he called for all his children Gen. 49. he called them one by one and prayed for a special blessing to be upon their heads Parents are bound to remember their children and children many times miscarry because parents are no more in doing their duty no more crying to the Lord in the behalf of their children and so back again children are bound to remember their parents And so in the relation of Masters and servants Masters are bound to pray for their servants you know that instance of the Centurion he came to Jesus in the behalf of his servant and was very earnest with Christ that Christ would be pleased to heal his servant this is a duty that is little performed by many Masters they think if they can have their servants to work for them it is all that they have to look after but let such Masters know that God will require an account of servants souls have you instructed them and have you presented them often in your prayers before the Lord the Centurion came for the body of his servant and it is our duty to come often to the Lord for the souls of our servants and so back again it is the duty of servants to pray for their Masters And thus you see the fourth particular That it is our duty to remember all our relations before the Lord. There is one relation more and that is our Spiritual relation which I shall touch before I end that particular such as stand in relation one to another in Church-society they are bound often to remember one anothers conditions before the Lord James 5. 14 15 16. Confess your faults one to another and pray one for another yea in Church-societies it is especially the duty of Pastors and Elders to remember their flock and it is the duty of the people to remember their Elders and to pray often to the Lord in their behalf Faithful Ministers are bound often to pray for their people remember what is said of Paul Rom. 1. 9. For God is my witness whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel of his son that without ceasing I make mention of you alwayes in my prayers When ever he came to God he was mindful of the Church I am alwayes mindfull of you without ceasing and indeed the profiting of a people and the stedfastness of a people in the faith and in the truth and in the wayes of God it is the glory and the crown and the joy and rejoycing of a faithful Teacher and therefore surely it is their duty often to remember their people before the Lord and so it is the peoples duty to remember their Pastor and Teacher The Apostle lays it upon them as their duty Ephes 6. 18 19. Praying alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints and for me that utterance may be given unto me that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mysterie of the Gospel It is your duty saith he to pray for all Saints and for me in particular that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mysterie of the Gospel for many times Satans great design is to overthrow them that the Lord hath set to go before his people Satans great design is to hinder the work of God in their hand to make such to fall and therefore the Lords people had need to pray the more earnestly for even the best of the Teachers and Preachers of the Gospel they are but empty pipes in themselves and can afford no more then the Lord is pleased to drop in from above and therefore there is need that the Lord should be dropping in continually or else they cannot bring forth bread in due season and make provision for the people if the Lord do not fill them from heaven yea the best of Teachers have need of teaching though they know never so much they have need of more knowledge they have need of more strength and therefore it is the duty of the people to remember them before the Lord that the Lords Vrim and Thummim may be with them Thus in all relations it is our duty mutually to remember one another before the Lord. Fifthly it is our duty to remember those that for the present are strangers to Christ You will say what are we to pray for such as have not the knowledge of God yea it is our duty to remember them if the Lord hath been pleased to make us to differ and called us out from the number of those Gentiles who know not God oh we are bound to pity them and to pray for them whose condition is such as never was rained upon as the heath in the desert their condition is sad and we should remember them before the Lord that God would send forth his light and truth to them that they that deny Christ in word in profession and conversation that they may be brought home to the knowledge of the Son of God Psal 67. 1 2. God be merciful unto us and bless us and cause his face to shine upon us That thy way may be known upon earth thy saving health among all Nations There are many Nations and great Nations that to this day know not God and Christ that sit in darkness and perish for want of vision and truly they who through free-grace do know any thing of God they are bound to pity them that sit in darkness and to pray that the Nations may know the saving truth and the way of the Lord. Sixthly if it be a duty to pray for those that are strangers to Christ then it is a duty to pray for those that are Christs friends for all that know the Lord and love the Lord in sincerity Ephes 6. 18. Praying alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints It is our duty to remember all Saints to remember them that are scattered to remember them that are gathered all Saints we should remember them in our prayer before the Lord and especially Jerusalem Sions Assemblies they should be remembred Psal 122. 6 7. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper that love thee Peace be within thy wals and prosperity within thy palaces You see Jerusalem Sions Assemblies in a special manner should be remembred by us in our addresses to the Lord. And so Psalm 14. you may see how the Psalmist doth express himself in the behalf of Sion Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Sion oh that the Lord would hasten the time that he will save his people and Sion be remembred and built up Oh that the time were come And in Psal 51. he doth express that when he had been praying for himself yet he did not forget Sion Psal 51. 18. Do good in thy good pleasure unto Sion build thou the walls of Jerusalem So that you see that hath been spoken
meet withall concerning their own Election First A poor soul may be thus tempted that it is an impossible thing for it to attaine to the knowledge of Gods love this is a secret this is that which was transacted in Heaven and therefore sure it is not possible for me to attain to the knowledge of this that the Lord hath loved me and hath written my name in the book of life Men may have some good hopes of it but surely saith the temptation it is presumption for any man to think or say he may come to assurance that the Lord hath written his name in the Book of life for there are these two things against it First Secret things belongeth to God Secondly No eye hath seen what is done in Heaven and if eye hath not seen it how shall I attaine to the knowledge of it In Answer to this temptation know and consider that many of the Saints of God hath attained to the knowledge of Gods eternall love and hath risen to this assurance that the Lord hath loved and will love with an everlasting love The Apostle Paul did attaine to it and he gloryes in it yea then when he speaketh in the person of all the Elect of God Rom. 8. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect it is God that justifieth Vers 34. Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Vers 35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ He stands up to challenge all the world and the powers of darknesse who dare lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect And in the 38. verse see what he further saith For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principallities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come Vers 39. Nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. So then you see it is a thing not impossible to attaine to the knowledge of Gods eternall electing love Nay it is laid upon all the Saints as a duty to seek after the knowledge of it 2 Pet. 1. 10. Wherefore the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure for if you doe these things ye shall never fall So then election may be made sure and it is a duty which lyeth upon all believers to strive after that they may make their calling and election sure Now if it be so that this is a thing that may be attained unto and that the Saints hath attained unto and a duty which all the children of God are put upon then certainly this is a temptation and know it is a temptation that it is an impossible thing for any to attaine to the knowledge of Gods electing love But Secondly The second temptation concerning our election may be this a poor soul may be thus tempted it is true there may be the knowledge of Gods love and many of the Saints have attained to this knowledge but as for me I have no certainty I have striven and I have waited upon God and sought for assurance but I have not attained it and therefore I am ready to conclude surely the Lord hath not loved me others sought and they have attained and have assurance I have sought and I cannot meet with assurance of the love of God and therefore certainly the Lord hath not loved me I Answer to this temptation know that thou canst not conclude that God hath not called thee effectually because thou hast not assurance and if thou canst not conclude that God hath not called thee effectually because thou hast not assurance much less canst thou conclude that God hath not chosen thee from eternity because thou hast not assurance But Secondly In answer to this temptation hath not the Lord given thee a heart to close with Christ as held forth in the Gospel to poor lost sinners hath not God made thee willing to accept of Christ hath not the Lord in some measure inabled thee to cleave to Christ and dost now resolve to cast thy self upon Christ to venture all upon Christ even thy eternity why then know here is that which gives the essence the being of faith this accepting of Christ held forth in the Gospel with thy resting upon him it is the being of faith and this faith is no other but the faith of Gods elect the fruit of Gods electing love it springs from that eternall love which chose his people unto salvation through faith and therefore though there be not the comfort of faith assurance is the comfort of faith the flower that grows upon the fruit of faith yet if there be that which gives the being of faith thou mayst not conclude that the Lord hath not loved thee because thou hast not assurance Thirdly In answer to this temptation thou sayst thou hast no assurance of Gods electing love and therefore thou concludest that God doth not love thee As thou hast no assurance that God hath chosen thee so thou hast no knowledge of the contrary and mayest not conclude the contrary that God hath not chosen thee for if thou shouldst so conclude thou mayest lye against the truth and therefore cease to draw any conclusions of that which is not knowne to thee and give up thy self to doe the revealed will of God and what is that but that thou take hold of the offer of salvation and receive Christ that you believe in the name of his Son for this is his commandement 1. Joh. 3. 18. But Thirdly this temptation may arise in the soul namely a desire that God would give it a signe an extraordinary signe it resolves it cannot believe and will not believe unless God give itâ— signe This is a temptation that some of Gods people hath met withall To answer this temptation know that it is not Gods ordinary way to give satisfaction to the soul concerning his love by giving an extraordinary signe it is true the Lord may sometimes in some cases condescend to his people and may give an extraordinary signe yea the Lord may and hath prevented his people sometimes with an extraordinary signe to prevent their unbeleefe when they have not asked a signe You have heard of that woman that sometime lived in Cambridge that was many yeares in a tempted condition and being sorely afflicted one day she took up a glasse in her hand and cast it against the ground with this expression I am as surely damned as this glasse is broken and it pleased God so to order it that the glass was not broke which was to the conviction of her unbeliefe I say the Lord may give a signe yea when it is not asked but it is not Gods ordinary way but now for a soul to stand it out with God that it cannot beleeve unless God
