And more and more interest our selves in his cleansing 5. Because the Application is a difficult Work Besides the Purchase of the Gift of the Spirit Christ hath instituted the Help of the Word and Sacraments to bring us into Possession of this Benefit Ephes. 5.26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of VVater by the VVord The Merit of his Death falleth upon these means that we may use them with the more Confidence Iohn 15.3 Now are ye clean through the VVord which I have spoken unto you The Word is the Glass wherein to see Corruption which sets a-work to seek Purging By that our Sense of our natural Impurity is revived the Means and Causes of our cleansing set down that we may with deep Humiliation confess our Sin humbly sue out the Grace offered and wait for it in the conscionable Use of all the means of Grace And for the Sacraments As the Word containeth the Charter and Grant of Christ and all his Benefits to those that will receive him so this is the Seal of the Grant Rom. 4.11 He received the Sign of Circumcision a Seal of the Righteousness of Faith whereby we are more confirmed in waiting for the Spirit and excited to look for this Benefit from Christ. Well then we must still lie at the Pool of the Word and Sacraments And now you have my second Argument Why Jesus Christ should be honoured lauded and praised by all the Saints because he hath done so great an Office of Love and procured so great a Benefit for us as the washing away of our Sins in his Blood that we might be admitted to Communion with God III. The Fruits and Benefits that we have thereby He hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and to his Father This doth oblige us the more to ascribe and give Glory and Dominion to him for ever and ever since he hath brought us into Communion with God and set us apart as consecrated Persons such as Kings and Priests were of old to perform daily Service to God In this third Thing 1 st Observe the Order We must be washed from our Sins before we can be Kings and Priests or minister before the Lord. Aaron and his Sons though they were formerly designed to be Priests yet they could not officiate and act as Priests before they were consecrated So must we be consecrated and made Priests to God and that by the Blood of Christ. They were seven days in consecrating This whole Life is the time of our Consecration which goeth on by degrees and will be made compleat both for Body and Soul upon the Resurrection when we shall be fit to approach the Throne of Glory and serve our God in a perfect manner in the eternal Temple of Heaven For this Life though our Consecration be not finished yet here we are stiled an Holy Priesthood to minister before the Throne of Grace though not before the Throne of Glory Now if we be washed from our Sins in the Laver of Regeneration we may draw near to God as the Priests under the Law were washed in the Laver and then came to the Altar It holdeth good both in this Life and in the Life to come that none but the Washed can come so near to God either before the Throne of Grace or Throne of Glory The Throne of Grace Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with a true Heart in full assurance of Faith having our Hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience and our Bodies washed with pure Water So Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the Blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without Spot to God purge your Conscience from dead Works to serve the living God In the State of Glory Rev. 7.14 15. These are they which came out of great Tribulation and have washed their Robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the Throne of God and serve him Day and Night in his Temple The persecuted Saints who came out of great Tribulation they first washed their Robes in the Blood of the Lamb before they were admitted as Priests to stand before the Throne of God to serve him Day and Night in his Temple Sanctification must go before Consecration and the more sanctified the more consecrated when our Sanctification is finished then our Consecration is consummate And then we shall have a full Communion with our God a clear Vision of his eternal Beauty and as great a Fruition of his Godhead as we shall be capable of in a State of full Contentment Joy and Blessedness 2 dly The Privileges are exceeding great to be consecrated to so high a Dignity That we should be consecrated or set apart for God to be Objects of his special Grace and Instruments of his Glory and Service Much more that we should be advanced to so great a Dignity as to be Kings and Priests to God We share in Christ's own Dignity He was a King and a Priest so are we He had an Unction so have we He was Christ we are Christians By virtue of our Union with him we are Partakers of his Kingdom and Priesthood The Church of Israel was called a Kingdom of Priests Exod. 19.6 And Believers in the New-Testament are called a Royal Priesthood 1 Pet. 2.9 Not to disturb Civil Kings or the Order God hath instituted in the Church for it is Kings and Priests to God not to the World Let us consider these Privileges asunder 1. Kings King is a Name of Honour Power and ample Possession 1. Here we reign spiritually as we vanquish the Devil the World and the Flesh in any measure It is a Princely Thing to be above these inferiour Things and to trample them under our Feet in an holy and heavenly Pride An Heathen could say Rex est qui metuit nihil Rex est qui cupit nihil He is a King that fears nothing and desires nothing He that is above the Hopes and Fears of the World he that hath his Heart in Heaven and is above temporal Accidents the ups and downs of the World the World is beneath his Heart and Affections this Man is of a Kingly Spirit Christ's Kingdom is not of this World neither is a Believer's Rev. 5.10 Thou hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall reign on the Earth viz. in a Spiritual Way It is a beastly thing to serve our Lusts but kingly to have our Conversations in Heaven and vanquish the World 1 Iohn 5.4 5. Whosoever is born of God overcometh the World and this is the Victory that overcometh the World even our Faith Who is he that overcometh the World but he that believeth that Iesus is the Son of God To live up to our Faith and Love with a Noble Royal Spirit 2. Hereafter we shall reign visibly and gloriously when we shall sit upon Thrones with Christ at his last coming to judg the World and Angels themselves Matth. 19.28 Verily I
Objects of Pity and Compassion rather than of Passion and Anger Eph. 1.32 Be ye kind one to another tender hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you Consider what God hath done to you that you may do the same to them Secondly The next consideration of this Prayer of Christ is as a Tast and Pledge of his Mediation and Intercession So it is Prophecied Isa. 53.12 He was numbred with the transgressors and he bare the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors Christ was placed in the midst of Thieves as the first Clause is explained Mark 15.28 and he made Intercession that is prayed for his Persecutors The whole Chapter is a Prophetical Narration of the Acts and Sorrows of Christ upon the Cross. In this publick Sense and Consideration let us see what may be gathered out of the Clause Father forgive them 1. It is an Instance of Christ's Love and Bowels to Sinners he loved Mankind so well that he Prayed for them that Crucified him Look on the Lord Jesus as Praying and Dying for Enemies and improve it as a ground of Confidence Upon the Cross he would give us an Instance of his Efficacy in converting the Thief and of his Affection in praying for his Persecutors We were as great Enemies to Christ and as deep in the Guilt of his Passion as they Rom. 5.10 When we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son The Enemies of his Kingdom are every way as bad as the Enemies of his Person if Christ did not say Father forgive what would become of us You will say we are Christians But scandalous Sinners renew his Sufferings and put him to an open shame Heb. 6.6 Oh! let us Adore God for these Experiences it is a mighty ground of Hope that Christ hath put in for a Pardon he would not die till he had expressed his Reconciliation with his Enemies 2. See what is the Voice and Merit of his Sufferings Father forgive them This is the Speech that Christ uttered when he was laid on the Cross. The Apostle compareth Christ's Blood and the Blood of Abel Heb. 12.24 And to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than the blood of Abel Abel's Blood was clamorous in the Ears of God Gen. 4.10 The voice of thy brothers blood crieth to me from the ground And so in the Conscience of Cain it crieth Avenge Avenge me Christ's Blood hath another Voice it speaketh to God to pacifie his Wrath and to Pardon us if penitent and believing Sinners it speaketh to Conscience to be quiet God hath found out a Ransom The Blood of Christ may speak against us as well as against the Iews for by our Sins we made Christ to die Oh! be not quiet till it speak Peace in your Consciences Christ's Blood was spilt in Malice as Abel's was and might have cried for Vengeance on the Actors who were not only the Iews but we and it yet speaketh as Abel's did Heb. 11.4 By it he being dead yet speaketh It is a speaking Blood and is yet speaking The speaking of the Blood is interpreted according to the Words in their Mouth wherewith they died Mat. 23.35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zecharias the son of Barachias whom ye slew between the porch and the altar Our Lord gathers it from Zecharias his saying The Lord look upon it and require it 2 Chron. 24.22 So the Words of Christ interpret his Death 3. In the Mediatory Consideration it hinteth the coupling of his Intercession with his Satisfaction On the Cross there he dieth and there he prayeth he was both Priest and Sacrifice The High-Priest under the Law was not only to slay the Sacrifice but to intercede for the People first the Beast was slain without the Camp and then the Blood was carried into the Holy of Holies and there Prayer was made with Incense but before that Aaron when he was going into the holy Place before the Lord was to cause the sound of his Golden Bells to be heard under pain of Death Exod. 28.35 To this I parallel this Action of Christ upon the Cross. This Prayer was as the sound of the Golden Bells he would make his Voice to be heard by Prayer and then he goes into the Holy of Holies the Lord Jesus Christ when he shed his Blood before the Tribunal of God he sendeth forth a Prayer God would have our Salvation carried on in a way of Mercy and Justice and Christ was to mingle Intreaty with Satisfaction as Lev. 16.14 the High-Priest was to bring the Blood within the Vail and to sprinkle it upon the Mercy-Seat He must satisfie Justice and make an Address to Mercy that we that have sinned with both hands may take hold of God with both hands Rom. 3.24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ it is freely and yet through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ these two sweetly accord 4. This is a Pledge of his constant Intercession in Heaven The Ceremonies of the Old Law were not only Types of Christ but his visible Actions were a kind of Types and Pledges of his Spiritual Actions 1 Iohn 2.1 If any man sin we have an advocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteous He that could pray for Enemies will pray for Friends and he that got our Pardon by his Intercession will promote our Salvation Certainly Christ's Glorified Soul looseth no Affection he is as earnest with the Father for his Friends as ever he was upon the Cross for his Persecutors Heb. 9.24 For Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands which are the figures of the true but into heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us Christ doth appear as our Advocate in Court not only in our Name but in our stead 5. It shews the Nature of his Intercession It not only implies the everlastingness of his Merit that his Blood doth continue to deserve such things at the hands of God as we stand in need of but it is a continual representation of his Merit it is not a Metaphor but a solemn Act of his Priesthood Again it is not by Verbal Expressions such as he used here upon Earth Father forgive them this became the state of his Humiliation but now he intercedes Non voce sed miseratione Not by Voice but by Pity What is it then Partly his appearing in Heaven as God in our Nature Heb. 9.24 Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands c. but into heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us He is said to appear before God for us as the High-Priest came and presented himself before God with the Names of the twelve Tribes engraven on his Breast-plate Partly in his expressing an actual Willingness or the
God may try us but we are safe God will remember the Oaths of the Tribes the Oath of God will relieve the most desperate Case It is rude Blasphemy to say God will not make good his Oath Thus you see why God would deposite his Oath Reason 2. God sweareth as for the confirmation of his Grace in Christ and to shew the certainty of our Privileges in Christ so for the Commendation and Excellency of them An Oath is not lawful but in weighty Matters it must be taken in Iudgment as well as in Righteousness and Truth Jer. 4.2 In Iudgment that is considerately upon weighty Occasions It is a profaning the Name of God and of such a solemn Ordinance and part of Worship to make an Oath to lacquey upon Trifles and upon every small Matter it must be in Matters of weighty Concernment There is a severe Penalty and Sanction annexed to the taking of God's Name in vain either rashly or falsly The Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain So whatever is established by God's Oath must needs be great and excellent Certainly God would not swear but in weighty Matters Therefore one of his Aims was that we might the more regard our Privileges in Christ. The Apostle proveth the Excellency of Christ's Priesthood by the Oath wherewith it was ratified Heb. 7.20 21. And inasmuch as not without an Oath he was made Priest For those Priests were made without an Oath but this with an Oath by him that said unto him The Lord sware and will not repent c. He alludes to Psal. 110.4 where God is brought in saying to Christ The Lord hath sworn and will not repent Thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedec Such Administrations as are confirmed with an Oath have upon them a Seal and Mark of special Excellency The Lord foresaw that as we were apt to disbelieve the Gospel so also to despise it and therefore to shame us for our Neglect as well as our Unbelief to awaken our Attention and quicken our Speed and earnest Pursuit the Lord swears his Word should be regarded much more his Oath When we are busy about the World and neglect the Great Salvation we put a Scorn upon God as if the things he hath confirmed by Oath were not worth the looking after When we prefer worldly Comforts as more certain O what an Injury is this to the Oath of God! We read of the sure Mercies of David but you are all for lying Vanities We are naturally for the Comforts that are before us and look upon it as a Riddle to grow rich in Promises and to live by Faith Are uncertain Riches more to be trusted and a better Refuge and Sanctuary for your Souls than God's Oath It is a sign you slight his Confirmation and Commendation and so count him false and foolish in all the things he proposeth to you God forbid say you that we should be guilty of such a Blasphemy You do it not in Word but this is the necessary Interpretation of your Actions If a Man should offer you a good Bargain upon very easy Terms that would bring you a thousand Pounds Profit and should confirm it by Oath tho you did not tell him that he did deceive you with Words yet if you go away never heeding it but should run after smaller Matters which you purchase with great hazard would not this argue you counted him but false and foolish or the thing not worth the taking and looking after So when God hath pawned his Oath that his Grace and immutable Counsel for Salvation belonged to you if you would but take Sanctuary in Christ do you not count him false and foolish in the Proposal when you run after carnal Satisfactions which are purchased with the loss of your Souls SERMON II. HEB. VI. 18 That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie c. II. THE Advantages we have by God's Oath What greater Assurance can we have 1. Consider the Sacredness of an Oath in general You know among all Nations an Oath is accounted a sacred and most solemn way of Engagement among the Sons of Men. The Apostle saith it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the end of Strife Heb. 6.16 An Oath for Confirmation is to Men an end of all Strife When Men solemnly call God to witness tho the Matter were never so doubtful and controverted before when they take an Oath we have no more to say but believe every honest Man upon his Oath The Heathens have spoken much of an Oath One saith This is the final Assurance we are bound up and contented when Men swear Another That it is the highest Faith that Men can expect We owe so much to Humanity All Nations by the Light of Nature have found out this Remedy and Way to end Differences So among the Jews if there were a Strife between Israelite and Israelite Exod. 22.11 Then shall an Oath of the Lord be between them both and he shall accept thereof There was no more stir to be about the matter Perjured Persons are the Scorn of Men and they have forfeited the Privilege of Humanity Well then if the Oath of Man be so sacred and valuable how much more is the Oath of God It is impossible for God to lie He can do all things which argue Power but nothing which argueth Impotency and Weakness for this were to deny himself 2. This Oath is so sacred because the Name of God is invoked in it It is the Name of God that giveth Credit to all other Oaths When Men swear saith the Apostle they swear by a Greater Heb. 6.16 by a higher Power Men by Sin have lost their Credit and therefore they pawn the Credit of God Every Oath is an Appeal to God as Witness and Judg For want of other sufficient Proof we appeal to God as a Witness so we acknowledg his Omnisciency that he is the Searcher of the Heart and Reins And indeed herein an Oath differeth from a Vow In a Vow we deal with God as a Party but in an Oath we appeal to God as a Witness Nay and in case of forswearing we appeal to him as a Judg and challenge and imprecate his Vengeance wherein we acknowledg his Justice and Power to avenge the Wrong that is done to his Name For mark if a Man violate his Oath and forswear himself the Wrong is directly done to God his Truth is falsified his Witness is abused his Name is blasphemed therefore there is an implicite Appeal to him for Vengeance if not express'd Sometimes the Execration and Imprecation is express'd in an Oath as 1 Kings 2.23 Then King Solomon sware by the Lord saying God do so to me and more also c. So Ruth 1.17 The Lord do so to me and more also if ought but Death part thee and me Sometimes it is suppressed as Psal. 95.11 Vnto whom I sware in my Wrath if they enter into
