that ever in the way of their preaching pronounced so many Blessings as Christ did He begins blessing Blessed are the poor and Blessed are those that mourn and Blessed are those that hunger and thirst and Blessed are those that are persecuted for my Names sake Blessed are those that hear the Word of God and keep it He took little children into his arms and Blest them Do but mark in all the Gospel how frequent Christ was in Blessing never in Cursing more frequent in blessing than ever any Preacher was in all his Sermons What 's the reason of this Because this work of Blessing the people is a work wherein the Lord Jesus Christ our High-Priest is much delighted a work whereunto he is most in clined Well But doth he do it Quest 4 Yes He doth do it and doth it fully Answ The same place that I named will prove it the 1. of the Ephesians and the 3. verse Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in beavenly places IN Christ Nor only meritoriously but by the hand of Christ And saith he He hath done it with all spiritual blessings and he hath done it by Jesus Christ You will say We don't see that men are thus blest by Christ Oject for where Christ blesseth he doth not only wish well and good unto a wan but he bestoweth it yea he doth not only bestow good but he doth increase and multiply But upon this account how few are there in the world that are blest by Christ For Answer Answ 1 It is a hard thing sometimes unto a Christian for to discern-this Blessing of Christ Ye can see the Boughs Fruit Body Bark of the Tree but if ye will see the Root ye must dig and take pains for to see it it 's an easie thing to see the Leaves c. but if you would see the Root ye must dig and take pains for it This Blessing of Jesus Christ it is the Root of all and if you will see this you must dig and take pains to see it it does not lie open to every ones view The Lord Jesus Christ our High-Priest does not Blesse as man blesses and so his Blessing is very much hidden from our eyes he does not blesse as we do he does not bless as the world does if the world sees a Rich man it pronounces him blessed Oh! there 's a blessed man and there 's a happy man what an excellent Dwelling hath he how healthful his Table is spread c. The world blesses Rich men pronounces them Happy and blessed But our Lord Jesus Christ he does as Jacob did when Joseph brought his two Sons to Jacob to be blest by him he set Ephraim the younger at the left hand of Jacob and he set Manasses the elder at the right hand of Jacob that Jacob might give the right-hand blessing to the Elder and the left-hand blessing to the Younger but when Joseph had set them thus before Jacob Jacob crosses hands and he turns the right-hand blessing to the Younger So two men are brought before Christ a Rich man it may be and a Poor man and in the eye of the world the Rich man must carry the blessing Oh! but our Lord Christ he crosses hands and he laies the blessing upon the younger brother many times And so in regard of Ordinances Two sorts of Ordinances are brought before Christ Gods Ordinance and Mans Ordinance and Mans Ordinance in the eye of the world is the Elder brother and Gods Ordinance the Younger brother and both these are brought before Christ for a blessing and the Ordinance of Man is set at the right hand of Christ by the world but the Lord Christ he crosses hands and he laies the blessing upon the younger brother in this respect And so two men are brought before him a proud Pharisee and a poor broken-hearted sinner the Pharisee comes unto the right-hand of Christ thinks for to carry the blessing but the Lord Christ crosses hands laies the right-hand blessing upon the poor broken-hearted sinner and passes by the proud Pharisee The Lord Christ doth not blesse as the world blesseth Again As he doth not Bless as the World Blesseth Answ 2 so he doth not Bless alwaies as Professors Bless Professors they do ordinarily Blesse men according unto their outward Priviledges Gospel and Church-Priviledges Oh! saies the woman unto Christ Blessed is the womb that bare thee and blessed are the paps that gave thee suck Christ crosses hands Nay but saies Christ Blessed are those that hear the word of God and keep it and do my Commandements You blesse according to Outward Priviledges I don't go that way of blessing saies Christ He does not blesse as Professors blesse alwaies Thirdly He does not blesse as Godly men do blesse alwaies Answ 3 as Gracious men blesse not alwaies For you that are Godly you pronounce such a man blessed as hath much Grace and hath Assurance of the love of God in Christ and one that hath strong and great Parts and able to carry away whole Sermons word for word and of strong Memory and large Gifts that are head and shoulders above their fellows But the Lord Jesus Christ does not alwaies blesse thus Blessed are the poor in spirit saies he Blessed are those that mourn He don't say Blessed are those that rejoyce or Blessed are those that have the Assurance of Gods love or Blessed are those that are strong in grace No but doest thou know a poor weak Christian a mourning soul like a dove of the vallies saies the Lord I blesse him Thus I say the Lord Jesus Christ our great High-Priest he does not Blesse as We blesse he does not blesse as the World blesses he does not blesse alwaies as Professors blesse he does not blesse alwaies as Godly men Blesse and therefore no wonder that his Blessing is hidden Children when they are very young are often blest by their Parents and they don't mind it or take notice of it children of two or three year old And so it is with many a gracious soul blessed by Jesus Christ and don 't take notice of their fathers blessing But the Lord Christ doth alwaies blesse his people only there are several times speciall seasons that he gives out his blessing let me tell ye of those times a little that so ye may come for his blessing while his hand is in as it were so that you may be crowned with spiritual blessings in and from Jesus Christ First When Christ our High-Priest doth see that a man is weak in Grace or weak in Gifts and hath some work or service for him to do some imployment to call him forth unto then the Lord Christ doth Blesse him There are Two times especially as I remember that the Lord speaks those words concerning man Increase and Multiply Once in the beginning when he had made man and woman And once in the 9.
numbers the people the people being numbered a plague breaks forth the plague prevailing David goes and offers up a sacrifice at the threshing flowre of Ornan and there God told him the temple should be built David had a long time desired to know where the Temple should be built he saies he would give no rest unto himself no sleep unto his eye-lids until he had found out a place for God you shall find that David had this place discovered as the issue of this temptation this was the issue of it the Devil had as good have let David alone he had as good have been quiet for David now had the end the issue attain'd unto that that he never did attain unto before So I say it is with the people of God the Lord never suffers his own children to fall into any sin but he does intend to wean them from that sin that they do fall into even by the falling into it the Lord never suffers any of his own children to be tempted but he intends to break the back of that temptation even by their being tempted This is the design of God the father Oh! what a glorious design of love and mercy is here upon all the temptations of Gods people But God hath yet greater Answ 2 and higher designs The Manifestation of his own Power of his own Wisdom of his own Faithfulness of his own Love and Free grace The manifestation of his Power When Paul was tempted and buffeted by Satan the Lord said unto him That his sirength should be perfected in weakness in Pauls weakness Gods strength should be perfected The manifestation of his Wisdom The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation saies the Apostle The manifestation of his Faithfulness In the 1 Cor. 10.13 The Lord is faithful and will not suffer ye to be tempted above what ye are able to bear The manifestation of his Free-love and grace And therefore when Paul was tempted and bufferted by Satan and prayed against his temptation the Lord answered thus My grace is sufficient for thee But in regard of the Saints themselves How should they give a Probate or Testimony of their uprightness and sincerity their firm and fast cleaving to God if they were never tempted reade for this purpose the 13. of Deuteronomy and the 2. and 3. verses Before Job was tempted Satan thought that Job had served God for a boone for something Hast thou not seen my servant Job saies God I saies Satan but does Job serve God for naught Job's an Hypocrite all things go well with him Job's in a fair and blessed outward condition and Job was never tempted does Job serve God for naught but now touch him and let me tempt him a little and see if he don't blaspheme God then thus Satan then And just thus is the language of the Devil now Does such a man or woman serve God for naught he is but an Hypocrite all things go well with him he was never yet tempted but O Lord let this man or woman come under my hand and let me tempt him a little and see if he don't blaspheme Well Satan saies God Job is in thine hand only spare his lefe And Satan did tempt him and touch him and in stead of blaspheming behold blessing The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away blessed be his Name Here now Job gave a Testimony that he did not serve God for something that his heart was sincere and upright And so when men can hold out notwithstanding all their temptations they give a Testimony of their uprightness and sincerity and that their souls do cleave unto God in truth For these and many other reasons the Lord doth suffer his own best and dearest Children to be tempted by Satan I come to Application If God doth suffer his own people and dearest children Applica to be exposed to Satans temptings and winnowings Why sould any man then doubt of his Child-ship doubt of his own everlasting condition and say That he is none of the child of God because he is tempted Beloved I have seen a sore evil under the sun a vanity even among the Saints and people of God Some doubting of the soundness of their condition and the love of God because they are not tempted others doubt betause they are tempted One saies Oh! I am afraid I am none of the child of God for I was never tempted the children of God they meet with temptations but I was never yet buffetted and therefore I am none of Gods child Another on the contrary I labour under these and these temptations and therefore I fear that I am none of Gods child yea sometimes the same person thus First he does not observe his own heart and saies he I fear I am none of Gods child for I never was tempted Afterward when he meets with temptation then he doubts againe that he is not Gods Child because he is tempted Oh! what Childish dealing is this with God your Father But my beloved in the Lord If this be true That the Lord doth suffer his own and best children to be exposed to Satans winnowings and temptings then why shouldst thou conclude that thou art not the child of God because thou art tempted Oh! but I don't conclude will some say that I am not the child of God I don't conclude that the Lord does not love me because I am tempted but because I meet with such and such temptations Tell me did not David Job Paul and Peter meet with such and such and so great temptations Yea did not Christ himself meet with it Oh! but my temptations are such as would make ones haire stand upright on ones head to thinke of them sometimes tempted even to lay violent hands upon my self What think ye of Christ when Satan spake unto him and tempted him to throw himself down off the pinacle of the Temple Oh! but I am tempted with such temptations that I am ashamed to name and my heart akes and trembles when I do reflect on them even with blasphemous thoughts What think ye of Christ was not he tempted to blasphemy Saies the Devil to him All this will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me what greater blasphemy than to worship the Devil to make a God of the Devil himself what greater blasphemy Oh! but I fear and doubt my condition and the love of God towards me because my temptations are not as the temptations of Gods children but my temptations are such as cannot stand with grace there is a spot that is not the spot of Gods people and are there not temptations that are not the temptations of Gods people have not wicked men their peculiar temptations such as does not fall upon the children of God I am afraid that my temptations are of that rank and of that sort and therefore I fear and doubt my condition Mark I pray This same word Temptation may be considered two waies
