and that which is spoken to all is taken as spoken to none Doctrine is but the drawing of the bow Application is the hitting of the mark How many are wise in generals but vaine in their practical inferences such Preachers are fitter for Rome then England soules may goe sleeping and dreaming to Hell before such Preaching ere such Preachers will awaken them and shew them their danger Oh that therefore the people were so wise as that when sin is reproved judgements threatned mercies promised and Christ freely and fully offered they would apply all to their owne soules This is the misery of many in our dayes they come to Sermons as Beggars come to Banquets carrying nothing but the scraps away with them Tenthly They must Preach the word Acceptably as well as rightly Eccles 12. 10. The Preacher sought to find out Bikkesh ni Pâ—hil from Bakash signifies an eaâ—nest vehement seeking c. acceptable words or words of delight as the Hebrew ha's it and that which was written was upright even words of truth Ministers words should be Divinely delectable and desirable they should Divinely please and Divinely profit they should 'T was a fiâ—e commendation given by Quintiliian of Thucydides Thucydides writes thick and quick close clear he is solid sâ—ccint seâ—tentious and judicious Divinely tickle and Divinely take both ear and heart A Minister should be a weighty speaker he should cloath his Doctrine in such a comely lovely dresse as that he may by it slide insensibly into his hearers hearts Ministers should cloath their matter with decent words The leaves give some beauty to the Tree Good matter in an unseemly language is like a bright Taper in a sluttish Candlestick or like a faire body in unhandsome cloaths or like a gold-ring on a Leprous hand Truth saith one loves to be plaine but not sluttish as she loves not to be clad in gay colours like a wanton strumpet so not in lowsie raggs like a nasty Creature Aarons bels were golden bels Dulce sonantes sounding pleasantly and not as sounding brasse or tinkling Cymbals Holy Eloquence is a gift of the Holy Ghost and may doubtlesse as Acts 18. 24. well as other gifts of the spirit be made prudently usefull to the setting forth of Divine truth and the catching of soules 2 Cor 12. 16. by craft as the Apostle speaks surely where it is it may be made use of as an Aegyptian Jewel to adorne the Tabernacle Lactantius hath well observed That Philosophers Orators Lib. 5. cap. 1. and Poets were therefore very pernicious in that they easily insnared incautious minds with sweetnesse of speech Therefore Basil Bucer were curt and concise full and clear in their discourses his advice is Even in delivering the truth of Christ to sweeten the speech for the winning of them to Christ who will neither heare nor read nor value nor regard the truth except it be pollished and trimmed up in a lovely dresse In the last place and so to adde no more as they must Preach the word acceptably so they must Preach the word Constantly they must not lay downe the Bible to take up the sword as some have done for worldly advantages 1 Cor. 7. 20. 24 Acts 6. 2. they must not leave the word to serve Tables as others have done upon the same account they must not change their black Clokes for scarlet Clokes they must abide and continue in their places and imployments they must neither change their work nor their Master Acts 6. 4. But we will give our selves continually to pray and to the Ministry The Shew-bread stood all the week before the Lord â—o shew that Preaching is not out of season on any day of the word They would not assigne their charge to some Surrogates or Deputies that themselves might live at ease No they were peremptorily resolv'd to hold on to continue in these two choyce duties Prayer and Ministry of the word So in Chap. 26. 22. Having therefore obtained helpe of God I continue unto this day witnessing both to small and great saying no other things then those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come 1 Tim. 4. 15 16. Meditate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 En toutois isihi Spend thy â—me in them upon these things give thy selfe wholy to them that thy profiting may appear to all or in all things Take heed unto thy selfe and unto thy doctrine Continue in them for in doing this thou shalt both save thy selfe and them that heare thee 2 Tim. 3. 14. But * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mene. Abide keep hy station â—hou wilt be put to 't thou wilt meâ—â— with earthquakes continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them Eccles 12. 