The Lord God is a Sun and a Shield We are not only pardoned but restored to Favours and Friendship It is much to us to be delivered from the Terrors of Hell but more to be made Heirs of Eternal Life The Prodigal only looked for a Pardon Luke 15. 19. Make me as one of thy hired Servants and the Father bringeth forth the Robe the Ring and the fatted Calf O that we that have deserved to be in the bottom of Hell should find a place in the Heart and Bosom of God! Let us enlarge our Expectations according to the Extent of Christ's Mercy Here is Pardon and Glory Heaven is more credible than Pardon Rom. 5.10 Much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his Life It is harder to get a guilty Sinner pardoned than a pardoned Sinner glorified And let us answer the Divine Mercy to be not only negative but positive in our Obedience Many please themselves in an Abstinence from gross Sins but do not care to maintain Communion with God Psal. 1.1 2. Blessed is the Man that walketh not in the Counsel of the ungodly nor sitteth in the Seat of the scornful But his Delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth he meditate Day and Night They are not Scorners wicked Enemies and Drunkards but there is no Savour of Religion upon their Hearts Do they delight in the Law of the Lord Do they meditate on it and make it their Study To leave Sin is but the first degree there must be something more 2 dly Why is this Hope said to be set before us I answer 1. To note the Divine Institution of this Reward it is not devised by our selves but appointed by God The Hypocrite's Hope is compared to the Spider's Web Iob 8.14 which is a poor slender thing woven out of her own Bowels and it is gone by the first turn of a Besom so is the Hypocrite's Hope a Fancy a slender Imagination or a rash and unadvised Confidence which comes to nothing 2. It is proposed and set before us for our Encouragement As it is said of Christ Heb. 12.2 For the Ioy that was set before him he endured the Cross and despised the Shame that is for the Joy that was propounded to him Well then it is a real Hope and a Hope offered to us and laid before us 3. What is it to run to take hold of the Hope set before us Sometimes it implieth a challenging it as ours as 1 Tim. 6.19 That they may lay hold on Eternal Life Here it signifies holding fast never to let this Hope go It implieth Diligence of Pursuit Perseverance to the end and all this upon Christian Encouragement 1. Diligence in Pursuit of Eternal Life in the Heirs of Promise It is express'd by working out our Salvation making it our business Phil. 2.12 Work out your Salvation with Fear and Trembling Most Men make a Jest of it or a thing of course but when it must be made the main Work the great Pursuit and thing in Chase as the obtaining the Prize in a Race and not only a Business but that which is first and chief Mat. 6.33 Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof And a Business that must be earnestly prosecuted and well followed and that notwithstanding Discouragements Mat. 11.12 The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence and the Violent take it by Force When Men press through and will not be kept out there must be earnestness in the Matter and this not only for a fit and for a little while until they have made some progress but there must be a getting ground daily I press toward the Mark for the Prize of the high Calling of God in Christ Iesus Phil. 3.14 getting nearer and nearer making for Heaven apace to be established in the Hopes of eternal Life When we will not be put off with any thing else but have Heaven or nothing this is to seek Heaven in good earnest 2. This flying to take hold of the Hope set before us importeth Perseverance in well-doing notwithstanding the Difficulties in the way to Heaven The Israelites way to Canaan lay through a howling Wilderness So we have many Inconveniences and Discouragements in our way to Heaven but we are born up with this Hope that the Promise will make amends for all and so we go on in our course till we come to our Journey 's end And the Apostle speaking how Christ as Judg of the World will distribute eternal Rewards describeth those that shall inherit eternal Life Rom. 2.7 Those that by patient continuance in well-doing seek for Glory and Honour and Immortality It is not a Description of our first Address to Christ and taking comfort in his Merit no that consists in a broken-hearted acknowledgment of our Sins and a desire to be found in Christ depending upon his Merits and Righteousness to free us from the Wrath of God But the Apostle is not describing our coming to Christ but our coming to Heaven and the manner how Justified Persons look for their eternal Reward by patient continuance in well-doing they seek for Glory Honour and Immortality Though we are justified and have the Right of Sons yet we shall not have the Possession of the Inheritance until we are exercised in well-doing therefore we must wait God's leisure and persevere in Obedience And 3. All this upon Christian Encouragements for the Hope that is before them A Man may know much of his Spirit by what bears him up and what is the Comfort and Solace of his Soul Titus 2.13 Looking for the blessed Hope When a Man is born up by invisible Comforts and upon the Hopes of an invisible Inheritance kept for him in Heaven A wicked Man's Hope lies within the Compass of the World therefore it may perish and die before he dies Prov. 11.7 When the wicked Man dies his Expectation shall perish and the Hope of unjust Men perisheth or at least it ends at Death Prov. 14.32 The Wicked is driven away in his Wickedness He would fain stay longer in the World but he is arrested by Death in the Name of the great God of Heaven and driven into the other World there to be responsible to God but the Righteous hath hope in his Death then his Hope beginneth APPLICATION Vse 1. Comfort to those that can apply it even to those who are thus qualified that are driven and drawn to Christ and then go on chearfully with the Work of Obedience waiting for their Inheritance in Heaven Now that you may take in this Comfort examine your selves 1. Have you ever felt any Law work Were you ever driven to Christ Were you ever startled and rowzed out of your Sins and made sensible of the Displeasure of God and forced to sit alone and complain over a naughty Heart Have you Paul's Experience Rom. 7.24 O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death Have you been awakened Ephes.
lifted up his Eyes being in Torments He had a pompous Funeral here upon Earth for it is said he died and was buried which is not said of Lazarus These are Truths not spoken of once or twice but every-where 2 dly The Covenant sheweth it which is God's solemn Transaction with his Subjects and consists of Precepts or Laws invested with the Sanction of Promises and Threatnings Christ argues thus Luke 20.37 38. Now that the Dead are raised even Moses shewed at the Bush when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob For he is not the God of the Dead but of the Living He proves the Immortality of the Soul and the Resurrection of the Body 1. His Commands all of them imply such an Estate and some of them express it All imply it as Faith in Christ we believe in his Name to obtain eternal Life Joh. 20.31 But these things are written that you might believe that Iesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing you might have Life through his Name And Joh. 5.24 He that heareth my Word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting Life Repentance Acts 3.19 Repent ye therefore and be converted that your Sins may be blotted out when the Times of Refreshing shall come from the Presence of the Lord. Therefore it is called Repentance unto Salvation 2 Cor. 7.10 And Repentance to Life Acts 11.18 Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted Repentance unto Life So new Obedience Heb. 5.9 He became the Author of eternal Salvation to all that obey him Acts 26.7 Vnto which Promise the twelve Tribes instantly serving God Day and Night hope to come And some express it He hath commanded us not to labour for the Meat that perisheth but for that Meat which endureth unto everlasting Life John 6.27 Not to lay up Treasures upon Earth where Moth and Rust doth corrupt and Thieves break through and steal but lay up for your selves Treasure in Heaven Mat. 6.19 20. And strive to enter in at the strait Gate Luke 13.24 Now if there were no such thing all these Commands would be in vain Would God flatter us into a Fool 's Paradise and command us to look after a thing of nought 2. The Sanction And there 1. The Threatning which is Damnation or the second Death Mark 16.16 He that believeth not shall be damned Is this a vain Scarcrow and need God govern his Subjects by a Cheat or a Lie 2. The Promises he promiseth Eternal Life to them that obey the Gospel and seek after this Immortality Rom. 2.7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for Glory Honour and Immortality Eternal Life Rev. 2.10 Be thou faithful to Death and I will give thee a Crown of Life Be faithful in making good your Baptismal Vow improving Talents withstanding Temptations So to comfort us against Fears Losses and Sorrows Luke 12.32 Fear not little Flock it is your Father's good Pleasure to give you a Kingdom Now would God over-reach us and lead us with Chimera's and vain Hopes 3 dly The Mediator of the New Covenant sheweth it his coming from Heaven the Place of Souls the Region of Spirits and his going thither again at his Ascension 1. His coming from Heaven Wherefore was Christ incarnate and clothed with our Flesh but that we might be apparrelled with his Glory Iohn 10.10 I am come that they might have Life and that they might have it more abundantly To lay a Foundation for our eternal Happiness 2. His going to Heaven his entring into that Glory he spake of and so giving a visible Demonstration to the World of the Reality of it 1 Pet. 1.21 Who by him do believe in God that raised him up from the Dead and gave him Glory that your Faith and Hope may be in God There he remaineth at God's Right-Hand to open Heaven to all Believers Christ when he died recommended his Spirit to the Father Luke 23.46 Father into thy Hands I commend my Spirit And so do Believers to Christ Acts 7.59 Lord Iesus receive my Spirit If the Soul did perish with the Body why should we commit it to Christ 4 thly The Holy Spirit is given to form and prepare us for this Estate therefore by consequence to assure us of it 2 Cor. 5.5 Now he that hath wrought us for this self-same thing is God who hath also given unto us the Earnest of the Spirit 1. Look to the Graces of the Spirit we are made Partakers of the Divine Nature to draw us off from the World to Heaven 2 Pet. 1.4 Whereby are given to us exceeding great and precious Promises that by these you might be Partakers of the Divine Nature having escaped the Corruption that is in the World through Lust. Now will God fit the Soul for such a blessed Estate when this Life is ended and shall we never enjoy it If we consider the Soul not only as being an inward Principle of Life and Sense but also of Reason it proveth the Immortality of it much more as sanctified and enobled by Grace Rom. 8.10 The Body is dead because of Sin but the Spirit is Life because of Righteousness Believers have a Life wrought in them by the Spirit which is the Pledg and Beginning of Eternal Life for they are sanctified and purified and fit to be brought into the Sight and Presence of God The Apostle doth not draw his Argument there from the Immortality of the Soul for that is common to Good and Bad the Wicked have a Soul that will survive the Body but little to their Comfort their Immortality is not an happy Immortality but he taketh his Argument from the New Life wrought in us by the Spirit which is the Beginning and Earnest of a blessed Immortality the New Life is an eternal Principle of Happiness 2. Look to the Comforts of the Spirit from the Love of God and the Hopes of Glory 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom having not seen ye love in whom though now you see him not yet believing ye rejoice with Ioy unspeakable and full of Glory Rom. 5.2 And rejoice in hope of the Glory of God Now is it a Fancy that holy Men rejoice in Look as the Terrors of a wounded Conscience are the Foretastes of Hell-Torments called somewhere the Pains of Hell so the Comforts of the Spirit are the first-Fruits of Heavenly Joys to set us a longing for more Rom. 8.23 And not only they but our selves also which have the first-Fruits of the Spirit even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the Adoption to wit the Redemption of our Body Now by all these things let us rouse up a drousy Faith and triumph over that Carnal Atheism and Unbelief that worketh in our Hearts Is the whole Scripture false and the Christian Religion a well-devised Fable our Redeemer an Impostor and the Covenant of God a Dream and the Comforts of the Spirit Fanatical Illusions And were they all
to us An Earnest is a part of the Sum which is promised so is the Earnest of the Spirit a part of the promised Felicity God would not altogether weary us and burden us with Expectation but giveth us somewhat in hand Surely he that giveth us Earnest will give us the whole Sum the Earnest of the Spirit consisteth in Light Life Grace Joy one Dram of these is more precious than all the World and yet these are but an Earnest Now having such a Confirmation in the midst of our Doubts and Fears let us with more Confidence look to receive the whole in due Season 4. Some already have got home to God upon the same Terms and in the same Way in which you expect to get home to him Think often of the Happiness of the Blessed who are now enjoying what we expect and are in possession of that supreme Good which we hope for They are entred into the Joy of our Lord and have neither Miseries to fear nor Blessings to desire beyond what they enjoy they possess all that they love And tho the time of our Advancement to these Privileges be not yet come yet we should look and long for it We are all of the same Family Eph. 3.15 Of whom the whole Family in Heaven and Earth is named It is but one Houshold some live in the upper Room some in the lower some in Heaven some on Earth but we are all of the same Society and Community Heb. 12.23 To the general Assembly and Church of the First-born which are written in Heaven We are said to be already come into this Fellowship only they have gotten the start of us and are made perfect before us that we should follow after We are reconciled to the same God by the same Christ Col 1.20 By him to reconcile all things unto himself by him I say whether they be things in Earth or things in Heaven And we expect our Portion from the Bounty of the same Father If he hath been so good to that part of the Family which is now in Heaven will he not be as good to the other Part also Therefore they that are working out their Salvation with fear and trembling may encourage themselves and look upon this Felicity as prepared for them tho not enjoyed by them It will one day be their Portion as well as those others who have passed the Pikes and are now triumphing with God A SERMON UPON ROMANS II. 7 To them who by patient Continuance in well-doing seek for Glory and Honour and Immortality eternal Life IN this Scripture we have a plain and full Character of the Heirs of Promise or a short but compleat Description of that Good which is necessary to Life The Words are occasioned by the Apostle's mentioning of the righteous Judgment of God which rendereth to every Man according to their Works That General mentioned in ver 6. is more distinctly explained in the next Verses wherein he sheweth how the righteous Judg will carry himself towards the Good and towards the Bad in the Judgment of Absolution and Condemnation towards the Good in the Text toward the Bad ver 8. But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the Truth but obey Vnrighteousness Indignation and Wrath. The one is a Reward of Grace and the other is a Punishment awarded by his exact Justice We are to consider the first of these the Reward of Grace To them who by patient Continuance in well-doing seek for Glory and Honour and Immortality eternal Life In the Words observe the Qualification and the Reward 1. The Qualification or Description of the Heirs of Promise 1. By their End and Design They seek for Glory and Honour and Immortality 2. The Means or way wherein they seek it by well-doing 3. Their Constancy and Perseverance in that way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by patient Continuance Well then 1 st Here is a short and full Description of those who shall be saved They are those who out of the Hope of the eternal Reward persevere in the Obedience of the Truth for they that continue in well-doing are opposed to them that obey not the Truth but obey Vnrighteousness Whereby is intended those that sin against the Light of Nature and refuse the Direction of the Gospel So that well-doing must be stated partly by the Light of Nature and partly by the Light of Scripture or rather by this latter alone as it comprizeth and explaineth the other And their Constancy and patient Continuance in this Work is as considerable as the Work it self Continuance implieth a constant Tenour of Righteousness and Holiness and patient Continuance implies Continuance notwithstanding Temptations to the contrary or bearing the Persecutions which they underwent for the Duties of the Christian Profession still going on in the Pursuit of that Reward which Christ hath promised 2. The Reward is Eternal Life This they looked and this they laboured for They were not carried on upon temporal Incouragements but eternal Bliss in the World to come And this is an excellent Counterpoise against the Loss or the Discomforts of the present Life Doct. That God will give Eternal Life to all those who by patient Continuance in well-doing seek after it The Point will be best opened by discussing the Circumstances of the Text. I shall speak I. Of the Qualification II. Of the Reward I. The Qualification And there I must speak First Of their Design and Aim They seek for Glory Honour and Immortality In all Businesses and Affairs the end must be first thought of Now these Persons which are here described propound to themselves the noblest and highest End which the Heart of Man can pitch upon even Glory Honour and Immortality Amongst Men the Ambitious who aspire to Crowns and Kingdoms and aim at perpetual Fame by their Vertues and rare Exploits are judged Persons of greater Gallantry than covetous Muckworms and brutish Epicures yet their highest Thoughts and Designs are very base and low in comparison of sincere Christians who by patient Continuance in well-doing seek for Glory Honour and Immortality and whom nothing less will content and satisfy than the Injoyment of God himself in his Heavenly Kingdom and all that Happiness which he hath promised to his faithful Servants The Threshold will not content them but the Throne Their End is far more noble than the Designs of all the rest of the World And whereas others do carry themselves but as an higher and wiser sort of Beasts and so are unworthy of an immortal Soul these carry themselves as Men possessed with a Divine Spirit The Beasts have an Instinct that guideth them to seek things convenient for that Life which they have And a Man that is satisfied with his Portion here and only relisheth the Contentments of the rational and bodily Life carrieth himself more like a living Creature than a rational Creature more like a Beast than like a Man All their Business and Bustle is to have their