Debter when he comes and looks upon the book he is able to reade all the particulars Item for such a thing and Item for such a thing and Item for such a thing but the man being not aquainted with the nature of crossing the book he is able to reade all th particulars and he charges it still upon himselfe because he does not understand the nature of this crossing the book and he is as much troubled how he shall pay the debt as if it were not paid at all So now 't is here The Lord Jesus Christ he hath come and cross't our book with his own blood the sins are to be read in your own consciences but we being not acquainted with the nature of Christs satisfaction and the crossing of the book we charge our selves as if no sin at all were satisfied for us Yet when the Lord Jesus Christ was made an offering for sin upon the Cross then he did give full satisfaction unto God the Father And that 's the Third Fourthly This now he hath done as our great High-Priest and in a more transcendant and eminent way than ever any high-Priest did before For though the High-Priest did come and make an atonement for a poor sinner yet he himself was never made a sacrifice the Priest offered up a sacrifice but himself never was made a sacrifice But our great High-Priest does not only offer up a sacrifice but Himself is made a sacrifice Yea that sacrifice that was then in the times of the old-Testament it could not purge the conscience not only because as the Apostle speaks it was the blood of bulls and goats but because the sacrifice was performed successively as thus A man sinned then he brought a sacrifice sins again and then he brings another sicrifice and once every yeare the High-Priest goes into the holy of holiest to make an atonement But in the mean while a poor soul might think thus What if I die before the year come about what will become of me the High-Priest he goes once a year into the Holy of Holyest and sprinkles the mercy-seat but what will become of me if I die before that time But now our great High-Priest he does not only offer up a sacrifice and Himself the sacrifice but he offers up a sacrifice once for all So saies the Apostle So that now when a Christian hath sinned he is not to think of a sacrifice that is yet to come a year hence but he is to look unto that which is done already a sacrifice once offered and once for all So that he needs not be in suspence now as the Jewes were his Conscience it may be fully purged from sin Again Take the High-Priest in the times of the old-Testament and though he did make an atonement for the sins of the people yet sometimes also he did make the people to sin It is said of Aaron the great High-Priest concerning the golden-Calf that he did make the people naked But the Lord Jesus Christ our great High-Priest he makes an attonement for sin and never does make them sin He is so far from making the people naked that he covers them with his righteousness that their nakedness may not appear Here 's a glorious High-Priest Yea This High-Priest of ours He does not only make an atonement for sin committed and paies the debt but he does also become our Surety unto God the Father He does not only pay the debt that is past but he becomes a Surety for time to come None of all those High-Priests that ever did so not Aaron not any High-Priest that ever gave his bond unto God the Father that any sinner should never sin no more But our Lord Jesus Christ our High-Priest he becomes our Surety and what Surety not an ordinary surety for amongst us the Surety joyns and does become bound with the Debter but still it runs in the name of the Debter and the Debter he gives the bond for to pay the debt But now here our Surety he gives the bond and we that are the Debters we do not give the bond for to pay the debt there is no godly man or beleever that ever gave a bond unto God the Father that he will pay the debt but our Surety comes and the bond goes in the name of the Surety and the Debters name is out Oh! what a glorious and blessed High-Priest is here here is a High-Priest beyond all the High-Priests that ever did go before And that 's the Fourth thing Fifthly How does all this conduce to our Comfort or Holiness First How does all this make to our Comfort Quest first Answ 1 Is it not a comfortable thing in the eares of a poor sinner that there is a Magazine and a Storehouse of Mercy set up that the Lord hath erected an office of Love and of meer compassion for poor sinners Is it not a comfortable thing that God the father is satisfied and so your sins pardoned Mark 2.5 Son saies Christ unto the palsie man be of good comfort thy sins are forgiven thee He does not say Be of good comfort thy disease is healed No whether thy disease be healed or whether it be not healed this is comfort Son thy sins are forgiven thee If the Lord Jesus Christ hath satisfied for my sins may a beleever say then whatsoever affliction I do meet withal it does not come upon me as a punishment properly it does not come upon me as an arrest for to pay my debt When a Reprobate is smitten and afflicted all his miseries they are arrests for to pay his debt Hath the Lord Jesus Christ satisfied Divine Justice and God the father for me then surely these afflictions they do not come for me to make satisfaction Again If the Lord Jesus Christ hath satisfied for my sins may a beleever say then I shall never be Damned I shall never fall from grace I have had many fears that I should fall from grace and so go to Hell and perish at last But if the Lord Jesus Christ hath satisfied Divine Justice for my sin then God the father will never punish my sin again for it was punish't in Jesus Christ therefore I cannot fall from grace therefore I can never be Damned And if the Lord Jesus Christ hath satisfied Divine Justice as our great High Priest Then I may come with boldness unto the Throne of grace A debtor so long as his debt is unpaid he dares not come by the prison door by the Compter door he is afraid of every Sergeant he is afraid of his friends that they should be Sergeants but when his debt is paid then he dares go up and down with boldness And so the poor soul when he knows that his debt is paid and Christ hath satisfied then he may go with boldness unto the Throne of grace But you will say Quest I cannot have the comfort of this because I cannot say that Christ hath satisfied for me How shall I know
must needs be Christ for no Angel intercedes but Christ alone What is the fruit of this Intercession at the 13. verse The Lord answered the Angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words I indeed good words and comfortable are the fruit of the Intercession of Jesus Christ It is a matter of great comfort this That the Lord Christ our great High-Priest is in Heaven to intercede for us Is it not a comfort to a poor man to have a friend above neer the King or in the Court that may be able to do him kindness A man sometimes saies I had a friend indeed in the Court but now he is dead I but here is a friend that never dies He ever lives to make Intercession Friends may alter and turn enemies but he changeth not Our Lord and Saviour Christ said unto his Disciples Rejoyce not in this that the Devils fall down like lightning before you but rejoyce in this That your names are written in Heaven it is a matter of great joy to have ones name written in Heaven Oh! but what is it then to have ones name written in the chiefe part of Heaven to have ones name written there upon the breast-plate of Jesus Christ our great High-Priest that is gone into the Holy of Holiest Thus it is The Lord Christ is now gone to Heaven entred into the Holy of Holiest and carries our names into the presence of God the Father and there pleades and intercedes for us Oh! what matter of comfot is here But you will say unto me Object This is indeed exceeding good and very comfortable in it self but what is this to me for I am afraid that the Lord Christ does not intercede for me if indeed I could perswade my self that the Lord Jesus were in Heaven as my High-Priest to intercede for me I think verily I should have comfort though I were in the lowest bottom though I were in Hell it self but Oh! I am afraid to bear my self upon the Intercession of Jesus Christ lest I should presume This is the great Objection and stands up continually Ans to resist the comforts of Gods people Give me leave therefore to deal with this Objection all along and to take it off that so the comfort may fall the more fully upon you First I will shew It is no presumption for us to bear our selves upon the Intercession of Jesus Christ Secondly Who those are that the Lord Christ does Intercede for in Heaven And Thirdly How willing how infinitely willing he is to Intercede for us that so I may bring the comfort neerer to our own bosomes First I say it is no Presumption for us to bear our selves upon the Intercession of Jesus Christ no Presumption to beleeve We know the story of the woman in the Gospel that came unto our Lord and Saviour touching the hem of his garment for her cure and she was cured thereby But our Saviour perceiving vertue to be gone from him he cals out the person Who hath touched me come forth and the woman came forth trembling Our Lord and Saviour Christ does not say to this poor woman How dare you thus touch me how durst you thus presume to do it Consider The woman had no Command to do it no Precept to back her The woman had no promise to engage her that if shee did touch the hem of his garment she should be cured The woman had no Example never any before that touched the hem of his garment and was cured No Commandement No Promise No Example Surely now if any woman or man should Presume it should be this woman that had no Commandement nor no Promise nor no Example and yet the Lord Jesus Christ does not chide her away does not tell her she had presumed but O woman thy faith hath saved thee thy faith hath made the whole Let me speake this home we have a Command now to beleeve in Christ and a Promise Those that come unto him he ever liveth to make Intercession for them And we have Examples of many that have come unto Jesus Christ born themselves upon his Intercession and have gone away cured what was it no Presumption for the woman to come and touch Christ without a Commandement and a Promise and an Example and have you Examples and have you Promises and have you Commandements to beleeve and will you say this is Presumption Be not deceived it is no Presumption for thee poor soul to bear thy self at length upon Jesus Christ Secondly To make this out a little more fully I shall discover who those are that the Intercession of Jesus Christ does belong unto 1 Joh. 2.1 If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous You will say This is to be carried upon those that were spoke of before and those were such as had fellowship with the Father Truely our fellowship is with the Father and with his Sonne Jesus Christ Chap. 1. verse 3. Now if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous If any man that hath fellowship with the Father or Christ sin they have an Advocate with God the Father First therefore stand you by I pray that we will take for granted all you that ever had any fellowship with God the Father or with Jesus Christ this Doctrine of the Intercession of Jesus Christ and the comfort hereof does belong to you Moreover In the 17. Chapter of John there we find that our Saviour saies He prayes for those that do beleeve and should beleeve Those that he prayes for here he intercedes for in Heaven Neither pray I for these alone at the 20. verse but for them also which shall beleeve on me through thy word I do not pray only for those that do beleeve now but for them also which shall beleeve Well then here is a second sort Those that do beleeve and those that wait upon the Lord in the Ordinance that they may beleeve or shall beleeve Stand you by also you are another sort of people that the Intercession of Jesus Christ and the comfort thereof does belong unto But now yet further If we look into the 7. Chapter of this Epistle unto the Hebrews at the 25. verse we shall find these words Wherefore 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 Who are those Those that come unto God by him Lay this and 53. Chapter of I saiah the 12. verse together He was numbred with the transgressors speaking of Christ cleerly and he bare the sins of many and made intercession for the transgressors It may be thou canst not say I have fellowship with God the Father it may be thou canst not say I do beleeve I am perswaded that I do beleeve thou canst not say so Well but can you say thus Through the Lords grace I do come unto God by Christ I
