he can call them every one by name Joh. 10.3 14. He calleth his own sheep by name and leadeth them out I am the good Shepherd and know my Sheep The Stars are so many that no man can number them yet the Lord calleth every one of them by their name Psal 147.4 He telleth the number of the Stars he calleth them all by their names And he that calleth the Stars by their names he knoweth and can call every one by his name Now this is a great comfort to us that God knoweth us by name Moses speaketh of it as a great favour that God knew him by name Exod. 33.12 Thou hast said I know thee by name and thou hast found grace in my sight 2. The Lord knoweth how to guide and direct his judgments that they shall fall upon and take hold of those only that are marked out and designed for destruction What is said of the Thunder and Lightning Job 37.3 He directeth it under the whole Heaven and his Lightnings unto the end of the earth The Thunder and Lightning touch no person do no damage to any man but at the direction of God The same is true of other judgments also VVhen a certain man drew a bow at a venture it was God guided the Arrow to the King of Israel and that directed it to go between the joynts of the Harness 1 King 22.34 When the Lord sent several plagues on the land of Egypt he so ordered and guided his judgments that they fell only on the Egyptians and did not touch the Israelites yea he did not only distinguish between the persons of the Israelites and the Egyptians but also between their Cattel Exod. 9.4 The Lord shall sever between the cattel of Israel and the cattel of Egypt there shall nothing dye of all that is the children of Israels 3. The Lord knoweth our conditions what dangers we are in what troubles and sorrows we meet with what straits and distresses are upon us Exod. 7. And the Lord said I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt and have heard their cry by reason of their Task-masters for I know their sorrows Psal 38.9 Lord all my desire is before thee and my groaning is not hid rom thee When we are in great straits and have friends that are able to help us we are ready to say Oh that such a friend did but know how it is with me The Child is ready to say Oh that my Father knew how it was with me and the Wife is ready to say in distress Oh that my Husband knew how it was with me Our God who is our Friend our Father our Husband always knoweth how it is with us and may not this comfort us in our sorrows 4. The Lord knoweth all our adversaries their wrath and fury their plottings and contrivances against us Psal 69.19 Mine adversaries are all before thee When the Assyrian came with great rage against Jerusalem their doings and contrivances were not hid from the Lord Isa 37.28 I know thy abode and thy going out and thy coming in and thy rage against me 5. The Lord knoweth how to deliver us out of all our troubles when we our selves can't see or think which way we shall be delivered 2 Pet. 2.9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations 4. This God that governs the world and takes care of his people is acquainted with all their troubles is an Almighty God able to succour save and defend them from their greatest danger and distresses and this Almighty power of God is a ground of great comfort in times of greatest dangers and distresses Psal 2.1 The king shall joy in thy strength O Lord. David had many enemies and some of them very potent Princes were his persecutors and what was his comfort under all his dangers and troubles The power of God It rejoyced his heart when he considered what a strong God he had to be his helper The Lord himself proposeth his creating power as a ground of Comfort to his people against the fury and power of their adversaries Isa 51.11 12. I even I am he that comforeth thee who art thou that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall dye and of the Son of man which shall be made as grass And forgettest the Lord thy maker that hath stretched forth the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth This power of God is a ground of comfort in times of greatest danger in several respects 1. The power of God is an Almighty power There is nothing so hard but the power of God is able to do it Jer. 32.17 He can do every thing that he pleaseth Job 42.2 I know that thou canst do every thing and that no thought can be with-holden from thee There are no dangers so great but God can deliver us out of them Daniel was in great danger when he was in a Den of Lyons yet God delivered him out of the Lions Den. David was in greater danger than Daniel when he was in the Lyons paw yet God delivered him out of the Lyons paw 1 Sam. 17.37 Paul was in greater danger than David who was in the Lyons mouth yet God delivered him out of the mouth of the Lyon 2 Tim. 4.17 I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lion Jonah was in greater danger than Paul when he was in the fishes belly yet God delivered Jonah out of the fishes belly Jonah 3.1.10 God can deliver us out of the hands of the strongest and most enraged enemies Nebuchadnezzar was the greatest Monarch in the world all People Nations and Languages trembled before him Dan. 5.19 And he was greatly enraged against the 3 Children because they would not worship the golden image which he had set up and he threatned the same hour that they refused to worship his image they should be cast into a burning fiery furnace yet hear what they said to him Dan. 3.16 17. O Nebuchadnezzar we are not carefull to answer thee in this matter If it be so our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery Furnace and he will deliver us out of thine hand O King 2. This Almighty power of God is engaged for our defence to take the care of us and defend us all the days of our lives Job 23.25 Tea the Almighty shall be our defence Now this is
of the Lord shall be beautifull and glorious Isa 4.2 compared with Isa 3.8 There were very great commotions in Judea before the coming of Christ God shook the Heavens and the Earth and shook all Nations and the Scepter departed from Judah and then Christ the desire of all Nations came Hag. 2.6 7. There were great overturnings both in Church and State before the coming of our Lord Jesus Ezek. 21.27 When God executed his judgments upon the Zidonians it was for his own glory Ezek. 28.22 When such judgments begin to come upon the earth as make mens hearts to fail for fear then the people of God are exhorted to lift up their heads because their Redemption draweth near Luk. 21.25 26 28. Obj. 1. These are comfortable considerations may some say but we see notwithstanding the providence and promises of God and the care that God takes of his people that all things come alike to all men the righteous perish as well as the wicked in times of common calamities A. 1. There are oft times very signal providences in delivering Righteous men in times of common calamity as Noah Gen. 7.1 and Lot Gen. 19.16 And those that sighed and cryed for the sins of Judah and Jerusalem Ezek. 9.4 6. 2. Sometimes Gods People pertake of the sins of the times and places where they live and then they pertake in temporal punishments though they be pardoned as to their eternal state Rev. 18.4 Psal 99.8 3. When the Lord doth not save his people with a temporal Salvation under publick calamities but lets them fall by the Sword and Pestilence and other judgments as well as other men he saves them with an eternal Salvation Isa 45.17 Heb. 5.9 4. When the people of God meet with the same sufferings that other men meet with and all things seem to come alike to them and others yet there is a vast difference between the sufferings of the people of God and other men For 1. All the afflictions of the righteous come in love Rev. 3.19 But the troubles of the wicked come in wrath Psal 2.5 2. Righteous men have God with them in their troubles Psal 91.15 But the Lord is far from the wicked Prov. 15.29 3. The troubles of Righteous men do them good Psal 119.71 But wicked wax worse and worse under their afflictions Isa 1.5 2 Chron. 