Rev. 3.1 Repr 2 Secondly this is so much the worse when the very judgement is corrupted As the Apostle speaks Tit. 1.15 Their very minde and conscience is defiled If a mans judgement be corrupted how should he get the victory over corruptions As diseases are most dangerous when they take the Brain and the Heart and so seize upon the vital and animal parts So in this case they grow not and they think verily they need not grow Oh sayes one I love God with all my heart I thank God I have a strong Faith sayes another I am as perfect as ever I shall be sayes a third as perfect as Adam in the state of Innocency or the Saints in heaven Indeed if this were so we need not grow if our assurance were as good at first without all doubting as ever it shall be we need not pray Lord increase our faith or Lord increase our other graces But because we are but babes in grace at the first we had need grow and pray that we may grow till we come to be perfect men in Christ Repr 3 Thirdly it Reproves such as grow downward in stead of growing upward they grow lower in stead of growing higher they move earth-ward in stead of moving heaven-ward These are Monsters in grace such as have declined from their first love as Ephesus did Rev. 2.4 It may be time was they had great love to God his Word his Messengers to Family-duties but now they are grown more remiss and luke-warm if not altogether opposite to what they so much loved before Gal. 4.15 Where is then the blessedness you spake of For I bear you record that if it had been possible you would have plucked out your own eyes and have given them me Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth Some that profess'd great love now opposite to those persons whom they loved before and opposite to those duties which they loved before they think they are above such duties they fear not to neglect them and so seldom perform them truly fulfilling what was falsly laid upon Job Thou castest off fear Job 15.4 and restrainest prayer before God Repr 4 Fourthly it Reproves such Opposers of growth in piety are the Devils first-born as are so far from growing themselves that they do what they can to hinder the growth of others And doubtless the Spirit of Satan is in such men The Devil if he cannot hinder the Conception of Grace he will do what he can to prevent the Birth if he cannot prevent that he will do what he can to devour it so soon as it is born or at least to hinder the growth And so 't is with men that are acted by that Spirit if they cannot hinder the beginnings of Grace they will do what they can to hinder the growth of it They are as the Plague of Locusts where they live As the Locust and caterpiller devour every green thing Exod. 10.15 no sooner doth a bud or blossom begin to peep out but they devour it so it is with these men no sooner do they perceive some fair puttings forth or blossoms of Grace in any but they will be sure to snub them and to carp at them O say they what need you be so forward you are too hot to hold you cannot be content to do as the rest of your Neighbors do Are you wiser than Goodman such a one or Master such a one And thus many an old weather-beathen sinner is just like some old stinking Alder-tree it grows not it self but cumbers the ground and hinders the growth of all the Plants that are round about it by the unwholesom and malignant droppings of it and is good for nothing but the fire Such as these have much to answer for they must be answerable not onely for all the good they have neglected themselves but for all the good they have hindred in others Methinks when I consider the judgement of these men I seem to hear the voice of that revenging Angel Rev. 8.13 flying through the midst of Heaven saying Wo wo wo to the inhabiters of the earth for this is that very wo and curse which is pronounc'd from the very mouth of Blessing I mean from the mouth of Christ himself Mat. 23.13 Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for ye shut up the Kingdom of Heaven before men for ye neither go in your selves neither suffer ye those that would enter to come in Thus these kindes of men neither grow themselves nor suffer they those that would to be upon the growing hand I say they grow not themselves or if they do grow it is the wrong way as I said before they grow worse and worse till they have filled up the measure of their iniquity Evil men and seducers grow worse and worse deceiving and being deceived 2 Tim. 3.13 And believe it these are sins that fill up the measure apace when what they can do is done by taunts and by threatnings or cruel mockings to hinder the growth of others Such as these are far enough from living the life of Faith in Augmentation Repr 5 Lastly therefore it Reproves such as grow in sin instead of growing in grace that exceed the deeds of the wicked while they strive to out-drink out-swear out-vie one another As 't is said of Herod He added this yet above all that he shut up John in the prison There are measures in sin as well as in grace and it shall be more tolerable for some sinners in the day of Judgement than for others Therefore take heed of growing in sin for with the same measure that we mete withall shall it be measured to us again Vse 3. Examination about spiritual growth Next let us examine whether we live by Faith aright for then we live the Life of Augmentation True grace is of a growing nature the true Members of Christ are ever increasing Col. 2.19 The whole body and every part of the body increaseth with the increase of God Therefore 1. Dost thou increase And 2. is that increase the increase of God equal uniform Quest How shall I know whether I grow Ans The first sign of growth in grace First sign of growth is lessening of corruption as one increaseth the other decreaseth as it was with Paul and David And in particular the lessening of sinful Self-love The more a man loves God the less he values his own Self-interest the more willingly he parts with it Therefore where Christ bid the young man Go sell all Mat. 19.21 he proves he was not so well grown in grace as he took himself to be Yea such as had truth of saving grace declared their weakness by this Self-interest made Peter and the rest deny Christ but when they had more grace they neglected their liberty and their lives they rejoyced they were counted worthy to suffer for him What things were gain to me those I counted loss for Christ sayes
these Scriptures 1 Joh. 3.2 3. Perfect Vision perfect Transformation In the mean time so much as we see of God so much we shall desire to be like him Joh. 15.3 Now are ye clean c. 2 Cor. 7.1 Having such Promises Let us cleanse c. 2 In the Birth 2. In the Birth The Birth of Presumption is very easie and speedy Presumptuous persons think it is the easiest matter in the world to Believe they meet with no opposition either from their own hearts or from Satan A sign 't is no good Faith when the Divel is so good a friend to it But the Birth of true Faith is very difficult it meets with many Pangs of unbelief from Satan and from the flesh for even in this as well as in other graces The flesh lusteth against the Spirit Gal. 5.17 I confesse He is an unwise child that staies long in the place of bringing forth children Hos 13.13 Yet some pain there is in Self-denial Thirdly they may be differenced by their Growth 3. In the growth Presumption is a Monster it is born as big and as tall as ever it will be like Jonah's Gourd it springs up in a night and it withers as soon as the Sun of affliction and persecution beats hot upon it But true Faith grows up by degrees like the grain of Mustard-seed the new Creature is a Babe in faith before he becomes a strong man The righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith Rom. 1.17 Some say they are as much assured at the first as ever they shall be their faith is as strong as ever it will be but let them take heed in the mean time they do not presume in stead of believing for true faith is of a growing nature Fourthly 4. In the fruit They may be differenced by their Issue and Fruits It may be said of the Presumptuous as Deut. 32.32 Their vine is the vine of Sodom their clusters are bitter The fruit of Presumption is carelesness in the use of the means of Grace Tush saith the Presumptuous person what need we hear so much and reade so much and pray so much away with Duties The fruit of true Faith is carefulness herein I believed 2 Cor. 4.13 therefore have I spoken therefore have I heard therefore have I read therefore have I prayed c. The fruit of Presumption is Licentious liberty to sin against God Tush saith the Presumptuous person Christ died for sinners what need we care let us sin that grace may abound Rom. 6.1 