takes that lovingly that comes from love whatever it be though it be never so weak Well But suppose that a mans Duty Quest or Service be performed with many failings infirmities Hardness of heart Straightness of spirit distracting thoughts this is my case Oh! is there any acceptance for such a Duty as this is will the Lord Jesus Christ the great High-Priest take such a Duty as this is and carry it in unto God the Father and is there any acceptance for such a Duty as this We know how it was with Nicodemus Answ and the woman that came trembling and touched the hem of Christs garment And we must know that in every duty that we do performe there are Two things There is the Sacrifice and there is the Obedience in offering the Sacrifice Though the Sacrifice may be imperfect yet your Obedience in offering the Sacrifice may be perfect with Gospel-perction 'T is in regard of our Duties as in regard of our Persons never think that God will deal otherwise with our Duties than he deals with our Persons The Lord came and justified the ungodly when he justified you He comes and he finds a poor soul in a sinful condition he imputes his righteousness unto that soul and justifies an ungodly one not justifying him so as to go on in sin it is the word of the Apostle He justifies the ungodly So the Lord comes and finds a great deal of ungodliness in your Duty and he imputes his righteousness unto that Duty and he justifies the Duty which in your eye is an ungodly duty This indeed is the wonder of all that he should deal thus by us For did we ever hear of any garment that would make the crooked straight If a man have a crooked back come and put velvet upon him silk scarlet upon him it may make him handsomer but it will not change his back and make him strait But when the Lord Christ comes he finds all our souls crook-back't as it were and he puts on his righteousness and this garment makes that that was crooked to become straite it makes the very crook-back't Duty to become a strait Duty Did we ever hear or reade of any Seal that when it was set upon the wax would change the wax into gold or into silver like the seal it may leave it's impression but it does not change the wax into it's own mettall If there be a stamp set upon silver or gold the mettal remains as it was before But if a stamp be set upon brasse it don't make it silver or if it be set upon silver it don't make it gold I but when the Lord Jesus Christ comes unto a Duty and sets his own stamp and his own righteousness upon a Duty that which was brasse before full of failings and much unrighteousness before changes it into gold into silver He only hath the Philosophers stone as I may so speak all that Christ touches turns into gold turns all our Duties into gold and when he hath done so he presents them unto God the Father This our great High-Priest doth And this is the Fourth thing But how doth all this make for our Comfort Quest 5 or for our Grace Surely Ans we cannot but see already how it doth make for our Comfort Is it not a comfortable thing for a man to know that his Duties are not lost that his Prayer is not lost that his Hearing the word is not lost that his Searching the Scriptures is not lost that his Conference and Communion is not lost A man is unwilling to lose any thing and the more precious it is the more unwilling to lose it If we have a venture at Sea we are unwilling to lose our venture and the greater our venture is the more unwilling to lose it If a man have but a quarter of his Estate in a vessel he is unwilling to lose it more unwilling if he have half his Estate most if he have all and his children there in the vessel too Now as men are unwilling to lose their worldly venture So a man that is sensible of his soul is very unwilling to lose his souls venture to lose his Prayers and to lose all his Duties Friends here 's an Insuring-Office The Lord Jesus Christ is our great Insurer in this respect and he doth as he is our High-Priest offering up our Gifts unto God the Father assure us that none is lost not any lost Indeed if we had such an High-Priest as were not able to take notice of the Circumstances of our Duties much might be lost but this our Lord Christ our great High-Priest doth not only take notice of our Duty what ever it be but of all the Circumstances of our Duties and so presents them unto God the Father in the full latitude in all the gracious Circumstances of them Therefore saith he unto the Angel of the Church of Pergamos in the 2. of the Revelation and the 13. verse I know thy works Why but Lord though thou doest know our works yet it may be thou doest not take notice where our work is done Lord it may be thou doest take notice of my Prayer but Lord thou doest not take notice where I dwell and live and in what family I do pray unto thee Lord I am in a wicked and a wretched family that does oppose Prayer Lord may be thou doest take notice of my Prayer but thou doest not take notice of this Circumstance Yes saies he I know thy works and where thou dwellest even where Satans seat is Well and thou holdest fast my Name and hast not denied my faith even in those daies wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr who was slain among you where Satan dwelleth It 's remarkable The Lord Jesus Christ takes notice not only of our Duty but of every Circumstance of the Duty and so he presents it unto God the Father not only the Duty but the Circumstance of the Duty and therefore there is not a haire of your Duty lost not one graine of your Duty lost is not this an unspeakable Comfort unto a poor soul that it knows that nothing is lost of all the Prayers it hath made unto God that there is no losse at all The very pantings of our hearts at the Throne of grace are received into the bosom of our Heavenly Father Further Is it not a Comfort for a man to have liberty to go unto the Mercy-Seat and there for to meet with God 'T is said of wicked men That they sit in the seat of the scornful There is it seems then the seat of the scornful and there is a Mercy-Seat A Drunkard when he is with his drunken company and sits upon the Ale-bench it may be scorning and jeering at some of the godly making songs on them he is set upon the seat of the scornful that is a cursed seat I but there is another seat there is a Mercy-Seat and there is never a poor Saint and Child of God
but he may go in to the Mercy-Seat of the Lord Jesus Christ that hath all the favour and acceptance in Heaven he carries him into the Mercy-Seat and God the Father will never put him by what Comfort is here Besides Is it not a great Comfort to a man for to know how it shall go with him at the great day of Judgment When there shall be hundred thousands at the right hand of Christ hundred-thousands at the left hand of Christ when all faces shall gather palenesse Oh! saies one that I did but know how it shall go with me at that day This Doctrine tels us The Lord Jesus Christ shall be our Judge at that day and he that shall judge us then he takes our Prayers and all our Duties now and carries them in unto the presence of God the Father by him we have acceptance and according to these we shall be judged Surely then if he takes our Duties and carries them in for acceptance unto God the Father he will never judge you for them and condemn you for them at that day Here is Comfort Once more Is it not a Comfort for a poor begger to be relieved at a rich-mans door We are al beggers in regard of Heaven and the Lord Jesus Christ he does not only come forth and serve us but he takes us poor beggers by the hand and leads us in to his Father Oh! what Comfort is here what Comfort is here Indeed if I were able to say That the Lord did accept my Duty Cbj. this were Comfort indeed if I were able to conclude That the Lord Jesus Christ did take my Prayers and my Duties and carry them in unto God the Father this were sweet consolation but how shall I know that If the Lord Jesus Christ be our High-Priest Ans then we may say also that he takes our duties and carries them in for acceptance unto God the Father if we may say that Jesus Christ hath satisfied for us and doth intercede for us then we may say also that he takes our duties and carries them for acceptance unto God the Father But yet a little further to bring this Comfort nearer to your hearts give me leave to appeal to you First Whosoever thou art that makes this Objection Didst thou never find a spiritual fire come down from Heaven as it were upon thy heart in Duty or after Duty In the times of the old-Testament if they offered up a sacrifice and a material fire came down from Heaven and burnt up the sacrifice to ashes it was a certain testimony that the sacrifice was accepted Now in the times of the Gospel we must not expect material fire to come down upon our Duties But hath the Lord at any time caused an inward and spiritual fire to fall down upon thy heart warming thy spirit in Dutie there the Lord speaks thus much to thee Thy sacrifice is turn'd into ashes and it is accepted by Jesus Christ Again Did you never find in your heart you that make this Objection to Pray and Cry and Intercede for others for the godly especially Look what disposition there is in your heart towards the members of Christ there is the same disposition in Christ's heart towards you Ah! do you think that there is love in your bosome towards the Saints and that there is none in Christ's heart towards you Do you think that your bowels are more large than Christ's Canst thou find in thine heart to go unto God when thou seest a Saint in misery to go to God and pray and cry and intercede for him and don 't you think that the Lord Jesus hath as much bowels towards you to go and intercede for you and present your prayers unto God the Father Further Don't you look upon your own Duties as coming from your selves most unworthy Beloved 't is in regard of Duties as it is in regard of Persons When a man does judge himself to be most unworthy then Christ counts him worthy God counts him worthy in Christ As you reade in the 1. of the Canticles saies the Spouse there ver 5. I am black O ye daughters of Jerusalem as the tents of Kedar Look not upon me because I am black ver 6. Now would you see Christs opinion of her that counts her self black saith she Black and Black again but Christ saith concerning her verse 8. O thou fairest among women She calls her self Black and Christ cals her Fair and the Fairest among women Now when a man doth count himself most unworthy God counts him most worthy and when a man looks upon his own Duties and Sacrifices as most unworthy they are look't upon by Jesus Christ as most worthy poor prayers in our eyes are precious in Gods eye A word more Don't ye think that grace is larger now in the times of the Gospel than it was in the times of the Law If ye doubt it as unto this particular Look upon the 30. Chapter of Exodus compared with the 41. of Ezekiel In the 30. Chapter of Exodus The Lord commands an Altar to be made to burn incense upon Of Shittim wood shalt thou make it verse the 1. A cubit shall be the length thereof verse the 2. The Altar is for Incense 't is the matter that now we are upon A cubit shall be the length thereof and a cubit the breadth thereof and two cubits shall be the highth therof Now in the 41. Chapter of Ezekiel he speaks of the Altar in the times of the Gospel and saith he at the 22. verse 't is the Altar of incense that there is prescribed to be made the Altar of wood of Shettem wood The Altar of wood was three cubits high and the length thereof two cubits And yet again this altar of incense in the times of the Gospel is to be as large again as that in the times of the Law as high and as long and as large again In the times of the Law times of the old-Testament a poor soul might go unto the High-Priest and might challenge a right in him and might say That his Service and his Duty and his Sacrifice was accepted by the High-Priest If in the times of the Old-Testament a man might say so much more may a poor soul now go unto Jesus Christ our great High-Priest and say That his Service and his Duty and Sacrifice is accepted through him Here is abundance of Comfort unto the Saints be of good comfort all you that do beleeve But How doth this make unto our Holiness Quest unto Holiness of life We confess indeed that there is abundance of Comfort in this That the Lord Jesus Christ our great High-Priest takes all our Gifts and al our Prayers and presents them to God the Father and that in his acceptance we have acceptance but I pray how doth all this conduce to our Holiness of life Much every way Answ First In case I be Ungodly a Wicked man Here is that that may
of Genesis when he had brought Noah out of the Ark Why does he rather choose for to speak those words Increase and Multiply at these Two times especially rather than at any other time In the beginning there was but a little stook of man-kind and the Lord had a design upon man to make use of him in the world and therefore in the beginning saies he Increase and Multiply but afterward that the floud had swept away man Noah and his family being preserved when he came out of the Ark the Lord having yet a further design upon man to use him he reneweth those words again Increase and Multiply So when the Lord Christ sees that a mans heart is upright and sincere with him and he hath some work and service for him to do then the Lord comes forth and blesses him O soul Increase and Multiply increase in thy Gifts and Graces and Multiply That is one Again As the Lord doth blesse weak Gifts and Graces when he intends to use them so also when as he hath made use of a man when a man hath done the work of God and done it to purpose then the Lord blesses that man Melchisedec a great Type of Christ here when Abraham had been upon a great service slaying Kings and resoued Lot then Melchisedec the High-Priest comes forth and blesses him So when the Lord Jesus Christ our great High-Priest sees that a poor soul hath been upon his work upon his service and hath done his work faithfully then he comes forth and blesses that soul O soul live for ever Again As he does blesse at this time when a man hath done his work so also when a man is willing for to leave all his Relations and natural ingagements for to follow him to cleave close unto him and to his waies and ordinances The Lord blessed Abraham Thou shalt be blessed In Blessing I will Blesse thee and thou shalt be blessed Upon what occasion Abraham saies he get thee out of thy Country and go to a land and place that I will shew thee and Abraham did so Abraham puld up his Tent and went after the Lord and left his own Relations and thereupon the Lord fell upon him and blest him So when the Lord Christ our High-Priest sees a soul willing even to trample upon his Relations for to follow him willing to leave all natural ingagements for to be his servant then the Lord Christ comes out and saies he This soul do I blesse In blessing I will blesse thee and I will blesse thee exceedingly That is a Third time Fourthly The Lord Christ our High-Priest does blesse when the world Curses a speciall time of Christs blessing is when the world