28.22 2 Tim. 3.13 4. Righteous men have Gods blessing going along with their troubles Psal 2.9 12. Psal 94.12 But wicked men have Gods curse with their troubles Isa 34.5 Obj. 2. If I knew that I were one whom God would take care off and protect in a time of common calamity that would be a great stay and comfort to my mind but I do not know whither God will take care of me and preserve me And therfore what hath been said of the care of God of his people in an evil day is but of little use unto me A. 1. Dost thou love God If thou hast set thy love upon God thou mayst rest satisfied God will take care of thee and preserve thee in an evil day Psal 145 20. The Lord preserveth all them that love him Psal 91.14 15. Because he hath set his love upon me therefore will I deliver him 2. Hast thou committed thy self to God desiring him to take the care of thee and dost thou trust in him and rely upon him to take the care of thee then thou mayest be satisfied in thy mind that he will watch over thee in an evil day Psal 10.14 The poor commiteth himself unto thee thou art the helper of the Fatherless Psal 91.2 3. I will say of the Lord he is my Refuge and my Fortress my God in him will I trust surely he shall deliver thee Psal 5.11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoyce let them ever shout for joy because thou defendest them 3. Dost thou lead a godly life If so know for thy comfort that God doth and will take a special care of thee in an evil day Psalm 41.3 But know that God hath set apart him that is godly for himself Psal 32.6 4. Is thy heart upright with God and dost thou walk in thine integrity then the Lord taketh a peculiar care of thee Psal 7.10 My defence is of God which saveth the upright in heart Prov. 2.7 He is a buckler to them that walk uprightly Psal 84.11 5. Dost thou mourn for the sins of the times and places in which thou livest Then thou art marked out for preservation in a time of common calamity Ezek. 9.4 6. Obj. 3. But I am such a poor simple shiftless creature that I am afraid God will not take care of me A. 1. Though thou art never so poor and shiftless and simple yet if thou committest thy self to God he will take the care of thee Psal 116.6 The Lord preserveth the simple Psal 10.14 The poor committeth himself unto thee thou art the helper of the Fatherless 2. Though thou art never such a poor shistless simple creature thou art of more value than the birds of the air yet none of them no not the meanest of them not To much as a little Sparrow is forgotten or neglected of God Luk. 12.6 7. Are not five Sparrows sold for two farthings and not one of them is forgotten before God Fear not therefore ye are of more value than many Sparrows Obj. 4. But I am a sinfull creature and therefore I am afraid God will not take care of me in an evil day A. 1. If thou beest an impenitent Sinner then thou art in a wofull condition Isa 3.11 Psal 11.6 Psal 75.8 When he fleeth from one judgment another will overtake him Job 20.24 2. If thou hast repented of thy sins and humbled thy Soul for them and fled to the blood of Christ for the pardon of them thou hast good ground to hope that the Lord will take the care of thee in an evil day 2 Chron. 12.7 They have humbled themselves therefore I will not destroy them Job 22.23 25. If thou return to the Almighty The Almighty shall be thy defence And ver 29. When men are cast down then thou shalt say there is a lifting up and he shall save the humble person Such as have humbled their Souls for their sins and fled to Christ for the pardon of their sins may say with David Psal 49.5 Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about §. Grounds of Consolation in the hottest times of persecution The Spouse enquireth Cant. 1.7 where he maketh his flock to rest at noon Tell me O thou whom my Soul loveth where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon By noon understand aestus persecutionis as Mercer and others the heat of Persecution The Noon is the hottest time of the day By making the flock to rest at noon we may understand how thou comfortest how thou supportest thy people how and by what means thou givest rest to the
Souls of thy people in the hottest times of persecution And what the Spouse enquired after Christ discovered to her namely that her rest is in himself Mat. 11.28 Come to me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest And having found rest and refreshment in Christ in the hottest day she tells others where she had her delights and comforts in the heat of the day and that was in Christ Cant. 2.3 I sate down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my tast Upon these words I sat down under his shadow with great delight Piscator hath this interpretation Cum sentio vel arixietatem vel persecutionem ad Christum confugio ut is me per Spiritum sanctum verbum Dei consoletur When I feel any distress or persecution I flee to Christ that he would comfort me by his Word and Spirit The fruit which the Spouse saith was sweet are the benefits we have by Christ as remission of sins Eternal Life c. In the foregoing words Christ is likened to an Apple-tree and the benefits that we have by Christ are the Fruit of this Tree which yields much comfort and refreshing to the people of God And to this agreeth Piscator's note upon the place Consolationes Christi sunt dulces animis fidelium The comforts of Christ are sweet to the Souls of Believers There is comfort in Christ and from Christ under the hottest persecutions of the Church if any say how may we be enabled by the help of Christ to bear up chearfully in times of greatest persecution when we are called to resist unto blood and to undergo fiery tryals A. 1. Get a right understanding of persecutions for Christs and the Gospels sake look upon them not with an eye of Sense but an eye of Faith judge of them as they are represented in the Scripture and not as flesh and blood represents them to you For this will lay a Foundation for chearfullness under the forest persecutions if we have a right account of them To this end consider what account the Scripture gives of persecutions for Christs sake or which is all one for the Gospels sake or for Righteousness sake 1. Persecutions for Righteousness sake are Blessings real Blessings great Blessings for they confirm our title to a Kingdom a more glorious Kingdom than any is to be enjoyed in this World Mat. 5.10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for Righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven If a man consult with flesh and blood that will tell him it is a miserable thing to be under persecution to have our estates liberties and lives taken from us but if we consult the Scriptures they will tell us that 't is a blessed thing to be persecuted and that there are no men on earth more blessed than they that are persecuted for Righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven and none are so happy as they that shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven 2. Persecutions for Righteousness sake are matter of joy rather than sorrow 1 Pet. 4.13 But rejoyce in as much as ye are pertakers of the sufferings of Christ Yea they are a ground of exceeding great joy for they encrease our grace here and our glory hereafter They are a ground of great joy as they encrease our grace here Jam. 1.2 3. My brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations knowing this that the trying of your Faith worketh patience The Apostle writes to the twelve Tribes that were scattered abroad where being removed out of their own country was some degree of persecution and when abroad among Heathens and Idolaters they were continually liable to persecutions for Righteousness sake yet he bids them count it all joy when they fell into divers temptations because hereby their Faith should be tryed and Patience encreased Persecutions for Righteousness sake are a ground of exceeding great joy because they will encrease our glory in Heaven for ever Mat. 5.11 12. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake Rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in Heaven for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you Observe here our Lord Jesus doth not say to his Servants when under persecution be not cast down but rejoyce and be glad and not only so but be exceeding glad and why because persecutions encrease our reward in the other World Great is your reward in Heaven Yea he would have us so exceeding joyfull as to leap for joy Luk. 6.23 Rejoyce ye in that day and leap for joy for behold your reward is great in Heaven That day wherein Christ would have us leap for joy is the day of persecution spoken of in the foregoing verse 3. Persecutions for Christ are honours and favours and ought to be esteemed as such as by all true Christians Act. 5.41 And they departed from the presence of the counsel rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name The Apostles counted it an honour to be beaten and reproached for Christ Phil. 1.29 Vnto you it is given in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on him but also to suffer for his name sake We see here that it is a gift a favour for a man to be called to suffer for Christ 4. Persecutions for Christ are not strange and unusual things but are the common lot of Christians and are to be counted upon by all that will live Godly in Christ from the first day we give our selves to Christ till we lay down these Earthly Tabernacles 2 Tim. 2.12 Yea and all that will live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution Sufferings for Christ are to be expected from the first day that we give our selves to Christ Mark 8.34 Whosoever will come after me let him take up his cross And to the last day of our continuance in this World for we are liable to sufferings as long as we continue in the body Heb. 13.2 Remember them that suffer adversity as being your selves also in the body Yea we must not think it a strange thing if we should meet with fiery tryals and be burnt for our Religion as well as others have been before us 1 Pet. 4 12. Beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery tryal which is to try you as though some strange thing happened to you That passage Heb. 12.4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood Intimateth that all Christians should count upon it that though they had not hitherto yet it may be their lot to have their blood shed for Christ They had suffered deeply in their names and estates and were eminent for grace and had attained assurance of their Salvation Ch. 10.32 33 34. Yet for all this though God had spared them as to life and they had not yet resisted unto blood they knew not but that might
