his presence in our hearts Seventhly In putting his glory into our hands This is the greatest trust that can possibly be 〈◊〉 into our hands this is more worth than all the world for all the world was made for this end to promote Gods glory Yea it is better than the blood of Christ for the end is better than the means Now the blood of Christ was shed to this end for the glory of God Now then what a great trust is this that is intrusted with you in your hands surely he loves you well that trusts his glory with you Your unworthy walking will more dishonor Christ than any thing in the world beside None can honour Christ as you and none can dishonor him as you let me put in that by the way They that have such a Jewel put into their hands had need be careful I hope by this time you are fully convinced that the love of Christ is a surpassing love Use There are two things that I shall hence presse you to 1. To Remember 2. Answer and imitate this love of Christ. First To Remember this Love O Christians be sure that you never forget such love as this Cant. 1. 4. We will remember thy love more than Wine this is the duty that I am pressing you to thus to remember Christs love Brethren methinks it should be impossible for you to forget such love as this Methinks it should be needlesse to bid you remember this love Let my right hand forget her cunning rather than I should forget the love of Christ. Let my tongue forget to speak rather than not to speak of this love We should sooner forget to eat than for get Christ. And yet how apt are we notwithstanding though we have toâ—… much reason to remember him to have the memory of Christ and his love out of our minds the memory of Christ should be written upon us in Marble and Brasse never to be blotted out Consider this love is a mindful and a memorable love First A mindful love Never had persons so mindful a friend aâ—… we have in Christ our names are ever before him they are engraven upon the palms of his hands He can as soon forget himself as forget us he can as soon forget his heart as forget us Exod. 28. 29. And Aaron shall bear the names of the Children in the breast-place of Judgement upon his heart when he goeth in unto the holy place for a memorial before the Lord continually Here you may see what a mindful friend Christ is for these things were typical of Christ. Observeâ—… 1. The place where the names were to be written upon the breast-place of judgement upon his heart 2. The 〈◊〉 why they were written there For a memorial before the Lord. He hath your names there that he might never forget you 3. Observe the â—…petuity of this for a memorial before the Lord continually And observe these were to be carryed by the high priest before God when he went into the high place Christ hath not forgotten our names now he is gone into the high place You know how it was with the Butler when he was gone into Pharoahs presence he forgot Joseph and all his afflictions But Christ he remembers Joseph and his afflictions all the while though he be in heaven Secondly It is a memorable Love As Moses spake of the night of Israels deliverance it is a night much to be remembered so say I of this love of Christ it is a love never to be forgotten If Christ do bear your names upon his heart methinks that you should ever bear his name upon you hearts The love of Christ is worthy to be for a perpetual memorial upon our hearts And therefore I may say to you of Christ as they of him he is worthy for whom thou shouldest do this Quest. But what kind of remembrance should we have of this love Answ. It must be a feeling and a lasting remembrance First A feeling remembrance it should not be a bare Historical remembrance of Christ but all your affections should be drawn out after Christ. He did not onely remember you his remembrance of you was an affectionate remembrance he hath made it to appear with a witnesse Such should our remembrance of Christ be Secondly A lasting remembrance it should not be at the quickning of a Sermon or the like but an abiding remembrance of him Brethren our remembrance of Christ should be a living remembrance It should be with us as with a loving husband that hath lost his wife it seems that where ever he is she should be with him thus it should be with us we should have Christ ever with us VVhat Solomon speaks of the Law of Christ we should say of the remembrance of Christ. When we go it should lead us when we awake it should talk with us Prov. 26. 22. So Cant. 1. 13. A bundle of Myrrhe is my well-beloved unto me he shall lye all night betwixt my breasts That is say the Dutch Divines the love of my beloved especially of his death and sufferings shall continucially be upon my heart and I will keep it close with me to be my Nose-gay and the like He shall lye between my breasts that is I will keep the remembrance of his love upon my heart to comfort me Secondly As you should remember so you should be careful to imitate and answer his love Beloved as the Apostle says of Gods love to you what manner of love is this c. So it should be said of your love to Christ what manner of love is this that you bear to Christ It should be such a love as that people may be forced to say what manner of love is this that they bear to Christ Labor to have such a love to Christ so