Curses When Rabshekah reviled blasphemed and Cursed then God blest When Balak hired Balaam for to Curse the people of Israel then the Lord blest them by the mouth of Balaam himself And ye see what Christ saies to this purpose in that same 5. chapter of Matthew at the 10. verse Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousnesse sake But when are they blessed Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake Blessed are ye when men shall persecute you I but suppose it don't come to a bodily persecution men may not be thrown in prison or brought to the stake Saies he Blessed are ye when men shall Revile persecute you with the tongue and say all manner of evil against you for my sake When the world saies of such a poor soul That he is an Hypocrite a dissembler and speaks all manner of evil that can be divised against a poore soule for the Name of Christ that is the very time that Christ comes for to bless that soule then doth Christ blesse it 's a blessed season In the Fift place The Lord Christ does also Bless when as People do graciously injoy the Ordinances purely and Evangelically administred It is said concerning Zion There commanded he his blessing for ever Psa 89.15 Blessed are the people that hear the joyful sound they shall walk in the light of his countenance It is written of the Priests in the times of the Old-Testament that when the people the Congregation were come together they blest them when the People were come together for the injoyment of Ordinances according to Gods own appointment then the Priests blest them And did their High-Priest blesse them then and shall not our High Priest do it now Did their High-Priest blesse them when they sate under Mosaical Ordinances and shall not our High-Priest blesse the people that sit under Evangelical and Gospel-Ordinances purely Evangelically administred The people then might make account of the greatest blessing and so may you do also of the blessing of Jesus Christ when thus you do enjoy Ordinances Only there is this difference other differences there are but this only I shall speak of Then the Priest did blesse the people when the Congregation was dismist but now the Lord Jesus Christ our great High-Priest he is blessing of the Congregation all the while he is going up and down in the Congregation all the while that the Word is preached and Ordinances administred and he is blessing poor souls as they sit longing after him and sighing towards him he is blessing of them all the while Thus he does blesse and though you don 't alwaies perceive it yet he doth blesse his people Quest 5 And that 's the Fourth thing But yet you will say How does all this conduce unto our Comfort Answ and unto our Holiness Much every way First for Comfort Beloved Is it not a Comfortable thing to be blessed by Jesus Christ Children counted it a great matter to be blest by their parents when as Jacob had gotten the Blessing from Esau Esau goes and fits down and mourns he could not be comforted because the blessing was gone and Jacob though he were thrust out of doors yet because he had gotten the Blessing he went away cheerfull and it was but an Isaac's Blessing But behold a greater then Isaac is here Oh! was it such a matter to have an Isaac's Blessing what is it then to be Blessed by Jesus Christ Beloved when as Christ doth bless he turns all our Curses into Blessings and our Miseries into Mercies When God Curses he turns our Table into a Snare and when Christ Blesseth he turnes our snare into a Table quite contrary Jacob pronounced a Curse upon his two sons Simeon and Levi you know upon what occasion They should be divided and scattered in Israel afterward the Tribe of Levi stands up at the cōmandement of God to execute Justice Judgment the Lord blest them And how did he bless them They were to be the Preachers unto all the Tribes and so that they might be Preachers unto all the Tribes they were to be scattered into all the tribes so Jacobs curse was turned into a
sold his Birth-right for a mess of pottage the Lord look't upon him as a Prophane man and he stands upon record in Scripture for a Prophane man unto this day because he sold his Birth-right And saies the text Though he sought the Blessing it was a blessing with tears he never recovered it The Lord Jesus Christ he is now among us and offering to bless us and if I will rather keep my sins than come unto Jesus Christ the Lord will look upon me as a Prophane man and I may go and seek the blessing with tears and never recover it again Oh! here 's that me thinks that should make every wicked man if there be ever a Drunkard Swearer or Unclean wanton that reades this book mind what is said for your Everlasting peace I say here 's that me thinks that should make every wicked man to look upon the Godly as David did upon the sparrows and upon the swallows Saies David These birds full nigh thine Altar may have place to sit and sing as ye have it in your singing Psalms These birds can come and make their nests but as for me I am kept at a distance He was provoked by the sparrows and swallows making their nests neer the Altar So may a wicked man say There 's a godly man indeed he may go to Jesus Christ he may go to Prayer and he may offer up his Gift to God the Father by the hands of Christ he can come neer to God by Christ But as for me I am yet without Christ I am not yet gone to Jesus Christ I am such a cursed Swearer I am such a prophane Drunkard I am such a vile wretched Wanton such a Notorious Scandelous sinner Oh! these people are blessed but I am Cursed but now through the Lords grace I will go unto the Lord Christ that I may be blessed Yea My beloved here is me thinks a strong Invitation unto all those that are young people for to come unto Jesus Christ even those that are very young Hear the word of the Lord ye Children The Lord Jesus Christ received Children into his armes and he blest them You that are nine ten eleven twelve thirteen fourteen or fifteen years old you can be solicitous for your fathers blessing and have gone down upon your knees often unto your father and you have said Pray father pray to God to bless me Oh! will ye go to your outward father for his blessing and will ye not go unto Jesus Christ He is an Everlasting Father this your earthly father will be dead erelong He is an Everlasting father children and he is able to bless ye and willing to bless ye Have ye gone down upon your knees to your outward father Oh! children down down upon your knees before the Lord Jesus Chrit and go to him for his blssing Some of you it may be never went yet to Christ for his blessing ye have lived so many yeers ten eleven or twelve yeers and never went to Christ as a High-Priest for his blessing all this while Oh! what a mighty incouragement is here unto all men to come to Christ that they may be blessed by him But yet further As there is an incouragement for to come unto Christ So this argument does also incourage us to go on in the good waies of Christ notwithstanding all opposition that we meet withall I say it does speak incouragement to go on in the face of all opposition For when Abraham had been at battel then came Melchisedec the High-Priest to bless him And when a poor soul goes out to battel for Christ then comes our great Melchisedec our High-Priest and blesses that soul The time of opposition it is the time of Christs blessing Therefore why should I be dilcouraged or beaten out of the way of Christ by reason of any opposition though it be never so great Times of opposition are Christs blessing-time Again This argument does not only speak incouragement against all oppsition But it does also incourage us to go on in the good waies of God when we are called unto it though we have but little strength and weak parts Though there be but little oyle in the Cruse though there be but little meal in the barrel if Christ call to the work he will bless a man in it and when Christ blesses he does multiply and increase a mans parts in the using of them As when he commanded them to sit down and eat he did multiply and increase the bread in their eating So now does Christ call me to any work or service well then though I am weak though I have not oyle enough though I have not meal enough though I have not strenght enough yet the Lord Christ will bless and when he blesses he does increase and multiply and therefore why should I not go on upon his work if he do call mee thereunto though I have never so little strength And yet further If all this be true Why should not a man be contented with his condition though it be never so mean Beloved in the Lord is there not enough in Christs blessing Truly He is too covetous whom the blessing of Christ will not satisfie Well what ever my condition be yet I may be blessed by Jesus Christ and hath the Lord blest me then will I be contented with my Condition though it be never so mean I have All as Jacob oncesaid I have All. Yea in the Fift and last place Here is that which if wel studied and considered will provoke us all for to bless the Lord and continually to blesse the Lord What is the life of a Christian here but a continuall blessing of God 't is Heaven begun and in Heaven they do nothing else but blesse and praise the Lord and I say our life here is Heaven begun and therefore a Christian should be alwaies blessing and praising the Lord. Well But what will make a man to be alwaies Blessing Quest and Praising of God in Christ The knowledge that a man is blessed by Christ Answ wil make a man blesse God for Christ And therefore consider how the Apostle reasons in the 1. of the Ephesians the 3. vers Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Why Who hath blessed VS When once a man can come to this for to say That the Lord Christ hath blest him then he will break forth into blessing and praising of the Lord Oh! Blessed be the Lord Blesse the Lord O my soul blesse the Lord all that is within me For the Lord hath blessed me with spiritual blessings Do you therefore desire to be alwaies in this work of blessing the Lord think much of this To conclude al give me leave to cal upon you to remember what ye have read Ye have read That it is the work of our great High-Priest To Satisfie for the sins of the people To answer unto all Accusations that are brought against them To offer up all
what is evil and so it is given unto the Devil in the 4. of Matthew Christ was led into the axilderness to be tempted If ye look into the Scripture ye don't find in all the old Testament that the word Temptation is given to Satan that Satan was said to Tempt any Satan did frequently Tempt we reade in the old Testament but I say the word Tempt is not given unto him Satan tempted Job but Job's afflictions in the old Testament are not called Satans temptations As our Lord and Saviour Christ in the old Testament was Vail'd the old Testament was full of Christ yet Christ was hidden there So was Satan and his temptations mask't Now when the light of the glorious Gospel shined more cleerly in the comming of Jesus Christ as Christs vail was taken off so Satans Mask was taken off Satans temptations are no longer called afflictions but bare Temptations throughout the new-Testament Indeed this word Temptation in the phrase of the new Testament is used sometimes for Affliction Sometimes for Satans Suggestions sometimes for our own Sins Temptation used for our Afflictions in the 1. of James 2. verse Rejoyce when ye fall into divers temptations That is Afflictions Sometimes for the Devils suggestions Solicitations to evil So in the 4. of Matthew Christ is led into the wilderness to be tempted Sometimes for our own sins Galatians the 6 chapter and the 1. verse If any man be overtaken with an infirmity you that are spiritual restore him considering that you also may be tempted Now though our Saviour Christ is said to be Tempted in the two first respects and not in the third yet when it is said here in the text He himself hath suffered being tempted I take it to be meant in the second way not the first for otherwise there would be an identity thus He himself hath suffered having suffered that would be the sense of it else And though we our selves are said to be tempted in all three respects In regard of Afflictions Satans Suggestions and our own Corruptions and Sins yet when it is said in the latter end of the verse He is able to succour them that are tempted I take it to be meant especially in he two last respects and not in the first for it hath relation unto that which goes before the last verse being a reason of the latter end of the 17. vers To make reconciliation for the sins of the people for in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succovr them that are tempted Hence the Observation that I shall present unto you is only this That God doth suffer his own Servants and dearest Children Doct. to be sorely tempted Yea even to suffer by the hand of the temptation Our Lord and Saviour Christ the Son of God the only Beloved Son of God yet saith the text He himself hath suffered being tempted not only tempted but suffered being tempted And it is said of his Brethren for so his people are called in the beginning of the 17. verse that they are tempted He is able to succour them that are tempted Succouring presupposeth suffering For the opening and clearing of this Truth I shall deliver my self these Three waies First That there is a suffering Afflictive disposition in every Temptation though it don't prevail Secondly That the Saints and People of God do thus suffer and why Thirdly Answer to an Objection and so