also come upon them to lay down their lives for Christ 2. The knowledge and belief of Gods infinite everlasting and unchangable love to us in Christ Jesus and of Christs love in laying down his Life for us will carry us chearfully through our greatest persecutions and make us to triumph over all manner of persecutions even at such a time as we are killed all the day long and counted as sheep for the slaughter As we may see it excellently set out Rom. 8.35 36 37 38 39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall Tribulation or Distress or Famine or Nakedness or Peril or Sword As it is written for thy sake we are killed all the day long we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter Nay in all these things we are more than Conquerors through him that loved us For I am perswaded that neither death nor life c. nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus Let us take notice in this Scripture of these things 1. The love of Christ and the love of God in Christ towards his people is so fixed so firm so unchangeable that no manner of troubles or persecutions no creature in Heaven or Earth is or shall be able to separate them from the love of Christ and the love of God which is in Christ Jesus that is which is grounded upon the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ 2. The apprehension and perswasion of Gods love to our Souls in Christ Jesus and the immutability of this love will help us to overcome and triumph over all manner of troubles and persecutions Nay in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us for I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor any other creature shall be able to seperate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus In all these things that is all the forementioned tribulations and persecutions though we be flain by the Sword or are starved to Death by Famine we are conquerors yea more than conquerors and how not by our own strength but through him that loved us and how doth he give us the victory By giving us a firm perswasion of the unchangeable love of God in Christ For I am perswaded 3. Observe the time and season when the servants of Christ are made to triumph as conquerors over all their troubles and that is when it is noon day in respect of their persecutions when 't is the hottest time of persecution when they are not only deprived of their goods thrust into prisons but killed killed all the day long and counted as sheep for the slaughter And let us see what is implyed in these expressions 1. It is to be all the day long in hazard and danger of death When it is with us as it was with Hezekiah in his sickness Isa 38.13 So 't is with us in respect of our persecutors we reckon in the night they may come upon us before the morning and the morning may come before the night and rend and tear us in pieces or when 't is with us as it was with David Psal 119.109 My Soul is continually in my hand then we may be said to be killed all the day long 2. When we are put to a lingring death that it may be the more painfull that we are as it were all the day long in a dying condition this some persecutors endeavoured ut sentiant se mori then we may be said to be killed all the day long 3. When persecutors make no more of killing us than they do of killing sheep when the Saints are killed in abundance that it is a time of much blood-shed yea when they joy in the death of Gods Servants Isa 22.13 They are counted as Sheep for the slaughter Now the knowledge and belief of the love of Christ will help us to go through all persecutions chearfully several ways 1. As it leads to the filling our Souls with the graces and comforts of the Spirit of God Eph. 3.19 And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that ye may be filled with all the fulness of God The more we are filled with the graces and comforts of the Holy Ghost the stronger we shall be to suffer for Christ for the joy of the Lord is our strength 2. As it draws out our love to Christ 1 Joh. 3.16 17. We have known and believed the love that God hath to us Herein is our love made perfect And the more we love Christ the stronger we shall be to suffer for Christ Cant. 8.6 7. Love is strong as death Many waters cannot quench love neither can the floods drown it 3. Get and keep a lively hope of eternal life and glory for this will be a wonderfull support to you in your greatest persecutions This caused our Lord Jesus to endure the pain and the shame of the Cross with much chearfulness Heb. 12.2 Who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross despising the shame and is set down at the Right hand of the Throne of God The having the joys of Heaven in his thoughts caused him to endure the pain and make light of the shame of the cross This caused the Apostles to glory and triumph in the midst of their troubles Rom. 5.2 3. And rejoyce in hope of the glory of God And not only so but we glory in Tribulations also The respect which Moses had to the recompence of reward in the other World carryed him with chearfulness through his great sufferings Heb. 11.24 25 26. The hope of Salvation is by the Apostles called an helmet 1 Thes 5.8 Putting on the breast-plate of Faith and Love and for an helmet the hope of Salvation The helmet preserves the head in safety as long as we keep on this helmet as long as we keep our hope of Salvation we are in a safe condition 4. If you would go chearfully through all your persecutions get and exercise the graces of Faith and Patience for they are of singular use in an evil day Rev. 13.7 10. And it was given to him to make war with the Saints and to overcome them Here is the patience and the faith of the Saints When the beast maketh war with the Saints and overcomes them that is God permits him to kill and slay as Conquerors those that they have overcome then is a time when there is great need great use of Faith and Patience I shall speak distinctly to both these graces 1. Get and exercise Faith Faith is the most usefull most necessary piece of the Spiritual Armour in an evil day and therefore we are called upon above all to take the shield of Faith because thereby we shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one Eph. 6.16 Above all taking the shield of Faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked Fiery darts are
To such as are ready to give over seeking after Christ I shall give these two encouragements to continue seeking after Christ 1. If you continue seeking after Christ and do seek him with our whole hearts we shall assuredly enjoy him 1 Chron. 28.9 If thou seek him he will be found of thee Believe this promise of God that if thou dost seek him he will be found of thee and go on in the strength of this promise to seek in hope that thou shalt find the Lord. Hos 6.3 Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord By knowing here is meant such a knowledge as is accompanied with the enjoyment of God as the following words imply He will come unto us Jer. 29.13 And ye shall seek me and find me when ye shall search for me with all your hearts 2. It will not be long before you find Christ if you go on to seek him Though you do not find him for the present yet you shall find him in a little while in his own due time Cant. 3 1 4. By night on my bed I sought him whom my Soul loveth and I found him not It was but a little and I found him whom my Soul loveth Isa 54.7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercies will I gather thee § Motives to get a saving interest in Christ Most persons that live under the Gospel make light of Christ and neglect that great Salvation which he hath purchased with his blood and prefer their worldly concernments before seeking after Christ Mat. 22.5 They made light of it and went their way one to his farm another to his Merchandize Our Lord Jesus Christ offers Salvation to lost sinners he doth as it were stretch out his hands to them and offer them his help to save their Souls but scarce any man regards the offers of grace and mercy that he makes to them Prov. 1.24 I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded This stretching forth the hand implyeth the offers of Salvation that Christ maketh in the Gospel to perishing Sinners When Peter was in a boysterous Sea and was afraid of being drowned and began to sink he cryed out to Christ Lord save me And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him Mat. 14.30 31. Christless sinners are in a more dangerous condition than Peter was they are ready to sink down into Hell sentence is passed upon them by the great God The wicked shall be turned into Hell Psal 9.17 And Christ stretcheth forth his hand and offers to save them but most men are so stupified in their sins and so busied in this present world that they regard not the offers of Salvation made to them by Jesus Christ And therefore there is need of motives to stir men up to seek after an interest in Christ and to embrace that Salvation which is offered to them by Jesus Christ 1. Motive The excellency of Christ should stir us up to get an interest in him For we covet things that are excellent and there is nothing so excellent as Jesus Christ All the excellent things in the world are but loss and dross and dung compared with Christ Phil. 3.8 Yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ Silver and Gold Jewels and Precious Stones and whatever a man can desire are not worthy to be compared with Christ Prov. 8.11 For Wisdom is better than Rubies and all things that may be desired are not to be