This Doctrine may be improv'd by way of Information and Exhortation 1. Information 1. All that 's enjoyed out of Christ is only in a Course of common Providence not by Vertue of any Promise because all the Promises are Yea and Amen in Christ They that are without Christ are strangers from the Covenant of Promise Eph. 2.12 In a Christless State they have no more to do with them nor can receive any more Benefit by them than the Devils themselves who are not only reserv'd to Judgment but are partly under Execution Carnal Men have very often a large Portion of this World God brings into their Hands abundantly Job 12.6 He fills their Houses with good Things Chap. 22.18 But as the Holy Ghost says of the Hearts of such Men so it may be said of the best of their Enjoyments they are little worth They are but miserable Comforts because they are not given on the account of Promise therefore given in Wrath and not in Mercy with a Curse and not with a Blessing 2. Legal Promises are out of Date and quite Excluded There are no Promises in force buâ— what are in Christ And therefore no Promises but what are Evangelical for though Christ came to fulfil the Precepts of the Law he came to establish the Promises of the Gospel Do and Live is the Promise of the Old Covenant but this is destroy'd and taken away in Christ and he that attempts to live by doing builds up what Christ destroy'd The Law was indeed Publisht in its full Perfection to the Jews but it was with a gracious Design of subserviency to the Gospel by leading them to Christ that being sensible of their own inability to keep the Law they might fly to him and take Sanctuary in his unspotted Righteousness and compleat Obedience The Law is abus'd when set up to the vacating or weakening of the Covenant of Grace Paul rejects this with abhorrence Gal. 3.21 Is the Law then against the Promises of God God forbid 3. The Promises of God are not founded upon the Performances of the Creature for then they would not be to his Glory by us so much as to our Glory by him The Ancient Believers obtained Promises through Faith Heb. 11.33 And so must we And indeed this is the customary Scripture-way of expressing this Matter Gal. 3.14 That we might receive the Promise of the Spirit through Faith ver 22. That the Promise by Faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe Now whatsoever is by Faith must needs be purely of Grace without the least respect to any worthiness in the Object God does not suppose Qualifications in us but work them and those very Promises which are conditionally propounded as to the Manner of delivering them are absolutely perform'd to those that are interested in them for the same God gives both Repentance and Pardon Grace and Glory 4. The Happy State of a Believer is unalterably sure Psalm 125.1 They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion which cannot be removed but abideth for ever The Reason is plain because the Covenant and Promise of God which is all their Salvation and all their Support can never be removed Isa 54.10 Notwithstanding all our own Threatening Infirmities here is Matter of strong Confidence Grace in us is weak Corruption oftentimes gets the upper hand our Hearts are deceitful the Tempter is very busie but none of these Things shake the Perseverance of the Saints though they should awaken our Caution and persuade our Diligence they should not move us from our Hope because that Word of God is settled in Heaven which concerns our Settlement and Security here on Earth He who requires us to stand fast hath promised that we shall do so and his Promises are not suspended upon uncertain Conditions which may fail but they have their full Ratification in Christ who is always the same A Sun of Righteousness without any Shadow of turning 5. Though a Believer may be stript naked and bare of all his outward Things he cannot be robb'd of his truest Riches he still really abounds when he suffers the greatest need For his most substantial Wealth as well as Life is hid with Christ in God the Promises of God being all confirm'd to him in Christ Upon this account though he be utterly emptied of every Thing in this World that properly belongs to the World he may justly say nevertheless I have all and am full The Testimonies of God are a goodly Heritage and the rejoycing of the Heart in the Total Deprivation of External Comforts This will explain that Paradox of the Apostle 2 Cor. 8.10 As having nothing and yet possessing all Things though we have nothing in Hand yet we have all Things in hope what we want in Possession is infinitely made up by Promise To have our Portion of Goods in our own Hands as the Prodigal had is dangerous we may spend it or lose it but to have a Stock in God's Hands is safe 't is a Treasure which faileth not The Poor of this World have a blessed Recompence if Rich in Faith James 2.5 In this Case