9. And moreover because the Preacher was wise he still taught the people knowledge yea he gave good heed and sought out and set in order many Proverbs Hosea was four-score years a Prophet to Israel and yet did not convert them yet notwithstanding all discouragements he continued constant and that with abundance of freshnesse and livelinesse Chrysostome compares good Pastours to Fountaines that Châ—ysost in Mat. Hom. 15. ever send â—â—rth waters or Conduites that are alwayes running though no Paile be put under Erasmus saith of Hierom Minima pars noctis dabatur somno minor cibi nulla otio He allowed least time for sleep little for food none for idlenesse It best becomes a Minister to dye Preaching in a Pulpit Now if this be so Then by way of Use let me say That this truth lockes very sowrely and wishly upon all those that Preach any thing rather then Christ The Lord be mercifull to them how have they forgotten the great work about which their heads and hearts should be most exercised to wit the bringing in of soules to Christ and the building up of soules in Christ where doe we find in all the Scripture that Christ his Prophets or Apostles did ever in their Preaching meddle with businesses of State or things of a meer civil concernment My Kingdome is not of this world Who ha's made me a Judge sayes Christ I hope it will not be counted presumption in me if I shall propound a few Rules for such to observe that are willing to Preach Christ to poore soules I will onely propound three And the first is this If you would Preach Christ to the people according to the Rules last mentioned then You must get a Christ within you There 's nothing that makes a man indeed so able to Preach Christ to the people as the getting a Christ within him And 't is very observeable that the great Rabbies and Doctours that want a Christ within they doe but bungle in the work of the Lord in the Preaching of a crucified Jesus and were it not for the help of Austine Chrysostome Ambrose and Tertullian c. what sad dead and
the poor man had and will not our God whose very nature is goodnesse kindnesse and sweetnesse c. doe much more surely he will reward the least good done by the weakest Saint Therefore be not discouraged weak Christians though you should meet with hard measure from the world though they should reward your weak services with reproaches c. for the Lord will reward you he will not despise the day of small things What though O pretious soule thy language be clipt and broken what though thou canst but chatter like a Crane what though thou canst not talk so fluently and eloquently for Christ as others what though thy hand be weak that thou can'st not doe so much for Christ as others nor doe so well for Christ as others yet the Lord seeing thy heart sincere will reward thee Thou shalt have an everlasting rest for a little labour and a great reward for a little work The ninth Support is this 9 Support When Latimer was at the stake ready to be burned he breathed out those sweet wordâ— Fidelis est Deus c. God is faithfull c. Acts Mon. â—ol 1579. That as your Graces are weaker then others so your Temptations shall be fewer and your Afflictions lighter then others God in much wisedome and love will sute your burdens to yoar backs he will sute all your temptations and afflictions to your strength your burdens shall not be great if your strength be bur little as you may see 1 Cor. 10. 13. There hath no Temptation taken you but such as is common to man but God is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but will will the Temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it The Lord Oh weak Christian will sute thy burden to thy back and his strokes to thy strength This is most evident in Scripture That the strongest in Grace have alwayes been most tempted afflicted and distressed If Abraham excell others in Faith God will try the Gen. 22. strength of Abrahams faith to the uttermost and put him to that that he never put man to before If Moses excell all Num. 12. 3. Exod. 16. 7 8. Numb â—4 27. 36. Chap. 16. 11. Ex. 15. 24. â—ames 5. 11. Read the 1 〈◊〉 7 Chapters of Iob. 〈◊〉 Cor. 12. 1. to 11. others in meeknesse the Lord will try the strength of that grace and Moses shall have to doe with as proud and as murmuring a Generation as ever man had to doe with If Job carry the day from all others in point of Patience he shall be exercised with such strange and unheard of afflictions as shall try not onely the truth but also the strength of his patience to the uttermost If Paul have more glorious Revelations then the rest of the Apostles Paul shall be more buffetted and exercised with Temptations then the rest of the Apostles And thus you see it clear by all these Instances That the best and choycest Saints have alwayes met with the worst and greatest Temptations and afflictions So when the Disciples were in the lowest forme when they were weak in grace the Lord Jesus exercises them but with light afflictions but when they had a greater measure of the Spirit poured upon them then their troubles were encreased and multiplied and their former troubles in comparison of the later were but Acts 2. 1. to 21. as scratches of pins to stabs at the heart When the Spirit of the Lord was poured out upon them then they were afflicted opposed and persecuted with a witnesse When they had a greater measure of the Spirit to inable them to bear the hatred frownes stroaks and blowes of the enraged world then all of them had the honour to suffer a violent death for Christ as Histories doe evidence That 's a very remarkable Scripture Luke 24. 