Wills and Pleasure for a while as if they had not any Hopes or Fears of any greater things hereafter Psal. 49.20 Man that is in Honour and understandeth not is like the Beasts that perish Because he merely inclineth to present Satisfactions for Reason is a middle thing between the Life of Faith and the Life of Sense If it be not sublimated by Faith it is debased by Sense and then what great Matter is it if you be a Man or a Dog or a Swine if Reason be only given you to cater for the Body and to make Provision for the Flesh to fulfil the Lusts thereof But let us more distinctly see what is the Aim and Design of those noble and brave Spirits There are two things in the Text the Object and the Act the Thing aimed at and their Respect towards it 1. The Thing aimed at is Glory Honour and Immortality Let me open the meaning of these Words apart and then shew why so many are heaped together 1. Glory Glory is Status illustris appearing Excellency There is a Glory of this World but that is fading 1 Pet. 1.24 All Flesh is as Grass and all the Glory of Man as the Flower of Grass The Flower is more fading than the Grass it self and is sooner shed than the Stalk rotteth so many a Man's Excellency dieth before he dieth and his Glory is gone when he remaineth as a neglected Stolk But this is a more solid Glory called by the Apostle 2 Cor. 4.17 A far more exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory This Glory is in their Persons Rom. 8.18 For I reckon that the Sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the Glory that shall be revealed in us Phil. 3.21 Who shall change our vile Body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious Body Matth. 13.43 Then shall the Righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father 2 Thess. 1.10 When he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe All the Spectators shall stand wondering what he meaneth to do with those who were but newly crept out of Dust and Rottenness So wonderful is the Glory of the Saints in the World to come And as this Glory concerns their Persons so their State Christ will advance them to a glorious Estate to high Dignity and Honour which the Scripture expresseth sometimes by Thrones Revel 3.21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am sat down with my Father in his Throne Sometimes by a Crown 2 Tim. 4.8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the righteous Iudg will give me at that Day Visible Marks of Favour and Honour will Christ put upon them 2. Honour That imports Praise and Commendation for Honour is a Testimony of Excellency To seek the Honour of this World is destructive to Faith John 5.44 How can ye believe which receive Honour one of another and seek not the Honour that cometh from God only But the Honour which Christ will put upon those that are faithful to him in the World to come is the great Object of Faith by which we vanquish those Temptations of Disgrace and Scorn which we meet with here in this World Christ will then commend their Faith before Men and Angels Rev. 3.5 I will confess his Name before my Father and before his Angels O what a blessed thing is it to be owned by Christ and approved as faithful in his Service by the Judg of all the World at whose Sentence we must stand or fall The Apostle saith 2 Cor. 10.18 For not he that commendeth himself is approved but whom the Lord commendeth To have a Testimony in our own Consciences is very sweet Let the World slander yet if God approveth it is sufficient But it will be more honourable to us when the Judg upon the Throne shall acquit us and not only so but approve and commend us It is said 1 Cor. 4.5 Iudg nothing before the time until the Lord come who both will bring to Light the hidden things of Darkness and will make manifest the Counsels of the Heart and then shall every Man have Praise of God That is be not too forward in your Censures in time God will display the Seducers and discover every Man's Intentions and Purposes Then they that deserve it shall have Shame and every Man that hath done well shall by God be justified and commended What kind of Approbation we shall have is shewed Matth. 25.21 Well done thou good and faithful Servant This is the Honour which the Saints expect 3. The third Word is Immortality 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Incorruption All the Glory and Honour of the World soon fadeth away If our Fame survive us what Good will it do us when we are dead Alas it is but a poor Shadow of that eternal Glory and Honour which Christ will put upon the Saints their Glory is immortal and never withereth The Glory and Honour of the World is uncertain their Hosanna is soon turned into a Crucifige Crucify him 2 Sam. 19.43 We have ten parts in the King and we have also more Right in David than ye And in the very next Verse chap. 20.1 We have no part in David neither have we Inheritance in the Son of Jesse every Man to his Tents O Israel They who but just now claimed ten parts in David presently disclaim and disown him as having no part in him at all So suddenly are Mens Affections and Esteem of us altered And as our Glory perisheth so we perish even the best of Men. Acts 13.36 David after he had served his own Generation by the Will of God fell asleep and was laid unto his Fathers and saw Corruption What a deal a-do Men keep to get Praise and Honour in the World but what doth this profit you when you are dead and must be laid in the Grave with others But the Saints look higher As they seek Glory and Honour so they seek Incorruption or Immortality a Glory which will abide with them and they with it to all Eternity Thus we have considered the Words apart Now why are so many heap'd up together It is not done casually the same is observed elsewhere 1 Pet. 1.7 That your Faith may be found unto Praise and Honour and Glory at the appearing of Iesus Christ. Now this is done partly to represent the Fulness of this blessed and glorious Estate The Honour which Christ puts upon his Servants at his appearing is manifold many Words cannot express it they shall be much commended and gloriously rewarded And partly to recompense and make up the Shame and Disgrace of our Trials How infamous soever Christ's Servants be in the World yet they are glorious with God and honourable in his Sight And when Christ shall appear they shall appear with him in Glory Col. 3.4 Well now this
keepeth up Joy in the Soul and no Violence of Temptation is able to break it and remove us from the Truth Rom. 8.24 25. We are saved by hope but hope that is seen is not hope for what a man seeth why doth he yet hope for But if we hope for that we see not then do we with patience wait for it They are Confident that in God's Time they shall have Salvation and final Deliverance tho' it be not to be seen any where but in God's Promise by Jesus Christ. Well then the fewer External Comforts we need the stronger is our Faith the more the weaker Weak Christians must be carryed in Arms dandled on the Knees fed with sensible Pledges and ocular Demonstrations or else they are ready to faint 2. The Imperate Acts or Effects of Faith they are produced by Vertue of this Property Faith's prevailing over Sight and Sense I shall name four 1. To promote Holiness and reduce us and reclaim us from the false Happiness Surely none will accomplish the Work of Faith with Power and so glorifie God and Christ in the World that is live in all holy Conversation and Godliness but those that have that Faith which is the Evidence of things not seen those that live always as in the sight of an Invisible God are the thorow Christians What greater Check can there be to Temptations to Sin than to live always in the Sight of an Invisible God Gen. 39.9 Or to Temptations to the World than an Invisible Glory Or to the Troubles and Molestations of the World Rom. 8.18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us And 2 Cor. 4.17 Our light Afflâ—ction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory If Godliness expose us to Difficulties Molestations and Troubles Faith seeth the Final Rest Glory and Happiness If we are inclined to the Honours and Pleasures of the World Faith seeth the most shining Glory will soon burn out and end in a Snuff Psal. 119.96 I have seen an end of all perfection but thy Commandment is exceeding broad And 1 Ioh. 2.17 The world passeth away and the lust thereof but he that doth the Will of God abideth for ever If Sense present the Bait of present Profit Pleasure or Honour Faith seeth the Final Shame Ignominy and Loss and so we are guarded on all sides against Right-hand and Left-hand Temptations This is a General I shall speak of more particular Effects 2. To keep the Heart tender and in awe of God's Word Surely 't is a Blessed frame of Spirit and very useful to us to tremble at the Word of God Isa. 66.2 To this man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my Word And to stand in awe of his Word Psal. 119.161 My heart standeth in awe of thy Word Now this can never be unless we have that Faith which is the Evidence of things not seen for many times the Word threatneth Evils which are not likely to come to pass if we look to the visible face of things and all that part of God's Discipline is lost unless we can believe unseen things See Heb. 11.7 By Faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an Ark to the saving of his house by which he condemned the World and became heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith The World was then in a Jolly Condition and little dreamt of a Flood The Earth flourished as much as ever and there was Building and Marrying and Planting but God had told him of an universal Destruction of all things by a Deluge therefore he admonisheth the careless World and provideth for his own and Family's Safety So we read of Iosiah when he heard of the words of the Book of the Law he rent his Cloaths 2 Kings 22.11 We do not read of any actual Trouble that was then in the Land or any Danger nigh When an Age is very corrupt and ripe for Judgment God giveth Warning But alas few take it or lay it to Heart for the World is led by Sense and not by Faith they are not affected with things till they feel them Few can see a Storm when the Clouds are in gathering but securely build on the present Ease and Peace tho' God be angry But in the Eye of Faith a sinful Estate is always dangerous therefore they fall a Praying and humbling themselves and cry to God mightily and use all means of Safety while a Judgment is but yet in its Causes 3. To support us against the greatest Dangers and Terrors Heb. 11.27 By Faith Moses forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the King for he endured as seeing him that is invisible To depend upon God's Aid and Succour in a time of great Extremity and Danger needeth a strong Faith as to appearance he was ready to be swallowed up being pursued by a wrathful and Puissant King The Sea was before him the Egyptians behind him and the Craggy and unaccessible Mountains on each side but the Terrors of Sense may be easily vanquished by those Invisible Succours which Faith relyeth upon An Invisible God can bear us out against Visible Dangers 4. To teach us how to carry an equal Mind in Prosperity and Adversity in Prosperity when we are born up by the Chin we have but too much Confidence and when we are lessened and but short in the World we are full of Diffidence and distrustful Fears Psal. 30.6 In my prosperity I said I shall never be moved When a Child of God hath gotten a Carnal Pillow under his Head he lyeth down and sleepeth sweetly dreaming many a pleasant Dream of uninterrupted Felicity in the World but if God taketh away his Pillow from under his Head then he is as diffident as formerly confident then God will be favourable no more God is the same his Promises the same the Covenant the same the Mediator the same but our Condition is changed because we look to things seen live upon things seen and still imagine of things according to what we see and feel So for supplies of Maintenance and Provision if we have them not in View and sight how little can we depend upon God If Sense be against the Promises the Promises do us but little good How few can comfort themselves in God when all faileth Hab. 3.18 or make his All-sufficiency their Store-house Gen. 17.1 No they must have a full heap in their own keeping How few can take his Promises for their Heritage Psal. 119.11 No they must have Lands and fixed Revenues or else they know not where to have Food and Raiment for themselves and Children How few can be contented to trust the Purse in God's Hands and be contented to take their daily Allowance from him which yet is a necessary Point of Faith of
Divine Nature did put a Value upon that Price and made it sufficient and responsible to all God's Ends. Therefore it is said Psal. 89.19 Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one and saidst I have laid help upon one that is mighty I have exalted one chosen out of the people It best befitted the Divine Wisdom to choose such a Person as might undertake the Work and not miscarry it otherwise we could have no assurance that full satisfaction was given 4. Jesus Christ taketh away Sin by bearing it in his own Person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth both to take it away and carry it away And it is said Isa. 53.6 The Lord hath laid upon him the iniquities of us all God laid it on him and he willingly took it upon himself 1 Pet. 2.24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree which signifieth his voluntary Susception as well as the Father's Ordination and Appointment I must a little explain two things 1. How Sin was laid upon Christ. 2. That being transferred and laid upon Christ it is taken off from the Creature 1. How Sin was laid upon Christ for so the Scripture speaketh There is in Sin Culpa the Fault Macula the Stain Reatus the Guilt and Poena the Punishment We cannot say the Fault was laid on him for that is the Blame which ariseth or groweth out of Sin inherent we cannot say the Stain for Christ was holy harmless undefiled separate from Sinners Heb. 7.26 Therefore we must understand it of the other two the Guilt and the Punishment The Guilt is imputed as he stood in our stead for he is said To bear the sins of many Isa. 53.12 And To be made sin for us 2 Cor. 5.21 As he offered himself and obliged himself to make satisfaction to his Father's Justice his Soul and Body was a Ransom in our Souls stead 1 Tim. 2.6 Who gave himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a ransom for all he not only died In bonum nostrum for our good but Loco vice omnium nostrum he stood before the Father's Tribunal in our room and stead Then for the Punishment as he was made sin for us so he was made a curse for us Gal. 3.13 That is to undergo the Curse of the Law due to us He was no more spared than if we our selves who had sinned had been in his room and place at that time And therefore he is said To carry our sorrows and bear our griefs Isa. 53.4 He was the Object of Sin-pursuing Justice and at his hands did God demand satisfaction for all our Wrongs He had all the Sins of the Elect upon him by Imputation and voluntary Susception and was handled by Divine Justice as if he had been guilty of them all 2. The Guilt and Punishment being transferred and transacted upon Christ it is taken off from the Creature and all who upon God's Terms do thankfully accept of this Atonement are acquitted and reconciled to God and taken into Grace and Favour through Christ. Iob 33.24 Then he is gracious unto him and saith Deliver him from going down to the pit I have found a ransom When the Surety hath paid the Debt the Debtor is let out of Prison when the Ram was taken Isaac was let go Gen. 22. As Christ told his Persecutors Iohn 18.8 If therefore you seek me let these go their way In that Action of his there was a Pledge an Illustration at least of his offering himself to the Curse of the Law and the Punishment due to Sin to exempt us from it take me and let these go The Fault is forgiven the Guilt expiated the Blot more and more done away and the Sentence of Condemnation and Punishment disanulled so that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Rom. 8.1 5. Christ having born the burden and weight of our Sins hath undertaken to take away all that may be called Sin he hath taken away the Guilt and he hath taken away the Stain the Obligation to Punishment and the Power of Corruption Or in short he hath procured both Justification and Sanctification for us 1. Justification is a Fruit of his bearing Sin Isa. 53.11 By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities To bear the Sin is to bear the Punishment the Wrath due to it now God will not exact it twice of Christ and of us too Christ doth so bear it for us that he takes it away from us that we are discharged from the Guilt and delivered from wrath to come 2 Thess. 1.10 and are brought into a Justifiable condition before God 2 Cor. 5.21 He was made sin for us that knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him 2. Sanctification that is one taking away of Sin and a Fruit of Christ's bearing our Iniquities 1 Pet. 2.24 He bore our sins in his own body upon the tree that we being dead unto sin might be alive unto righteousness Naturally we are alive to Sin love it delight in it and are active in it but we are dead to Righteousness not only sick and wounded but dead to it But Christ came to purchase Grace to subdue our Love and Delight in Sin and to turn our Hearts towards God We need a Saviour to help us to Repentance as well as to Pardon the loss of God's Image was part of our Punishment and the Renovation of our Nature is a part yea a principal part of our Deliverance by Jesus Christ. 6. This Work of taking away Sin is not done all at an instant but accomplished by degrees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Participle noteth a continued act it is a thing Christ is always a doing till Sin be no more Here we must distinguish between Impetration and Application As to Purchase and Impetration Christ hath done it once for all there needed no repeating of this Act Heb. 10.14 For by one offering he hath for ever perfected them that are sanctified As to the Merit nothing is wanting no other Oblation and Sacrifice needeth to be offered to God But as to Application so he is every day taking away Sin what is his business now in Heaven but to sit at the right hand of God and to see the Fruits of his Mediation accomplished Yea and as to the same Persons Christ doth not destroy Sin all at once Narrow-mouth'd Vessels cannot be filled in an instant though cast into an Ocean Therefore taking away Sin is a continual act which Christ is ever a doing Some Blessings are dispensed presently upon the first day of our entering into the state of Grace and Favour with God as Adoption into God's Family Pardon of Sins past a renewing of the Image of God in us Redemption or Exemption from the Curse of the Law which Things encrease more and more unto their final perfection in Eternal Glory Adoption then shall be compleat Rom. 8.23 Waiting for â—he Adoption to wit the redemption of our bodies When we shall know more fully what Honour and
is the Object of the Expectation 2. Their Respect to it they seek it Seeking implies two things 1 st An hearty Desire 2 dly An earnest Endeavour in the Use of Means 1 st An hearty Desire For seeking is the earnest Desire of a thing lost or absent The seeking of this Glory Honour and Immortality implieth an earnest Desire of it as appeareth by Col. 3.1 2. If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things that are above which is further expressed by Set your Affections upon things above And this is not a slight Desire but such a Desire as prevaileth above the Desires of other things Such an Affection to them as is not controuled by other Affections Matth. 6.33 Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness First that is so as our Pursuit of other things doth not cross our Affections to these Many desire Heaven and Glory but they are soon put out of the Humour and take up with the Pleasures and Honours and Profits of the World and they become Slaves to their fleshly Appetites and Senses and the good things here below 2 dly Seeking implieth Diligence and an earnest Endeavour such as the Woman used that sought her lost Groat Heb. 13.14 Here we have no continuing City but we seek one to come If we desire it and long after it something must be done in order thereunto As our Desires are greater so our Endeavours will be greater than after worldly things For to seek is to bestow our earnest Care and serious Diligence upon it See how it is expressed in Scripture by Labour John 6.27 Working and working out Phil. 2.12 By pressing towards it Phil. 3.14 By striving Luke 13.24 Because we meet with Opposition You must not think to come to the Injoyment of this great Happiness with Idleness and cold Wishes No we must be at Pains and such Pains as Flesh and Blood will count hard Labour Well now we may from hence conclude the first part of the Mark of the Heirs of Promise 1. By the Object they are distinguished from the wicked and carnal part of the World who covet the Honours Riches and Pleasures of the present Life but these are ingaged in a more noble Design they seek Glory and Honour and Immortality That is they seek not Vain-glory but labour to make themselves truly glorious honourable and immortal 2. Again from the Object and Act together they distinguish themselves from all Infidels and Unbelievers for they seek Glory and Honour where it is to be found and in the way wherein it is to be found and so go upon sure Grounds They are ascertained by the Truth of God's Word and depend upon it that if they seriously set themselves to obey and honour God in the World they shall have Glory and Honour with him 1 Sam. 2.30 Those that honour me I will honour John 12.26 If any Man serve me him shall my Father honour And elsewhere Upon this they are certain 3. By the Seriousness of the Act they distinguish themselves from Hypocrites or partial Believers Those that have a slight Sense of Eternity will desire Glory and Honour and Immortality but to desire it so as that it shall be their top Care to desire it so as that all other things should be lessened in their Opinion Estimation and Affection to desire it so as to labour after it in the first Place this is the Disposition of the Sincere only They can withdraw the Vail of Sense and look to the Glory that cometh from God only They prize it above all the Glory of the World and resolutely chuse it for their Portion with an habitual and thorow Consent of their Wills and the Drift and Aim and Bent of their Lives is to be for God and their Salvation and this is first and chiefly sought after in all their Indeavours Secondly The Means and Way wherein they seek after it by patient Continuance in well-doing A good Design without a good Way is nothing and therefore next to a right End we must chose a right Way and if we desire Salvation we must mind the right Way thither Now in the Way and Means three things are considerable Here is 1. Well-doing 2. Continuance 3. Patient Continuance If one of these be wanting all cometh to nought If Well-doing be wanting our Perseverance is but an Obstinacy in things sweet and pleasing to the Flesh and our Patience but a carnal Self-denial nothing conducing to our great End If Well-doing be regarded yet if there be not a Continuance or a Continuance only when we are put to no Trial then the Benefit is lost All three must concur 1. For Well-doing Let us state that first that we may not be mistaken The World is filled with ill Notions every Man applaudeth himself in his own Course be it never so vain The Covetous the Ambitious the Dissolute when they thrive in their several ways they will think they do well Psal. 49.18 Though whilst he lived he blessed his Soul and Men will praise thee when thou dost well to thy self A Man 's own self-deceiving Heart measureth Good and Evil by his present Condition in the World The brutish Worldling applauds himself in his own Course when it succeedeth The Glutton thinketh he doth well when he maketh much of and cherisheth and pampereth himself The Ambitious applaudeth himself in his good Fortune The Prodigal when he spendeth thinketh he doth well And the Covetous when he spareth thinketh he doth well and contrary Persons will say so Ay but there must be another Rule than the Fancies of Men that is Well-doing which really turneth to our eternal Good To do well is to obey Righteousness to obey the Truth for it is opposed to those that violate the Light of Nature and wrangle and dispute away that true Religion which is offered for their Cure and Remedy 1. To do well is to obey Righteousness or to act agreeably to those Obligations which lie upon us with Respect to our Relation to God others and our selves There are but three Beings in a moral Consideration God Neighbour and Self Paul's Adverbs are suted to them Titus 2.12 Soberly Righteously and Godly As to Self-government of our Fancies and Appetites we are to live Soberly in an holy Weanedness and Moderation in the midst of all present Delights and Comforts As to our Neighbour we are to live Righteously in all Justice Truth Mercy Fidelity in our Relations as Parents Husbands Subjects Children Wives As to God we are to live Godly in an holy Subjection to him and intire Dependance upon him and Communion with him So to do well with Respect to God is to behave our selves as to one that is so excellent powerful and good and upon whom we depend so much not breaking his Laws for all the World As to others Whatsoever ye would that Men should do unto you do even so to them Matth. 7.12 Not only Negatively to prevent the Wrong but Positively to do