good Bills and Bonds which will all be paid whenever there is occasion are a far better Estate than ready Money which Private or Publick Thieves may break through and Steal from us 6. Special Ordinances are special Priviledges The Preaching of the Word is an Ordinance that lies open and common to all and this is a considerable Priviledge for how should Men be brought to believe without the Word of Faith But Sacraments which are limited and confin'd in their Administration to select peculiar Persons are much more considerable being sensible Signs for the Confirmation of our Faith when it is wrought in us Among the many Advantages which the Israelites of Old had above all other People the Apostle reckons up the Covenants and the Promises Rom. 9.4 I do not know any Thing to the contrary but that the Covenants there may be meant of the two Seals of the Covenant under the Old Testament Circumcision and the Passover to which we have our correspondent Seals under the New Testament for Circumcision particularly is called not only a Token of the Covenant but the Covenant in their Flesh who were Circumcised Gen. 17.13 Now all Sacraments are visible Promises God holds forth to our very sight what may serve for the Encouragement of our Faith and the directing of our Hearts to Christ on whom we Believe II. Exhortation 1. Come to God in Christ for the Performance of his Promises to you Two Things lye in this one 1. Plead the Promises with God lay hold of them and humbly challenge your share in them Put him in remembrance of what he hath said Psalm 119.49 Remember thy Word unto thy Servant c. 1 Chron. 17.26 27. Thou art God and hast promised this goodness to thy Servant now therefore let it please thee to bless c. Do not say what have I a
he never will have the Honour of our perfected Sanctification except he enables us to hold on in the way that we have enter'd 4. 'T is necessary that Christ should secure us in our Way to Glory because 't is his Business to receive us into the Possession of that Glory at the close of all John 14.3 If I go and prepare a Place for you I will come again and receive you to my self c. The Reception of departing Souls to Heaven at Death is the Act of Christ and so is the Sentencing of them to an Eternal Abode in Heaven at the general Judgment 2 Tim. 4.8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that Day c. But who shall there be to wear this Crown if Christ do not keep them in the way of Righteousness till that Day comes Mat. 25.34 Then shall the King say unto them on the Right Hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom c. But where will any such Persons be found if abandon'd by Christ while they are here in this World This is to be the Portion of Christ's Sheep indeed but the Wolf will have scatter'd them all if he do not defend them before that Time There will be no Heirs to this Inheritance unless he that bought it for them take Care that they may not alienate it from themselves 5. The Wisdom of God is hereby seen in a most shameful baffling of the Devil Though all the Posterity of the first Man are utterly weaken'd and disabled by Sin yet the Man Christ Jesus is become a Fountain of spiritual Strength to his own Seed The Devil Triumpht over the Old Adam as having cast down many wounded in the foiling of that one but here is a second Adam assuming the very same Nature that Triumphs over him and helps us to Triumph also Flesh and Blood was conquer'd by him in Paradice but here is a Partaker of Flesh and Blood that puts him to flight Though Man alone could not grapple with him but fell by his first assault yet God-man hath bruis'd him under our Feet and given us a firmer standing The Devil must now pull down the Banners which he had set up because his Head is broken by the Woman's Seed One that once dwelt among us in such an House of Clay as we do hath deliver'd us from him and fortified us against him Though he gave us a Mortal blow in our first Parents here 's the Son of Man hath quicken'd us again and is the Strength of our Life 6. Believers could not have a better Security than that whereof there hath been a visible Experiment in the Person of Christ himself His Strength is a tryed Strength if it had not been enough for us it had failed him but if it sustained him in so difficult a Work against so much Resistance both from Earth and Hell we cannot fear its falling short Christ had a Work upon his Hands that all the Angels in Heaven could not have done and yet he went through it Christ was tempted in all Points like as we are and a great deal more than we are yet the Tempter could fasten nothing upon him He never flinch't from what he undertook but pursued his first Engagement till all Things foretold concerning him had an End Isa 50.5 The Lord God hath opened my Ear and I was not Rebellious neither turned away back He went on though there was a