of fruitfulness Rev. 2.10 Be thou Faithful to the Death and I will give â—hee a Crown of Life 1 Thess. 2.19 What is our Hope or Ioy or Crown of Rejoicing Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ at his coming Vse 1. Let this asswage the Envy and Trouble of the meanest If thy Gifts be mean thy Account will be so much the easier Alas it is no easy thing to stand in the Judgment How much have others to account for 2. To perswade those who have received greater Gifts than others to do so much the more good with them That which God will accept from others he will not accept from you You will be deeper in the state of Condemnation if your Fruit be not proportionable The Rich in this World must be rich in good Works 1 Tim. 6.18 That they do good that they be rich in good VVorks ready to distribute willing to communicate Those that have more Helps than ordinary should have the more Grace He fenced it and gathered out the Stones thereof and planted it with the choicest Vine c. and looked that it should bring forth Grapes Isa. 5.2 Heb. 6.7 8. The Earth which drinketh in the Rain that cometh oft upon it and bringeth sorth Herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed receiveth Blessing from God But that which beareth Thorns and Briars is rejected and is nigh unto Cursing whose end is to be burned So for them that have more Grace Others have common Mercies but you have the great and special Mercies and should not you abound in Love and Holiness You are made partakers of a Divine Nature and therefore you should be somewhat more than ordinary Men. You have the Spirit and will you not walk in the Spirit and mortify the Flesh by it Surely God expecteth more from you for he hath given you more and will do more for you As there is a great difference between Heaven and Hell so should there be between your Lives and theirs that shall perish for ever A SERMON UPON DEUT. XXXII 51 Because ye trespassed against me among the Children of Israel at the Waters of Meribah-Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the Children of Israel I Shall give you some Strictures or short Notes on this Scripture The Words contain a Reason why Moses and Aaron were shut out of Canaan Because of their Sin at Meribah-Kadesh or the Waters of Strife Their Sin is doubly expressed here 1. Ye trespassed against me 2. Ye sanctified me not The one Expression seemeth to imply a Sin of Commission Ye trespassed against me that is disobeyed God The other a Sin of Omission Ye sanctified me not in the Eyes of the Children of Israel Or rather the one is a more general Expression it was a Trespass The other more particular shewing what sort of Trespass it was Not sanctifying God For the first This Sin is called Numb 27.14 A Rebellion against the Commandment of the Lord. In the Text a Trespass or a Transgression For the second More particularly Not sanctifying God is a Transgression with a Scandal annexed to it To sanctify God is to carry our selves to him as to a God of such Glory and Power to fear him above all and to love him and trust him above all In short to do that which God commandeth depending upon his Word and Promise by which we ascribe to him the Glory of his Truth Goodness and Power as counting him worthy to be feared and trusted whatever Temptations we have to the contrary Thus Isa. 8.13 Sanctify the Lord of Hosts himself and let him be your Fear and let him be your Dread 1 Pet. 3.15 Sanctify the Lord God in your Hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every Man that asketh you a Reason of the Hope that is in you with meekness and fear There was a Scandal annexed for it is said in the Text Among the Children of Israel and in the midst of the Children of Israel And elsewhere in the Eyes of the Children of Israel They publickly dishonoured God before all the People Moses used like words of Unbelief when the People lusted for Flesh at Taberah as now he did at Meribah when they murmured for want of Water Numb 11.21 22. And Moses said The People among whom I am are six hundred thousand Footmen and thou hast said I will give them Flesh that they may eat a whole Month. Shall the Flocks and the Herds be slain for them to suffice them Or shall all the Fish of the Sea be gathered together for them to suffice them And the Lord said unto Moses Is the Lord's Hand waxed short thou shalt see now whether my Word shall come to pass to thee or not Unbelief will be always urging Difficulties against God's Promises But there was no threatning then that Unbelief was only professed in Secret only before the Lord but this was before all Israel And both Moses and Aaron are charged with this Sin and being both Partners in the Transgression they are both concerned in the Chastisement both are shut out of Canaan and died the one at Mount Hor the other at Mount Nebo Doct. That the Sins even of God's Children may cost them dear here in this World I. I shall reflect on the Instance in the Text. II. Give you general Reasons I. To give you some Reflections on the Instance in the Text. The History of it you have Numb 20. The People when the Water failed gather together against Moses and Aaron to chide ver 3. that is to resist or speak with bitter and reproachful words They menaced and therefore Moses and Aaron withdrew for fear of them and because of their Outrages and fell upon their Faces praying in the Door of the Sanctuary ver 6. and it is said the Glory of the Lord appeared to them that is in the Cloud as a sign that he heard their Prayer and would save them And the Lord biddeth Moses ver 8. to take his Rod and he and Aaron to speak to the Rock to give out Water enough for all Israel for them and their Beasts And this speaking to the Rock was to be done in the sight and hearing of all the People Upon this Moses and Aaron gather all the Congregation together before the Rock ver 10 11. and then he said Hear now ye Rebels must we fetch Water for you out of this Rock And he lift up his Hand and with his Rod smote the Rock twice and Water came out abundantly and the Congregation drank and their Beasts also This is the account of the History The Question now is Wherein was Moses his Sin in all this Some think in that Moses smote the Rock and spake to the People It is not said that he spake to the Rock as he is commanded by God he should only have spoken to the Rock not have smitten it But when God biddeth him take his Rod
are to be pitied who are provoked to Sin yet the Provocation excuses not the Sinner Moses had led them by God's Direction to this Place and there they murmured against him when they wanted Water and to such a height that he was fain to take shelter in the Sanctuary to avoid their Fury But this doth not excuse Moses Psal. 106.32 They angred him at the Waters of Strife so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes Their Peevishness provoked him yet because he commanded not his Passion he was punished with an exclusion out of Canaan Aaron upon another occasion thought to excuse himself Exod. 32.22 Let not the Anger of my Lord wax hot thou knowest this People that they are set on Mischief c. But Aaron's Sin was so great that God was very angry with him and thought to have destroyed him if Moses had not prayed for him as you may see Deut. 9.20 The Lord was very angry with Aaron to have destroyed him and I prayed for Aaron also at the same time Alas these Excuses are frivolous 't is long of others and consider the great Injuries I received Every Man is to answer for his own Actions and cannot be hurt by others without his own Consent 4. Both the Persons were in publick Offices the Magistracy and the Ministry and the highest and most eminent of their Rank The one chief Governour of Israel the other High-Priest God will spare none yea the higher they are the greater are their Offences because of the influence of their Example and therefore their Lot will be the harder God will reckon with them when he passes by others If any the Duty of whose place obliges them to be eminent in Faith and Holiness miscarry the Provocation is the greater As David's Sin is aggravated by his Office I anointed thee King over Israel 2 Sam. 12.7 And the Priests are sorely threatned Mal. 2.7 8. The Priests Lips should keep Knowledg and they should seek the Law at his Mouth for he is the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts But ye are departed out of the way ye have caused many to stumble at the Law ye have corrupted the Covenant of Levi saith the Lord of Hosts Their Negligence and Errors are greater than others they should be Examples to the Flock 1 Pet. 5.3 2 dly The nature of the Crime 1. It was a spiritual one They did not sanctify God in obeying and depending upon his Word before the Eyes of the People We only look to outward gross Sins but spiritual Sins we take no notice of There are Sins in genere moris and in genere fidei Sins against our Moral Duty and Sins against the Rule of Faith There are Peccata majoris infamiae and peccata majoris reatus Sins of greater Infamy and more publickly hateful and Sins of greater Guilt Of the first sort are Murder Adultery Theft c. Natural Light puts a Brand upon these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 5.19 The Works of the Flesh are manifest which are these Adultery Fornication Vncleanness Lasciviousness These smell rank in Nature's Nostrils every one knoweth them to be great Sins and a Child of God doth hardly fall into these sensual Villanies But there are other Sins of a more spiritual Nature such as want of Love to God and Faith in Christ and hope of eternal Life or such necessary degrees of either as may enable us to honour him in the World Few take notice of these but God judgeth not as Man judgeth these may be more dangerous as being not only against our Duty but our Remedy Few think distrustful Thoughts or distracting Cares or sinful Fears or immoderate Sorrow are such grievous Distempers as they afterwards prove to be till they cherish them so long that they find the Grievousness of the Sin in the Greatness of the Punishment 2. It was a sudden occasional Passion or fit of Impatience But by that we may give place to Satan and grieve the Spirit of God Eph. 4.26 27. Let not the Sun go down on your Wrath neither give place to the Devil and ver 30. Grieve not the holy Spirit of God Therefore we should watch against the sudden Disorders of our Passions and Affections otherwise we may do that in a moment the Effects of which will not be altogether blotted out by a long Repentance If we give way to excessive Anger we open a Door to Satan and give him an advantage to excite us to more Evil and the Work of Grace may be so darkened in us that we may long miss of Comfort If we once let the Fire be kindled it will presently send up a black Smoak whereby we dishonour our Profession and provoke God And whatever just cause of Provocation we have we are to overcome and bridle the Exorbitances of our Passions for tho we be provoked we must not provoke God 3. The Sin consisted in this that the Exemplariness of their Faith and Obedience was somewhat obscured We should look to this to have a Faith that will not only save our selves but tend to the Glory of God 2 Thess. 1.11 12. We pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this Calling and fufil all the good Pleasure of his Goodness and the Work of Faith with Power that the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ may be glorified in you and ye in him We may not be guilty of other Mens Sins We must have Grace not only for our own private Benefit that we may be saved but for a more publick Good that God may be glorified and others edified by our Example Many make an hard shift to go to Heaven they may have Grace enough for their own Salvation but yet have not Grace enough for the Honour and Exaltation of God in the World Now it is a great Fault especially in the Eminent if they neglect the glorifying of God in the Eyes of others Noah was raised up in his Age to condemn the World Heb. 11.7 By Faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with Fear prepared an Ark for the saving of his House by the which he condemned the World that is of their Security and contempt of God's Warnings Thus Moses and Aaron should have condemned the Israelites by their own Faith and ready Obedience And if we do not mind this in our selves we are the more culpable before God 1 Pet. 2.12 Having your Conversation honest among the Gentiles that whereas they speak against you as evil doers they may by your good Works which they shall behold glorify God in the Day of Visitation that is in the Day when he shall please to visit them by his saving Grace Otherwise we are accountable for those Sins we draw others into And so a Man may sin after he is dead as his Example out-liveth him In short God is severe upon his scandalous Children though he may pardon their Faults as to Eternal Punishment yet they smart for it