knowledg of the Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ they are again entangled therein and overcome 2 Pet. 2.20 Vse 2. Is Exhortation to press you 1. To seek after Honour Glory and Immortality O this is the best Pursuit you can engage in What is better for you Can the World or the Devil propound any thing so good or better than this glorious Estate Are the dreggy Contentments of the Flesh the Vain-glory and Honour of the World the uncertain Riches we enjoy here worthy to come in competition with Eternal Life Surely in matter of Motive a Christian hath the Advantage however a carnal Man hath the Advantage in matter of Principle because in him it is wholly intire and unbroken 2. To Well-doing Surely you should not need many Arguments to press you to do well rather to press you to do ill should be the more difficult Task it is so contrary to our Reason and the right Constitution of our Natures but that we are strangely depraved O Christians what do we invite you to but to love God above all and seek his Favour in Christ and love your Neighbour as your self and by Temperance Purity and Chastity to preserve your own Vessels both Bodies and Souls in Sanctification and Honour Surely these Duties are not Gifts but Ornaments and such Subjection to God should be preferred before Liberty in Sinning 3. To continue with Patience I will press you to this by two Arguments 1. There will be always the same reason for going on that there was for beginning at first Did the Sense of your Duty invite you The same Bond of Duty lieth upon you still Did the Hopes of the World to come engage you Heaven is not yet obtained And will you lose all the Coâ—t you have been at already Gal. 3.4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain 2. There can be no Temptation great enough to recompense you for the loss of your Reward of Eternal Life Is it Reproach When Men despise God will honour thee and it is a blessed thing to be reviled for Righteousness sake Is it worldly Loss Better lose the World than lose our Souls Mat. 16.26 What will it profit a Man if he should gain the whole World and lose his own Soul Is Life in danger Losing Life for Christ is the way to save it And Iohn 11.25 Though he were dead yet shall he live Is it the continual reviving of Troubles In the other World there is nothing to assault thy Perseverance there thou art out of the Gun-shot of Temptations and shalt serve God without defect or difficulty there our Service is not troublesom to us A SERMON UPON 2 CORINTHIANS XIII 14 The Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the Love of God and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen MY Purpose is to open the Apostolical Benediction or Prayer for the Corinthians for our way of Blessing is only to pray for those whom we bless To love others is to desire their Good They that love best and most desire the best Good for their Friends and better Good there cannot be desired than that those we love may have God for their God Now they that have God for their God have all that is in God and all that is God God the Father Son and Holy Ghost will imploy all his Wisdom Power and Goodness to save them from all Evil and bring them to eternal Blessedness This is that which is prayed for in this place The Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the Love of God and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen In the Words we have The Thing prayed for together with the Persons from whom Or rather 1. The Matter of the Blessedness wished The Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ the Love of God the Communion of the Holy Ghost 2. The effectual Application to the Corinthians Be with you 3. The Confirmation of these Hopes and Desires in the word Amen 1. The Matter of the Blessing It consists of three Branches suted to the Persons of the Godhead 1st The Grace of Christ. 2dly The Love of God 3dly The Communion of the Holy Ghost 2. The effectual Application Be with you These things are with us or in us two ways 1. In the Effects 2. In the Sense 1. In the Effects when we have the Fruits of the Father's Love and Christ's Grace and the Spirit 's Operation That the Love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them John 17.26 2. In the Sense and Feeling when we comfortably know it is thus with us Ioh. 14.21 He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and manifest my self unto him Rom. 5.5 Because the Love of God is shed abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us 3. The Confirmation of these Desires and Hopes in the word Amen which is Signaculum Fidei an Expression of Faith and Votum Desiderii an Eruption of our Desire and Love Doct. That all the Persons of the Blessed Trinity do concur to the Happiness and Salvation of Believers Here let me shew you I. How they do concur II. Why they do concur I. How they do concur Let us explain the Text. 1. Here are all the Persons of the Godhead mentioned God is taken personally for the Father and then Jesus Christ and the Spirit are distinctly mentioned So in other Scriptures 1 Pet. 1.2 Elect according to the fore-knowledg of God the Father through Sanctification of the Spirit unto Obedience and sprinkling of the Blood of Iesus Christ. The fundamental Cause of Salvation is the Election of God who when he had all fallen Mankind in his Prospect and View was pleased to choose out some to Grace and Glory passing by others Then there is Reconciliation ascribed to Jesus Christ and Sanctification to the Spirit as the Means by which this Purpose is brought about The Beginning is from God the Father the Dispensation is by Jesus Christ and the Application is through the Holy Ghost So also Titus 3.4 5 6. But after that the Kindness and Love of God our Saviour towards Man appeared not by Works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Iesus Christ our Saviour God the Father out of Love sent a Saviour by whose Grace we are saved and God the Son from God the Father sent God the Holy Ghost who applieth the Love of God and the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ by renewing and healing our Natures So 2 Thess. 2.13 14. But we are bound to give Thanks always to God for you Brethren beloved of the Lord because God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth whereunto he called you by our Gospel to the obtaining of the Glory of the Lord
or Iustice what it is 81 Vid. Justice Why we are to be just and righteous 87 Working Righteousness what it is 1071 Why this is required of us as the Principle of our Actions ibid. Righteousness of Faith what it is 928 956 What is the Hope built on this Righteousness of Faith 930 What is the Work of the Spirit in this Business ibid. S SAcraments relate to Christ's Death 1009 Preparation to the Sacrament necessary 621 What Thoughts are preparative to it ibid. Vid. Meditation Sacrifice What Sacrifices did import 830 Christ's Death had the true Notion and Virtue of a Sacrifice 829 The New Covenant is confirmed by virtue of this Sacrifice 830 Salvation what it is 17 That it is free to all that will accept of it 23 Who are they that contemn Salvation 20 That it is a difficult thing to be saved 397 Vid. Difficult In Christ there is not only Refuge but Salvation 231 What we should do to attain Salvation 21 Vid. Saviour Sanctification meritorious applicative and practical what 1090 How Christ sanctifies 1092 Who are the Sanctified 1089 Why the Relation of Children is reckoned only to the Sanctified 1090 Sanctification hath Influence on our Comfort and Peace 1072 Sanctifying God what it is 267 Satisfaction What Satisfaction a good Man hath 1114 Why he shall have it ibid. Satisfaction of Christ the Compleatness of it proved 1151 The Comfort of this to poor Sinners 1152 Saviour Christ is a Saviour 153 How many ways Christ is a Saviour 887 Why Christ is a Saviour both by Merit and by Power ibid. Christ's great End and Business is to be a Saviour 888 How we shall do to have Christ our Saviour 154 Directions to receive Christ as our Saviour 892 Motives to accept Christ as a Saviour 891 Thankfulness to Christ as a Saviour a Christian Duty 893 Scriptures proved to be the Word of God 721 Sensible Confirmations of the Divine Authority of Scriptures 674 Secret of the Lord with the Righteous what it signifies 1049 Seed Christ the Seed of the Woman 534 Vid. Incarnation Seeking What Christ's seeking those that are lost implies 885 The Necessity of this seeking 886 Seeking Glory and Honour and Immortality what it is 1226 Sell all thou hast explained vindicated and applied 332 333 Vid. Forsake all Self-denial included in the Nature of Faith 441 Sensuality what it is 57 Arguments against it 58 The Evil and Danger of it 373 Shewing forth the Lord's Death what it signifies 1013 The Properties of shewing forth Christ's Death 1014 Why we should shew forth Christ's Death 1015 Motives to shew forth Christ's Death 1016 Sight of Christ past present and to come opened 477 Sight of Faith The objects the Sight of Faith are exercised about 478 Sin the Nature of it 646 Sin a Wrong to Father Son and Holy Ghost 163 The Deceitfulness of Sin 505 The Effects of Sin 650 The Aggravations of Sin 652 The Sins of God's People most provoking to him and the Reasons of it 271 The Sinfulness of Sin opened 646 682 General Observations about the Sinfulness of Sin 643 The Sinfulness of Sin to be meditated on ibid. Sins against Conscience the Mischief that comes by them 530 The Power of Sin how Christ takes it away 541 The Guilt of Sin how Christ takes it away 542 The Being of Sin how and when Christ takes it away ibid. Sin to be avoided and why 168 Not one Sin but all must be renounced Vid. Renouncing Why God corrects his People for their Sins in this World 272 Sleep Sobriety to be used in it 66 Sloth spiritual Directions how to shake it off 616 Sobriety what it is 65 The particular Branches of it Vid. Sleep Recreations Meat and Drink Apparel Care of the World The Necessity of Sobriety 63 Objections against preaching Sobriety answered 64 Solisidians condemned 729 Sorrow vanquished by Faith 242 Soul The Nature of the Soul 1166 The Soul immediately created by God 1163 The Immortality of the Soul proved 1162 1164 1173 The Evil of not believing the Immortality of the Soul 1172 Sparing God's sparing his People what it signifies 1017 This is a choice Privilege ibid. The Reasons why God spares his Children 1019 Who they are whom God spares 1021 How God's sparing is consistent with afflicting his People 1022 1023 Staggering at the Promise opened 487 Strength It is the Privilege and Duty of God's Servants to go from Strength to Strength 1003 Why God's Servants should go from Strength to Strength ibid. Motives to go from Strength to Strength 1006 They that go from Strength to Strength shall at last appear before God in Sion 1008 Sufferings of Christ. Prophecies and Types of Christ were fulfilled in his Sufferings 1149 1150 Sufferings of Christ a Copy and Pattern to us 1150 T TAking away Sin How Christ takes away the Sin of the World 1126 1127 Taking away Sin the great End of Christ's coming into the World and why 1128 What we should do to have Sin taken away Vid. Sin 1129 Temporal good things why God gives them to carnal Men 987 Vid. Good Things Temptations how to be prepared against them Vid. Devil 710 Thanksgiving for Benefits a Debt we owe to God 421 Graces acted and promoted in Thanksgiving 422 Sins prevented by Thanksgiving ibid. Reasons for Thanksgiving 423 In Thanksgiving spiritual Blessings are especially to be owned 424 We are to give Thanks for spiritual Blessings not only for our selves but others 426 We are not thankful for Mercies when the Heart is lifted up 700 Time the Preciousness of it 69 Tongue of the Just what is meant by it 1053 1058 In what Sense the Tongue of the Just is as choice Silver 1055 Sins of the Tongue 1053 Our Tongues to be used for edifying and why 1056 Directions hereunto 1058 Trembling at God's Word what it is 1033 Difference between it and holy Fear ibid. How it doth or may come to nothing 1036 Trinity How much Believers are ingaged to all the Persons of the Trinity 125 How all the Persons in the Trinity concur to the Salvation of Believers 1233 Love ascribed to the Father Grace to the Son and Communion to the Holy Ghost 1233 1234 How Love Grace and Communion concur to our Salvation 1235 Trouble of Heart what it is and wherein it consists 235 237 The Causes of this Trouble of Heart 236 Why Christians should not let their Hearts be troubled 238 Directions to prevent this Trouble of Heart 239 Faith a Means of easing our Hearts from Trouble 241 Trust. Considerations to quicken us to improve our Trust 255 Encouragements to be faithful to our Trust 256 Trust in God a Duty in dark Times 814 The Profit of trusting in God then 815 There is much in the Name of God to incourage Trust ibid. They that fear God and obey him are most incouraged to trust in him 816 Trusting in Riches that there is such a Sin proved 377 The Evil of it 378 The Signs and Discoveries of it 383 The Evil
not in Iniquity but rejoiceth in the Truth Ver. 7. Beareth all things believeth all things hopeth all things endureth all things Ver. 8. Charity never faileth but whether there be Prophecies they shall fail whether there be Tongues they shall cease whether there be Knowledg it shall vanish away In 1 Sermon p. 995 Psal. 84.7 They go from Strength to Strength every one of them in Zion appeareth before God In 1 Sermon p. 1000 1 Cor. 11.26 For as often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew the Lord's Death till he come In 1 Sermon p. 1009 Mal. 3.17 And I will spare them as a Man spareth his own Son that serveth him In 1 Sermon p. 1016 2 Tim. 2.19 Nevertheless the Foundation of God standeth sure having this Seal The Lord knoweth them that he his and let every one that nameth the Name of Christ depart from Iniquity In 1 Sermon p. 1024 Acts 24.25 And as he reasoned of Righteousness Temperance and Iudgment to come Felix trembled and answered Go thy way for this time when I have a more convenient Season I will call for thee In 1 Sermon p. 1031 Prov. 3.17 Her ways are ways of Pleasantness and all her Paths are Peace In 1 Sermon p. 1038 Prov. 10.20 The Tongue of the Iust is as choice Silver the Heart of the Wicked is little worth In 2 Sermons p. 1053 Acts 10.34 Then Peter opened his Mouth and said Of a Truth I perceive that God is no Respecter of Persons Ver. 35. But in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh Righteousness is accepted with him In 1 Sermon p. 1065 Mark 4.24 And he said unto them Take heed what you hear with what Measure ye mete it shall be measured to you and unto you that bear shall more be given In 1 Sermon p. 1076 Heb. 2.11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one for which Cause he is not ashamed to call them Brethren In 1 Sermon p. 1083 Heb. 13.5 For he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee In 1 Sermon p. 1093 1 Thess. 5.8 But let us who are of the Day be sober putting on the Breast-plate of Faith and Love and for an Helmet the Hope of Salvation In 1 Sermon p. 1100 Prov. 14.14 The Backslider in Heart shall be filled with his own ways and a good Man shall be satisfied from himself In 1 Sermon p. 1108 John 1.29 Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the Sin of the World In 2 Sermons p. 1116 John 18.11 The Cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it In 1 Sermon p. 1131 Luke 23.34 Father forgive them for they know not what they do In 1 Sermon p. 1138 John 19.30 He said It is finished and he bowed his Head and gave up the Ghost In 2 Sermons p. 1149 Eccles. 7.29 But they have sought out many Inventions In 1 Sermon p. 1153 Eccles. 12.7 Then shall the Dust return to the Earth as it was and the Spirit shall return unto God who gave it In 1 Sermon p. 1161 Rev. 1.5 And from Iesus Christ who is the faithful Witness and the first begotten of the Dead and the Prince of the Kings of the Earth Vnto him that loved us and washed us from our Sins in his own Blood Ver. 6. And hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father unto him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever Amen In 2 Sermons p. 1175 Levit. 19.17 Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thine Heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbour and not suffer Sin upon him In 2 Sermons p. 1195 1 Cor. 15.19 If in this Life only we have Hope in Christ we are of all Men most miserable In 2 Sermons p. 1209 Rom. 2.7 To them who by patient Continuance in well-doing seek for Glory and Honour and Immortality eternal Life In 1 Sermon p. 1224 2 Cor. 13.14 The Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the Love of God and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen In 1 Sermon p. 1232 ADVERTISEMENT THE Publication of this Fourth Volume as also the Author 's former Works in Folio is due to the kind Incouragement of many worthy Persons both Ministers and others who from a publick Spirit and a true Sense of the real Benefit that may accrue thereby to the Church of God have readily contributed their Assistance But that it came out no sooner it must admit of this favourable Excuse from those that were concern'd in the Publication thereof that notwithstanding the hopeful Incouragement it met withal when first proposed yet many Persons that did not decline it were very backward in sending in their first Payments by means of which there could not be any Paper procured before this last Summer to begin the Work which Omission in Subscribers proves very injurious to the speedy finishing any Work of this Nature and sometimes is the Cause of their being wholly laid aside There are some also that 's very strange that were not willing to promote this Work themselves were not satisfied in that but did very industriously indeavour to hinder others by giving out that what was printed were but Scraps and not from his own Notes and that if publish'd would tend rather to the Dishonour than Credit of the Author All which savours so much of Disingenuity that it needs no more Words to refute it But let such judg if they are able by this and the Doctor 's former Works if any thing has been publish'd under Dr. Manton's Name that has not truly born his Character and there is so little need of publishing Scraps that there remains as many single Sermons under his own Hand as would make as large a Volume as this besides several whole Chapters which would make one if not more large Folio's viz. on Psalm 131. Isaiah chap. 53. Ephesians chap. 5. Philip. chap. 3. most of 2 Thess. chap. 1. most of the Chapters of the 1 st Epistle of Iohn with many others not mentioned ERRATA in the First Part. PAge 3. line 16. read no more Grace P. 17. l. ult r. Heat increaseth with Light P. 21. l. 37. f. sure r. soar P. 22. l. 29. r. we must hearken P. 25. l. 10. r. of Argument P. 28. l. 5. dele his P. 29. l. 37. f. lurking r. hucking P. 30. l. 28. f. Conversation r. Conversion l. 44. f. Case r. Care P. 32. l. 20. r. Practicals P. 34. l. 56. f. thô r. if P. 47. l. 57. f. or r. of P. 50. l. 25. r. after he is recovered P. 60. l. 3. dele l. P. 64. l. 9. f. hinged r. honied 1. 24. f. but r. and l. 34. r. a wanton l. 54. for remit r. vomit l. 55. f. Case r. Care P. 74. l. 14. r. a wanton P. 75. l. 33. f. the Sin r. seen P. 79. l. 16. r. envy it P. 83. l. 20. f. these r. there l. 26. dele his P.