Lion in his Way the Roaring Lion yea though God himself came forth with his drawn Sword of Justice as an Adversary against him for our sakes This may give us the more Encouragement to believe that he can and will keep us also from going back V. Vse Several Things are to be learnt as Truths and urg'd as Duties from this Doct. Some Things for the informing of Judgment and others for the directing of the Practice I. Information 1. What a wretched Case must they be in that are out of Christ The Apostle calls them unstable Souls that are easily beguil'd and how can they be otherwise 2 Pet. 2.14 The Devil does with them as he will carries them whither he pleases for there can be nothing to hinder him where the Power of Christ does not rest upon their Persons Such as partake not of the Root that do not derive a Vertue from thence are like dead Branches or wither'd Leaves which may hang on for a Time but will certainly be blown off by some Wind or other Hypocrites that are in Christ by outward Profession only are like Meteors which glitter and blaze a while but they are soon spent and tumble to the ground but the Stars in Christs Right Hand Rev. 1.16 cannot do so They that belong to Christ have their Preservation from him but 't is no wonder to hear that all others miscarry Those that thou gavest me I have kept and none of them is lost but the Son of Perdition John 17.12 And this Son of Perdition was none of them not given in order to Salvation but Apostleship That goodness which Christ does not establish must needs be as a Morning Cloud no Creature can escape a fall that stands upon its own Bottom All counterfeit Graces plausible Duties fair Shews and false Joys will vanish and come to nothing because the Persons whose they are are separated from Christ and have no Strength or Support by him 2. This discovers the Reason of the Difference which there is oftentimes between one Believer and another Their Strength is not in themselves but in Christ and from him it is variously communicated and dispens'd according as he sees good Hence it is that they who have obtain'd like precious Faith are not equally strong in Faith and they that are risen up to greater Attainments come short sometimes as to spiritual Acts. Some that have been best furnisht with the Habits of Grace have at particular Season been most defective in the very Exercise of Grace and betray more than others of their own Corruption Weaker Christians have done better in resisting of some Temptations than such as have been a great deal stronger The Women that followed Christ though the weaker Vessels denied not Christ as Peter did though a more eminent Disciple for though Christ pray'd that his Faith might not fail he did not Pray that he might not faulter It was said to the Church of Philadelphia Thou hast a little Strength and hast kept my Word and hast not denied my Name Rev. 3.8 The weakest Christians will stand with Christ help and the strongest cannot stand without it 3. This shews how there comes to be such a Difference and inequality in the same Believer at several Times Sometimes he withstands a greater Temptation and at other Times is foil'd by a lesser because no Man not the best of Men prevails by his own Strength but according as Strength is given out from Christ to succour and assist him
145.14 The Lord upholdeth all that fall c This seems a Paradox indeed for how should they fall if he upholds them Ans He upholds them so far that they shall not utterly sink and he will take Care to raise them up again do not reckon your selves destroy'd tho' cast down The ransomed of the Lord may be carried Captive into a Land of Enemies but they shall return and come to Sion with Songs and Everlasting Joy upon their Heads Isa 35.10 3. Take heed of scornful or censorious despising of weaker Brethren If he that deals to every Man his measure of spiritual Strength hath afforded more to you and less to some others in the World do not lift up your selves above them Boast not against the Branches those that are inferiour to thy self for thou bearest not the Root but the Root thee Rom. 11.18 If Jesus Christ were not more liberal to you than to them your Soul would be in their Soul's Case Judge not those who are upright in their Hearts though they do err in lesser Points the Holy Ghost says they shall be holden up for God is able to make them stand Chap. 14.4 Trample not upon them that are most bowed down with a Spirit of Infirmity There is a respect to be paid to God's halting Jacob's and his Lame Mephibosheths The greatest and the least of Saints are both depending Creatures and therefore should carry themselves with all Modesty and Meekness one towards another He who establisheth us with you in Christ is God 2 Cor. 1.21 4. Make no Promises of Perseverance in your own Strength Learn the contrary of the Psalmist in the Text who first makes his Request