Verse of the Parable you will find it brought in with a for For the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a man c. The former Chapter saith For we have forsaken all to follow thee and what shall we have But Jesus saith he that hath forsaken Father or Mother Wife or Children Houses or Lands for my sake shall receive a hundred fold and inherit eternal life and they that are last shall be first and the first shall be last Thus shall it be in suffering many that are first shall be last and so it shall be in service in employment and in labour For after he had spoken this Parable of the Labourers he concludes the last shall be first and the first last concluding for suffering and for service and he gives the Reason of it from our Election for many are called but few chosen and shews the grounds of it that it is of free grace the first shall be last and the last first So that as to service and as to suffering all is of free grace Now take these words as they are in relation to the former and they will afford us this Doctrine Doct. That there is much of the freeness of the grace of God laid out both in our services and sufferings Free grace in the matter of our services and labour and free grace in the matter of our sufferings The first shall be last and the last first for many shall be called but few chosen For the prosecution of this Doctrine I shall First Labour to shew you That it is a great mercy to be used for God and by God either in a way of service or sufferring for his Name Secondly That there are some that God doth especially single out to serve him or to suffer for him Thirdly That it is the free grace of God that one serves above another Fourthly I shall shew wherein this free grace of God doth appear or shine forth in the matter of our employment and sufferings Fifthly I shall shew why God will order and dispose of our services and sufferings in the way of free grace or free love First I say it is a great mercy to be used for God or by God in the matter of service or sufferings it is a great mercy to be employed in any work for God For First The more serviceable any man or woman is for God the more they honour God and the more they honour God the more will God honour them when I testifie of any excellency in God then I honour God when God testifies of any honour in me then God honours me as now when God calls me to any service then God testifies an excellency in me then God honours me when a Governour puts any honour upon a common Souldier he calls him forth to special service so it is an honour for a man to be serviceable to God This was the honour of Moses Moses the servant of the Lord and when the Holy Ghost puts an honour upon David he sayes The Psalm of David the servant of the Lord Not the Psalm of David the King of Israel no the Psalm of David the servant of the Lord. So in the New Testament this was Pauls honour Paul the servant of the Lord. Now is it not a great honour to honour God and to be owned by God Thus it is with them that serve the Lord. Secondly The more serviceable any man is for God in his Generation the more apt God is to accept of his work though there be failings in the work observe what great failings there was in Aaron yet God accepted of the work Thirdly The more serviceable any man is whilest he lives the more comfortably he will dye when he comes to dye what is a mans comfort upon his death-bed but that according to his measure he hath served God saith Christ Glorifie me Oh Father for I have done the work that thou hast sent me to do And so it is a mans comfort to do the work that God gives him to do yea it will be his comfort at the day of death Fourthly The more serviceable any man is whilst he lives the more he shall speak when he is dead there are them that being dead yet speak why what speaks Abell but Faith good Works good Examples He offered a better Sacrifice than Cain he was truly serviceable to God in his day and now he speaks when he is dead Thus Abell did and thus it is with a serviceable man Look how it is with a wicked man that is serviceable to the Devil and that writes wicked and wanton Books that speak when he is dead so is it with a man that is serviceable unto God This honour is in the service of God above all others and to say no more this is the thing that is desired more in some respects than the enjoyment of Heaven I desire saith the Apostle to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all yet nevertheless for your sakes and the service of the Churches I desire to live So that I say in one respect this is more desirable than Heaven for no such work is to be done in Heaven And is it not a great matter very great to be serviceable unto God to be used and employed by God either in service or suffering Secondly As it is a great mercy to serve for God so is it not a great mercy to suffer for God to be called out to suffer for the Name of Christ For saith the former Chapter We have forsaken Father and Mother Wife and Children Houses and Lands for the sake of Christ but saith Christ he that forsakes so much for me shall receive a hundred fold and eternal life yea he that suffers for me shall reign with me You carry a burthen but Christ carries the heavy end and you have communion with Christ also thereby and thereby also your heart shall be filled with comfort yea even the comfort of the Holy Ghost the Spirit of God dwells in every believer and that man that suffers for God the Spirit of God rests upon him as the Dove rested upon the Earth and so saith Peter the Spirit of God and of glory resteth in you A man is never more glorified than when he suffers for God remember that When our Saviour Christ was upon the Cross he was then glorious before the eyes of Heaven and never more glorious than then for now is the Son of man glorified so may you say when in sufferings Now am I glorified Oh the glory of a Christian Nay sayes the Martyr when going to the Stake Now I begin to be a Christian And thereby he is assured of eternal life and salvation Our present light afflictions saith the Apostle works an eternal and exceeding weight of glory And sayes our Saviour If ye be reviled and reproached for my sake happy are you And if you look into Philip. 1.28 you will find that sufferings are an evidence to us Thus
come and help up a poor fallen Cripple would it not be looked upon as an act of very great favour Yet thus God does when he comes to comfort the great high and lofty One comes down from his Throne as it were to lift up a poor drooping soul O what free grace is this But 2. The more God doth cross hands understand me the more I say that God doth cross hands in the matter of our comforts the more doth the free grace of God appear in our comforts when Jacob blessed Josephs two children he crost his hands and he laid his right hand upon the younger and his left hand upon the elder not so father says Joseph now what doth this shew but only the freeness of his love and so if God shall cross hands in the matter of our comfort what doth this argue but the freeness of his love and grace and God doth sometimes do thus when he comes to comfort he doth cross hands Sometimes two men have been in the same transgression and the one hath been comforted and the other not what shall we say of Peter and of Francis Spira Spira having professed the Truth and being called to witness to it did deny it so did Peter he denied Christ yet Peter was comforted but Spira never comforted but lay despairing and roaring out to his death I am a reprobate I am a reprobate no hope for me no hope for me Peter was comforted Spira was never comforted What do you think of David and Cain Cain murders his brother Abel a godly man David murdered Vriah a godly man too Vriah had been with him in all his troubles and was a very good man but though David was an adulterer also yet a messenger is sent to him that says thy sins are forgiven thee but Cain not comforted but driven out from the presence of the Lord. So that I say there may be two in a transgression and the one may be comforted and the other not Look into the Scriptures and into your own experiences and you will find great sinners comforted and lesser sinners not comforted and great sinners converted and comforted sooner than others Zacheus was a great sinner and yet was comforted the Jaylor was a great sinner and yet comforted and yet many that have walked very closely with God have not been comforted Psalm 88.15 Hemau complains sadly in verse 14. Lord why castest thou off my soul why hidest thou thy face from me I am afflicted and ready to dye from my youth up while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted and yet he walked close with God as you may find in the former part of the Psalm Yet we find sometimes I say the greatest sinners converted and soonest comforted Now what is this but crossing of hands in the matter of our comforts and this is only to shew forth the freeness of the grace of God and the free grace and love of God is most abundantly most eminently manifested to the soul by this crossing of hands 3. The more unbelieving any man is that is comforted the more doth the freeness of the grace of God appear Dearly beloved Brethren it is with our consolation as it is with our justification and our sanctification when God comes to justifie a man he finds him ungodly yet He justifies the ungodly and not only the ungodly but the unbelieving also and therefore the Lord said Go and compel them to come in They were unbelieving persons yet God calls them And so it is also in the matter of our sanctification when God comes to sanctify men He finds them unwilling to be sanctified but as God justifies them though unwilling because he doth it freely so He sanct fies them too though unwilling because he sanctifies freely And so it is also in the matter of our comforts when God comes to comfort he finds the soul unwilling many times my soul refused to be comforted saith the Psalmist Psalm 77.2 and so again Remember the word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope Psalm 119.49 I was unwilling but thou causedst me to hope whether I would or no. When God comes to comfort He doth it though men are unwilling to be comforted It is very strange that it should be so and yet such is the unbelief of mens hearts that as before conversion they are unwilling to be turned so after conversion they are unwilling to be comforted Now this is that I say that the more unwilling any man is to be comforted yet if God doth comfort him the more free doth the grace of God appear in it God doth comfort though souls are unwilling O the freeness the freeness of the grace of God in the matter of our comforts Thus you see how and wherein the free grace of God appears and is manifested in our spiritual comforts and consolations That is the fifth particular 6. Why will God deal with us in a way of free grace in the matter of our comforts and consolations would it not be better in a way of settlement in a constant way would not that be best No take notice of this that there is no way to make a mercy sure like this I know no mercy that is so sure as that which is wrought and given in a way of free grace and free love they go together in the Text Everlasting Consolation through Grace The only way I say to make a thing sure is to receive it in this way in which God gives it that is in a way of free grace Pray tell me did not God chuse David freely and his house Yea it was freely in opposition to the house of Saul 2 Sam. 6.21 Says David to Michal Sauls daughter It was before the Lord which chose me before thy Father and before all his house to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord over Israel c. God chose him freely also in opposition to his own brethren And was not his house sure the covenant was sure 2 Sam. 23.5 Although my house be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my salvation and all my desire God hath made me his chosen and his mercies to me are sure God will deal with us in a way of free grace that our mercies may be sure By grace ye are saved and if so what a comfort is it that God will so order and dispose of it that we may be sure of it and depend upon it for God will have us depend upon him for our spiritual comforts and what will make us more depend upon him than to know that he gives all in a way of free grace we must depend upon God both for our spiritual and our outward comforts seeing what He doth He doth freely we must freely depend upon him for comfort But 7. When may a man be said to be truly comforted in a way of free grace I cannot deny but