Therefore it is of Faith that it might be by Grace to the end that the Promise might be sure to all the Seed We should never else be secured against Doubts and Fears Believers that offend daily would be left to a sad uncertainty but now we can the better expect Glory when the Foundation of it is laid in Grace I remember the great Patron of the Merit of Works Bellarmine concludeth out of Bernard Propter incertitudinem propriae justiciae periculum inanis gloriae â—â—tissimum est â—iduciam totam in solâ Dei misericordia benignitate reponere Because of the Uncertainty of our own Righteousness and the Danger of Vain glory I confess it is the safest course to put our trust in the sole Mercy and Grace of God Vse 1. Is to preswade us if Grace be the cause of all the Good we enjoy not to wrong Grace Why for this is to close and stop up the Fountain yea to make Grace our Enemy and if Grace be our Enemy who shall plead for us Angry Justice must needs take up the Quarrel of abused Grace and then there 's no help nay Grace it self would complain of the Wrong received to God and will sollicit our Judgment and Vengeance the Advocate will become an Accuser But how do we wrong Grace I answer Five ways 1. By neglecting the Offers of Grace Such make God speak in vain and to spend his best Arguments to no purpose 2 Cor. 6.1 We then as workers together with him beseech you also that ye receive not the Grace of God in vain By the Grace of God is there meant the Offers of Grace in the Gospel Now we receive it in vain when all the Wooings and Pleadings of Grace do not move us to bethink our selves and look after our Salvation It is a great Affront you put upon God to despise him when he speaks in the still Voice Look as when David had sent a courteous Message to Nabal and he returns a churlish Answer it put him into a Fury 1 Sam. 25.34 Surely there had not been left by the morning Light any that pisseth against the Wall So how angry will the Lord be against those that despise his Grace and all the renewed Offers and Messages of Love and prefer the Profits and Pleasures of the World before him It may be you do not return a rough and churlish Answer and are not Scorners and Opposers of the Word but you slight God's sweetest Message when he comes in the sweetest and mildest way The Complaint in the Gospel was Mat. 11.17 We have piped unto you and you have not danced It is not we have thundred unto you and you were not startled but we have piped and ye have not danced Not to take notice of these sweet Allurements and Blandishments of Grace that 's very sad Heb. 2.3 How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation The greatness of the Benefit aggravates the Sin it is great Salvation that is offered there is an offer of Pardon and Eternal Life but it worketh not if you neglect it There is a sort of Men that do not openly deny reject or persecute the Gospel but they receive it carelesly and are no more moved with it than with a story of golden Mountains or Rubies or Diamonds fallen from Heaven in a Night-Dream You make God spend his best Arguments in vain if you neglect this Grace Scourge Conscience till it ake What will you do How will you escape if you neglect so great Salvation God sets himself a work to gain the Heart and Grace hath laid open all its Treasures as a Man in a Shop to draw in Custom now it is grieved and wronged when it doth not meet with a Chapman This is the Charge that is laid upon those Mat. 22.6 when they were invited they made light of it they did not take it into their Care and Thoughts did not seriously think with themselves O that God should invite us to the Marriage of his Son They do not absolutely deny but make excuse they do not say non placet but non vacant they are not at leasure and this made the King angry When all things are ready and God sets forth the Treasures and Riches of his Grace and Men will not bethink themselves their Hearts are not ready How will this make God angry Such kind of Neglecters are said to judg themselves unworthy of Eternal Life Acts 13.46 You will say Is there any Fault in that Who is worthy Should we not judg our selves to be vile forlorn Creatures unworthy of a look from God much more of Eternal Life I answer It is not spoken of self-humbling or of a holy self-condemning but of those that turn their back upon Grace Grace comes to save them and God makes them an Offer as thô they were worthy and they judg themselves unworthy and plainly declare they were altogether not worthy of this Grace All Men are unworthy enough of Eternal Life and God hath cause enough to condemn them but they chiefly judg themselves unworthy that is in Fact declare themselves to be so that have received the Honour and Favour of a Call Grace hath spoken unto them and made them an Offer of Pardon and Salvation and they turn the Back upon it as if it were not worth the taking up on God's Terms and such are all ignorant Sots and deaf Worldlings 2. Another sort of Men that wrong Grace are those that refuse Grace out of legal Dejection Many poor Creatures are so vile in their own Eyes that they think it impossible they should ever find Favour in God's Eyes O but consider cannot the Riches of Grace save when God shall set himself on purpose to glorify Grace to the full cannot it make thee accepted Wherefore doth God bring Creatures to see their Unworthiness but that Grace might be the more glorious Grace would not be so much Grace if the Creature were not so unworthy therefore you should be glad you have your Hearts at that Advantage to be sensible of your own Vileness It is a wrong to Grace if you do not fly to it you streighten the Riches and darken the Glory of it it is as if an Emperor's Revenue could not discharge a Beggar 's Debt Our Ephah is full brim-full but God's Mercy is over-full You can speak of Sins and the Scripture speaketh of Mercy Hast thou but one Blessing O my Father saith Esau Gen. 27.38 So hath God but one Mercy Grace is a Treasure that cannot be spent an Ocean ever full and ever flowing Where Sin hath abounded Grace did much more abound Rom. 5.20 There cannot be so much in Sin but there is more in Grace The Apostle makes new-coin'd words when he is to speak of the abundance of Grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Prodigal could say There is Bread enough in my Father's House Luke 15.17 How many hired Servants in my Father's House have Bread
and maimed with croocked Bodies distorted Limbs that the Shape of our Bodies might discover the Depravation of our Souls If it be not so give God the Praise and pity others We read Iohn 9.1 2 3. As Iesus passed by he saw a Man that was blind from his Birth And his Disciples asked him saying Who did sin this Man or his Parents that he was born blind Iesus answered Neither hath this Man sinned nor his Parents but that the Works of God might be made manifest in him We are not to make a perverse Judgment or censure others but to admire the secret Wisdom of God and bless him if he hath given you a better Constitution and a Body fit for Work and Service 2. Do you differ in the Endowments of the Mind in a quick Wit clear Understanding solid Judgment and the Vivacity of Natural Parts whilst others are more heavy and blockish Who must have the Glory of this God or you Iob 32.8 There is a Spirit in Man and the Inspiration of the Almighty giveth them Vnderstanding You are to help the weaker and glorify God that you have a more acute discerning otherwise your Understanding may undo you and your unsanctified Wit may be your eternal Ruin as many wit themselves into Hell 3. Is it that you flow in Wealth and Honour and have great Power and Interest Will you therefore vaunt your selves unseemly and despise and oppress the poor There are three Proverbs Prov. 14.31 He that oppresseth the Poor reproacheth his Maker Prov. 17.5 Whoso mocketh the Poor reproacheth his Maker And again Prov. 22.2 The Rich and the Poor meet together the Lord is the Maker of them all that is they live one among another and have need of one another Now God that forbiddeth the Poor to envy the Rich doth forbid the Rich to despise the Poor for otherwise they dishonour God This Injury and Contempt is to despise the Wisdom of God who would have some low and poor others dignified with Honour and Estate God hath laid this Burden upon them The Heathens that acknowledged a God and a Providence said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. He that upbraided another with the Defects of Nature did not upbraid the Person so much as Nature it self So we that own a particular Providence may know that to upbraid any Man with his Poverty is to upbraid God who hath laid this Burden upon them We have cause to give Thanks that we are not as they that our Maker hath put a difference when they labour hard for the Supplies of Life they come to us more plentifully and easily 4. But chiefly is this difference to be understood with respect to spiritual things that we have the Means of Grace and are called to the knowledg of the Truth while others are left to their own ways sitting in the shadow of Death Surely it is a great Favour that we are not put to spell God out of the dark Book of the Creatures that we are not put to learn the Majesty of God from those natural Apostles the Sun and the Moon nor his Goodness from Showers of Rain and fruitful Seasons But shall not God have the Thanks and Praise Psal. 147.19 20. He shewed his Word unto Jacob his Statutes and his Iudgments unto Israel He hath not dealt so with any Nation and as for his Iudgments they have not known them Praise ye the Lord. There is a kind of Election and Reprobation within the Sphere of Nature or the Dispensation of external means as they are ordered by God's Providence The Benefit of Scriptures and Ordinances is a great Benefit How much hath God done for us above many others Our Lot might have fallen in Places of the greatest Idolatry and Antichristian Barbarism where we might have sucked in Prejudices against the Gospel with our Milk But to have a standing there where Salvation is usually dispensed is a great Mercy 5. Is it that you have many common Gifts and Graces which are denied to others Some have great Gifts for the good of the Body Mystical Common Christians have common Gifts some have what others have not Heb. 6.4 5 6. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightned and have tasted of the heavenly Gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good Word of God and the Powers of the World to come if they shall fall away to renew them again to Repentance c. compared with ver 9. But Beloved we are perswaded better things of you and things that accompany Salvation tho we thus speak To be nearer the Kingdom of Heaven is an advantage and to have some common work of the Spirit as Compunction After I was instructed I smote upon my Thigh Jer. 31.19 Awakening Grace Ephes. 4.14 Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee Light 2 Tim. 2.16 That they may recover themselves out of the Snare of the Devil who are taken Captive by him at his Will God's Reproof Prov. 1.23 Turn ye at my Reproof behold I will pour out my Spirit upon you Job 36.10 He openeth also their Ears to Discipline and commandeth that they return from Iniquity God sanctifieth Providences to make us serious Psal. 94.12 Blessed is the Man whom thou chastenest and teachest him out of thy Law 6. Is it that you are a Christian not by outward Profession but spiritual Acquaintance with God Gal. 1.15 It pleased God who separated me from my Mother's Womb and called me by his Grace to reveal his Son in me There is a revealing Christ to us and a revealing in us that you are not carnal obstinate unbelieving as others but chosen out of the World John 15.19 and 1 Iohn 5.19 We know that we are of God and the whole World lieth in Wickedness that we are separated from the World and called to the Communion of God in Christ. 7. Is it that you are inabled in this Estate to do any thing that concerneth the Glory of God The Romans were wont to cast Garlands into their Fountains So we must ascribe all to God 1 Cor. 15.10 By the Grace of God I am what I am Luke 19.16 Thy Pound hath gained ten Pounds You must not rob God and put the Crown on your own Head no all must be laid at his Feet Rev. 4.10 The four and twenty Elders fell down before him that sat on the Throne and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever and cast their Crowns before the Throne They have their Crowns from him and hold them of him and their only Design is to improve them for him 8. That among the serious Worshippers of God there is any difference between you and others either in Gifts or Graces or knowledg of his Will Iohn 14.22 Lord how is it that thou wilt manifest thy self to us and not unto the World That you are not lost in the Crowd and Throng That God should call you out to any Eminency
Prosper I pray thee thy Servant this Day and grant him Mercy in the sight of this Man for I was the King's Cup-bearer For Ordinances Mat. 11.23 And thou Capernaum which art exalted to Heaven shalt be brought down to Hell for if the mighty Works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom it would have remained till this Day Where the Gospel is most clearly preached that Place and People is most clearly exalted and made nearest to Heaven But yet if these be not improved they bring you into the deeper state of Condemnation Persons honoured and favoured by God with spiritual Advantages shall be brought as low as they were formerly advanced Yea for Grace it self You are to be accountable not only for Corn and Wine and Oil but for the saving Gifts of the Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 VVhat do ye more than others Mat. 5.47 You are always to glorify his Name admire his Grace and live answerably to his Love and bring him into Request among all about you 4. Talents are increased the more they are imployed and we double our Gifts by the faithful use of them As the Widow's Oil increased in the spending and the Loaves in Christ's Miracle were multiplied in being divided and the right Arm by being much used is bigger and fuller of Spirits than the left Grace groweth by Exercise but decayeth by disuse Gifts if they be not employed are lost How many poor withered Christians are we acquainted with that are blasted and have suffered a shrewd loss by slacking their Zeal and want of diligent Exercise VVhosoever hath to him shall be given and whosoever hath not from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have Luke 8.18 To have is to use or imploy our present Stock 5. We must give an Account to God We must not think that when God hath given or committed any thing to us he will not look after it any more No he will call us to an Account what Honour he hath by us as Magistrates Ministers or Masters of Families Beasts are not called to an Account for they have no Reason and Conscience but Man is God will ask what you have done with your Time Strength and Estate An Ambassador that is sent abroad to serve his King and Country if he could return no other account of his Negotiation but that he had spent so much of his Time in visiting the Court-Ladies and so much again in Play in Cards or Dice that he could not mind the Employment he was sent about would this satisfy the King that sent him Or if a Factor that is sent to a Mart or Fair should say that he stayed so long guzling at the next Ale-house that the time was over e're he could part with his Companions and riotously wasted the Money that he was to employ in Traffick These are odd things as they are represented to your Imagination Now consider how little better Answer you can make to God when he shall require and ask his own of you 6. Consider what a sad thing it is to have Gifts only to leave us without excuse As the Gentiles had the Light of Nature God left not himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without Witness among them Acts 14.17 But what was the Issue The invisible things of him from the Creation of the World are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal Power and Godhead so that they are without excuse Rom. 1.20 God is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without a Witness and they are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without excuse they have not the excuse of faultless Ones To others the Word is preached 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a Witness to them Mat. 24.14 The Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the VVorld for a VVitness to all Nations But it is Mark 13.9 For a Testimony against them And the Lord would have Ezekiel preach That they might know that a Prophet hath been amongst them Ezek. 2.5 So that all the Fruit is God is clear when he judgeth but they have no saving Benefit by all this 7. That in improving what is committed to our Trust our Returns must carry Proportion with our Receipts Mat. 25.16 17. He that had received the five Talents went and traded with them and made them other five Talents And likewise he that received two he also gained other two God will not accept of every Rendering For the Mercies of common Providence it is said 2 Chron. 32.25 He rendered something but not according to the Benefit done unto him So for the Mercies of his Covenant where he pardoneth much he expecteth to be loved much Luke 7.47 Her Sins which are many are forgiven for she loved much But to whom little is forgiven the same loveth little So for Sanctification he expecteth more from them to whom he hath given more Grace Paul saith 1 Cor. 15.10 I laboured more abundantly than they all So for all other Talents Ordinances and Means of Knowledg God expecteth more from them to whom they are vouchsafed than from another People as is evident in his Judgments You only have I known of all the Nations of the Earth therefore will I punish you for your Iniquities The Valley of Vision had the sorest Burden Isa. 22.1 Yea it is more easy to be saved for some than others Righteousness consists in a Proportion which holdeth good both in our Duty and God's Judgments But of this hereafter 8. Consider how many Encouragements God's Stewards have to be faithful 1. His Right is clear as appeareth by this double plain Argument God doth dispose of these Gifts at his own pleasure by his Providence and by his Laws he hath regulated the use of them that thus and thus we shall employ them 2. God hath given a liberal Allowance to every Steward which he employeth He is well provided for for he is an Instrument of God's Providence first to provide for himself and for his own 1 Tim. 5.8 But if any provide not for his own and specially for those of his own House he hath denied the Faith and is worse than an Infidel 3. Besides the Gifts we are intrusted withal there is co-operating Grace to help us to be faithful Phil. 2.13 He worketh in us both to will and to do Else we should swallow the Gift and little mind the Use. Col. 1.29 Whereunto I also labour striving according to his working which worketh in me mightily 4. There is an eternal Reward to the Faithful Mat. 25.23 Well done good and faithful Servant thou hast been faithful in a few things I will make thee Ruler over many things enter thou into the Ioy of thy Lord. All his Servants shall be highly dignified as those whom Christ delighteth to honour SERMON II. LUKE XII 48 For unto whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required and to whom Men have committed much of them will they ask the more Doct. II. THese Gifts