with him by baptism unto death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life for if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death we shall be also in the likeâ—ness of his Resurrection 2. In Baptism you were entred by others therefore in grown years you must enter your selves by your own Consent Disciples of Christ. There is a Personal Act required of all that come to Age that they may stand to the Covenant and own what their Parents promised for them As the Parents of the Blind-man said Iohn 9.21 He is of Age ask him he shall speak for himself You did by your Parents according to God's Institution Covenant to renounce the Pomps and Vanities of the World and accept of Christ but now you are of Age you must speak for your selves then every one must come with his own Hand and enter themselves into God's Muster-Roll Isa. 44.3 4 5. I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground I will pour my Spirit upon thy Seed and my blessing upon thine Off-spring c. One shall say I am the Lords and another shall call himself by the Name of Iacob and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord and surname himself by the Name of Israel As they grow up they shall engage themselves unto the Lord. Therefore Christianity is called a Confession and Jesus Christ is called the Apostle and High Priest of our Profession Heb. 3.1 and every Christian is a Confessor Rom. 10.9 If thou shalt confess with thy mouth one that must openly own Christ and personally profess his subjection to the Gospel of Christ 2 Cor. 9.13 They glorifie God for your professed subjection unto the Gospel of Christ. Our Renunciation of Christ's Enemies and Profession of our Faith and Resignation to God should be made with our own mouths when we are able 3. This Personal Consent must not only be Outwardly professed but the Heart must be Renewed and the bent of it set towards God For we have not only to do with men but with God therefore Rom. 6.13 Yield your selves unto God as those that are alive from the dead All this is spoken to shew the Vanity of those that say That there is no Conversion in the Church no Regeneration but by Baptism these are pernicious Errors that strike at the Root of Holiness As there is a Conversion from Paganism to Profession or Confession of the Name of Christ so there is a Conversion from Confession to Reality We are all bound to enter our selves as Christ's Disciples 2 Doct. They that enter themselves Disciples to Christ and give up themselves to him must follow him that is to say imitate his Example REASONS 1. In the General Because this is agreeable to the General Sence of Religion that is in the Hearts of all men Ea demum vera est Religio imitari quem colis This is true Religion to imitate what we worship otherwise men are not true to the Religion they do profess The Heathens were so bad because they were taught Iovem colere potius quà m Catonem to Worship Iupiter rather than Catâ— So Christians are to be much better because it is Christ whom they worship therefore they are to be pure as he is pure 1 Ioh. 3.3 He that hath this hope in him purifyeth himself as he is pure A Man is not true to his Religion if he doth not prize that and follow after that which he conceits to be most excellent in his God To despise Holiness in Men and pretend to love it in God is gross Hypocrisie Reason will tell us that the first Cause should be the highest Rule that the Divine Essence and Being as it is the beginning of all Beings so it should be the Rule of all Perfections II. There are many Special Reasons why Christ should be propounded to us as our Pattern and Example whom we should follow and imitate 1. Because he is a Pattern of Holiness set up in our Nature It would discourage us to consider of the deep Ocean of the Deity rather we are taught to coast it in our Passage to Heaven by the Banks of Christ's Example He came down from God not only to restore us to God's Favour but to set us an Example 1 Pet. 2.21 Leaving us an Example that we should follow his steps The Life of Christ is a living Rule Religion exemplified a visible Commentary on God's Law The Angels obeyed God and we are referred to their Example in the Lord's Prayer Thy Will be done on Earth as it is done in Heaven but this could not be so encouraging as when it is done by one in our Nature 2. Because there are many advantages by this Pattern in our Nature As 1. Our Pattern is more compleat than if God had been our Pattern There are some Graces wherein we cannot be said to resemble God and therefore we must look for a Pattern elsewhere as Humility Faith Fear Hope Reverence Obedience none of these things are in God for he hath no Superior and these things imply Inferiority and Subjection There are some parts of Holiness which stand in a Conformity to God others which stand in a subjection to God such as Man oweth to God as his Superior which hath no resemblance to any thing in God's Nature for God is not subject to any But Knowledge Wisdom Justice Mercy Love Purity we have them in a lower degree some shadow of them Now in all these Christ is our Pattern Mat. 11.29 Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart in all things that have respect to Suffering and Subjection in Patience and Self-denyal Our Rule was perfect at first but not our Pattern 2. It is an engaging Pattern We are engaged by the Rule of our Obedience but much more by Christ's Example The Practice of Christ maketh every Duty lovely to us for the Disciple is not above his Lord. Masters many times to shame their Servants will take the work in hand which they grudge at Iohn 13.14 If I then your Lord and Master have washed your Feet ye ought also to wash one anothers feet Shall we forbear to follow such a Leader 3. It is an encouraging Pattern Partly as there is an efficacy in this Pattern as with the Gospel or Law of Christ there goeth along the Ministration of the Spirit so also with the Consideration of his Example It is not a bare Moral Inducement but it is accompanied with a real Influence of the Spirit Christ doth not only bless to us his Doctrine but his Example he hath purchased Grace that we may do as he hath done before us he hath divided his Spirit and shed it abroad among his Disciples Every Duty is sanctified by his subjection to it all his Paths drop fatness and the way to Heaven is made more easie because he hath walked in it
the Commandments ver 3. and presently he speaketh of Victory over the World The World is the great Enemy of the Commandments and till it be overcome a Christian can have no Comfort but still be contesting with God as Pharaoh was and slighting every Message 3. This Contest on Pharaoh's part is managed with slightings and contempt of God on God's part with Mercy and Condescension On Pharaoh's part with slightings and contempt of God Exod. 5.2 And Pharaoh said Who is the Lord that I should obey his Voice to let Israel go I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel go Words of profane Contempt Who is the Lord as if he should say Am not I King of Egypt Who is my Peer much less my Superiour and my Lord I know not the Lord. Ere God hath done with Pharaoh he shall know him to the purpose Mark the Words I know not and then I will not Hardness is the usual effect of Blindness Errors of Mind go on to Errors of Heart I will not know I will not hear of it I care not for such a Duty nor will I weigh or consider what is God's Will concerning me The Eye affecteth the Heart Pharaoh did not consider what it was to deal with God and then doubleth the Burdens of the Israelites But now on God's part it is managed with Sweetness and Kindness God from the beginning foreknew the Hardness of Pharaoh's Heart and therefore might have swept him away of a sudden but he giveth him frequent Warnings and Convictions He would have Men convinced e're they are punished Foregoing Mercy sheweth the Righteousness of ensuing Wrath. In all the progress of the Story the first Miracles were before him the next upon him And every Judgment is threatned before it be executed God telleth what he would do to warn Pharaoh In one Plague it is notable that God doth not only threaten the Judgment but sendeth a gracious Warning to bid him take his Cattle out of the Fields Exod. 9.19 Send therefore now and gather thy Cattle and all that thou hast in the Field for upon every Man and Beast which shall be found in the Field and shall not be brought home the Hail shall come down upon them and they shall die To shew that God delighteth not in the Ruine and Destruction of the Creature and to make Pharaoh the more liable to Condemnation and to spare such among the Egyptians as had some Fear of God remaining in them but chiefly to harden Pharaoh the more Exod. 10.1 And the Lord said unto Moses Go in unto Pharaoh for I have hardned his Heart and the Heart of his Servants that I might shew these my Signs before him Moses might say Lord therefore let me never go to Pharaoh but saith God Go in unto him for I have hardned his Heart God continueth the Means though he denieth Grace and the Wicked must be admonished though they will not be reformed In the hardning of Sinners God usually observeth this Course by Mercies and the Meâ—ns of Grace they are convinced and hardned at the same time there is still new matter of glorifying God and hardning the Creature 4. The first Plague on Pharaoh's Heart is Delusion Moses worketh Miracles turneth Aaron's Rod into a Serpent Rivers into Blood bringeth Frogs and the Magicians still do the same God permitteth these Magical Impostures to leave Pharaoh in his wilful Error It is probable that what the Magicians did was not real but a mere Delusion of the Senses but the Lord doth not discover the Cheat because his present Aim was not to shame Satan but to harden Pharaoh therefore he suffered the Devil to imitate the true Miracles without Discovery It is sad when Men chuse false Teachers to themselves and God suffereth them to be blinded Hosea 4.17 Ephraim is joined to Idols let him alone They may have some Parts plausible Elocution Gifts of Prayer there may be common Effects wrought by them these things blind Men and their Hearts are set upon Familism and Antinomianism let them alone Exod. 7.22 The Magicians of Egypt did so with their Inchantments and Pharaoh ' s Heart was hardned This was one means of hardning his Heart the Magicians wrought the same Miracles that Moses and Aaron did God suffereth Men to be hardned by their own Choice 5. God was not wanting to give Pharaoh sufficient means of Conviction The Magicians turned their Rods into Serpents but Aaron's Rod swallowed up their Rods Exod. 7.12 Which sheweth God's supereminent Power They could not deliver him from the Frogs though they could bring Frogs God may suffer the Devil to add to the Judgment but to relieve them is an Act of Mercy the Magicians could add to the Plagues but they could not deliver him from them the Devil can sooner bring a Plague than remove it This was warning enough there was Difficulty enough to harden them and Light enough to convince them Again the Magicians were non-plust in their Art Exod. 8.18 And the Magicians did so with their Inchantments to bring forth Lice but they could not They sought to bring forth Lice and could not being hindred by God's Will They that could bring forth Frogs could not bring forth Lice the greater the Possibility the more are the Magicians abashed this was an easy Miracle All Colour of Excuse is taken away from Pharaoh they confess This is the Finger of God Exod. 8.19 and yet Pharaoh's Heart was hardned as many will not be won to the Truth by the Confession of those that led them into the Mistake Nay afterwards the Magicians themselves were smitten with Boils Exod. 9.11 12. And the Magicians could not stand before Moses because of the Boils for the Boil was upon the Magicians and upon all the Egyptians And the Lord hardned the Heart of Pharaoh and he hearkned not unto them If the hard Heart go to Hell it is not for want of Light but Grace We may wonder as much at the Success as at the Plagues To what a Height of Obstinacy will Man come if he be let alone to Plagues for all this while Pharaoh's Heart was hardened 6. Observe in one of the Plagues Israel might have stolen away whether Pharaoh would or no Exod. 10.22 23. And Moses stretched forth his Hand towards Heaven and there was a thick Darkness in all the Land of Egypt three Days They saw not one another neither rose any from his Place for three Days but all the Children of Israel had Light in their Dwellings They were not only deprived of the Light of Heaven but of Candles and Torches the Air was condensed with thick Clouds and the Mists and Vapors so thick that they would easily have damped them and put them out again Now whilst they were under the Power of three Days Darkness the Israelites might have stolen away and have gone three Days Journey in the Wilderness before they could have made any Pursuit but God had more Miracles to be done When he
prey into the Mouth of the Roaring Lyon You know how many a good purpose hath come to nothing and will not you watch This is the cause why we are so often surprized we live and walk as if we were not among our Enemies as if the Devil did not haunt us and we gave him no occasion to solicite God against us 2. Being forewarned let us be fore-armed or prepared against Sathans devises Otherwise when we think as Sampson to go forth and shake our selves as at other times we shall find that our strength is gone and we have permitted our selves too much to the power of the Enemy Our preparation mainly lyeth in two things 1. That we be dead to the Flesh and the World be sober and watchful Sobriety is a Moderation in all Earthly things The Devil usually gets the World on his side Therefore till we be dead to applause Commodity Honour and Profit and resolve to be Holy and Obedient to God though it cost us dear we shall do nothing in Christianity Satan will tempt the Flesh and that will soon say Spare thy self Matth. 16.22 This shall not be unto thee Therefore as long as there is a Bias of worldly Inclination upon us and we are set on the Pleasures Profits or Honours of the World or be taken too much with its Ease Peace and Prosperity we are not prepared and what work will Sathan make when he coms to toss us 2. Keep Faith upright Christ prays that Peters Faith may not fail And 1 Pet. 5.9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith Faith has many things to pitch on the whole Gospel but chiefly the Promises and Threatnings of the Gospel they will inform you what will be the end of Godlyness and Sin and a Man that hath his eyes opened and seeth the end of Godlyness and Sin hath a mighty Advantage As to the Promises of Christ surely Christ is no Deceiver will you credit the Devil whom you have found to be false and suspect the Promises of Christ Luke 12.32 Fear not little flock for it is your fathers good pleasure to give you the kingdom Christ promiseth more than the Devil As to the Threatnings let not the Threatnings of Men affright you if they threaten a Prison God threatneth Hell if they threaten to molest the Body God can cast Body and Soul into Hell God can preserve you from what Men threaten and he threatens what is worse than Man threatens and therefore to have our eyes in our Head and see the end of Godliness and Sin is a mighty help in this case that our Faith may not fail A SERMON On HEBREWS i. 9 Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity therefore God even thy God hath anointed thee with the oyl of gladness above thy fellows IN the Context the Apostle is proving that Christ hath obtained a more excellent Name than the Angels they are Servants he a Son They are Creatures he is God They are to worship he is to be worshipped in which Divine Honours they can have no Communion They are Spectators of the Mystery of Redemption he is the Head of the Redeemed World as being solemnly appointed thereunto by God This is the Argument of the Text which is a quotation out of the 45. Psalm Thou hast loved righteousness c. In these words we have 1 A Description of Christ. 2. The Exaltation of Christ. 3. The respect of the one to the other therefore the one is the foundation of the other 1. In the Description of Christ his Holyness is taken notice of And 1. Both branches are mentioned Loved Righteousness hated iniquity 2. The Habitual Inclination of his Heart is asserted in all that he did or now doth do all proceeded from his love to Righteousness and his hatred to Sin 3. This Commendation or Description doth not only concerne his Personal Practice but his Design His Heart was set upon it not only to Practice Holyness himself but to promote it in the World For the Holyness of God Incarnate is Essentially necessary both to his Person and Imployment By it he was fitly qualified Nothing puts us on to do a thing throughly more than love this was Christs Principle and therefore he would express the most effectual means 2. His Exaltation God even thy God hath anointed thee with the oyl of gladness above thy fellows That is exaâ—ted thee above Men and all Angels anointing is often applyed to Christ. Psalm 2.2 Against the Lord and his anointed Acts 4.27 Thine Holy Child Iesus whom thou hast anointed Isa. 61.1 The Lord hath anointed me to preach good tydings to the meek Therefore he is called in the Hebrew Messiah and in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This anointing usually signifieth three things 1. The giving of Power and Authority as Saul by being anointed was made King of Israel 1 Sam. 10.1 And Aaron and his Sons made Priests Exod. 30.30 So Christ was anointed to Authorize his Dispensation or to invest him in the Authority and Power of the Mediatory Office 2. To fit and inable the Person so Authorized for the discharge of the Office unto which he was called for the Oyl was Typical and signified the Gifts and Graces of the Spirit So Jesus Christ was anointed with the Holy Ghost and with power Acts 10.38 To fit his Humane Nature for so high a Function 3. His Welcome and Entertainment at his return to Heaven and so the Glorious Exaltation of our Lord Jesus Christ when he solemnly sate down at the Right Hand of Majesty and entered upon his Kingdom was his Anointing for then was he solemnly made both Lord and Christ Acts 2.36 and evidenced to be the Lords Anointed One as I shall shew more fully by and by 3. The respect or Relation of his Exaltation to his Description therefore At least it is a consequent of what he had done in the World in love to Righteousness and hatred of Sin but moreover it is to him a Recompense Phil. 2.9 Wherefore God hath highly exalted him and given him a Name which is above every Name Rom. 14.9 For to this end Christ both dyed and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and living Which is no lessening of his Merit for therein he considered not himself but us that he might be a Merciful High Priest to us or a Powerful King to defend his People The Son of God had before his Incarnation a Glory to which nothing can be added and a full right which cannot be increased and whatever Glory he received as Mediator it concerneth us more than him Doct. That Iesus Christ as Mediator because of his Love to Righteousness and hatred of Sin is dignified and advanced by God not only above all Men but also above all Angels In handling of this Point 1. I shall speak of the Holyness of Christ. 2. His Unction which is the Consequent and Fruit of it I. Of the Holyness of Christ both as to his Person and