compared to it And as Christ is more excellent than all things so than all persons in the world The wisest the holyest the best the greatest men that ever lived are not worthy to be compared with Christ Cant. 5.10 My Beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest among Ten Thousand White and Red well mixed make a beautiful countenance white may signifie the holiness of his Life ruddy his bloody passion His holy life and his bloody death render him amiable to his people If Ten Thousand of the most excellent persons that ever lived were set by Christ he would be the chiefest of them all Among all the Angels of Heaven and all the Kings of the Earth there are none to be compared to our Lord Jesus Christ Psal 89.6 Who in Heaven can be compared unto the Lord who among the Sons of the Mighty can be likened unto the Lord. There are all the excellencies of the Godhead in our Lord Jesus Christ Col. 2.9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily And the excellencies that are in the Godhead are unspeakable and unconceivable Seeing then there is a greater excellency in Christ than in all the whole world we should labour more to get Christ than we did to get any thing in this world 2. Get Christ for yours and you shall get unsearchable Riches For there are unsearchable Riches in Christ Eph. 3.8 That I should preach among you the unsearchable Riches of Christ The Apostle had studied preached and enjoyed Christ many years and yet could not express or understand all the Riches that were treasured up in Christ but calls his Riches unsearchable Riches By these Riches of Christ which he calls unsearchable understand those benefits we have by Christ As Vatablus and others immensa Christi benefitia the incomprehensible benefits of Christ And though we can't search out all the Riches that are in Christ and that we have by Christ though we cannot fully comprehend in this life all the benefits we have by Christ I will briefly instance in some of these unspeakable benefits which we shall get if we get an interest in Christ 1. Get Christ and you shall get into the love and favour of God Prov. 8.35 Whoso findeth me findeth Life and shall obtain favour of the Lord. And the favour of God is an unspeakable blessing better than all things in this world For a man prefers his Life above all that he hath in the world Job 2.4 All that a man hath he will give for his Life But the favour of God is better than a mans Life Psal 63.3 Thy loving kindness is better than Life 2. Get Christ and you shall get the pardon of all your sins Eph. 1.7 In whom we have Redemption through his Blood the forgiveness of sins according to the Riches of his grace Though we be guilty of Hundreds of Thousands of Millions of sins if we get Christ for ours his Blood will cleanse us from them all 1 Joh. 1.7 The Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin 3. Get Christ and you shall get an interest in all the promises 2 Cor. 1.20 For all the promises of God in him are Yea and in him Amen And it is by and through Christ that we are pertakers of the promises Eph. 3.6 That the Gentiles should
be fellow heirs and of the same body and pertakers of his promise in Christ When Christ is ours and we are his all the promises are ours Gal. 3.29 If Ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams Seed and Heirs according to the promise And this is a great a wonderfull an unspeakable benefit to be heir of all the promises For there are exceeding many exceeding great and exceeding precious promises in the holy Scriptures 2 Pet. 1.4 And to be an heir of all these promises is such a mercy as exceeds all expression 4. Get Christ for yours and you shall get all Spiritual Blessings for they that are Christs are blessed with all Spiritual Blessings in Christ Eph. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly places in Christ And Spiritual Blessings are far better than all manner of Worldly Blessings 5. Get Christ for yours and you shall have the glory of Heaven and the joys of Heaven and all the felicity of Heaven for yours for ever 1 Joh. 5.12 He that hath the Son hath Life And if you get Heaven for yours you shall get greater felicity better things than ever any man saw with his eyes or heard off with his ears or can be conceived off by the heart of man 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him 6. Get Christ for yours and then all good things shall be yours 1 Cor. 3.21 22 23. All things are yours All are yours and ye are Christs The Apostle doubles the expression all things are yours all are yours that we may take the greater notice of the unsearchable Riches that we have in and by Christ and that we may be the better satisfied of the truth and reality of this rich inheritance that we have by our being Christs namely our having all good things 3. The suitableness of Christ to the condition wants and desires of our Souls should stir us up to seek after him Jesus Christ is every way suitable to thy Souls condition all that thy Soul wanteth all that thy Soul doth or can desire is to be had in Christ Art thou blind and ignorant dost thou want saving knowledge Jesus Christ is the light of the World Joh. 8.12 I am the light of the World He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of Life He can open blind eyes Isa 42.6 7. I will give thee for a Covenant of the people for a light of the Gentiles to open the blind eyes Christ can help not only dim eyes that see but little but blind eyes that can see nothing at all Art thou under the sense of guilt do thy sins lye heavy upon thy Conscience because of the multitude of them or their heinous nature as being committed against much light great mercies and other aggravating circumstances Christs blood is available for taking away all thy sins though thou beest one of the greatest sinners in the whole world Joh. 1.29 Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world The blood of Christ washed away Noahs Drunkenness Lots Incest Davids Murder and Adultery Peters denyal of Christ and his Perjury Pauls Blasphemies and Persecutions Dost thou feel the plague of thy heart and groan under the corruption of thy nature and find a great want of the Sanctifying grace of God Christ is made of God unto us Sanctification 1 Cor. 1.30 Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Sanctification He suffered a bloody death to purchase Sanctifying grace for us Heb. 13.12 Jesus that he might sanctifie the people with his own blood suffered without the gate Art thou held in the cords of thy sins canst thou not repent off and forsake thy sins Jesus Christ was sent to preach deliverance to the captives Luk. 4.18 And exalted to give Repentance Act. 5.31 Him hath God exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour to give Repentance and Remission of sins unto Israel And was sent to bless us in turning us from our iniquities Act. 3.26 Vnto you first God having raised up his Son Jesus sent him to bless you in turning you away every one from his iniquities Is thy heart dead dost thou want Spiritual Life There is Life to be had in Christ for such as have dead hearts yea for such as are dead in sins and trespasses Joh. 11.25 Jesus said unto her I am the Resurrection and the Life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet he shall live Art thou in a lost undone condition Jesus Christ is the Saviour of lost sinners Luk. 19.10 The Son of Man is come to seek and save that which was lost Art thou in a mourning condition full of grief and sorrow either because of thy afflictions or because of thy sins Jesus Christ was sent to comfort all that mourn in Zion Isa 61.3 Not to instance in more particulars whatever it is that thou wantest there is a rich supply of all thy needs be thy needs never so many or great to be had in and by Jesus Christ Phil. 4.19 My God shall supply all your need according to his Riches in glory by Christ Jesus Whatsoever it is which thy Soul doth or can desire to have there is a full supply of all thy desires to be had in Christ and from Christ Psal 145.19 He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him There is so much vanity and vexation in worldly things that it is an hard matter to find any good Psal 4.6 Many say who will shew us any good But in Christ we shall find all good all that good which we want all that good which we desire to have And shall not this stir us up to seek after an interest in Christ 4. It is not only a matter of expediency or conveniency that we get an interest in Christ but it is of absolute necessity so that we are undone for ever if we do not get an interest in Christ We can't live comfortably without Christ we can't dye in peace without Christ we can't appear at the great day of judgment without Christ we can't be admitted into Heaven without Christ 1 Joh. 5.12 He that hath not the Son of God hath not Life We can't have the pardon of one sin without the blood of Christ Heb. 9.22 Without shedding of blood is no remission And no other blood will procure remission of sins but the blood of Christ The absolute necessity of getting an interest in Christ will appear from the wofull and miserable condition of all thofe that are without Christ which shall be set forth in the next head 5. To stir us up to seek after a saving interest in Christ Let us consider the wofull and miserable condition of all such as are without Christ To this purpose weigh these following Scriptures Eph.