Christ. 2. The Earnestness and Fervour of his coming He came running This Noble-man seemed to forget and neglect the dignity of his Condition he doth not walk in state but when Christ was gone out of the house where he was before lest he should miss of him he runs after him this shews his zeal and forwardness to meet with Christ and to put this Question to him He had an earnest desire to conferr with Christ and is not ashamed even then to run after him when Christ was a despised Person When David danced before the Ark and Michal scoffed at him as if it argued Lightness 2 Sam. 6.16 he said If this be to be vile I will be more vile It was disgraceful in that Age for this Ruler to come to Christ much more to run after him Nicodemus a Man of his Rank was convinced yet he durst not publickly own Christ but came to him by Night so as least to be taken notice of but this Man runs after him in the High-way and sets all other respects aside that he might seek a Salve for the Sore which run upon him so great and earnest was his desire to have his Conscience satisfied What must I do to inherit Eternal Life 3. Consider his Humility and Reverence to Christ He kneeled to him in token of civil Honour and Reverence to him as an eminent Prophet and Teacher he was not perswaded as we that profess our selves Christians are of the God-head of Christ only he took him for some great Prophet and a Man of God therefore he cometh and tendreth his Petition kneeling One would think all this Respect and fair meaning might be without any fault and that he had a very good Heart a man that should come and run and kneel to Christ and beg him to answer this Question 4. There is his Compellation Good Master He came not treacherously to entrap Christ as the Lawyer that asked the same Question but not with the same intent Luke 10.25 Behold a certain Lawyer stood up and tempted him saying Master what shall I do to inherit Eternal Life This Man came not to tempt Christ but to learn of him out of a good Intention and Purpose and with a Mind and Affection in some degree sincere The Man had some good Qualities for it is said Iesus loved him he had moral Sincerity for he did not dissemble but he came not with a supernatural Sincerity for there was a reservation in his Heart as appears by the sequel his Resolution to follow Christ was not absolute thô he esteems him and makes fair offers to him We have seen the first part namely what was commendable a Young man a Rich man a Noble-man he comes with such Earnestness with such a Question to Christ with such a Desire to be satisfied with an Intention sincere II. But where was his Defect By all that hath been said a Man would think that all this while I have been describing some rare Saint Such is his Zeal and Forwardness after spiritual and heavenly Knowledge and such is our Coldness and Carelesness about everlasting Concernments that we should easily think surely this is enough and wonder God should require any thing more and to go further than this Man 1. His Fault was that he asked in the Pharisees sence What good thing he should doe That will appear by Christs Answer in the process of the Story If the Question had bin only By what Means must I be saved Or What is the way to Heaven Christ would have answer'd him as the Apostles did in a like case Acts 16.31 Believe on the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved If the Question had been put to him in a broken-hearted Manner and by one that was sensible of his Misery and Inability and had come to Christ and said What shall I do He would have taught him Now the Pharisees Errour was double He thought that men might be saved by their own Works and that those Works were in their own Power He thought of nothing else but of being saved by the Merit of his own Works that those were full out weight with God and did deserve Eternal Life as the Iews elsewhere Rom. 9.31 32. Israel which follow'd after the law of righteousness hath not attained to the law of righteousness Wherefore because they sought it not by Faith but as it were by the works of the law They were ignorant of the Law and of themselves ignorant of the Law and therefore sought Justification by the Works of the Law and not by Faith and ignorant of themselves and therefore presumed of their own Strength as if they were able to do whatever good was prescribed to them As the Iews said to Christ Iohn 6.28 What shall we do that we might work the works of God They were confident of their own Merit and Strength Here was his Fault that he was as other Iews were both Ignorant of the Law and Ignorant of himself Of the Law that there is no standing before God by that Covenant and of himself that he had full strength to perform it Men by Nature retain so deep an Impression of the Covenant of Works and are Ignorant of the Perfection of the Law and their own Impotency that they know no way of attaining Eternal Life but by their own Works and doubt not but they shall do well enough if Christ will tell them their Duty they will do it In short this young man was conceited of a Righteousness as in himself and from himself and if Christ had answered him according to that humour he had done no more good upon him than if a Physician should say to a lame man Run and you shall be cured And therefore Christs Business was to bring him to a Brokenness of Heart by the Knowledge of the Law of himself and his own weakness as you shall see afterwards 2. His next Fault was his Love of Riches and worldly things which is a dangerous Obstruction and a Let to Salvation Fair Intentions and good Offers profit not where any one thing is loved more than God where the World is not overcome and the fleshly Mind and Interest is not mortified For we must not confine it only to Riches but Pleasure and Honour or any such thing For when Christ had taught them that he was Lord and Soveraign and could give Laws he gives him a Law to try him Sell what thou hast and give to the Poor and come take up the Cross and follow me he went away sorrowful Unless every Affection and Interest of ours be laid at the feet of Christ we are not throughly converted to him From this Story consider Whoever believes must determine God is his chiefest Good and Jesus Christ is the only way to God there must be an intention of God as the last End and a choice of Christ as the only Means there must be Brokenness of Heart a renouncing the World and an entire dependance on Christ
They do not make us corrupt or put Corruption into us but only discover the Corruption that is there already as when we fill a leaky Vessel the unsoundness of it is seen as soon as it is fill'd it begins to run out Our Corruptions are drawn out by these things and plainly discovered to the World when the Fault is not in the Riches but in the Lust. 2. When Wealth is spoken of as an Estate full of spiritual danger it is rather to check our desires of it than to lessen God's Bounty as if there were no Obligation upon us by thâ—se Temporal Blessings If we covet and seek great things for our selves we do but run into the mouth of Temptation 1 Tim. 6.9 They that will be rich fall into Temptation and a Snare and into many foolish and hurtful Lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition We are to bless God for his Bounty but we are to guard our own Hearts and contract our desires before the Will of God is declar'd When we ask Riches we know not what we ask Do not aim at great things for your selves in the World 3. Wealth considered not as sought by us but as given by God needeth peculiar and special Grace to improve it because we must not only look to the manner of Acquisition but to the manner of Fruition It is true we have honestly acquired it it comes to us fairly but then we must see how we enjoy it Some are rich because they are wicked having gotten their Wealth by unjust and indirect means but others are Wicked because they are Rich being corrupted by the Enjoyment of them There are some Gifts of God that are Absolutè bona so absolutely good that they can never be evil such things do certainly make the owner or him that possesseth them good too as the Graces of the Spirit Faith in Christ the Love of God Fear of his Name but one may be rich but yet never the better Nay consider Man in statu lapso fallen from God to the Creature he is easily made worse and usually is too and that by the good things he doth enjoy if the Lord doth not vouchsafe to him his Grace 4. I Answer again When Temporal Blessings follow Eternal then it is well as Wisdom with an Inheritance is good And Solomon asked Wisdom and with it God gave him Riches and Honour in great abundance but where they are given singly and apart so they are given to God's Enemies Elijah was poor and Ahab rich Paul that holy Man was in Prison and bound with a Chain and Nero at the same time Emperor of the World God hath Gifts for all his Creatures some in one way some in another shall find him a good God Jesus Christ that gave his Holy Spirit to the best of the Apostles gave the Bagg to Iudas Nay Jesus Christ himself that had the Spirit without measure chose a poor Estate He that made a Fish to pay him Tribute could as well have made Men to do so he that multiplyed a few Loaves could have encreased his Stock he that made the World could have built himself a stately Pallace but when he was rich yet for our sakes he became poor 2 Cor. 8.9 that he might lanctifie holy Poverty in his own Person and honour by it his own Example and usually he cuts his Children short while wicked Men live in Plenty Therefore they that meerly have Riches that is that have it apart from Grace are in a worse Condition than those that are kept low and bare As a Child may be Dieted for its Health while a Servant is left to a free Allowance so God knows our Weakness And they understand nothing in Divinity that do not know this that God works congruously and will not only give strength but will also abate the Temptation it self and not suffer us to have over much in the World lest it should become a Snare to us So much for the Persons spoken of They that have Riches 2. The Priviledge in Debate that which is denyed or hardly vouchsafed to them is Entering into the Kingdom of God By which is meant 1. The Kingdom of Grace and so the meaning is they are uncapable of the Doctrine of Christ as the thorny Ground was of the good Seed Now what are they that answer to the thorny ground they that are choaked with the Cares and Riches and Pleasures of this Life Luk. 8.14 that 's the Heart wherein Christianity cannot enter with any good effect and success these choak and destroy many hopeful seeds of Grace which would otherwise spring forth in a lively diligence and earnest pursuit of that one thing necessary And this may be the meaning of how hardly do they enter viz. the great difficulty of rich Men's becoming the Disciples of Christ and the truth is at the first setting forth of the Gospel it was verified by plain Experience for it is said Matth. 11.5 among other Miracles which Christ wrought he tells us the poor have the Gospel preached unto them it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are all to be Gospelled and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not many wise men after the flesh nor many mighty nor many noble are called 1 Cor. 1.26 not many of that Order and Rank 2. Entering into the Kingdom of God may be expounded of being made partakers of his Glory in the Kingdom of Heaven this follows necessarily upon the former for if they are uncapable of Grace they are uncapable of Glory And this is true too Iames 2.5 Hath not God chosen the poor of this World rich in Faith and Heirs of the Kingdom And this was such a truth that even the Scoffers and Opposers of the Christian Religion took notice of it Iulian the Apostate in his Epistle to Ecebolius speaking scoffingly of those Passages saith I have taken away from these Gallileans some of their wealth that they might not be deprived of the Heavenly Kingdom which their Master promised them 3. The thing spoken of these Persons with respect to that Priviledge there the Form 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Have it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Hesichius a form of Admiration And the matter How hardly It is not an utter impossibility but a very great difficulty All Men are saved with difficulty If the righteous scarcely are saved 1 Pet. 4.18 It is no easie matter but it is more difficult for them than others It is passionately expressed Oh how hardly it is the greatest difficulty imaginable such as made the Disciples wonder they were astonished at his words Ver. 24. Afterwards it is set forth by the Proverb of a Camel passing through the Eye of a Needle Ver. 25. Many foolish Conceits men have about this whereas in truth it is nothing but a Iewish Proverb to shew it is a very unusual thing of extraordinary difficulty not to be removed but by the Almighty Power of God but with God all things are possible V. 27. Not
was perfect obedience and the reward had a respect to our personal righteousness yet God would covenant withal and enter into bonds and terms of agreement with man who was not his equal but the work of his hands and give his word to him to make him sure of Eternal Life in case of perfect obedience But the last covenant hath the honour by way of eminency to be stiled a Covenant of Grace As being made with us after a breach with man fallen so it is called a covenant of peace Isa. 54.10 My Covenant of Peace shall not be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee And because therein God hath manifested the glory of his redeeming Grace and pardoning mercy Eph. 1 6. To the Praise of the glory of his Grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved And because the terms are so gracious that God will accept of our imperfect obedience if it be sincere it is called a Covenant of Grace In short when God was displeased with man for the breach of the first Covenant yet he would enter into a new Covenant to shew the riches of his Grace and Mercy And he giveth notice to fallen Man and sendeth him word that if he will put himself under this Law of Grace he shall be loosed from the Curse Luk. 1.77 78 79. To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins through the tender mercy of our God whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of Death to guide our Feet into the Way of Peace And if we once enter into it from first to last he dealeth with us upon gracious terms 2. The sureness of his Mercy We are now at a certainty and may know what to expect from God for he is pleased to enter into bonds and to make himself a Debtor by his own promises Mercy and Truth are the Iachin and Boaz Micah 7.20 Thou wilt perform the Truth to Jacob and the Mercy to Abraham which thou hast sworn unto our Fathers from the days of old It was Mercy to Abraham with whom the Covenant was made Truth to Iacob to whom it was made good So Psal. 25.10 All the paths of the Lord are Mercy and Truth to such as keep his Covenant and his Testimonies We may enter our plea and claim And therefore we are said to take hold of his Covenant Isa. 56.4 Heb. 6.18 That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie we may have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us Here is our sure stay and encouragement and we may challenge the priviledge as ours by God's donation 2. With respect to us 1. To leave the greater bond and obligation upon us For there is besides his right our own consent Therefore he would deal with us in the way of a Covenant rather than in the way of absolute soveraignty God seeth how slippery and unstable our Hearts are that we love to wander and therefore he will bind us to our duty by a solemn Covenant which every one of us is personally to make for himself to God Ezek. 20.37 I will cause you to pass under the rod and I will bring you into the bond of the Covenant We pass under Gods rod as Sheep were told going out of the fold And we enter into the bond of the Covenant that we may be bound to God the faster God taketh us to be firmly obliged to him and it is dangerous to break with him after such consent 2. To make us more willing therefore we enter upon his service by choice We are not at liberty to ingage or not ingage but God chooseth to rule us by consent rather than by force with a Scepter of Mercy rather than a Rod of Iron Isa. 56.4 Thus saith the Lord to the Eunuchs that keep my Sabbaths and chuse the things that please me and take hold of my Covenant And God taketh this way as suiting best partly with the nature of a reasonable creature who is to be led rather than driven to be drawn by his own consent Hos. 11.4 I drew them with Cords of a Man with bands of love And partly as suiting with the tenour of his Gospel dispensation Gospel Grace useth no force it is not extorted but willing obedience which God now looketh for Psal. 110.3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power 3. To put an honour upon his Creatures Surely it is an honour to be God's Confederates an honour vouchsafed to his people above all others Deut. 26.18 19. The Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people as he hath promised thee and that thou shouldeâ—t keep all his Commandments And to make thee high above all the Nations that he hath made in praise and in name and in honour and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the Lord thy God as he hath spoken Surely it is the glory of any people to be in Covenant with God The meanest relation to him is above all the priviledges in the World Gods honourable relation attends this Covenant interest They are his Children Iohn 1.12 As many as received him to them he gave power to become the Sons of God 1 Joh. 3.1 Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God They are his friends Iam. 2.23 Abraham was called the friend of God Joh. 15.14 Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you It is a Covenant of amity they are his friends his dear Children Surely this is a great favour 3. With respect to both parties That both parties might be ingaged to each other by mutual consent Without it God is not bound to us nor can we be knit and tied to the Lord. We are said to be joined to the Lord by this Covenant Ier. 50.5 Come and let us join our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that shall not be forgotten and to cleave to him as a Girdle cleaveth about the Loins of a Man Ier. 13.11 For as a Girdle cleaveth unto the Loins of a Man so have I caused the whole House of Israel and the whole House of Judah to cleave to me saith the Lord that they might be to me for a People and for a name and for a praise and for a glory God is not bound to us as he is not to any Creature no not to the Angels in Heaven yea he is altogether free before the contract but is pleased for our good and benefit to enter into bonds and is pleased to bind himself to bless us And it was not fit we should be possessed of such benefits without being bound to God and coming into some nearness to him For in the Covenant God doth manifest himself in the most familiar way to his People and therefore will have
Ghost which is in you which you have of God and ye are not your own ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirit which are God's Estates Rom. 14.7 8 9 For none of us liveth to himself and no Man dieth to himself for whether we live we live unto the Lord and whether we die we die unto the Lord whether we live therefore or die we are the Lords For to this end Christ both died and rose again and revived that he might be Lord both of dead and living Phil. 1.21 To me to live is Christ All our actions not onely in Solemn Acts of VVorship but in our ordinary Conversations must be directed to him Zach. 14.20 21. In that day there shall be upon the Bells of the Horses Holiness to the Lord and the pots in the Lord's House shall be like the Bowls before the Altar Yea every pot in Ierusalem and in Iudah shall be Holiness to the Lord of Hosts A Sermon on 2 Cor. IV. 18 While we look not at the things which are seen but the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are Temporal but the things which are not seen are Eternal IN the Context the Apostle is giving an Account why he fainted not under the Labours and Afflictions of the Gospel There is a Threefold Reason given 1. The present Benefit of Afflictions Vers. 16. As much as these Labours and Affliction did diminish and infringe the comforts of the Animal Life so much the state of the Spiritual Life was advanced and increased Oh! 'T is a blessed thing when the Inward Man groweth more fresh and lively 2. Because those Afflictions did increase the hope of the Life of glory and were a Blessed Means to make it more sure and nearer where there is a perfect opposition between the present and future state Here an affliction for a moment There an eternal weight of glory Here afflictions are light There 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A state that will bear weight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an excellently excellent A far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory 3. The Third Reason is taken from the Subject as the former respected the Object His Mind was wholly intent upon better things Not upon Temporal and Visible but upon Heavenly and Eternal While we look not at the Things which are seen but the things which are not seen for the things which are not seen are Temporal but the things which are seen are Eternal Wherein you may observe First A Distinction between two sorts of things Some seen some not seen Secondly A Suitable respect to either There is an over-looking of the one a Looking to the other Thirdly The Reason of this different respect For the things that are seen are Temporal And the things that are not seen are Eternal First The distinction may be explained thus 1. The things seen are such as are liable to present sense And they are of Two sorts Either comfortable to the present life or uncomfortable Comfortable as Riches Pleasure and Honours Uncomfortable As Poverty Disgrace Pain Torment Persecution In short either the Allurements or Affrightments of sense 2. There are things unseen Some things are invisible by reason of their nature some by reason of their distance Some by reason of their nature as God and all Spiritual things Some by reason of their distance As the Recompense of Reward or Eternal Life These latter chiefly God who maketh the Promise is unseen and the Time when the Promise of Eternal Life shall be made good is to come and there are many difficulties between hoping and having Yet these things the Joys of the other World were the Objects of the Apostle's Faith and Hope Secondly The different respect to other The Respect is deny'd to things seen We look not c. but strongly asserted as to things unseen We look at things that are not seen There is a despising or not thinking of the VVorld and the comforts thereof the losses and sufferings thereof but an earnest thinking of the VVorld to come The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which implieth not onely a looking or minding of them but a making of them our scope our last end and the mark which we aim at Onely note That the Act is not simply denied as to things seen but comparatively In comparison of that Heavenly Joy and Glory which is promised So we look not at these things The VVorld's honour or dishonour the commodities or discommodities of this life which we daily see before our eyes have little influence upon us 1 Cor. 7.29 30 31. So all our Acts are non-Acts To mourn for sin as if we mourned not to rejoice in Christ as if we rejoiced not to use Ordinances as if we used them not is a great fault For these are the things we should look to as the way to Heaven But to mourn for VVorldly losses or rejoice in VVorldly comforts to use this life as not over-using it that is a great duty and a Blessed frame of Spirit Open the eye of Faith but shut that of Sense Thirdly The Reason of this different respect The one Temporal the other Eternal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Heb. 11.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The pleasures of sin for a season The good things of the VVorld are Temporal both as to their continuance and their use To their continuance The good and evil of the VVorld is soon over and therefore should have little influence upon us The evil This light affliction which is but for a moment The good Heb. 11.25 they are but for a season and nothing that is but for a season can satisfie a gracious Heart They are Temporary as to their use The use of all the good things in this VVorld is onely to be serviceable to a Man in his passage to Eternity Deut. 23.24 When thou comest into thy neighbour's vineyard then thou mayest eat Grapes thy fill at thine own pleasure but thou shalt not put any in thy vessel 1 Tim. 6.7 VVe brought nothing into this VVorld and it is certain we can carry nothing out Eccles. 5.15 He shall take nothing of his Labour which he may carry away in his hand And on the other side 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The things which are not seen are eternal And so so much as Eternity exceedeth Time these Blessed things exceed Temporal Trisles and therefore should be more valued by us The greatness of Heavenly Things is expressed in the former Verse Here the Duration of them We can part with nothing here equal to what we expect hereafter Doct. A Man can easily do and suffer any thing for God who hath made things unseen and eternal his great Scope and Aim Here I shall inquire 1. What it is to make these Eternal Things our Scope and Aim 2. Give you the Reasons why such an one hath an Advantage above other Men and can more easily do and suffer great things