great a love as that all other things may be nothing to you in comparison of the love of Christ. And when you have loved Christ as much as you can weep that you can love him no more A SACRAMENTAL Speech grounded on Eph. V. 2. But walk in love as Christ also hath loved us and given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice unto God MY beloved this subject of the love of Christ to sinners is indeed an inconceivable Subject I have been backward to medle with it for how shall I speak of that which I do not know For the love of Christ passeth all knowledge Yet I shall a little open it to you and shall make it appear that the love of Christ is great to his people though I cannot comprehend it in the length and breadth and height and depth of it yet this we may know that he hath a very tender love to us Rev. 1. 5. To him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood Christ hath loved us and would you have a proof of his love to us he hath loved us and washed us He found us in our sins as swine in the mire
of the Family have a great mercy that you live in a Family where you can come twice a day at least to God beyond many others and do you labour to improve it Sixthly Wherein have I denyed my self to day for God Brethren you have not lived like Christians this day if so be you have not used some self-denial to day If thou hast not denied thy flesh but hast given it so much case as it would have and thy Appetite but hast let it have so much as it would and thy tongue but let it go out whither it would thou hast not lived as a Christian. Seventhly Have I redeemed my time from too long and needless visits Idle imaginations fruitless Discourses unnnecessary Sleep morethan needs of the world It is a duty incum bent upon every Christian to redeem his time this hath sate heavy upon the best of Gods servants that they have no more redeemed time now if you would redeem your time there be these time-Robbers and devourers that must be watched First Too long and needless visits Many men are so LONG in their visits that they loose much time of their own and others too whom they go to visit Ask thy heart have not I been too long in such a visit and so steal away others time as well as my own And so for NEEDLESS visits when there is no need be sparing and short in your visits or else you will loose your time and make others to loose their time also Secondly Idle imaginations These steal away our time and we think not of it If this were look'd to how might we grow in grace When a man is on his Journey how might he have good thoughts whereas our hearts are talking of vanity and so in our Shops Thirdly Fruitless Discourse Ask thy heart whether thou hast not failed in this duty what a shame is this that many Christians do come together and scarce any thing of God in their mouths while they be together Fourthly Unnecessary Sleep There is much evil in this when persons do take up so much time in their sleep that there is scarce time left for Religious Duties Fifthly More than needs of the World Men must be very watchfull of this or else the world will Rob them of their time if a man will not use some self-denyal about his worldly occasions but serve God no more than the world will give him leave he shall serve God but little Eighthly Have I done any thing more than ordinary for the Church of God in a time extraordinary Brethren we shall never be able to stand before our own Consciences in the evil day if our hearts cannot acquit us in this that we have put our selves to it more than ordinary for the Church of God You know the troubles of the Church at this day and we should every one of us run with his Bucket and put out this fire God is crying to us as Moses to Aaron Num. 16. 46. Take a Censer and go quickly unto the Congregation and make an attonement for them for there is wrath gone out from the Lord the Plague is begun O let us run for the Tokens of his displeasure are in the land 〈◊〉 your tears that must quench these flames that the Bush the Church is burning in How is it that we do not weep over the Church we sit here at ease through Gods blessing but how is it with the Church of God abroad in the land How far are our hearts from the temper of Gods worthies heretofore It was said of One that when there was any â—…ad news concerning the Church they were fain to conceal it from her least her heart should be overwhelmed with the news of it If we had some certain news that our Estates were at undoing how would we break our sleep and yet how is it that we are so careless of the Church of God! How is it that others are so wounded and sick and ready to die with grief and yet we take so little notice of it It was the saying of One to me I wonder how any can laugh said she when Gods Church is in such distress I beseech you take some more time with God than you were wont to heretofore for the Church of God What if thou didst pray twice a day heretofore and now thou doest pray three times a day once a day the more though but a quarter of an hour to seek to God for the Church and sometimes a whole day it will come in upon thy account when the troubles come upon the Church that thou didst labour with thy Bucket if it were possible to put out the fire Ninthly Have I took care of my Company Many times