Ver. 18. The fruit of true faith is a holy liberty to serve God and a holy fear to sin against God Be not deceived saith Faith neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers nor effeminate c. shall inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6.10 And thus you see there is that maketh himself rich in faith when he is poor and this is a great Impediment to the obtaining of faith and therefore we must labour to remove it Impediments of faith in the second branch of false supposition And secondly There is that maketh himself poor when he is rich There may be a supposition that we have not faith when we have it and this will hinder both the actings and increasings of our faith Some are afraid they have no faith at all because they have not the highest degree of faith which is full Assurance or because they want the comfort which others attain to 1 Pet. 1.8 even joy unspeakable and full of glory Cure But for the removing of this Impediment and for the rolling of this stone out of the way we must remember there are several degrees of faith as we have already proved therefore 't is possible thou maist have faith though thou hast not the highest degree of faith and so joy of the Spirit that 's rather a fruit of faith than faith it self It is indeed Note to speak properly rather a living by sense than a living by faith when we are cheered up with continual Cordials Such a life is more like heaven than earth where faith shall cease A stronger faith is required to live upon God without comfort than when God shines in upon our Spirits with abundance of joy It s nothing for the Childe to believe the Mother loveth it whilst she sets it upon the knee kisseth it and feeds it with sweet meats but to see the Mother love through the twigs of the Rod and through all the clouds of her frownings and hidings this argues no small strength of love and of natural affection in the Childe I know your thoughts out-run me in the Application so that there may be strong faith where there is little comfort Therefore let every man prove his faith that he may not be to seek in the acting of it And so much for the several Impediments of Faith and the way to remove them From whence we may deduce these Corollaries or Conclusions Corollaries First there is no Faith without a great deal of opposition Opposition from Self opposition from Satan opposition from World opposition from professed Enemies opposition from Friends A mans enemies shall be those of his own house these shall oppose him these shall judge him not onely for his outward actions of Faith but for the very intentions of his heart in the exercise of Faith as Davids brethren said unto him I know the pride of thy heart this is nothing but a spice of vain glory and ostentation Paul was opposed in the preaching of Faith and in the practice of Faith and no way in the world left to apologize for himself but to appeal to the Searcher of hearts 1 Cor 4.3 With me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you or of mans judgement c. But thus true faith meets with opposition both from those without and from those within the Church True faith in the saving knowledge of the Son of God is as the very door and entrance into Gods Kingdom but you must look to meet with opposition at the very threshold Mat. 23.13 Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for ye shut up c. The Lord grant none of us may be found amongst the number of opposers making sad the hearts of those God would not have made sad but rather be found helpers of one anothers faith For all is little enough in regard of the opposition we shall meet withall from without Secondly it is no easie matter to believe all things are easie to him that believeth but it is no easie matter to believe Thirdly The exceeding greatness of Gods power is seen in all them that do believe according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places Eph. 1.19 20. No wonder so few believe 't is a Miracle of Mercy that there are so many Fourthly He that
little comfort in that We account that an excellent life when a man is full of spirit as we say and full of life such a one is a alive and alive's like Yet this life will decay the most spiritful man in the world his heart will fail him the â—out-hearted must sleep their sleep But herein is the excellency of the life Prov. 4.18 we have from Christ it is ever on the increasing hand The Sun of righteousness the Fountain of their life is ever rising upon them higher and higher but never setting He came to give life and that more abundantly as it is Joh. 10.10 Contrary to the nature of other life they have more vigour and spirit and consequently bring forth more fruit in old age Psal 92.14 5. Safety of it Fifthly In regard of the safety and security of it Hazard takes away the comfort of life otherwise excellent That which God threateÌ„s Deut. 28.66 Thy life shal hang in doubt before thee and thou shalt fear day and night c. But the life of a Christian is sure Col. 3.3 The Caldean dream's of long Empire ver 5. but he shall dye ver 8. because it is hid 't is laid up with Christ in God If the life of Christ may fail then the life of a Christian But because I live ye shall live also Joh. 14.19 Besides their life is in God's keeping Psal 31.15 My times are in thy hands The Caldean threatens he will spoil and kill but God sayes his people shall live Continuance of it Sixtly It is an excellent life for Continuance This is implyd in the words The Gospel is the power of God to salvation Rom. 1.16 17. as it is written The Chaldean may threat destruction yet the just shall live The just shall live by his faith The life of God's people then is an eternal life and therefore excellent Every life is accounted so much more excellent as it is of longer continuance the life of an oak that continues many yeers then the life of the grasse that grows upon the house-top that withers before it be plucked up Therefore as life is a blessing so long life Psal is a great blessing What account then should we make of an eternal life that knows no end 1 Pet. 1. springing from an incorruptible seed the Word of God and maintaind by a never dying principle the Spirit of God He that lives the longest life of nature must die at last Gen. 5. but he that lives the life of grace shall never die 1. His grace shall never die 2. Though he die he is out of the reach of the second death Joh. 11.25 26. The just shall live Seventhly Lastly 't is excellent in regard of the End 7. The end of it The Caldean imputes his power to his God c. 1.11 but the just c. 'T is the end crownes the action God is in a more special manner glorified by this life The strong people shall glorifie thee Isa 43. Now as Gods glory is the ultimate end of all his works Prov. 16.4 so that life must needs be most excellent that comes neerest that end Gods glory and the creatures happiness are wrapt up together in the same end 1 Sam. 2.30 Them that honour me I will honour Therefore this life is excellent And this leads us to the reason of it Reason from Gods praise why God's people receive a more excellent life from him God doth it to the praise of his free grace Eph. 1.6 To the praise of his grace both in the cause for none could deserve this life before they had it Rom. 9.23 and in the effect of it viz. that they might walk worthy of it As God had life in himself and did enjoy himself before there was any creature so the reason why he made any or gave life to any was his own praise And therefore as any creature hath a more excellent life then other 't is therefore that God may have more praise then from other From the Saints therefore God expects that his high praises should be in your mouths Psal 149.6 Even the high praises of the most high God All thy works praise thee and thy Saints give thanks unto thee saith the Psalmist Psal 145.13 The Saints in a special manner They praise God for themselves and they praise God for the rest of the creatures being as it were the tongue of all the rest whilest they blazon forth the wisdom and power and goodness of the Creator in the wonderful fabrick and orderly government of the creatures Vse 1 1. Let us be convinced that there is such a life For these things seem ordinarily as the message of the women to the disciples Conviction that there is such a life Luk. 24.11 idle tales and men beleeve them not And so if we never beleeve this life we shall never seek it and if we never seek it we shall never be saved Joh. 3.5 Except a man be born again and so have a new life he shall never enter into the Kingdome of Heaven It is true This life is a hidden life which arises 1. In regard of the inward and secret nature of it The Kingdom of