I am comforted saith a poor soul but I know not whether it be in a way of free grace and free love now how may I know that I am comforted in a way of free grace I shall speak to this Negatively and Affirmatively First Negatively There is a comfort that is the daughter of time a man or woman is sorrowful but time wears it out time comforts him this comfort that springs from and ariseth out of time is not true comfort neither is that man truly comforted by free grace But when the soul is truly comforted in a way of free grace then he is comforted by the Holy Ghost the Holy Ghost bearing witness that he is the Child of God Secondly There is a comfort that ariseth from the satisfaction of a natural conscience A man knows by nature that there is a God and that this God is to be prayed unto and therefore he prayes accordingly and when he hath done his natural conscience is satisfied and he is then comforted but noâ— if a mans comfort arise only from this â—â—m the satisfaction of a naturall conscience that man is not truly comforted for he that is truly comforted is comforted by joy in believing in whom believing ye rejoyce Rom. 15.13 Thirdly There is a comfort that ariseth from a mans non-attendance to his own condition Men may be comforted Why Because they never look into their condition how it stands between God and their souls There is a comfort arising not only from a mans conscience but from the non-attendance to his own condition and hereupon he is secure but this is not the comfort that ariseth from free grace and free love Fourthly There is a comfort that doth arise from the use of the creature men are troubled in their minds and they run presently to the Tavern to their Musick or merry Company to put it off and so it may be are comforted but if a mans comfort arise only from the creature he is not truly comforted not comforted with the comfort of free grace and love he that is comforted in this way it is but a diversion to him and not true comfort as straw when set on fire will make a flash and a flame but black ashes remain behind so when men are troubled and they run to the Tavern or to Musick and merry Company all this is but a flash black Ashes remain behind provoked trouble will be angry trouble and angry will be most troublesome when men run to merriment to divert trouble they provoke it Fifthly There is a comfort that doth arise from the common work of the Holy Ghost Some who have tasted of the Heavenly gift and are made partakers of the Holy Ghost and yet fall away Heb. 6.4 The false ground received the word with joy Now if a mans comfort ariseth from these common workings of the Holy Ghost it is not true comfort for he that is truly comforted is comforted in a way of free love his comfort is unspeakable 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom having not seen you love in whom though you now see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory Thus you see Negatively when a man is not truly comforted in these five particulars a man is not truly comforted from time nor from the satisfaction of a natural conscience nor from a non-attendance to his condition nor from the use of the creature nor lastly from the common workings of the Holy Ghost But Secondly Affirmatively we have heard when a man may be said not to be comforted Now when may a man be said to be comforted truly comforted in a way of free grace Beloved in the Lord are you willing to have your comforts tried false and counterfeit things do not love trial now if you be willing to be tried to have your comforts tried it is a sign and a hope that your comforts may be true but I shall not insist on this There are two or three things I shall speak to here First If you have been comforted by the word of promise set on upon your souls by God then are you truly comforted in away of love and free grace for what is the promise but the word of grace But some may say I have had a promise but I fear it may be from the Devil for the Devil may bring a promise did he not bring a pomise unto Christ Mat. 4.6 Saying He shall give His Angels charge over thee and in their hands they shall bear thee up This promise was brought to Christ by the Devil and it may be my promise may be handed to me by Satan and set on upon my soul by him But do but mark this I will only say this one thing to thee poor soul to ease thee of this objection If Satan bring a promise to you it is to lead you into sin to draw you into sin and to that which is evil as this to Christ here He will give His Angels charge concerning Thee cast thy self down He brought a promise to do evil cast thy self down but now if God hand a promise to you it is for your doing of good therefore says Christ to Satan It is written I have a word and a promise too It is written thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God The Devil brought this that he might do evil and God gave Christ a word to keep him from evil and so when you are brought into temptations great temptations if you have a word of promise brought home to your hearts to bear you up under temptation it is not the Devil that gives it in to you that hands it to you No for the Devil is no friend to faith no friend to stay you up for the Tempter will not act against the Temptation saith Luther though the Devil be Magnipotent yet he is not Omnipotent though he be Mighty he is not Almighty And therefore I say if you have a promise comes to you to help you to do good it is not of Satan but of God for he is Almighty he is able to comfort That is the first Secondly Would you know whether you be comforted in a way of free grace and love you may know it by the ebbing and flowing of your comforts which will ebb and flow according to the cause They say the Marygold opens and shuts with the Sun when the Sun shines it opens when the Sun withdraws it shuts it opens and shuts according to the withdrawing and shining of the Sun and so if your comforts be true the more the righteousness of Christ opens before you the more the Sun of righteousness shines upon you the more you will be comforted If your comforts be true the more the freeness of the love of God is opened to you the more will the comfort of the soul be enlarged if your comforts be true the more God shines with his countenance the more is the soul comforted Lord saies David in Psalm 4.6 Lift up the light of thy
countenance upon us Thou hast put more gladness in my heart than in the time that their Corn and their wine increased Now according to the opening and shutting of these things so will your comforts be How is it therefore with you Is there any ebbing and flowing How is the righteousness of Christ How is the light of Gods countenance discovered to you Are they laid open to you Then are you truly comforted in a way of free grace and love That is the second Thirdly If you be comforted in a way of free grace and love then your comforts are true friends to holiness of life That comfort that is wrought by the grace of God without you is the greatest friend to the grace of God within you and to holiness in your lives False comfort is a friend to sin a neighbour a guard to sin but no friend to true and gracious comfort yea those that have this false comfort can indure sins against conscience But now where there is true comfort and comfort from the grace of God there conscience is as the Apple of the Eye and the man cannot indure the least sin he cannot bear the least Mote of sin to lie upon his conscience How is it therefore with you is your comfort a friend to holiness of life and can you say the more comforted I am the more holy I am Then you are truly comforted But suppose I want comfort now and that I am one of a drooping trembling spirit and of an afflicted heart what shall I do that I may be comforted and comforted in a way of free grace I Answer First Go away and be sensible of your unbelief for it is want of believing that hinders our comfort and when the comforter comes he will convince the world of sin and especially of unbelief would you then be comforted in a way of free love Go then I say and be sensible of your unbelief and be humbled for it Secondly Observe what those things are that hinder your spiritual comforts and take heed of them They are many I will only name some of them As First Worldly fears and worldly delights these are enemies to true comfort Secondly Sins against conscience they that sin against knowledge will hardly have peace of conscience nay it is pitty they should have peace lest they be ingaged and incouraged thereby to sin those that sin against Conscience will hardly have peace Do you think to have the Spirit to be your friend whom you grieve so often if then you would be truly comforted you must have a great care of sinning against conscience and thereby grieving the spirit that spirit whereby you are sealed to the day of Redemption Ephes 4.30 would you then be truly comforted Observe I say these things that hinder your spiritual comfort can you think that what you grieve most should comfort you most Therefore as you expect true comfort have a care of grieving the spirit of God Thirdly If at any time God make a tender of grace or offer a word of comfort and peace to you be sure you do not refuse it We are apt to refuse to be comforted but be sure you accept of it especially in a time of Temptation Fourthly Be sure you do not rest upon your own performances in reference to your comforts Brethren and Beloved think on these things and compare them with your own daily experiences I say if you would be truly comforted do not rest on your own performances As we are apt to rest upon our own Righteousness in reference to our Justification so we are apt also to rest upon our own performances in reference to our comforts O take heed you do not go about to establish your own comforts upon the bottom of your own performances for if you do you will not submit to the consolations of God Fifthly If you would be comforted in a way of free grace and love then study much the freeness of the grace of God What is the reason people are no more comforted It is because they see no more of the grace of God the free grace of God the more you look into the riches and freeness of Gods grace the more you will be comforted Sixthly If you want comfort at any time walk graciously in the want of it When you want comfort go to God and say Lord although I cannot see thee yet will I serve thee and although I cannot enjoy thee yet I will obey thee and although I cannot see thy face yet I will follow after thee if by any means I may obtain thee Walk graciously in the want of your comforts Seventhly Set your self to rejoyce in him that gives you comfort Rejoyce in the Lord alwaies and again I say rejoyce saith the Apostle Phil. 4.4 He doth not only say humble your self for sin which is a duty and a great duty but he saith Rejoyce and again I say