many of us are very great Loosers by this by vain company to be sure if they do us no other harm they Rob us of our Time and that is no small hurt and therefore fly from their Company as from a Plague-fore Or if sometimes thy Calling do call thee to them yet do not go among them before thou hast Prayed to be delivered from the evil of their Company Tenthly Have not I neglected some Relative Duty to day as of Husband Wife Pa rent Child Master Servant Secondly for your sins First Doth not Sin sit light This is 〈◊〉 cause of no small mischief to our souls this is the cause why Christ is no more 〈◊〉 and the promises no more sweet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sits so light why we can hear the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a common lovely thing and be but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fected with it If thou couldst but 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 sense of sin upon thy spirit this would be a speedy course of preventing sin this is a cutting down of a great limb of sin When a man cuts down a Limb of the Tree a great deal of brush will come down with it and so if thou dost but cut down this Limb let sin sit heavy down comes self and pride and many sins will come down with it How is it that Paul could say O wretched man that I am c. and we are no more distressed with the sense of sin Secondly Am I a Mourner for the sins of the Land My Brethren we have great reason I doubt to check our selves sharply here that when God hath made it so plainly a duty to us and yet we are so little affected with the sins of the Land when God doth set a mark upon them onely for preservation that Cry for all the abominations that are done in the midst of the Land yet we remain insensible Can our hearts acquit us now in this thing O let us never leave our hearts but be checking of them for this If thy name were but wounded it would break thy heart almost and yet how is it that we can hear of Gods name to be dishonoured and yet not break for it Can our hearts witness for us that we do never hear of the blasphemie that is in the land and of the Superstition and
have caused to be printed on purpose for that end I do not doubt but you would find it a happy means for the letting in the light into their souls Psalm 74. 1. O God why hast thou cast us off for ever why doth thine anger smoak against the sheep of thy pasture THis Psalm and particularly these words do contain the Churches sad lamentation over her deep affliction together with her earnest expostulation with God about the cause Two things there are that the Church in these words doth plead with God First The greatness of her Affliction Secondly The nearness of her Relation First The greatness of her Affliction And there were three things in her asfliction that did make it lye very heavy upon her First The root of this affliction and that was Gods anger why doth thine ANGER smoak c. Secondly The height of this affliction God was not only angry but he did smoak in his anger Thirdly The length of this affliction It was so long that God did seem to cast them off for ever Secondly The neâ—…rness of her Relation Against the sheep of thy pasture as if they should have said Lord if thou hadst done this against thine enemies it had been no wonder If thou hadst poured out thy wrath against the vessels of wrath it had not been so much But what wilt thou draw out thy sword against the sheep of thy pasture It were no wonder that thou shouldst take the fat and the strong and pour out thy judgements upon them but wilt thou do it to thy sheep There be several doctrines that I may raise from the words as First Doct. That Gods people are his sheep Second Doct. That God may be sorely angry with his own people With his own sheep Third Doct. That when God is angry with his people it becomes them carefully to enquire into the Cause Fourth Doct. That when Gods people are under affliction they ought to take notice of and be much affected with his anger from which they do proceed Fifth Doct. That Gods people under affliction are or should be more affected with his anger than with their smart This is that the Church doth complain of Not that the Church did so smart but that God was so displeased and angry That did most affect her Six Doct. That Gods people are apt to have misgiving thoughts of God when they are under sore afflictions God was angry with his people and their hearts did misgive them as if God did cast of his people Seventh Doct. That God may be angry with with his people so sore and so long that in the judgement of sence it may seem that they are for ever cast off Eight Doct. That though the people of God may not murmure against his proceedings yet they may humbly expostulate with him about the cause Why doth thine anger smoak against the sheep of thy pasture I have spoken heretofore to the first of these doctrines I shall speak now to the second To wit Doct. That God may be angry and sorely angry with his own people I have already in the audience of some proved this point And answered several questions As first How anger may be ascribed to God secondly How far he may be angry with his own people Thirdly What is the difference between Gods being Angry with his own people with the wicked I