old for to bless his people therein true blessedness must needs consist now if ye look into the sixth of Numbers ye shall find that therein God commanded Aaron and his Sons for to bless the people verse 23. on this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel saying The Lord bless thee and keep thee the Lord make his face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and if you look into Psalm 67 1. ye shall find that when the Psalmist prayed for a blessing he prayed thus The Lord be merciful unto us and bless us and cause his face to shine upon us Surely therefore the happiness and blessedness of man must needs lye and consist in the light of Gods countenance and the shine of his face Object But if our blessedness doth consist herein then some of Gods own people are not blessed For God doth hide his face from some of them and how many are there even amongst the Saints that complain saying Oh the face of God doth not shine on me Ans True they do so and its possible that God may hide his face from his own Children for a time but what Child of God is there in all the world but the face of God hath shined upon It is possible that a Child of a natural Father may never see the face of his Father his Father may be dead before he is born but no child of God but hath seen his Fathers face for what is the face of God but his favour and what is the shine thereof but the manifestation of his favour and when God pardoned his sin at the first did not he manifest his love and favour to him And doth he not daily do it in supporting him with his Arm In the times of the old Testament the Saints did measure the favour of God too much by outward mercies and blessings because the Land of Canaan was promised them as a favour from God when the Enemy did break in upon them they said That God did then hide his face from them but ye know how is is with the day if it be day the Sun shines and though ye see not the beams thereof yet you see the light thereof so here though you see not the beams of Gods countenance yet if it be day with you you see the light thereof Now it is day with all the Children of God they are Children of the day and therefore whatever they say or think there is none of Gods Children but the face of God doth or hath shined upon Quest But how shall I know that the face of God hath ever shined on my Soul for there are many delusions about this matter How shall I therefore know that God hath ever lift up the light of his Countenance upon my Soul 5. General That is the 5th General therefore I shall now speak to that Ans If God hath ever blessed you in truth then hath his face shined upon you for his blessing and the shine of his face go together as ye have heard Now when God blesses a man then he draws him nearer to himself Blessed is the man saith the Psalmist whom then causest to approch unto thee when God blesses a man then he makes him to encrease and multiply if he bless him in his estate then he doth increase and multiply therein if he bless him in his parts or gifts or graces or comforts then he causeth him to increase therein so at the beginning the Lord blessed Man and said increase and multiply And therefore if thou hast been such an one as hath lived at a distance from God and now at brought nigh to him and increased in thy gifts graces and comforts then hath the Lord blessed thy Soul and so hath shined on thee 2. If God hath ever shined upon thy Soul then he hath wonderfully irradiated and enlightened and taught thy Soul the mysteries of the Gospel which did never enter in thy heart before Psal 67.1 2. The Psalmist saith Be merciful unto us and bless us and cause thy face to shine upon us that thy way may be known c. And says the Apostle 2â— or 4.4 6. God that commanded light to shine out of darkness shine into your hearts to giv you the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ 3ly If this light of Gods countenance hath indeed shined upon your heart then your other carnal kitchâ—n lights have been put out thereby Ye see that when the Sun shines upon the kitchin-fire it doth put it â—ut so if ever God hath shined upon your Soul there â—ath such a glory fallen upon your hearts that thereâ—y all your carnal kitchin-comforts and delights have â—een put out thereby 4ly If God have shined upon thy Soul in truth â—hen are you satisfied with the light of Gods Counâ—enance and yet your desire after it is the more inâ—reased This seems to be a Paradox but it is true â—â—e more a man sees the light of Gods Countenance â—he more he longs after it and the more he longs after it the more be is satisfied with it Shew us the Father saith Thomas and it sufficeth I have now that saith the Soul which doth make me happy therefore I am fully sâ—tisfied yet I have tasted such sweetness in it as I cannot but thirst and long after more Oh when shall come and appear before thee that I may be fully satisfied with thy likeness 5ly If the face of God hath ever shined upon your Soul then there hath been a time when you were in the dark and by the light of Gods Countenance your doubts