Electing love walk worthy of it improve this your mercy that great mercy the knowledge which God hath given you of his love in Christ improve it let it be an engagement upon you to duty To what duty doth this Love of God engage unto First Let this love of God to you engage you to a holy confidence to a holy trust in the Lord and a stedfast relyance upon Christ and his grace in every state and condition the Lord would have you make this improvement his love is discovered for this end that your faith may be strengthned and your hope strengthned and made more firm and lively Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect it is God that justifieth c. Rom. 8. 33. Thus doth the Apostle improve it If God be for us who shall be against us 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 creature shal be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Nay saith he in all these things we are more then Conquerours Christ would have his people improve this love for the casting out of fear perfect love casteth out fear it is casting out fear though it hath not cast out fear Fear not little flock it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you a Kingdom he would strengthen them against fear by setting before them the Father 's Electing love it is the Fathers good pleasure to give you a Kingdome O that we might improve this for the strengthening of our confidence Secondly If the Lord hath discovered his love know that it is an engagement as to Confidence so to Holiness a holy and unblameable walking before God The adversaries of this Truth pretend that this is a Doctrine of Liberty Ah! but there is no such tendency Put on as the Elect of God bowels of mercy If you be the Elect of God put on bowels of mercy and so be you like to Christ I say know that this is the end of God's Electing love God hath chosen you wherefore hath he chosen you Eph. 1. 4. According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love This is the great end of God's love and the discovery of it that you may be holy O! Know that if God hath loved you you should be holy Thridly Know that you are engaged to walk humbly Who put the difference What was it that made the difference This Doctrine of free Electing love hath taught you that it is grace that hath made the difference not your free will and improvement but it is free grace that made the difference The Lord saw us so far from improving of that which he gave us as any other and therefore this may silence all flesh before the Lord let not flesh glory Why what hast thou to glory in If thou be better then others whence was it It was from free love and therefore it engageth thee to walk humbly with thy God Fourthly It is an engagement to Love O! love the Lord dearly if the Lord hath made out his Electing love you are engaged to love him again shew forth much love love to Christ and love to the Image of Christ love to the way of Christ love to the Truth of Christ love to the Ordinances of Christ love to the Saints of Christ As I have loved you saith Christ so ought you to love one another John 13. 34. As I have loved you as much as if Christ should say this is the greatest argument that I can propound to you to move you to love one another I have loved you If the Lord have loved you with this electing love and hath discovered that his love to you you are engaged to love him and his people and whatever hath the Image of God and of Christ upon it And so I have done this point this great mysterie this Doctrine of Election I desire not to read this Verse again there is one thing more which I shall but touch and so conclude I am not sent but to the lost Sheep of the House of Israel The House of Israel What is the House of Israel Why the seed of Abraham the posterity of Jacob whose name was Israel the twelve Tribes they are the House of Israel they were the peculiar people that God chose out of all the Nations he left other Nations and he chose them for his peculiar people he chose them to be his House when he took them into Covenant with himself and they took hold of his Covenant they became a Church of Christ and this Church of Christ is the House of God Israel is God's House That 's the Point that I shall but touch and so shut up all Every true Church of Christ is the House of God They are a House and they are the House of God What was spoken of that Church may be said of every true Gospel Church they are a House and God's house they are God's Houshold they are called the Houshold of Faith Gal. 6. 10. And so again in Ephes 2. 19. Now therefore ye are no more Strangers and Forreigners but Fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the Houshold of God And this is prophesied of by the Prophet Micah chap. 4. vers 2. And many Nations shall come and say Come Let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord and to the House of the God of Jacob speaking of Gospel-times the Churches of the Lord are called the House of God Christ as a Son over his own House whose House we are c. Heb. 3. 6. Now in a house there is a Master of the Family why the Master of this Houshold is Christ every houshold hath a Head a Master the Lord of the Family Christ is the Master of this Family he is the Lord the Head of the Church If they call the Master of the house Beelzebub saith Christ how much more shall they call them of his houshold Matth. 10. 25. Christ is the Head and the Lord and he is the Master of his House of his Church the Master of the great Family Secondly The Members of this house they are fellow Brethren fellow Servants sometimes they are called Children Members of a Family they are either Children Servants or Friends that dwell in the Family The Lord calleth his people his children his servants somtimes his friends still he owns them the members of his house are fellow brethren and fellow servants Thirdly In a great Houshold you have Officers and Stewards Great Families they have their Stewards they are under their Lord to oversee the house and to look to the wayes of the house and to make provision for the house and to give them their meat in due season In this House of Christ and in every Gospel Church Christ hath appointed
Tryall of Faith OR THE WOMAN OF CANAAN On Math. 15. 21 22 23 24. Together with the Souls Sure Anchor-hold On Heb. 6. 19. With the Wisdome of timely remembring our Creator On Eccles 12. 1. â—n Severall SERMONS By Timothy Armitage Late Minister of the Gospel in Norwitch â—ONDON Printed by M. S. for Henry Cripps at the first Shop in Popes-head-Alley next Lumbard-street 1661. To the Christian Reader ALthough we have not fully perused these Sermons yet being well acquainted with the worth of the Author we doe not without the desire of many present these Notes to thy view He was a man of a choice humble meek and moderate spirit of good natural endowments heightned with no smal measure of Divine grace of a sound judgement yet could bear with those that erred not in the main of a large affection yet without affectation of good Learning but his Art was in Preaching to conceal his Art His Teaching was after the manner of Gods drawing a soul to Himself viz. Fortiter suaviter strongly and sweetly His stile was even plain full and as Anianus spake of Chrysostome his speech was never elevated to the pomp of speaking but alwayes accommodated to the profit of hearing In brief He was a faithful experimental powerful and succesful Labourer in the Gospel for the Spirit of God breathed much on his heart and Ministry His life also held pace with his Doctrine for as his Doctrine was lively so his life was doctrinal He was beloved both of God and man Our only grief is we had such a Preacher whom now we have not But in the midst of our sorrows for the loss of him we have refreshment by enjoying the issues of his labour and this book being his Benjamin which he did not live to finish we humbly present unto you in its native innocency as it was midwived from his mouth by the finger of a ready Pen-man Neither could we be so injurious to our departed Brother or unjust unto you as to diminish or add any thing thereunto lest instead of his endeavours we should give forth our own conceptions His intention was not to print them in paper but to imprint them in the hearts of his Auditory This Writing is like Milk in a Bottle which though it wanteth the natural warmth of the Breast yet being well digested will afford wholsome nourishment and spiritual strength Those that did hear these Sermons delivered by a lively voice cannot but rejoyce in hearing them eccho'd over by the rebound of the Press in which if there be any faults you are desired by the sense of the neighbouring words to correct them Thus committing the success of these following pages wherein the Author being dead yet speaketh to the blessing of the Almighty We rest Your Servants in the Lord Christ W. B. T. A. J. R. Several Sermons preached by Mr. Timothy Armitage upon Matth. 15. 21 22 23 24 Verses c. Verse 21. Then Jesus went thence and departed into the Coasts of Tyre and Sidon 22. And behold a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts and cryed unto him saying have mercy on me O Lord thou son of David my daughter is greivously vexed with a Devil 23. But he answered her not a word And his Disciples came and besought him saying send her away for she cryeth after us 24. But he answered and said I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel c. SERMON I. YOu have a Relation of Christs departure from the parts of Judea near to Jerusalem and his coming to the coasts of Tyre and Sidon the uttermost part of the Land of Canaan And here is a Relation of two great Wonders wrought by Christ there One was a spiritual wonder a wonderful faith that Jesus Christ wrought in the heart of a poor woman the woman of Canaan it was a wonderful faith therefore it is brought in with admiration in the 22. verse and BEHOLD a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts and cried unto him saying have mercy on me O Lord thou son of David c. Yea it was such a wonder as made the Son of God to wonder at it in conclusion and to say O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt The second Wonder which was the effect of this wonderful faith it was a miraculous cure that the Lord Jesus Christ wrought upon the daughter of this woman of Canaan who was possessed with a Devil which Devil Christ cast out by speaking one word Now concerning the faith of this woman of Canaan the wonder that was in it appears First In that it was a woman the weaker vessel and most subject to fears yet her heart was raised to believe Secondly Not only a woman but a Woman of Canaan a Canaanitish woman one that was of the seed and posterity of that cursed Nation the Canaanites that were a cursed Nation and cast out that room might be made for the Children of Israel cast out of the Land that room might be made for the Children of the Kingdome and yet Christ meets with mighty faith in the heart of a woman that was a Canaanite one that had not injoyed the means of Grace one that had not injoyed the priviledges of the Jews But we shall open the Scripture and give you a brief Anallysis of it and lay a foundation for future discourse for I shall but dwell upon the borders at this time And in the faith of this woman of Canaan First take notice of the Declaration of her faith ver 22. Her faith was declared first by the confession she made of Christ she made a full and excellent confession of Jesus Christ O Lord thou son of David there is the confession of her faith she doth acknowledge the Lordship of Christ she doth acknowledge him to be Lord of all infinite in power able to do what he pleases yea to command the Devil out of her daughter for she came to him for that end there is a confession of the Divinity of Christ and of his infinite power Secondly She doth acknowledge him as the Messias not only as the Lord of all but as the Messias Christ the Saviour him that was to come to redeem his people and to be a light to enlighten the Gentiles and therefore she calls him the son of David Oh Lord thou son of David have mercy on me c. where she doth acknowledge him to be the Messias that was promised to come out of the loins of David Thirdly There is a declaration of her faith by her prayer she poures out before the Lord her prayer was an effect of her faith she calls upon him with a great deal of earnestness and her petition was that Christ would cast out the unclean spirit that had taken possession of her daughter therefore she spread it before the Lord My daughter is grievously vexed with
make a close with Christ And to draw to a conclusion let us labour to help forward Gods design Doth God make choice of such O then we should help forward Gods work especially where any stand related to us weakness shall not hinder they may come to Christ and therefore be in the use of the means pray for them and speak to them and improve every talent that God hath given you even for the weakest and unworthiest And again take heed that we do not murmur against any of the dispensations of the Lord take heed we do not envy this dispensation and that our hearts do not rise up against it that we do not murmur when we see such and such profess the name of Christ and they are very forward and such as were young children and such poor weak women Now what a high profession do they make The Pharisees they were offended when as the rude people as they called them that knew not the Law they followed after Christ Oh this made the Gospel and Christ a stumbling block to them And so when as the children did confess Christ and sung Hosanna to the son of David the Pharisees were offended it troubled them at the heart that the children should cry out so it was a trouble to them Take heed that we be not offended when the Lord makes choice of young ones and they are too forward as some think why this is no more then what the Lord hath promised to pour out his Spirit upon young men take heed we be not offended at it we should rather rejoyce in it when you see young ones weak ones and sinfull ones come in to Christ and are high in profession oh you should rejoyce in it And let your souls wonder at this dispensation do not envy it but do you wonder at it The Evangelist Matthew he placeth a note of wonder behold a woman of Canaan it was a wonder and we should stand and wonder at Gods secret dispensation O here is the mysterie of the Gospel that weak ones and sinful ones are brought in to Christ And rejoyce in it as Christ did and bless the Lord for it though they have more then we have yet do not envy it but know that this pleaseth the Lord and the Lord will so have it I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth for so it seemeth good in thy sight Christs soul was taken with it O here is a wonder indeed for which God is to be blessed and praised And so if God be your Father when you see this do not envy it but rejoyce in it as Christ did though I have little I thank thee that thou art pleased to give out so much of thy self to such and such that weak ones and unworthy ones are brought in to Christ And last of all You that are weak in respect of parts and gifts and poor and unworthy and weak in respect of sex or of vile parentage and yet the Lord hath pluckt you out and vile and great sinners and yet the Lord hath brought you home to himself O bless the Lord for this his dispensation toward you If the Evangelist look upon the woman and say Behold the woman of Canaan O look upon your selves with admiration Behold the Grace of God which is revealed to you though poor wretches O know that you are ingaged to the Lord for this mercy that God should chuse you the weakest the unworthiest and the sinfullest And do you labour to walk worthy of this mercy Oh if the Lord hath chosen you that vvere the sinfullest O labour to bring much honour unto God as you have brought much dishonour and to hold forth the contrary graces to those great transgressions And if the Lord hath brought you in that are vveak ones women is there ever a vveak vvoman that the Lord hath made choice of O admire vvith fear this dispensation of God and bless him for his Grace to you and labour to adorn the Doctrine of God and your Saviour vvith a gracious conversation and study the Graces the Apostle Peter commends to you that you should be much in the exercise of faith and adorn themselves vvith a meek and quiet spirit O this meek and quiet spirit this sober and this modest conversation and obedience to Husbands these Graces Christ by the Apostle doth commend to you and you are ingaged to do all this and more for Christ because he hath had respect to the vveakest Matth. 