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
carnal and may labour under much carnality insomuch as his parts may be too big for his grace and his passions may be too big for his parts yet he doth not take up a carnal prejudice against the whole way or power of Godliness the wicked are carnal and they are carnally prejudiced against the very power of Godliness in the strictness of it Possibly a good man may be prejudiced against this or that particular way of God but as for the power of Godliness he is not carnally prejudiced against that Fifthly Though a good man may be very carnal and labour under much carnality yet that carnality doth not bear the rule and sway in his life Finis actionum Domina Regina Look what a mans general and utmost end is that doth give a law unto all his actions that rules Finis dat mediis amabilitatem ordinem mensuram that swayes and is the yard wand unto all his actions as for example if the world and profit be my end my general and utmost end then my actions generally are directed and swayed by it â—nd I must preach so much as may stand with my profit I must go to meetings and improve soul-opportunities so far as may stand with my profit I must acquaint my self with men so far as may stand with my profit and if such and such things may not stand with my â—rofit in the world then I must not do the same Why because the world is my great and utmost end and every thing must strike sail unto it Now I say though a good man may labour under much carnality yet there is no carnal thing that doth bear sway with him as it doth in those that are carnally wicked Sixthly Though a good man may be very carnall yet his practical conclusions and therefores are not so carnal as the men of the Worlds are Mark what carnal therefores the men and people of the world have Prov. 7.14 15. I offered my peace offering now therefore am I come forth to meet thee A strange therefore as if she should say I have been at duty and at the ordinance and therefore now am come forth to play the whore Ye know also what a therefore Pilate had upon the Judgment of Christ I find no fault with him now therefore Scourge him and let him go Luke 23.16 Oh strange therefore I find no fault with him therefore whip him nay therefore whip him not for I find no fault in him Are there not such therefores still in the hearts of men The Lord is gracious and merciful Therefore I 'le go on to sin The Lord is patient and forbearing Therefore I 'le repent afterwards But says David O how great is thy loving kindness therefore do the children of men put their trust in thee Though a good man be too carnal yet he is not so carnal in his main inferences and conclusions as the carnal world is Seventhly Though a good man may be very carnal yet he is very sensible of his carnality and is much humbled for when I saw said David the prosperous estate of the wicked then I had such carnal reasonings as these I have cleansed my hands in vain but says he I was a beast therein Psal 73.22 The more a man looks into the spirituality of the law the more he will be sensible of his own carnality Now a good man looks much upon that As for the law saies Paul Rom. 7.14 That is holy spirituall good but I am carnal Who was a more spiritual Christian then Paul yet he was sensible of his carnality Why because his eye was upon the spirituality of the law Now so it is with all those that truly fear the Lord they do not stand and compare themselves with others For that would augment their carnality but they compare themselves with the law and word of God and so they are exceeding sensible of their own carnality and are humbled for it So that then now you see There is a difference And what that difference is And though the carnality of the good Professor be not so bad as the carnality of the world and the men thereof yet it is evil the best of this carnality is naught and if you ask me Quest Wherein the evil of it doth appear I answer 4. General Ans In the fourth place in many things it is a very evil thing for a Professor of the Gospel to be carnal For 1. Is it not an evil thing for a man to walk contrary unto his Profession Peccatum majus ubi repugnantia major Peccatum majus ubi specialis repugnantia inter peccantem et peccatum Aquin. is it not an evil thing for a Judge to do unjustly Yea Why Because it is contrary unto his profession Now the profession of the Gospel is spiritual and the Professors of the Gospel are so described and called The spiritual man judgeth all things and ye that are spiritual restore such an one c. The Weapons of our War-fare saith the Apostle are not carnal Carnal Weapons are suitable to carnal profession but spiritual weapons are suitable to spiritual profession 'T is observed therefore that the Weapons of the Papists in advancing their Religion are very carnal Somewhat they have in their religion which doth comply with every mans carnal humour If a man be Devotional Sir Edw. Sand Relig. West they have a Cloyster for him If he be Disputative they have their Schools for him If a man or woman do pretend to chastity they have their Nunneries and Priories for them If a man be given to filthy wantonness they have their allowed Stewes for him If a mâ—n be given to honour and greatness they have a Cardinals Cap for him And if he be given to despise and neglect the world they have a Mendicant Fryers place for him Some carnal thing still they have that doth suit with the carnal and wicked humours of men Why but because their warfare is carnal and so the weapons of their warfare are carnal But the Profest Religion is spiritual and reforming how have they therefore advanced their Religion but by powerful Preaching Printing good books Translating the Scriptures into the vulgar tongue Catechising and instructing the younger open Disputings for the truth and Suffering for the same Thus the Reformed Religion hath been carried on by good and spiritual weapons Why for our war-fare is spiritual now in these times we are upon another condition of Reformation we are reforming the very Reformation and therefore the weapons of our war-fare should be most spiritual are we therefore carnal now in these days then do we walk contrary unto our Profession Secondly Yea though you be a good man yet if you be carnal you do thereby make your self unfit both to do good and receive good Carnality makes you unfit to do good it will hinder the vend of your commodities I think sometimes says Luther to convert all the Congregation but the Auditor
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