shall not respeak any thing of what I have spoken but proceed to a fourthquestion Fourth Question By what signs and evidences may we come to know whether God be angry and here I shall first premise four Propositions then answer the question in six Conclusions First I shall premise these 4 propositions First Proposition That a person or people may verily think themselves to be in Gods favor when they are indeed under his anger and displeasure Second Prop. That neither Gods favor nor his anger can be known meerly by his outward dispensations Third Prop. That Gods anger or favor must be judged of rather by our carriage toward him than by his carriage towards us Fourth Prop. That for the discovering of Gods favor or anger we must consult rather the book of Conscience and of Scripture than the book of providence First Proposition That a person or people may verily think themselves to be in Gods favor when they are indeed under his anger and displeasure This is an awakening consideration and therefore should be duly laid to heart A Church may think her self in a very good and safe condition and yet Jesus Christ may loath it and be ready to spue her out of his mouth As of the Church of the Laodiceans Men may cry to themselves peace and safety when sudden destruction may come upon them And may say Is not the Lord among us No evil can come unto us and yet be upon the very brink of destruction Men may have great hopes of the presence of God with them and yet evidences of Gods departing from them And may cry the temple of the Lord when God is even casting them out of his sight We read of som that had a great deal of confidence of Gods favor they would still lean on the Lord and were consident that he had favor for them and yet the Lord was ready to break out upon them to their destruction Micah 3. 11 12. They build up Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity c. Yet will they lean upon the Lord and say is not the Lord among us None evil can come upon us Therefore shall Zion for your sakes be ploughed as a field They may think that because the ordinances of God are among them that God is among them when God may be turning them up as a field that is ploughed This ought to startle and awaken men Sirs it is not your Confidence but your evidence that will carry it Many times there are none so confident of Gods favor as those that are marked out for the objects of his eternal wrath and displeasure The carnal Jews they would not be beaten out of their carnal confidence And though the prophet told them of the wrath of God that was coming against them yet they would not hear him till wrath came upon them and there was no remedy Second Prop. That neither Gods favor nor his anger can be known meerly by his outward dispensations No man knoweth either Love or hatred by the things that are before him Men have very shrewdly erred by judging of Gods favor or wrath by his outward dispensations When the Psalmist took his mark by this how sorely was his faith shaken and his feet almost gone When he beheld the Godly in affliction and under suppression and the wicked prospering in their wickedness The 73 Psalm gives you a true account what a sad bout he had by this He observed they had no bonds in their death and they were not plagued like other men Their eyes stand out with fatness they have more than heart could wish They
of danger And blessed be God he is not behind hand with you he that owned you in your prison state Brethren how hath God owned you in clearing your cause for which you are suffering here If the Kingdome of heaven be promised to them that suffer for righteousness sake then sure it is promised to you for you are suffering here upon that account And then for your call how sweetly and joyfully did we come hither though God knows we had not enquired into what we entended as to our subsistance here yet God sent us all hither joyfully together and I hope God will send us home as joyfully again But let me shew you in some particulars wherein God hath done more for you then for others as you are prisoners First You are better fed then others Who do live upon the bounty of Gods extraordinary providence like you may not God almighty speak to you as the Apostie to them 1 Cor. 9 7. Who of you goeth a warfare at his own charges VVhen our Saviour sent forth his disciples without scrip or shooes sayes he lacked ye any thing they answered nothing May not we say so if he say to us lacked you any thing we must say no he hath poured out his kindness upon us O how sweetly did the holy prophet think you rellish every bit of meat when God provided every bit so extraordinarily for him 1 Kings 17. 6. And the Ravon brought him bread and flesh in the morning and bread and flesh in the evening God doth not send it to us by a Raven but by friends but all he sends bread and flesh in the morning and bread and flesh in the evening without our care And is not God to be observed in this you know there is a kind of a Famine abroad but God will not have it a Famine here VVho ever wants God will be sure that his prisoners shall not want As the King took care of Jeremiah Jer. 37. 