15. 22. And cryed unto him saying have mercy on me O Lord thou son of David SERMON III. YOu have seen the woman and now you shall hear her speak She cryed unto him saying Have mercy on me O Lord thou son of David Observe here is a declaration of her faith and that we shall first take notice of her faith is declared by a notable confession that she makes of Christ Her confession O Lord thou son of David it is short but a great deal is in it First of all she doth acknowledge him to be Lord Lord of all to be infinite in power the Lord of Heaven and Earth one that was able to do whatsoever he pleaseth one that was able to cast out the Devil by speaking one word for she comes in the behalf of her Daughter and closeth with Christ as Lord where she doth acknowledge his divinity that he was Lord over all God blessed for ever and had power in his hand and abillity to do whatsoever he pleased That is the first part of her confession she confessed that Christ was Lord. Secondly She confesses that he was the son of David O Lord thou son of David and therein she doth acknowledge his Humanity as she acknowledged that he was Lord so she acknowledged that he was true man 2. She doth acknowledge that he was the promised Messias that is comprehended in that title Thou son of David She doth acknowledge that he was that Messias that was promised should arise out of the House of David that should come of the seed of David the promised Messias that was promised to be the deliverer of his people so she doth acknowledge for she calls him the son of David he that was promised should come of the house of David whom God had promised to raise up to be a horn of salvation So you see her confession she confesses his Divinity comes to him as God confesses his Humanity comes to him as Man and she comes to him as the Messias one that was appointed of God to be a Saviour and one of the house of David Here is as full and as large a confession as any of the Disciples make of Christ Quest But it may be queried Why she calls him the son of David she might have exprest him to have been true man and called him the son of Adam why not the son of Adam or the son of Abraham why does she call him the son of David Answ I answer in general Christ
depends upon it for if the same person that suffered were not restored the same that was cast into prison were not delivered in a legal way then there was no Justification Now our Justification doth depend upon this when Christ was delivered out of prison then did God absolve him and when Christ rose again then did Christ virtually justifie all his elect if the same body did not rise again there is no justification no man hath any assurance that he shall be justified Therefore see how necessary it is that you hold fast this truth that as the Lord Jesus took our nature so he retaines our nature Yea it is necessary that you believe Christ retaines our nature now in heaven for if you doe not why then he hath not perfected his office as High Priest he hath done but part of his work and so his people be but imperfectly saved The high Priest he first killed the sacrifice and the same person that offered sacrifice went into the holy place to make intercession and to present the blood of sprinkling Now if Christ did offer sacrifice and did not ascend in the same nature in which he offered the sacrifice he did not perfectly fulfill his work as high Priest And know this that if Christ be not in heaven in our nature there is no coming for us there is no way for our coming to God no way for our converse with God for it is not possible that creatures in this state should have immediate communion with God without a middle person a Mediator Now if Christ be not in heaven in our nature and so we might go to God in and by him there is no way of coming to God and no way of having communion with God Thirdly and lastly to speak a word to the next particular There are two things in that confession that Christ is the son of David First To close with his humility and that is an incouragement to come to Christ So Secondly She looks to his office and closes with his office when she sayes he is the son of David she acknowledges that First of all that he is the Messias designed and appointed by God the Father for this work of saving his people O Lord thou son of David thâ—â— art he that art designed and appointed and set a part by God as David was to be a Priest and to be a Prophet and thus faith must look upon Christ him that the Father hath sealed and appointed to be a Mediator or else he can never close with Christ And then she does not only look upon him aâ— one that is appointed by God the Father and designed of God Secondly But as one that was fitted for this work he was appointed by the Father to save his people and as he was appointed so he was fitted every way for this work for surely there was something which she heard and we may read in the son of David which was an incouragement to her to come to Christ and to believe in Christ As First of all this is held forth when he is called the son of David that he is mighty and strong a mighty Prince a mighty Saviour able to save 〈◊〉 the uttermost that he is even like to David â—s David whom the Lord gave a great deal of strength and courage he pursued after the Lion and after the Bear and pulled the Sheep out of the Lions mouth she eyed the strength of David if David do so great things Jesus Christ the son of David he can do greater things he can slay the Lion and kill the Bear and smite the Gâ—liah the Devil and his instruments And then in that name of Christ thou son of David there was this that might incourage her the mercy and compassion of Jesus Christ she exprest it her self David was a merciful man full of compassion towards his enemies full of patience full of long-suffering he spared Shimei when he cursed him and how did he carry himself towards Saul when God put him into his hand and when his servants would have had him taken away his life God forbid saith he so Christ is full of compassion surely she saw a great deal of the compassion of Christ David a merciful man and so is Jesus Christ And then she might see and so may we the meekness of Christ not only mercy but abundance of meekness in Christ David was a great Prince and yet Davids heart was not lift up with his condition though his condition was lift up yet his heart was not lift up no he carried it very lowly and meekly with his people he dealt with them as gently as a tender shepheard 1 Chron. 28. 2. Then David the King stood up upon his feet and said hear me my brethren and my people Now surely this woman could not but see the meekness that was in Christ David was well known to be a merciful and meek Prince and if so much meekness in David O then what meekness in the son of David Surely he deals gently with his people this was her incouragement First Now therefore to shut up all Brethren let us take notice how little true faith there is in the world if true faith comes thus to Christ as Lord and as the son of David looks to the divinity and humanity of Christ and closeth with both looks to the offices of Christ and as one that is appointed of God and fitted for this work if this be required to true faith O how little true faith is in the world How many are there that doe confess Christ to be true Man Ah but they deny him to be true God deny him to be the same Essence with the Father and Substance with the Father the same Power with the Father Nay truly such a confession of Christ it is below the confession of the Devil whatever such men may pretend to have the name of Christians it is below the confession of Devils and will leave men as low as the Devils the Devils confess Christ to be the Son of God and therefore where that is denied such men go not so far as the Devils Secondly Others that say he is true God but either deny that he took our nature or that he doth retain our nature Now how contrary is that to the Scripture And how destructive is it to the faith of Gods people and all the comforts of Gods people There is no hope of justification if Christ be not risen and no hope of coming to Heaven if Christ be not there in our nature and no possibility for poor creatures to go to God if the Mediator be not now in Heaven there is no coming there The Apostle speaking of Christ 1 Tim. 2. 5. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus There is one Mediator he does not say there was one Mediator that laid down his life but there is one Mediator the man Christ Jesus He does not say
you give him not those things that are needful for the body what doth it profit Alas it is in vain to make complaints to such what doth it avail It may be some will pitty with good words be you warmed and filled but they give them not those things which are needful for the body thus many a poor creature looses his labour Thirdly When a poor creature makes complaints to man and cries to man it may be he shall make complaints to those that do pitty him and would relieve him with all their heart but it is beyond their power to relieve and so if a poor man that wants the things of this life it may be he goes and makes his complaints to another he pitties him and would help him but he that hath a will hath not power many times and it is not in his hand to do it and he cannot uphold anothers estate but he must break his own many times it is so And so when they come and make complaint of the weakness and infirmities of their bodies it may be they are affected and they would help ah but it is beyond their power And so when a poor soul comes and complains of distress of mind and shew the wounds of his spirit and lay them open it may be godly friends may pitty you and desire to help you but their hand is toâ— short to carry the plaister to your heart and conscience and to cause it to stick there and therefore after all it will go away unsatisfied in all these causes they that would help you if they could they may say as the King of Israel 2 King 6. 26 27. the woman there comes and makes a sad complaint in the time of famine at verse 26. And as the King of Israel was passing by upon the wall there cried a woman unto him saying help my Lord O King And what sayes the King to her verse 27. And he said if the Lord do not help thee whence shall I help thee Alas my bowels are towards thee but if the Lord does not help thee in vain is the help of man Fourthly When you make your complaints to men sometimes it falls out so that instead of ease from under your burdens your burdens are increased sometimes men may add to the burdens of the afflicted through unskilfulness not knowing how to speak to them and how to carry it towards them yea sometimes men may aggravate the burdens of the afflicted when they make their complaints wilfully through pride and disdain and covetousness And thus it was when David sent to Nabal he was in a great strait for provision and he sent to Nabal in his strait for relief and he sent him a churlish answer Who is David and the son of Jesse I know him not shall I send my corn and my oxen that I have killed for my shearers and give it to him I know him not And you know what Judas did meet withall when he went to the Pharisees and said I have sinned in betraying the innocent bloud What is that to us a bargain is a bargain if you have sinned look you to that Whereas if he had gone to Christ with that complaint he might have had comfort but he went to them and they spake that which aggravated his sorrow and he goes and makes away himself So that I say in time of affliction faith causeth a soul to go to Christ for it doth discover what man is Fourthly There is this ground of the Point Faith will make a soul go to Christ alone for it discovers to the soul that in Christ there is all sufficiency to help it there is all in Christ that may pitty him and for the helping of him it is not in the creature but it is to be found in Christ for Christ is furnished with compassion there are bowels of compassion towards his poor creatures in distresse it is an impossible thing that Christ should be insensible as men are you may spread your complaints before some men and they never be moved no more then the stones in the street but the Lord Jesus he is not without compassion great bowels of compassion towards his people he cannot be insensible of any burden that lay upon a poor creature that comes to him In all their afflictions he is afflicted he bears our sickness he carries our sorrows Christ he feels the weight of all affliction and sorrow and burdens that do at any time lie upon his people Secondly As Christ hath compassion so he hath a will he is alwayes willing to do good to poor creatures that come to him Men as you have heard they are not alwayes willing they may give you a parcel of good words but give you not those things that are needful Now Christ he never puts off his people with good words though one good word from Christ be more worth then all that men can do for you but Christ he will not give you good words alone but as he opens his mouth in grace so he opens his hand in mercy he opens his mouth and his hand at the same time and he is very willing to relieve and therefore it is that he calls poor creatures to him you may see his willingness by the invitation that he gives to all poor creatures that are under any distress Come to me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest Whatever the burden be whether the burden of sin or sorrow Christ makes proclamation you have his invitation Come to me and I will give you rest and call upon me in the time of trouble and I will deliver How doth this testifie the willingness of Christ to relieve his poor creatures Thirdly He hath not only compassion but he also hath power in his hand Christ can do it he is able to do what he pleaseth Thou hast done whatsoever thou pleasest in heaven and earth and in all deep places The deepest affliction and sorrow that any of his people may sink into the Lord Jesus is able to stretch forth his hand and help them he hath all store of provision in his house there is an infinite treasure of mercy all mercies are laid up in Christ it shall not break his estate to uphold your estates for all the creatures in heaven and earth are the Lords the heavens and the earth are the Lords and the fulness that are in them therefore there is power in Christs hand to relieve his people Fourthly Christ cannot aggravate sorrow and affliction he will not aggravate the sorrow and affliction of any of his people that come to him Christ will never say to a poor soul as the Pharisees to Judas see thou to that When a soul comes and sayes Lord I have sinned Christ never gave such an answer see thou to that he never did neither can he aggravate the sorrows and burdens of poor creatures that come to him Now when faith discovers this to the soul and