God is within you 2. From the mean outside of it for God chooseth weak and foolish things things that are not 3. From the infirmities of those that live it which much blemish it as David Peter c. 3. From misreports of it Slanderously reported of Rom. 3. And 5. from the work of Satan blinding the eyes of them that beleeve not 2 Corinth 4 3. Yet there is such an excellent life and that is proved and plainly made manifest First because it carryes men to actions beyond the power of nature It enables some men to forsake the pleasures of natural life for the sake of spiritual life and this work of self-denial proves it Yea it makes willing to lay down natural life if need be therefore such must have a better that gives as skin for skin so life for life Secondly because when natural life is weakest the acts of spiritual life many times appear strongest Therefore there is a life besides that of nature 2 Cor. 4.10 There the dying of the Lord Jesus in Pauls body makes manifest the life of Jesus in the same body Vse 2 2. To perswade us to desire this life Life of all things is most sweet Perswasion to desire this life And therefore the tree of life was plac'd in the midst of Paradise as if it were the perfection of all other comforts How sweet is then the sweetest life In comparison whereof all other life is but death Luk. 15. last Thy brother was dead and is alive O that we had eyes to see hearts to consider the excellency of this life Look how much difference there is betwixt the life of a child in the womb and the life thereof when 't is come abroad into the world where it hath
IN THE LIFE of FAITH IN SANCTIFICATION VIZ. PERSEVERANCE THe just man lives by Faith in reference to the Conservation of life or Perseverance He draws from Christ confirming vertue and this doth fitly follow the former yea it is that which sets a crown upon all the rest For otherwise should a Christian grow never so rich in grace if it might be said of his Spiritual riches as the Prophet Jeremy speaks of the Temporal riches of the wicked Jer. 17 11. He shall leave them in the midst of his days and at his end shall be a fool what were he the better for all his growth Now this is the very crown of Augmentation and Fructification that as he lives by Faith for the present so his Faith carries him on still to be faithful unto death that he may receive from God a Crown of Life Rev. 2.10 And that this is also the meaning of the Text you may see by the words themselves and by the application of them by the Apostle 1. By the words themselves for it is not said The just doth live by his Faith but The just shall live vivet therefore saith Calvin upon the place Futurum tempus vitae perpetuitatem designat The Future Tense points out the perpetuity of this life He begins that life by Faith which shall never have an end 2. This is clear by the Apostles Application and Interpretation of the Text Heb. 10.37 where the Apostle perswading to patient continuance in well-doing he brings this very Scripture for an encouragment The just shall live by faith he shall so live as to go on and persevere in his Christian course And that this is the very sense doth plainly appear by its opposite member But if any man draw back my Soul shall have no pleasure in him Where we see clearly drawing back or falling off is directly opposed to living by Faith So that to live by Faith in the sense of the Text and in the sense of the Apostle who best knew the meaning of the Text it is to live by Faith the Life of Conservatior He draws from Christ conserving vertue and so lives by Faith in reference to Conservation and Perseverance Two things therefore we are to shew Two Propopositions First That the just doth Persevere Secondly That he lives this Life of Perseverance by Faith 1. The just doth Persevere 1. That the just doth so live as that he shall persevere and hold out to the end Solomon tells us That the righteous is an everlasting foundation Prov. 19.25 a foundation that never shall decay Our Saviour Christ compares him Mat. 7.24 to a building founded on a Rock that out-stands all winds and weather David compares him to a Mountain a Mountain that cannot be removed Psal 125 1. The Prophet Isaiah gives him a Name An Everlasting Name that shall not be cut off Isa 56.5 S. Peter compares his beginning to Seed Immortal seed that shall never die 1 Pet. 1.23 The Psalmist compares him to a Tree a Tree planted by the rivers of waters that shall never wither Psal 1.3 Our Saviour himself calls the gift of saving grace The good part or portion that shall never be taken away Luke 10.42 and therefore it is fitly compared to fire to that holy fire which came down from heaven that never went out Levit. 6.12 13. If once that holy fire of grace be kindled in a believers heart it shall never go out Mat. 12.20 He shall not quench the smoking flax till he send forth judgement into victory Poor weak Christian is thy judgement right for God onely thy grace is so weak there is as much smoke of corruption as there is fire of good affection yet let this support thee He shall not quench the smoking flax Obj. But though Christ do not quench it or put it out himself yet something else may blow it out or pluck it from us Corruption and Satan and the World are very strong Ans As Christ will not quench it himself so he will not suffer it to be quenched by any opposite power whatsoever Job 10.28 No man shall pluck them out of my hands The Apostle was confident of this Rom. 8.35 c. Who shall separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ c. Shall tribulation or distress or famine or nakedness The Apostle is not onely assured against these but against all that Life or Death or Angels or Powers c. can do to separate us from the love of Jesus Christ The just then shall persevere 2. Perseverance is by vertue of Faith 2. He perseveres by vertue of his faith He lives by Faith the Life of Conservation 1 Pet. 1.5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto Salvation Which words are are set down as an argument of strong consolation to Gods people against that great Temptation of Backsliding by reason of their own weakness and their enemies power For whereas it was said in the former verse there was an incorruptible inheritance reserved for them in Heaven they might object But alas we fear our grace is not incorruptible though the Kingdom of Heaven fades not away yet our grace may fade away and so we may fall short of that Kingdom For their comfort he tells them as the Kingdom is kept for them so they are kept for the Kingdom and how kept through Faith Who are kept by the power of God through faith to Salvation Hence Faith is compared to a Shield not an ordinary one but to such a Shield as enables the Souldier to fight it out to see the last enemy slain to persevere to the end of the Battel Rom. 8. yea to be more than Conquerors even to conquer Principalities and Powers c. therefore saith the Apostle Take unto you the whole armour of God that you may be able to stand in the evil day and having done all to stand Eph. 6.13 Mark that Christian Souldier onely withstands his enemy as he should that in the right use of his Spiritual Armour is able to stand it out unto the last And I pray what is the principal part of this Spiritual Armour Is it not Faith ver 16. Above all taking the Shield of Faith whereby ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one As if he should have said Faith is all in all and without this all the other parts of the Armour as good as nothing By this we withstand all our enemies and having done all are able to stand it out to the last So that a Christians life is conserved by Faith Come we now to the Reason 1. Why the just man perseveres 2. Why by Faith 1. Why the just perseveres Reasons 1. Why the just shall persevere 1 Rat. is drawn from Gods Everlasting Purpose of Election What did God Elect his people unto No less than to Eternal Life Act 13.48 As many as were ordained to Eternal Life believed He doth