all the fowls of the Mountains and the wild Beasts of the field are mine 1 Chron. 29.11 All that is in the Heaven and in the Earth is mine And this God who is Lord of Heaven and Earth and all things that are therein is our Father and a God in covenant with us to provide and take the care of us as long as we live And why shall we not rest satisfyed in the bounty love faithfulness and tender care of our Heavenly Father who hath all things though we our selves have suffered the loss of all things But some say if I had but little in the World I should be willing to forsake all I had for Christ but I have a great estate and I find it difficult to be willing to forsake a great estate for the sake of Christ A. It is true it is harder for those that have much of the world to part with all for Christ than it is for those that have but little and that is one reason why 't is so hard for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven An instance of this we may see in the young man in the Gospel who when Christ bid him fell what he had and give to the poor and he should have treasure in Heaven went away sorrowful for he had great possessions Matth. 19.21 22. The greatness of his possessions was the cause that he would not part with them to follow Christ I shall therefore lay down some arguments to perswade such as have great Estates to be willing to forsake them for Christ 1. Christ forsook more for our sakes than we can forsake for him He was rich he was Lord of all the World yet for our sakes he left all and became very poor that we through his poverty might be made rich 2 Cor. 8.9 Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor that ye through his poverty might be rich Yea he became poorer than the Birds and Beasts for they have holes and nests to go to but he had not where to lay his head Matth. 8.20 The Foxes have holes and the Birds of the air have nests but the Sun of man hath not where to lay his head 2. Though we forsake never so much for Christ he is able to make up all the losses we sustain on his account 2 Chron. 25.9 What shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel and thee man of God answered The Lord is able to give thee much more than this An hundred talents is a vast sum of money sufficient to defray the charges of an Army of an Hundred Thousand men ver 6. When Amaziah was afraid of losing an Hundred Talents by following the Prophets Counsel the Prophet tells him the Lord was able to give him much more than an Hundred Talents 3. We shall lose greater and better things by forsaking Christ than we can lose by embracing Christ and adhering to him though we should lose a Crown a Kingdom the whole world for adhering to Christ For 1. We shall lose our own Souls for Salvation for our Souls is to be had no where else but in Christ Act. 4.12 And to lose our Souls is a greater loss than to lose the whole world Mark 8.34 2. By forsaking Christ we shall lose the favour of God Heb. 10.38 If any man draw back my Soul shall have no pleasure in him And we had better lose the favour of all the men in the world yea better lose the whole World than lose the love and favour of God 3. If we forsake Christ we shall lose the Kingdom of Heaven 1 John 5.12 He that hath not the Son of God hath not life And a man had better lose all the Kingdoms of this World if he had them all in his possession than lose the Kingdom of Heaven But some may say I hope I could suffer the loss of all that I have for Christ only the laying down my life that seems a hard matter I do not know how to be willing to lay down my Life for Christ A. It is true that it is hard work to Flesh and Blood for a man to lay down our lives for Christ harder than to part with our Estates Job 2.4 Skin for skin yea all that a man hath will he give for his Life But though this seem very difficult yet it must be submitted to else we cannot be Christ's Disciples Luk. 14.26 If any man come to me and hate not his own life also he cannot be my Disciple Now to perswade you to a willingness to lay down your lives for Christ Consider 1. That if you will love Life for Christ's sake you shall save it but by saving your Life when Christ calleth you to lay it down you shall lose it Mark 8.35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it but whosoever shall lose his Soul for my sake and the Gospels the same shall save it That is he that will save his Natural Life and refuse to lay it down for Christ shall lose Eternal Life and that will lay down his Natural Life for Christ shall have Eternal Life And it is of universal concernment which Christ speaketh here Every man whosoever he be that will lay down his Life for Christ in this VVorld that same man shall have Eternal Life in the other VVorld And every man whosoever he be that will not lay down his Life for Christ in this VVorld when called to it that same man shall lose Eternal in the other VVorld And what a good and what a happy Exchange is this to exchange a short and temporal Life for an Eternal Life a miserable sinful Life on Earth for a glorious Life in Heaven 2. If we refuse to lay down our lives for Christ vvhen he calls us to it he can take them avvay from us vvhen he pleaseth He can take them by the Svvord or Pestilence or some violent sickness that shall make us a terrour to our selves and to all that are round about us He hath the Keys of Hell and of Death Rev. 1.18 He kills and saves alive whom he pleaseth Ps 31.15 My times are in thy hands Job 12.10 In whose hand is the Soul of every living thing and the breath of all mankind If we were to live for ever in this VVorld we might have some cloak for our sins in being unwilling to die for Christ But seeing we must die within a few days when Christ pleaseth and of what Death he pleaseth is it not better dying for Christ than to dye of the Pestilence or dye of a Fevour or any other kind of Death Is it not inexcusable folly for to lose Eternal Life for the enjoying our Life here on Earth a few days when as we know not whither we shall onjoy it one day or one hour after we have refused to lay it down for Christ And if vve do enjoy it for
themselves to Christ and abide with Christ shall be made fruitfull in Grace and good works consonant to that promise Joh. 15.5 He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit Now taking this shadow to be meant of Christ then it is a gracious promise to such as betake themselves to Christ that they shall revive as the Corn and grow as the Vine How is that The Corn lyeth buried under ground for a while and seems to be lost And after it appears it meets with cold winds and frost and draught that makes it hang the head turn yellow look in a decaying manner yet through the warm Sun and Dew of Heaven it reviveth again So 't is with them that dwell under Christ's shadow though they meet with many Pull-backs and that which was springing up seems to wither and decline yet they shall revive as the Corn and grow as the Vine The pruning and cutting the Vine makes the Vine become the more fruitfull and so it intimates a growth under afflictions In the Winter the Vine looks like a dead stick hath no Beauty nor Savour in it but in the Spring it puts forth and flourisheth abundantly Vines give a pleasant smell and bring forth pleasant fruit Cant. 2.13 The Vines with the tender Grape give a good smell And the Fruit of the Vine is sweet and pleasant fruit I might mention more promises of growth in Grace As Psal 92.12 Job 17.9 Now by virtue of these and such like promises when we find a decay of Grace we may rest upon God that he will come in with fresh supplies of Grace Psal 92.10 I shall be anointed with fresh Oyl David was sometimes sensible of great decays in Spiritual Estate as when he complains my moisture is turned into the drought of Summer yet then he did rest upon God for fresh supplies of Grace and Comfort which may be the meaning of those words I shall be anointed with fresh Oyl For the Graces of the