cry the more earnestly after him he sees that they begin to flag in their prayers and do not cry so loud as they have done the Lord he will withdraw that so he may stir up a spirit of prayer bring them into such an affliction that so they may cry the more earnestly the storm was raised when Christ was upon the sea with his Disciples to make them cry the more earnestly The Lord seems to sleep many times at the prayers of his people that so by the prayers of his people he may be awakened Quest But you will say What need we cry thus earnestly to the Lord for he is found of them that seek him not we cannot find God by our seekiâ—â— him he must seek us he is found of them that 〈◊〉 him not Answ I answer It is true God is found 〈◊〉 them that seek him not that is when God comes first into a poor soul he breaks in upon it he prevents it with grace and mercy and he seeks us and brings home grace and mercy to the soul before the soul sought the Lord. But now when the Lord hath found a soul and brought home a soul to the knowledge of himself through Christ O then he expects that that soul should continually wait upon him and be seeking of him in that way which is of the Lords own appointment It is true he is found many times of those that seek him not but the Lord is not found of those that seek him lazily he hears not cold prayers no it is the cry of the spirit the Lord heareth Quest Ah but some will say I cannot cry and pray I cannot continue in prayer my spirit is overwhelmed and I am so shut up that I know not how to utter a word in the presence of the Lord. Answ I answer Though thy spirit be overwhelmed thou mayest pray and cry aloud to the Lord David did so and why mayest not thou Psal 142. 3. I cryed sayes he and it was when my spirit is overwhelmed and although thou canst not utter a word to the Lord yet thou mayst pray and cry with the cries of the spirit the Spirit of the Lord stirs up sighings and groanings in the hearts of his people which cannot be uttered So when thou canst not speak a word to the Lord yet thou mayest cry Job could noâ— speak yet his soul cried to the Lord and his eye cried to the Lord Job 16. 20. My friends scorn me but mine eyes poure out teares unto God When he knew not how to speak a word his eye looked to the Lord if he cannot poure out his prayer his eye shall speak and his soul shall speak this may be an effectuall prayer Object Ah but I am filled with the sence of my unworthiness I dare not go before the Lord I dare not beg any mercy nor stand in his presence I am filled with the sence of my own unworthiness Answ I tell thee though thou beest filled with the sense of thy unworthinesse yet thou mayest and ought to cry to the Lord and poure out thy soul in supplication The Publican that went up to the Temple he durst not draw nigh he looked upon himself as an unworthy sinner and yet poured out his prayer to the Lord the sence of thy unworthinesse should not hinder thee in the pouring out of thy prayer to the Lord the more unvorthy the more need of going to the Lord and the more sensible of thy unworthinesse the sooner the Lord declares his acceptance Oh that the Lord would make us all mindful of this our duty we are apt to cry with the cry of the flesh but O that in the day of our distresse we did cry with the cry of the spirit Let the crie that springs from pride impatiencie and unbelief be silent laid low and let it not open its mouth but crie with the cry of faith with the crie of the spirit this will be a good evidence that affliction hath wrought the right way and that the Lord hath done us good by our affliction Till the flesh be silent and the spirit raised up to cry in faith we shall never have any evidence that we have received benefit by our affliction but when the soul shall be in affliction and the spirit up and cry it will be a good evidence that the soul hath received good by the affliction And to say no more the Lord will soon draw nigh to that soul that shall thus be found waiting for him when the flesh shall be silent and the spirit cry the Lord will soon hear that crie You know the Lord is a tender hearted Father and he will not suffer any of his children to be tempted above what they are able to beare he will not suffer them to sink under their burden but will come in with delivering mercie for the Lord doth sometimes hear the crie of the flesh so he hath heard the crie of the flesh though not the sinful crie yet the crie of nature the Lord hath heard that crie He heard the crie of Ishamel when as he was ready to perish for thirst The Lad cried and he heard the crie of the Lad and the Lord opened the eyes of Hagar and she saw a well of water He heard the crie of the flesh so gracious is the Lord yea he heares she crie of the young Ravens of the young Lions and the Lord he opens his hand and satisfies them O that this might be an incouragement to goe to God in all times of distresse let it be never so great the Lord is a God of compassion and if he does hear the crie of the unreasonable Creatures and the crie of the flesh O surely the Lord will much more hear the crie of the spirit when his people come and apply themselves to him through Christ such as hope in his mercie and are found waâ—ting for his salvation Surely the Lord he will find out the best time in which he will come in with deliverance to his Servants Matth. 15. 22. Thou son of David have mercy on me SERMON VI. WE observed the last day that great and strong afflictions will raile strong cries make Gods people crie loud It was a sore affliction that was upon this woman Ms daughter is grievously vexed with a devil and whâ—â— she comes to Christ she doth not only pray 〈◊〉 cry to him But to passe on and consider something thâ—â— still remains and that is to look upon the Argument that this woman useth in her crie to Christ her Argument is mercy she cries mercy 〈◊〉 free grace she doth not look to any worthiness 〈◊〉 her self neither doth her unworthiness discourage but looks beyond both and she closeth 〈◊〉 mercy and free grace Thou son of David 〈◊〉 mercy on me She comes to the son of David 〈◊〉 knew David was a merciful Prince and King 〈◊〉 shews mercie to his very enemies David spared the life of Saul when he had him at a great
misery or not to regard her misery not to take notice of such a poor creature as she was now both these were contrary to what she had heard of Christ and to that she had believed was in Jesus Christ without doubt she had heard out of the Prophet Isaiah that the Lord Jesus Christ when he came should bind up the broken-hearted and preach deliverance to the captives now when she applyes her self to Christ Christ seems not to be that compassionate Saviour certainly she had heard that Sions King was meek and lowly and that he would not break the bruised reed nor quench thâ— smoaking flax but Christ seems to disdain her and take no notice of her nor look after such avile worm as she was nay she had believed that Christ was low and meek as appeareth by that expression of hers in ver 22. Thou Son of David have mercy on me now David was a merciful Prince and was very pitiful and compassionate and very meek and lowly and humble therefore she believed that the Lord Jesus Christ was much more compassionate and she did believe that he would not disdain her though she was a poor Gentile but Christ seems to be quite contrary and answered her not a word this was a sore trial The Doctrine then is this That it is a very sore and great tryal unto the Lords people when the Lord is silent to their prayers and gives no answer to their cries In the opening of the point I shall shew you that God hath dealt thus with his own people and that it hath been a very sore tryal unto And then shall shew you wherefore the Lord is pleased thus to try his people which will make way for the Appplication First God hath dealt thus with his people I shall point you to some places of Scripture David often maketh this complaint Psalm 28. 1. Vnto thee will I cry O Lord my rock be not silent to me lest if thou be silent to me I become like them that go down into the pit How earnestly doth David beseech the Lord that he would not be silent to his prayer Lord Do not turn away thy ear from my prayer and do not shut thy mouth be not silent If thou dost not speak something to me in answer to my prayer I am not able to hold out but shall be like them that go down to the pit And Psalm 69. 3. he maketh a sore complaint I am weary of my crying my throat is dried mine eyes fail while I wait for my God The trial was so great to his spirit that it had an influence upon his Body when David cryed to the Lord he answered not a word his throat was dried and parcht up and his eyes began to fail And so the Prophet Jeremiah Lam. 3. 44. he expresseth it in the name of the Church Thou hast covered thy self with a cloud that our prayer should not pass thorow God seems to hide himself and cover himself with a cloud and did so hide himself as prayer could not find him he gave him not a word And the Prophet Habakkuk he complains of it chap. 1. ver 2. O Lord how long shall I cry and thou wilt not hear even cry unto thee of violence and thou wilt not save Nay that it was a sore trial you shall see it in those expressions of the Prophet David spoken of in the person of Christ Psalm 22. 2. O my God I cry in the day-time but thou hearest not and in the night-season and am not silent It was a sore affliction to Christ himself O my God I cry in the day-time and in the night-season that is I cry continually night and day never silent But thou art continually silent to me this was a sore affliction and burden to Christ himself Now that this is a sore affliction and trial for God to be silent to the prayers of his people it appears First if you consider that relation the Lord stands in to his people and they to him he stands in relation of a Father they his children he stands in relation of an Husband they his Spouse he stands in relation of a friend they his friend Abraham he was the friend of God and so is every believer God a friend to him and he a friend to God now it is a sore trial when one friend shall cry to another or a wife to an Husband or a child to a father and these relations not give one word of Answer if a poor child in great extremity should cry to his father father help me and the father not to give one word this is a sore tryal if a man cry to a stranger and meet not with one word it is no great disappointment but when a child cries to a father or a wife to an Husband or a friend to a friend and they not to speak a word it is a great trial Secondly it will appear to be a great trial because there is nothing in all the world that a gracious soul longs more after then this that the Lord would be giving a return of prayer that there may be a converse betwixt God and the soul to speak to God and to hear God speaking back again to it nothing that a gracious foul more longs after oh it longs to hear a word from God it knows that the return of prayer is the way to make a soul rich towards God and to make it rich in experience in faith in thankfulness in obedience Oh how doth a Merchant-venturer long for the return of his commodity from a far Country truly there is no merchant in the world can long more for the return of his commodity from a far Country then a gracious soul longs for the return of prayer oh saith the soul when wilt thou come unto me Now if it be that which a gracious soul doth more long after then any thing in the world it is a great trial when God doth not give a return of prayer Thirdly A gracious heart when it puts up a prayer to God it looketh for a return for an answer Psalm 85. 8. I will hear what God the Lord will speak And so the Prophet Habakkuk after he had prayed I will get me upon the watch-tower and I will watch to see what he will say unto me I will wait to see what God will speak by his spirit or by his providences one way or other God will speak Now to have this expectation disappointed to wait upon the Lord for an answer and the Lord not to speak one word this is a sore trial Fourthly it must needs be a great trial when God gives never a word of answer for a believing soul knows assuredly that if God do not answer none else can hear prayers and give a return to prayer it is Gods name oh thou that hearest prayers unto thee shall all flesh come God only can hear prayer and God only can give an answer it is God only