yoke in the world they have found such comfort in it And this I say makes much for the honour of the Master 2 Reason 2. For their own support God will have the just live the Life of Consolation that the comforts of God may Support their Spirits in the midst of many Troubles Afflictions and Temptations they meet withall in their Christian course You know it is a Statute-Law of Heaven We must through tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God Act. 14.22 Therefore God in much Wisdom and Faithfulness proportions the comforts of his Servants to their sufferings lest they should faint in their minds and be weary Psal 94.19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul and so the more suffering for Christ the more comfort in Christ 2 Cor. 1.5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolations also abound by Christ As Christ himself had greatest comfort in his greatest temptation for then it was that Angels came and ministred unto him Mat. 4.11 so Gods People may expect greatest comforts in their greatest sufferings especially if it be in a good cause 1 Pet. 3.14 and 4.13 If ye suffer for righteousness if ye be reproached for the name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you So that as it was said of him that knew not how to pray Let him go to Sea so we may say of the Christian that knows not how to rejoyce Let him take up the Cross that lie in the way of his calling let him be willing to go to the Prison or to the Stake if God call him thither Etiam hîc eris mecum bone Jesu said the good Martyr Even here Lord Jesus I finde and I feel thou wilt be present with me So he that would meet God and enjoy most of God on this side heaven let him not look for it in Princes Courts but let him look for it in the Dungeon of Adversity There God met with Joseph and there he met with Jeremiah and there he met with Peter and there he met with Paul and Silas Act. 16.25 They were so full of comfort they could not hold they must needs sing at mid-night Their hearts were never more at liberty than when their feet were fast in the stocks Simile Wicked men like other ordinary Birds can sing in a Sun-shine day of Prosperity but Gods People are Nightingals they sing best in the mid-night of adversity And were it not thus Gods People would not be so ready to suffer in the cause of God they would be ready to say Oh! there is a Lion in the way Pro. 22 13. I shall be slain in the streets But when they remember God can bring Honey out of the Carcase of the Lion he can bring Meat out of the Eater as he did Judg. 14.14 he can bring strength and nourishment to the Soul out of sharp destruction and devouring affliction they are not so much afraid of the Cross And that 's the second Reason why God will have his People live the Life of inward Consolation that they may the better live the Life of outward Affliction 3. To cause longing for heaven 3. God will have them live the Life of Spiritual Consolation in some measure upon earth that they may long the more to be in heaven Indeed the best estate of Gods People here below is but a mixt estate in respect of comfort Here is Night as well as Day Winter as well as Summer but there is Day and no Night Summer and no Winter It is true indeed he gives them some light some first-fruits of comfort here but to what end certainly that they may the more earnestly long for the Harvest When Paul was but a little while caught up into the third heaven he was never well till he came there again Phil. 1. I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all God gives his People a taste to set the mouth of their Souls on water after heaven Taste of my Hidden Manna saith God and as you like that take more Now when they have once tasted they long to be at the Kings Banquetting-house where is fulness of joy Cant. 2. Psal 16. and pleasures for evermore The Martyrs had but a taste and they were ready to run through fire and water to get to a full draught And were it not thus did not God sometimes give to his People the first-fruits of his Spirit of heavens joys they would be ready either to be deter'd in their journey to Canaan by the perils of the Wilderness or else to be allured back again by the flesh-pots of Egypt or at best to take up their rest with the two Tribes and a half on this side Jordan Therefore God gives his People something of the very comfort of Heaven whilst they are in the way thither like the Bunch of Grapes that was brought out of Canaan before-hand that they may long to be in Heaven and so to enter into that joy there that doth but enter into them here 4. Here 4. To be able to comfort others God will have his People live the Life of Consolation themselves that they may the better minister comfort to others A Scholar that knows the World by Map can give some direction to a Traveller but nothing so exact as he that hath travelled the same way himself A man that never tasted of Honey may discourse of the sweetness of it but nothing so feelingly as he that hath suck'd the Honey-comb So a man that never tasted of the comfort of the Holy Ghost or peace of Conscience may discourse of it at random to others but nothing so effectually as he that feels the powerful working of it effectually in his own brest he will say Come Psal 34. and I will tell you what the Lord hath done for my Soul Whereas a man that never felt that comfort himself but is a meer stranger to the joy of Gods chosen he is very unfit to comfort others One sorrowful man is a miserable comforter to another Like the sad reflections of some doleful Echo that doubles and trebles the complaint and so one woe returns many Or like the answer of an evil Conscience that always prophecies evil and not good to him that inquires of it But such a one as hath felt the comforts of God himself is able to speak more feelingly to others Now that they may do so God reacheth forth the Cup of Salvation and the Cup of Consolation to some of his children that they may commend it to others upon their own experience that they may say O how sweet is the Cup of Gods Consolation will you not pledge me will you not drink of the same cup O taste and see that the Lord is good O how sweet is he in the forgiveness of sins how sweet in the comforts of his Spirit how sweet in
what a glorious sight would it be In Heaven the Saints shall behold the Sun of Righteousness in the highest firmament and the eye of their Soul shall be strengthned to behold his glory to eternity That 's the first Perfection of knowledge 2. Perfect love Faith assures That in Heaven there shall be a Perfection of Love both to God and one another Indeed this follows from the former Perfect knowledge of God begets Perfect Love The Saints then shall love God beyond all measure who is infinitely lovely Here it 's the grief of a gracious heart that it can love God no more there it shall be the joy of a glorious Soul that it shall love God above all yea above it self and both it self and all other things in God And in this respect the Apostle gives Love the preheminence 1 Cor. 13. above Faith and Hope that when Faith shall be turned into Vision and Hope into Comprehension yet Love abideth or endures to eternity Faith assures That in Heaven 3. Perfect obedience Obedience to the will of God shall be perfect and this follows likewise from the former Perfect Obedience springs from perfect Love If ye love me keep my Commandments Joh. 14.15 The Saints knowing God perfectly shall perfectly love him and perfectly loving God shall perfectly keep his Commandments Rev. 22.3 His servants shall serve him ver 4. And they shall see his face Here we see onely the back parts of God In Heaven we shall see him perfectly and serve him perfectly Faith assures 4. Perfect joy That in Heaven there shall be perfect Peace and Joy The Kingdom of Heaven is righteousness peace and joy Rom. 14.17 When our righteousness is perfect then is our Peace too Here indeed imputed Righteousness is perfect but imparted inherent Righteousness is not to be perfected till the life to come and then shall be perfect peace Peace with God with our fellow-Citizens with our own Consciences And perfect joy too At thy right hand is fulness of joy Psal 16. ult A full joy and so a full reward 2 Joh. v. 8. There is a double fulness Of the Object Of the Subject Faith assures the Saints of both First There shall be a fulness of the Subject Fourfold fulness of the subject in glory Every part of Soul and Body shall be filled 1. The Vnderstanding shall be full of light that every question shall then be put out of question 2. The Will so full of subjection to the Will of God that there shall be no reluctancy 3. The Affections so full of harmony there shall be no jarring 4. The Body so full of glory that it shall be made like to the glorious body of Christ Phil. 3. ult Fulness of the Object Secondly there shall be a fulness of the Object The Saints in glory shall have whatever may make them happy whatever they can desire Joh. 14.8 They shall see God and so see the Father as that it shall suffice them They shall have Rest 2 Thess 1.8 And that which hath rest hath obtained its perfection to the full In a word 1. We shall be freed from whatever may annoy us 2. We shall enjoy whatever we can desire Fivefold freedom in heaven We shall be freed c. 1. From all the labours of this life Here we are born to labour Job 5.7 as the sparks to fly upwards There is