another World they would sooner discern their mistake How miserably will you bewail your selves when you have lost Eternity for poor Temporal things What comfort will it be to you that you have been Merry lived in Pomp and Ease It is better to believe than try To prevent the misery than experiment it Now for means to help you Vse I. Frequent Recollection For thereby you come to your selves Luke 15.17 And when he came to himself he said How many Hired Servants of my Fathers have Bread enough and to spare and I perish with Hunger Many are so busie about their vanities that they cannot find that they are Men or think what business they have to do in the World nor where they must dwell for ever Self-communing would be an hopeful means to undeceive them Isa. 46.8 Remember this and shew your selves Men bring it again to mind O ye transgressors And elsewhere the Prophet sheweth what reasonings we should use with our selves Isa. 55.2 Surely this would be one means to wean you from Carnal Vanities and to deaden the Gust and Tast of them to your Souls most men debase their reason to the service of their Appetites and Lusts their pleasure and business is the pleasing and gratifying of the Flesh Rom. 13.14 All their care is to Eat well and Drink well to be well Fed and well Clad and to make a fair shew in the Flesh and live in Worldly Pomp All their business is to gather in provision for the satisfying of their present Lusts they spend their days and cares for nothing else which is that living after the Flesh Rom. 8.13 That sowing to the Flesh Gal. 5.8 which the Scripture condemneth And what is the reason of all this Because they are inconsiderate Never consider whence am I whither am I a going What shall become of me to all Eternity Psal. 119.59 I thought on my ways and turned my Feet unto thy Testimonies They are like Children hunting after Butter-flies and when they have them their gawdy Wings melt away in their Hands and there remaineth nothing but an ugly Worm The Worm of Conscience the Worm of Disappointment Oh recollect thy self is this to make Eternal things our scope 2. Let us often compare together the condition of the present and of the future Life All things that are liable to the view of Sense soon pass away whether Comforts or Crosses The Good and Evil of the present World are soon over accordingly should be our carriage towards them 1 Cor. 7.29 30 31. Now consider how unreasonable it is the Soul should be drawn away by Transitory things from those which are Eternal The things we doat upon are not worthy to be compared with the greatness and duration of those things to which we are invited by the Promises of the Gospel It may be you have Health and Strength and Wealth now but how long will you have it We are not sure of the enjoyment of these things the next day How soon may they be withered The prosperity of the wicked is cut down as Grass withered as the Green Herb Psal. 37.2 But things unseen will be yours to all Eternity God is an everlasting Portion Psal. 73.26 My Flesh and my Heart faileth But God is the strength of my Heart and my Portion for ever Christ's Redemption is an everlasting redemption Heb. 9.12 He entred in once into the Holy place having obtained Eternal Redemption for us God and Christ will be yours to day and will be yours to all Eternity Those things which are seen if they do not perish may be taken from you Mat. 6.19.20 We are not sure to get it but you are sure to leave it Iob 1.21 But these other things cannot be taken from you Luke 10.42 One thing is needful and Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken from her The Devil cannot and God will not take it from you 3. Improve your experience of the vanity of this World Psal. 119.96 I have seen an end of all perfection but thy Commandments are exceeding broad Vain light Hearts pass over these things and get no profit by them They find the Creature vanity and vexation of Spirit yet run out as greedily after it as they did before Psal. 49.13 This their way is their folly yet their posterity approve their sayings They are sensible of the folly of their Ancestors but are not mended by it they have Eyes to see but not an Heart to see Deut. 29.2 3 4. Ye have seen all that the Lord did before your Eyes in the Land of Egypt unto Pharaoh and to all his Servants and to all his Land The great Temptations which thine Eyes have seen the Signs and those great Miracles yet the Lord hath not given you an Heart to perceive and Eyes to see and Ears to Hear unto this day 4. Be sure when you are tempted to revive this meditation upon your Hearts That things seen are Temporal and things unseen are Eternal As 1. When any Temptation cometh to draw your Hearts to give contentment to the Flesh for a season As for Instance when you are tempted to please your Eye your Taste your Sensual Desire or to wrong your Souls for Wealth and Honour remember these are not Eternal Pleasures Riches Honours And shall I dare run the hazard of wronging God or my Soul for a little present satisfaction Leave my fatness and sweetness to rule over the Trees What! hazard Eternal things for Temporal trifles 2. When tempted by the bitterness of the Cross to relent in Gods Cause Say as Basil's Forty Martyrs that were kept naked in the open Air in a cold Night to be burn'd next day Sharp is the cold but sweet is Paradice Troublesome is the Way but pleasant is the end of the Journey Let us endure a little cold and the Patriarchs Bosom will soon warm us Stephen saw Heaven opened and that fortified him against the Showers of Stones from the People Act. 7.51 'T is for such a season 5. Beg the light of the Spirit 'T is necessary for us both with respect to things seen and unseen 1. Seen That we may apprehend the vanity of the Creature Psal. 90.92 So teach us to number our days that we may apply our Hearts unto Wisdom Psal. 49.4 I will incline mine Ear to a Parable I will open my dark saying upon the Harp David is describing the vanity of Worldly prosperity And also to see things unseen Eph. 1.17 18. That the God of our Lord Iesus Christ the Father of Glory may give unto you the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the Knowledge of him The Eyes of your Vnderstanding being enlightened that ye may know what is the Hope of his â—alling and what the Riches of the Glory of his Inheritance in the Saints Our Wisdom Natural is Carnal and Sensual Iam. 3.15 Either for Riches Pleasures or Honours Prov 23.4 Labour not to be Rich cease from thine own Wisdom Reason catereth for the Body
11.1 Be ye followers of me even as I also am of Christ. These holy Men had the same nature the same interests and concernments We have the same helps and incouragements the same God and Christ and Spirit and Rule and Hopes and Comfort and Glory which should shame us to come short of them Therefore you must be a going from strength to strength Yea the Angels Matth. 6. 10. Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven It is but reason that they that would be like them for priviledges should be like them for service and duty If the Angels that are out of Gunshot and Harms-way hold on in God's service much more should we Wicked men think every thing in Religion enough and that we make more ado than needeth but Christ referreth us to the Angels Yea to God himself 1 Pet. 1.15 Be ye holy as he that has called you is holy Matth. 5.48 Be ye Perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect Now therefore we must by degrees be growing up unto this estate The holiest upon Earth are not a sufficient copy to us God is essentially Holy infinitely Holy originally Holy Now wherein must we imitate him We must be immutably holy we should aim at that state when we shall be in some sort so God is universally holy in all his ways and works we should get nearer and nearer to this Pattern 6. That we may answer our many experiences There is no man of any long standing in the profession of Godliness but he hath many experiences of the bitterness of Sin when he hath been medling with Forbidden Fruit. And on the vanity of the Creature when he hath doated upon it and at length he findeth that there is a lye in his right hand Eccles. 1.14 I have seen all the works that are done under the Sun and behold all is Vanity and Vexation of Spirit Of the comfort of duty when done all things for God there is a sweetness accompanieth it Micah 2.7 Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly Of the help of God in his difficulties and straights Psal. 46.1 God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble Of the truth of his promises Psal. 18.30 As for God his way is perfect the word of the Lord is tryed he is a buckler to all those that trust in him Of Answer of Prayers Psal. 116.1 2. I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice and my supplication Because he hath inclined his Ear unto me therefore will I call upon him as long as I live Of the enterprizes of Satan 2 Cor. 2.11 Lest Sathan should get an advantage of us for we are not ignorant of his devices Now to have all these experiences and to be nothing improved and bettered is very sad 29. Deut. 4. Yet the Lord hath not given them an Heart to perceive nor Eyes to see nor Ears to hear unto this day To be nothing better nothing wiser is an argument of spiritual stupidness and folly 7. To answer all the means and the care and cost that God hath been at with us and for us God expecteth growth where he has afforded the means of growth in great plenty Luke 13.7 He said to the Dresser of his Vineyard behold these three years I came seeking fruit on this Fig-tree and find none cut it down why cumbreth it the ground It must be understood De jure not De facto of what God might expect for God cannot be disappointed Have I been thus long with you and hast thou not known me 14. Iohn 9. It was a grief to Christ when they were not grown under the means of grace Luke 12.48 Where much is given much is required It is grievous to the spirit of God when we are no better for all that is done to us Application 1. As it is a priviledge of the sincere Christian whose heart is set Heavenward Use. So it is for his incouragement They go from strength to strength if there be new troubles there is new strength Many are ready to faint in the Valley of Bacha and think they shall never hold out There is a continual supply Rom. 2.7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality Eternal Life Luke 8.15 The good ground bringeth forth fruit with patience They have present support and shall have final deliverance 138. Psal. 3. In the day when I cried thou answeredst me and strengthenedst me with strength in my Soul God gives a power to bear up your Spirit in all your burdens God is no Pharaoh you shall have strength with your work strength with your tryals strength with your difficulties A good man will not over-burden his Beast And God will give final deliverance your troublesome journey will not last long it will be over in a little time and then you shall appear before God in Zion There is rest Rev. 14.13 That they may rest from their labours and their works follow them In Heaven you have nothing to do but to bless God and praise God and admire God to all Eternity Therefore be incouraged go in the strength of your present refreshings and God will find new grace for you while you continue upright with him 2. As it is a duty 1. Use. It sheweth the folly of them who count an earnest pursuance of Eternal Life to be more than needs and that a little holiness will serve the turn Oh no! a Christian should always be growing and always improving still pressing nearer and nearer towards the mark going on from strength to strength There is no nimium in Holiness you cannot have too much Holiness or too much of the love of God nor of the fear of God nor of faith in him There are many that come near and never enter Luke 13.24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able Certainly he that knoweth what was lost in Adam and must be recovered in Christ cannot think he can do enough or too much How hard a matter is it to keep what we haveâ— Such is the vanity lightness and inconstancy of our Hearts in good and so furious are the assaults of sundry Temptations and so great is our impotency to resist them our proneness to turn from the ways of God so great so strong subtile and assiduous are our Spiritual Adversaries so many are those Difficulties Discouragements Diversions and Hindrances which we have to wrestle with and overcome in the way to Heaven that it concerneth us to give all diligence to advance in our Christian Course Once more there is so much promised that certainly a Man knoweth not what Christianity meaneth if he striveth not to be more holy So exact is our Rule and strict so holy is our God so great are our Obligations from all the Means and Providences of God that such a vain Conceit cannot possess the Soul of
Well-pleasedness of the Mind in God should be much regarded by us and is known by this when those Mercies are most valued which are nearest to himself and do shew us most of God and least detain us from him such as his Favour his Spirit or sanctifying Grace when these are desired when these are delighted in we are said to love God Matth. 5.6 Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after Righteousness Psal. 4.6 7. Lord Lift thou up the Light of thy Countenance upon us Thou hast put Gladness into my Heart His Favour is as Life his Displeasure as Death to the Soul Psal. 30.7 Thou didst hide thy Face and I was troubled Now thus must we love God not with a partial and half love but such as transcendeth our love to all other things Matth. 10.37 He that loveth Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me If any thing be nearer and dearer to us than God we do not sincerely love him Some have a weak imperfect Motion of their Will a Wish a saint Desire to please God but not a strong Volition or Inclination of Heart to love him in all and above all things but being overcome by their Lusts they do not simply and absolutely and uncontroulably desire it but had rather please their Fleshly Lusts than please God At least the event doth evidence it you give God nothing if you give him not all the Heart We are so to love God as to seek his Glory and do his Will even when it is cross to our Carnal Interests that his Favour may be counted our Happiness and the pleasing of him our greatest Work Surely they do not love God that cannot deny a Lust for him or venture the loss of any thing that is dear to them for his sâ—ke but with Pilate will yield to crucifie Christ rather than venture the Iews displeasure or with the Gadarens will part with Christ rather than their Swine Others have a deliberate Resolution and seem for the present to resolve absolutely and seriously to please God in all things and keep his Commandments but they do not verifie it in their Conversations Their Purposes and Resolutions are not dissembled for the present but soon changed they neither keep the Commandments of God nor study to please him 3. The next Grace is Hope of Salvation and here 1. The Object 2. The respect to the Object 1. The Object is our Eternal Reward For a Christian must chiefly fetch his Supports and Solaces from the other World where all things do abundantly counter-balance the Temptations of the present Life Be they Troubles and Sufferings 2 Cor. 4.17 For our lâ—ght Affliction which is but for a Moment workâ—th for us a far more exceâ—ding and eternal Weâ—ght of Glory Glory for Affliction and a Weight of Glory for a Light Affliction and Etâ—rnal Glory for what is Mâ—mentary Affliction Or be they sensual Delights as Riches Heb. 11.26 Esteeming the Reproach of Christ greater Riches than the Treasures of Egypt for he had respect unto the Recompence of the Reward How much better is it to be poor and scorned here than to be destitute and rejected for ever hereafter So for Pleasures most Men look at present Pleasures not at future Joys and therefore forget God and neglect their Souls and those Eternal Pleasures which are at God's Right Hand Psal. 16.11 But to a Gracious Man a Glorious Estate of Bliss is far more eligible than momentary sinful Pleasures 2. The respect to the Object It is a certain and earnest Expectation 1. It is certain because our Hopes are built upon the Promises of God which infer not only a possibility or probability but certainty of the things promised if we be duly qualified There is a twofold certainty Conditional and Actual Conditional Rom. 2.7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for Glory and Honour and Immortality Eternal Life That is built on the Covenant which promiseth to the penitent Believer and mortified and diligent Practiser a sure Reward Actual Certainty is where the Qualification is evident this is built on spiritual sense or experience Rom. 5.4 5. And Patience Experience and Experience Hope and Hope maketh not ashamed because the Love of God is shed abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us Our Condition is made safe by the first comfortable by the second in both a certainty is required The first is spoken of Hebr. 3.6 Whose House we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end The second Heb. 6.11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end 2. It is an earnest Expectation called a lively Hope from the effect because it puts life into our Endeavours 1 Pet. 1.3 Who hath begotten us again unto a lively Hope The Soul is weak when our Expectation is cold and languid but serious and earnest thoughts of the World to come do warm our Hearts and inkindle our Affections as mourning 2 Cor. 5.2 For in this we groan earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with our House which is from Heaven And joy Rom. 5.2 We rejoyce in hope of the Glory of God II. Their mutual respect to one another We know God in Christ by Faith We are inclined to him as our Felicity and Happiness by love and we look for the Eternal Injoyment of him by hope As the Object is diversified so the Grace conversant about it is called by several Names as our Supreme Good is something invisible or unseen we apprehend it by Faith as it is good and excellent we embrace it by Love as it is absent and future we wait for it by Hope The Understanding is cleared by Faith that is our Spiritual Eye Salve Heb. 11.1 Faith is the Substance of things hoped for and the Evidence of things not seen as things are invisible by reason of their nature or distance Ephes. 1.18 The Eyes of your Vnderstandings being inlightned that ye may know what is the hope of his Calling and what the Riches of the Glory of his Inheritance in the Saints By it we see things that cannot otherwise be seen or in another manner than we saw them before We see more Amiableness in God more Odiousness in Sin more Excellency in Christ more Beauty in Holiness more Vanity in the World more Reality in Blessedness to come than we saw before Our Wills are warmed by Love or carried out after the Supreme Good with an earnest and strong desire Isai. 26.9 With my Soul have I desired thee in the Night yea with my Spirit within me will I seek thee â—â—â—dily Where Love is strong Desires after God are early and earnest and we cannot be contented without him or such enjoyment of him as may give us assurance of more Our Resolutions and Inclinations are fortified by hope that we may continue seeking after God and not be