come to the Application First There is a Vexing Corroding Afflictive disposition in every temptation when it takes least though it do not prevaile These Granadoes fire-bals fire-darts of Satan have a danger with them though they do not burn down our spiritual building to the ground they are afflictive there is somewhat of a suffering with them Paul cals his buffetings a thorn or a prick in the flesh a Buffetting and therefore Afflictive a thorn or a prick in the flesh and therefore Afflictive Notable is that expression which our Saviour Christ useth in the 22. of Luke at the 31. verse to Peter Simon Simon Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat There is never a word here but carries a suffering with it It is some affliction to have so great an Adversary as an Angel is who is great in Power the Devil is called an Angel and he is called Satan that is an Adversary Satan hath desired the word that is used there Desired 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is not used again in the new Testament as I remember But in other Authors that use it it signifies such a Desiring as when one man does challenge another into the field to a Duel Or such a Desiring as when a man comes and cals for open and publick Punishment upon a man and all this is Suffering and Afflictive Or as your translation hath it Satan hath desired to Have you He does not say thus Satan hath desired to Sift you but Satan hath desired to Have you Is it not an affliction to a child to hear a Begger stand craving and begging of his father to have him away to carry him away from his house There is never a Temptation but in that Temptation Satan desires to Have you you that are the Children of God Satan desires to have you Then again He hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat Now though in sifting there is a separation between the Chaff and the wheat yet it is not without a concussion and a shaking of the wheat the wheat and the grain is shaken though the chaffe be blown aside and laid on heaps And though through the skil of the sifter the wheat may be so kept as it does not fal into the chaffe-heap yet notwithstanding there is some danger in sifting that the grain should fall over into the heap of chaffe and be burnt with the chaffe So here Especially where Satan the great destroyer of man-kind hath the fan in his hand Saith Christ Satan hath desired to have you and hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat and I tell you there is so much danger in it that nothing but my prayer can secure you But I have prayed for you So that you see there is something of a Suffering in a Temptation You know it was a Law in the old Testament that if a woman were abroade in the fields and there met her some that offered violence to her if she cryed out and did not consent she was not guilty but now though she were not guilty but inocent if she were abused it would be a continual affliction to a modest good woman So it is here Satan comes to meet us and though we do not consent to him yet a gracious heart cannot but look upon it as an affliction to be thus followed and haunted with a Temptation And the holy Ghost alluded to this practise when he saith here in the text Jesus Christ is able to succour The word Succour
it unto thee even as thou wilt And so I say though your temptations be twisted one within another and one stands at the end of another do but get the prospect of faith and you will be able to look over all When temptation therefore arises say Lord though thou kil me yet will I trust in thee And Satan though thou slayest me I will keep to Jesus Christ It was the speech of Taulerus one that Luther prizeth above all Saies he Though the Marriners may make use of their Oars in the time of calm yet when a storm comes down the Marriners leave all and fly to their Anchor So though at other times we may make use of Resolutions and Vows and the like yet when the storm of temptation comes down nothing then but fly to the anchor of faith nothing then like to casting of anchor into the Vail And as if the holy Ghost put al on this he cals Faith our Anchor and he cals Faith our Shield All dangers are either Sea-dangers or Land dangers if your dangers be Sea-dangers Faith is your Anchor and if your dangers be Land dangers Faith is your Shield And therefore I say when temptation arises labour then to exercise your faith and say Oh! how should I do this thing and sin against my Christ and sin against my God Satan thou tellest me All this I will give thee if I wil do this thing I but how shall I do this and sin against Jesus Christ who hath loved me and given himself for ' me Satan thou tellest me that if I do yeeld God is merciful and God will pardon me Yea but Satan God hath pardon'd me already and therefore I will not yeeld and because I know that the Lord would pardon me if I did it therefore I will not do it Thus labour to exercise your faith in time of a temptation Sixthly Be sure of this When temptation arises don't fear too much nor don't fear too little I confesse it 's an hard thing to carry it equally between too much and too little but beloved if you fear too Much you honour Satan you weaken your selves immoderate fear weakens And if you fear too little then you grow secure security betraies you and so you lose all before you strike a stroke Wherefore this Rule is If temptation arise don't fear too much though the temptation be never so great don't fear too little though the temptation be never so small Seventhly Art thou assaulted by temptation Either you do overcome or you are overcome if you do overcome be Thankful lest you lose your former Victory by your after-Vnthankfulness And if you be overcome yet don't lay down the weapon hold it up still stand upon your guard The Devil tempts that he may tempt and he is willing to be overcome in the skirmish that he may overcome you in the battel and he brings up the greatest temptations in the reare As Jobs afflictions were greatest at that last yea he tempts us to break the Law and sin against the Law that he may tempt us to sin against the Gospel This is the Seventh Rule If you be overcome or be not overcome walk thus Eighthly and Lastly If temptation do arise Be sure that you make some improvement of it for the better If an enemy come and make an assault against one of your garrisontowns and he goes away and gets no hurt he is incouraged and invited to come again for saies he I lost nothing though I did not gain and carry the Town yet I lost nothing But now if upon his assault he loses many men and his Ordnance I 'le come no more there saies he for there I had such and such a great loste Thus it is with Satan when he comes before a soul with his temptations there is a soul saies he I came before him with my temptations and though indeed I did not carry it I did not get the thing I would yet I lost nothing and therefore I 'le go again But there is a soul and there 's a heart I came before him with my temptations and I confesse I lost much I tempted and he prayed and the more I tempted the more he prayed and the more I tempted still the more he did go to Jesus Christ and therefore I will tempt him no more Beloved labour to improve your temptations goe to God with your temptations in your hands and pray over your temptations and if you improve your temptations you shall not be troubled with Satan and therefore you are troubled with Satan so much because you improve your temptations no more Oh! how well might it be with us if we did but improve our temptations what a good day would this be what a good day might be this sad day of our temptation if we did but improve our temptations And I beseech you think of it how we may improve them more and more You know what our Saviour said concerning the false ground in the time of temptation it fell away let that awe our hearts You know what our saviour saies again by way of comfort unto his Disciples You continued with me in my temptations and therefore I appoint unto you a kingdom and blessed are they that do continue and hold out this siege Beloved these turning times are tempting times and I think I may truly say if ever there were an hour of temptation upon this kingdom this is the hour of Englands temptation it is an hour of temptation Oh! you that are the servants of God and the Disciples of Jesus Christ will ye not watch with him one hour an hour of temptation it is but this is our comfort it is but an hour and therefore you that are his servants and Disciples will you not watch with him one hour Watch and pray watch and pray some pray but they will not watch and some pretend to watch but they don't pray Therefore that I say to you to my self and to all is watch and pray if you watch you enter into your masters joy if you watch not you enter into temptation Oh! let us all watch and pray that we enter not into temptation SERMON II. Of TEMPTATION HEBREWES 2.18 For in that He himself hath suffered being tempted Preached at Margrets New-fish street Octob. 12. 1646. he is able to succour them that are tempted BY the word Tempted in the first clause relating to Christ we are to understand Satans solicitations to evil as ye have read in the former Sermon By the word Tempted in the last clause He is able to succour them that are tempted specially to understand those solicitations of Satan and our own sins by comparing the former verse with this As if the Apostle should say For in that our Lord and Saviour Christ was tempted by Satan solicited to what was evil He is able to succour them that are both either solicited to evil or overcome thereby But how is it said here He is able to succour
them that are tempted in that he himself suffered being tempted Was he not as God able to succour them that are tempted Why then is it said In that he suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted There is an ability of Sufficiency and an ability of Idoniety As God indeed he is able to succour those that are tempted but by being tempted in the flesh he is able that is apt and idonious to succour those that are tempted There is an Absolute ability and a Respective ability as he is High-Priest As God indeed he was able to succour them that are tempted though he had not been tempted but he speaks of Christ here as our High-Priest and so by being tempted he is able to succor them in that way There is as I may so speak a Scientifical ability or an Experimental ability As he was God he was able in the first sense to succour 't is true but by being tempted he is able Experimentally to succour them that are tempted It is an ability of Disposition and Compassion that here he speaks of And therefore in the fift Chapter speaking of the same thing he saith concerning the High-Priest That he can have Compassion on the ignorant and those that are out of the way So then Christ by being tempted is able to sucour those that are tempted with an ability of Idoniety an Experimental ability with an ability of Compassion and Disposition and gracious Inclination And so the Observation that lies before us is this The Lord Jesus Christ Doct. is a succouring Christ to tempted souls In the former Doctrine ye heard That God suffers his own servants and dearest children to be sorely tempted Now this Doctrine holds forth the remedy Jesus Christ is a succouring Christ to tempted souls As our hearts are full of Sin So his heart is ful of Succour he is a succouring Christ His Names and Titles speak him so His Nature speaks him so His Officies His Doctrine His Life and Conversation His Death and Sufferings call him a Succouring Christ I shall not run thorow all these particulars But because men are known by their Names I will fix there a little and we shall see how all the Names and Titles of Christ call him a Succouring Christ If we search the Scripture we may observe That the Names of Satan of the Devil carry malice with them and evil against them And the Names of Jesus Christ are contrary thereunto as holding forth a Succour against all that evil that is in him who is The Evil One. Is the Devil called Satan that is an Adversary Jesus Christ is called our Friend Is Satan called Diabolus the Accuser or the Accuser of the brethren Jesus Christ is called our Advocate Is Satan called a Destroyer Jesus Christ is called our Saviour Is Satan called a Lyon that goes up and down seeking whom he may devour Jesus Christ is called a Lyon of the Tribe of Judah Is Satan called a Serpent and Old Serpent Jesus Christ is called the Brasen-Serpent Still Names of reliefe and succour answerable unto those Names of Satan We shall observe that there is no Evil in Sin but there is somewhat in the Name of Jesus Christ that speaks the contrary contrary succour Is sinne called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a transgression of the Law Jesus Christ is called our Righteousness The Lord our Righteousness Is Sin called Folly Jesus Christ is called Wisdom The Wisdom of the Father Is sin called an Infirmity or Weakness He is called the Rock and the Rock of ages and the Arme of the Lord. Is sin called Darkness He is called Light Is sin called Pollution or Vncleanness His blood is the fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness to wash in Is sin called Death He is called Life Is there Ignorance in sin He is called our Prophet in opposition to that Is there Disorder in sin In opposition to that he is called our King to order Is there Guilt in sin In opposition to that he is called our Priest he is called our Propitiation in that place of John But in the 3. of the Romans and the 