rejoyce in the Lord Rejoyce in the Lord who gives you comfort freely As much as you have been humbled for sin formerly so much should you now rejoyce that you have been comforted and freely comforted by the grace of God Rejoyce so much in the Lord of your comforts Eighthly To name them only If you would be comforted in a way of free grace and love then be thankfull for your comfort He that is thankfull for a little shall have much be thankfull therefore to God for your comfort Lastly Would you be comforted in a way of free grace and love then go to God for that comfort Friends and Beloved God is willing most willing to comfort and what will you not go to him God is willing to make good his name and his Title now this is one of his Titles I am the Lord that comforteth He is willing to do what Christ was sent to do the spirit of the Lord is upon me to comfort all that mourn Isa 61.2 Is not God willing to do it He hath sent the comforter also to comfort you yea he hath given his Ministers charge to comfort you Comfort ye comfort ye my people Isa 40.1 and are not you willing now to receive what God hath promised I will not leave you comfortless I will come unto you John 14.15 You will be troubled and reason with your selves yet I will not leave you comfortless As one whom his mother comforteth so will I comfort you and ye shall be comforted Isa 66.13 Therefore now O poor drooping soul go to God for he is willing to comfort thee if thou be but willing to go unto him Only in your going to God observe these two or three directions First When you go to God for comfort go to the Office which he hath set up for comfort the Office of the Holy-Ghost Secondly When you go to God shut your eyes and cast your self at an adventure upon the free grace of God Thirdly In going to God for comfort you must stay Gods leasure some come and ask of God and because
they do not receive an answer presently they are gone but be sure you do willingly stay Gods leasure Thus I say would you have comfort you must observe these things to go to Gods Office to shut your eyes and to cast your selves at adventure upon the free grace of God and then you must stay Gods leasure Thus doing you shall be truly comforted and when you have obtained this comfort and are thus truly comforted Then take these few rules with you and so I conclude First Take as much pains to keep your comfort as ever you did to get it Secondly Labour more and more to increase it for if it do not increate it will certainly decrease Thirdly Be comfortable to and comforting of others for how do you know but that God hath comforted you to this very end that you might comfort others Paul was so and be sure to shew comfort for comforts sake Brethren and Beloved in the Lord Do not receive this grace in vain But go all you that have this comfort and magnify the riches of Gods grace the freeness of the grace of God that hath comforted you and say What such a one as I comforted Others of thy Children Lord have walked closely with Thee but I have walked loosely and shall I be comforted and not they O what free grace is this I have been a great sinner Lord and what am I comforted O what free grace is this There are some that have walked in the light and they are now in darkness but I have walked in the dark and yet am now in the light O what free grace is this Go away therefore and magnifie the riches of Gods grace in the matter of your comforts Thus you have heard how the freeness of the grace of God is written upon all your comforts your comforts and consolations are all deeply inamelled with the free grace of God and that much of his free love is laid out in your comforts and consolations And thus I conclude with the words of my Text Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God even our Father which hath loved us and given us Everlasting Consolation and good hope through grace Comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work SERMON III. EPHES. 2.8 For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God IN the former exercise I have been shewing you the freeness of the love and grace of God in the matter of our comforts and divine consolations I shall now in the third place shew you the freeness of the grace of God in reference to our salvation and eternal glory and therefore follow these words which the Apostle speaks at the latter end of verse 5. By grace are ye saved and so you see the same in verse 8. For by grace are ye saved and that not of your selves it is the gift of God But why should he say the same words again in so short a compass Why it was to shew not only that his heart was full of the free grace and love of God but to shew also that he thought he could never speak enough of it and therefore he repeats it by grace ye are saved For by grace are ye saved that is to say from first to last you are saved by the free grace and love of God From whence then I take up this Doctrine Doct. That there is much of the free love and grace of God laid out in the matter of our salvation and eternal glory For the clearing of this point I shall endeavour to shew you First That it is a matter of infinite happiness and of great concernment to go to Heaven and to be saved for ever Secondly To shew you how this mercy is obtained this mercy of salvation and eternal glory I shall shew it is of free grace and free love Thirdly I shall answer two Objections Fourthly I shall shew you wherein the free grace and love of God appears in the matter of our salvation Fifthly Shew you why God chuseth to save the children of men in a way of free love and grace 1. I shall speak a little by way of Introduction It is a great matter and of infinite concernment to be saved and to go to Heaven forever For First You are thereby saved from wrath to come you count it here a great matter to be delivered from the wrath of man but it is a far greater mercy to be delivered from the wrath of Devils to be delivered from their fury and malice and not to lye at their mercy to all Eternity Yea Secondly You shall be delivered from all sorrow both inward and outward and if so how blessed and happy are you for you shall die in the Lord And blessed are the dead that die in the Lord for they rest from their labours c. Rev 14.13 It is a mercy to have meat and drink and a bed to lye on but it is a greater mercy not to need them in Heaven you shall be freed from these needs and necessities You walk here but it is with a burden you hear now but it is with a burden you repent now but it is with a burden But in Heaven you shall be freed not only from the guilt of the neglect of duty but from the burden of duty also Heaven knows of no duty that hath a burden with it Thus you shall be freed Again Thirdly You shall not only be freed from these troubles but you shall also be brought into a possession into an inheritance that is incorruptible that fadeth not away where you shall enjoy the company of Saints and Angels and that without suspicion or jealousie one of another here you have the company of Saints but either you suspect them or they you either they are jealous of you or you of them but Heaven knows no suspicions no jealousies Saints live there without suspicions Fourthly If you go to Heaven and be saved you shall then be filled with glory if you have but a little taste of glory here you are ready to break under it under a little glory but the time will come when you shall be filled with glory and your hearts shall bear up under it your bodies shall be changed your vile bodies shall be changed and made like unto Christs glorious body you shall be filled with glory soul and body both Yea Fifthly If you be saved your graces shall be alwaies in Act alwaies in exercise your understandings shall be fully inlightned your difficulties shall be renewed and you shall see them all little and easie unto you and your wills hearts and affections shall be drawn out to God with infinite satisfaction and infinite delight I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness Psalm 17.15 All delight ariseth from enjoying things suitable now what is more suitable for a rational creature than to enjoy his ends when a Husband hath been at sea from his wife half a
year or a year what joy is it to her to see him come home again So for a poor soul to see Christ what joy is it after he hath withdrawn himself a great while here we have communion with Christ but in part and interrupted but then you shall be ever for ever with the Lord and have communion with him without interruption Now we see joy and glory but darkly and if there be so much sweetness to see Christ in a glass O then what sweetness will it be to see him face to face and enjoy him for ever And to say no more Lastly If you be saved you shall have the knowledge of the continuance of this condition Though a mans condition be never so happy in it self yet if he think it will not continue that man is unhappy in the midst of his happiness this is the unhappiness of Hell men shall know and be assured that they shall never be delivered out of it never never never and this is the happiness of Heaven that men shall alwayes rejoyce and shall be assured that they shall so continue to do ever ever ever But 2. In what way does a man come to this attainment how and in what way is a man saved Why in a way of free love and grace for if God bestow any thing in a way of gift it is free for what is more free than gift now do but consider what those things are which are called in Scripture Salvation and you may observe that they all come in a way of gift 1. Sometimes Salvation is put for the Author of Salvation Jesus Christ Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word for mine eyes have seen thy salvation Luke 2.29 30. That is Christ the Author of our salvation and so saith Christ to Zacheus This day is salvation come to thy house That is Christ Now this salvation is obtained in a way of gift Saith Christ to the woman of Samaria if thou hadst known the gift of God and who it is that saith unto thee give me to drink c. John 4.10 He calls himself the gift of God Secondly Sometimes Salvation is put for the means of salvation for the Gospel How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation Heb. 2.3 that is the means of salvation the gospel this salvation is also called the gift of God unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 13.11 Thirdly Sometimes salvation is put for eternal glory who would have all men to be saved Jew and Gentile and this salvation is the gift of God too Rom. 6.23 But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord Now salvation as to the Author of it as to the means of it and as to the salvation it self it is all of free grace all given in a way of free love and grace and therefore it must needs be that much of the free grace and love of God is laid out in our salvation But you will say if it be so that by free grace we are saved then what need we use the means of salvation you say we are saved by grace by free grace wherefore then need we indeavour First Yes we are to indeavour do you not use your indeavour to get your daily bread and yet that is the gift of God your livelihood is the gift of God for you say give us this day our daily bread it is then the gift of God and yet we are to use the means and so we are to do what we can although not what we should in the matter of our salvation because by our endeavour and using the means we shew our dependance upon God and our obedience to him because he hath commanded it For Secondly Although I say with the Apostle by grace ye are saved and not of works yet works are necessary good works are necessary in regard of our thankfulness to God and necessary as they are an evidence of our salvation saith