and fears have been all dispelled at once God never shines but upon those that have been in the dark God that commanded light to shine out of darkness shine into your hearts saith the Apostle and when God shines then all your fea s and doubts and objections are answered at once not by degrees and one after another but the face of God answers all at once As when the Husâ—and comes home though his Wife have had many fears that she should never see him again yet when she sees his face then all her fears and doubts are answered at once So here although you have had many fears that you should never see the face of God again yet when his face shines then all your doubts are answered at once 6ly If the face of God have ever shined upon your Soul in truth then have you been thereby enabled to do and act some great thing for God and you have had an heart given you to do it Cant. 1.12 When the King sits at his Table my Spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof By Spikenard here we are to understand the sweet smelling fruits and graces of thâ— Spouse of Christ Now saith she these graces send forth their smell when Christ sits at his Table when I have the gracious presence of Christ then are my graces most
Now he is best paid which the Lord pays the Lord will not onely give him his outward wages but an everlasting inheritance Oh what a good thing it is to walk with God in our callings Yea. 3. Thereby the knots and difficulties of your callings shall be taken of and your way made easie that God whom ye walk with in your callings will lift you over all the stiles that are in your callings If a Child walk with his Father in the Fields when they come at an high Stile the Father lifts him over it So if you walk with God in your callings then he will lift you over all the Stiles and Difficulties of your callings Yea 4 Thereby you shall be kept from the sins and temptations of your calling A mans calling is like to a great Logg or piece of Timber in a green field look upon the field and you see it all green and handsome but take up the Logg or Timber that lies in the midst thereof and there you find Worms and Sows and Vermin that do breed under it So look upon a mans carriage and generally it is very green civil and handsome but if ye look under his calling you shall find nothing but Sows Worms and Vermin Now this walking with God in your calling will keep you from the Vermin of your callings Yea 5 Thereby shall your way of godliness be convincing and winning As God hath distributed to every man as the Lord hath called every one so let him walk and abide with God saith the Apostle in this Chapter Why so For what knowest thou oh Wife whether thou shalt not save thine Husband or how knowest thou oh Man whether thou shalt save thy Wise Yea says the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 3.1 Likewise ye Wives be in subjection to your own Husbands that if any obey not the word they also without the word may be won by the conversation of the Wives It is not therefore a morning or evening duty though that is good that is so winning but a constant walking with God in our places and callings is convincing and winning Yea 6. Thereby also you shall be fit to die and leave all the World with ease The more a man runs his heart into the world in his calling the harder it will be to die and the more a man walketh with God in his calling the fitter he will be to die and to leave all the world with ease Now therefore as you do desire That you may be fit to die That your ways of godliness may be convincing and winning That the knots and difficulties of your callings may be taken off That your callings may be a blessing to you indeed And that God may meet and walk with you in your general calling labour more and more to abide and walk with God in your particular calling Which that you may do Labour to be master of your Art Be diligent in your place Deal not unjustly with men in your calling be not too familiar with your callings but keep your due distance from them Observe what the Temptations and Snares are that are incident and take heed thereof Labour more to live by Faith in your calling Let not your general eat up youâ— particular nor your particular destroy your general Whatever you do in your calling do all to the glory of God Be sure that you turn as God turns Give when he gives Measure all things in your callings by his Bushel And be sure that you always sprinkle your outward employments with some heavenly refreshments And thus Brethren Let every one wherein he is called therein abide with God For it is the duty of every man to abide and walk with God in his calling And thus I have done with this Argument How to walk with God in our callings OF GOOD AND BAD COMPANY How to avoid the one and improve the other Psal 119.63 I am a Companion of all them that fear thee and of them that keep thy Precepts MY desire now is to speak something of good and bad company and therefore have made choice of this Scripture In this Section the Psalmist laboureth to confirm his faith and to comfort himself