rest 2. From the Necessities of Nature There is no need of Meat 1 Cor. 15.28 Drink Physick Clothing Lodging God shall be all in all 3. From the filth and power of Sin Here the best cry out Oh wretched c. Rom. 7.24 There we shall never sin more 4. From the company of sinners Here is complaining Woe is me that I am constrained to dwell in Meshech Ps 120.5 There shall be a perfect separation without any mixture Wheat with Wheat and Tares with Tares like to like to all eternity 5. From all sorrows and pains Rev. 21.4 The life of the best here is an April-day it hath some gleams of comfort but many showers In Heaven shall be constant Sun-shine for evermore Secondly We shall be possess'd of whatever good can be desired There we shall enjoy the sweet society of God Christ Angels Saints and with all these an eternal Sabbath And thus Faith like Moses on the top of Mount Pisgah discovers the promised Land afar off or like the Spies gathers up some Clusters of Canaan and brings them to a Believer here in the Wilderness Thirdly 3. Faith assures That eternal life is the Believers Faith assures a believer of his peculiar interest in this Life Eternal And indeed this is the very life of this life to know our right to this Tree of Life in Jesus Christ For as 't is nothing so comfortable to a man that beholds another mans Temporal Inheritance adorned with Woods Orchards Gardens Rivers and goodly Buildings as to be able to say with good warrant All these are mine I have good Evidence to shew for them So is it nothing so comfortable to be able to discourse of the happiness of Heaven as by the certainty of Faith to say By the grace of God all this is mine I have good Evidence to shew for it Indeed otherwise it 's a punishment nay it 's a part of Hell it 's poena damni to know that there is such a Glory in Heaven while himself hath neither lot nor part in it This is like Balaam's sight of Heaven or Dives his beholding Lazarus in the bosom of Abraham while there was a great gulf between them This I say is part of the Torment of Hell But this is the Life of a Christians knowledge concerning Life Eternal when he can upon good grounds say This is mine The lines are fallen unto me in a pleasant place yea I have a goodly heritage therefore my heart is glad my glory rejoyceth my flesh also shall rest in hope Psal 16.6 9. I know that my Redeemer liveth c. For we know c. 2 Cor. 4.1 Now how is a Christian assured of this his interest in Eternal Life but by Faith For Eternal Life is the End or Ultimate Object of Faith Receiving the end of your faith even the salvation of your Souls 1 Pet. 1.9 There are indeed many witnesses of it Three in Heaven and three in Earth 1 Joh. 5.7 8 c. And this witness of Faith is one of the Three on Earth The Spirit and Water and Blood The Spirit witnesseth to our Spirits Rom 8.16 By Water is meant the Benefit of our Sanctification By Blood our Justification by Faith in Christ or Expiation by the Blood of Christ applied by Faith and it may here be observed That though Blood alone saves a Christian yet it doth not alone witness his salvation Sanctification goes not into the matter of Salvation as a cause yet it goes into the matter of witness But according to the former Exposition Faith laying
loves not where it lives Is our Meditation therefore and Contemplation in Heaven It s sweet indeed to contemplate the visible part of the Heavens Psal 19.1 For The Heavens declare the glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handy worke But it is far more sweet to a gracious soul to contemplate the Inside For the starry Vault is but the pavement of Gods house and the Clouds are the dust of his Feet And if there be so much glory without what is there within Oh! how sweet is it to a gracious Soul to look into the Holy of Holies to take a turn with Christ every-day in his Banqueting-house For so is heaven call'd Cant. 2.4 And this is the property of a Soul espoused to Christ by Faith Rev. ult The Spirit and the Bride say Come And if Christ come not to her so soon as she desires she will be sure to go to him at least in her serious thoughts and heavenly Meditations She lays out much of her Soul in Meditation the Meditation of Christ and heaven is very sweet Psal 104 34. She says of heaven as David of Gods Law O how do I love it it is my meditation all the day Psal 119. And this is a good sign we live by Faith in regard of eternal Life But if on the other side we are meer strangers to all heavenly Meditations we can think of the world as if we were possest by the Spirit of the world but seldome or never have a serious thought of heaven It may be we have a thousand thoughts of the world for one serious thought of heaven Doth not this proclaim to Men and Angels whatever we say or profess about Heaven and the Resurrection we believe no such matter 3. We may know it by our Speeches I mean 3. Our Speeches by our outward speeches For Meditation is the speech of the heart by it self by our speeches to others Where there is much of heaven in the heart there will be something of heaven in the tongue Several Countrymen have a several dialect or language and you may know what Country a man belongs to by his speech As the damosel said to Peter Even thy speech bewrayeth thee So a mans speech will bewray him and shew whether he belongs to heaven or earth He that is of the earth speaketh of the earth and he that is of heaven speaketh of heaven Joh. 3.31 When God would shew the sound conversion of the Egyptians to the Faith he saith Five cities in the land of Egypt shall speak the language of Canaan Isa 19.18 that is They shall have heavenly hearts for they shall have heavenly tongues 'T is true a man may learn and counterfeit the language of another country where he hath never dwelt and hath nothing to do in the priviledges of it and there are too many such Beggarly Canting Christians And therefore we are to examine not onely what we speak but from what Fountain and principle we speak Psa 45.1 My heart is inditing a good matter and then My tongue is the pen of a ready writer Pro. 16.23 The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth So then if we do but observe our selves when we speak out of the abundance of our hearts our speech will certainly bewray what country we belong to Never say therefore that thou livest by Faith in respect of heaven so long as thy speeches are earthly sensual or devillish He that believes he hath a great inheritance in another country he loves to be talking of it and so does a Citizen of Heaven 2 Cor. 4.15 We having the same Spirit of faith according as it is written I believed and therefore have I spoken we also believe and therefore do we speak And however some may indevour to counterfeit the language of Canaan yet there will be one Shibboleth or other that will discover them At the best they are but like mongrel Jews born of outlandish women who had Jews for their Fathers and Ashdodites for their Mothers and therefore they speak a mongrel Language half in the language of Canaan and half in the language of Ashdod Neh. 13.23 24. And so do these one while their mouth is full of Blessing and holy speeches another while they are full of Cursing and Blasphemy and Ribaldry according as their company suits their humour Obj. If you shall say How is this possible Can the same fountain as S. James speaks send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter or salt and fresh Ans I answer No it cannot And therefore onely one of these kinde of speeches springs from the Fountain of the Heart namely Cursing c. Holy speeches are but counterfeit And therefore God abhors such gross and affected mixture in mens speeches and resolves to turn himself to a people of a pure language Zeph. 3.9 And this is that which discovers a Citizen of Heaven when such a speech doth naturally flow from the heart I mean from a principle of renewed nature and so it 's true which Christ speaks By thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned Mat. 12.37 4. Our Actions 4. We may know it by our Actions and Conversation Our Meditations our Words may speak much but our Actions speak more He that hath something to shew for Heaven within himself hath something also to shew without himself 'T is not a dark Lanthorn that conveys a man to heaven Mat. 5.16 Let your light so shine c. that men may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heaven So that every one that sees such a man may say God is his Father Heaven is his Country Gods people look at themselves as strangers upon earth and therefore they fashion not themselves according to the world but conform themselves according to the manners of their own Country Examine therefore what hope thou hast of a better life for all true hope Joh. 3. is a purifying hope Dost thou as a stranger abstain from fleshly lusts Is thy conversation in Heaven from whence thou expectest the Lord Jesus Christ Phil. 3.20 That 's a good evidence thou art in the way to heaven But if thou canst live in known and gross sins under the Power and Dominion of them I know the best have their failings which they groan under as their burthen but if thou canst wittingly willingly and constantly live under the Power of any reigning lust and yet for all that thou sayest Thou livest by Faith in respect of eternal Life I say Thy Faith is but a Fancy it 's a strong Presumption and therefore a strong Delusion Thou art grosly deceived if thou thinkest to get Heaven or to inherit the Kingdom of God in such a way I deny not but a Fornicator an Adulterer a Drunkard being humbled and so laying hold upon Christ and in the self-same act repenting and forsaking his sin may finde mercy of God and admittance into heaven of his