25. verse He is called our Propitiatory Whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation so you reade it but rather a propitiatory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Same Greek word that the Septuagint used for the Jewes Propitiatory And in that he is our Propitiation or Propitiatory this speaks him a succouring Christ Famous was the succour and reliefe that the Jewes had from their Cities of refuge and as if the holy Ghost intended the confirmation of this Truth that is now before us those Hebrew Names that were given to the Cities of refuge are given to Christ Is any of the Cities of refuge called Kedesh signifying Holy He is called Holy Holy Holy Was another City called Shechem signifying Shoulder Vpon his Shoulder is the government and the lost sheep brought home upon his Shoulder Is another City called Hebron from Society or Fellowship By him we have fellowship with the Father Is another called Golan signifying one Revealed or Manifested 'T is said of him He was Manifested in the flesh Is another City called Ramoth Things Exalted Him hath God Exalted and by him are all Exalted In the phrase of the new-Testament he is called our Father and our Brother and our Friend and our Shepheard a Hen a Lamb a Door there 's none of all his Names but speak him full of sweetness and loving disposition and succour unto poor souls But that I may the better clear up this Truth I shall deliver my self these Four waies First That Jesus Christ is able to succour tempted souls Secondly That he is willing to do it Thirdly That he is faithful in doing of it Fourthly How he doth it in the day and time of their temptation and so come to the Application First He is able to do it He is able to succour them that are tempted He is able saith our Apostle in that 17. of the Hebrews to save those that come unto God by him he is able to save them to the uttermost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As Satan tempts to the uttermost he is able to save to the uttermost And as they sin to the uttermost he is able to save to the uttermost A man is said to be able to do all that which he hath a commission and power from God to do The Lord Jesus Christ in the 3. of the Romans and the 25. was set forth to be a propitiation Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation He hath laid help upon one that is Mighty and that is Christ Design'd and called he is to the office of the High-Priest The proper work of the High-Priests office was to condole with relieve and succour the people against their sins And the more Eminent any High-Priest was the more in this work In the 17. of the Hebrews we find all along how abundantly he
from Heaven succour against their Hunger Succour from the Brasen-serpent from the fiery serpents that stung them All these Three were great Types of Christ And the Rock was Christ saies the Apostle And saies Christ himself I am the bread speaking of the Mannah And when I am lifted up speaking of the brasen-serpent alluding to it Now look into the story and you will find God did not give out these succours to them till they murmur in the 15. of Exodus there they murmur and murmur and murmur and then God opened the rock and God gave them water notwithstanding And in the 16. of Exodus there he gives them bread And in the 17. there he opens the rock but first they murmured the Lord gave them these succours with a Notwithstanding The thing that I mean is this Will the Lord give them a Typicall Christ for their succour with a Notwithstanding and will he not give poor tempted souls the Real Christ with a Notwithstanding Notwithstanding all if they do come unto him if tempted souls do but come unto him Oh! what a mighty incouragement is here unto all poor tempted souls to come unto Jesus Christ Oh! you Come unto Jesus Christ you that never came unto Jesus Christ Come unto Jesus Christ you shall find him a succouring Christ Secondly If this Doctrine be true what ground of strong Consolation is here unto all the Saints Oh! you that are the servants of God children of God you that are Saints will you ever doubt of Christs love again will you ever suffer your hearts to lie under the pressure of despondent fears again Doubting arises from Ignorance mistakes of Christ we put Esau's cloathes upon him we make him an Angel of darkness and then we fear him Ye don't look upon him as a succouring Christ and therefore you are so full of Doubtings or if you do you don't actuate your considerations and you notions on him Beloved Either there is a truth in this Doctrine or else there is not If there be not what mean all the proofs that ye have had And if there be a truth if the Lord Jesus Christ be a succouring Christ to tempted souls why then should you not triumph in him and say Well nothing shall separate me from the love of God in Jesus Christ I am perswaded I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other ereature shall be able to separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Thus Paul reasoned in the 8. of the Romans And I pray mark it Who then shall separate us saies he at the 35. verse shall tribulation or distresse or persecution or famine or nakednesse or peril or sword Nay in all these things we are more than conquerers through him that loved us I am perswaded that neither death nor life c. Whence did arise this perswasion at the 33. verse Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth Mark He does not say 'T is God that justifies me but only in the general 'T is God that justifieth Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died He does not say 'T is Christ that died for me but 't is Christ that died You will say Quest I indeed if I could say That God justifies me and Christ died for me then I would say with Paul That nothing shall separate Paul raises his perswasion thus Answ 'T is God that justifies and 't is Christ that died I but Quest was there any temptation in any of all these that Paul speaks on Yes sure Answ Why does he say else That in all these things we are more than conquerers There is an adversary power in this And what think you when he saies That neither life nor death nor Angels nor principalities and powers Does not the Devil come in there under principalities and powers Neither does he say thus I 'le hope well now That because Christ dies and 't is God that justifies I 'le hope well No but I am perswaded none of all these shall separate me from the love of God in Christ Though I have feared I will fear no more Thus he makes his Triumph Oh! what strong consolation is here to all the Saints You that are the tempted Saints of God do not your hearts burn and glow within you with love to Jesus Christ and will you question his love to you Did Christ Come and succour you and will not you succour your selves Is his heart full of succour toward you and won't you own it The Lord rebuke our unbelief Thirdly If Jesus Christ be a succouring Christ Then let us be succouring Christians Shall the Lord Jesus Christ take a poor tempted soul into his arms and shall I thrust him away with my hand Shall the Lord Christ take him into his Bosome and must I thrust him out of the City and the place where he dwels Shall the Lord Jesus Christ carry a poor tempted soul upon his shoulder by way of succour and shal I carry him upon my shoulder as a burden It was Christ's Command See that ye love one another as I have loved you And how did Christ love us He loved us and gave himself for us He loved us and was made in the form of a servant took our Infirmities upon him he loved us and was tempted for us suffered being tempted And shall not I be willing to succour those that are tempted You look upon another mans Opinion or his Practice or his froward disposition and you are offended at it whom otherwise you would love and do account godly But how do you know whether that be not his temptation that his disposition and Opinion and Practice how do you know whether that be not his temptation that he lies under and will you not succour him Oh! my beloved How contrary are our dispositions to Christs Christ came from Heaven to succour those that are tempted and we call for fire from Heaven against those that are tempted Christ would bear with much smoke for a little fire and we wil quench a great deal of fire because of a little smoke Oh! therefore as you desire to be like unto Jesus Christ succour the Saints and if there be any thing in their life that does offend you say with your selves I but may be it is a temptaion that such a man lies under and Christ came to succour those that are tempted why should not I Fourthly If the Lord Jesus Christ be a succouring Christ Then why should we yeeld unto our sins and to our temptations Though the Siege be straight and violent and fierce if a City be block't up be beleaguer'd if it have but hopes that succour and relief will come it will hold it out and if it know for certain that succour will come it will hold out unto great extreamity There 's never
a temptation but you are beleaguer'd by it and when your temptation is about you say O my soul be quiet yeeld not the Lord Christ is a succouring Christ and succour will come and therefore hold it out Shall the Lord Jesus Christ shall he succour me against my temptations with his bosom and shall I take my sins and temptations into mine own bosom Shall he come to succour me against my sins and shall I succour my sins that he comes against What a mighty argument is here to keep us from all our sins and from yeelding to our temptations Jesus Christ is a succouring Christ to tempted souls In the fift place If there be a truth in this Christ is a succouring Christ Let us all labour to answer Christ Beloved 't is the duty and the property of the people of God to observe what God is doing upon their hearts and to help on that work If Jesus Christ be succouring of any of your souls against your temptations Oh! help it on help on the work 't is your duty for to help it on and to answer him But you will say Quest Christ succours Before temptation and he succours Vnder temptation and he succours After temptation how shall I answer this how shall I help his work on Give me leave to give an answer unto this Question Answ and so I will winde up all Does the Lord Jesus Christ succour Before temptation Observe his succours and lay them up in your hearts against a rainy day Gird your sword upon your thigh it may not be to seek when the enemy comes have it in readinesse You don't lay the plaister on upon the wrist for the Ague when the Ague is on but before it comes Observe what those tokens of love are that Jesus Christ does throw into your bosom before a temptation comes and lay them up carfully there And beloved in the Lord Labour to keep the sence of his love warm upon your hearts Look as it is with water in winter so with your hearts in this respect So long as the fire is under the water and the water is hot it freezes not but when the heat goes off and the water is cold then ice comes upon it And so long as your heart is kept up in the sence of Christs love and warm with Christs love so long the ice comes not the temptation comes not The slumber of grace is a preparation to sin and a preparation to temptation When once our hearts grow cold and grow remisse then way is made to temptation and therefore if you would answer Jesus Christ Oh! labour to keep the sence of his love still upon your hearts And when the temptation is come Then look upon Jesus Christ No temptation so violent or fierce but a thought may steal out and get a look upon Jesus Christ The sight of Christ on the Cross is a Judge upon the Bench against all temptation The consideration of Three things keeps one from the power of temptation The worth of a soul The hainousness of sin And the love of Christ And you see all these in Christ upon the Crosse When temptation comes stand look upon him You know that when the Israelites were stung they were then to look upon the brasen serpent and by their very looking upon it they were cured thereby The Lord Jesus Christ is our brasen-serpent lift up upon Gospel poles having more excellency than any brasen-serpent That was but a piece of brasse he is the God of glory That for a time he is our High-Priest and lives for ever That for the Jewes only but he for Jew and Gentile That for those that could see and if any poor blind man was stung it was a case what should become of the blind man how should he look upon the brasen serpent how should he be cured but this our brasen serpent is able to give you an eye Beloved this Ordinance is still on foot spiritually And therefore Christ saies by the Prophet Esay Look unto me from all the ends of the earth and be saved Oh! when a temptation comes poor tempted soul addresse thy self to the Lord Jesus stand wishly looking upon him And then Give thy soul over into the hands of Christ all thou canst put thy self out of thine own hands So long as the planck or the board swims in the stream in the midst of the water you may draw it along with a little thred but if once it come towards the banck towards the shoare and touches upon the ground then you can hardly draw it So long as your temptation is in the stream of Christs love and of his blood you may draw it along the more easily but if once it come to touch upon your own shoare Oh! then you draw hard Whensoever therefore a temptation arises go unto Jesus Christ and say O Lord I have no strength to stand against this great Enemy I confesse it is my duty to resist this temptation but 't is thy promise to succour me under this temptation and therefore I put my self upon thee And then rest upon Christ As I use to say Your very resting on him makes him yours your resting on his strength makes it yours and your resting on his succour makes that yours And if the Lord command you to the use of any means Don't rest upon any because they are great Or despise any because they are small You do observe that the great Victories amongst the Jewes they were obtained by the weakest means and by the blowing of rams horns wals fell down Those were but Types of those spiritual Victories under the Gospel God seldom does wound the head of a temptation but first the heel the means is bruised whereby the head of the temptation is wounded As Christs heel is bruised in his wounding of Satans head So I say 't is in regard of means seldome that any means does wound the head of a temptation but the very heel of that means is first bruised and therefore don't despise it though it be small And if it please the Lord to cast in any Promise when you are under a temptation Oh! take heed that you don't live upon the letter of the Promise I mean don't live upon the Conveyance but upon the Land and yet how many do live upon the bare Promise bare letter of the Promise When a temptation comes passe from the temptation unto the Promise and through the Promise unto Jesus Christ and learn to live upon the thing Promised and not the letter of the Promise After temptation is over I can but touch on things Either you have the better of Satan Or else the worse If you have the worse Be for ever Humbled but never Discouraged And if you have the better of him Then rejoyce in the Lord and in all his goodness toward you and in all his succouring love and mercy Rejoyce in the Lord evermore and again I say rejoyce As one whom his mother comforteth