the Apostle although I say by grace ye are saved yet you are to be in the performance of good works Eph. 2.10 For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works the same word good works that is the third general But. Fourthly Wherein doth the freeness of the grace of God appear in the matter of our salvation First There is a great deal of free grace in this that God should ordain us to eternal life and salvation 2 Tim. 1.9 Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began Again Secondly To name them Is it not great grace mercy and favour that God should send his own Son from Heaven to dye for us and to purchase our salvation yet so he did Ye are bought with a price what price the blood of Jesus Christ who gave himself a ransome for you 1 Tim. 2.6 Thirdly Is it not a great mercy a very great favour that we that had broken the first Covenant and had not performed the conditions of it that we should be set up again as I may say That God should set us up again under another Covenant that runs without any condition and yet so he did Heb. 8.10 For this is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days saith the Lord I will put my Law into their mind and write them in their heart and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people Fourthly Yet further It is in the matter of our salvation as it is in the matter of our consolation and comfort and as I said of that so I say also of this That the greater and the more glorious any mercy is the more worthy and great the person is that giveth it and the more unworthy the person is that receives it the more doth the grace of him appear who giveth it now what greater mercy what more glorious mercy than Heaven and salvation It is called the Kingdom of God the Kingdom of Heaven it is called the Kingdom of glory and Eternal glory it is called Joy Enter into the Joy of our Lord and great is the Joy of our Lord That Joy which was set before Christ that is the Joy of the Saints in Heaven It is such as eye hath not seen ear hath not heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive the things which God hath prepared for them that love him 1 Cor. 2.9 Paul was wrapt up to Heaven but when he came down he was not able to declare the glory thereof Those that are in a war are better able to declare the passages of it than those that write it but yet they are not able to declare all So the Apostle could speak something of this great and infinite glory but was not able to
appointed to be their Governour in the Land of Judah from the twentieth year even unto the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the King I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the Governour For the former Governours that had been before me were chargeable unto the people and had taken of them bread and wine beside forty shekels of silver yea even their servants bare rule over the people But so did not I because I feared God because of the fear of God From hence then observe this Truth or Doctrine Doct. That those that truly fear God will not do as others do The true fear of God will keep men from doing those things that other men will do yea though an action be to a mans advantage yet they that fear God will not do it if it be evil and so it was with Nehemiah But so did not I because of the fear of God For the opening of this we shall First Inquire what it is to fear God and we shall Secondly Shew you that a man that truly fears God will do as Nehemiah did neither can he do as others do Thirdly We shall shew you what there is in this fear of God that doth lay such a ballance upon mens hearts that they cannot do as others do Fourthly We shall answer this Question whether a man that fears God may not sometimes do as others do Fifthly I shall shew you the Issue and Consequence of this Truth And then I shall make some Application First If you ask what this fear of God is I answer in the general That it is a passion of the soul whereby a man doth flee from eminent evil But now further if you ask me what the fear of God is I say that it is twofold A servile fear And A silial fear A servile fear whereby a man fears God upon the account of Hell or Judgement or because of the wrath of God But now a fear of God not only because of his Judgements but because of displeasing of him because of his love because we would not offend This is a silial fear to fear him because we would not do contrary to his commands and thus did Abraham when he would have offered up his son Isaac For saith God Gen. 22.12 By this I know thou fearest God because he obeyed his command and was afraid to do contrary Secondly This fear of God this filial fear is not only because of his love but of his love in conjunction with his greatness also The greater a man is the more we fear him and the nearer he is in relation to us the more we reverence him Yet further as the love of God in conjunction with his greatness calls for our fear So also Thirdly The word and works of God call for our fear For the word of the Lord is mighty and his works are wonderful For it is said of God That he is fearful in praises working wonders Thus if you ask me what this filial fear is I say it is a fear whereby we fear him because of his love because of his greatness and because of his word and works That is the first Secondly A man that truly fears God cannot do as others can do for in the Text we find that Nehemiah had an opportunity in his hand to make himself to raise himself to make himself rich as to outward things But you see what he saith But so did not I as others did because I feared God where the true fear of God is planted in a mans heart he cannot he will not do as other men can and will do I shall cleer this to you by instancing in some particulars First He that fears God cannot do as others do in the matter of his choice you know how it was with the Damsel the daughter of Herodias Mat. 14.7 8. when she had danced before Herod He was so delighted with her that he gave her this priviledge to choose what she would to the half of his Kingdom and she asked the Head of John the Baptist She was bad and her choice was bad not having the fear of God in her heart But when Fsther had her choice she chose the contrary for she chose the freedom of John the Baptist in the freedom of the Jews she acted not as the other did because of the fear of God They that fear the Lord cannot do as others do I may instance in Moses also he would not do as others for saith he I will choose rather to suffer Afflictions with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Heb. 11.25 And why did he thus but only because of the fear of God Secondly As they that fear God will not do as others do in the matter of their choice so neither will they do as others do in the matter of worship for what saith Joshua As for me and my houshold we will serve the Lord Josh 24.15 Do you what you please Therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and truth and put away the Gods which your Father served or the gods of Amorites in whose land ye dwell but as for me and my household we will serve the Lord. As for me I will worship God worship you whom you will thus you see what they will do that fear the Lord. Thirdly Will you instance in the matter of your callings for a man really is what he is in his calling in his trade or will you instance in the divine calling you know what the Apostle Paul saith Some saith he Preach Christ out of envy and some out of good will some to get a livelihood by it to make a trade of it to get riches and honours and estates but so did not I because of the fear of God no great advantages will make a man that fears God to do as others do he saith alwaies others do so and so but so will not I because I fear the Lord. Fourthly A man that fears God cannot do as others can do in the matter wherein he is intrusted You know how it was with the Spyes Caleb brought a good report of the Land of Canaan because he feared God but so did not the others Fifthly They that fear the Lord cannot do as others do in the matter of Afflictions A man that fears the Lord can love God in adversitie and fear him in prosperity It is said of King Ahaz that he sinned more and more because of his afflictions but Jehosophat did not so when he was under great afflictions and troubles for he sought to the Lord and laboured after faith and strength from him that so he might be established but so doth not the wicked man because he feareth not God Sixthly As there is a great difference between a good man and a wicked man or between one that fears the Lord and one that doth not in the matter of afflictions So there is a difference also in the matter of their refreshment in
their eating and drinking and recreation Job 1.5 And it was so when the dayes of their feasting were gone about that Job sent and sanctified them Job sanctified them and so cannot a wicked man do but a man that fears the Lord can do this And Lastly A man that truly fears the Lord cannot do as others do in the matter of right and propriety they that fear not God will take advantage upon others in the matter of their right and propriety You may see what Abraham did Lot would not let Abraham have his right though it was his right yet Abraham because he feared God and for peace sake gives up his right but those that fear not the Lord cannot do so Thus you see that those that truly fear God cannot will not do as others do in the matter of his choice of his worship of his calling of his afflictions of his refreshments or of his right and propriety And that is the second general But. Thirdly What is there in this fear of God that should ballance the soul and cause it not to do as others do Why First By the fear of God a man is inabled to depart from evil as the Psalmist saith There are two seeds in the world the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent now these two seeds rule in the whole world in some the seed of the woman rules and in some the seed of the serpent now they that are of the seed of the woman can fear the Lord but they that are of the seed of the serpent cannot fear the Lord and therefore no wonder that they that fear the Lord cannot will not do as others do why it is because they are of another seed they are of the seed of the woman Secondly As they that fear the Lord are of another seed so they are also of another Principle and therefore they cannot do as others do Principles are the springs of all actions and every man acts according to his principle according to the principle that is in him Now he that fears the Lord differs from another man in his principles and so he doth also in his actions and in his ends Thirdly Look into his ends and you shall see how they differ from other mens ends are the seeds of actions and if so a man that fears the Lord his ends differ from other mens and then no wonder that he cannot will not do as others do Again Fourthly As he differs in his ends so also in his conscience every man is according as his conscience is Take a man that fears the Lord and he is tender of his conscience but others that have their consciences burnt and seared are not so and if so then no wonder that he that fears the Lord cannot will not do as others do Fifthly As he that fears the Lord differs in the the matter of his conscience so he differs also in the matter of his restraints A wicked man abstains it may be from one evil to commit another but he that fears the Lord abstains from all evil because of the fear of God which the other doth not A wicked man is bad in good company and a good man is good in bad company yea he is the same in all company therefore he that fears the Lord cannot will not do as others do But Fourthly Is it possible for a man that fears the Lord to do sometimes as others do Yes he may For the Apostle speaks plainly concerning the same Rom. 12.1 Mark what he saith I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God That ye be not conformable to this present world c. But now observe this That it is one thing what a man doth in a sudden passion and another thing what he doth in his serious consideration For take a man that fears the Lord and in his sudden passion he shall deny Christ as well as another but in the way of serious consideration he shall never do it And further take notice that it is one thing what a man doth in a particular action and another thing what he doth in his common practice for you may find in Scripture that Gods people have sometimes run away from God as to a particular Action but yet in their constant course they feared the Lord and therefore those that fear the Lord do not do as others do because if they turn aside they repent of their so doing and turn to God again So I say there is still a difference between them that fear the Lord those that do not But Fifthly Suppose a man do truly fear the Lord what is the Issue and consequence thereof why the Issue will be this If you fear the Lord God will deal well with you he will deal well with you in a special manner he will make a difference between you another in his dispensations Psal 1. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly nor standeth in the way of Sinners nor setteth in the heat of the scornful But his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth its fruit in his season his lease also shall not wither but whatsoever he doth shall prosper the ungodly are not so but are like unto the chaff which the wind driveth away Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in Judgement nor Sinners in the Congregation of the Righteous But the way of the ungodly shall perish Thus you see how Gods dispensations shall be to them that fear him it shall go well with them but not so to the wicked It is said that those that feared the Lord spake often one to another And it is said in Isa 8.11 12. For the Lord spake thus to me with a strong hand and Instructed me not to walk in the way of this people c. Psal 112.6 7 8. You may find there that there will be a great difference one day between them that fear the Lord and they that do not Surely he shall not be moved for ever the Righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance He shall not be afraid of evil Tydings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord his heart is established he shall not be afraid untill he see his desire upon his enemies he hath dispersed he hath given to the poor his Righteousness indureth for ever his horn shall be exalted with honour The wicked shall see it and be grieved he shall gnash his teeth and melt away the desire of the wicked shall perish yea God will do great things for them that fear him he will put his law into their Hearts that thereby they may keep his Commandments He will do greatly for them for his eye shall be upon them The eye of the Lord is upon the righteous and his ear is open to their cry He is ready to answer those that fear him upon all
accounts Read what the Psalmist saith Psal 31.19 O how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee that thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the Sons of Men. Yea further if you truly fear the Lord The eye of God shall be upon you for good unto him will I look that trembleth unto him will I look that feareth saith the Lord. Again if you truly fear the Lord the Lord will delight in you Yea God will be a God unto you God will be a strong Tower to you and he will sanctify all unto you and to say no more They that fear the Lord shall want no good thing O what a blessed thing is it then to fear the Lord for from him God will with-hold no good thing and thus you see the Issue of this fearing of God Consider it consider I say the consequence and Issue of it and let it be so many motives to stir you up more and more to fear the Lord. So much shall serve for the Doctrinal part Now then by way of Application Here we may see what a sad excuse that will be which many make That say they do but as others do but Alas this is an excuse fit for the lips of those only who fear not God at all But Secondly If this Doctrine be true then here you may see who those are that fear God in truth there are many pretenders to it but we find here that those that truly fear the Lord cannot will not do as others do They will not do as others do in the matter of their choice in the matter of their worship nor of their calling nor in what they are intrusted with nor in their refreshments nor in their Afflictions nor in their right and propriety and if it be so how few are there that fear the Lord in Truth They that truly fear God say always as Nehemiah But so did not I because of the fear of God There are many that lie quiet under sins of Omission and under sins of Commission too but so will not I because of the fear of God Do others sin and do others act contrary to the will of God yet let us not do so but let us say with Nehemiah But so will not I because of the fear of God O therefore let me desire all to fear the Lord And for you that do fear the Lord be you comforted for comfort belongs to you Everlasting mercy belongs to you who fear the Lord Jer. 31.3 I have loved you with an Everlasting love But it may be some will say I am afraid I do not fear the Lord and so this comfort doth not belong to me why consider First Do you make conscience of what you do doth your conscience accuse you or not for what you do do you find conscience accuse or excuse Secondly Have you not sinned in the dark when none could accuse but God only and do you Act and walk and live and labour as if you were in the presence and sight of God if you do thus then you do fear the Lord And then it shall be well with you Eccles 8.12 Again Thirdly Do you run and speak one to another if so then this is to fear the Lord for it is said that they that feared the Lord spake often one to another Mal. 3.16 And Fourthly Do you truly desire to fear the Lord then look into Nehemiah and observe his spirit well and do accordingly And to say no more Have you had advantages to make you rich in this world and would you not take them because of the fear of God then certainly you have received free grace and you have the Spirit of God for this is a true sign that you have true grace in your hearts and that you are one of them that truly fear the Lord and therefore be you comforted for comfort belongs unto you everlasting mercy belongs unto you But it may be some will say Suppose I do not fear the Lord what shall I do that I may fear the Lord fear him as I should do fear him more and more For answer If you would fear the Lord in truth Then First Be humbled for want of this fear That man is not far from grace who is humbled for the want of grace a man will never be humbled for unbelief unless he be humbled for the want of it Secondly Go to God and beg of him to fulfil his promise God hath said I will put my fear into their hearts Now go to God I say and beg and desire him that he would make good this promise to you Thirdly If you would fear God in truth then observe what that is that is neerest and dearest to you and give that up to God You know Abraham offered up Isaac his only Son and saith God By this I know thou fearest me And further Fourthly If you would fear the Lord in Truth then worship God according to his own appointment take heed of mingling of Gods worship with any of mans Inventions for he that doth so feareth not God nor worshippeth him according to his own appointment And then Fifthly If you would fear the Lord in Truth then take heed of sinning when you have an opportunity Again Sixthly If you would fear God more than love the Lord more labour to strengthen your love to God Again Seventhly If you would have your fear strengthned more and more then study much the free grace of God in giving out his mercy to one more than to another Two in a field the one taken and the other left Two walking together the one taken and the other left If you would strengthen your fear study much the free grace of God Eightly If you would fear the Lord in Truth Live much in and study much upon dependance wholly upon God it is our great duty to depend upon God If a man be upon a high Tower and another holds him from falling by the hand only he will certainly be very fearful of offending him that holds him so why we are thus in the hand of God and our dependance is upon him for every thing how fearful ought we then to be of offending this God O study your dependance upon God more and more and Again Use the world as using it not deal with men as in the presence of God and when you are dealing with men be sure to deal with God before all the men of the world Again Let your eye be very much upon the Severity and Justice of God upon his severity and Justice consider Gods severeness to Adam in eating the forbidden fruit and his severeness to Moses for a word that for one word God would not let him enter into the promised land and consider his severity to David for numbring the people Yea Again consider That God cannot only destroy the body but soul and body too Therefore O man fear him that can destroy both body and soul when
willingly give up your right and render up your own right to preserve peace and Unity one with another O friends love one another that you may declare your selves to be heavenly children to be children of your heavenly Father consider Phil. 1.27 Only let your Conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ that whether I come or be absent I may hear of your affairs that you stand fast in one Spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel O friends let me beseech you to love one another and to take all advantages that may increase your love how can you shew your face before the free love and grace of God if you do not love one another with what face can you go to God for free grace and love when you your selves have no love for your brethren If a poor man should do a rich man a great deal of prejudice and if this rich man should nevertheless invite this poor man to a feast and welcome him and do him abundance of good would you not say that this is wonderful love and kindness because the poor man is no way able to gratify him or to make any requital for what he receives but only by thankfulness it may be he may be thankful to him why thus it is with us now this is our own case for we have done great injury to God and yet God hath loved us and hath given us blessings and riches and what doth he expect for it all surely no reward from us for he knows we are poor and not able to gratify him no he expects nothing but only that we should love one another saies God you can do nothing for me all that I desire is that you would love one another in Truth How then I say will you be able to shew your faces before the God of heaven if you love not one Another O look after this love which is so much commended in this little Psalm O how sweet and perfuming it is it is as sweet as honey is is like unto the Oyl that ran down Aarons beard like the dew upon Hermon and as the dew that fell down upon the mountains of Zion yea this is that which is sweet and profitable that which will perfume you now if you do desire that Gods perfumes may come upon you and that the dew of Gods blessings may fall upon you labour more and more to love one another and let not love be wanting I cannot tell how it may be with you yet let me desire you as you would honour your selves now and as you desire happiness in this life and also to be blessed hereafter to all Eternity