21. Then Zedekiah the King commanded that they should commit Jeremiah to the Court of the prison and that they should give him dayly a piece of bread out of the Bakers-street untill all the bread in the City was spent VVhen Jeremiah was in prison God would be sure that he should not want as long as there was any bread to be had in the City So God commands concerning his prisoners though there be a kind of Famine abroad God will not suffer his prisoners to want Secondly You are better taught than others VVho is like to you O people about whose tents the Mannah raineth not every morning onely but morning and evening week dayes and Sabbath dayes God doth open his door to you and make every day as a Sabbath to you Thirdly You have more promises than others Now there are come in to us a whole shoal of of promises that we would not not so properly claim before 1 Pet. 2. 20. If when you do well and suffer for it you take it patiently this is acceptable with God 1 Pet. 4. 13. 14. Rejoyce in as much as ye are partakers of Christs sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed ye may be glad also with exceeding Joy If you be reproached for the name of Christ happy are ye for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you Jam. 1. 12. Blessed is the man that endureth Temptation for when he is tryed he shall receive the Crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him If you suffer with him you shall also raign with him 2 Tim. 2. 12. Blessed are they that suffer for righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdome of heaven Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsly for my name sake rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven Math. 5. 10 11 12. Time would fail me to go over all those promises that are come in now upon us all at once Oh we are an unthankfull people if all these promises do not raise our faith and joy Is it a light thing my brethren that you should be heirs of the promises Fourthly God hath hath honored you more than others To others with you 't is given to believe but to you 't is given to suffer for his sake which the Apostle reckons up as a step higher than others attain to Philip. 1. 29. Fifthly God hath intrusted you with his honor more than others God hath put more into your hands than into the hands of any other Gods glory is trusted morewith the sufferers of Christ than with any others O be infinitely tender of Gods honor O see that you love him more than others praise him more than others A Sacramental speech grounded on Psalm 40. 7. Lo I come IT is my purpose to speak to you of the coming of the Son Lo I come Now concerning this coming I shall shew you First Who it is that is come Secondly How he is come Thirdly Whence he is come Fourthly Why he is come First Who it is that is come This is the first thing that I shall desire you to consider with reference to the coming of Christ. First The bridegroom is come God sends his Ministers to you with that cry Math. 25. 6. Behold the bridegroom cometh O with what joy doth the Bride receive her Bridgegroom so should believers receive Christ. Arise you Virgins then and come away Awake you virgins this is the call of your Bridegroom Cant. 2. 8. The voice of my beloved behold he cometh c. And what was this voice of her beloved that doth so ravish her heart see verse 10. arise my love my fair one and come away and so ver 13. Christ calls again and again and you should come away Secondly Your King is come God sends his Ministers to you with that glad newes that he put in the Prophets mouth Zach. 9. 9. rejoyce greatly O daughter of Zion behold thy King cometh Brethren this is that which should cause you to rejoyce and shout for joy that your King is come And great reason have for he is a great King and hath salvation with him Luke 19. 9. This day is salvation come to this house Thirdly The deliver is come Rom. 11. 26. Brethren I know good news must needs be welcome to you at such a time as this why hear you then the blesseds news that ever came to the ears of man Luke 2. 10. Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people for unto you is born a Savior which is Christ the Lord. Ah Brethren that the Savior is come the deliverer is come this is the blessedst news that ever man heard Hear what the Lord saith with reference to this in that of the Prophet Isa. 62. 10. 11. He cals upon his people to cast up and prepare the way c. say ye to the daughter of Zion behold thy salvation cometh
bridegroom Secondly as redeemed Captives do their deliverer Thirdly as dutiful subjects do their King First As a Bride doth her Bridegroom This I shall open to you in three particulars First Put off the rayment of your captivity Secondly put on the wedding Garment Thirdly trim up all your Lamps First Put off the rayment of your Captivity If the poor Captive woman were to shave her head and pair ber nails and put off the rayment of her captivity c. Deut. 21. 