there must be a resolute endeavour to overcome every Sin you are convinced of Heb. 13.18 Pray for us for we trust we have a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly 2. That you may not have a dead sleepy stupid Conscience you must often excite it For your Actions bring them to the Rule Haggai 1.5 Now therefore thus saith the Lord God consider your wayes Psalm 4.4 Commune with your own hearts upon your bed and be still For your state try it often 1 Cor. 11.28 But let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether you be in the faith prove your own selves know ye not your own selves how that Iesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates The Acts of Conscience are three to be an Accuser Witness and Judge 1. As an Accuser hearken to its voice what doth it say to you good or evil Iob 27.6 My heart shall not reproach me so long as I live If it speak not to you you must speak to it God complaineth Ier. 8.6 I hearkned and heard but they spake not aright no man repented him of his wickedness saying what have I done 2. As a Witness consider the Evidence it bringeth that it may be matter of Joy or Sorrow to you of Confession or Thanksgiving If it reproach you do not smother the check Acts 24.25 And as he reasoned of righteousness temperance and judgment to come Foelix trembled and answered go thy way for this time when I have a more convenient season I will call for thee If it chear you see upon what grounds Rom. 9.1 I speak the truth in Christ I lie not my conscience also bearing me witness in the holy Ghost It is no matter what others think but what Conscience thinketh Nothing is nearer to us than our selves it is a domestical Tribunal that we alwayes carry about with us 3. As a Judge it passeth Sentence if it be wrong there is an appeal from Court to Court Psalm 130.3 4. If thou Lord shouldest mark iniquities O Lord who can stand But there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared Conscience is a Judge but it is an inferior Judge there lyeth an Appeal to a higher 1 Cor. 4.4 He that judgeth me is the Lord Heb. 11.23 And to God the judge of all But it should be done with great admiration of Grace But if the Judgment be right it is ratified its Judgment we must yield to 1 Cor. 11.32 But when we are judged we are chastned of the Lord. Thus should we keep up the force of Conscience A SERMON On ZECHARIAH xiv 20 21. In that day there shall be upon the bells of the horses Holiness unto the Lord and the pots in the Lords house shall be like the bowls before the altar Yea every pot in Ierusalem and in Iudah shall be Holiness unto the Lord of hosts THESE words describe the Purity and Holiness of the Gospel-Church in such Termes and Notions as are proper to the Old Testament Dispensation In them observe 1. The Inscription or Impress 2. The things on which it is ingraven 3. The time when it is done 1. The Inscription or Impress Holyness to the Lord. This was of old written on the Priests Mitre Exod. 28.36 And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold and grave upon it like the ingravings of a signet HOLINESS TO THE LORD To shew that he was a Person Sacred and designed for special Holy Uses therein he was a Type of Christ. Now what was upon the High Priests Frontlet was inscribed on every thing to shew they should consecrate their all to God 2. The things inscribed particularly enumerated first the horse-bells or the Ornaments of their Horses Secondly Their bowles or basons Thirdly Their pots 1. What was used in the Kitchings of the Temple 2. The Utensils of every ordinary House and Family There were Kitchins belonged to the Temple wherein the Thank-Offerings were dressed for their Sacred Feasts The Bowles of the Altar were for an higher use namely to receive the Blood of the Sacrifices to make the sprinklings as Solomon made an hundred basons of Gold for that use 2 Chron. 4.8 3. The Time in that day he speaketh not of any peculiar time but the whole State of things under the Gospel which is as it were but one day And it is called that day by way of excellency Thus the time of the Gospel are dayes indeed full of Light and Grace and that day by way of limitation it should be reserved for this day and not found in such a degree and measure at any other time even then when there should be no Sacrifices no Altars then the Bells Pots and Basons should be sanctified or separated from a common and dedicated to an Holy Use that is there shall be such special Universal Holiness as if it were so done upon all these things But you will say When and where is it Alas considering the degenerate state of the Christian World where is this Universal Holiness to be found How shall we make it good Answer 1. Prophesies of things belonging to our Obedience are to be understood many times quoad officium of our Duty rather than quoad eventum of the event it is their Duty to be thus Holy in all their Imployments and Affairs that dispensation requireth it as our Duty 2. As to the Event it is to be understood comparatively not absolutely to shew that there shall be a far greater Holyness under the Gospel than under the Law both intensive as to the degree of the Holyness it self and extensive as to the Persons sanctified Intensively the Holiness its self is greater because the Ordinances of the Gospel are Rational and not Typical and the Duties of it Moral more than Ceremonial God taught them by Ceremonies to hate Sin by the Types of legal uncleanness to devote themselves to God by offering their Beasts in Sacrifice Theirs was like a training ours a real War as much as the difference is between shooting at a Puppet or painted Castle and fighting with an Enemy And because more of the Spirit is poured out now Grace is not given upon trust but the price is actually paid Extensively more Persons are sanctified as the Pale is inlarged and the Gospel prevaileth on them Rev. 5.9 Thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation Mark 16.15 Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature 3. The Gospel-State hath its ebbs and flowes in several Ages Sometimes there is a notable vigour and power of Godliness at other times a great Increase of Wickedness and Men do so far corrupt their way that we are forced to put another sense upon words or expect a better time when the Prophesie shall be more amply fulfilled We can hardly reconcile the words with the state of the
still the enemy and avenger THE scope of this Psalm is to glorifie God for the singular Dignity he hath put upon Man above all his works The expressions literally and apparently refer to Gods works of Creation and Providence about him but in a Divine and more Spiritual sense the Misteries of Redemption are intended and secretly couched under them as appeareth by the frequent quotations of this Psalm in the New Testament There is a double Honour put upon Mankind 1. That God hath ordained Man that feeble and weak Creature to subdue and conquer his Enemies 2. That God hath made him Lord of all his other Creatures Both which concerne not only Man in general but especially Jesus Christ. God made Man and therefore both are applyed to him The first when the Children welcome him with the acclamations proper to the Messiah Matth 21.15 16. When the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did and the children crying in the Temple Hâ—sanna to the son of David they were sore displeased and said unto him hearest thou what these say and Iesus saith unto them yea have ye never read out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise The other in many places especially Heb. 2.6 7 8. But one in a certain place testified saying what is man that thou art mindful of him or the Son of man that thou visitest him Thou hast made him little lower than the angels thou crownedst him with glory and honour and didst set him over the works of thy hands Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet For in that he put all in subjection under him he left nothing that is not put under him So that Man is both his Champion and his Deputy He is his Deputy verse 6. Thou hast made him to have dominion over the works of thy hands thou hast put all things under his feet His Champion in the Text Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength c. In explaining these words I shall enquire 1. Who are these Babes and Sucklings 2. Who is the Enemy and Avenger 3. What is the Miracle and Wonder that raised the Prophets admiraration and moved him to praise God for this I. Who are these Babes and Sucklings 1. Man in general who springeth from so weak and poor a beginning as that of Babes and Sucklings yet is at length advanced to such power as to grapple with and overâ—ome the Enemy and the Avenger 2. David in particular who being but a ruddy youth God used him as an Instrument to discomfit Goliah of Gath. 3. More especially our Lord Jesus Christ who assuming our Nature and all the sinless infirmities of it and submitting to the weakness of an Infant and after dying is gone in the same Nature to reign in Heaven till he hath brought all his Enemies under his feet Psalm 110.1 And 1 Cor. 15.27 For he hath put all things under his feet but when he saith he hath put all things under him it is manifest that he is excepted which did put all things under him Then was our Humane Nature exalted above all other Creatures when the Son of God was made of a Woman carried in the Womb as long a time as other Infants are Luke 2.6 Sucked as a Babe and afterwards dyed and was received unto Glory 4. The Apostles who to outward appearance were despicable in a manner Children and Sucklings in comparison of the great ones of the World poor despised Creatures yet principal Instruments of Gods Service and Glory Therefore 't is notbale that when Christ glorifieth his Father for the wise and free Dispensation of his Saving Grace Matth. 11.25 He saith I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid those things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes So called from the meanness of their Condition Compare the parallel places Luke 10.21 And you shall see it was spoken when the Disciples were sent abroad and had power given them over unclean Spirits In that hour Iesus rejoyced in spirit and said I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes This he acknowledged to be an Act of Infinite Condescension in God 5. Those Children that cryed Hosanna to Christ make up part of the sense Matth. 2â— 16 for Christ defendeth their practice by this Scripture when he was condemned by the wisest and greatest and proudest Men in the World such as were the Scribes and Pharisees at that time he was praised and welcomed as the Messiah or Son of David by the Children 6. Not only the Apostles but all those that fight under Christs Banner and are listed into his Confederacy may be called Babes and Sucklings First Because of their Condition Secondly Their Disposition 1. Because of their Condition God is pleased often to make choice of the meanest and lowest 1 Cor. 1.27 28. But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty And the base things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen yea and things which are not to bring to nought things that are That is God in the Government of the World is pleased to subdue the Enemies of his Kingdom by weak and despised Instruments 2. Because of their disposition They are most humble spirited We are told Matth. 18.3 Except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the kingdom of God As if he had said you strive for preheminence and worldly greatness in my Kingdom I tell you my Kingdom is a Kingdom of Babes and containeth none but the humble and such as are little in their own Eyes and are contented to be small and despised in the Eyes of others and so do not seek after great Matters in the World A young Child knoweth not what striving or state meaneth and therefore by an Emblem and visible Representation of a Child set in the midst of them Christ would take them off from the expectation of a Carnal Kingdom II. Who is the Enemy and the Avenger In the Letter Goliah in the Mistery the Devil and his Agents and Instruments He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Enemy of God and Man Matth. 13.39 The enemy that soweth them is the Devil and with him all the Seed of the Serpent Gen. 3.15 These are Wicked Men Iohn 8.44 For ye are of your father the Devil and the lusts of your father ye will do 1 Iohn 4.4 Ye are of God little children and have overcome them because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world The War is carried on between two Heads and two Seeds III. What is the Miracle and Wonder that raised the Heart of the Psalmist to praise
away Religion that the want may make us more sensible of the worth of it 5. It bringeth a Scandal and ill report on God in the World Therefore he standeth upon his vindication Micah 6.3 4 5. O my People what have I done unto thee And wherein have I wearied thee Testifie against me For I brought thee up out of the Land of Egypt and redeemed thee out of the house of Servants and I sent before thee Moses Aaron and Miriam Oh my People remember now what Balak King of Moab consulted and what Baalam the Son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal that ye may know the righteousness of the Lord. That strangers receive him not is not so bad but that a People acquainted with him should cast him out after trial God calleth upon the Mountains and strong foundations of the Earth who keep still their obediential Subjection to their Creatour to witness against the ingratitude and stupidness of his People What injury have we found in God vers 2. Hear O ye mountains the Lords controversy and ye strong foundations of the Earth for the Lord hath a controversy with his People and he will plead with Israel 1. Vse We must neither build the walls of Iericho again nor as much as in us lyeth suffer others to build them Every one in his place is to hinder the work If Religion were uncertain it were another matter But did Christ come to establish the works of the Devil If Joshua saith cursed be he before the Lord that riseth up and buildeth this City Jericho If Paul said Gal. 1.8 If an Angel from Heaven Preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed If others bestir themselves and by clancular and base artifices go to build these Walls again We should be the more Zealous for God Micah 4.5 For all People shall walk in the Name of his God and we will walk in the Name of our God But what must we do 1. Let us not only profess the true Religion but come under the Power of it The heart is best established by Grace The byas of mens corrupt hearts doth easily prevail against the light of their minds Few are corrupted in opinion but that are first false at heart The regenerate have advantages above other men 1 John 2.20 Ye have an unction from the holy one and know all things Most rotten opinions in the World are against the gust and sense of the new Nature But on the other side Men soon lose their zeal for truth that are addicted to a worldly sensual life Therefore see that Christ's Kingdom be set up in our hearts Luk. 17.21 The Kingdom of God is within you And that there we build not again the things we have destroyed Gal. 2.18 After we have devoted our selves to God we must not fall off from him till Christ's Kingdom be set up in our hearts we shall never sincerely care for his interests in the world For all carnal men seek their own things Men may bustle for a while for the Interest of their several Factions and Opinions but have not a true pure zeal for Christ's Kingdom 2. Let us pray That will do much Christ hath taught us to pray for the coming of his Kingdom Matth. 