observe this new Commandment to love one another and as you do desire to declare that you have received free grace and that you have that seal with which God seals the soul for his own to live with him for ever be exhorted to be of one mind and love one another Rejoyce in the Lord and be of one mind be united one to another and let your hearts abound in love more and more one toward another SERMON VI. MICAH 6.9 The Lords voice cryeth unto the City and the man of Wisdom shall see thy name hear ye the rod and who hath appointed it MEthinks I see a great rod ready to be layd upon the back of this Nation and I would therefore at this time endeavour to inform you what the voice of this Rod is and have to that end chosen this Scripture to speak unto In this Chapter then you have Gods controversy with his own people set down at the end of the 2. verse For the Lord hath a controversy with his people and he will plead with Israel And then he chargeth them with First Unthankfulness for many years in the 3.4 5. verses O my people what have I done unto thee and wherewith have have I done unto thee and wherewith have I wearied thee testifie against me for I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt c. Secondly He Chargeth them with formality and shews them the evill of it in the 6. and 7. verses Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams c. And then Thirthly He pleades against them in the 8. verse He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justice and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God And then Fourthly He seals up the Sentence in this verse of my Text. The Lords voice cryeth unto the City and the man of Wisdom shall see thy name hear ye the rod and who hath appointed it Wherein you have three things especially remarkable First The people the Lords voice cryeth unto and that is unto the City the Lords voice cryeth unto the City Secondly You have en exhortation to hear the voice of the Rod. Hear ye the rod and who hath appointed it Thirdly You have an Argument to press you so to do It is your wisdom the man of wisdom shall see thy name The Lords voice cryeth unto the City that is unto Samaria and Jerusalem the Chief Cities And the man of wisdom shall see thy name The dispensations of God in the way of his mercy or Justice are his name As a man is known by his name so God is known by his dispensations which though they be dark to the world yet the man of wisdom shall see them and discern them Therefore hear ye the Rod and who hath appointed it the Rod that is the Rod of Correction Now there is First The Rod of power and dignity He shall send his rod out of Zion Secondly There is a rod of Discrimination Ezek. 20.37 I will cause you to pass under the Rod and I will bring you under the bond of the Covenant Thirdly There is the rod of direction Thy rod and thy staff they shall comfort me Fourthly There is a rod of Government both Ecclesiastical and civil As for Ecclesiastical saith Paul shall I come unto you with a rod and as for civil he that spareth the rod hateth the Child Fifthly There is a rod of Destruction thou shalt break them with a Rod of Iron and dash them to peices like a potters vessel Psalm 2.9 Now it is a rod of Correction that we are to understand here from whence I take up this Observation That when God visits the transgressions of his people with a rod it is their best wisdom to hear the rod and who hath appointed it It is their true Interest and best wisdom so to do For the opening and cleering hereof I shall speak to these 4. or 5. Propositions First That God doth not steal upon a people with his Judgements but he first warns them before he smites them Secondly When God smites his own people he deals with them in the way of rod. Thirdly That Gods Rod is a teaching Rod. Fourthly That the message of the Rod is commonly sent to the
them that are slain by him In measure when it shooteth forth thou wilt debate with it he stayeth his rough wind in the day of the East-wind and so in Psalm 89.31 32. If his Children forsake my Law then will I visit their transgressions with a rod and their iniquity with stripes And so 2 Sam. 7.14 I will be his Father and he shall be my son if he committ iniquity I will chastise him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the children of men So I say though God chastise his own people with a rod yet it is in measure but the bones of the wicked shall be broken it shall fall very heavy upon them Fourthly Though God doth visit the transgressions of his people with a rod yet it is in season it is but what is very seasonable they are so cut and lopt as that they may grow again Proverb 13.24 He that spareth the rod hateth his son but he that loveth him chastneth him betimes or in the morning that is he doth it in season but now the wicked are so cut off that they never grow more Fifthly Though God visiteth the transgressions of his people with a rod yet his loving kindness he will never take away from them If they sin saith God I will visit them with a rod but my loving kindness I will not take away from them Psalm 89.33 But it is not so with the wicked Sixthly Though God doth visit the transgressions of his people with a rod yet he will not suffer the rod to rest upon their backs if your Garments be dirty or dusty you take a Rod or a wand and beat out the dust but when it is out you do not let the rod rest upon the garment so God causeth his rod to pass upon his people but when their dirt and fi lt is out and removed he will take away the rod from off them and will not suffer it to rest upon their backs So that you see there is a vast difference between the rod of the wicked and the rod of the Godly in these particulars The rod of the wicked is a breaking rod but the rod of the Godly is a correcting rod The rod of the Godly is thrown into the fire the rod of the wicked is not so The rod of the godly is seasonable the rod of the wicked is not the rod of the godly is in love the rod of the wicked not so And lastly God will not let the rod rest upon the back of the righteous but the rod of the wicked shall never be removed and that is the second proposition Thirdly Gods Rod is a teaching rod when God smites his people he deals with them in the way of the rod and that is a teaching Rod it brings a message with it For the cleering of this I shall shew you First what those lessons are which the rod teacheth Secondly How this Rod teacheth First If you ask what lessons this rod teacheth I answer in the General the Rod teacheth the same Lesson that the word teacheth the rod teacheth no new Doctrine but more particularly the rod hath a lesson for The Converted and for The Unconverted First If you be unconverted the rod calls upon you to turn to God If a drunkard be sick the rod of sickness sayes O Drunkard leave off thy Drunkenness and turn to the Lord this Lesson the rod teacheth and it taught the Jaylor and Paul and the Prodigal when the rod of misery and poverty was upon the Prodigall why then saies he I will return to my Father for in my Fathers house is bread enough Thus the rod teacheth the Unconverted to turn to the Lord Art thou in thy sins still therefore O poor sinner and hast thou gone on a great while in thy sins and hath God warned thee often by his word to turn to him and doth he now come upon thee with his rod why this is all but to teach thee the same lesson still though in another way and the lesson is Hear and your souls shall live but if you will not hear the whipping the correcting rod you shall hear and feel the breaking and the destroying rod this is the lesson which the rod teacheth the Unconverted Secondly If you be Converted First The rod calls upon you to mortifie your sins more and more Proverbs 20.30 The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil so do stripes the inward parts of the belly Isaiah 27.9 By this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged by this that is by affliction by the rod if therefore you have neglected any duty that you have performed heretofore or ought to perform the rod now calls upon you to do it now Remember your first works and repent Secondly If you be Converted the rod calls upon you to prize those common mercies which you have not valued heretofore you have had peace but you have not prized it now the rod of war should teach you to prize it you have had a quiet habitation but you have not prized it now the rod of Tumult calls upon you to prize your quiet habitation and to be thankful for it this is another lesson which the rod teacheth Thirdly If you be Converted the rod calls upon you to honour your own graces Rom. 5.3 Knowing that tribulation worketh patience patience experience experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed You know how it is with a Countryman that makes hay the hay lies abroad and he sees a black cloud a coming and he calls to his men to cock up and gather up the Hay why look into the Nation and see what a cloud is over us this calls upon the people of God to gather up their Evidences Here is a black cloud over us O all ye people of God gather up your evidences that by the dark night of affliction you may have light to read your own Graces this is another lesson the rod teacheth Fourthly If you be Converted the rod calls upon you to sympathize with others in their Afflictions by your own Afflictions you are called upon to compassionate others in their Afflictions Fifthly and Lastly If you be converted the rod calls upon you to provide for your great and last change David understood this and therefore he sayes Lord teach me so to number my dayes that I may apply my heart to true wisdom Psalm 90.12 These are the lessons which the rod teacheth Secondly If you would know further what the Rod teacheth I answer Negatively First The Rod doth not teach you any skill or knowledge of its own but the spirit of the Lord in the Rod that teacheth Blessed is the man that thou chastnest and teachest him out of thy law Psalm 94.12 By the Rod a man shall see that presented to him which lay hid before when the glass is shaken you see that sand which you could hardly or not at all perceive before so when a man is shaken by affliction his sins are discovered to him and