13. before she was to be married to any one of the Tribes of Israel how much more should you put off the old man and your sinful deeds that are to be married to Christ If so be the Children of Israel were to wash and sanctifie themselves and wash their cloaths when the Lord was to come down upon Mount Sinai Exod. 19. how much more should you when the Lord 〈◊〉 comes down to you you know that Children may not come at their fathers Table with unwashed hands neither must you to eat of the dainties spread in the Gospel Secondly You must put on the wedding garment You will say what is this it is a conjugal love to Jesus Christ. And this is compared to a garment for we are bid to put on charity or love And it s set forth as the best part of the Christian rayment and above all things put on Charity for what more fits a marriage than a conjugal affection you should bring forth your most strong and ardent affections and love to him you should meet him with songs and what songs such as the Psalmist doth Ps. 45. title A song of Loves let your eyes be fixed upon Christ in the Gospel till your eyes affect your heart and while your heart is musing the fire will be kindling where will you bestow your love but where the bridgroom is so lovely Thirdly You should trim up all your Lamps you should snuâ—…f all your lights and trim up all your lamps to go forth to meet him And receive him and feed upon him when he is offered he is held out to you on purpose in the Gospel for you to take and receive him Gal. 3. 1. Foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been ardently set forth crucified among you But you will say was Christ 〈◊〉 in Galatia he was in the preaching of the word he was crucified among them Secondly You must meet him as redeemed captives do their deliverer would you know how this is it is with palms of victory in your hands with garments of salvation with songs of deliverance These are the three things wherein this stands you have all together in Rev. 7 9 10. They were in white robes the garments of Salvation and palms of victory and they had the songs of salvation too ver 10. Oh Brethren if you have any sence of your spiritual bondage and captivity to be the servants of sin under the fear of death under the King of terrors then be glad in your redeemer meet him with songs of praise O how should the high praises of God be heard in your mouths you should meet him as the virgins did David at his return from his victory 1 Sam. 18. 6. with singing and dancing with joy c. Thus should you meet your deliverer you should compass him with songs of praise O my Brethren you that are the redeemed of the Lord look down into the horrible pit and then look up and sing songs to the Lord. O it is a glorious salvation that Christ hath wrought for us How welcome was he to good old Simeon how sweetly doth he hug Christ in his arms and much more you must think in his heart now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation This we have seen we have seen Christ coming to us in the Gospel We have seen him like Sampson pulling down the house about our enemies and carrying away the posts and setting them up as Trophies of his victory It was he that was condemned that you might be freed O let your lips praise him and the souls which he hath redeemed let me call upon with the Psalmist Psalm 98. A psalm on purpose to Jews and Gentiles to sing to the Lord for their deliverance versâ—… 3. He hath remembred his mercy and truth toward the house of Israel all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God And what use doth the Psalmist make of this vers 4. make a joyful noise unto the Lord all the earth c. He goes on calling upon all the Creatures to praise God for this If the Sea must roar and the floods clap their â—…nds how much more should you do it that are the redeemed of the Lord. Thirdly Meet him as dutiful subjects do their King This is the news sent to Zion behold thy King cometh Then meet him as a King receive him with acclamation and praise as they did when Solomon was proclaimed King 1 Kings 1. 39 40. They blew the Trumpet and all the pâ—…oplt said God save the King And the people piped with pipes and returned with great joy so that the earth rent with the sound of them O if they met King Solomon with such joy how should you meet Christ It is another manner of King that comes to you than Solomon was you should say to Christ as they did to Gideon Judg 8. 22. Rule thou over us for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian Thus should you say to Christ rule thou over us for he hath delivered you not from the hand of Midian but from Satan But how should we meet our King prepare the way bow the knee First Prepare the way Math. 3. 3. Christ had his fore-runner going before him that was John saying prepare you the way of the Lord make his paths straight How must the way of the Lord be prepared every Mountain must be brought low c. every Mountain of pride and opposition that are in our hearts must be laid low O if there be such preparing for the King where he is to lodge and go how much more should you for the King of glory where he is to lodge Secondly Bow the knee we read of Joseph and you know he was a type of Christ. that when Pharaoh had exalted him from the prison to such dignity he prepares some to go before him and cry bow the knee So God hath set up Christ and exalted him and given him a name above every name now let me call upon you and my self with you that you bow the knee to him I speak not of the bodily knee it is more than your cap and knee that he requireth He will have you to bow before him O then see that you bow before him see that you do him homage Now your King is set up in another manner than he was upon the Crosse behold your King That is