49. And behold I send the promise of my Father upon you but tarry ye in the City of Jerusalem untill ye be indued with power from on high The Lord Jesus would not have them goe from Jerusalem till they were indued with power from on high By the promise of the father is meant the gifts and graces of the Spirit that 's promised in Isa 44. 3. Joel 2. 28. John 14. 16. 15. 26. Tarry ye here sayes Christ at Jerusalem till ye be compleatly armed and fitted for all incounters till ye be indued with power Or as the Greek carries it Till ye be cloathed They were as naked persons they had but a little 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Spirit so that they were not compleat they were not cloathed with the Spirit till after the Ascension of Christ Now saith Christ Tarry untill such time as ye are cloathed with the Spirit The Lord Jesus knew well enough that they should meet with bitter opposition terrible Afflictions and dreadfull persecutions for his and the Gospel sake therefore tarry saith he untill ye be cloathed with the holy Ghost That so nothing may daunt ye nor sink ye The tenth Support is this That your persons stand not before God in your 〈◊〉 righteousnesse 10 Support but in the perfect spotlesse and matchlesse righteousnesse of the Lord Jesus Weak hearts are apt to sit downe troubled and discouraged when they look upon that body of sin that is in them and those imperfections that attend their chiefest services they are ready to say we shall one day perish by the strength of our lusts or by the defects of our services Oh but weak soules should remember this to strengthen them against all discouragements that their persons stand before God cloathed The costly Cloak of 〈◊〉 which Dâ—oninisius sould to the Carthaginians for an hundred Talents was a meane and beggerly ragge to that embroydered mantle that Christ does put upon the weakest Saints with the righteousnesse of their Saviour and so God ownes them and looks upon them as persons wrapt up in his Royall Robe Hence 't is that he is called Jer. 23. 6. Jehovah Tsidkenu The Lord our Righteousnesse And so in 1 Cor. 1. 30. he is of God made unto us Wisedome Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption Though weak Saints have nothing of their owne yet in Christ they have all for in him is all fullnesse Col. 1. 19. both repletive and diffusive both of abundance and of redundance both of plenty and of bounty He is made to weak Saints Wisedome by his Propheticall Office and he is made to weak Saints Righteousnesse and Sanctification by his Priestly Office and he is made to weak Saints Redemption by his Kingly Office So in Col. 2. 10. And ye are compleat in him which is the head of all Principallity and Power Varro reports of 288 severall Opinions that was among the Philosophers about the compleat happinesse of man but they were out in them all One judging his happinesse lay in this and another in that they caught at the shadow
you so look upon your sins and deale accordingly with them Thirdly Sin is slaine Naturally as well as Civilly Christ hath given it its deaths wound by his death and resurrection He hath given sin such a wound that it cannot be long liv'd though it may linger a while in a Saint as a Tree that 's cut at the root with a sore gash or two must dye within a year perhaps a month nay it may be within a week though for a time it may flourish it may have leaves and fruit yet it secretly dies and will very shortly wither and perish The Lord Jesus hath given sin such a mortall wound by his death and Spirit and by the communication of his favour and grace to the soule that sin shall never recover its strength more but dye a lingring death in the soules of the Saints Christ did not dye all at once upon the Crosse but by little and little To shew us that his death should extend to the slaying of sin gradically in the soules of the Saints When our Enemy hath a mortall wound we say he is a dead man his wound is mortall So when Jesus Christ hath given sin such a deadly wound such a mortall blow that it shall never recover its strength and power more we may truly say 'T is dead 't is slaine Therefore cheere up Oh weak soules for certainly sin that is thus slaine can never provoke Jesus Christ to give you a Bill of Divorce Ah that all weak Christians would like the Bee abide upon these sweet flowers and gather Honey out of them c. To proceed The twelfth Support is this Christ and you are Sharers 12 Support The notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is best expressed by Chrysostome in these words When mankind fled farre from Christ Christ pursued and caught hold of it and this he did by fastening on our Nature in his Incarnation c. The Ancients use to say commonly That Alexander and Ephâ—stion had baâ— one soule in two distinct bodies because their joy and sorrow glory and disgrace was mutuall to them both 'T is so betweene Christ and his Saints Their names that are written in red letters of blood in the Churches Kalender are written in golden letters in Christs Register in the Book of Life said Prudentius In my life-time said a gracious soule I have been assaulted with temptations from Satan and he hath cast my sins into my teeth to drive me to despaire yet the Lord gave the strength to overcome all his temptations Know this weak Saints for your support and comfort That Christ shares with you and you share with Christ I shall open this sweet Truth to you a little 1 Christ shares with you in your Natures In Heb. 2. 