in the certainty of his own grace by seven or eight properties of a true believer The first is drawn from his choice A good man makes a right choice he chooses God for his portion verse 51. Thou art my portion O Lord. The second is drawn from the fixation of his resolution A good man is fully resolved for o walk with God I have said I would keep thy words verse 57. The third is drawn from his earnest desire of Gods love and favour A good man doth desire the favour of God above all things I intreated thy favour with my whole heart verse 58. The fourth is drawn from his self-exâ—mination A good man doth ponder weigh and examine his own doings and ways I thought on my wayes and turned my feet unto thy Testimonies verse 59. The fiâ—th is drawn from his readiness to keep Gods Commandments A good man doth not put off or delay his duty I made hast and delayed not to keep thy Commandments verse 60. The sixth is drawn from his adhaesion to the ways of God in times of opposition A good man will not be driven from the ways of God by the opposition of men The bands of the wicked have robbed me but I have not forgotten thy law verse 61. The seventh is drawn from the thankfulness of his disposition under all dispensations A good man will give thanks to God whatever his condition be At midnight I will give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgements verse 62. And the eighth is drawn from his company A good man will keep company with those that are good I am a companion of all that fear thee Which is explained by these following words and of them that keep thy Precepts I am a companion of all that fear thee Though I be a King and they be never so poor I ev n I David the King am a companion of all that fear thee and do keep thy Precepts Where then you may observe thus much That a good man will have good company It is the property of a good man to keep good company his companions are such as do fear the Lord. Yea though they be much beneath him yet if they be such as doe fear the Lord he will not boggle at their acquaintance and fellowship I am a companion says David the King of all those that fear thee So that a good man will have or keep good company For the opening and clearing whereof First we will inquire what this good company is and when a man may be said for to keep good company Secondly why and upon what account a good man will have good company Thirdly I will answer unto some Objections or Cases of Conscience about this company-keeping and so come to the application 1. As for the first if you
Will unto the Will of God I shall end the affliction with the resignation of my Soul into the hands of God And the more frequently I do it whilst I live the more easily I shall do it when I dye and say in truth with Christ Father into thy hands I commend my spirit Sixthly Study the Sovereignty of God The more your heart is possessed with Gods Sovereignty the more Resignation It is the Lord said Eli let him do what seemeth good 1 Sam. 3.18 And good is the word of the Lord said Hezekiah 2 Kings 20.19 Seventhly Then behold this Example of Christ being before you whom beholding c. The sight of a resigning Christ will make you resign and say Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit And thus now I have done with this last speech of Christ on the Cross The words of dying Friends are precious and we remember them Now ye have heard this living saying of a dying Christ You that are the friends of Christ will remember them and the Lord teach us so to remember them that thereby we may learn both to live and to dye both to do and to suffer THE Dignity and Duty OF Gods Called-ones 1 Thes 2.12 That you would walk worthy of God who hath called you to his Kingdom and Glory IN this Chapter you have a Relation of the Apostle Paul's Entrance unto the Thessalonians how they received him and how he preached to them For your selves Brethren know our entrance in unto you that it was not in vain But even after that we had suffered before and were shamefully intreated as ye know at Philippi we were bold in our God to speak unto you the Gospel of God with much contention v. 1 2. It was with much sincerity that he preached Our exhortation was not of deceit nor of uncleanness nor in guile v. 3. In opposition to worldly Interests Not as pleasing men but God which trieth our hearts For neither at any time used we flattering words nor a cloke of covetousness nor of men sought we glory neither of you nor yet of others when we might have been burdensome as the Apostles of Christ v. 4 5.6 It was with all gentleness and love We were gentle among you even as a nurse cherisheth her children Being affectionately desirous of you we were willing to have imparted unto you not the Gospel of God onely but also our own souls because ye were dear unto us v. 7 8. It was with much industry and labour Labouring night and day because we would not be chargeable to any of you we preached unto you the Gospel of God v. 9. It was with all holiness of conversation v. 10. Ye are witnesses and God also how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved our selves among you that believe With all manner of exhortation v. 11. As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you as a father doth his children that you would walk worthy of God So here then you have the Matter exhorted to and the Motive pressing thereto Who hath called you to his Kingdom and Glory Or Here you have First The Person calling God Secondly The Dignity called unto Who hath called you to his Kingdom and Glory Thirdly The Duty that flows from thence That you would walk worthy of God who hath called you to his Kingdom and Glory Hence Observe That it is the duty of all that are called to Gods Kingdom and Glory to walk worthy of the Kingdom and Glory of God I shall therefore shew you First What this Vocation or Calling is and that there is that in it that may and should provoke us to walk worthy of God Secondly That when God brings home any man to himself he doth it in a way of calling and why so Thirdly That it is the Duty of all that are called to walk worthy of God Fourthly How a man shall know that he is truly called Fifthly What we should do that we may walk worthy of God who hath called us First This Vocation is an Act of Gods Grace and Mercy whereby we are invited to the great Supper of the Gospel to Communion and Fellowship with Christ As it is an act of Gods grace and mercy so it is opposed to works Rom. 9.11 For the children being yet unborn neither having done good or evil that the purpose of God according to election might stand not of works but of him that calleth Calling is opposite to works So 2 Tim. 1.9 Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace c. Vocation is an act of Gods grace wholly Secondly Men are invited to the great Supper of the Gospel that is to Fellowship and Communion with Christ 1 Cor. 1.9 God is faithful by whom you were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. If you look unto the persons that are invited to the great Supper Luke 14.16 Matth. 22.1 2 3. that great Supper is nothing but Communion and Fellowship with Christ those that are invited Matth. 22.3 are said to be called He sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the Supper And of those that refused to come it is said Many are called but few are chosen v. 14. Onely this Invitation to Communion and Fellowship with Christ is to be considered two ways First Meerly and barely as it is an act of God inviting by the Word Or secondly As it implies our answer or consent to that Invitation As when a man is called to an Office either in Church or State he is said to be called though he does not accept of it but when election and voluntary acceptation meet together then there is a call So our heavenly Call taking it in a large sense All that live under the Gospel are called and invited But in a proper and strict sense men are said to be called onely when they accept and consent upon Gods Invitation This distinction is very necessary For Matth. 22.14 it is said Many are called but few are chosen And Rom 8.30 it is said expresly That whom he hath predestinated them he also called and whom he called them he also justified If those that are called are predestinated and justified how is it true That many are called and few are chosen I answer Taking Calling in a large sense for a bare Invitation many are called Taking Calling in a strict sense as implying our answer and acceptation and consent thereto so none are called but those that accept the Call and are brought home to God Gods Calling is an effectual Invitation of a person to the great Supper of the Gospel whereby a man does accept it and is brought home to God Secondly How does it appear That when God brings home a man to himself he does it in a way of calling and why so I answer If our Conversion be called our calling and the Saints are
described by their calling The thing is true Make your calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 that is your Conversion Rom. 1.6 7. Among whom also are ye the called of God Called to be Saints So 1 Cor. 1.2 Saints by Calling If the Saints and people of God be described by the Called-ones and our Conversion be termed our Calling Then when God brings home a man to himself he does it in a way of Calling First Because those that God brings home to himself are afar off We call men that are afar off If they be near we speak to them By nature we are afar off from God therefore when he converts men he is said to call Acts 2.14.39 Peter standing up with the eleven lifted up his voice and said to them Ye men of Judea c. hearken to my words v. 14. For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are afar off even to as many as the Lord our God shall call v. 39. Called upon this account because ye are afar off Secondly Is it not necessary that we should be conformed to Christ our Head and to Abraham our Father the father of the faithful You shall find Abraham was called Isa 51.2 Look unto Abraham your father c. for I called him alone Christ is also said to be called in a way suitable to him Mat. 2.15 Out of Egypt have I called