6.10 Thy Kingdom come David in his penitential Psalm could not forget the welfare of the Church when so deeply concerned as to his own particular for the recovering of his own peace Psal. 51.18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Sion build thou the walls of Jerusalem Walls of Sion not of Iericho or Babylon It is God's interest spread it before him 3. Be thankful to God for these deliverances Prayer gets blessings but thankfulness keepeth them For God is careful to preserve them to such who count it a benefit and are mindful of it We have manifold cause to bless God 1. For former deliverance out of the House of Bondage so early 2. That he hath so often defeated the attempts of those who would bring us back thither 3. For the good we have many years injoyed under the Reformed Religion which God hath blessed to the converting strengthening and comforting many a precious Soul 4. For continuing still the liberty of the Gospel and means of Grace under a Protestant King 5. For the quiet we now injoy when other parts of Christendom are are in a combustion we are untouched and injoy safety We are querulous and apt to complain but all things reckoned we have much more cause to give thanks 4. Let such deliverances as this inkindle our Love and Zeal to that Religion which God hath owned and defended Partly because when men are perswaded of the Truth such Providences as these are so many attestations to it Psal 41.11 By this I know that thou favourest me because mine enemy doth not triumph over me Partly because God will spue those out of his mouth that are neither hot nor cold Partly because Zeal discourageth the Factours and Abettours of the Kingdom of darkness The Fear of the People restrained the Pharisees 5. Prize the means of Grace and incourage them Iericho's Walls fell by the blast of the Rams-horns This Kingdom falleth by the Preaching of the Gospel 2 Thes. 2.8 Whom the Lord will consume with the Spirit of his mouth Whoever hinders that promotes the Devils Kingdom 2 Cor. 4.4 In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine unto them Owls fly in the dark This Kingdom is maintained by Darkness Blindness and Ignorance of the Truth 6. Let us not give incouragement by our Divisions to our adversaries The more we labour for Unity the more we Establish Religion Rom. 16.17 Mark them which cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrin which ye have Learned and avoid them When Passengers in a boat fall a quarreling and pushing one another they endanger the sinking of the boat When Christ's Army is scattered Antichrist will prevail Keep up the common Christianity it may be peaceful endeavours signifie nothing in a factious and divided â— time yet we must Unite every one in the things that are right and owned by God Jam. 3.17 The wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaecable Provided we touch no unclean thing Here we must separate 2 Cor. 6.17 Come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch no unclean thing and I will receive you 7 Recommend Religion by an holy Life Partly because gross sins under the Profession of a Reformed Religion provoke God to remove our Candlestick from us Partly because with all understanding Beholders the Fruits of Love Peace and Holiness will justifie your Religion Matth. 11.19 Wisdom is justified of her Children 8. Practise the Vertues contrary to the Vices of the opposite Kingdom Theirs is a Bloody Religion ours a Meâ—k
this mutual bond to precede that he and his creatures might come near to each other with the greatest familiarity and bind themselves to each other by reciprocal ingagements and consents II. That no Covenant can be made with God without the interposing of and respect unto a sacrifice 1. In the old Church when Israel entred into Covenant with God there were solemn sacrifices The manner you have described Exod. 24. from vers 4. to the 10 th And explained by the Apostle Heb. 9.19 20. When Moses had spoken every Precept unto all the People according to the Law he took the blood of Calves and of Goats with Water and scarlet Wool and Hyssop and sprinkled both the Book and all the People saying This is the Blood of the Testament which God hath enjoined unto you In this Action you may observe that after the writing of the Law Moses built an Altar under the Hill and twelve Pillars according to the Twelve Tribes of Israel Exod. 24.4 The Altar represented God the first and chief party in the Covenant And the twelve Pillars of stone represented the other confederate Party the People of Israel who were to come before the Lord as his obedient People Now both the parties were not only thereby dead representation or in Image and Figure but there were also lively Types of the Glory and Presence of the God of Israel for it is said vers 10. They saw the God of Israel and there was under his feet as it were a paved Work of a Sapphire Stone and as it were the Body of Heaven for clearness God was there in great Majesty to Solemnize the Covenant You know Heaven is his Throne and the Church his Foot-stool Therefore when the Church was desolate it is said Lam. 2.1 God remembred not his footstool in the day of his Anger On Israels part there were present Moses and Aaron and Nadab and Abihu and Seventy of the Elders of Israel and they were to worship afar off vers 1. To express their reverence to this great God who was to enter into Covenant with them Moses alone was to come up to Iehovah but the Elders went up but half way Moses went up unto the top of the Mount in a Dark Cloud as the Mediator and the People abode beneath at the foot of the Mount and the Elders went up but half way Well then the Covenant is propounded to the People Moses came and told the People all the words of the Lord and all the judgments And they make Answer All the words which the Lord hath said will we do vers 3. But before the full confirmation of his Covenant you read that Moses sent the Young men of the Children of Israel who offered Burnt-offerings and sacrificed Peace-offerings of Oxen unto the Lord v. 5. The Young men that is the first-born who had the right of Priest-hood before the Levites were chosen and taken instead of the first-born of Israel Numb 3.41 And by their Burnt-offerings and Peace-offerings it was declared that we cannot enter into Covenant with God without sacrifices These sacrifices did Figure the Death of Christ and the benefits thence accrueing to us There were Burnt-offerings to shew the means of their propitiation with God and Peace-offerings to shew their thankfulness for the peace and Salvation which by it they obtained The next thing in this Action was that Moses took half the blood and put it in basons and half the blood he sprinkled on the Altar vers 6. And then he took the Book of the Covenant and read in the Audience of the People and they said All that the Lord hath said will we do and be obedient vers 7. Then he took the rest of the blood and sprinkled it on the People He sprinkled it on the Altar to shew that God took upon him an obligation to bless And the reading of the Book of the Covenant in the Audience of the People sheweth That those that will enter into Covenant with God should understand their Duty and be ready to fullfil it Then he took the blood and sprinkled it on the People and said Behold the blood of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words vers 8. The blood sprinkled on the People may be meant of the twelve Pillars set up to represent the People They take an obligaâ—â—â—n to obey One Party is not bound and the other free but both bound to each other Thus the first Covenant was not dedicated without the blood of a sacrifice Well then God is the principal Party covenanting and binding himself to the People by his Promises And the People binding themselves to his precepts that they might avoid the penalty threatned and obtain the blessings promised And this Covenant was confirmed by blood and this blood sprinkled and so made inviolable There is but one circumstance more and that is Vers. 11. And upon the Nobles of the Children of Israel he laid not his hand also they saw God and did eat and drink That is these select and chosen men the Elders spoken of before were not hurt and affrighted by God and did feast in his presence in token of their reconciliation with him and joy in his grace This was the way of entrance by the Jewish Church all which are Mysterious and Typical God that otherwise driveth a sinner from him is made propitious to us that we need not be afâ—righted at his presence yea may hope for all good things from him yea we mâ—y feast chearfully in his presence 2. The Christian Church doth also make a covenant with him by sacrifice This will appâ—ar in three things 1. thaâ— Christs death hath the true notition and vertue of a sacrifice 2. That this sacrifice hath respect to the covenant of Grace 3. That our manner of entering into Covenant with God is by the same moral acts by which they were to be Conversant about a sacrifice 1. That Christ's Death hath the true Notion and full vertue of a Sacriâ—â—ce 1. The true notion Ephes. â— 2. He hath loved us and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour His death is a mediatory sacrifice a propitiatory sacrifice for the expiation of the sins of his People In all the sacrifices of the Law there was shedding of blood without which was no remission of sins All were killed â—layed Some were burnt some rosted some fryed on coals some seethed in pots All which were but shadows of the painful sufferings of our Lord Christ which he indured for our sins Christ is the only true and real sacrifice wherein provoked justice doth rest satisfyed Christ in this sacrifice was the Priest who as God did offer up himself Heb. 9.14 Who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God As man he was the sacrifice Heb. 10.10 By which will we are Sanctified through the offering of the Body of Iesus Chrâ—st once for all We may add
There it shall not Cease 1 Cor. 13.13 The Duties are other but the grace is the same 1. Use. Let me beseech you as Chrysostome did his hearers often to ruminate on this Description of Charity Remember it is a discriminating grace not an Arbitrary thing that we are speaking of The business is whether you are something in Religion or nothing They that cannot bridle their Passions but live in Enmity Malice Pride and Covetousness and have not Charity are nothing 2. What reason we have to deprecate God's strict Judgment and clear up the business of our sincerity Alas without an Evangelical Interpretation what would become of us 'T is true we break not into gross Enormities but how many Infirmities stick to us Though a Christian cannot wholly subdue them he must in some measure overcome them Anger will stir when we are provoked but by the ordinary assistance of GOD's Grace we may keep off from running out into furious Words and Actions or Cursing or Swearing or Striking or Reviling An envious thought may arise against our Brother because he is preferred before us but we hate it Labour to keep it under Chide our selves for it do not let our Envy break out into a Malignant detraction from their worth or blemishing their Gifts and Graces A Child of God may feel the ticklings of Pride yet he will not suffer it to break out into boasting Language some motions of Revenge but they do not break out into mischievous contradiction 3. What need there is of Constant Mortification how else can we exercise this Love we being so Covetous Proud Passionate and self-seeking The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Affections and Lusts must be both broken Gall. 5.24 They that are Christs have Crucified the Flesh with the affections and lusts thereof 4. What a Friend Christianity is to humane Society for how peaceable might we live together if this love did more rule in our Hearts 5. How perverse Man is who accounts this duty irksome when he will do much more for his Lusts and Ambition Verse 7. Beareth all things Believeth all things Hopeth all things Endureth all things Easily will Men bear this task for their Worldly ends 6. How much love in the Spirit differeth from ordinary love This is a fruit of love to God 1 Iohn 5 1. Every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him and of faith in Christ. Iohn 15.12 This is my Commandment that ye love one another as I have loved you and hopes of Eternal Life in the Text. A Sermon on Psal. Lxxxiv 7 They go from strength to strength every one of them in Zion appeareth before God THIS Psalm was penned by David in his Exile as is most probable for therein he professeth his longing after the Courts of GOD or his wonted access to the Ark of the Covenant and publick Ordinances Being deprived of that benefit he expresseth his value of it Such priviledges are best understood carendo magis quam fruendo by want rather than enjoyment In which of his flights and persecutions it is not easie to determine whether those by Saul or by Absolon rather those by Absolon for then the Ark was upon Sion-Hill 2 Sam. 6.12 But in Saul's time the Ark was at Kirjath Iearim 1 Sam. 7.1 And when he fled from Absolom was his solemn parting from the Ark 2 Sam. 15.25 26. And the King said unto Zadock Carry back the Ark of God into the City if I shall find favour in the eyes of God he will bring me again and shew me both it and his habitation But if he say thus I have no delight in thee behold here I am let him do to me as seemeth good unto him In the Psalm I. He professeth his value and esteem of the publick Worship or injoying God in the Ordinances and means of Grace How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts Ver. 1. Then his earnest desire of this priviledge of free wonted access to the House of God ver 2. My Soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord my Heart and my Flesh cryeth out for the living God There was Soul and Heart and Flesh in it as to extension and crying out longing fainting and all for the Courts of God as to intention II. He compareth his Condition 1 with the Swallows and Sparrows that had liberty of flying and building their Nests about the Altars of God It is a notable Poetical strain as passionate Lovers are wont to express themselves upon like occasions Ver. 3. Yea the Sparrow hath found an house and the Swallow a Nest for her self where she may lay her young even thine Altars Oh Lord of Hosts my King and my God 2. Then he compareth himself 1. with the Priests and Levites whose constant residence was in the Temple ver 4. Blessed are they that dwell in thy House they will be still praising thee Selah Those that are always in God's House constantly allowed the Priviledge of his solemn Service or Sacred Assemblies beholding the Symbols of his Presence the Ark of the Covenant upon which God sate and gave Answers of Grace Oh Blessed they indeed III. With the People that went up to worship three times of the year at Ierusalem to keep the Solemn Feasts according to the Ordinance of God Exod. 23.17 Three times in the year all thy Males shall appear before the Lord God They were to journey a foot to the Tabernacle there to appear before the Lord. Their condition was Blessed in comparison of David's who was now debarred of all access to God's Courts These are described 1. By their earnest Desire and Resolution to take this journey though they dwelt far off from the Tabernacle ver 5. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee in whose heart are the ways of them Their Hearts were set upon the ways that led to the Courts of God 2. By their painful passage and yet some refreshments by the way ver 6. Who passing through the Valley of Baca make it a Well the Rain also filleth the Pools Their way to the Tabernacle now seated upon the Hill of Sion lay through dry and comfortless places through the Valley of Baca or of Mulberry-trees as the Margin readeth it that is through dry and sandy Desarts in which those Trees grow It may be the place mentioned 2 Sam. 5.23 24. The Valley of Rephaim where Mulberry-trees grew and where David smote the Philistins Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Valley of Tears The want of water in those hot Countries was very troublesom Where great multitudes with store of Cattle travailed towards Zion upon these solemn occasions they had their difficulties and discouragements by the way but their ardent Zeal and strong Affection overcame all And as they had their Difficulties so they had their Comforts sometimes they met with a Well and sometimes with a Pond filled with Rain sometimes with more sometimes with less