16. For verily he tooke not on him the Nature of Angels but he tooke on him the seed of Abraham And by this he hath advanc't fallen man above the very Angels This is the great Mysterie spoken of 1 Tim. 3. 16. And without controversie great is the Mysterie of Godlinesse God manifested in the flesh c. 2 The Lord Jesus shares with you in your Afflictions In Isa 63. 9. In all their afflictions he was afflicted and the Angel of his presence saved them In his love and in his pitty he redeemed them and he bare them and carried them all the dayes of old It is between Christ and his Church as between two Lute-strings no sooner one is struck but the other trembles 3 He shares with you in all your sufferings and persecutions as well as in all your afflictions Acts 9. 4 5. Saul Saul why persecutest thou me There is such a neer Union between the Lord Jesus Christ and the weakest Saints that a man cannot strike a Saint but he must strike through the very heart of Christ Their sufferings are held his Col. 1. 24. and their afflictions are his afflictions and their reproaches are his reproaches Heb. 13. 13. and their provocations are his provocations Nehem. 4. 4 5. God is provokt more then Nehemiah So Isa 8. 18. compared with Heb. 2. 13. Behold I and the Children whom the Lord hath given me are for signes and wonders in Israel This the Apostle applies to Christ Heb. 2. 13. 4 The Lord Jesus Christ shares with you in all your Temptations Heb. 2. 17 18. Chap. 4. 15 16. Christ was tempted and he was afflicted as well as you that he might he able to succour you that are tempted As a poore man that ha's been troubled with paine and griefe he will share with others that are troubled with paine or grief Ah friends the Lord Jesus Christ hath lost none of his affections by going to Heaven he is still full of compassion though free from personall passion When he was on earth Oh! how did he simpathize with his poor servants in all their temptations Satan sayes Christ to Peter hath desired to winnow thee but I have prayed for thee that thy faith faile not Luther in his Preaching met with every mans temptation and being once askt How he could doe so answered Mine owne manifold temptations and experiences are the cause thereof Oh the manifold temptations that the Lord Jesus hath undergone makes him semable as I may say and willing to share with us in our temptations Secondly As Christ shares with weak Saints So weak Saints share with Christ And this I shall shew you briefly in a few particulars 1 Weake Saints share with Christ in his Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. Whereby are given to us exceeding great and precious Promises that by these we might be partakers of the Divine To be made partakers of the Divine Nature notes two things 1 Fellowship with God in his holinesse 2 A fellowship with God in his blessednesse Nature Not of the substance of the God-head as the Familists say for that is incommunicable But by the Divine Nature we are to understand those Divine Qualities called elswhere The Image of God the Life of God that whereby we are made like to God in wisedome and holinesse wherein the Image of God after which man was at first Created consists Ephes 4. 24. Col. 3. 10. Saints that doe partake of this Divine Nature that is of those Divine Qualities before spoken of they resemble God not onely as a picture doth a man in outward lineaments but as a Child doth his Father in countenance and condition And well may grace be called The Divine Nature for as God bringeth light out of darknesse comfort out of sorrow riches out of poverty and glory out of shame so does grace bring day out of night and sweet out of bitter and plenty out of poverty and glory out of shame It turnes Counters into gold Pebbles into Pearles sicknesse into health weaknesse into strength and wants into abundance Injoying nothing and yet possessing all things 2 Cor. 6. 10. c. 2 Weake Saints share with Christ in his Spirit and Grace In Psal 45. 7. Christ