a sight of sin is the first step to Conversion Secondly By the Rod you are humbled and broken and made more fit and capable to receive instruction when the young Horse is once well broke then he is afterwards fit for the saddle now afflictions break men and fit them for Gods service and for Gods work If a narrow mouthed vessel be in continual motion and unfixed you cannot pour any liquor into it you must first fix the vessel and then you may put what you will into it so afflictions will fix you and settle you you have many a poor man that no ground will hold him as we use to say till afflictions come and then they settle him If you sow seed you must first plow the ground and then you sow the seed now what soul is there which doth not need Gods plow why Gods Rod is his plow and when this Rod comes and breaks and humbles the heart then it will receive the good seed of Gods word into the furrows of the heart And further Thirdly By the Rod a man will be forced to lay hold of and stick to those promises which he could not lay hold on before for when the Rod comes and brings him low the man is glad to run to the promise and truly it is a very great comfort to us that we have a promise to run unto when we are brought low with the Rod and thus you see what lessons the Rod teacheth and also how the Rod teacheth it is a teaching Rod And so I have done with the third proposition the next follows Fourthly As the Rod is teaching and doth bring a message with it so this message is sent especially to the great Cities and Towns of a Nation or people The Lords voice cryeth unto the City here in the Text why what City or Cities It was Jerusalem and Samariah but did not Gods voice cry unto the lesser Towns and Villages Yes but when a national Rod comes the message is especially sent to the great Towns and Cities of a Nation For First The Rod comes to avenge the Quarrel of the word look therefore on that place or people that have had the greatest opportunities as to hearing of the word and having the means of grace and yet have abused them the greater controversie hath the Rod with that place or people Now great Towns and Cities have commonly the greatest opportunities as to the word and ordinances and many times they are most abused in and by these and therefore the voice of the Rod is especially to great Towns and Cities Wo unto thee Capernaum and why unto Capernaum and not to the Towns and Villages Why Woe unto thee Capurnaum for thou hast been exalted unto Heaven in regard of the means and yet hast not repented Mat. 11.23 therefore woe unto thee above all the rest of the Towns about thee And so O Jerusalem Jerusalem saith Christ I cannot but weep over thee I would have gathered you but you would not c. Therefore I cannot but weep over you though the lesser Towns and villages shall be destroyed as well as the great ones yet I weep not over them but over Jerusalem for she hath had the means of grace more abundantly and yet hath not repented and therefore I cannot but weep over it When the Rod comes I say it comes more directly to the great Towns and Cities of a Nation Secondly God will be sure to punish those that are the Ringleaders of Rebellion in a Nation Now great Cities and Towns if they are not good are ringleaders to other Towns to do evil Even as a great Oke which drops upon the lesser trees under him spoils their growth and corrupts them And so if a man be rich and not good he drops upon others and spoiles others So I say great Towns if not good spoyl and corrupt the lesser Towns and Villages as if they be good they are an help and an encouragement to others in goodness therefore the Lords voice cryeth unto the Cities and they should all hear the rod and who hath appointed it that is the fourth proposition The fifth and main followeth that Fifthly When the Lord doth visit the transgressions of his people with a Rod it is their true interest and best wisdom to hear the Rod and who hath appointed it There are three things in this proposition First When God doth visit the transgressions of his people with a Rod it is their duty to hear what the Rod saith And Secondly Not only to hear what the rod saith but also to consider who hath appointed it And Thirdly It is their true interest and best wisdom so to do I shall not much insist upon these But for the first First When the Lord doth visit the transgressions of his people with a Rod it is their duty to hear what the Rod saith for as you hear Gods Rod is a teaching Rod and therefore when the Rod comes it is your duty to lay your car close to the rod to hear what it says for otherwise you will be found despisers of its message If a King send his Ambassadour to speak and treat with another and he turns his ear from him and will not hear him why will not he be found a despiser of the message Now the Rod is a Messenger an Ambassadour and it comes from Heaven if you will not hear it you despise the message of the Rod not hearing is despising therefore when the Rod comes hear the message of it my son despise not the chastening of the Almighty saith Solomon Prov. 3.11 Secondly It is your duty to hear the Rod and also to consider who hath appointed it not only to hear the Instrument but the Author also whereby the Rod is acted and guided For First Thereby you will honour God in his dispensations It was the speech of Mr. Dod when the Souldiers broke into his house and plundred him saith he it is the Lord that hath taken them away he did not say this thing they have taken away and they have taken away such and such things no he would not give them that honour but as Job said when the Sabeans took away his goods the Lord gives and the Lord takes away so said he I will not honour them so much as to say that they have taken away any thing from me but the Lord hath done it and thereby he gives God the honour of his dispensations and so must you if you will hear the Rod and who hath appointed it Secondly By hearing the Rod and who hath appointed it you will much strengthen your faith Thirdly By hearing the Rod and who hath appointed it you will be inabled to submit sweetly to the sharp anger of Gods dispensations I was dumb and opened not my mouth because thou didst it saith David Psalm 39.9 So when Shimei cursed David his servants would have taken off his head no saith David Let him alone it is the Lord that hath bidden him
The Judgement Threatned and that is in the second and third verses The Lord hath sworn by his holiness that to the dayes shall come upon you that he will take you away with hooks and your posterity with fish-hooks As if he should say I will send Anglers among you that shall pull you out of your houses as the little fishes are pulled out of the water and then he goes on in the third verse And ye shall go out at the breaches saith the Lord Though you be great and strong yet will I make breaches among you saith the Lord this is the Judgement threatned Secondly Here is the cause of the Judgment and that is therefold First Oppression as at the first verse Hear this word ye kine of Bashan that are in the mountain of Samaria which oppress the poor which crush the needy and so forth Secondly Another cause is Idolatry and Superstition as at the 4. and 5. verses Come ye to Bethel and transgress at Gilgal multiply transgression Proclaim and publish the free offering for this liketh you O ye children of Israel saith the Lord God Thirdly The third cause is their Incorrigableness as at the 6. verse I have given you cleaness of Teeth in all your Cities and want of bread in all your places yet have ye not returned to me saith the Lord. And at the 7. verse And also I have with-holden rain from you and I have caused it to rain upon one City and not upon another City so two or three Cities wandred unto one City to drink water but they were not satisfied yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord and at the 9. verse I have smitten you with blasting and with mildew when your gardens and your vineyards and your figtrees and your olive trees increased the palmer worm devoured them yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord and at the 10. verse I have sent among you the Pestilence after the manner of Egypt your young men have I slain with the sword and have taken away your horses and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord and at the 11. verse I have overthrown some of you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and ye were as a firebrand pluckt out of the burning yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord. Thirdly Therefore by way of Inference he concludes Therefore this will I do unto thee O Israel and because I will do this unto thee prepare to neet thy God O Israel In these words you have a double Inference which God makes First Therefore thus will I do unto thee I have been a long time striving with you as if he should say and I have been at a stand whether I should punish you or not yet have ye not returned unto me therefore now I am resolved thus will I do unto thee And then Secondly Now I am resolved prepare to meet thy God O Israel therefore do thou prepare to meet thy God O Israel I do not send you a challeng saith God that you should prepare to meet with your God to fight with him or to resist him not to meet God in his anger and to oppose him no but prepare to meet thy God by preventing his Judgements with your Repentance and returning unto him If a man be coming to your house and you go out to meet him why then you prevent him by meeting of him So when we prevent Gods Judgements by our Repentance we are said to meet with God From hence then I take up this Observation or Doctrine That when God is resolved to come out against a Nation or people it is their duty to prepare to meet with God For the opening and prosecuting hereof I shall labour to shew you First That God doth seem sometimes to be at a stand concerning a people whether he should trust to them any longer or not or whether he should punish them or not Secondly That if they do not come to him and meet with him he will then resolve to go out against them in his wrath Thirdly That when God doth resolve to go out against a people in his wrath it is their duty to prepare to meet him Fourthly I shall labour to shew how a people or family or person may prepare themselves to meet with God in the way of his anger when he is going out against them First Though God is alwaies resolved in himself what to do with a people yet he seems to us to be at a stand whether he should deliver them or not or whether he should punish them or not whether he should shew mercy to them or not as you may see Exod. 33.5 For the Lord said unto Moses say unto the children of Israel ye are a stiffnecked people I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment and consume thee therefore now put off thy Ornaments from thee that I may know what to do unto thee that I may shew or make known what to do unto thee as it is in the Hebrew this is speaking after the manner of men and so in Gen. 18.21 I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it which is come unto me and if not I will know And Again Gen. 22.12 Lay not thine hand upon the Lad neither do any thing unto him for now I know that thou fearest God speaking after the manner of men And Again Hosea 6.4 O Ephraim what shall I do unto thee O Judah what shall I do unto thee And in Hosea 11.8 How shall I give thee up O Ephraim how shall I deliver thee Israel how shall I make thee as Admah how shall I set thee as Zeboim Here are four How 's in our Translation though but two in the Hebrew How shall I give thee up How shall I deliver thee How shall I make thee as Admah How shall I set thee as Zeboim As if the Lord to speak after the manner of men were in a great streight and knew not what to do was not resolved what to do So I say though God is alwaies resolved in himself yet he seems to us to be at a stand sometimes whether he shall shew mercy or no. But you will say how doth this come to pass that God doth sometimes seem to be thus at a stand I answer you know how it is with a tender Father that hath a rebellious Child saith the Father I will thrust him out of doors I will utterly cast him off I have often admonished him and threatned him and corrected him and yet he is never the better therefore I am resolved even to turn him out of doors I but then he reflects and thinks again He is my child he is the Son of my bowels how shall I how can I give him up how can I turn him out of doors why now God is more tender to his