out an Happiness for himself and be sufficient to himself for his own Blessedness without any Dependance upon God Now when Man was thus fal◠off from God God was disobliged from providing for him and so Man is left to his own Shifts But alas how ill doth he provide for himself This being the very thing intended in the Text I shall a little more amply dilate upon it in several Propositions 1. When Man fell from God he fell from him tanquam à principio fine from Dependance upon him as the first Cause and respect to him as his chief Good and last End His Dependance was loosened because he distrusted God's Provision for him and would be a God to himself his own Principle Rule and End live from himself to himself according to his own Will So that Self-love came in the Place of Love to God he that before sought nothing but God began now to seek himself and thought he should find in himself what he lost in God 2. Man being once off from God never of himself cometh on again but rangeth infinitely being guided by his own Will and Wit Ionah 2.8 They that observe lying Vanities forsake their own Mercies Man being fastened to such Objects as he liketh keepeth a-loof from God whom he liketh not and will not come at him as long as he can make a shift without him Ier. 2.31 We are Lords we will come no more unto thee And though he wandreth hither and thither he finds no Rest for his Soul for he seeketh Happiness where it is not to be found in the Riches Honours and Pleasures of the present Life 3. Though he meet with often Disappointments yet he is unwilling to return even after God hath shewed a Remedy and brought Life and Immortality to Light in the Gospel in which Way he may have Peace and Happiness and so Rest for his Soul God hath shewed us the way to Rest Ier. 6.16 Ask for the old Paths where is the good Way and walk therein and ye shall find Rest for your Souls Matth. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy-laden and I will give you Rest. But yet Man is for his shifts still till God changeth his Heart and giveth him Counsel in his Reins and disappoints him in his worldly Inventions and Pursuits by blasting the Creature or occasioning some Wound in his Conscience God speaketh often in his Word but it is disregarded till he speak by real Arguments and speak to the Quick so as to force an hearing till he take away their Comforts or take away their Use of them by some languishing Sickness or Anguish in their own Conscience or both by smiting them with a Rod dipp'd in Guilt When thou with Rebukes dost correct Man for Iniquity thou makest his Beauty to consume away like a Moth Psal. 39.11 So that then they see the Fruitlesness of all their Inventions their vain Pleasures costly Buildings great Honour and Riches how little these can stead them against the Wrath of an angry God So loth is Man to submit to God's Remedy he laboureth all that he can to patch up his sorry Happiness and is very unwilling to confess his Misery he turneth and windeth every way and seeketh Help from the Creature before he will be brought to implore Aid from Grace he will use all Means within his grasp and reach till his Despair teach him to return from whence he fell and that it is better to seek God's Favour than continue his vain Pursuits Hosea 2.7 I will return to my first Husband for then it was better with me than now Secondly Why many Inventions 1. In opposition to that one streight Line which leadeth to true Happiness Christ telleth us One thing is necessary Luke 10.42 namely to serve and please God and enjoy him for ever To enjoy God and please him is that one thing which is enough But Error is manifold though there be but one Path to Heaven yet there are many ways of sinning and going to Hell Every Man hath his several Course and Way of sinning Isa. 53.6 All we like Sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own Way According to the several Constitutions and Business and Affairs of Men. Velle suum cuique est nec voto vivitur uno As the Channel is cut so corrupt Nature in every Man findeth an Issue and Passage No Sin cometh amiss to a carnal Heart yet some are more kindly and sutable one is worldly another sensual another proud and ambitious It is our Wisdom to observe our own Haunt and the tender Parts of our Souls Psal. 18.23 I was upright before him and I kept my self from mine Iniquity All Sin is but carnal Self-love disguised or many with respect to the successive entertainment of divers Sins Titus 3.3 Serving divers Lusts and Pleasures Sins take the Throne by turns by Age and Experience Men grow weary of former Vanities but others are adopted into their room and so their Lusts are but exchanged not abrogated Now we are fallen from our primitive Happiness we multiply Means and Laws yea at the same time the Pleasures of the Flesh draw the Sinner several ways James 4.1 Whence come Wars and Fightings among you Come they not hence even of your Lusts which war in your Members Desire of Riches contradicts Idleness and the toilsom Cares and Labours of this World that Ease which the Flesh affecteth disgraceful Lusts are contradicted by Ambition and Pride 2. Many Inventions in opposition to that Simplicity and Singleness of Heart which Original Rectitude did include The Heart of Man was originally of one constant uniform Frame but now instead of Simplicity there is a Multiplicity The Heart now is never right till it be one with God Therefore David prays Psal. 86.11 Vnite my Heart to fear thy Name He begs a Heart intirely fixed upon God which as our great End uniteth all our Affections in this one Scope that we might please him and enjoy him as our chief Good and last End That fixeth Man's Mind which otherwise will be tossed up and down in perpetual Uncertainties and distracted by a Multiplicity of Ends and Objects that it cannot continue in any composed and setled Frame No one part of our Lives will agree with another A divided Heart breedeth an uncertain Life Iames 1.8 A double-minded Man is unstable in all his Ways The whole not firmly knit together by the Power of the last End running through all So that our Lives are a meer Lottery the Fancies and Appetites we are governed by being jumbled together by Chance The Heart by natural Corruption is loosed from God and distracted with variety of vain Objects which offer themselves to our Senses The Interest of the World and Flesh is taken into competition with God and whilst the Heart rangeth abroad it is such a variable and double Heart as will never be true to God And while Men are tossed from one Dependance to
say unto you that ye which have followed me in the Regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit on the Throne of his Glory ye also shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Luk. 22.29 30. I appoint unto you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me that ye may eat and drink at my Table in my Kingdom and sit on Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel This was spoken at the Lord's Supper which is a Pledg of it The Vpright shall have Dominion over them in the Morning Psal. 49.14 3. They shall be Kings eternally in Heaven Luk. 12.32 Fear not little Flock for it is your Father's good Pleasure to give you the Kingdom 2 Tim. 2.12 If we suffer we shall also reign with him that is in Heaven with respect to this Right Title and Interest so they are made Kings We are Heirs in Christ Rom. 8.17 If Children then Heirs Heirs of God and joint Heirs with Christ if we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together We are Heirs of a Kingdom that cannot be shaken 2. Priests That was a great Dignity among the Iews To this all Christians are now advanced 1 Pet. 2.5 Ye are an holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ. Our Sacrifices are not Expiatory but Gratulatory not Sin-offerings but Thank-offerings not Typical but Spiritual Jesus Christ is the only Sin-offering Our Thank-offerings are either our selves Rom. 12.1 I beseech you therefore Brethren by the Mercies of God that ye present your Bodies a living Sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is your reasonable Service Or our Duties which are Spiritual-offerings we offer not Beasts which were Typical but the Calves of our Lips our Prayers and Praises Heb. 13.15 By him therefore let us offer the Sacrifice of Praise to God continually that is the fruit of our Lips giving Thanks to his Name Or Alms ver 16. But to do good and to communicate forget not for with such Sacrifices God is well pleased Phil. 4.18 But I have all and abound I am full having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you an Odour of a sweet Smell a Sacrifice acceptable well-pleasing to God Now this is a great Honour that we should be separated by the Lord from all the rest of the World and admitted into such a Nearness and Access to God with Boldness and Hope of being accepted through Christ. Vse 1. In the general All this should stir up our Hearts to give continual Praise and Glory to Christ our blessed Redeemer So doth the Apostle here that is the use he maketh of it To him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever Amen It is a thing to be reproved in Christians that we take so little time to admire honour and praise our Redeemer which yet is a great part of our Work Surely if you had a due Sight of his Excellency or a Sense and Taste of the Riches of his Goodness and Love you would be more in this delightful Work Usually Praise is a Stranger to our Worship and however we are enlarged in Confession of Sin or Supplication for such things as we want yet we are straitned in our Gratulations Surely Lauding and Praising God in Christ is as necessary as the other parts of Worship Psal. 22.3 God is said to inhabit the Praises of Israel that is in Israel where he is praised The great End of Worship is not the Relief of Man so much as the Honour of God Therefore we should not only ask things needful for our selves and mind meerly the Supply of our Necessities but the Honour of Christ. Psal. 50.23 Whoso offereth Praise glorifieth me If God will account it an Honour to be well thought of and spoken of by his Creature we should more abound in this Work Why are we then so scanty in Praises and Thansgivings The Reasons of this Defect are Self-love We are eager to have Blessings but we forget to return to give God the Glory Prayer is a Work of Necessity but Praise is a Work of mere Duty Self-love puts all upon Prayer but the Love of God upon Praise Again stupid Negligence we do not gather up Matter of Thanksgiving nor watch in our Prayers nor seek after Matter for it Coloss. 4.2 Continue in Prayer and watch in the same with Thanksgiving 2. More particularly let us take our Example from this Doxology To him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever Amen We can but ascribe to Christ what he hath already but we must do it heartily Observe here 1. The things ascribed to Christ Glory and Dominion 2. The manner of Ascription it is Imperative 3. The Duration For ever and ever 4. The Seal of all in the word Amen 1. The things ascribed to Christ Glory and Dominion In other Places it is Honour and Power everlasting 1 Tim. 6.16 Who only hath Immortality dwelling in the Light which no Man can approach unto whom no Man hath seen nor can see to whom be Honour and Power everlasting Amen In the Lord's Prayer more fully Mat. 6.13 For thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever Amen Where by Kingdom is meant Right and Authority to dispose of all things according to his own Pleasure by Power Strength and Alsufficiency to execute what he pleaseth by Glory his Honour which is the result of all that he doth Clara cum laude notitia Excellency discovered with Praise We desire that he may be more honoured and brought into Request and Esteem in the World Here we have but two Words Glory and Dominion Glory that is just Praise and Esteem gracious Hearts think they can never set Christ high enough in their Esteem and Praise this is all they can return to him for his great Benefits Glory that he may have the Honour as they the Comfort Dominion implieth Lordship and Soveraignty this they would have given to Christ as his Due by his own Purchase and God's Assignment Rom. 14.9 For to this end Christ both died and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the Dead and Living It was God's End Phil. 2.10 That at the Name of Iesus every Knee should bow 2. The Form is Imperative as binding themselves and others to give him Glory and Dominion Themselves in the first place and that not only with the Tongue but with the Heart not only in Word but in Deed So they would give him Glory praise him with their Lips and honour him with their Lives They would make that their Work and Scope that this may be the real Language of their Hearts and Actions which speak much louder than Words These shew forth the Praises of him who hath called them out of Darkness into his marvellous Light 1 Pet. 2.9 that really they may be the Glory of Christ 2 Cor. 8.23 They are the Messengers of the Churches and the Glory of Christ. 2 Thess. 1.12 That the Name of
of the Saints to shew that now they do but begin in the Work which they shall compleat hereafter 7. The Scriptures do plainly express that our Service is not ended with our Lives but as we still stand in the Relation of Creatures to God so we still glorify him and serve him Rev. 7.14 15 16. And he said unto me These are they which came out of great Tribulation and have washed their Râ—bes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb Therefore they are before the Throne of God and serve him Day and Night in the Temple And he that sitteth on the Throne shall dwell among them and they shall hunger no more nor thirst any more c. There is the Explanation of the Mystery of being washed in Christ's Blood and made Kings and Priests unto God This Office they chiefly perform when they come to enjoy their Happiness before the Throne of God and in the heavenly Temple And what is the Work there They serve him Day and Night They do not their Service then by Fits and Starts but constantly A Type whereof were the Priests under the Law who in their Courses were admitted Day and Night to be in the Temple Psal. 134.1 Bless ye the Lord all ye Servants of the Lord which by Night stand in the House of the Lord. But what was done by many in their turns is now done by the same Persons continually for they are never weary and there is no Intermission in their Service And God always dwelleth amongst them they shall not be at a distance from God nor he at a distance from them but they shall still enjoy his Company as dwelling in one House with him For there shall not be Sin nor Sorrow any more and then shall they praise God chearfully This will be our Work when we are admitted into the most holy Place 8. As Heaven hath the Notion of a Place a Temple so our Estate in Heaven hath the Notion of a Day or Time wherein our Priesthood is to be solemnly exercised For it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Sabbath or Rest Heb. 4.9 There remaineth therefore a Rest to the People of God A Sabbath is for holy Rest not a time of Idleness but to be religiously imployed So this glorious eternal Rest which is prepared for and promised to Believers is not passed over in Ease and Idleness but in Acts of Worship and Adoration It is a Rest from Toil and Labour but not from Work and Service On the Sabbath-day the Sacrifices were doubled the Priest had more to do upon that Day than any other So in our everlasting Sabbatism we serve God after a more perfect manner than now we do On the Sabbath a special Delight and Rejoycing in God was to be raised Isai. 58.13 14. If thou turn away thy Foot from the Sabbath from doing thy Pleasure on my Holy-Day and call the Sabbath a Delight the Holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour him not doing thine own Ways nor finding thine own Pleasure nor speaking thine own Words Then shalt thou delight thy self in the Lord and I will cause thee to ride upon the high Places of the Earth and feed thee with the Heritage of Jacob thy Father for the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it So in our eternal Rest shall we delight our selves in his Presence Vse 1. It informeth us 1. That our Service is an Honour and Worship a Privilege for it is not only a Way to Heaven but a Beginning of Heaven Our Work there is a part of our Reward The Priestly Ministration is so the Work of Heaven that it is also a Reward for our present Diligence Well then it is the most blessed Life we can live upon Earth to be serving God and ministring before the Lord and to be imployed in any Nearness about him his People desire no sweeter Work Alas what is the Work of all the World to this but a toilsom Drudgery or base Servility Go to the brutish World what is the Work of the Drunkard Glutton Gamester or Fornicator compared with that of the Spiritual Priest They are Priests to feed the Belly that base Dunghil-God Phil. 3.19 Whose God is their Belly Their Business is to provide for and please the Flesh. Nay go to the more refined part of the World The Covetous and Ambitious Worldlings they aim at nothing beyond this Life but the Spiritual Priest continueth for ever his Service is begun and will ever last his Work is his Wages 2. That it is no easy matter to be familiar with God and to draw nigh to him in Worship We are stupid and therefore not sensible of it You see what Distance God kept under the Law and what Distance he yet keepeth as to his immediate Presence Surely God is greatly to be feared in the Assembly of the Saints and to be had in Reverence of all that are about him Psal. 89.7 The Redeemed are honoured to have Access to God with Boldness yet they ought to be humbly sensible of the Privilege Every nearer Approach to God is an Enlargement of Honour We must keep an even hand between natural Bondage and Irreverence Natural Bondage We are sometimes afraid to come into God's Presence and doubt of Access being so unworthy to come before the Lord but we are privileged by our Calling Christ by his Death hath made us Kings and Priests The Priests were sanctified to draw nearer unto God than the common People and to be imployed in his most Holy Service So if we be cleansed by the Blood of Christ we are separated from the ungodly World and may acquaint him with all our Desires Griefs and Fears On the other side against Irreverence It is no easy matter to come before the Lord as we ought to do and we must be sure to bless and thank the Redeemer for this Favour that we are made Priests of God and Christ that we are freed from the Fears of the second Death Rev. 20.6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second Death hath no Power but they shall be Priests of God and of Christ and we may hope for a more solemn Service Vse 2. To exhort the Children of God First To long and hope for the time of their Ministration in the heavenly Temple When the time of our Consecration is finished then we shall be admitted into this blessed Estate O comfort your selves with the Fore-thought of it There are many Reasons to induce us 1. Because then we shall see him whom we worship and stand before his Throne This is often promised Psal. 17.15 As for me I shall behold thy Face in Righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy Likeness 1 John 3.2 When he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is So 1 Cor. 13.12 Now we see through a Glass darkly but then Face to Face John 17.24 Father I will that
a Blessedness Psal. 32.1 Blessed is he whose Transgression is forgiven whose Sin is covered Of Communion with God 1 John 1.3 And truly our Fellowship is with the Father and his Son Iesus Christ. And that maketh way for a full Joy and countervaileth temporal Evils We have not only an Interest in the Love of God but a feeling of it in our Souls Rom. 5.3 4 5. And not only so but we glory in Tribulations also knowing that Tribulation worketh Patience and Patience Experience and Experience Hope and Hope maketh not ashamed because the Love of God is shed abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us All things are sanctified to us as we are sanctified to God Rom. 8.28 All things shall work together for good to them that love God to them who are called according to his Purpose But yet this is not all therefore the Apostle saith If in this Life only we had Hope we are of all Men most miserable 3. The Apostle's Drift is not to compare Wickedness and Godliness as abstracted from the eternal Reward as if a wicked Man were more happy than an afflicted godly Man No Christ's Worst is better than the World 's Best Godliness and Holiness is amiable or a Reward it self Better be good though miserable than bad though prosperous For Holiness and Godliness though abstracted from all Reward in another Life is an Excellency and Perfection of humane Nature Psal. 16.3 But to the Saints that are in the Earth and to the Excellent in whom is all my Delight Prov. 12.26 The Righteous is more excellent than his Neighbour It is an Honour put upon humane Nature to have the Image of God impressed upon it The more good we are the more orderly we live and agreeably to Reason and those Souls with which we are created And the Actions which the Law of Christ calleth for at our hands are fittest to be done by us if they were not commanded nor ever should be rewarded in us 2 dly Positively and so 1. The Apostle speaketh not of their inward Enjoyments but their outward Estate which no way seems to answer God's Covenant-Love nor governing Justice For the Calamities of the Godly raise two Doubts 1. How this doth stand with the Love and Goodness of God to his People This was the Psalmist's Temptation Psal. 73.1 Truly God is good to Israel even to such as are of a clean Heart It is a most certain and a most infallible Truth that God is abundantly gracious and kind and not only faithful and just to all his sincere Servants But we are under no small Temptation to doubt of the Truth of this when they are under severe Scourges and Chastisements or exercised with continual Afflictions and others live in Pomp and Luxury and all manner of secular Felicity 2. But the other Temptation to doubt of God's governing in Righteousness was Ieremiah's Temptation Ier. 12.1 Righteous art thou O Lord yet let me talk with thee of thy Iudgments Wherefore doth the VVay of the VVicked prosper VVherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously Certain it is that God is righteous yet when his People are in a sad Condition and their Enemies thrive and prosper by their wicked Courses their Minds are troubled for to appearance none are in a worse Condition than they that love God most and serve him best till he be considered not as to his external but eternal Estate 2. The Apostle's meaning is that a Man cannot rationally be induced to submit to Christianity and in defiance of all Temptations to lead an holy godly Life without the expectation of the Happiness of another World The Temptation lieth in things present and our Strength lieth in a due Reflection on things to come Faith must guide us that Sense may not mislead us and so when the World 's Best and Christ's Worst are brought into competition the Soul is the better enabled to make a right Choice Heb. 11.26 Esteeming the Reproach of Christ greater Riches than the Treasures of Egypt for he had respect to the Recompence of Reward It is the Hopes which Christ offereth in a better Life which strike all Temptations dead Now in case this should not be the Apostle pronounceth Christians to be of all Men most miserable upon a fourfold Account 1. Because their very present Comforts would seem to be but a fantastical Impression or a fanatical Illusion For our whole Religion would be a Falshood if the great Promise be Chimerical or a mere Dream and Supposition 1 Iohn 2.25 This is the Promise which he hath promised us even eternal Life And so how can we imagine but that all the Comfort which we take in the Pardon of Sins Communion with God and the sense of his Love are mere Conceit and vain Imagination 2. Because their future Hopes and Trust would be utterly disappointed and they deluded in their greatest Expectations 1 Tim. 4.10 Therefore we both labour and suffer Reproach because we trust in the living God who is the Saviour of all Men especially of those that believe It is our Hope in God through Christ or the Assurance of an eternal Reward which is the only ground of our suffering patiently any thing that befalleth us He is the Preserver of all Mankind but hath promised eternally to save those that believe and obey him Therefore if there were no World to come Christians would not only be disappointed of their great Hope which is the worst kind of Vexation but draw a Suspicion upon all these Advantages that we seem to reap by Christ and enjoy here upon Earth 3. Their earnest Desires would not be fulfilled if there were no Blessedness to come We may prove eternal Life by the Disposition and Instinct of Nature towards Happiness in general yea eternal Happiness which if we should not enjoy that Desire were in vain but God doth nothing in vain The Apostle intimateth this universal Desire in all rational Creatures they all grope and feel about for an eternal and infinite Good Acts 17.27 That they should seek the Lord if haply they might feel after him and find him though he be not far from every one of us Other Creatures besides Man are satisfied with what they have here but the Soul of Man is satisfied with nothing but the eternal enjoyment of what is good an immortal Estate an infinite Good this is the universal Inclination of all Mankind Whence cometh that Desire to be so universal if there be nothing to satisfy it Where is this Immortality that we seek after not in temporal Enjoyments Riches Honours and Pleasures they perish and we perish Yea the Lust of these things passeth away in time 1 Iohn 2.17 The World passeth away and the Lust thereof Not in surviving Fame that is a Shadow like the Pleasure which those take who want Children in playing with little Dogs and Puppies It lieth in the eternal Enjoyment of God But we urge not this now