whose Chastisements thou hast slighted will blot out thy transgressions for my owne sake I even I is a passionate and emphaticall expression Gods goodnesse runs over to sinfull Creatures and Where sin abounds there grace doth super-abound If the Creditor himselfe blot out the debt and crosse the Mat. 6. 12 14 15. 18. 24 â—7 33. Luke 7. 41 to 4â— Book surely it shall never be remembred more Our sins are debts which God who hath the power of life and death of heaven and hell of condemning and absolving hath engaged himselfe to blot out as a thick cloud Isa 44. 22. I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions and as a cloud thy sins An under Officer may blot out an Indictment and yet the offendor may be never the better for it but if the King who is the supream Judge shall blot it out then the offendor is safe The Application is easie If the soule be diserted then that Promise relives it Mich. 7. 18 19. He will turne againe he will have compassion upon us c. If the soule be sliding and ready to fall then that Promise supports and upholds it Psal 37. 24. Though he fall he shall not be utterly cast downe for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand â—i Jehâ—vah somech jâ—do Or as the Hebrew ha's it The Lord upholding him with his hand The Hebrew Participle Somech notes a continued act of God God ha's still his everlasting armes under his Deut. 33. 26. 22. people so that they shall never totally nor finally fall And the root Samuch from whence this word is derived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to sustaine or uphold as the tender Mother doth the little Babe The safety and security of the Child lyes not so much in the Childs hanging about the Mothers neck as in the Mothers holding it fast in her armes So our safety and security lyes not so much in our weak holding upon Christ but in Christs holding of us fast in his everlasting armes This is our glory and our safety that Christs left hand is alwayes under us and his right hand does alwayes embrace us Cant. 2. 6. If the soule be forsaken by friends then that Promise relieves it Heb. 13. 5 6. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee There are five Negatives in the Greek to assure Gods people that he will never forsake them Five times this precious Promise is renewed in the Scripture that we might have the stronger Consolation and that we may presse and oppresse it till we have gotten all the sweetnesse out of it and verily many precious soules have suckt much sweetnesse out of the breasts of this Promise when their nearest relations and their dearest friends have forsaken them and forgotten them God loves that his people should put his Bonds his Promises in suite and he that does shall find God near him though friends should leave him and the world be in armes against him c. If the soule be tempted then that word of Promise relieves it 1 Cor. 10. 13. But God is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able c. The Promises are a Christians Magna Charta they are his chief Evidences for heaven Men highly prize their Charters and Priviledges and carefully keep the Conveyances and Assurances of their Lands Oh! how should Saints then treasure up and keep these Precious Promises which the Lord ha's given them and which are to them instead of all Assurances for their protection maintenance deliverance comfort and everlasting happinesse And thus much for the sixth gift the Lord gives viz. The Promises Seventhly The Lord gives Grace Of his fullnesse we all John 1. 16. have received Grace for Grace The Lord gives that grace the least dram of which is more worth then Heaven and Earth It was an excellent saying of one of the Ancients I had Hierom. rather have St. Pauls Coat with his heavenly Graces then the Purple of Kings with their Kingdomes Grace is that A good symbole was atâ—â—buted to Emilian the Roman Emperour Non gens sed mens non genus sed genius Not race or place but grace truly sets forth a man which truly ennobles the soule it raises the soule up to converse with the highest and with the noblest objects and every man is as the objects are with which he converses if the objects are noble the man is so if the objects are base with which a man converses the man is base A man may better know what he is by eying the objects with which his soule does mostly converse then by observing his most glorious and pompious services The righteous is more excellent then his neighbour Abraham was a Prince of God among the Hittites The Jewes say That those seventy persons that went downe with Jacob into Aegypt were more Pro. 12. 26. Gen. 23. 6. worth then the seventy Nations of the world Indeed it 's onely grace that makes a man truly noble When one heard the King of Persia stil'd The Great King saith he I acknowledge none more excellent then my selfe unlesse more righteous nor none greater unlesse better Grace as it 's bred by the noblest means so 't is preserved and maintained in the soule by the choycest means viz. Vnion and Communion with God c. Grace is glory in the bud and glory is grace at the full Grace makes a man all glorious Psal 45. 13. within and without Grace is a ring of gold and Christ is the sparkling Diamond in that ring Eighthly He gives Peace John 14. 27. My peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the world Rom. 5. 1. Hos 2. 21 22 23. Job 5. 