stroke upon us our affliction is so heavy as we know not how to bear it our selves truly it is wisdom then and a duty to call in help in great afflictions we are to request the prayers of others The Apostle gives this direction that such as were members of Churches that when they were afflicted they should send for the Elders of the Church and that they should pray for them James 5. 14 15. And the Lord he promiseth that he would give out healing in great afflictions we are to call in the help of others members of the Churches they ought to send for the Elders of the Church that in time of affliction they may pray for them Fourthly when we are nigh some great danger liable to danger either in the outward or inward man or to walk in some dangerous wayes or when we are by providence put upon such wayes as we may meet with shares and temptations where there is any danger then it lies upon us to call in the help of others So Esther 4. 16 17. she was in great danger there was a Law that whosoever went into the King and was not called must be put to death and the cause was so that she must go in to speak with the King though it should cost her her life and therefore she sendeth to Mordecai to gather the Jews that are present in Shushan and fast ye for me pray for me for it may cost me my life therefore I desire you to fast and pray for me Fifthly when the Lord calls his people to some great service some work that may be for his honour and glory So Esther when she was about some great work fast for me fast and pray and I will speak to the King Sixthly when the Lord doth seem to shut us up that we cannot pray our selves our condition may be so Sometimes through weakness we are not able and sometimes when the Lord withdraws his Spirit we are not able to pray our selves that our prayers are but like Hezekiahs like the chattering of a Crane or Swallow then in such cases it is a duty to send to others and call upon others when we cannot pray our selves Seventhly and lastly when the Lord seems to be angry with any people when the displeasure of the Lord waxes hot and heavy and we do not know how to bear it it is hard then to go to God as to a Father our selves and therefore then we had need call in others to our help When the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel then Moses stept it then he cryed to God for them for they could not look to the Lord as to their Father the wrath of the Lord was hot and at that time it is our wisdom and a duty for poor souls to call in others that they may cry to the Lord in their behalf Matth. 15. 24. But he answered and said I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel SERMON X. YOU have heard of this womans faith and the first tryal of it Christ tries her faith by being silent and giving no answer unto her request it was a sore temptation that the son of David the merciful King should not open his mouth nor speak one word for the refreshment of a poor distressed creature When she poured out her complaint he answer'd her not a word that is a great temptation You have heard also how the Disciples stept in and besought Christ in her behalf they came and besought him that he would send her away with an answer with an answer of peace certainly that was their request But behold here is a second temptation here is a second trial of this womans faith Christ first tries her by being silent and now he tries her by speaking a hard word as it seems I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel I am not sent Christ intimates that he had nothing to do with this woman it was besides his Commission I cannot do it saith Christ I must walk by rule I must observe my Fathers Commission I must do that work and that work only which I was sent for but now I was not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel my work is to do good to a certain number of persons to shew mercy to a certain number of persons that are given me of my Father He calls them here sheep Christs sheep I am sent for their sakes and to do good to them though termed sheep Now the Scripture holds them forth to be such as were given him of his Father from Eternity all that are given to Christ are Christs sheep though they may not for the present have Christs mark upon them though Christ does not own them before the world yet he owns them before his Father all that belong to the election of grace they are Christs sheep and Christ saith he was sent to such I am not sent but to the lost sheep they are in a lost condition even that number of persons that are given to Christ they are lost in Adam and they have lost themselves by going on in the wayes of actual transgression they are in a miserable lost condition Christs sheep but Christ was sent to do good to them Christ was sent to save them The Son of man came to seek and to save them which were lost The lost sheep of the house of Israel The house of Israel may here be taken literally for the people of the Jews which are called the house of Israel Christ tells the Disciples and this woman that his Commission was to do good only to them I am not sent to others I am only sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel my work is with the Jews I have nothing to do with the Gentiles No my work is to gather in the lost sheep of the house of Israel Quest But you will say how doth this agree with other Scriptures with those prophesies that concern the Messias our Lord Jesus Christ that when he came he should preach to the Gentiles and that God would give him to be a Covenant to the Gentiles Isaiah 42. 1 2 6. And in divers places there are prophesies that concern the Gentiles that when Christ came God would give him to be a light to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews why then doth Christ say he was not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel Answ Christ spake first of all of his personal Ministry as he preacht himself in person and wrought miracles himself so he was sent unto the Jews his word was to them he was their Apostle their Minister so the Apostle to the Romans speaks Rom. 15. 8. Now I say that Jesus Christ was a Minister of the Circumcision for the truth of God to confirm the promise made unto the Fathers Christ was to preach in his own person to the Jews he was their
not leave the ninety and nine and goeth into the mountains and seeketh that which is gone astray He goeth forth to seek the one sheep that is lost you being that one lost sheep and you looking upon your own condition to be lost and you are sensible that none is so lost as you he will leave the ninety and nine to seek you And therefore hear the glad tydings of your Shepherd he cometh forth to seek you be you willing to come to Christ and O! what joy will there be in heaven at your return Fourthly and lastly It lets us see and O that we might see the infinite riches of the grace of God in Christ to poor sinners O! here is grace indeed What rich mercy was that that sent out Jesus Christ to seek lost sheep O! that we might consider a little of the greatness of this grace of God the exceeding riches of it that the Lord should send forth his Son Jesus Christ to seek lost sheep O! consider what worthless creatures we were how unuseful and unprofitable both to God and man nay the Lord saw how little useful we should be afterward how little we are able to return to the Lord for this his great mercy yet the Lord sent forth his Son to seek you And consider that this was at such a time when we could never have returned to the Lord when we could never have found God though we had sought him we could not have found him if we had had any disposition to have sought after the Shepherd we could not have found him no by all our searching we could never have found him And then when it was so with us that we could not finde the way to go home again that he should send Jesus Christ to shew us the way that he makes by the Shepherd to lead the wandring sheep home O free grace If the Lord had sent forth the least Angel of heaven to have sought poor lost sinners it had been mercy but that God should not commit this work to his servants but give a Commission to his Son and make it his great work to seek poor lost sheep O great love nay when we could not finde God and when Angels could not have found us if they had sought us herein is the exceeding riches of grace Nay it was at such a time as the Lord might have sent his Justice to have found us out God might have sent the Avenger of blood after us the Lord might have set all our sins upon us to have found us out they might have followed us as so many Avengers of blood O that at such a time God should send Christ to finde us out after all our sinful wandrings from God! that he should make his Son to come and seek O infinite love And therefore let me speak to those that have received this grace Hath the Lord found out your souls Hath Jesus Christ found you out in your wandrings and through mercy brought you home to God Hath he brought home any poor soul to believe in Christ and to give up it self fully and for ever to Christ O! be thankful for this mercy and labour to walk worthy of it and study to know what is your duty now you that are Christ's sheep and were lost O! what is your duty Christ hath found you surely some duty you owe to Christ Why this is our duty It is our duty now to seek Christ to seek much faith in Christ if Christ hath sought us and took so much pains in seeking us that were not worth the seeking after O! how should we lay forth our selves to seek Christ Seek him every day seek much of Christ seek his face evermore seek more of Christ every day Christ sought us when we were not worthy and shall not we seek him who is infinitely worthy who is the desire of all Nations Again It is our duty to seek others Christ hath found us it is our duty to seek others to pity the sheep that are lost that for the present are in a lost estate and condition take some pains to seek them according to your Talent and opportunity O take pains to seek others Assoon as ever Christ found Andrew Andrew he findes Simon Peter O! Come saith he and see Christ I say if Christ hath found us let us labour to finde others labour to bring them to the knowledge of Jesus Christ the great Shepherd The Lord gave a Commandment Deut. 22. 1. That if any man saw his neighbours Oxe or Sheep go astray he should pity them he should not hide himself from them but he should pity the poor lost sheep and the lost Oxe Doth God take care for Oxen Doth Godtake care for Sheep That a poor lost Sheep be brought home to his Owner And that a poor lost Oxe be brought home to his Owner And doth not God take more care for poor lost souls And is it not a more acceptable work to bring home lost souls O pity poorlost souls tell them of Christ shew them the way to Christ and know that if you shall be an instrument in the Lord's hand to bring home a lost soul to Jesus Christ the Owner O it will be service very acceptable to God your Father Thirdly If Christ hath found us then we should lose no opportunity of honouring him Let us know that we are the Lord's we are not our own any longer but engaged to be the Lord's sought out by Christ and saved by Christ and brought from a wandring condition and lost in a wilderness and yet found by Christ in this wilderness condition O let us know that we are engaged for ever to be the Lord's therefore let not Christ's sheep lose any opportunity of doing service to Christ take heed that we do not lose any opportunity of being profitable to Christ bringing honour to Christ in our generation for that is expected by Christ the Shepherd So Paul did engage for Onesimus in the Epistle of Philemon Onesimus he was a poor run-away sheep Paul he findes Onesimus and he brings him home to Christ he was instrumental in his conversion and he sendeth him to his Master and he tells him that now he will be profitable before he was unprofitable but now he will be profitable to thee and to me and to Christ before unprofitable A sheep is of no use when lost but when it s found then it is profitable and so if the Lord hath found our souls O that we might do all we can to bring honour to Christ and lift up his name in this our generation for Christ hath sound us for that end Fourthly If Christ hath found us we should be content to lose all we have for him Let all go for Christ it matters not what we lose for Christ if Christ hath found us If God calls for our estates let that go if Christ hath found us we have that which is better then a great estate it had