of Scriptures 674 Secret of the Lord with the Righteous what it signifies 1049 Seed Christ the Seed of the Woman 534 Vid. Incarnation Seeking What Christ's seeking those that are lost implies 885 The Necessity of this seeking 886 Seeking Glory and Honour and Immortality what it is 1226 Sell all thou hast explained vindicated and applied 332 333 Vid. Forsake all Self-denial included in the Nature of Faith 441 Sensuality what it is 57 Arguments against it 58 The Evil and Danger of it 373 Shewing forth the Lord's Death what it signifies 1013 The Properties of shewing forth Christ's Death 1014 Why we should shew forth Christ's Death 1015 Motives to shew forth Christ's Death 1016 Sight of Christ past present and to come opened 477 Sight of Faith The objects the Sight of Faith are exercised about 478 Sin the Nature of it 646 Sin a Wrong to Father Son and Holy Ghost 163 The Deceitfulness of Sin 505 The Effects of Sin 650 The Aggravations of Sin 652 The Sins of God's People most provoking to him and the Reasons of it 271 The Sinfulness of Sin opened 646 682 General Observations about the Sinfulness of Sin 643 The Sinfulness of Sin to be meditated on ibid. Sins against Conscience the Mischief that comes by them 530 The Power of Sin how Christ takes it away 541 The Guilt of Sin how Christ takes it away 542 The Being of Sin how and when Christ takes it away ibid. Sin to be avoided and why 168 Not one Sin but all must be renounced Vid. Renouncing Why God corrects his People for their Sins in this World 272 Sleep Sobriety to be used in it 66 Sloth spiritual Directions how to shake it off 616 Sobriety what it is 65 The particular Branches of it Vid. Sleep Recreations Meat and Drink Apparel Care of the World The Necessity of Sobriety 63 Objections against preaching Sobriety answered 64 Solisidians condemned 729 Sorrow vanquished by Faith 242 Soul The Nature of the Soul 1166 The Soul immediately created by God 1163 The Immortality of the Soul proved 1162 1164 1173 The Evil of not believing the Immortality of the Soul 1172 Sparing God's sparing his People what it signifies 1017 This is a choice Privilege ibid. The Reasons why God spares his Children 1019 Who they are whom God spares 1021 How God's sparing is consistent with afflicting his People 1022 1023 Staggering at the Promise opened 487 Strength It is the Privilege and Duty of God's Servants to go from Strength to Strength 1003 Why God's Servants should go from Strength to Strength ibid. Motives to go from Strength to Strength 1006 They that go from Strength to Strength shall at last appear before God in Sion 1008 Sufferings of Christ. Prophecies and Types of Christ were fulfilled in his Sufferings 1149 1150 Sufferings of Christ a Copy and Pattern to us 1150 T TAking away Sin How Christ takes away the Sin of the World 1126 1127 Taking away Sin the great End of Christ's coming into the World and why 1128 What we should do to have Sin taken away Vid. Sin 1129 Temporal good things why God gives them to carnal Men 987 Vid. Good Things Temptations how to be prepared against them Vid. Devil 710 Thanksgiving for Benefits a Debt we owe to God 421 Graces acted and promoted in Thanksgiving 422 Sins prevented by Thanksgiving ibid. Reasons for Thanksgiving 423 In Thanksgiving spiritual Blessings are especially to be owned 424 We are to give Thanks for spiritual Blessings not only for our selves but others 426 We are not thankful for Mercies when the Heart is lifted up 700 Time the Preciousness of it 69 Tongue of the Just what is meant by it 1053 1058 In what Sense the Tongue of the Just is as choice Silver 1055 Sins of the Tongue 1053 Our Tongues to be used for edifying and why 1056 Directions hereunto 1058 Trembling at God's Word what it is 1033 Difference between it and holy Fear ibid. How it doth or may come to nothing 1036 Trinity How much Believers are ingaged to all the Persons of the Trinity 125 How all the Persons in the Trinity concur to the Salvation of Believers 1233 Love ascribed to the Father Grace to the Son and Communion to the Holy Ghost 1233 1234 How Love Grace and Communion concur to our Salvation 1235 Trouble of Heart what it is and wherein it consists 235 237 The Causes of this Trouble of Heart 236 Why Christians should not let their Hearts be troubled 238 Directions to prevent this Trouble of Heart 239 Faith a Means of easing our Hearts from Trouble 241 Trust. Considerations to quicken us to improve our Trust 255 Encouragements to be faithful to our Trust 256 Trust in God a Duty in dark Times 814 The Profit of trusting in God then 815 There is much in the Name of God to incourage Trust ibid. They that fear God and obey him are most incouraged to trust in him 816 Trusting in Riches that there is such a Sin proved 377 The Evil of it 378 The Signs and Discoveries of it 383 The Evil Effects of it 379 The Remedy of it 383 Truth of Speech and Action what 841 Trials Various Sorts of Trials 361 Trials do manifest what Men are ibid. Why God will manifest Men by Trials 361 Types the several Kinds of them 746 Types of the Law why to be considered ibid. V UNgodliness what it is 31 The Negative Part of Ungodliness 33 The Positive Part of it 40 What it is to deny Ungodliness 32 Means to deny Ungodliness 40 Motives to deny Ungodliness ib. Ungodliness and worldly Lusts coupled 42 Victory of Christ over the Devil the Effects of it 540 How far Satan was destroyed hereby 543 Vid. Devil Power of Satan The Nature of Christ's Victory for Believers 546 W WAiting on God an Effect of Faith 457 War against Satan Motives to ingage in it 547 Washing us from our Sins the Fruit and Evidence of Christ's Love 1129 The Value and Worth of this Benefit 1180 Well-doing what it is 1227 Continuance in Well-doing what it is 1228 Patient Continuance in Well-doing what 1229 Wicked Men who are so 1059 When they shall have enough of Sin 1113 Why wicked Men shall have their Fill of Sin 1114 Will of God How God wills that none shall perish but all come to Repentance 937 Willingness of Christ to suffer how demonstrated 155 Objections answered 158 The Grounds and Reasons of this Willingness Vid. Giving 157 Winking How God winked at the times of Heathen Ignorance 276 Word of God threefold of Promise Blessing and Power 463 The Power and Certainty of God's Word 196 On what Grounds the Word of God is more conducible to Repentance than if one came from the Dead 672 949 The Relation of the Word to Faith 444 The Acts of Faith about the Word 446 The Effects of Faith thus exercised 447 How we may discern the Strength of Faith from hence 449 Work of the Devil what it is 538 How Christ destroys the Work of
were opened and another Book was opened which is the Book of Life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their works Outward Friend or Foe Heathen or Christian Officer or private Person 1 Pet. 1.17 And if ye call on the Father who without respect of persons judgeth every man according to his work Secondly It is a strict and just Judgment Acts 17.31 He hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world in righteousness Now God winks at many faults ver 30. Thirdly It is our final Doom our eternal Estate dependeth on it We must be judged to everlasting Joy or everlasting Torment Fourthly It is near and asure For the Iudge standeth before the door Jam. 5.9 Every Week Day Hour Minure we approach nearer to it 3. The â—oarness of a bad Conscience and what unsound terms it is with God Felix is set a trembling by Paul Belshazzer's edge taken off in the midst of his carowzing Daâ— 5.6 Then the Kings countenance was changed and his thoughts troubled him so that the joints of his loins were loosed and his knees smote one against another So true is that Heb. 2.15 Who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondâ—ge 4. The necessity of a strict Obedience We should carry our selves so that the Word may comfort us not make us afraid discharging our Duties to God to our Neighbor and to our Selves Tit. 2.12 Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Paul mentioneth here two Parts as suiting to his purpose but there are three and Godly the chief part of which is to seek our Reconciliation with God by Christ then to love him and delight in him and serve him faithfully doing his Will seeking his Glory Righteously that we may be just to our neighbor doing to others as we would be dealt with our selves Soberly Sobriety and Temperance lyeth in Self-government that he possess his vessel in Sanctification and Honour keep himself unspotted from the World subdue the Flesh that it may not wax wanton that the heart be not hardned nor Conscience stupified and so become uncapable of Spiritual things and so still Crucify the Flesh and inure the Mind to Heavenly things 5. The sottishness of them who are not moved so far as Felix was who hear of Righteousness Temperance Judgment to come and are not a whit moved Object But you will say our Hearts are established by Grace why should we be afraid of the future Judgment Answ. 1. To be only moved with fear and terror is slavish 2. You should have a deep Reverence of His Majesty and so be afraid to displease him 3. You must distinguish between a perplexing distrustful fear and an Holy preventive eschewing Fear 4. There are great Reasons why this Fear should have an influence upon us while we dwell in flesh 1 Because the wrath of God was once our due 2 We still deserve it 3 It is certainly a great and extream difficulty to get free from so great an evil See the Authors Sermon on 2 Cor. 5.11 pa. 113. 2. Use. Caution which is double 1. Do not lose the advantage of this common work but when the waters are stirred put in for Cure It may be lost 1 partly by delays or dreams of a more convenient season The sinners Morrow will never come delay is but a plausible denial the sinners non vacat is non placet Luke 14.18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse 2 Partly by disobedience or relapses into our old crimes so Felix returned to his bribery and licentious course Therefore let us open our hearts to Christ's knocking Reasons 1. It is very dangerous None so bad as those that quench these Convictions The Holy Ghost by the power of the Word fetteth them a trembling many times at the thoughts of their condition and they have some kind of mind to let sin goe but it cometh to nothing Iron often heated and oft quenched is the more hard the parts are more united and condensed As water heated in cold weather being more rarified freezeth the faster Prov. 29.1 He that being often reproved hardneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy 2. You lose your season the time wherein God will be found There is a twofold season the time of God's Grace and our Capacity 1 The time of God's Grace God the Father's time is while he waiteth 1 Pet. 3.20 When once the long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah The Sons time is when the Gospel offers are made to us To day if you will hear his voice Heb. 3.7 2 Cor. 6.1 2. We then as workers together with him beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain for he saith I have heard thee in a time accepted and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of salvation The Spirit 's season is the time of the motions of his Spirit Gen. 6 3. My spirit shall not always strive with man Acts 7.5 Ye stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears ye do always resist the Holy Ghost 2. The time of our Capacity When Conscience is awakened the Word is most likely to make an impression upon us as when the Wax is hot it will receive the impression of the Seal 2. do not rest in a common Work that you hear the Word and are some way affected Herod rejoyced Felix trembled God hath never our Hearts till he hath gained our Love as well as our Fear Felix trembled God gained upon his Fear but he never hath our Hearts till he hath our Delight and such a Delight as is not controlled by other Delights when I love him above all and rejoyce in his Word more than in all Riches A Sermon on Prov. iii. 17. Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace IN the Context you have an Exhortation to get Spiritual and Heavenly Wisdom The Argument is first Generally Propounded and then Particularly Amplified 1. Generally Propounded Vers. 13. Happy is the man that findeth wisdom and the man that getteth understanding 2. Particularly Amplified 1. By the Worth and Excellency of Wisdom Vers. 14 15. The merchandize of it is better than the merchandize of silver and the gain thereof than fine gold c. 2. The Utility and Profit Vers. 16. Length of days is in her right hand and in her left hand riches and honour She is represented as a Queen having both hands full of Blessings In the right hand length of days in the left hand riches and honour He speaks Pro more faederis according to the manner of the Covenant wherein Temporal Things are explicitely promised though Spiritual and Eternal Things are implyed In her right hand length of days What do Men desire more than to live long
and happy Wisdom will teach us to live for ever And in her left hand riches and honour all good Things in this World so far as not to hinder us of the Things of a better World shall be vouchsafed to us 3. The third Argument is in the Text the Pleasantness of Wisdom which is added to sweeten the Difficulties in attaining to it or pursuing after it or exercising the Virtue of it in the regulation of our Lives and Actions It is hard to get it and then to exercise it but it is recompenced with an answerable Sweetness Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace Where note 1. The Subject Ways Paths The general Course or particular Duties which Wisdom prescribeth 2. The Predicate Pleasantness Peace They are not only pleasant but safe they are accompanied with spiritual Sweetness and produce solid Tranquility in the Mind of Man Doctr. That the Man whose Actions and Ways are guided by Heavenly Wisdom enjoyeth true Peace and Delight I. For stating the Point 1. By Wisdom is meant the Heavenly Doctrine revealed in the Word of God especially the Gospel or Salvation by Christ. For this is called The wisdom and power of God 1 Cor. 1.24 And it is said the Holy Scriptures through faith in Christ Iesus do make us wise unto salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 He is a Fool that is wise to other things and is not wise to the saving of his Soul for he is wise in Trifles and neglects necessary Things Well then the Ways and Paths of Wisdom are the Ways and Paths of Faith and Holiness Faith is necessary to solid Rejoycing For 't is said 1 Pet. 1.8 In whom believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory And Rom. 15.13 The God of hope fill ye with all joy and peace in believing And Holiness concurreth necessarily for it is not only a godly Man's Duty but his Delight and it is rewarded with Joy and Peace 2 Cor. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world Some degree of Comfort followeth every good Action before our full and final Reward we have the solace of a good Conscience during our Service 2. That these Delights are not Carnal Delights but Spiritual Man is ever inviting himself to some Delight the oblectation of his Mind cannot lye idle but usually consults with Flesh and Blood in choosing his Delights and careth for the Body more than the Soul But bodily Delights and pleasing the sense were our old Slavery Titus 3.3 Serving divers lusts and pleasures These draw down the Mind and dull our Desires and Endeavours towards better things therefore here we need not use the Spur but the Bridle and must refrain our selves because these Delights corrupt the Mind and such a kind of Peace is not the quiet and repose of the Soul in God but the numbness and deadness of Conscience carnal Security not a true Peace But the Delights and Peace which Wisdom inviteth us unto are chaste and rational such as innoble the Soul and raise it to God and do not put it in Vassalage to Sense When our Joy runneth out in a Spiritual Channel there is no Excess in it no Snare by it The Pleasures of Sense are base and dreggy but these are Heavenly and Spiritual 3. It supposeth that the Man be renewed and recovered out of the common Apostacy For while a Man remaineth in it the Beast rideth the Man and nothing is sweet and pleasant but what gratifyeth sensual Appetite Regeneration and change of Heart is necessary to taste the Pleasures which are in the Paths of Wisdom For nothing is pleasant to Men but what is suitable to their Natures And we use to say that one Man's Pleasure is anothers Pain Distempered Souls are not capable of this Peace and Delight for every Man's Gust is according to his Constitution Rom. 8.5 They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit Therefore the carnal Man that is wedded to his vain Delights is an incompetent Judge of the Pleasantness that is in the Paths of Wisdom Will he that is wholly addicted to the Flesh ever judge that there is more delight in the Exercises of Godliness than in the foolish Pastimes of the World That it is better to be mourning for Sin than rejoycing in the Creature and that the Congregation yieldeth a more solid Pleasure than the Theatre and that it is better to be mortifying the Deeds of the Body by the Spirit than to court the Senses If his Judgment may be convinced he will never yield to it in his Practice He doth not live by these Rules and Measures II. Let me now prove that the true Peace and Pleasure is no where else to be found but in obedience to Heavenly Wisdom 1. I prove it from the matter of this Peace and Joy and that is Wisdom heavenly Wisdom which leadeth us to Faith in Christ Love to God and an holy and heavenly Life And what is the consequent of these Things but the Pardon of all our Sins the assurance of the Love of God and the lively foresight and foretaste of endless Glory and Blessedness 1. The Wisdom that cometh from above doth teach us Faith in Christ as the whole Scripture manifesteth Acts 10.43 To him give all the Prophets witness that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins Well now can any Man be truly chearful till his Sins be forgiven Alas if Conscience were but a little awake in the midst of all his Mirth he would see a sharp Sword hanging over his Head by a slender thread and that all his Jollity is but like dancing about the mouth of the bottomless Pit into which he is tumbling every moment Nay let him stifle Conscience as much as he can yet he can never totally get the victory of it For he hath his Pangs and Qualms and hidden Fears if you dig him to the bottom and stinging Remorses of Conscience which though not always felt are soon awakened No this Man can never be truly merry Suppose none of this as yet ever felt yet this you must grant That he cannot be a Man recollect his ways or use any sober consideration why he came into the World and whither he is a going which every one that weareth the Heart of a Man should sometimes do but his Trouble is revived such Trouble as soureth his Contentments and puts a damp upon all his Mirth On the other side a Man that hath made it his business to enter into God's Peace by Jesus Christ and is humbly and broken-heartedly suing out his Pardon in his Name and hath the justice and faithfulness of God engaged to him that so doing he shall be pardoned hath not this Man true and