Let thy Hand be c. Then expresses his Resolution So will not we c. If we Vow continuance with Christ in all Temptations and intend to pay what we Vow we must not Account our selves capable of Payment without Assistance from Christ No Man hath Grace enough to be his own Keeper or to execute any Purpose of that sort unless he be still receiving more Grace from Christ's Fulness A Thing well resolv'd is half done but we can never resolve well unless we do it in the Strength of Christ Mic. 4.5 We will walk in the Name of the Lord our God for ever and ever A Phrase which does at once import two Things that should go together attendance on God's Service and reliance on his Power 5. Look to your Faith as the principal Grace which contributes to your Establishment Isa 7.9 If you will not believe surely you shall not be established The contrary is implyed If you do believe you surely shall be The Scripture says more than once That by Faith we stand Rom. 11.20 2 Cor. 1.24 Which is more than is any where said of any other Grace and the Reason is evident 1. Because Faith is the uniting Grace and 't is Vnion with Christ which is the ground of our Safety 2. 'T is the receiving Grace that whereby we do not only receive Christ himself but all from Christ and 't is by Vertue of Strength receiv'd that we are able to stand This is the Grace whereby we do not only receive from Christ at first but whereby we must be receiving from him all along for we renew our Strength by waiting upon God Isa 40. ult Which is a Scripture-Phrase for Faith and Patience together It is the blessedness of those whose Strength is in God that their Strength is still increasing they go from Strength to Strength Psalm 84.5 7. But without Faith there 's no such Blessedness to be had the Unbeliever hath no Strength but what is in himself a meer seeming Strength and therefore a perishing declining Strength for from him that hath not what he seems to have shall be taken away 6. Exercise Faith upon Christ especially in Times of great Temptation and general Defection Never think to stand long if you stand loose from Christ but keep your hold of him and stick close to him and then you will be able to stand fast and having done all to stand whatever assaults are made upon you whatever Apostacies are committed by others continue touching him and Vertue will still come out of him Make your Nest in this Rock when the Devil blows with his Wind when Paul was buffeted with the Messenger of Satan he besought the Lord that it might depart and though that was not immediately granted yet he had a very satisfactory Answer My Grace is sufficient for thee my Strength c. 2 Cor. 12.7 8 9. If it be a Time wherein the Faith of many is Shipwrackt and overthrown Holy Trust in Christ will be an Anchor to the Soul sure and stedfast When many of Christs Disciples went back and he put the Question to them Will you also go away Peter cryes Lord to whom shall we go to whom besides thee John 6.66 67 68. 7. Do not arrogate the Honour of your standing in Christ and abiding with Christ in the least measure to your selves Let Christ have all the Glory of your setting out and holding out let him have it now and let him have it at the Last Ascribe all to him who is able to keep you from falling who alone could do it and hath done it Jude 24.25 Christ is the Person there meant for the Presentation of Believers faultless in the great Day belongs to him Say to him Lord by thy Favour thou hast made my Mountain to stand strong which else had been remov'd and carried away long since thou hast made me a Pillar in thy Temple else I had waver'd and gone out again as well as others When you Live and when you Dye acknowledge this to your Redeemers Praise SERMON IX March 24. 1696. JUDGES XVI xx last Clause And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him THE Person whom these Words concern was the Twelfth of those Judges from whom this Book receives its Name as being the History of the Common-wealth of Israel during their successive Administrations He was one that had an extraordinary Presence of God with him which stirr'd him up to and made him successful in very great and wonderful Undertakings So we read That the Spirit of the Lord began to move him Chap. 13.25 And came mightily upon him Chap. 14.6 And again Chap. 15.14 The first Miscarriage whereby he forfeited his Priviledge was his Conversation with the Harlot at Gaza and yet God was pleas'd by his special Assistance to let him escape the Danger which that Sin brought him into ver 1 2 3. of this Chapter The second Debauchery prov'd more fatal viz. the letting out of lustful Affections to Dalilah a Woman in the Valley of Sorek ver 4. This Sin was followed with others as the telling of three deliberate repeated lies ver 7 11 13. And at last consenting to the Violation of his solemn Vow as a Nazarite by the shaving of his Head ver 17. One would think from the discovery of such