19 to 25. giveth give I unto you Christ gives peace with God and peace with Conscience and peace with the Creatures Dulce nomen pacis The very name of Peace is sweet The Hebrews when they wished all happinesse to any used but this one word Peace be with you And the Ancients Martimus the Emperours Motto was Pax bello potior Give me peace and let others quarrell were wont to paint Peace in the forme of a Woman with a Horne of Plenty in her hand all blessings Ask a soule that ha's been under terrors of conscience and he will tell you that of all gifts inward Peace is the most Princely gift c. Ninthly He gives Glory John 10. 28. My sheep heare my voyce and they follow me and I give unto them eternall life Rom. 7. The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternall life Now the glory that Christ gives is Reall glory 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. Henceforth is laid up for me a Crowne of Glory The Greek word Apokeitai signifies two things 1 A designation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a Crowne And 2 A reservation and safe keeping of it for him untill the Coronation day Againe the glory he
temporalls as well as in spiritualls but where will you find a man that is generally rich either in spiritualls or temporalls 'T is true you may find one Christian rich in one grace and another Christian rich in another but where will you find a Christian that is generally rich that is rich in every grace that is rich in knowledge in faith in love in wisedome in humility in meeknesse in patience in selfe-denyall Abraham was rich in Faith and Moses was rich in Meeknesse and Job was rich in Patience and Joshua was rich in Courage and David Gregory the Great was wont to say That he was poor whose soul was void of grace not whose Coffers were empty â—s money was rich in Vprightnesse c. But where will you find a Saint that 's rich in all these graces Or where will you find a man that is generally rich in respect of temporalls as to be rich in lands and rich in moneys and rich in wares and rich in Jewels c. But now the Lord Jesus Christ is generally rich both in respect of spiritualls and temporalls In having nothing I have all things saith one because I have Christ having therefore all things in him I seeke no other reward for he is the universall reward c. Seventhly You may judge of the riches of Christ by the Tribute and Rent that 's due to him He is the great Landlord and owner of all that Angels and Quicquâ—d esi dâ—bes â—â—cami Quicquid â—otes debes redimenti Bern. men possesse above and below All created Creatures are but Tennants at will to this rich Land-lord the Lord Jesus He puts out and puts in as he pleases he lifts up one and casts downe another he throwes downe the mighty and sets up the needy according to the pleasure of his owne will Psal 113. 7. Psal 148. 14. Luke 1. 52. Whom he will he destroyes and whom he will he keeps alive whom he will he binds and whom he will he sets at liberty whom he will he exalts and whom he will he abases whom he will he makes happy and whom he will he makes miserable c. The Psalmist Psal 148. upon this account calls upon all Celestiall and Terrestiall Creatures to pay their Tribute of Praise to the Lord He ha's given them all their beings and he maintaines them all in the beings that he ha's given them The Ancient Hebrewes as Josephus relates set marks and tokens sometimes on their Armes sometimes at their Gates to declare to all the world the Tribute and Praise that was due to the Lord for all his benefits and favours shew'd unto them Bernard saith We must imitate the Birds who morning and evening at the rising and setting of the Sun omit not to pay the debt of praise that is due to their Creator Eighthly and lastly Judge of the riches of Christ by the Multiplicity and variety of temporall and spirituall Gifts Christ saith to the believeâ— as the King of Israel said to the King of Syria I am thine and all that I have 1 Kings 20 4. This is aâ—vearium divâ—ni mellis an hive fuâ—l of Divinâ— comfort and Rewards that he scatters among the children of men He gives honours to thousands and riches to thousands and Peace to thousands and Pardons to thousands and the joyes and comforts of the Holy Ghost to thousands there 's not a moment that passes over his head but he is a scattering of Jewels up and downe the world he throwes some into one bosome and others into others but the best into the bosome of his Saints Oh the abundance of peace the abundance of joy and comfort Oh the fear the faith the love the kindnesse the goodnesse and sweetnesse that the Lord Jesus Christ scatters up and downe among the precious Sons and Daughters of Zion besides all temporall favours There 's not a Saint that receives so much as a cup of cold water but Mat. 10. 