Wherefore my Exhortation is that you may avoid this blow and this stroke Never mourn no not for son committed but still be thankful for grace received otherwaies your Experience will go out of sight and then your faith failes ye Again Answ 3 Satan does sometimes strike at the faith of Reliance Labours to weaken the faith of the Saints Reliance By sundering or severing their souls from the promise So long as a man hath the sight of the promise and the promise is by him a gracious heart saies I wil for ever trust in God and relye upon God in Christ for thus and thus hath God spoken and thus and thus saith the promise to me But now if the promise be gone then a mans reliance fails Satan therefore in the into of temptation labours to take away the promise scaring the soul or cogging the soul from the promise this he does many waies but sometimes he speaks out thus What! do you meddle with the promise the promise don't belong to you the Threatening belongs to you you have finned so and so and the Threatning belongs to you but the Promise don't belong to you And if he can but get the soul to beleeve this then his faith failes Oh! Quest but How should we bear off this blow in time of temptation for I confesse thus by this temptation does Satan strike at my faith and labours to make my faith to faile In this case let a mans heart speak thus Answ First If the Lord do command me to beleeve then the promise belongs to me for I cannot beleeve unless I apply the promise now in this time at this very time of my temptation the Lord does command me to beleeve else it were no sin not to beleeve 't is a sin for me not to beleeve not therefore the Lord commands me to beleeve but beleeve I cannot unless I apply the promise therefore God would have me to apply the promise therefore the promise does belong to me and I may apply it Again Let the heart speak thus If the Lord does give out a Threatning that it may not be fulfilled and he does give out a Promise that it may be fulfilled If the very applying of the Threatning makes the Threatning not to belong to me and the very applying of the Promise makes the Promise to belong to me then the Threatning does not belong to me for I have applied it and the Promise does belong to me for I have applied it Oh! I remember how my soul hath lien trembling before the Threatning the Lord knows I have often applied the Threatning but now this is true That the very applying of the threatning makes the threatning not to belong to a man and the very applying of the Promise makes the Promise to belong to a man and therfore Satan the Threatning belongs not unto me but the Promise does But then again Thirdly let him say thus If I be more godly now than I was when Satan told me that the Threatning did not belong to me and the Promise did belong to me then there is no reason for this temptation When I went on in a way of sin then Satan told me the Threatning did not belong to me and then he told me the Promise did belong to me Oh! but now I am more godly than I was then I have more of Christ than I had then I am sure therfore Satan Didst thou tel me that the Promise did belong to me then ' therefore it belongs much more to me now Thon toldst me heretofore when I went on in a way of sin the Threatning did not belong to me now then the Threatning does less belong to me for now I am more godly than I was then But above all things remember that of the Commamnd to beleeve Luther was a man that laboured under great temptations and being once sorely tempted and the teares trickling down his cheeks saies he my friend my spiritual father came unto me and said O my son why doest thou mourne doest thou not know that God hath commanded thee to beleeve When saies Luther I heard that word Command that God hath Commanded me to beleeve it prevail'd more with my heart than all that was said or thought on before So say I now unto ye Does Satan come with this temptation and tell thee the Promise don't belong to thee Answer I but the Lord hath Commanded me to beleeve Satan God hath Commanded me to beleeve 't is my duty now at this time to beleeve but I cannot beleeve unlesse I apply the Promise therefore I may go by commission from God unto the Promise and the Promise does belong to me Thus give in these answers so shall ye be able to stand and to relye upon God and your faith of Reliance shall not fail This is the first thing The faith of Reliance Secondly Quest 2 How does Satan strike or labour to weaken the faith of Assurance the Assurance of Gods people Much may be said here Answ 't is a large field I shall only gather up some few things and present them to you Sometimes Satan does labour to weaken the Assurance of the Saints By telling them that they have no faith Assurance is the flower of faith it grows upon faith but you have no faith saies Satan and therefore your assurance is naught But how unreasonable is this temptation for observe I pray in what rounds Satan goes He tempts us to beleeve that we have no faith because we have no Assurance and he tempts us again to beleeve we have no Assurance because we have no faith For answer hereunto I shall only turn unto that 4. to the Romans It is said of Abraham at the 21. verse Being fully perswaded that what God had promised he was able also to perform And therefore at the 22. it was imputed to him for righteousness Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we beleeve on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead Abraham was justified by faith it was imputed to him for righteousnesse and saies the Apostle here it was not written for his sake but for us also We are justisied as Abraham was by the same faith what faith is that is it the faith of Assurance Yes he was Assured indeed but I pray of what He was Assured that God was able to performe He being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform Abraham beleeved that God was able and so relyed upon God and hereby he was justified So it shall be with men and women now if they be Assured and Perswaded that God is able and so relye upon God this is the faith that justifies When therefore this temptation comes Answer unto Satan Satan thou saiest I have no Assurance because I have no faith but I have this Assurance that Abraham had whereby he was justified I beleeve God
ye aske me Wherein the love and care of Christ is expressed unto his people under their temptations I answer Answ 1 First In the ordering of their temptations For there is no temptation befalls any of His but he measures out the temptation according to their abilities As a wise Phifitian does not give the same Physick unto every person but considers every ones ability that which he gives to one is too strong for another he considers first the ability of his patient and prescribes accordingly Now though our Saviour Christ don't direct Satan for to tempt yet he does order him in tempting and Satan cannot put the least dram into any temptation but as it is measured out by the hand of Christ And this is that which the Apostle speaks plainly in the 1. Cor. 10. Chapter and the 13. verse But God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able c. that ye may be able to bear it Psal 139 The Psalmist David saies Search me O Lord and prove me That is saies Gregory First O Lord look upon my strength and then if I must be tempted suffer me to be tempted according to mine ability Christ does measure out all the temptations of his people according to their abilities Secondly As he does measure out their temptations according to their abilities So he does also mortifie their temptations and weaken them as they come through his hand Mortifie them before they do come at his Disciples and people before they do come at you And upon this account partly it is said That we are more than conquerers through Christ that giveth victory Because our enemy is overcome before he strikes and his blow is broken as he strikes And therefore saies the Apostle concerning our Saviour That he hath spoil'd principalities and powers and made a shew of them openly upon the crosse All your temptations the power and strength of them were spoil'd upon the crosse There 's no temptation befals any of Gods people but it is mortified and weakned before it does come it them the sting teeth and the poison being taken out Thirdly He does not only thus mortifie and weaken a temptation before it does come at us But he does cause Satan so to lay his temptations as that he may be discerned and so overcome Satan tempted Adam and Eve but he tempted in a serpent and so Adam might easily have discerned the hand of Satan in it for Adam knew all the creatures he gave them their Names he knew their Natures and he knew well enough the serpent could not speak to him he might easily have known that the hand of Satan was in the business And so now though God does suffer Satan to tempt his people yet he does cause Satan so to lay his temptations as that the black feet of the tempter may be discovered and when a temptation is discovered 't is half overcome Fourthly He doth not only thus But the Lord Jesus Christ hath the Timeing of all our temptationps Time is a great matter in the point of temptation Should a temptation come at such or such a time possibly Gods child might be overwhelmed I praise the Lord saies one I did resist such a temptation but had it fallen out at such a time I should never have been able to have stood under it Satan observes his tempting times he knowes that great advantage may be made unto him by his time And therefore when Christ was an hungry he tempted him to turn stones into bread observed his time And as Satan does observe his time to tempt So our Lord and Saviour Christ does set him his time the time of his temptations are in the hand of Christ And therefore if ye look into the 20. chapter of the Revelation the 1. 2. and 3. verses ye shall find to this purpose thus I saw an Angel come down from Heaven having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand And he laid hold on the dragon the old serpent which is the Devil and Satan and bound him a thousand years and cast him into the bottomless pit and shut him up and set a seal upon him that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years should be fulfilled and after that he must be loosed a little season Mark The Lord Jesus Christ hath not only the tempter in a chain that he can go no further than he gives him leave to go but his hand also is in the hand of Christ and Christ hath an eye to the Time of his temptation a special eye upon the time of our temptation and this argues much of his care and love Fiftly He hath not only the Timeing of our temptations But he does also Sanctifie our temptations and does make them blessed means of our Sanctification And therefore saies Paul I received the messenger Satan for to buffet me that I might not be exalted Twice he hath that That he might not be exalted out of measure But for this I need go no further than the instance of Peter before Peter was tempted what abundance of carnal confidence was there in Peter Lord saies he though all men for sake thee yet will not I. But now I pray look upon him after his temptation and you shall see how this carnall confidence was laid down for our Saviour saies unto him Peter lovest thou me more than these Lord saies he thou knowest I love thee but not a word of the comparative More than these he had left comparing now having been under temptation and having fallen his carnal confidence was gone and he don't say now Lord though all men forsake thee yet will not I the comparison is left out now he answers to the other part but not a word to that So that I say If the Lord Jesus Christ do measure out all our temptation for us And mortifie them before they come at us And does cause Satan to lay them as we may most easily discover them And if the Lord Christ does Time our temptations for us And sanctifie them unto us Then certainly there is much of Oh rists love and mercy at work for his people under their temptations Secondly If you ask me yet further Quest 2 Wherein is the love of Christ exprest or drawn out unto his people under their temptations I answer It is seen and exprest in this In teaching of them Answ in and by their temptations Tempting times are teaching times unto Gods people the school of temptation is a great school Luther said that the temptations of Satan were the imbracings of Christ meaning that then Christ did imbrace his people most and discover most of his love unto them Three things he said there were that made a Preacher Meditation Prayer and Temptation And indeed when or where does God or Christ reveal himselfe more fully unto his people than in the times of their temptations 'T is said that at