Children than any Father can be to his Children and therefore his being at a stand doth speak out and declare his bowels to his people His bowels are at work whilst their sins provoke him One while he looks upon their sins and another while he looks upon Christs satisfaction one while he hears the Law call Justice Justice another while he hears Christ cry Mercy Mercy There is Justice and mercy both in God that he may have the honour of both and therefore God seems to be at a stand sometimes saies God These are my people and if I punish them the enemies will reproach me and I shall be dishonoured and they are my people still for all their sinning against me and thus God seems to be at a stand But you will say when may God seem to be at a stand and not to be resolved what to do speaking after the manner of men I answer first when the Saints and Ministers of God know not what is best to be done in regard of the times then is God at a stand For saith the Lord shall I do any thing and not reveal it to my servants the Prophets Therefore I say when the Saints and Servants and Ministers of God are at a stand and know not what to do then God seems to be at a stand Secondly When the Dispensations of God go forward and backward then the Lord seems to be at a stand when a man goes out of his house about his business and goes forward and backward in the street you will say that man is not well resolved what to do nor which way to go And thus it seems to be sometimes with God his dipensations in the world go forward and backward and this is the time that God is as it were at a stand whether he shall shew mercy or no And so I have done with the first general The second is this That though God seem to be at a stand sometimes yet if men do not come unto him and meet him He will resolve to go forth against them Therefore thus will I do unto thee I have been a long time striving with you and yet have ye not returned unto me and now I am resolved and this is Gods Message Now for the cleering of this First I shall open the truth of it unto you Secondly I shall prove it and Thirdly I shall shew you when God may be said to go forth against a people or Nation First For opening of it you must not think as I said before that God is at any time unresolved in himself or that he knows not what to do No For known to God are all his works from the beginning of the world unto the end saies the Apostle Acts 15.18 There is nothing future or to come to God God is not measured neither doth he measure by time There is nothing before nor after with God in Eternity All is present and altogether before him at once and therefore I say God is not at any time unresolved in himself what he shall do with this or that people Now further God is said to will a thing in a twofold respect either in regard Of his Decree or Of his Dispensations In regard of his decree his love is from Eternity and yet the same man may seem to be a child of wrath in regard of the dispensation every Elect person is a child of God from Eternity in regard of Gods decree and yet he is a child of wrath until he be converted in regard of Gods dispensations So when I say that God seems to be at a stand and unresolved and that if men do not come unto him he will then go forth against them This is not to be understood in regard of his decree but in regard of his dispensations But Secondly For the proof of it it is said God will not alwayes strive with the Children of men neither will he alwayes wait and expect fruit from a fruitles and barren people Read the parable of the figtree Luke 13.7 A certain man had a figtree c. and he said unto the dresser of his Vineyard behold these three years I come seeking fruit on this figtree and find none cut it down why cumbreth it the ground Now though this parable doth concern the Jews and it concerns us also wherein we may see there are three times which go over the heads of all those that sit under the Gospel A time of soul mercy A time of Gods forbearance and A time of Judgement or cutting down There is time of forbearance and striving a time when God seems to be at a stand but then if men will not come unto him he will resolve to go forth against them Rom. 2.4 5. verses Despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous Judgement of God who will render to every man according to his deeds So I say that though God seem to be at a stand as to his dispensations yet if men do not come in unto him he will then resolve to go forth against them in his wrath But you will say further when may God be said to go forth against a Nation or people in his anger First For answer you may know it by Gods dispensations if his dispensations do bespeak so much and do plainly declare that God is going forth against a Nation or people then you may be sure that he is resolved to go forth in his anger and therefore First Observe when a Judgement comes that is extraordinary then the Lord is gone out against that people The Lord is known by the Judgements which he executeth the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands Psal 9.16 Secondly Look when God restrains prayer from a people when he knocks off and draws off the hearts of his children from praying for such a people then is God certainly come out against them in his wrath Thirdly When all things work together for the worst then the Lord is against that people when all things instead of working together for the best do the contrary and work together for the worst then is God surely against that people But then 2. As you may know when God is resolved to go out against a people by his dispensations so you may also know it by our Practices As when God afflicts a people for crying Sins and yet incorrigableness follows then doth the Lord resolve to go against that people in wrath As you may see in this Chapter wherein our Text is There you find the people were guilty of great sins of great oppression and great superstition and Idolatry and God did not only afflict them for these sins but for others too and therefore you find in the 7. verse I have with held the rain from
you and have caused it to rain upon one City and not upon another Here was distinction of Judgments according to their several sins And so at the 11. verse I have overthrown you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and you were as firebrands pluckt out of the burning c. God exercised them with several Afflictions and they were distinguishing afflictions too and yet they were incorrigable God tells them that he had afflicted them with cleaness of teeth and want of rain and yet have they not returned unto me saith the Lord therefore thus will I do unto thee c. Thus you see what distinguishing afflictions they were exercised with I have sent the Pestilence among you yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord and yet after all these sore strokes they still remained incorrigable and therefore God was resolved to go forth against them in his wrath and so I have done with the second General Thirdly It is the duty of a people or Nation to prepare to meet the Lord when he is coming out against them Therefore thus will I do unto thee O Israel and because I will do thus prepare to meet thy God O Israel For the cleering of this I shall endeavour to shew you First That it is a dreadful thing to meet with God in the way of his anger and Justice Secondly That though it be dreadful yet it is not so dreadful to the people of God as to others Thirdly That though it be not so dreadful to the people of God as to others yet it is very uncomfortable for them too to meet with God in his wrath Fourthly That when God is gone forth against a people in his anger and in the way of his wrath it is their duty to prepare to meet with God First It is a very dreadful thing to meet with God in the way of his anger who may abide the day of his wrath It is a fearful thing saith the Apostle to fall into the hand of the living God Heb. 10.31 For our God is a consumming fire Heb. 12.29 not a warming fire There is a warming fire in your houses and that is very comfortable in cold weather but there is a consuming fire also a fire that burns down houses and Cities and that fire is very terrible and dreadful why our God is a consuming fire your fire consumes your wood and coal but it doth not consume your house it doth not remove the Rocks but the fire of Gods anger doth so as you may see Nahum 1.5 6. verses The mountains quake at him the hills melt and the earth is burnt at his presence yea the world and all that dwell therein who can stand before his indignation and who can abide the fierceness of his anger his fury is poured out like fire and the rocks are thrown down by him Thus you see it is a very dreadful thing to meet with God in the way of his anger But Secondly Though it be dreadful and terrible yet it is not so dreadful to the people of God as to others First Though God be angry with his own people yet it is but little in comparison to what he is with others As in Zach. 1.2 The Lord was sore displeased with your Fathers and at the 12. verse there it is said God had indignation against them threescore and ten years and then at the 15. verse And I am very sore displeased with the Heathen that are at ease for I was but a little displeased and they helped forward the affliction Here you see God was greatly displeased with the Heathen and but little displeased against his people his displeasure is but little to them in comparison with what it is to others Secondly Though God be angry with his own people yet his anger is their friend If a man be my friend not only his purse is my friend but his sword also if I have occasion so if God be my friend not only his love is my friend but his anger too but it is not so with the wicked Thirdly Though God be angry with his own people yet they have alwayes free grace to fly unto and to be their friend but it is not thus with the wicked Fourthly Though God be angry with his own people yet they know or may know that God is in Covenant with them and that they have some sweet and precious promises which belong to them Nahum 1.5 6. Who can abide the fierceness of his wrath c. But look at the 7. verse The Lord is good a strong hold in the day of trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him in the worst times the people of God have promises to run unto for shelter mark how the promise comes in here Having shewed the fierceness of Gods wrath in the 5. and 6. verses who can stand before his presence c. He comes in with this promise at the 7. verse The Lord is good and a strong hold in the day of trouble he knoweth them that trust in him Fifthly Though God be angry with and afflict his own people yet they know or may know that God is afflicted with them Christ partakes in their Afflictions with them Sixthly Though God do afflict his own people for their sins yet they know or may know that God alwayes gives a due allowance in reference to their sins and Infirmities the best Gold must have an allowance of some dross and the best Saint must have an allowance upon the Account of his Infirmities saies the Lord Hosea 11.8 How shall I make thee as Admah and set thee as Zeboim why did not the Lord say How shall I make thee as Sodom or Gomorrah sayes Jerom It was because Admah and Zeboim were lesser Cities and were drawn into sin by the example of the great Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and so the ten Tribes were drawn into sin by the great Cities of Judah and by Jerusalem and therefore God saies how shall I make thee as Admah c. So I say God doth alwayes give an allowance to his own people even in the day of his wrath Seventhly Though God be angry with his own people yet they may see God smile sometimes even through his frowns faith doth many times pull the vizard from the face of Christ as I may say that when he seems to be their enemy yet still they know that all things shall work together for their good Eighthly Though God be angry with his own people yet they know or may know that God will alwayes have a hiding place for them and so he will never provide for others It may be observed that when Gods people in former Times were persecuted in one part of the world they had alwayes acceptance and entertaintment in some other part of the world and when they were persecuted from thence they had still acceptance elswhere according to that of Christ If they persecute you in one City flee unto another until the Son