42. The Duke of Buâ—gandy gave 1 poor man a great rewaâ—d for offering him a Râ—pe Root being the best present the poor man had And surely so wâ—ll God bountifully reward the least sevâ—urs shew'd to his Christ rewards it abundantly into the bosome of the giver By all which you may well judge that certainly the Lord Jesus is very rich for if he were not he could never hold out in scatterring of rich rewards among so many millions and for so many thousand years as he hath done And so much for the proof of the Point viz. That the Lord Jesus is very rich We come now in the second place to discover to you The Grounds and Reasons why the Lord Jesus Christ is held forth in the Word to be so very Rich. And they are these that follow First TO incourage poore sinners to looke after and to be willing to match with him Abrahams servant to win ovre the heart of Rebekah to Jsaac brings soâ—th Jewels of silver and Jewels of gold and acquaints her what a rich match she shoâ—lâ— have by matching with Isaac so overcame her Gen. 24. And so does God dealwith poor sinners c. Poverty hinders many a match The Lord did foresee from eternity That fallen man would never look after Christ if there were not something to be gotten by Christ the Lord hath therefore in his wisedome and goodnesse to fallen man thus presEnted him as one exceeding rich that so poore sinners might fall in love with him and be willing to give up themselves to him Prov. 8. 34 35. Blessed is the man that heareth me watching daily at my Gates waiting at the posts of my doores As Princes Guards doe at Princes Gates and doores Now the Arguments to draw out the soule thus to waite upon the Lord lyes in the next words For whoso findeth me findeth life and shall obtaine favour of the Lord. The Hebrew runs thus For finding me he shall find lives and shall draw forth the favour of the Lord. Divine favour is as it were a Jewel lockt up I but by finding Christ by getting Christ the soule gets this Jewel that is more worth then a world yea by gaining him the soule gaines lives to wit a life of grace and a life of glory and what would the soule have more A second Ground of this is Because he is Ordained by the father to convey all riches of Grace to his chosen and beloved ones John 1. 16. Of his fullnesse we all receive grace for grace And this we receive by Divine ordination John 6. 27. Labour not saith Christ for the meat that perisheth but for that which indureth to everlasting life which the Son of man Sealed that is made his Commission authenticall as men doe their deeds by their seale shall give unto you for him hath God the father sealed God the father hath sealed Christ he hath designed Christ he hath set Christ apart for this very work that he might give grace unto us God
that God shall put upon you this is your Principle I but tell me Christians will a little grace inable a man to live up to this Principle I judge not You are to stand ready to change your imployment from better to worse if the Lord shall be pleased to order it so You are to be ready to change your Crowne for a Crosse to change that imployment that 's honourable for that that 's mean and low and that which is more profitable for that which is lesse profitable as it were from ruling of a Province to the keeping of a Heard from being a Lord to be a servant from being a servant to great men to be a servant to the meanest servant yea to the poorest Beast Certainly a little grace will never inable a man bravely and sweetly to live up to this Principle Their hearts that are poore in grace are like a wounded hand or arme which being but imperfectly cured can onely move one way and cannot turne to all postures and all naturall uses Weak Christians are very apt to three things To choose their mercies To choose their crosses And To choose their imployments They are often unwilling that God himselfe should choose out their way or their work But now soules that are rich in grace they are at Gods beck and check they are willing that God shall choose their work and their way they are willing to be at his dispose to be high or low to serve or to be served to be something or to be nothing c. Now I beseech you Christians that you would seriously and frequently remember this That there is nothing in all the world that is such an honour to God and a glory to the Gospel as for Christians to live up to their Principles nor nothing such a reproach to God and his wayes as this for men to live below their Principles and to act contrary to their Principles And you will never be able to live up to your Principles nor to live out your Principles except you grow rich in grace therefore labour I say labour as for life to abound in Grace c. Now the fourth Motive is this Consider That soules rich in Grace are a mighty blessing to the Land and place where they live There are no such blessings in the world to Parishes Cities and Nations as those soules are that are rich in Grace Oh they are great blessings to all places where they come they are persons that are fit for the highest and noblest imployments there is not the highest work that is too high for a man that is rich in grace not the hottest work that is too hot for a man rich in grace nor the lowest work below a man rich in Grace Such a man will not say I would doe it but that 't is below my place my blood my parts my education May Christ have honour May others have good if so I will doe it saith the soule that 's rich in Grace What ever comes of it and blesse God for the opportunity In Dan. 6. 