free grace But if a man thinks himself already in Christ and in the high-way to Heaven and yet remains under the power and Dominion of these reigning lusts he is grosly deceived They are the very words of the Apostle 1 Cor. 6.9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Be not deceived neither Fornicators c. And thus we may know how whether we live by Faith in respect of Eternal Life By our Carriage in Life Mark 2. By the thoughts of Death We may know it by our Respect we bear to Death viz. as a passage to a better life For a faithful man looks at Death as a conquered Enemy Isa 25.8 it 's said He will swallow up Death in victory Now there are Four Degrees of this Victory of Jesus Christ over Death Degrees of Christs victory over Death The first is past and gone the two next are present and the fourth is yet to come 1. In his own death 1. The first was performed by Christ proprio Marte in his own single combat with Death and Hell Christ taking upon him the sins of Gods people all the world over Death sets upon him most furiously and seems at the first Bout to get the better it kills him and lays him in the grave But behold the glorious Victory of Jesus Christ as Samson when he was shut up in the City of Gaza Judg. 16. He arose in the night anâ carried away the gates of the City and bars and all So Christ our Spiritual Samson was shut up in the Grave with a great stone upon the Grave and brake open the brazen gates and iron bars and hath carried them away to the top of the Mountain of Mount Sion that they shall never hurt his people more Acts 2.24 He was raised up by the power of his God-head having loosed the pains of Death because it was not possible he should be holden of it Loosed the pains of Death It 's a word used in the birth of Children as if the Grave were pained as a woman in child-birth till it was delivered of him who was the first-begotton from the dead and so had the prerogative of the first-born to be a Conqueror even a Conqueror over Death Therefore it is said Rev. 1.18 I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Amen and have the Keys of Hell and Death The Keys What 's that By the Keys is certainly meant the Conquest as when a Town or City is subdued the Keys are presently delivered to the Conqueror as acknowledgments and Ensigns of his Victory So the Keys of Hell and Death are delivered up into the hands of Christ to signifie that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more Death hath no more dominion over him but he for ever hath dominion over Death So that the first and chief part of the victory belongs to Christ in his own person as he was mightily declared to be the Son of God by his Resurrection from the Grave Rom. 1.4 the other three belong to us The second Degree of Victory over Death is 2. In our Death The altering its nature to all Gods people For no sooner had Death struck Christ like a furious Wasp but it presently lost its Sting For the sting of Death sticks in Sin and therefore Christ having taken upon him the sins of his people Death strikes in her sting so deep that she is forced to leave it behinde her So that now the case is altered to Gods people however they die as well as others yet to them the sting of Death is taken out and so the nature of Death is quite and clean altered as if it were not the same Before it was a passage into prison where the Spirits are now in prison Now it 's made a passage out of Prison Having a desire to be dissolved Phil 1.23 Before it was a curse now a Blessing Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord Rev. 14.13 Before it was an Enemy a wicked man might say Hast thou found me 1 Kings 21.20 O mine enemy but now it 's a Friend and does many friendly offices Before it was loss a man lost his friends he lost his possessions he lost his very hopes Eccles 9.4 but now it 's gain Phil. 1.21 To die is gain He gains much access of glory for the present in his Soul in regard of its communion with God and he hath hopes of more when his body shall be raised again from the grave Prov. 14.22 The wicked is driven away in his wickedness but the righteous hath hope in his death And this is the second part of Christs Victory over Death 3. 3. In our judgements of death The third which most concerns the matter in hand is in Altering our Affections Judgements and Apprehensions concerning Death A most excellent Conquest 2 Cor. 10.4 5. Casting down imaginations Prov. 16.32 For suppose the Nature of Death should be altered so that of an enemy it should be made a friend yet if our judgements should not be altered but we should look at it still under the notion of an enemy we could have little comfort in the approach of it And therefore here is both the Mercy and Power of Christ seen in altering the judgement of his people concerning Death that now they can in some measure look at â—t as a Friend and as a Messenger sent from their heavenly Captain the Lord Jesus to take them off from their hard service How glad is the poor Souldier that hath stood Centinel a long cold night when the morning Watch comes Or one that hath been fighting against his Enemies as long as he can well strike or stand how glad is such a one when his Captain sends Relief to take him off and bids him Welcome home with a large Reward for all his dangerous and difficult service Now such and no other is the office of this Messenger Death and therefore Gods people looking upon it under this Notion love the appearing of it and rejoyce in it as the Apostle did 2 Tim. 4 6 7 8. For I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand I have fought a good fight I have finish'd my course c. Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me onely but to them also that love his appearing Mark it 's the property of a graâ—ious â—oul which Christ comes to it either in the particular or general Judgement to love his Appearing And this is the third Degree of Christs Victory over Death As it 's altered in it self so it s altered in his peoples Apprehensions of it And this is a double Mercy 4. In the general Resurrection The fourth and last Degreee which I shall but name is in the last and general Resurrection Look as when
Troubles of the world Faith lifts a man above the troubles of the world If you could suppose a dwelling above the Clouds above the Thundrings and Lightnings and terrible Storms would it not be a peaceable a comfortable habitation Such is the condition of a Christian who lives by Faith in regard of Eternal Life He lives above the clouds of worldly Troubles What if such a Trouble should come as may take away his life Faith will smile in the face of that Trouble Alas poor Trouble says Faith thou thinkest to do me a great deal of mischief when indeed thou dost but set my Soul at liberty to go out of an earthly Prison into a heavenly Palace Job 5.22 A man that lives by Faith for Heaven is above the clouds of the lower Region Heb. 12. Act. 4. he can endure the Cross he can despise the shame he can rejoyce that he is accounted worthy to suffer persecution for the Name of the Lord Jesus He can refuse to accept of life upon base terms that so he may obtain a better Resurrection Heb. 11. He can set an higher esteem upon the very reproach of Christ than upon all the Treasures of Egypt so long as he hath Faith enough to see him who is invisible and thereby to have respect to the Recompence of Reward He lives above the Troubles of the world 2. He lives above the Pleasures Profits and Honours of the world Let the Devil shew him all the Kingdoms of the world Mat. 4. and the glory of them as he did to Christ himself Faith in Christ will teach him to slight the proffer Alas says the believing Soul