Spirit are called an unction or an anointing 1 Joh. 2.20 29. Ye have an unction from the Holy one The anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you The Graces and Comforts of the Spirit are compared to Oyl Psal 45.7 Thy God hath anointed thee with the Oyl of gladness Mat. 25.3 They that were foolish took their Vessels and took no Oyl with them When God pours out his Spirit upon us then he is said to anoint us Isa 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me Fresh Oyl may signifie renewed supplies of the Spirit of Grace The restoring a Consumptive person that was wasted to skin and bone is called fresh Flesh Job 33.21 25. So the renewed supplies of Grace and Comfort given to a decayed soul may be called an anointing him with fresh Oyl Sect. 5. There is comfort in Christ for such as are poor in Spirit and full of want and mourn under their Spiritual Poverty Such as are in a poor condition as to Spirituals full of wants when they reflect upon their poverty and emptyness it causeth forrow and trouble of Spirit Psal 69.29 I am poor and sorrowfull Psal 119.22 I am poor and needy and my heart is wounded within me Now there is comfort in Christ for such as are poor in respect of their Spiritual Estate and are full of wants and are in a troubled condition because they find themselves to be so poor and full of wants And that on these grounds 1. There is a fullness in Christ of all those Graces and all those good things which we find wanting in our selves Col. 1.19 It pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell And that fullness which dwelt in Christ was for our sakes that out of his fullness he might Communicate to us Grace answerable to those Graces which are in him Joh. 1.16 And of his fullness have all we received and grace for grace The gifts which Christ received he did not receive to keep them to himself or to bestow them on the Angels but to give them to the sons of men Psal 68.18 Thou hast received gifts for men yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell amongst them These gifts which Christ received for men include gifts of Grace as well as other gifts as namely the gifts of the Holy Ghost the gift of Faith and Love c. For the Psalmist speaks of such gifts as do make us meet to have the Lord dwell with them Now the Lord dwelleth in us by his Spirit 1 Joh. 4.13 and by Faith Eph. 3.17 and by Love 1 Joh. 4.16 2. All those good things which we find wanting in our selves we have them in Christ they are ours in him Though this seem strange yet 't is true that we should have that which we want we have those things in Christ which we find wanting in our selves In him we have righteousness and strength when we feel weakness in our selves Isa 45.24 In him we have wisdom sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 we are blessed with all spiritual blessings even while we complain of our want of them we are blessed with them all in Christ though we have not the actual enjoyment of them Eph. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Heavenly places in Christ The poorest Christian hath all things in Christ 3. In the Lord 's own time which is the best time you shall have a full and rich supply of all your needs both for Body and Soul Phil. 4.19 My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus 4. Though we are poor and low and full of wants yet we are accepted of God in Christ and he thinks thoughts of love and mercy and peace towards us Psal 40.17 But I am poor and needy yet the Lord thinketh upon me 5. Those Christians that are poor in Spirit and full of wants are in a blessed condition for they are heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven and as soon as they come to Heaven their wants shall be so fully supplyed that they shall never want any thing to Eternity Mat. 5.3 Blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven 6. The poorest Christian that is poorest in Spirituals hath what God in his infinite wisdom seeth to be best for him and hath better things than the richest man in the World for he hath God for his portion Lam. 3.24 And the Lord is the best portion in Heaven and Earth Psal 73.25 26. Sect. 6. There is comfort in Christ for such as mourn under deadness and want of quickning influences Spiritual deadness is a great trouble to gracious souls when the Apostle Paul felt the body of Death it made him bemoan his wretched condition that he should be under so much deadnss Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body
2.10 Ye are compleat in him 5. Our imperfections shall not hinder us of the love of God here nor of the Kingdom of Heaven hereafter Psal 73.22 23 24. Sect. 8. There is comfort in Christ for such as are under the hidings of Gods face and are troubled because they can't enjoy Communion with God It is the lot of some Christians to be under the hidings of God's face and to want Communion with God and that is a great trouble to them Psal 30.7 Thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled Now there is comfort for such in Christ and that in these respects 1. It was one great end of Christ's death to bring us to the enjoyment of God 1 Pet. 3.18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins the just for the unjust that we might be brought unto God The great obstacle to our Communion with God is our sins For 't is sin that separates between God and us Isa 59.2 Behold your iniquities have sepparated between you and your God Now Christ's death hath taken away this obstacle of our Communion with God for whereas our sins had put us far from God and caused God to stand afar off from us by the blood of Christ we are made nigh to God Eph. 2.13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ 2. Our Lord Jesus Christ himself was under the hidings of Gods face and that in time of great distress when he was upon the Cross when nigh unto death he cryed out Mat. 27.46 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me But how doth this make for the comfort of a Soul under the hidings of Gods face that our Lord Jesus Christ himself was in a deserted condition A. 1. Hence we learn that the hidings of God's face is consistent with a state of adoption and the special love of God For Christ was the beloved Son of God in whom he was well pleased yet he was in a deserted condition in a time of trouble in a dying hour and therefore we should not question the Fatherly love of God because of the hidings of his face Isa 64.7 8. Thou hast hid thy face from us But now O Lord thou art our Father 2. Seeing our Lord Jesus hath been under the hidings of God's face he knoweth how to pity and succour those that are in this condition Heb. 2.18 3. We have gracious promises which are all yea and Amen in Christ Jesus that though the Lord be withdrawn from us yet if we return he for Christ's sake will return unto us 2 Chron. 