of him that willeth nor runneth but God that sheweth mercy and therefore why should I strive for life and salvation I deny that that God will save thee without thy striving It is true it is not for thy faith and repentance that God will save but without these God will not save this is the way by which God saves You would think he were an unreasonable man that should argue thus God hath decreed how long I shall live whether twenty thirty forty or sixty yeares the period is appointed by God and therefore it matters not that I eate Now if God hath appointed a man should live so long he hath also appointed that you should use the meanes Hezekiah he knew how long he should live I will add unto thy dayes fifteen yeares 2 Kings 20. 6. It had been strange reasoning for Hezekiah to say I will neither eate nor drink for Gods purpose must stand as God hath purposed the end so he purposed the means so that the means and the end are joyned together But thou reasonest further that if God doth decree that I shall be saved why then I shall be saved though I goe on in a way of sin First of all here is a grosse mistake of Gods decree God doth not decree to save any man whatever he doth though he all his dayes goe on to destroy himselfe God never made such a decree no Gods decree is to save men from sin as well as from wrath If God decrees to save any man from wrath he decrees to save that man from sin As it is impossible that that man should goe to hell that God decrees to save so it is impossible that that man should wallow in sin And oh what great ingratitude to say though I goe on in sin I shall be saved if God hath decreed it Oh great ingratitude As if a child should say my father hath entailed a great estate upon me and I cannot goe without it though I doe all that I can against him oh is this the part of a child sure of a bastard and not a child oh horrible ingratitude Nay let me say there is madnesse in it there is this madnesse as if a man should say God hath purposed how long I shall live and it matters not though I stab my selfe and though I run into the Sea I shall live so long as God hath purposed oh such desperate madnesse is in many men when they reason about Gods decree The seventh and last temptation is a temptation of despaire which some of Gods people may be exercised withall and thus they may reason if the Lord hath not purposed my salvation if he hath not decreed my salvation them I cannot be saved whatever I doe though I take never so much paines and strive never so much though I seek faith and repentance yea though I doe believe and though I doe repent yet if God hath not decreed my salvation I cannot be saved To this I answer that Gods decree and purpose shall never infringe the truth of any promises that he hath made now he hath made a promise that whosoever believe in Christ shall be saved Now Gods decree shall not infringe the truth of this promise and there is no man upon earth that shall believe in the name of Jesus Christ but he may claime life and salvation upon Gods promise and it shall be made out to him And let me say further that thou dost not take the right course to begin at Gods decree Oh! this is a discouragement this will keep thee off from the use of the meanes if I be not elected I cannot be saved thou takest the wrong course to begin at they election who taught thee this way God never taught thee so it is from Sathan who endeavours to pussell thee in thy way Though there be such an election and the Saints have much comfort when they doe know their election yet you must not begin with election but know that you must walk by Gods revealed will and look to Gods revealed will if thou art called to faith and to believe thou art not amongst the lost ones and art called to life and salvation and therefore look to the revealed will of God so long as a man is in the state of unbeleefe it is not possible that he should know what God hath decreed concerning him Therefore doe not begin at election this is for a man to covet to set his foot upon the highest step of the Ladder before he sets it upon lowest When a man is in his youth he doth not know whether God hath purposed old age for him and because he does not know it he is not discouraged from the use of the meanes and so I say in a state of unbeleefe thou canst not know that God hath loved thee but this should not discourage thee to waite upon God in the use of the meanes giving up thy selfe to his revealed will which commands thee and all the Sons of men to beleeve in Christ And as I said so I say againe that there is no man that ever beleeved in Jesus Christ but he was saved and therefore it is madnesse and folly for a man to say though I beleeve in Christ I shall not be saved if God hath not purposed it I tell you there is none that ever did beleeve in Christ but was saved and any that doe beleeve to the end of the world may goe to God and challenge him upon his word Nay I may say if Judas had beleeved and repented and turned to the Lord Judas had been saved Question But you will say If I be not elected I cannot believe it is in vaine for me to take pains if the Lord hath not purposed to give me faith I shall never be able to work it in my own heart and therefore in vaine for me to temper with my own heart I Answer That thou dost not know that God hath not purposed to give thee faith and therefore thou art bound to wait upon the Lord in the use of the means And that thou hast not faith do not lay it upon God though it be true Faith is his gift yet God doth hinder no man from believing God layes no Blocks in any man's way Nay there is a great deal that God doth to bring men unto Faith what means doth God use What workings are there What strivings of the Spirit What Invitations What Exhortations the Word of the Lord is full of them And let me say further that if the Lord hath given thee a heart in good earnest to desire the gift of faith the Lord will certainly give it out to thee I say if the Lord hath set a man's Heart and Will to the Lord that a man doth from the heart desire Christ that great gift of God the Lord will certainly give the gift of Faith If thou knewest the gift of God and did ask of him he would have given thee living water John 4. 10.
God think upon all the Attributes of God are they not worthy of praise His name it is glorious and worthy to be exalted bless God for what is in himself Or Bless God for what he hath done for others if not for what God hath done for thee see if thou canst not get up thy heart to bless God for what God hath done for others and look upon the grace that God hath bestowed upon others and say though I can see little in my self for which I should bless God yet blessed be God that God hath given out of his Spirit to others and manifested his love to others and hath made others fruitful and serviceable and that there are so many to lift up the name of Christ in the world and if by any means the Lord will put thy heart into a thankful frame the temptation will soon vanish Endeavour it all thou canst wait upon God and look upon that which is matter of Thankfulness that thy heart may be put into a thankful posture to bless God for somthing bestowed on thee or somthing in himself or others and the Temptation will soon vanish Fiftly When thou art tempted about Election Resolve still to hold on in God's way though thou art in the dark and perplexed in thy spirit for want of the knowledge of God's love yet resolve in the strength of the Lord to hold on the Lord's way to keep in his way and to depart from iniquity take heed of turning out into crooked wayes desire to keep the way of the Lord which is a streight way Say well though I do not know my Election I do not know whether I shall come into heaven yet by the Lord's strength I will be found looking toward Christ I will be found looking to him who is able to save to the uttermost This is to keep the Lord's way And so also Resolve to be found walking in wayes of Holiness though I do not know that I shall be saved saved or not saved I will resolve to walk in wayes of holiness and to depart from iniquity take heed of every sinful way every crooked way The Apostle in 2 Tim. 2. 19. speaking about Election The foundation of the Lord standeth sure having this Seal the Lord knoweth them that are his Why then saith he Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity And so I say though Election be not sure to thee be sure to depart from iniquity resolve to walk with God in his way All this is come upon us yet have not we forgotten thee Psal 44. 17. and so do thou say though all this darkness be upon my spirit I resolve in the strength of the Lord not to forsake him though I do not know that the Lord will be for me I resolve to be for none else my soul shall be for no other Saviour and I will not be for any other way but the way of holiness I desire to depart from every way of iniquity And as I said before so I say again if God shall bring up the heart to this Surely the Lord will not alwayes suffer that soul to go on doubting but he will come and manifest his eternal love if the soul shall resolve thus in the strength of the Lord to be found in the Lord's way saved or not saved I will be looking to the Father through the Son and walk in every way of the Lord and depart from iniquity the Lord will not alwayes suffer that soul to go on doubting John 14. 21. He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him My Father shall love him that is my Father shall manifest love to him not that God begins then to love but my Father will come to that soul though that soul may walk in darkness though that soul may for the present be in a sad condition and not see the face of God and not know that God hath loved him from everlasting yet my Father will manifest love to him my Father will manifest that he doth love that soul and saith Christ I will love him and manifest my self to him Christ will come to that soul and say to it I see that thou lovest me and I know thou lovest me thou hast walked in the dark night yet thou hast not turned out from me thou hast resolved to cleave to me as to thy Saviour and hast resolved to keep my way and to depart from iniquity and now I see that thou lovest me and I will let thee know that I love thee that is that I love thee first that I have loved thee from everlasting And thus you have the five general Rules to silence all Temptations which may arise concerning Election Matth. 15. 24. But he answered and said I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel SERMON XVI FOr the Vse of the point and I shall speak but two words by way of Application because what I have spoken already hath been practical if the Lord make it to be so First To those that have not attained to the knowledge of God's love Secondly To those that through grace have attained to the discoveries of God's love First To those that have not attained to the knowledge of God's eternal love towards them and I shall speak the words of the Apostle 2 Pet. 1. 10. Wherefore the rather Brethren give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure for if ye do these things ye shall never fall That 's the word of the Lord to you give all diligence to make your Election sure rest not till your hearts be established through grace in the knowledge of God's love For Let me tell you first That it is a matter of great concernment That which this Apostle doth exhort us to to give all diligence to make our Election sure it is that which doth concern your whole state you had need give diligence to make it sure it doth not concern your temporal estate but it concerns your estate in another world all that you have to live upon in another world doth depend upon it you had need give diligence to make that sure What pains do men take to make that sure that concerns their outward Estates Men will make their Bonds and Bills sure their Evidences sure their Titles to Lands and Houses sure if there be any thing amiss in them what pains will men take to make them sure O that God would help us to give diligence in this great business that doth concern another manner of estate then that which you possess here even all that you have to live upon in the world to come Secondly Let me say to you to stir you up to be diligent in making your Calling and Election sure why You have an Adversary that taketh a great deal of pains
useth diligence to hinder you in this work the Divels great designe is to keep you in the dark to keep you in a puzled and perplexed condition to finde some flaw or other in your evidences to cast some blot upon them that you shall not be able to read them doubtless you will put God to it to leave you to be tryed in this at one time or other God for the most part leaves his people to be tempted concerning their Election and therefore you had need give diligence Thirdly Let me say That your comfort doth depend upon making your Election sure All your comfort in this world doth depend upon it the comfort of every condition doth depend upon it the sweetness of every mercy depends upon it Alas if a man had a thousand times more then he hath what is all he hath without the love of God Your comfort depends upon it Although your names be written in heaven yet you cannot have the comfort of it till it be made sure to you though it be sure before God yet you cannot be comforted but you are as if there were no thoughts of love in the heart of God toward you Your comfort depends upon it Fourthly Your Holiness doth depend upon it your usefulness your fruitfulness your serviceableness in your generations doth depend upon your knowledge of the love of God it is that which wil make a Christian useful serviceable when as his Election is made sure when he comes to be established in the knowledge of God's Election Put on therefore as the Elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercies kindness humbleness of minde meekness long suffering Col. 3. 12. Your holiness doth depend upon it and your usefulness in your generation And truly till that be put out of question to a soul til the Lord gives some degrees of satisfaction to a soul concerning his love the soul is wholly taken up alwayes taken up about that which concerns it self O Lord Dost thou love me That 's the great question And when it goes to God in prayer Lord Dost thou love me And O that thou wouldest make out thy love to me The soul is wholly taken up about that and well it may but when God comes to give some satisfaction O then the soul hath a great deal of freedome to minde the things of Christ to put up many a Petition for others and many a request for Christ and his Kingdom and the Interest of Christ then his thoughts they run that way so that if you desire to be useful and serviceable in your generation it doth engage you to look after this to give all diligence to make your Election sure Quest But you will say How shall we do that O there is nothing in the world that I would sooner do then that but I know not how to make my Election sure I Answer It is the work of God it is the work of grace to make it out to you it is the work of free grace to give a soul assurance of that free and everlasting love But be found waiting upon God in this way First Look up to the Lord to clear up unto you the mysterie of the Gospel if you desire to make your Election look up to the Lord to clear up to your souls the great mysterie of Christ that thou mayest know the Lord Jesus as he was the gift of the Father the gift of love the gift of free grace O that the Lord would clear up to thee the great end of his giving that gift of Christ Wherefore was it that God sent his Son out of his bosome Wherefore was it that he gave Christ And wherefore was it that Christ gave himself to die What was the end of the Father's sending Christ and the end of the laying down his life It was to save lost sinners God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life John 3. 