what is all this to the glory of Heaven Through Gods Mercy I am above all these I look at these as flitting fading empty Nothings gilded Pictures upon a rotten Post I know God hath put all these in subjection under my feet and therefore I will not put them as a Crown upon my Head or place them as a Treasure in my Heart but keep them there where God hath set them and that 's under my feet 'T is wonderful indeed but 't is not so strange as true Rev. 12.1 2. Thus the Church and every true believer is cloathed with the Sun of Righteousness whose powerful beams in the grace of Faith and Love draw up his Soul so far above the world that he tramples the Moon and all sublunary things under his feet He looks at all worldly excellencies of Pleasures Profits and Honours as changeable as the Moon On the other side he looks at the Word of God and Gods love in Christ and the fruits of that love in the glory of Heaven as the onely unchangeable good things and therefore these he wears as a Crown upon his Head but the other he puts as a Footstool under his feet We use to distinguish worldly things into Moveables and not moveables but we must go to heaven to make good one part of the distinction Heb. 12.27 28. Qu. But what means should I use Means to assure Eternal Life that I may live by Faith in regard of Eternal Life my sin hangs on so fast that I may as soon raise up by Body above the clouds as raise up my Soul heaven-ward Mean 1 Ans 1. Lay hold on Christ that is the way thither and the meritorious cause and the Loadstone there to draw thy Soul after him Christ is the great Engineer who hath a Pulley to draw thee to Heaven Joh. 12.32 When I am lift up I will draw all men unto me I have seen an artificial Instrument a device quo trahens trabitur So the more we lay hold on Christ by Faith the more strongly are we drawn to Christ so is fulfill'd the Promise Jam. 4.8 Draw near to God and he will draw near to you Mean 2 2. Act thy Faith upon the Promises of God for thy Spiritual cleansing from the burthen and filth of sin Rev. 21. ult No unclean thing shall enter Therefore 2 Cor. 7.1 Let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and Spirit And some Promises God hath made in special for that very work of cleansing the Soul See Ezek. 36.25 c. Like as Jeremy lying in the Dungeon when he took hold on the Cord that was let down he was drawn up by the men that stood aloft So we lying in the Dungeon of Sin and Misery whilst by the hand of Faith we take hold of the Cord of Promise which is let down from Jesus Christ now sitting at the Right hand of God in heaven we are drawn in Soul and Spirit heaven-ward Mean 3 3. Be sure thy Faith be fruitful in good Works if thou wouldst be sure of heaven 2 Pet. 1.5 Adde to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge c. for so ver 11. An entrance shall be administred unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom Not that good Works merit any thing but because God will encourage his people in well-doing by shewing to such the salvation of God Ps 50. last Mean 4 4. As a means of both under Christ Be careful to sanctifie Gods Sabbath which is a sign and a pledge of heaven and the resting of that day a powerful means under Christ to prepare Gods people for eternal rest However we are not tied to the observation of the Jewish Sabbath yet there remains a rest to the people of God Heb. 4 9. As the full rest and Sabbatism does remain and will remain not to be fully possest by them till the general Resurrection so that percursory Rest and Sabbath which is ordained to be a sign and a pledge of the other must needs remain till we come to enjoy that whereof this is a pledge If this Sabbath be a sign and pledge of heaven and of Gods perfect sanctifying of his people in Souls and Bodies Exod. 31.13 then it must be kept till we come there for if we lose the pledge of a Benefit we lose the evidence of that Benefit whereof it is a Pledge Consider further the Sabbath was not onely ordained to be a pledge of Eternal Rest to assure us of it but to be a Means also to fit us for it The Sabbath was made for man for mans benefit and that not onely for his bodily rest but especially for the rest of his Soul that he might cease from the works of sin and learn to do the work of God And experience shews the right sanctifying of the Sabbath is a powerful means under Christ to sanctifie us to increase Faith Love Zeal and all saving graces It takes a man off from the world for such a man thinks not his own thoughts speaks not his own words does not his own works I say it takes a man off from the world and puts him as it were into heaven for the time As Paul was caught up into heaven so such a man as is in the Spirit on the Lords day Rev. 1. as it were in heaven
thy own Works or other mens Works and Merits darest thou venture upon them The Ladder will crack and you must needs fall as low as Hell But lo here 's a Ladder saith God that reaches from Earth to Heaven and that 's Jesus Christ His Humane Nature is upon Earth and his Divine Nature especially manifested in Heaven Eph. 1. in both he reconciles all things in heaven and in earth and makes a passage for lost man to re-enter his heavenly Paradise Now I say the Meditation and Application of this by Faith will be as great a refreshing to us in our troublesome journey to heaven as it was to Jacob in his tedious journey to Padan-Aram It is true indeed no man must look to go to heaven in a feather-bed or in such a broad-way that he may drive a Sumpter-horse before him Mat. 7.13 for straight is the gate anâ narrow is the way that leads to life and few there be that finde it As there is no way to heaven but by Christ so there is no way to heaven but by the Cross Christ and his Cross are inseparable Companions This is the way that Christ himself and all his Saints have gone to heaven before us in and we must not think of a smoother way or of a shorter cut Onely the happiness the joy the glory in the end of our journey are enough if applied by us to bear up our hearts under all the troubles and temptations in the way And so you see how the Life of Heaven 1. Bears up the heart under the Temptation of Adversity 2. It will bear up the heart 2. Under Prosperity and preserve the Soul under Temptations of Prosperity And indeed the Temptations of Prosperity are far more dangerous than the Temptations of Adversity Heaven upon earth destroys more than Hell upon earth 1 Cor. 1. Not many wise not many mighty not many noble or rich are called Mat. 19. O how hardly shall a rich man enter into the kingdom of Heaven But Faith in regard of Eternal Life will preserve the Soul under the Temptations of Prosperity Quest What are the Temptations of Prosperity Ans Luke 12.19 Soul take thine ease eat drink and be merry take up thy rest and thy portion saith the Devil to flesh and blood in these sensual delights O no saith the believing Soul that hath Faith for heaven I 'll never play the childe so much to sell my heavenly Inheritance for a Plum for a Counter for a Rattle for a Trifle there 's none but children will do so Moses made a manly choice A wise mans choice is when he chooses holy sufferings before sinful pleasures Heb. 11. Should I not then choose heavenly pleasures before such as are sinful nay before such as are otherwise lawful Suppose thou hast a goodly House rich Furniture a full Table sweet and faithful Friends whom thou lovest as thine own Soul And now flesh and blood saith as Peter Lord it is good for us to be here Let us not onely make a Tabernacle but a Temple or a Mansion-house that we may not think of removing any more O no saith Faith these are sweet blessings indeed sweet mercies of God but they are not Heaven These are good Inns by the way but they are not Home Home is home be it never so homely much more when it is so rich and glorious as heaven is Therefore saith the believing Soul I cannot suffer my thoughts to rest upon any flowers of Content by the way-side having such a sweet Garden and Paradise of Delight to repose themselves in at the end of the journey And thus Faith for Eternal Life will preserve the Soul under Temptations of Prosperity And thus was Moses preserved whilst he cast an eye of Faith upon the reward and recompence in the heavenly Inheritance he had power to stop his ears against the Egyptian Syrens of worldly delights Vse 6 Vse 6. Of Admiration Admiration Thankfulness for heavenly life 6. Use of Admiration and Thankfulness As we are to rejoyce in hope so also to be thankeful in hope A Christian hath cause to be thankful not onely for mercies past but for mercies to come as Jehosaphat was 2 Chron. 