30.9 The Lord your God is gracious and mercifull and will not turn away his face from you if ye return unto him Mal. 3.7 Even from the dayes of your Fathers ye are gone away from mine Ordinances and have not kept them Return unto me and I will return unto you saith the Lord of Hosts Jam. 4.8 Draw nigh to God and God will draw nigh to you 4. Though you want sensible influences from God yet if you be one that hath closed with Christ upon the terms of the Gospel God hath Communicated himself to you for your God and Father in Christ by Covenant and hath given you the priviledge to be one of his Sons Joh. 1.12 and that is a higher degree of Communion with God than the giving insensible influences to that you ought not to say you have no Communion with God because there is a suspension of influences when as the Lord hath given himself for your God by Covenant and hath taken you for his children Sect. 9. There is comfort in Christ for such as are troubled with fears of falling away What David said concerning Saul 1 Sam. 27.1 I shall now one day perish by the hand of Saul the like some Christians who have accepted Christ on the terms of the Gospel and have given themselves to Christ are ready to say in their hearts I shall one day fall away from Christ and perish for ever My heart is so treacherous and indwelling corruption so strong and Satan's Temptations so prevalent and the oppositions from the world may be so great that I fear I shall not hold out to the end but shall fall away and this is a great trouble to me Now there is comfort to be had from Christ against these fears of falling away and that on these grounds 1. The intercession of Christ is a ground of comfort to such Believers on Christ as are troubled with fears of fallingaway For he prayeth for us that our Faith may not fail Luk. 22.31 32. And the Lord said Simon Simon Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as Wheat But I have prayed for thee that thy Faith fail not And he that prayed for Peter that his Faith might not fail he hath prayed for all that do and shall believe in him Joh 17.20 21. Neither pray I for these alone but for them also that shall believe on me through their word that they all may be one c. And what Christ prayed for was alwayes granted Joh. 11.41 42. Father I thank thee that thou hast heard me and I know that thou hearest me alwayes 2. The Members of Christ may be comforted against their fears of falling away from God's Everlasting Covenant For God is entered into an Everlasting Covenant with them that he will not turn away from them and that he will keep them from departing from him Jer. 32.40 And I will make an Everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good and I will put my fear into their hearts that they shall not depart from me See Isa 54.10 3. The unchangeableness of Gods love is a good ground of comfort against fears of falling away Joh. 13.1 Jesus having loved his own that were in the World loved them unto the end It is not said having loved his own that are in glory but that are in the world where they are liable to temptations and corruptions and troubles he loved them to the end Rom. 8.38 39. For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor heigth nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus God's love being unchangeable we may rest satisfied that the same love which called us to the knowledge and Faith of Christ will keep us from departing from Christ seeing the gifts and the callings of God are without Repentance The same love that quickned us when we were dead in sins and trespasses will also preserve us unto Eternal Life 4. The attributes of God may comfort weak Christians against their fears of falling away The name of the Lord is our strong Tower whether we may run and be safe against these fears as for instance 1. The power of God that is engaged to keep and preserve
a great comfort under greatest troubles that we have the Almighty God for our defence Psal 94.19 22. In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my Soul And what were his comforts when he had many troubled thoughts Among other comforts this was none of the meanest that though he had mighty enemies that thirsted after his blood yet he had the Almighty God for his defence ver 22. But the Lord is my defence and my God the rock of my refuge Yea this is a ground of the highest joy and of everlasting joy under all the changes and revolutions that come upon the world that the Almighty God is a defence to all that put their trust in him Psal 5.11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoyce let them ever shout for joy because thou defendest them Shouting for the joy is the highest expression of joy now they all they that put their trust in God have cause not only to rejoyce but to shout for joy and that for ever because God defendeth them 3. That Almighty power which is engaged for the defence of all that trust in God is an everlasting strength The Lords arm is not shortned that he cannot save he is able to do as great things for his people in these days as he did for our Fathers in former days And this may unite and strengthen our Faith to trust in the Lord at all times though the times be never so dangerous and troublesome that his power is everlasting Isa 26.4 Trust ye in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength 5. The gracious and precious promises of God are a ground of strong Consolation under all troubles both Personal and National distresses Jer. 15.16 Thy words were found and I did eat them and they were unto me the joy and the rejoycing of my heart Observe Jeremiahs personal afflictions at this time when the word of God was the joy and the rejoycing of his heart He was a man of strife and contention to the whole earth and every one railed at him and cursed him which made him cry out of his wo and misery ver 10. The Lord had filled him with indignation and he looked upon his pain as perpetual and his wound incurable ver 17.18 Besides his personal afflictions there were great judgments coming upon the Nation the Sword and Famine and Pestilence and Captivity ver 2.3 4. Yet under National and Personal calamities the word of God was the joy and rejoycing of his heart So Psal 60.2.3 6. Thou hast made the earth to tremble thou hast broken it Thou hast shewen thy people hard things thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment God hath spoken in his holiness I will rejoyce Gods promises were a rejoycing to Davids heart when God sent such judgments as made the earth to tremble and broke Kingdoms in pieces yea when God shewed his own people hard things and made them stand astonished to see how he dealt with them God hath made several sorts of promises to comfort his peoples hearts in difficult and dangerous times when he is bringing ruine and desolation upon the places where they live I will instance in some of them 1. The Lord hath promised to be an hiding place and a refuge to his people when he sends his judgments upon the places where they live Isa 32.2 18 19. Psal 32.6 Psal 9.9 Deut. 33.12 Prov. 18.10 Zeph. 2.3 compared with Chap. 1.2 3 17 18. And not only to be a refuge to godly men themselves but to their children Prov. 14.26 See also Isa 8.7 8 13 14. When the Assyrian should invade the land and over-run all parts of the land the Lord promiseth to be a Sanctuary to such as did make him their sear and their dread Ezek. 11.16 2. The Lord hath promised to deal well wit his people in times of publick calamity even when he sends ruine and destruction upon the places where they live Isa 3.8 10. Jerusalem is ruined Judah is fallen Say ye to the righteous it shall be well with him Eccl. 8.12 Jer. 15.11 As the same cloud which was dark and dreadfull to the Egyptians gave light to the Israelites Exod. 14.20 So God can make those providences which are dreadfull to wicked men to be refreshing to his own people 3. The Lord hath promised to bear up the Faith and Hope of his People that their hearts shall not sink and dye within them in evil days though very dismal and dark days Joel 3.15 16. The Prophet speaks of very dreadfull judgments under Metaphorical expressions yet saith God shall be the hope and strength of his people in such a day 4. The Lord hath promised to comfort his people in times of common calamity Isa 29.9 19. At that day when the Lord visited Jerusalem with Thunder and an Earthquake and a Storm and Tempest and devouring Fire he promiseth that the meek shall encrease their joy in the Lord and the poor among men rejoyce in the holy one of Israel Job 5.22 At Destruction and Famine thou shal laugh Mal. 4.1 2. 