16. O! Look up to God to clear up this great Gospel mysterie to you the designe of God the Father in sending Christ and the great designe of the Son in laying down his life It is through ignorance of this Mysterie that many a poor soul is kept from establishment and from assurance of God's electing love But secondly Wait upon the Lord to draw thy soul to accept of Christ it is not enough to have a discovery of the mysterie this will not save thee though a man know the designe of God and know the end of it that will not save thee no but wait upon the Lord to draw thy heart to rest upon Jesus Christ as he is held forth in the Gospel see that there is a necessity that God the Father should draw thee No man comes to me saith Christ except the Father which hath sent me draw him John 6. 44. till he be drawn by the Father he cannot come to Christ therefore that man is mistaken that thinks it is an easie matter for him to come to Christ O! Many a man doth mistake faith of their own working for that faith which is of the operation of God When God hath beaten many a soul out of his Brest-works and the soul sees he can no longer defend himself there good works will not do it then he taketh up a resolution in his own strength well I willgo to Christ I will believe in Christ if I cannot have it by obedience I will have it by believing Ah! But he never saw that there was an impossibility for him to believe but he goes to Christ in his own strength and the faith is of his own working and it is such a faith as Christ will not own no when God deals with a soul in a saving way he discovers to it that it is no more able to believe in Christ then it can obey the whole Law and that there is a necessity that he should be drawn of God and in his spirit he breaths after God and saith Lord draw me for if thou dost not draw me I shall never come to Christ see a necessity of being drawn to Christ And when thou art drawn give up thy self to those breathings and workings of the Spirit of God after thou hast seen thy self in a lost condition and no possibility to help thy self either by thy works or by believing why then if the Lord open the word of Reconciliation to thee and is breathing sweetly upon thy heart and moving upon thy spirit while thou hearest the word of grace opened and the tender of Christ urged O then give up thy self to those drawings of the Spirit of Christ and do not hinder those drawings by thy unbelief but give up thy self to the Lord and say Lord I see thy hand onely is able and powerful to draw souls to thy self and I will stand out no longer That 's the second Thirdly Be diligent to make the best improvement of Jesus
his Stewards 1 Cor. 4. 1. Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God Christ hath appointed Officers as his Stewards to dispense his good things to his Servants Fourthly In a House you have the Lawes and Customes of the House In Christ's House there are Lawes and Customes he hath left it on Record the Lawes of his House are written how he will have his House governed all the Lawes of his House are written in his Word it is not left to men to make Lawes for Christ's House No but Christ himself as Head and Lord of his Church he hath made Lawes for the Government of his House Fiftly In a house or houshold there is employment for them in the house so Christ in his house hath employment for all the members of his House some work that he hath appointed for every childe and servant in his House for every one that is a Member of any visible Church or Congregation which is the House of Christ there is work that is common to all that are in the House Psal 134. Bless ye the Lord all ye servants of the Lord which by night stand in the House of the Lord And again in Psal 135. 1 2. Praise ye the Lord praise ye the Name of the Lord praise him O ye servants of the Lord ye that stand in the House of the Lord in the Courts of the House of our God The duty lay upon all in the House of God to bless the Name of Christ and there are some particular works that Christ cuts out for every member Christ would have none in his house idle there is some work that every one may do that may be for the good of the whole house And as this House hath his Work so this house hath its Priviledges O! there are special Priviledges the Lord he is engaged to teach all in his house it lies upon the Master of the house to teach those that are in his Family why the Lord Jesus the Head of the Family hath engaged to teach all that are in the Family Isa 54. 13. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord Sions children they that are of the houshold of God God doth engage for it that they shall all be taught And this is another Priviledge That as the Lord will teach them so he will defend and protect them He hath promised special protection to his children in his House Isa 4. 5. And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of Mount Zion and upon her Assemblies a Cloud and smoak by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all the glory shall be a defence The particular Churches of Christ under the Gospel upon all their glory shall be a defence And this is another Priviledge That the Master of the House will do the servants work You know what the Church saith Isa 26. 12. Lord thou wilt ordain peace for us for thou also hast wrought all our works in us What-ever he calls for from any of his people in his house he wil do it himself he will strengthen them to do it his own Arm shall be at work This is a choice priviledge that belongs to the house of God Another priviledge is That they shall eat of the best and drink of the best they shall have a feast of fat things and Wine on thee Lees well refined He will make such a Feast in the day of the Gospel upon every dwelling place of Mount Zion upon every house of the Lord the Lord engageth to make them a Feast of Fat things his own flesh shall be set before them which is meat indeed and his blood which is drink indeed Another priviledge is this The servants shall sit down with the Lord and Master at Table Servants have seldome such a priviledge in any house to sit down with their master but in Christ's house all the servants shall sit down at Table with their Lord. O! What a choice priviledge is this to sit at their Lord's Table Nay while they sit at Table their Lord will serve them Such a priviledge the Lord promiseth to his people Luke 12. 37. He shall gird himself and make them sit down to meat and will come forth and serve them He will cut out their portion for them he will see to it that they want nothing that he seeth good for them And he will bless their provision to them that is another priviledge Psal 132. 13 14 15. For the Lord hath chosen Zion he hath desired it for his habitation this is my rest for ever here will I dwell I will abundantly bless her provision I will satisfie her poor with bread See the Lord will bless Zions provision and make his people fat and flourishing for so is the Promise Psal 92. 13 14. Those that be planted in the House of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God they shall still bring forth fruit in old age they shall be fat and flourishing These are the priviledges of the Lord's house To shut up all with a word or two of Application If every true Church of Christ be the Lord's house Why then Let not men take it ill if any Church of Christ in obedience to the Rule of Christ and to the Commandment of Christ shall be watchful and cautelous who they receive into the House of Christ Let it be no offence it is a Churches duty and it should not be any Offence they must walk by the Rule that Christ hath left Christ's house hath a rule given them and they must not for a house full of gold and silver go from the rule of the Lord Christ hath left a rule how he will have those qualified that shall be admitted into his house Psal 15. and Psal 24. 3 4. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord And who shall stand in his holy place He that hath clean hands and a pure heart who hath not lift up his soul unto vanity nor sworn deceitfully These places speak of Gospel times men and women must be visibly holy And therefore let it be no offence to any that the Church walketh by the Rule of the Master of the Family they must receive none but such as they can judge to be those that are qualified according to the rule that Christ hath left such as Christ hath received and no more you your selves will be choice whom you receive into your houses and I pray let Christ have that liberty you challenge to your selves Secondly From hence it lets us see that the sins of Professors especially the sins and scandals of Church-members must needs be a great dishonour to Christ O that we could think upon it seriously there is much sadness in it that they that have a profession of Christ upon them the Livery of Christ upon them that they that are admitted into the house of
in such a supplication as is sent up with a holy fervency unto God and indeed the Lord brings his people into the furnace of affliction and temptation that so he may kindle this holy fire of zeal and fervency in their bosomes the Lord doth raise the storms that so he may make the Disciples to cry the louder Now therefore when the spirit is thus carried out to God this is such worship as he requires and expects Again thirdly We shall finde that this woman supplication it was accompanied with Faith Fervency without faith could not avail but there is an expression of her faith that Title which she gave to Christ Lord Lord help she looked upon him as the Lord of heaven and earth so she applies her self to him in her distress infinite 〈◊〉 power he was the Lord and had infinite power he was able to help so she resteth upon his all sufficiency sure he that is the Lord the Lord of all he hath power enough in his hand and grace enough in his heart he can do what he please why such a prayer the Lord accepts of as is accompanied with faith the promise is made to faith What-ever you ask in my Name believing you shall receive and the prayer of Faith shall save the sick the prayer of faith can do great things Fourthly This womans prayer was accompanyed with Constancy she held on notwithstanding the discouragements she met withal they were very many and great the Lord as you heard before was silent to her a long time when he speaks he speaks a sad word that he was not sent to such as she was yet she holds on this discouragement might have beaten her off and made her to have said well I see that there is no hope I shall lose my labour but notwithstanding all discouragements she doth continue in supplication she worships and she cryes Lord help It is constancy in Prayer that the heart of God is taken with Christ you know spake a parable to this end Luke 18. 1. That men should pray alwayes The soul should continue with God and abide with God Resolve not to go away from his feet but there to sit and there to wait and there to cry till the Lord be gracious this part of that external worship the Lord requires of his people in time of affliction and temptation Secondly The other part of external worship is in speaking well of God in affliction and temptation So doth this woman she spake well of Christ when she worshipped him she calleth him Lord by which word she doth First of all Exalt and honour Christ Secondly She Justifieth him Both these are good words which God takes well from his people in the time of affliction or temptation First She doth Exalt him she spake to his honour thou art the Lord what-ever I be though I be a poor vile creature as she acknowledged afterward when Christ converted her yet thou art the Lord nay though Christ should debase her yet she would exalt him O this is an excellent frame of spirit an excellent part of that worship we owe to God And as she doth honour God So Secondly She Justifieth him O Lord that very word doth justifie Christ in all his dealings towards her Thou art the Lord thou art Jehovah infinite free and absolute and may do what thou pleasest and in all this thou hast done me no wrong neither canst thou do wrong for thou art the Lord I am thy poor creature thy vassal but thou art the Lord thus she justifieth Christ Now when the soul is thus carried out in time of affliction and temptation to speak such words as may be to the honour of Christ and so to speak as to justifie Christ in all that hath befallen it Lord thou hast done me no wrong thou art righteous though my affliction be very great though my temptation be very prevalent yet the Lord is righteous in all that hath befallen me if he should afflict me seven times more and heat the Furnace seven times hotter I could not say thou wert unrighteous When the soul is thus carried out I say to speak well of God to speak honourably of God and to speak to the justifying of God in his dealings this is a great part of that worship which we owe to God in time of affliction And so you have seen the first particular What it is to worship the Lord or what is that worship which the Lord doth expect from his people in time of affliction and temptation Secondly I shall give you two or three Instances for the proof of the Point That it is the duty of the Saints thus to worship what-ever the affliction or the temptation be and that both with Internal worship of the spirit and with External worship speaking good words unto God and of God Thus it was with Job look into Job 1. 20 21. Then Job arose and rent his Mantle and shaved his head and fell down upon the ground and worshipped and said Naked came I out of my mothers wombe and naked shall I return thither the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord. Job he was under great afflictions at this time all his substance was taken away a sad and unparallel'd affliction and no doubt but it was a day of great temptation to Job for that was the Devil's designe to make Job blaspheme God to his face and therefore without doubt Sathan did suggest horrible temptations or else he had not well prosecuted his designe and yet notwithstanding it was a day of affliction and a day of temptation Job worshipped the Lord expressed holy fear and reverence expressed love and expressed his trust his confidence and his submission and he prays and he praiseth he spake to God and he spake well of God all parts of worship he fell down and worshipped and said The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken blessed be the Name of the Lord And so David often met with afflictions and temptations and yet you shall finde him worshipping in divers of his Psalmes Yea look upon Jonah and take Jonah for an instance and O that God would make these his Saints patterns to us Jonah 2. 2 3 4. He was in a sad affliction and his affliction was accompanied with temptation he was as low in his own imagination as if he had been in the belly of hell and yet even then when in the Whales belly in the depth of affliction and compassed round about with sore temptations Then Jonah worshipped the Lord vers 4. Then I said I am cast out of thy sight yet I will look again toward thy holy Temple I said I was cast out of thy sight there is a temptation of distrust when in that sad condition in the bottome of the Sea yet will I look towards thy holy Temple and at vers 7. When my soul fainted within me I remembred the Lord and my prayer came in