my son Heb. 5.4 No man taketh this honour unto himself but he that was called of God as was Aaron Isa 4.26 I the Lord have called thee in righteousness c. Isa 49.1 Listen O isles unto me c. The Lord hath called me from the womb We are to be conformable to Christ our Head and to Abraham our Father in our calling Thirdly If God shall bring a man home to himself according to the practice of men he must bring him home in a way of calling I drew them with the cords of a man Hos 11.4 When God deals with man it is in a way suitable to man But why When he brings a man home to himself will he do it in a way of calling when as he might do it immediately by his own infinite power If I knew that a man would not accept my Invitation to Dinner I would never send to invite him God knows that every one will not come what need he then stand calling and inviting We must consider That as God will deal with man in the way and according to the manner of men So he will deal with man also in the way of God too Christ is God-man God manifested in the flesh 1 Tim. 3.6 Because the work of our Redemption was to be carried on by the hand of God and by the hand of man both Whereas should God deal with man only as God then he would convert him presently by his own infinite poâ—er and never make any invitation to him And if he should deal with man onely as man he would never invite any of the dead For who is there of you that will send to the grave and invite a dead man to your table But as God he invites dead ones There are some that think Christ need not to invite because he can bring men home to himself by his own almighty power But such do forget that the Deity works as a man Others think men are to be converted onely by moral swasions and perswasions Such do forget that Christ works as God too But Christ iâ— God man because the great work of our Redemption and Salvation is to be carried on by the hand of both As God he does invite and call irresistably omnipotently As man he invites by perswasion As God-man he invites and gives a heart to accept of his invitation Fourthly If all those blessings and mercies we are call'd to are called Gods blessings and mercies as so they are Who ha's called us out of darkness into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2 9. Who hath called us to his Kingdom and Glory it were presumption in me to meddle with the things of God with the things that are Gods if he did not invite me to it But if a Begger comes to your house and shall sit down at your table he does not presume because you have invited him God will have his people know that they do not presume when they come at his Invitation and call and meddle with the things of God Fifthly If all the work of Christianity be bestrewed with difficulty and affliction we had need be called thereunto for in the time of affliction or difficulty what shall bear up our heart and carry us through but Gods Call Gods Call is our Warrant and our strength therefore fit that all that are brought home to God it should be in a way of Calling Thirdly What is the duty then of all that are called to Gods Kingdom and Glory I answer It is their duty to walk worthy of God By worthy is not meant a worthiness of Merit No There is a four-fold Worthiness mentioned in Scripture First In regard of Merit So onely Christ is worthy For thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals Rev. 5.9 Secondly In regard of Acceptation So the Saints are worthy They shall walk with me in white for they are worthy Rev. 3.4 Thirdly In regard of Proportion So Our present afflictions are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed 2 Cor. 4.17 That is there is no proportion between the glory of Heaven and the afflictions we meet with here below Fourthly In regard of meetness suitableness and fitness Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance Mat. 3.8 And thus it is the duty of all that are called to walk worthy of God c. Reason 1. Because Dignity calls for Duty and the more Dignity the more Duty What greater Dignity then to be called to Gods Kingdom and glory Secondly The more sad and dismal any mans condition is the more he is obliged and engaged and bound to God to walk worthy and answerably to God who hath called him out of that condition The condition we are call'd out of is a condition of great darkness For that is great darkness a man is in which he cannot rise out of nor lie still in This is our condition we can neither rise out of it of our selves nor lye still in it Therefore arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light Eph. 5.14 Thirdly The more comfortable and glorious the condition is that a man is called unto the more he is engaged to God who hath called him to that condition What is good in all the world or desireable but we are called to it in this being called to his Kingdom and Glory Is light desireable We are called out of darkness into his marvellous light Is Holiness desireable God hath not called us to uncleanness but unto holiness 1 Thes 4.7 Is Peace desireable We are called to Peace 1 Cor. 7