an important Secret that he had been bereaved of common Prudence when there were such plain Reasons to suspect a persidious Design but so God rightly order'd that the Folly should be a Punishment of the Sin and that both should make way for his further Suffering For assoon as this was done his Strength went from him ver 19. His Strength seems to be a peculiar Gift to him which was to be continued upon the Condition of keeping his Hair uncut and so that Condition being broken this Gift was recall'd Yet the strange Presumption and Stupidity of Smpson after all this may be Matter of Astonishment to us of which we have an Account in this 20th ver When Dalilah comes to rouse him with the usual Cry The Philisines are upon Thee See 1. His Presumption He awoke out of his Sleep and said I will go out as at other Times before and shake my Self How could he imagine this when he himself had said that if he were shaven he should become Weak and like another Man How could he expect to do as he had done when he had so positively foretold his own Fate Therefore 2. See his Stupidity And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him He said what he did upon a sudden at his first awaking before he found how he was betray'd besore he perceiv'd that his Locks were cut off and before he consider'd what the Consequents of that would be He was not instantly apprehensive of the Misery of his Case through God's just abandoning of him but depended on the same Assistance which he had formerly receiv'd till he felt the contrry by woful Desertion It is a lamentble Truth which these Whords do teach us but yet a Truth which is prositable to be known Obs There may be sad Departures of God from Believers themselves of which for a while they may remain insensible Sampson was not only an eminent Type of Christ in whom the Power of God was gloriously displayed 1 Cor. 1.24 But is also reckon'd among those Old Testament worthies Heb. 11.32 Of whom 't is said notwithstanding their various sinful Infirmities That these all obtained a good Report through Faith ver 39. And therefore this general Doctrine may be built on this Particular Example In handling of it I. What are those Departures of God which even Belivers are incident to II. What are the Causes and Occasions of them III. What are the Essects which sollow thereupon IV. How far may Believers be insensible hereof V. HOw comes it to pass that they are so Vi. Use I. What are those Departures of God from Believers which they are lyable to and sometimes exercis'd with There are Three Things which must be distinctly enquir'd into with Respect to this Point 1. What are they as to the Kind 1. Not a Loss of the Favour of God Psalm 89.33 My Loving Kindness will I not utterly take from him c. 'T is brought in with a nevertheless after he had spoken of the visiting of Transgression with the Rod ver 32. God's sharpest Corrections for Sin are no Arguments of his Alienation from the Person when his Hand goes forth with most Severity against us his Heart may be still towards us as much as ever So Isa 54.10 The Mountains shall depart c. but my Kindaess shall not depart from thee The Mountains are the most solid and lasting Parts of this lower Creation yet they may and shall be remov'd they may by violent Eruptions be carried into the midst of the Sea they shall be overturn'd at the End of the World but the Love of God is Everlasting and Vnmoveable Where 't is once fixt 't is never to be taken away neither Things present not to come shall be able to separate us from it If the foresight of our Sins did not prevent it Sins actually committed shall not displace it If God bear such a good-will to unbelieving Sinners for the first fulsilling of the Work of Faith in us is a Fruit and Evidence of his Love to us we cannot reasonably suppose that it should afterwards cease to sinning Believers 2. 'T is a withdrawing of the Spirit of God not in Regard of real Fresence but manifest Influence 1. The real Presence of the Spirit is not withdrawn for this is constant and perpetual Both its Constancy and Perpetuity I conceive to be intimated John 14.17 He dwelleth with you and shall be in you Where he once makes his abode he always settles it he is not an uncertain Guest but a resolv'd In habitant Believers have the Spirit when they cannot discern that they have him for they would be no longer Believers if they were without the Spirit We must be cut off from Christ if the Spirit should be taken from us for our Union with Christ is maintain'd and secur'd by the indwelling of the Spirit 1 John 3.24 Hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us This is a continued Priviledge upon which others depend for we are no louger the Members of the Lord Jesus than we are the Temples of the Holy Ghost 2. The manifest Inftuence of the Spirit