5. The Lord hath promised to moderate the afflictions which he layeth upon his people and what ever he layeth upon others he will lay upon them no more than he will enable them to bear Isa 27.8 The Prophet had given them warning that he was coming out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their sins Ch. 26. ver 21. And live for the comfort of the people of God he tells God would take a measure of his peoples strength and sufferings and that he would stay his rough wind in the day of his East wind Jer. 30.11 When the Lord is making a full end of all Nations he will correct them in measure 1 Cor. 10.13 He will not suffer us to be Tempted above what we are able to bear 6. The Lord hath promised to afford his gracious presence with his people under their greatest troubles not only at their entrance into but in their passage through the Fire and the Water Isa 42.1 2. Fear not thou art mine when thou passest through the waters I will be with thee c. Psal 91.15 I will be with him in trouble 7. The Lord hath promised his people deliverance out of their greatest troubles Jer. 30.7 Alas for that day is great so that none is like it it is even the day of Jacobs trouble but he shall be saved out of it Psal 50.15 Psalm 71.20 Psalm 34.19 8. The Lord hath promised to Sanctifie National troubles to his people and to make them work together for their good Jer. 24.5 Zech. 13.9 Rom. 8.28 6. It is a ground of comfort under National troubles that God will by them bring glory to his own name advance the Kingdom of Christ and promote the good of his own people Isa 5.15 16. When God stains the glory of the world then our Lord Jesus Christ who is called the branch
us till we are brought safe to Heaven 1 Pet. 1 5. Who are kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation And though the Lord lets us fall for our Humiliation yet he will not suffer us to be utterly cast down Psal 37.23 24. This power of God that keeps us is able to stablish the weakest Christians against all Oppositions Rom. 16.25 To him that is of power to stablish you The Apostle speaking of such as are weak in the Faith saith Rom. 14.1 4. Him that is weak in the Faith receive you yea he shall be holden up for God is able to make him to stand 2. The mercy of God preserveth us from falling away Psal 94.18 When I said my foot slippeth thy mercy O Lord held me up and this mercy stands fast with us for ever Psal 89.28 My mercy will I keep for him for evermore Isa 54.8 3. The faithfullness of God is a comfort against our fears of falling away 2 Thes 3.3 The Lord is faithfull who will stablish you and keep you from evil 5. The Lord Jesus Christ hath assured his Sheep that they shall never perish but that he will give them Eternal Life and that none shall pluck them out of his hands Joh. 10.27 28 29. Where observe that all the sheep of Christ are kept by the power of the Father and the Son to Eternal Life so that they shall never perish For our fuller satisfaction in this case let us see what are the grounds of those fears of falling away which perplex our minds and see how we are secured against all of them 1. Is it the strength of Satans Temptations The Lord hath engaged his faithfullness that he will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able to bear 1 Cor. 10.13 2. Is it the strength of indwelling corruption The Lord hath engaged himself by promise to subdue our iniquities Mic. 7.19 3. Is it the opposition that the World maketh against us the troubles and persecutions of the world makes us fear that we shall fall away Christ hath overcome the world for us Joh. 16. ult And no men by all that they can do shall pluck any of Christs sheep out of his hands Joh. 10.27 28. 1 John 4.4 4. Are we afraid that God should leave us and that we being left of him should fall away He hath engaged himself by promise that he will never leave nor forsake us Heb. 13.5 He hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee 5. Are we afraid of our own treacherous backsliding hearts He hath engaged to put his fear into our hearts that we shall not depart from him Jer. 32.40 Sect. 10. There is comfort in Christ for such whose heart is sick because there hope is deferred Solomon tells us Hope deferred makes the heart sick Prov. 13.12 And many Christians find it true by experience while hope for promised mercies and mercies begged in prayer and their hope is deferred their hearts grow sick and their spirits faint within them Psal 143.7 Hear me speedily O Lord my spirit faileth Psal 119.81 82. My soul fainteth for thy salvation Mine eyes fail for thy word saying when wilt thou comfort me Now there is comfort in Christ for such as find their hearts fainting when prayed for promised hoped for mercies are deferred And that on these grounds 1. Promised mercies shall furely be given in God's time which is the best time for all things Hab. 2.3 The vision that is the mercies promised to the prophet in a vision is yet for an appointed time but at the end it shall speak and not lye though it tarry wait for it because it will surely come it will not tarry And the like I may say of mercies begged in prayer they shall furely come if they be such as are according to the will of God 1 Joh. 5.14 2. Our Lord Jesus Christ intercedeth with his Father to give us all promised mercies For he is the Mediator of the New Covenant and Mediates with God on our behalf that for his sake he would give us all the blessings promised in the new Covenant He also intercedeth for us with his Father to give us all those mercies which we ask in his name agreeable to his will Heb. 7.25 And the Lord will not deny Christ any thing for which he maketh intercession 3. The longer hoped for mercies are deferred the sweeter they will be when they are given to us Prov. 13.12 Hope deferred maketh the heart sick but when the desire cometh it is a tree of life 4. When hoped for mercies are delayed till the heart is sick and begins to faint yet it is good still to keep up our hope in God Lam. 3.18 26. Psa 119.81 For we please God when we hope in his mercy Ps 147.11 5. The main and best of hope is for things laid up in heaven for us Col. 1.5 For the hope which is laid up in heaven for you If in this life only we had hope in Christ we were of all men most miserable The best blessing which a Christian hopes for are laid up in heaven There we shall have an answer of all our prayers a fulfilling of all promises a satisfaction of all our desires when that blessed hope is accomplished it will make amends for the deferring and frustration of all other hopes Wherefore let us look after and wait patiently for that hope Tit. 2.13 1 Pet. 1.13 Sect. 11. There is comfort in Christ for such as are assaulted with horrid temptations as blasphemy self-murder c. Some Christians are assaulted with grievous temptations as blasphemous thoughts self-murder c. that they are even weary of their lives Now to such there is comfort to be had in Christ in several respects as 1. None of all the temptations of Satan can bereave a Christian of eternal life For a Christian's life is hid with Christ in God Col. 3.3 Ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God And what is hid with Christ in God is out of the devils reach 2. Though Satan may temptthe members of Christ yet he shall be never able to overcome them but they shall overcome him and all his temptations Rev. 12.11 They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb Eph. 6.16 Above all things taking the shield of faith whereby ye shall be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked Col. 2.15 3. The worst of Temptations are consistent with the Fatherly love of God Our Lord Jesus Christ who was the beloved Son of God was tempted to cast himself down from a pinacle of the Temple and to fall down and worship the devil and what worse sin than to worship the devil 4. We are assured by God that if we resist the devil he will flee from us Jam. 4.7 And therefore whatsoever Temptation he assaults us withal let us resist him believing that he will flee and if he come again let us resist him again We are also assured that though the Lord suffer Satan to tempt us yet he will not suffer us to be tempted above what he will enable us to bear 1 Cor. 10.13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man But God is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it FINIS