you shall command your Children to observe to do all the words of this Law Luke 9.44 Let these sayings sink down into your Ears Close Application Rom. 8.31 What shall we then say to these things if God be for us who can be against us Job 5.27 Loe thus we have searched it so it is hear it and know thou it for thy good And therefore as things are duly thought on so they must be closely applied These three acts of the Soul have each of them a distinct and proper Work Sound belief worketh on the clearness and certainty of the things asserted Serious Consideration on the greatness and importance of them Close Application on their pertinency and suitableness to us See all in one place 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a true saying worthy of all acceptation That Iesus Christ came into the world to save Sinners of whom I am chief These are all necessary to make any truth operative Sound belief for we are not affected with what we believe not Heb. 4.2 For unto us was the Gospel preached as well as unto them but the word preached did not profit them not being mixed with Faith in them that heard it Therefore to awaken diligence the truth of things is pleaded 2 Pet. 1.5 10 16. Give all diligence to add to your Faith Virtue and to Virtue Knowledge Give diligence to make your calling and Election sure for we have not followed cunningly devised Fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Iesus Christ but were Eye-witnesses of his Majesty Heb. 2.3 4. For if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him The first rousing Question when Men heard any Sermon about any Truth or Doctrine of the Gospel was Is this true For Consideration Heb. 3.1 Wherefore holy Brethren partakers of the Heavenly calling consider the Apostle and High Priest of our Profession Christ Iesus our Lord. Without Consideration the weightiest things lie by as if they were not Sleepy reason is as none The most important Truths have no force upon us till Consideration awakeneth us Then for Application what concerneth us not is passed over Unless we hear things with a care to apply them we shall never make use of them Eph. 1.13 In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth the Gospel of our Salvation In whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise 'T is not enough to know the Gospel to be a Doctrine of Salvation to others but we must look upon it as a Doctrine that bringeth Salvation to our own doors and leaveth it upon our choice A Plaister doth not heal at a distance till it be applied to the Sore Truths are too remote till we set the edge and point of them to our own Hearts Well then by this way we Preach to our selves Day and Night by exciting our Faith in God and Christ and Glory to come and by serious Consideration stirring up all God's graces in our selves and reproving our selves for all our Sins and calling a backward Heart to all the duties required of us This is the work of Close Application 5. They prosper best in Grace that most faithfully and diligently use the means Here I shall prove two things 1. That we are to use the means For wherefore hath Christ appointed them but that we should use them His Church is not like a Statuaries Shop where the Image or Statue doth nothing but the Carver or Artificer doth all But 't is compared to a School where Christ is the Teacher to teach us our Duty and we are Disciples to learn it And to a Kingdom where Christ is the Monarch and Sovereign and we are Subjects ingaged by Covenant to Obey him and the manner of his Government 't is not meerly natural ruling us as he doth the other Creatures by a Rod of Iron or in a way of absolute power as they cannot do otherwise but Moral by Laws Promises Threatnings working Faith by preaching and Love Hope and Obedience are the ends of Faith Certainly he governeth Man as Man not by Physical Motions only but by Moral Motives to which we must attend consider and improve Hosea 11.4 I drew them with the Cords of a Man with bands of Love Christ hath not to deal with Stones or Brick or Timber but with Men. God hath fitted the means to do their work and for these ends we must use them If he did ordinarily work without them he would never have appointed them to this end He could have done it with one powerful fiat one creating word or beck of his will but he hath set another train and order of Causes and therefore he will work by them because he worketh on all things according to their Nature and this is suitable to the nature of Man We never knew of any Man that came to Knowledge Faith or Love without means Therefore 't is presumption for us to expect it And the greatest neglecters and despisers of Means are every where the most graceless and the worst of Men Therefore it concerneth us to use them 〈◊〉 the greater diligence and care We may learn from our Adversary the Devil he sheweth his Malice to Souls in opposing the means either by depriving Men of them 2 Thess. 2.18 Wherefore we would have come unto you even I Paul once and again but Satan hindred us or keeping them from them by thraldom or filling them with prejudice Iohn 8.4.4 Ye are of your Father the Devil and the lusts of your Father ye will do he was a Murtherer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him 2 Cor. 44. In whom the God of this World hath blinded the Eyes of them which believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine upon them Or from the Faithful using of them Matth. 13.19 When any one heareth the word of the Kingdom and understandeth it not then cometh the wicked one and catcheth away that which was sowen in his Heart He watcheth them in all their Postures As soon as Men begin to be serious and to take heed what they hear he disturbeth the Work Well then the Means have an Aptitude and subservient Efficacy which we ought to regard 2. They prosper best that do most faithfully and diligently use the means I shall prove that by the double reason of the Text. 1. With what measure you meet it shall be measured to you again In the Allegation of this Proverbial Speech I shall observe two things 1. That there is a Law of Commerce between God and his Creatures or else how shall we know what to expect And the ordinary Rule
Work to make us serious will carry it on to a farther degree if we be not impatient Matth. 12.20 A bruised reed shall he not break and smoaking flax shall he not quench till he send forth judgment unto victory He is not wont to be strange to such as bemoan themselves to him Ier. 31.18 I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself It may be he will not do it so sensibly by Ordinances as by or not without sharp Providences which usually subtract the Fuel of our Lusts and awaken Seriousness Isa. 27.9 By this therefore shall the iniquity of Iacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin And 2 Cor. 12.7 There was given to me a thorn in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet me lest I should be exalted above measure We must leave God to his own way 3 Use. Let it put us on Thankfulness to our Redeemer Sin is a great mischief now that he should fetch us up from the Gates of Hell and recover us when the sentence of Condemnation was pass'd upon us and there was nothing but the slender thread of a frail Life between us and Execution and was content to do it at so dear a rate as to be made Sin and to be made a Curse for us and that he should put us into the way of Salvation to obtain Eternal Life how should our Hearts be enlarged in Thanksgiving to such a Redeemer A Sermon on JOHN xviii 11 The Cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it THese Words are part of Christ's Rebuke to Peter who when the High-Priest's Servants came to attack Christ draweth his Sword and cuts off Malchus his Ear which our Lord first healeth and then reproveth his Disciple for this temerarious Action Put up thy sword into the sheath He reproveth him partly because it becometh no private Man by opposition to resist Authority but the chief Reason was our Lord would not be hindred in performing the great Act of his Mediation his dying for Sinners You shall see in another place when Peter counselled him against his Sufferings he rebuked him with the same severity that he doth the Devil tempting him to Idolatry Get thee behind me Satan Matth. 16.23 compared with Matth. 4.10 And here this rash and unseasonable Interposition to save his Master by force is again reproved In Peter's Temerity take notice of the difference between Military Valour and Christian Fortitude He that faltered and was blown down by the weak blast of a Damsel's Question hath now the Courage with a single Sword to venture upon an whole Band of Men. Military Valour is boistrous and dependeth upon the heat of Blood and Spirits and is better for a sudden Onset than a deliberate Tryal but Christian Fortitude dependeth on the strength of Faith and lieth in a meek subjection to God and will enable us to endure the greatest Torments rather than encroach upon the Conscience of our Duty to God A Man of a Military forward Spirit may outbrave Dangers when they are sudden but faileth or fainteth in weaker Tryals that are managed rather in a way of Charge and Accusation than Force But in Christ's Rebuke take notice of his Obedience to God and Love to Men. Obedience to God shall I not suffer patiently without resisting what my Father hath determined me to suffer And Love to Men it was the Cup which God had given him to drink for the good of his People and therefore he would by no means decline it In the words take notice of 1. The Notion by which Affliction is expressed it is a Cup. 2. God's ordering of it Which my Father hath given me 3. Christ's submission Shall I not drink it 1. For rhe Term or Notion whereby Christ's sufferings are expressed a Cup. We read of a threefold Cup in Scripture 1. A Cup of Tribulation 2. A Cup of Consolation 3. A Cup of Salvation and Thanksgiving The first of these is often mentioned Psal. 11.6 Upon the Wicked he shall rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest this shall be the portion of their Cup. So the Prophet Ieremiah is bidden Ier. 25.15 Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand and cause all the nations to whom I send thee to drink it So Psal. 75.8 For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup and the wine is red it is full of mixture and he poureth out the same but the dregs thereof all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out and drink them Thus God's Dispensations are ordinarily expressed by a Cup poured out and given to Men to drink And therefore our Lord Christ himself useth this form of speech not only here but elsewhere as Matth. 26.39 Father if it be possible let this cup pass from me It was a dreadful Cup that he was to drink of The second Cup the Cup of Consolation is spoken of Ier. 16.7 Neither shall men give them the cup of consolation to drink for their father or for their mother taken from the Jewish Custom of sending it to them that mourned or to condemned Persons The same is spoken of Prov. 31.6 7. Give strong drink to him that is ready to perish and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts let him drink and forget his poverty and remember his misery no more Amos 2.8 They drank the wine of the condemned The third was the Cup of Salvation spoken of Psal. 116.13 I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord. Or the Cup of Deliverance used more solemnly in the Temple by the Priests or more privately in the Family Sometimes called the Drink-offering of Praise And to which the Cup of Blessing 1 Cor. 10.16 used in the Lord's Supper hath a great respect for it was always used with certain Expressions of Commemoration and Praise The first is plainly here intended the Cup of Tribulation so called because our Afflictions are measured out by God both for quantity and quality either by his Justice or by his Wisdom and Mercy 2. God's ordering of it which my Father hath given me Christ mentioneth not the malice of his Enemies but the will of God and his Father His hand in Christ's sufferings is often asserted in Scripture Isa. 53.10 It pleased the father to bruise him he hath put him to grief Acts 2.23 Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain Acts 4.28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done God did not excite and instigate those wicked Wretches to that cruelty which they exercised upon Christ yet it was prae-determined by God for the salvation of Mankind 3. Christ's submission Shall I not drink it If God put a bitter Cup into our hands we must not refuse it for here we have Christ's Example The meaning is This bitter Passion which the Father hath laid upon
Christ is the First-born or First-begotten because he was the first that rose from the dead in his own Strength and vanquished Death others were raised before him but to die again they were raised in their own single Persons he as a publick Person But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first-Fruits of them that slept 1 Cor. 15.20 And he will by the same Power raise again all his Members to Immortality and Life 3. He is the Prince of the Kings of the Earth one that hath all Power given him in Heaven and in Earth and is superiour to all Princes of the World not only in regard of Eminency as a far greater Prince than they but Authority and Power over them he is their Lord and Soveraign as well as ours as it is said Dan. 4.17 The most High ruleth in the Kingdoms of Men and giveth them to whomsoever he will 1. Observe these Titles are given to Christ with respect to his three Offices of King Priest and Prophet 1. His Prophetical Office is implied in that Term the faithful Witness one that hath brought the Gospel out of the Bosom of God and plainly and clearly revealed it to the World and hath confirmed the Certainty of it by divers Miracles especially by his Death from which he rose again and ascended and poured out the Spirit upon the Disciples for a Testimony and still continueth that Dispensation in part of giving the Spirit so far as to assure the Hearts of his People that this is the Truth 2. His Priesthood is implied in that Expression The first begotten from the dead He died and so offered himself as a Sacrifice of Atonement to God he rose again and is entred within the Vail to continue the Exercise of that Office by his constant Intercession 3. His Kingly Office is implied in that other Expression The Prince of the Kings of the Earth They are all his Vicegerents absolutely at his dispose and can do neither more nor less than he will have them Mat. 28.18 All Power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth He hath supream and absolute Authority given him over all things both in Heaven and Earth for the Good of the Church and in the Church he is the only Head and King to appoint and maintain the Way and Means of gathering preserving ruling the Church and ordering all the Affairs thereof to the World's End 2. Observe that all these Titles are suted to the present occasion of this Prophecy which is to encourage his People to suffer Persecution for the Gospel's sake 1. As he was the faithful Witness it assured their Cause to be right The Gospel is called the Testimony of Iesus Christ ver 2. He declared nothing to us but the Will of God The Flesh hath such a value for and tenderness of its Interests that Men will soon distinguish themselves out of their Duty if there be the least doubtfulness in the Cause for which they suffer or any suspicion of it Therefore now when dreadful Troubles attended the Profession of the Gospel he setteth forth Christ as the faithful Witness to heighten their Zeal As also Rev. 3.14 These things saith the Amen the faithful and true Witness 2. As he was the first-begotten from the dead it still encourageth them more by assuring them of a joyful Resurrection if their Lives should fall in this Quarrel and Conflict This should allay all the Fears of Death Christ is not called the first-born of the Living but the first-born from the dead to own a Relation to us in every Condition dead as well as living He as the first-born rose as a Pledg and Pattern of what should be done to us 3. As Prince of the Kings of the Earth of whose Power and Persecutions they were so much afraid but needed not for they are not only accountable to Christ at last which those adverse Powers little valued having not imbraced the Profession of the Gospel but were held in by the Reins of his Government for the present so as they could not so much as touch an Hair of their Heads without his leave So that here was much Encouragement for suffering Christians who at that time were to conflict with great Difficulties and exposed to the Slaughters and Butcheries of cruel Enemies 3. Observe all these Titles serve to beget a Reverence and great Respect in our Hearts to the Person that owneth them he is the faithful Witness The great Prophet of the Church should be regarded by us This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him Mat. 17.5 We are to hearken to him believe him obey him as knowing that we must stand or fall at the Sentence of his Word He is the greatest and most excellent of all the Prophets and far above them all who knew more of God and of his Mind than all they joined in one and hath declared his Will more fully clearly and powerfully and shall we set at naught his Counsel Some that despised the Counsel of an ordinary Prophet smarted for it Heb. 10.28 29. He that despised Moses 's Law died without Mercy under two or three Witnesses Of how much sorer Punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath troddeâ— under foot the Son of God who came out of his Bosom on purpose to teach us the Way of Salvation If he require Repentance and Faith with a Promise of Righteousness and Eternal Life and a Commination of Eternal Death unavoidable if we believe not nor repent we are to believe it with all Certainty to set about this Work with all Care and Diligence and continue therein with all Constancy and Perseverance Heb. 12.25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on Earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from Heaven Christ came from Heaven at first returned to Heaven again from Heaven sent down the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles and by that Spirit enabled them to preach the Gospel with Success O surely we should attend to his Doctrine and receive it with firm Assent and obey it with humble Submission Again he is the first-begotten from the Dead That he died should render him dear to us for it was for our sakes as I shall shew by and by That he rose again was for our sakes for our Justification Who was delivered for our Offences and rosâ— again for our Iustification Rom. 4.25 For it sheweth that his Sacrifice was accepted as sufficient for our Atonement Yea for our blessed Resurrection 1 Cor. 15.20 But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first-Fruits of them that slept As the whole Harvest was blessed and sanctified in a little handful of the first-Fruits offered to God But I urge it now as an Argument why we should give him Glory as deserving it by the Greatness of his Person This made it evident that he was the