may be withdrawn though his Residence be not alter'd his Operations may be interrupted in Three Respects as to Gifts Graces and Comforts 1. In Respect of Gifts These receive the Name of spiritual Gists not only from their Nature but from the Spirit as the Author for how various soeverthey be they all flow from him as their common Fountain There are diversities of Gifts but the same Spirit 1 Cor. 12.4 Now they that are possest of these Gifts will fsind them withering and decaying and be as though they had none when the Spirit of God withholds that actual Influence which gives Life and Vigour to them With what stammering Lips do we speak when he is not with our Mouths What poor ignorant Babblers are we when he does not enrich us in Utterance and Knowledge 2. In respect of Graces As the Habits of Grace are infused so the Actings of Grace are assisted by the Spirit and the most strong and lively Christians are very feeble and languid when he keeps back his quickening Helps The being of Grace is the Effect of the Spirits planting the springing of Grace is the Effect of his Watering The choicest Vine will yield but sorry Grapes like the shrivell'd Fruits of a dry Tree when God Commands the Clouds that they do not Rain upon it In such a Case though the Seed of God remain in a Believer 1 John 3.9 Yet what he bring forth is always ready to Dye 3. In respect of Comforts All Consolation is the Work of the Spirit which is certainly more or less according as he affords or abates his Testimony When he sheds abroad the Love of God in the Heart there is abounding Hope and a full Tide of spiritual Joy Rom. 5.5 When he refuses or forbears to do this there 's a black Cloud upon all our Evidences
own Conceits God will disable those from doing any thing praise-worthy that give not him the Praise 4. The setting up of Duties in the room of Christ This we are exceeding apt to do Disciples need to Learn that Lesson of being Converted and becoming as little Children Mat. 18.3 It was very truly said by Mr. Rutherford that Deadness to good and gracious Works and lively Activity in the Performance of them seldom meet together high Degrees of inherent Holiness and a full devolving of the Soul upon Christ's imputed Righteousness rarely Kiss each other 'T is well where they do but 't is a Provocation to God to abandon us where they do not If we would run in the way of God's Commandments we must remember that it is not of him that runneth if we would be assisted in the Duties of Obedience we must bear it upon our Hearts that we can never be entitled to Heaven by them We forfeit the Spirit of Faith if we imagine that Faith it self the noblest of all Graces does enrich us any otherwise than as a Vessel which holds the Treasure Sicut olla paecuniis referta hominem locupletat Calv. 5. Spiritual Sloth is another Cause in the disuse of Gifts not exercising of Grace and neglect of Duty This is the contrary extream to that Self-Confidence mention'd before as that was a Conceit that we could do all Things in our own Strength this is to sit still and do nothing We must stir up the Gift which is in us if we would preserve it God uses to help the Industrious but he abhors the Sluggard Seneca a sober Heathen calls Idleness the Grave of a Living Man Dr. Arrowsmith an Holy Divine stiles it the Hell of a Living Christian We hazard the taking away of our Talents when we do not employ them To let our Graces lye asleep is not the way to nourish but to starve them Many have almost lost the Spirit of Prayer by the restraining of Prayer Arise and be doing and the Lord will be with thee 1 Chron. 22.16 If we leave God to do all God will leave us to our selves if we fold our Hands together we cannot expect that his should be stretcht out for our Assistance 6. Sleightness and Formality A sincere Believer who is so in the Main and Acts as such for the most Part may yet sometimes imitate the Hypocrite too much i.e. his Heart may be too little engag'd in approaching unto God We too often pour out Words in Prayer without suitable Affections too often attend on God's Word without bending our Minds to it or taking heed how we hear Now by our resting so much in the outward Forms of Religion we lose the Spirit of Power by going in a Road of Duty and performing this or that Act of Worship because we are accustomed to do it we put our selves out of the Way of Divine Influences When we do not serve God with our Spirits we may well expect to be depriv'd of his Spirit when we do not seriously and earnestly pursue Communion with God in Duties how can we expect to enjoy any We put off God with a little bodily Exercise God puts off us with a visible Church-Priviledge we lift up our Hands in the Sanctuary without our Souls he lets us see nothing of his Power and Glory there 7. Worldliness and Carnality The minding of Earthly Things clips the Wings wherewith we should