we may apprehend there is coldness and deadness and unusefulness and it may be the Lord hath made them deeply sensible of it but if there be but a little wheat though covered with chaffe do not cast it away a little wheat is precious though there be but a little gold and a great deal of dross yet if we can discern any of Christ's gold we should help forward the work of Christ and not help forward the work of Sathan But secondly Take heed that we do not give way to this temptation let Christians especially weak Christians take heed that they do not give way to this temptation poring upon their unworthiness as to be discouraged and to be beaten off from Christ and staved off from their duty We may look upon our unworthiness and we ought to look upon our unworthiness and O that we could look upon our unworthiness more then we do in God's way to look upon it when God doth shew us our unworthiness in God's glass then we may look upon it without danger but now it is dangerous to look upon it when Sathan presents unworthiness to behold it in the Divel's glass it is dangerous and proves a very sore temptation Quest But you will say How shall we know when God presents unworthiness and when Sathan presents unworthiness How shall we know when it is duty to look upon unworthiness and when it is sin to look upon unworthiness Answ First of all When God doth present unworthiness and vileness to us he doth also present himself to us he doth not present the unworthiness of the creature and leave it there but when God shews his people their unworthiness he also shews himself that you may look with one eye upon the Lord as you look with the other eye upon your unworthiness so did the Church in Micah 7. 18. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage Vers 19. He will subdue our iniquities and thou will cast all our sins into the depth of the Sea She had looked upon her unworthiness and upon her vileness and had seen her iniquity but she also looked unto God who is a God like unto thee And truly when we look upon our unworthiness we may say and we ought to say O Lord Who are such vile sinful and unworthy creatures in the whole world as we are But take heed that we stay not there and rob God of his grace but even then look up to the Lord and say Who is like unto thee Who is like unto me for unworthiness But who is like unto thy Son Christ for worthiness and righteousness No God like unto thee No Saviour like unto Christ Secondly When God presents our unworthiness and vileness it is to make us run nearer to himself and it hath that effect and that operation upon the heart when God shews a man or woman their vileness it makes them run nearer to God But now when Sathan shews sinfulness and vileness it is to draw the soul away from God and so forsake its own mercy when God made a discovery to the Prodigal of his own unworthiness it made him hasten to his father that discovery was from God it made him hasten home I will arise saith he and go to my Father and I will say Father I have sinned against thee and am not worthy to be called thy son When as the soul shall thus look upon its unworthiness and make the more haste to God make the more haste to Christ flee the faster to the City of Refuge that discovery is of God Thirdly When God doth discover a souls unworthiness he doth make the soul notwithstanding thankful he keeps the soul in a thankful posture notwithstanding the discovery of its unworthiness So David the Lord helped him to see his own unworthiness and the unworthiness of his people yet David in the midst of that discovery was kept in a thankful frame 1 Chron. 29. 14. But who am I and what is my people that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort Lord we are poor unworthy creatures I and my people King and people Ah but still his heart was kept thankful and he is the more thankful to God that God should employ such in any service that is done for him But when as the sight of our unworthiness doth make us to repine against God and put the spirit into a murmuring and discontented frame that discovery is not from God but from Sathan When God leadeth a soul into the discovery of unworthiness yet he makes the soul thankful Fourthly When God discovers unworthiness it shall be no hinderance to the soul in waiting upon God in his Ordinances when Sathan discovers unworthiness he doth thereby endeavour to discourage and to beat off the soul from waiting upon the Lord in the way of his Ordinances This woman of Canaan she is not discouraged she goeth on crying and praying and Hezekiah and his people they went on to wait upon the Lord notwithstanding they were made sensible of their unworthiness and their want of preparation according to the preparation of the Sanctuary but when a soul is discouraged beaten off from prayer it is not for me to go to God it is not for me to pray and to wait upon God in his Ordinances one so unworthy Surely this is from Sathan this is not the discovery of God Fifthly and lastly When as God discovers a man's unworthiness it shall not take him off from any service that God calleth him to when as Sathan doth discover unworthiness it taketh a man off from that work which God layeth before him Moses was taken off from the work of the Lord by the sight of his own unfitness and unworthiness he goes on to make many excuses one after another it was a great stumbling block in his way and it did hinder him from following God in that service that God called him out unto in his generation Moses he looked upon his unworthiness and he was under a temptation therefore thus you see and may know when God discovers unworthiness and when it is duty to look upon unworthiness and on the contrary when it is of Sathan and when it is your duty to look away from your unworthiness we may see it and must see it in God's glass but not in Sathans And O that God would fasten this upon the spirit let us take heed that we do not give way to this temptation Weak Christians you that are apt to be discouraged with the thoughts of your unworthiness take heed of giving way to this temptation for you will exceedingly hinder your own comfort by poring upon your unworthiness when Sathan presents it and you will enslave your own spirits it will hinder you from that freedome which Jesus Christ hath purchased and which Jesus Christ tenders to you it will hinder your souls from establishment it will keep you alwayes in
man in respect of Saul's House yet he justified the Lord the Lord sees that I am a bloody man though not in that particular and therefore saith he The Lord hath bidden him Either thou art guilty or not guilty when God suffers men to revile and speak evil and to fasten such accusations upon thee if thou art guilty it is thy duty to make use of it by whomsoever God shall discover it make use of that which comes out of the enemies mouth to finde out the evil that is in our own hearts But if thou art clear and not guilty of that which thou art accused of yet in respect of the Lord there is cause of justifying the Lord So David though he was not guilty in that respect that Shimei said he was guilty yet saith he it is just with the Lord and it is a righteous thing that I should be thus accused by Shimei And for the quieting of thy spirit use those Arguments that David did Behold the Son out of my Bowels riseth up against me and therefore shall I think it a great matter for a stranger to do it So let us say behold here is that which riseth up in mine own heart the corruptions in mine own bosome that doth me many an ill turn shall I think much that strangers do accuse me And consider also that which David said The Lord doth hear the curses of Shimei and will do me good by it And so if thou canst approve thy heart to God and art not guilty of what men do accuse thee of and that thou canst say it is false in respect of man but in respect of God thou sayest Truth Lord Know that the Lord he can do thee good by it and that he will turn those very curses of men to thy good Again One word of Use more and so I shall conclude Look up to the Lord for this grace of Humility O! What cause have we to give up our hearts into God's hand that he may make us truly humble Surely we shall never be able to justifie the Lord if the heart be not laid low and made truly humble The Lord Jesus he had humbled this woman he had laid her very low he had sanctified her affliction to humble her she had met with great afflictions her daughter was vexed with a dvvil the Lord sanctified that affliction to humble her And she also met with great temptations three sore Temptations we read of and the Lord also sanctified those temptations to humble her And she had also met with discoveries of grace and love the Lord revealed himself very gloriously to her faith or else she could never have held out the Lord also sanctified those discoveries to humble her and lay her low Truly if this woman had not had a humble heart she could never have carried it so in the time of affliction and in the time of this temptation but she would have flown in the face of Christ Christ calls her dog and tells her That it is not meet to take the childrens bread and give it to dogs if her heart had not been humble she would have discovered her self to have been a dog she would have barked against him but she carried it very graciously and in all that Christ spake justified him Truth Lord. O that we might go to the Lord and beg of God that he would give out more of this grace of humility to us A proud heart will never justifie God when he speaks himself or when he suffers men to speak a proud heart will never take a repulse from God nor reproofs from men O! There is need of the grace of humility that will enable a soul to justifie the Lord in what-ever he shall speak and in what-ever he shall do The Apostle saith God resisteth the proud but he giveth grace to the humble He gives this grace to the humble that they shall carry it graciously when the Lord speaks against them when the Lord shall make a discovery of their hearts to them of their Corruptions to them of the deserving of their Transgressions to them they shall justifie the Lord and say Truth Lord all is true And when God shall suffer men to speak against them the Lord gives grace to the humble they shall have this grace made able to justifie the Lord. And truly When the soul is brought into this posture when the soul is thus truly humbled before the Lord and can justifie the Lord when the Lord speaks it is not far from deliverance Salvation is nigh Deliverance is at hand the time of God's Controversie is at an end When God hath thus humbled the soul under his mighty hand and made it willing to lye low and to justifie the Lord in all that he speakes and doth surely the time of refreshment from the presence of the Lord is not far off The Prophet Ezekiel he lay low before the Lord there were discoveries of the glorious Majesty of the Lord made to him at the latter end of the first Chapter As the appearance of the Bowe that is in the Cloud in the day of Raine so was the appearance of the brightness round about this was the appearance of the likenesse of the Glory of the Lord and when I saw it I fell upon my face See here he lay low before the Lord and in Chap. 2. and Verse 2. What is said And the Spirit entred into me when he spake unto me and set me upon my feet And truly Brethren When the Lord giveth out such a frame of spirit that the heart is made so humble as to lie low before the Lord and to justifie the Lord in what he speakes and doth the Spirit of the Lord is not far Salvation is not far off As the Spirit did enter into Ezekiel and set him upon his feet so the Spirit of the Lord will come into that soul and fill it with joy and refreshment from the Lord's presence Eccles 12. 1. Remember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth while the evil dayes come not nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them SOlomon having spent a great part of his life in following after vanity and being brought by the Spirit of God to a serious consideration of his wayes he doth write this Book of Ecclesiastes as the Book of his Repentance and like a true penitent he takes care of the souls of others and gives warning to all men that they should take heed that they do not split against those Rocks against which he cast himself He is exceeding careful of the souls of men and in a special manner he takes care of the souls of young men he speaks once and again to them that they might be warned by him and not spend their youth in vanity that they might not lose the comfort that they might enjoy by enjoying God and that they might not lose their opportunities of doing God service in their youth Now