Peter Object but my faith doth constantly fail Peter denied and his faith failed in the exercise as to one Act but my faith doth constantly fail in time of temptation I was heretofore more able to beleeve in the time of my temptation than now I am my faith is failed and it constantly fails and therefore I fear that the Lord Christ will not pray for me in the time of my temptation Well But if you be more able to relye upon meer free-grace Answ than ye have been heretofore then your faith is not less but increased rather If you be now more able to be contented with your condition than you were heretofore If you can let God and Christ alone to use his own means about you If you can leave the Events and successes of things more unto God than you could heretofore then your faith is not failed but rather increased Man or woman if that you are able now to take those hints of a word which you could not heretofore If your judgment be more setled in the Truth If you be more contented to suffer now for the Cause and the way of God than you were heretofore Then thy faith is not failed but thy faith is increased rather and so thou comest within the compasse of the Lord Christs prayer Oh! Object but yet will some say I have sinned greatly very much I have been a great sinner and therefore I fear that the Lord Jesus Christ will let me alone to wrestle with my temptations all alone and will not pray and intercede for me in the time and hour of my temptation Well Answ I must yet say again to you Hast thou sinned more than this Peter did when he denied his Lord and Master Yet Christ prayed for him and his prayer took and prevailed Have you sinned more than Jerusalem did Oh! Jerusalem thou that stonest the Prophets saies Christ when they put him to death And yet if you look into the 1. of the Acts you shall find that Christ after his Resurrection bids his Disciples for to stay and wait at Jerusalem and not stir from thence and preach the Gospel and mercy and free-grace in Jerusalem Hast thou man or woman that makest this objection sinned more than those that did put Christ to death that run him into his body with a spear that nailed him upon the crosse hast thou sinned more than these Ye know our Lord and Saviour when he was upon the crosse he prayed for them Oh! Father forgive them they know not what they do But Lord these are thine opposers these are persecutors and they persecute thee to death Well be it so saies Christ I know what I do and I know whom I pray for Father forgive them they know not what they do Oh! what grace and mercy and love is here Comfort yea Comfort unto all the Disciples of Jesus Christ when ye are in temptation the Lord Christ is at prayer for you And remember the Doctrine Never is his love and mercy more at work for ye than when Satan is most busie about ye to tempt ye most What comfort is here This was that in part that comforted the Martyrs in the Primitive times ye reade of very great comforts that the Martyrs had in the Primitive times those times next after Christ I have desired to consider what it was especially that bore up their hearts under all those persecutions And Turtullian pitches upon this as one thing We consider saies he the case of Peter Satan desired to winnow him Christ prayed for him Here were saies Turtullian two requests before God the Father One was the request of Satan and another was the request of Christ Now the Son having more credit with God the Father than Satan his request must needs prevail So saies he Satan hath desired for to tempt and to winnow us and persecute us but the Lord Jesus Christ hath requested for us There are two requests before God the Father There 's Satans request to winnow us and there 's the Sons request praying for us Now therefore seeing that the Son hath more credit with God the Father than Satan therefore are we assured that we shall be upheld and our faith shall not fail And so may you also This is matter of great comfort unto all the Saints You will say Indeed it is matter of great comfort Quest but is there no Duty that this Truth cals for at our hands Here is much comfort but what is that Duty that this Truth cals for Much every way If I be an Ungodly man Answ what a mighty incouragement is here for to get into Jesus Christ that I may be in the number of the true Disciples So long as a man is out of Christ not a true Disciple of Jesus Christ Satan may come and tempt and do what he wil with him and no Christ by to help Satan could not hurt or touch or tempt Job but he must ask leave But Satan went to the Sabeans and brought in them upon Jobs Estate and he did not ask leave for that they were in his power He ruleth in the children of disobedience Daniel was in the Lyons-den and they devouered him not their mouthes were stopt and they could not hurt him But when the Enemies were thrown into the Lyons they crack'd and crush'd their bones before they came to the ground If a godly man one that is a true Disciple of Jesus Christ if he be in a den with these Lyons Devils their mouths shall be stopt they shall not swallow him But oh for wicked men that are not in Christ these Lyons they crush their bones every day they crush their bones and a wicked man may say as Saul did The Philistims are upon me and God is departed from me So a wicked man that is not in Christ he may cry out and say Oh! temptations are upon me and Christ is departed from me I have none of Christ to help me as for the Saints and those that are true Disciples of Jesus Christ they have Christ at hand though they fall Christ is by for to help them up And Christ himself measures out all their temptations and Christ assists them and helps them but Oh! as for me I am all alone in my temptations I poor soul am all alone in my temptations Ah! who would be a Drunkard still who would be a Swearer still who would be an Unclean wanton still who would be a lyar and a Theevish servant still Let me tell ye that while ye go on in these sins you are out of Christ Poor soul a Swearer a Drunkard a common Lyar a Sabbath-breaker a Wanton out of Christ and thy temptations fall heavily upon thee the Lord knowes thou art all alone in the time of thy temptations Oh! but get into Jesus Christ get into Jesus Christ to be in the number of Christs true Disciples and when thou art tempted the Lord prayes for thee yea and the love and mercy of Christ
matter of Praise The more Errour does prevail the more mercy it is that you are kept And truely the only way or a special way to be kept from Errour is to be thankful for Truth As a way to be kept from sin is to be thankful for grace So a special way to be kept from Errour is to be thankful for Truth So then Notwithstanding all this yet you are to be thankful Thankful even in this condition though many Errours yet ye are to be thankful to be in all things thankful in every thing thankful Thankful when ye are straitened as well as when ye are most enlarged Thankful when ye are Deserted as well as when God shines upon you Thankful when ye are Afflicted as well as when ye are Delivered Thankful when ye have no Victories as well as when ye have Victories Some it may be now will Praise the Lord and be Thankful hearing of so many Victories and because there may be some hopes of Peace But beloved 't is our duty to be in every thing Thankful 'T is the will of God our Father that we should be Thankful in every thing Thankful in every condition Give me leave to propound some few Incouragments hereunto for it seems a hard thing to be Thankful in every thing in every condition If you can be thankful in every thing even when ye are low you will engage God for to raise you up If when you are weak you engage God for to make you strong If when you are Deserted you engage God to enlarge you to shine upon you It pleases God much you cannot please him more than to be Thankful in every thing even when ye are low For Example Suppose a man be convinc'd of sin troubled in Conscience hath no assurance of Gods love in Christ If he should die he does not know whether he should go to heaven or hell Yet notwithstanding saies he what ever become of me I bless the Lord that I am come hither I was going on in the most sad condition the Lord hath opened my eyes I see indeed nothing but the wrath of God due for my sins but yet blessed be the Lord that hath opened my eyes to see this I saies the Lord doest thou blesse me because I have opened thy eyes for to see thy sins I 'le open thine eyes for to see thy Saviour Doest thou blesse me because I have opened thy eyes to see thy own heart and the naughtiness thereof I 'le open thy eyes to see all my grace and I 'le cause all my grace to passe before thee This engages God when ye can be thankful for every thing and when ye are low it engages God much unto you Again Hereby your Afflictions shall be made blessings unto you You say How shal I know whether an Affliction be a blessing or no Take this note when thou canst blesse God under an Affliction then thy Affliction is made a blessing thy very blessing of God under an Affliction makes thy Affliction a blessing to thee Job greatly afflicted and he blest God and his Affliction was a blessing to him so shall it be with you Touch but thy Affliction with a Thankful heart it will turn it into gold Moreover The more you can be Thankful for any thing when ye are low the more peace shall your heart and your soul be fild with Some of you it may be want peace of Conscience and ye say Oh! that I had peace within whatever become of me Outwardly whatsoever the world do with me Oh! that I had peace within To this purpose consider the 4. to the Philippians saies the Apostle Be ye in nothing careful at the 6. verse but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God And the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus This is the way to get a great and a full peace Be in nothing careful be in all things Thankful then the peace of God shall guard you Besides Hereby ye shall shame the Devil your great adversary shall retreate from tempting of you as one ashamed and confounded Some there are that shame the Saints and are a shame to the waies of God the Gospel Some there are that shame the Devil The Devil said unto God concerning Job Do but touch him Job 1.11 12 21 and he will curse thee to thy face saies the Lord He is in thy hand only save his life and Satan touch't him what then The Lord giveth the Lord taketh away blessed be his Name The Devil said he would Curse God and he blesses God See how the Devil is sham'd and confounded here Some there are that make the Devils words good Touch him and he will curse thee to thy face and so do some do and thereby they are a shame indeed unto the people of God and the waies of God But when people can blesse God under Affliction if ye in every this be Thankful the Devil is confounded God is much honoured Wherefore beloved as ye desire that God may be much honoured by you the Devil confounded your own peace setled all your afflictions turned into blessings and the Lord engag'd to you to raise you up when ye are low learn out this lesson not only to be Thankful when ye are full but to be Thankful when ye are empty to be in every thing Thankful this is the will of God your Father How shall we do this Quest you will say how must that be done Some few things in answer to that and so I will wind up all First Answ 1 Observe your own temper and accommodate your selves put thy self upon that duty and that grace which thine own disposition lies next unto God hath given us this indulgence Jam. 5.13 Is any afflicted let him pray is any merry let him sing Psalms According to your disposition saies he that is the meaning So let your work be so let your grace be It may be thou canst not Pray by that time thou hast been at another duty that thy disposition lies more unto next unto thou wilt be fit to pray It may be thou canst not Sing by that time thou hast been at Prayer which thy disposition lies next unto thou wilt be fit to Sing Let us not be more cruel to our souls than God is he hath give us this indulgence observe your selves accommodate your selves and by this means you shall be able upon all occasions to blesse and praise the Lord. Again Be sure of this that you maintain your Assurance fresh and green It 's a hard thing for a man to be thankful in every thing that wants Assurance Come to him for to praise God for a great work but it may be saies he it came in Judgment to me I have no Assurance Strengthen your Assurance in these Three things and it will cause continual Thankfulnesse Thankfulnesse in every thing Assurance