mount up towards Heaven So far as we are joyned to such Idols we may look to be separated from God we open our Bosoms to them and he hides his Face from us Hence it is that that Condition of Life which does most please and gratifie the Flesh does most expose to the withdrawings of the Spirit because when our Portion of good Things in this Life is very large we are very prone to rejoyce inordinately in it and when the World smiles much upon us we commonly grow fond of the World Therefore a low or afflicted State hath been oftner bless't with sweet incomes from Heaven than the height of Prosperity 2 Cor. 1.5 As the Sufferings of Christ abound in us so our Consolation also aboundeth by Christ some have enjoy'd so much of God in Prisons as that Martyr in Bonner's Coal-hole that they have been unwilling to receive their Liberty But 't is very usual that according to what Men gain in Temporals they lose in Spirituals 8. Base and sinful Compliances for the avoiding of outward inconveniencie This is as great an Offence to the Spirit of Christ as Peter once was to Christ himself in a like Case The affording of a Man's Presence at false Worship may justly provoke God to deny his wonted Communications to us when we are joyning in the true If a Man partake of the Table of Devils what Divine Fellowship can he look for at the Table of the Lord The woful declinings of many Persons who have been meerly led by Fear to Build up what they formerly destroy'd have been too plain a Testimony to this Truth Sulpitius the Historian who liv'd with St. Martin tells us that after he had joyn'd in Communion with Ithacius the persecuting Bishop through the Threatenings of the Emperor Maximus there was a remarkable Suspension of those Influences and Graces for which he was eminent before Dr. B. Answer to Letter of the Ass Gen. p. 29. The best Way to retain the Spirit is to retain our Integrity whatever we hazard by it 9. Vnbelieving Dejection wilfully indulg'd There is a saying of the Hebrew Doctors mentioned by Drusius Spiritus Sanctus non residet super hominem moestum the Holy Spirit does not delight to dwell with one of a Sorrowful Spirit and 't is in great measure true The Spirit of God is not a Spirit of heaviness 't is no Pleasure to him to see any of his Saints go mourning and bowed down when their Hearts should rather be lifted up in the ways of God Nehemiah was sore afraid when the King took Notice of the sadness of his Countenance Chap. 2.2 And Mordecai would not enter the Court-gates with his Sackcloath on Esth 4.2 An Holy Joyful Frame and Garments of Praise are always comely for Upright ones and most acceptable unto God As David's Musick drove away the Evil Spirit that troubled Saul so Christian Alacrity not vain and foolish Levity is a means of having the good Spirit to abide with us Hardening our selves in Sorrow is giving Way to Unbelief the Sin of which he especially reproves SERMON X. April 7. 1696. JUDGES XVI xx last Clause And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him 10. REjecting the Present Motions of the Spirit which ought to be instantly embrac'd and followed All the Spirits Motions are seasonable and therefore not to be put off for Delay is a kind of denial and savours of such ungrateful Contempt as must needs be very displeasing to him When thou saidst Seek ye my Face my Heart said unto thee thy Face will I
threatned with the burning Furnace Dan. 3.17 Our God is able to deliver us and he will deliver us Be satisfied that he who is able to save will actually save those that cast themselves upon him SERMON XXIV October 15. 1697. HEBREWS VII xxv Therefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make Intercession for them II. AS to the Evidence which the Apostle brings to prove his Assertion by The Eternal Life and Intercession of Jesus Christ in Heaven Here we are to consider three Things viz. The Life of Christ in Heaven His Intercession there And the Objects of it or Persons on whose behalf he lives and intercedes First The eternal Life of Christ in Heaven In opening of this we should shew That he lives and that he lives for ever and how the Conclusion of his being able to save is built and founded hereupon 1. That Christ lives not only as he is the living God Hebr. 3.12 and so eternal Life is essential to his Deity 1 John 1.2 15 20. but he lives as Mediator and that very Life which he laid down as Man he hath taken up again and possesses it now more advantagiously than before This was the grand Controversie in the Apostolical Times between the Jews and Christians so Festus represents it to Agrippa as a Quarrel about one Jesus who was dead whom Paul affirmed to be alive Acts 25.19 The Jews would have him to be really in the State of the Dead still and that his Disciples stole him out of the Grave to give Reputation to their new Doctrine but the Apostles were Witnesses of