enter into the Tabernacle Numb 4.18 19 20. Cut ye not off the Tribe of the Family of the Cohathites from among the Levites but this do unto them that they may live and not die when they approach unto the most holy things Aaron and his Sons shall go in and appoint them every one to his Service and to his Burden but they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered lest they die They were to keep near the Tabernacle and the Cohathites to bear things which they must not see and touch upon pain of Death And this was not only threatned but executed on the Bethshemites which was a City of Levites when they looked into the Ark 1 Sam. 6.19 20. And he smote the Men of Bethshemesh because they had looked into the Ark of the Lord even he smote of the People fifty thousand and threescore and ten Men. And the People lamented because the Lord had smitten many of the People with a great Slaughter And the Men of Bethshemesh said Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God and to whom shall he go up from us Well God kept at a distance from that People and would not have them too familiar with him but the Priests might come near and minister before the Lord but not till they were consecrated and till they had cleansed themselves Exod. 30.20 21. When they go into the Tabernacle of the Congregation they shall wash with Water that they die not and when they come near to the Altar to minister to burn an Offering made by Fire unto the Lord. So they shall wash their Hands and their Feet that they die not But though an ordinary Priest might come to the Altar of Burnt-offering yet the High Priest was only to enter into the Sacâ—ary or Holiest of all and that not when he pleased but only once a Year Levit. 16.2 And the Lord said unto Moses Speak unto Aaron thy Brother that he come not at all times into the Holy Place within the Vail before the Mercy-seat which is upon the Ark that he die not The High Priest was a solemn Type of Christ yet he was not to be too familiar with God The People were sensible of this State and Distance which God kept and murmured at it Numb 17.12 13. And the Children of Israel speak unto Moses saying Behold we die we perish we all perish whosoever cometh any thing near unto the Tabernacle of the Lord shall die Shall we be consumed with dying What did the Holy Ghost signify by all this That the way of the Holiest of all was not yet made manifest But now God is more familiar with his People a Christian hath the Privilege of the High Priest a Privilege which the most eminent Person of that Dispensation could injoy but once a Year in the most solemn Service which ever he performed and that not till after many Washings and Purifications In every time of need we may come to the Throne of Grace It was dangerous heretofore to thrust themselves upon God but now the Lord is willing to admit us into his Presence Gospel-Believers may come to him the Fountain of Grace is not unaccessible Well but though we may come to the Throne of Grace we cannot come to the Throne of Glory thence we are all shut out no Man can immediately approach the Throne of Glory till he be both fully and perfectly justified and sanctified for the present we are not fit to come nigh him As Absalom when his Peace was made and he was permitted to come home to Ierusalem yet he was not admitted to his Father's Sight and Presence 2 Sam. 14.24 The King said let him turn to his own House and let him not see my Face And Esther when choâ—en for a Spouse for the great King Ahasuerus yet she was to accomplish the Months of her Purification Esther 2.12 We have Access to the Throne of Grace that is all we can have in this Life but hereafter we shall have Access to the Throne of Glory then we shall have full Communion with our God and a clear Vision of his eternal Beauty and as great a Fruition of his Godhead as we shall be capable of in a State of full Contentment Joy and Blessedness 5. If there be a Temple in the other World then there are Priests and there will be a Ministration But now Heaven is often represented as a Temple As the Temple under the Law was a Type of Christ in whom the Fulness of the Godhead dwelt bodily and a Type of the Church in which God manifesteth his Power and Presence So also it was a Type of Heaven and so frequently applied As in the Temple there were three Partitions the outward Court the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies so is there the airy Heaven the starry Heaven and the Heaven of Heavens as it is called Acts 3.21 Whom the Heavens must receive until the times of Restitution of all things And the third Heaven 2 Cor. 12.2 I knew a Man in Christ above fourteen Years ago such an one caught up to the third Heaven This third Heaven the Seat of God and of the blessed Saints is often called the holiest with Respect to the Type in the Temple or Sanctuary Therefore that is called a worldly Sanctuary Heb. 9.1 and holy Places made with Hands which are the Figures of the true that is Heaven it self ver 24. The earthly or worldly Sanctuary was the Throne and Palace of God residing as a King in the midst of his People which figured or shadowed a more excellent Throne and Palace which is Heaven where God doth manifest his Presence in a far more glorious manner Well then in this Temple must we minister and be admitted to a nearer Attendance upon God 6. One great Part of our Sacrifices and Oblations remaineth everlastingly to be done by us and that is the Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving it is a great Branch of the Thank-offerings of the Gospel Heb. 13.15 By him therefore let us offer the Sacrifice of Praise to God continually that is the Fruit of our Lips giving Thanks to his Name And in Heaven they cease not Prayer suiteth more with our imperfect State when we are compassed about with divers Infirmities and Necessities But the Angels praise God and so do the blessed Spirits We shall then have a fuller Sense of the Mercies and Goodness of God when our Redemption is full and compleat and a clearer Sight of his Excellencies when we see him Face to Face Here we do but tune our Instruments and prepare for the Work of Heaven but then we perform it We are here but as Learners when we see God by Faith and understand a little of the Love of Christ but then as Practisers Therefore certainly to be Kings and Priests unto God doth not respect the present Life only but our Ministration in the heavenly Temple There is a for ever always affixed to the Doxologies
of the Saints to shew that now they do but begin in the Work which they shall compleat hereafter 7. The Scriptures do plainly express that our Service is not ended with our Lives but as we still stand in the Relation of Creatures to God so we still glorify him and serve him Rev. 7.14 15 16. And he said unto me These are they which came out of great Tribulation and have washed their Râ—bes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb Therefore they are before the Throne of God and serve him Day and Night in the Temple And he that sitteth on the Throne shall dwell among them and they shall hunger no more nor thirst any more c. There is the Explanation of the Mystery of being washed in Christ's Blood and made Kings and Priests unto God This Office they chiefly perform when they come to enjoy their Happiness before the Throne of God and in the heavenly Temple And what is the Work there They serve him Day and Night They do not their Service then by Fits and Starts but constantly A Type whereof were the Priests under the Law who in their Courses were admitted Day and Night to be in the Temple Psal. 134.1 Bless ye the Lord all ye Servants of the Lord which by Night stand in the House of the Lord. But what was done by many in their turns is now done by the same Persons continually for they are never weary and there is no Intermission in their Service And God always dwelleth amongst them they shall not be at a distance from God nor he at a distance from them but they shall still enjoy his Company as dwelling in one House with him For there shall not be Sin nor Sorrow any more and then shall they praise God chearfully This will be our Work when we are admitted into the most holy Place 8. As Heaven hath the Notion of a Place a Temple so our Estate in Heaven hath the Notion of a Day or Time wherein our Priesthood is to be solemnly exercised For it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Sabbath or Rest Heb. 4.9 There remaineth therefore a Rest to the People of God A Sabbath is for holy Rest not a time of Idleness but to be religiously imployed So this glorious eternal Rest which is prepared for and promised to Believers is not passed over in Ease and Idleness but in Acts of Worship and Adoration It is a Rest from Toil and Labour but not from Work and Service On the Sabbath-day the Sacrifices were doubled the Priest had more to do upon that Day than any other So in our everlasting Sabbatism we serve God after a more perfect manner than now we do On the Sabbath a special Delight and Rejoycing in God was to be raised Isai. 58.13 14. If thou turn away thy Foot from the Sabbath from doing thy Pleasure on my Holy-Day and call the Sabbath a Delight the Holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour him not doing thine own Ways nor finding thine own Pleasure nor speaking thine own Words Then shalt thou delight thy self in the Lord and I will cause thee to ride upon the high Places of the Earth and feed thee with the Heritage of Jacob thy Father for the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it So in our eternal Rest shall we delight our selves in his Presence Vse 1. It informeth us 1. That our Service is an Honour and Worship a Privilege for it is not only a Way to Heaven but a Beginning of Heaven Our Work there is a part of our Reward The Priestly Ministration is so the Work of Heaven that it is also a Reward for our present Diligence Well then it is the most blessed Life we can live upon Earth to be serving God and ministring before the Lord and to be imployed in any Nearness about him his People desire no sweeter Work Alas what is the Work of all the World to this but a toilsom Drudgery or base Servility Go to the brutish World what is the Work of the Drunkard Glutton Gamester or Fornicator compared with that of the Spiritual Priest They are Priests to feed the Belly that base Dunghil-God Phil. 3.19 Whose God is their Belly Their Business is to provide for and please the Flesh. Nay go to the more refined part of the World The Covetous and Ambitious Worldlings they aim at nothing beyond this Life but the Spiritual Priest continueth for ever his Service is begun and will ever last his Work is his Wages 2. That it is no easy matter to be familiar with God and to draw nigh to him in Worship We are stupid and therefore not sensible of it You see what Distance God kept under the Law and what Distance he yet keepeth as to his immediate Presence Surely God is greatly to be feared in the Assembly of the Saints and to be had in Reverence of all that are about him Psal. 89.7 The Redeemed are honoured to have Access to God with Boldness yet they ought to be humbly sensible of the Privilege Every nearer Approach to God is an Enlargement of Honour We must keep an even hand between natural Bondage and Irreverence Natural Bondage We are sometimes afraid to come into God's Presence and doubt of Access being so unworthy to come before the Lord but we are privileged by our Calling Christ by his Death hath made us Kings and Priests The Priests were sanctified to draw nearer unto God than the common People and to be imployed in his most Holy Service So if we be cleansed by the Blood of Christ we are separated from the ungodly World and may acquaint him with all our Desires Griefs and Fears On the other side against Irreverence It is no easy matter to come before the Lord as we ought to do and we must be sure to bless and thank the Redeemer for this Favour that we are made Priests of God and Christ that we are freed from the Fears of the second Death Rev. 20.6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second Death hath no Power but they shall be Priests of God and of Christ and we may hope for a more solemn Service Vse 2. To exhort the Children of God First To long and hope for the time of their Ministration in the heavenly Temple When the time of our Consecration is finished then we shall be admitted into this blessed Estate O comfort your selves with the Fore-thought of it There are many Reasons to induce us 1. Because then we shall see him whom we worship and stand before his Throne This is often promised Psal. 17.15 As for me I shall behold thy Face in Righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy Likeness 1 John 3.2 When he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is So 1 Cor. 13.12 Now we see through a Glass darkly but then Face to Face John 17.24 Father I will that
some Stricture and Shadow of the Perfection of God's Wisdom And therefore though for a time while both Good and Bad are upon their Trial the Good are not regarded nor the Bad punished yet the Wisdom of God will not permit it to be always so that the Godly should be in an afflicted and distressed Condition and the Wicked prosperous 2. Come we to the Holiness of God which inclineth him to hate Evil and love that which is good Surely God is not indifferent to Good and Evil or more partial to the Evil than to the Good That were a Blasphemy and such a Diminution of God's Holiness as should be abhorred by every good Christian. No He hateth all the Workers of Iniquity Psal. 5.5 And again Psal. 11.7 The righteous Lord loveth Righteousness his Countenance doth behold the Vpright Well then wherein is this Love and Hatred demonstrated God doth not openly declare it in his present Dealings with the Rebellious and the Righteous therefore it shall be seen in his final Dealing with the wicked Oppressors of his People and those that walk uprightly Therefore there is a Life to come for in this Life this Love and Hatred is not sufficiently expressed Not his Hatred against the Wicked even in the Judgment of them who have no great Knowledg of the Nature of Sin and the Punishment which is competent thereunto nor his Love to the Godly who are often exposed to bitter Sufferings and seem to be less favoured in the Course of his external Providence than their Enemies Therefore there is a time to come when he will shew his Love to the Good in making them everlastingly happy and his Detestation of the Wicked in eternal Torments 3. Come we now to the Justice of God It is agreeable to the Justice of his Government that it should be well with them that do well and ill with them that do evil and that he should make a difference by Rewards and Punishments between the Disobedient and the Righteous Conscience hath a Sense of this and therefore checketh and cheareth as we have done Good or Evil. Heathens had accusing or excusing Thoughts which the Apostle urgeth as an Evidence to the Gentiles of Judgment to come Rom. 2.15 16. Which shew the Works of the Law written upon their Hearts their Consciences also bearing Witness and their Thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another In the Day when God shall judg the Secrets of Men by Iesus Christ according to my Gospel If every Man's Thoughts do accuse or excuse him respectively according to the Nature of his Actions then there is in Nature a Sense of this different Retribution Notions of Good and Evil are as naturally implanted in our Hearts as Notions of Truth and Falshood and a Man is as sensible of a difference between comely and base as between the right Hand and the left only the Notions of Good and Evil are sooner corrupted than the Notions of Truth and Falshood However the Workings of Conscience cannot utterly be choaked and deaded in any though