20. who sings Triumph before he had the Victory for Faith makes a believer as sure of the Victory as if he had it already and as sure of heaven as if he had it in present possession Therefore he hath cause to look upon this expression of the goodness of God with Admiration and Thankefulness First with Admiration We have cause to admire the love of God to poor sinners that God should bestow Heaven and Salvation upon such as deserved nothing but Hell and Condemnation It is much that God should receive such as we are into the condition of children St. John admires it 1 Joh 3.1 Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God! But this is much more to be admired that God should bestow upon such an Inheritance If we may judge of Love by the Gifts that Love must needs be infinite that bestows such an infinite Reward It was a great expression of love in Ahasuerus to Queen Esther when he said What is thy petition and what is thy request and it shall be granted thee to the half of the Kingdom Esth 7.2 How much greater expression is it of love in God to his people to give them a whole Kingdom and that incorruptible undefiled that fades not away David was much taken with that expression of Gods love to him and his when God said 2 Sam. 7.16 Thy House and thy Kingdom shall be established for ever before thee Thy Throne shall be established for ever Then saith the Text went King David in and sate before the Lord and said Who am I O Lord God and what is my House that thou hast brought me hitherto And this was yet a small thing in thy sight O Lord God But thou hast spoken also of thy servants House for a great while to come And is this the manner of man O Lord God Do men use so freely and bountifully to do good to their Inferiors and to their Enemies Thus he admires the goodness of God to him and his and so may every faithful Soul when he looks upon his present possession of grace he may well say with David Who am I O Lord God and what is my Fathers house that thou hast brought me hitherto First that thou hast done so much for me as thou hast done already But when he looks by the eye of Faith upon his future possession of glory he may well hold up his hands and stand and wonder at the goodness of God to a poor worthless Creature and say How great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for such as fear thee c Psal 31.19 Lord as if the gift of grace were a small thing in thy sight thou hast spoken
of the Lord may run and be glorified 2 Thess 3.1 Thus God glorifies his Word His Kingdom 5. God glorifies his Kingdom for what 's the honour of a King but the multitude of his Subjects Prov. 14.28 Now the Conversion of Souls is nothing else but the addition of so many Souls to the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and this makes much for the honour of it Thy Kingdom come is the next Petition to Hallowed be thy Name to signifie that Gods Name is then most hallowed when his Kingdom is most enlarged David we know took not a little content in numbring of his People and surely the sin lay not so much in the bare numbring of them as in his carnal confidence in them We are sure Jesus Christ takes a great deal of content in the numbring of his Subjects he keeps a List and Roll of their Names No sooner is a Soul converted but presently his Name must be entred into the Church-book in the best sense Psal 87.4 5 6. This man was born there and of Zion it shall be said This and that man was born in her and the Highest himself shall stablish her her Charter is sealed by the King of Heaven The Lord shall count when he writeth up the people that this man was born there Selah Thus God glorifies his Kingdom The Conversion of Souls is such a Work as brings most glory to God 2. It brings most good to the Creature Secondly it is such a Work as brings most good to the Creature and that not onely to the creature converted but to many others also that have cause to rejoyce in their conversion 1. To the converted 1. To the Creature converted His Conversion is a means of his Salvation and that not of his Body onely but of his precious Soul also He that knows not how to prize a Soul let him weigh the price of a Soul in the Blood of Jesus Christ let him look upon Christ crying sweating bleeding dying and all to save Souls Now he that converts a sinner saves a soul saith S. James and he saves it from death from the first Death and from the second Death also Jam. Chap. 5. ver 20. Nay he restores such a Soul to life to a better life than ever the Creature enjoyed before and therefore it is said Prov. 11.30 The fruit of the righteous is as the Tree of Life and he that winneth Souls is wise Comparing such a man as makes it his work to convert Souls to the Tree of Life planted in the Garden of Paradise and that in many Particulars 1. Because it was Gods planting and grew not out of the Earth of its own accord So is a righteous man a piece of Gods special husbandry for true Grace grows not up in any by natural Propagation but is of Gods particular Plantation 2. Because it was more excellent than other Trees and therefore placed in the midst of the Garden So is the righteous more excellent than his neighhour Prov 12.26 whatever the world accounts of him 3. In regard of the fruit of it For 1. As that one Tree bare divers kinds of Fruits and bare those Fruits at all times of the year Rev. 22.2 So doth a righteous man he bears divers kinds of Fruits and that at all times Psal 106.3 2. As the Fruit of that Tree was a special means to preserve the life of those that took it therefore called The Tree of Life So is a righteous man a special means under God to preserve the Life of others and therefore also called a Tree of Life Vt supra The fruit of the Righteous is as the Tree of Life Nay in some respect it is more excellent than the Tree of Life in Paradise for that did but preserve a man from death so long as he continued in his uprightness but this hath power in the strength of Christ to raise up a sinner from the dead The dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live Joh. 5.25 They shall live the most excellent life they shall so live as never to taste of the second death and therefore it is such a Work as brings most good to the creature converted Yea and Conversion brings good to others that see the Conversion It rejoyces 1. The Minister Secondly it brings good to many others also that have cause to rejoyce in their Conversion As 1. How doth it rejoyce him that under God is made an instrument of that happy work Solomon tells us no less than three or four times in the Proverbs that a wise Son maketh a glad Father Prov. 10.1 15.20 23.24 25. And if this be true in some sense of natural Parents and natural Wisdom how much more is it true of Spiritual Parents and Spiritual Wisdom If the natural Parent so soon forgetteth all her sorrow Joh. 16.21 for joy that a man-childe is born into the world how much more do Spiritual Parents whom God makes Instruments of the New-birth forget all their sorrow whilst they were labouring and wrestling with God by Prayers and Tears many years together for the Conversion of such a poor Soul I say how much more doth such an one forget all his sorrow and rejoyce with exceeding great gladness for joy that a Spiritual childe is born and brought forth into the Kingdom of God How doth the Apostle rejoyce to call Timothy his natural Son in the faith and to call the converted Philippians his dearly beloved and longed for his joy and crown of rejoycing in the Lord Phil. 4.1 Never did natural Parents rejoyce more in their natural children than Spiritual Parents do rejoyce in their Spiritual children And if God would please so to bless my Labours this day as to make me a poor Instrument of begetting one Soul to Jesus Christ I should think it an hour well spent I should have cause to bless God to all Eternity for this days work O remember I beseech you remember whilst you stout it and stand it out against God as you grieve the Spirit of God so you grieve the Spirits of your Ministers that desire to be faithful you compel them to give up their accounts with grief and not with joy Heb. 13.17 But when you come in and believe and obey they can say with S. John in Ep. 3. v. 4. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the Truth to hear that such an one that was awhile ago an enemy to God and all goodness is now made a friend a favourite a childe For indeed Conversion brings a great blessing to the instrument this is such a work as brings a great Blessing along with it And that 1. From God Mat. 5.9 Blessed are the peace-makers for they shall be called the children of God and surely if they that make peace betwixt man and man much more they that make peace betwixt God and man betwixt God and the