his Resurrection and preached this where-ever they preach'd the Gospel for indeed the whole Gospel would be but an empty Fable without it If Christ were not alive what 's become of the Type of the Living Bird in the cleansing of the Leper that was let loose into the open Field Lev. 14.7 What 's become of the Type of the Scape Goat that was sent away into the Wilderness Chap. 16.21 How have these things received their Accomplishment but in the Life of Jesus It was as necessary for our Consolation and Salvation that Christ should live as that he should die The meer Death of Christ would profit us nothing could be no support to us if he had continued under the Power of Death Therefore as old Jacob was transported with Joy when he heard that Joseph was alive Gen. 45.26 28. So Job in the midst of his Afflictions triumph'd and glorifie in this I know that my Redeemer liveth Job 19.25 2. That he ever lives When our Lord speaks of his Death it was matter of stumbling to the Jews because say they we have heard out of the Law that Christ abideth for ever John 12.34 but they erred not knowing the Scripture This was not be understood in opposition to his dying but as consequent upon it for after his Death and notwithstanding his Death this was to be made good that he should abide for ever So we find our Lord himself from Heaven expounding it to John Rev. 1.18 I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore The Life which Christ lived upon Earth was a mortal temporary perishing Life as ours is for he took part of our Flesh and Blood in the same poor and miserable Circumstances as we do but the Life which he now lives in Heaven is of another sort of a more permanent and durable Nature So Rom. 6.9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more Death hath no more Dominion over him He cannot die a second time as Lazarus did who after his first Death was raised again and died again as the Body of his Humiliation even when dead saw no Corruption so his glorified Body with which he sits at the Right Hand of God can never see Death His present Life is such an one as swallows up mortality 3. How is the Inference of Christ's being able to save grounded here upon his Living for ever Answer Very strongly for the saving Power of Jesus Christ shines forth most illustriously in him as living Rom. 5.10 Being reconciled by his Death we shall be much more saved by his Life So Chap. 8. 34. Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is raised again c. If Christ had been held by the Bands of Death or if it had been possible for him so to be held it had been impossible for him to be the Author of Salvation to any our Faith in him had been vain and our hope as a Spiders Web whereas now 't is firm and establish'd stedfast and unmoveable considering that Jesus Christ since his ignominious accursed Death is raised up to such a Blessed and Glorious Life This gives us mighty encouragement in several respects For 1. If Christ had not been able to save he could not have conquer'd Death as he hath done This one Victory which he hath obtained over that Enemy is a signal demonstration of his Power The Grave would have detained him and must kept him as the legal Executioner of Justice if he had not finish'd the Work of our Salvation as to the purchasing part and done all in dying once He could not be discharged till he had answer'd all Demands and when they were answer'd he could be under Arrest no longer but the Prosecution must cease When the Debt was paid it would have been false Imprisonment for Jesus Christ to remain in the Custody of Death on the other hand his reviving and breaking loose from those Restraints shews that all the Obstacles of our Salvation are taken out of the way Therefore if we suspect his Ability to save we must with the Jews disbelieve his rising again and look upon him no otherwise than as a dead Man to this very day 2. Our eternal Life is inseperably connected with the Life of Christ 'T is as certain that he is our Life as that he himself lives Col. 3.4 he will not Live and Reign without us but we shall Reign in Life by him He does not live meerly for himself but for us as he did not die for himself but only for us He lives as a publick Person a second Adam in whom all that belong to him shall be made alive as a quickning Head to his whole Body and to every Member in particular John 14.19 Because I live you shall live also He asserts our Life in conjunction with his own for his Life and the Life of those that are united with him cannot be divided 2 Cor. 13.4 He though Crucified through weakness lives by the Power of God so we likewise though weak shall live with him by vertue of the same Power Hence it is that the Apostle makes the great Doctrine of Christ's Resurrection to stand or fall with the Resurrection of Believers 1 Cor. 15.15 16. Whom God raised not up if so be that the