most Men seek to stifle it and the Voice of it be often-times unheard The very Profane have hidden Fears frequently revived in them because of these Retributions of God's Justice The Apostle telleth us Rom. 1.32 Who knowing the Iudgment of God that they which commit such things are worthy of Death They were none of the tenderest Men that are here spoken of but such as were extreamly debauched and corrupted and did delight in the Company of those who were as corrupt as themselves Well then Conscience is sensible of a Reward and Punishment but this is not fully nor universally dispensed in this World yea rather the Worst are permitted to injoy most here when the Good are kept in a low and bare Condition And that is not the whole Case the Worst do not only differ from the Best but are permitted to triumph over them Now no righteous Governour will suffer his disobedient Subjects to persecute those who most carefully obey him if he hath Power to remedy it And therefore though he may permit it for a time yet he will call them to an Account and then amends and Satisfaction shall be made to them that have suffered wrongfully Therefore the Wicked are reserved to future Punishment and the Godly to future Reward 4. Come we now to the Goodness of God The Lord is inclined to do Good to his Creatures and if there were no Sin to stop the Course of his Bounty there would be nothing but Happiness in the World But certainly if any recover out of a State of Sin and are willing to devote themselves to God and to contemn all their natural Interests for his sake certainly the Lord will be good and kind to them A certain Truth it is That no Man serveth God for nought And 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one of the first Maxims of Religion That God is and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11.6 Next to his Being we believe his Bounty that God's Service first or last will turn to a good Account And it is the rather to be believed by us because carnal and corrupted Nature begrudgeth every thing and in the Eye of Sense all is lost that is laid out upon God We say with Iudas What needeth this Waste The same Opinion that Seneca had of the Jewish Sabbath the same Thoughts have carnal Men of the Service of God He said the Jews were a foolish People quia septimam aetatis partem perdunt vacando because a full seventh part of their Lives was lost in Idleness and Rest. While Men are under the Influence of such Thoughts they will never do any thing for God that is great and worthy And therefore to confute this false Conceit during the time of his Patience the superficial Service he getteth from us hath its Reward He giveth many temporal Blessings to those that worship him in the slightest Fashion as he suspended his Judgments upon Ahab's Mock-Humiliation 1 Kings 21.29 And his present Providence plainly declareth that none shall be a Loser by God nor do any thing for nought He pleaded by the Prophet against this People for their sorry Services and contemptuous Usage of him Mal. 1.10 Who is there even among you that would shut the Doors for nought Neither do ye kindle Fire on mine Altar for nought I have no Pleasure in you saith the Lord of Hosts neither will I accept an Offering at your Hand That is the Porters of the Temple did not open and shut the Doors for nought nor the Levites that kindled the Fire nor the Priests attend upon the Burnt offering for nought they were all well rewarded with Tithes Portions and Oblations and this by the Lord 's own Appointment and Allowance And again if any thing be done sincerely though never so mean and inconsiderable it hath its Reward Mat. 10.42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of
our Lord Iesus Christ may be glorified in you So for Dominion the practical Acknowledgment is better than the verbal Luke 6.46 Why call ye me Lord Lord and do not the things that I say Mat. 7.21 Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven Christ was mocked when they cried Hail King of the Iews Mat. 27.29 and yet they crucified him If we would have Dominion given to Christ we must look upon our selves as not our own but his not live to our selves or use our selves for our selves but resign up our selves absolutely to him Then for others such is their Love to Christ and the Souls of Men that true Christians desire that Christ may not only be glorified by themselves but others that he may be known worshipped and believed on in the World especially those about them as Fire turneth all things about it into Fire 3. The Duration For ever and ever In all Doxologies a long Duration is expressed They desire not only the present Age may glorify God but the future When we are dead and gone the Lord remaineth and they would not have him remain without Praise and Honour It is the Comfort of their Souls when dying that God shall have a People to praise him and they prize their own Salvation the more that they shall live for ever to glorify God that as God's Blessings are everlasting so shall be their Praises 4. It is ratified by a solemn Attestation Amen It is Notum Desiderii Supplicationis by it we testify our fervent Affection and strength of Desire after the Glory of Christ. We should have an Amen for our Praises as well as for our Prayers Not only to say Iesus Master have Mercy on us Amen but To him be Glory for ever and ever Amen SERMON II. REVEL I. 6 And hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father I Shall take up this Subject again and speak of our Priesthood when we shall be admitted into the immediate Presence of God and praise him for evermore There is a Ministration before the Throne of Grace or before the Throne of Glory before the Throne of Grace we minister in this Life before the Throne of Glory in the Life to come Of the latter I shall now speak because it is a Truth commonly overlooked Doct. That the Priesthood which we have by Christ concerneth our Ministration in the Heavenly Temple I shall prove it by these Arguments 1. Because a Christian so is conformed to Christ and made like him in all things Christ must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 first it in all things Col. 1.18 That in all things he might have the Preheminence Rom. 8.29 Whom he did foreknow he did also predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his Son that he might be the first-born amongst many Brethren Now if I shall prove to you that Christ was not consecrated to his everlasting Priesthood till he died then it is very congruous that it should be so with a Christian for our Office dependeth upon his and is carried on in a way of conformity to his Now that Christ was consecrated at his Death I prove by these Places Heb. 5.9 And being made perfect he became the Author of eternal Salvation unto all them that obey him that is when he had learned Obedience by the things which he suffered ver 8. And Heb. 2.10 The Captain of our Salvation was made perfect through Sufferings that is fully consecrated and fitted to be a Priest to perform that Office to our Comfort His Death is expressed by a Notion of Perfection Luke 13.32 Behold I cast out Devils and I do Cures to day and to morrow and the third Day I shall be perfected that is shall suffer Death It is good to enquire in what Sense in these and in many other Places Christ is said to be made perfect it is not meant of his Personal Perfection but Official As to his Person as he was God he was perfect from all Eternity as God-Man he was perfect from the first moment of his Conception The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being made perfect relateth to his Office and may be rendred consecrated as well as made perfect Being consecrated he became c. And it behoved the Captain of our Salvation to be consecrated through Sufferings The Word signifieth in its first sense to finish and accomplish a thing That which is brought to an end is perfected So was Christ as a Priest perfected that is fit to minister before God as a Priest But that it should be rendred consecrated I prove 1. Because the Word is rendred consecrated elsewhere Heb. 7.28 Consecrated for evermore In the Margin perfected 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is in the Old Testament Thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his Sons Exod. 29.9 the Septuagint render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou shalt perfect or fill the Hand of Aaron and his Sons And the Sacrifice of Consecration is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sacrifice of Perfecting or Compleating because the Priest was to pass through some Ceremonies and these being done he is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be consummate or made perfect or fully authorized to perform the Priest's Office 2. I prove it from the Context in Heb. 5. There the Apostle is discoursing of Christ's everlasting Priesthood and his being made perfect is with respect to that Office He was not perfect or fitted for that Work till he stood before God with a Sacrifice in his Hand till he had offered up himself with Prayers and Tears and strong Cries and had learned Obedience by the things which he suffered but then he was made perfect for the Rites of his Consecration were over that is his Agonies and bloody Sufferings then he was fully consecrated and compleated to be a Priest So that Christ's solemn Consecration was at his Death 3. The Reason of the thing sheweth it◠Jesus Christ was to be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God to make Reconciliation for the Sins of the People Heb. 2.17 These two Attributes merciful and faithful refer to God and us Merciful to help and relieve sinful miserable Man Faithful with Respect to God in performing all things which belong to his Sacerdotal Office and going through with his Work given him in Charge till he hath fully finished it The best and most merciful High Priest that ever was must be made in the best and most convenient manner Well then he is made perfect when he hath had a thorow Sense of our Misery and took the Course presented to remove it when his Heart was intendered and his Hand was filled with the purest Sacrifice that ever was offered and so by his Agonies and bloody Sufferings he was perfected consecrated and fully qualified to minister before the Lord and to intercede for poor Creatures and to bless them
with the Blessing of eternal Life His Priestly Actions after the Order of Aaron were his Consecration to his everlasting blessed Priesthood after the Order of Melchisedeck Without these Sufferings he could neither be a faithful nor a merciful high Priest nor satisfy his Father's Justice nor have a full feeling from Experience of the Creatures Misery Well then as Christ was consecrated at his Death so is a Christian who runneth Parallel with Christ in all his Offices As Christ had an Inauguration into that Priesthood he executed upon Earth at his Baptism So hath a Christian for his spiritual Priesthood as soon as washed in the Laver of Regeneration but for his everlasting Priesthood at Death 2. My next Argument is This suteth with the other Privilege of Kings We are made Kings as well as Priests Now as our Kingly Office is not perfect till we come to Heaven so neither our Priestly and therefore it mainly respecteth our Ministration in the heavenly Temple How is a poor Christian a King here unless in a Riddle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he vanquisheth the Devil the World and the Flesh As it is a Princely thing to be above inferiour things and to trample them under our Feet The Heathen could say Rex est qui metuit nihil Rex est qui cupit nihil He is a King that is above the Hopes and Fears of the World that feareth nothing and desireth nothing This is indeed in a Metaphor a Kingly Spirit to have our Hearts in Heaven and to look upon all sublunary things as beneath our Care and Affections Christ's Kingdom is not of this World neither is a Believer's Here upon Earth we reign only in a spiritual way But the Privilege cometh fully to be verified when we tread Satan under our Feet and triumph over Enemies and reign visibly and gloriously sitting upon Thrones with Christ at his Coming judging the World and Angels themselves Matth. 19.28 Verily I say unto you that ye which have followed me in the Regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit in the Throne of his Glory ye shall also sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Luke 22.29 30. I appoint unto you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me That ye may eat and drink at my Table in my Kingdom and sit on Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Psal. 49.14 The upright shall have Dominion over them in the Morning And 1 Cor. 6.2 Know ye not that we shall judg the World And ver 3. Know ye not that we shall judg Angels Neither will this Kingdom be terminated and ended at the Day of Judgment but they shall be Kings eternal in Heaven Luke 12.32 Fear not little Flock it is your Father's good Pleasure to give you the Kingdom 2 Tim 2.12 If we suffer with him we shall also reign with him that is in Heaven With respect to this Title Right and Interest we are said to be made Kings Now proportionably the other Privilege of being made Priests must be expounded also We are spiritual Priests upon Earth we have our Sacrifices of Prayers Praises and Alms and devoting our selves to God But this Office is not compleated till we come to Heaven and do immediately minister before the Lord. Then we have Entrance into the holiest Heb. 10.19 Having therefore Brethren Boldness to enter into the holiest by the Blood of Iesus Not in Spirit but in Person For if the chief Part of our Kingly Office be yet behind why not the chief Part of our Priestly Office also 3. Then we are qualified and prepared Sanctification must go before Consecration and the more sanctified the more consecrated And when our Sanctification is finished then our Consecration is consummated and not till then Now in this World our Justification and Sanctification is imperfect we are not got above our legal Fears and Grace is very weak in us You know before we can serve the living God our Consciences must be purged from dead Works Heb. 9.14 As the High Priest was not to approach God without his Washings lest he die And we are bidden to draw nigh to God with a true Heart in full Assurance of Faith having our Hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience and our Bodies washed with pure Water Heb. 10.22 If we have the Privilege of Priests we must perform the Duties of Priests Now we are not perfect as appertaining to the Conscience nor are we fully cleansed and sanctified till the Vail of the Flesh be removed and we be presented to God without Spot and Wrinkle Somewhat is begun indeed that will tend to and end in perfect Sanctification enough to qualify us for our Ministration at this Distance from God There is enough done on Christ's Part by way of Impetration and Merit Heb. 10.14 For by one Offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified or consecrated he hath payed the Price but as to the Application that is by Degrees The Priest under the Law was seven Days in consecrating this figured all the time that interveneth before we enter upon the everlasting Sabbath Our whole Life is the time of Consecration which goeth on by Degrees and will be made compleat both for Body and Soul at the Resurrection for then shall we be made fit to approach the Throne of Glory and serve our God in a perfect manner in the eternal Temple of Heaven In this Life our Consecration is not yet finished we cannot come so near God we are qualified indeed to come to the Throne of Grace but not qualified to come to the Throne of Glory But the Work is a-doing and in time it will be accomplished 4. We have not the full Privileges of Priests till then which is Intimacy full Communion Nearness of Access to God and Ministration before him This is the Privilege we have as Priests The Apostle telleth us Heb. 9.8 The Holy Ghost signifieth that the way to the holiest of all was not yet made manifest while as the first Tabernacle was yet standing How did the Holy Ghost signify this I answer by the whole Oeconomy and Frame of that Dispensation God kept State and Majesty then and his People must not come too near him The common Israelite must not come too near the Sanctuary they were not to camp or pitch their Tents round about it but only the Levites lest they die Numb 1.52 53. And the Children of Israel shall pitch their Tents every Man by his own Camp and every Man by his own Standard throughout the Host. But the Levites shall pitch round about the Tabernacle of Testimony that there be no Wrath upon the Congregation of the Children of Israel It was a dangerous thing for the common Israelites to be too near the Symbols of God's Presence to teach us the Distance between God and Men and their Unworthiness to come near him and his holy things But though the Levites might encamp near it yet none but the Priests must