3. Then this Daniel was preferred above the Presidents and Princes because an excellent spirit was in him and the King thought to set him over the whole Realme Why was Daniel set upon the Throne but because there was a glorious excellent spirit in him that fitted him for the highest imployment So Joseph was a blessing to his Masters family and the people among whom he liv'd No such blessings to people and places as soules rich in Grace So in Nehem. 7. 2. I Such a one will be Pater patriae Father of his Country gave my Brother Hanani and Hananiah the ruler of the place charge over Jerusalem and why he for he was a faithfull man and feared God above many Oh the wisedome the prudence the zeale the courage the compassion the patience the self-denyall that should be in Magistrates There is a truth in that old Maxime Magistratus virum indicat Magistracy will try a man None fit to rule but such that are rich in Grace What a world of good may a man doe with worldly riches in a Parish in a City in a Nation but that 's nothing to the good that a man may doe that is rich in grace Oh the sins that he may prevent Oh the judgements that he may divert Oh the favours and blessings that he may draw downe upon the heads and hearts of people I presume you forget not what a blessing Moses Joseph Job Nehemiah Mordecai and Daniel proved to the people among whom they liv'd and these were all rich in grace A man rich in wisedome rich in faith rich in goodnesse c. Oh! what a blessing may he prove to ignorant soules to staggering soules to wandring soules to tempted soules to deserted soules c. Look what the Sun is to us that may a soule rich in grace be to others c. Oh friends would you be blessings to your families would you be blessings to the City to the Nation Oh then labour to be rich in Grace and doe not think it enough that you have so much Grace as will keep you from dropping into hell and that will bring you to heaven but labour to be rich in grace and then you will prove indeed a blessing to the place and Nation where you live The Romans when they did perceive any naturall excellency As those that were called among the Romans the Curii and Fabritâ—i c. to be in any persons though they were never so poor and mean they would take them from their dinners of Turnips and Water-cresses to lead the Roman Army 'T is true that naturall and morall indowments will inable men to doe much but grace will inable men to doe ten thousand times more There 's no work too high nor too hard for souls rich in Grace and therefore as you would be choyce instruments in the Lords hand and eminently serviceable in your Generations O labour to be rich in Grace 'T is not he that ha's most wit in his head but he that ha's most grace in his heart that is most fit for Generation-work Fifthly A rich measure of Grace will bear out your soules in severall cases therefore labour to be rich in grace A rich measure of Grace will bear out the soule under The golden nâ—me of Châ—â—stians is but as an Ornament to Swine saith Salvian He means such as content them selves with an empty name great means of Grace When a soule is spiritually rich this will bear him out under great means such a one will be able to look God in the face with joy and comfort he can say 't is true Lord I have had more means then others and lo I am growne richer then others Thou hast taken more paines with me then with others and lo I bring forth more fruit then others my five Talents are become ten But a little grace will not bear men out under much means of Grace Againe A great
measure of Grace will bear the soule out under a great name as well as under great means For a man Quid tibi prâ—dest nomen ubi res nâ—n invenitur What will the name availe where tâ—e thing is waâ—ting saith Augâ—stâ—ne to have a great name to live and yet to have but a little life is a stroak of stroaks to be high in name and little in worth is a very sad and sore judgement to have a name to be an eminent Christian and yet to be poor in faith in love in wisedome in knowledge c. is the greatest unhappinesse in the world This stroak is upon many in these dayes but that which is saddest of all is this they feele it not they observe it not but now he that is rich in grace hath something within that will beare him out under a great name in the world Againe A great measure of Grace will bear you out under great desires as well as under a great name A man that 's rich in Grace may ask what he pleases he is one much in with God and God will deny him nothing the best of the best is for this man he may have any thing he may have every thing that heaven affordeth is able to improve much and therefore he may ask much and have it 'T was a sweet saying of one O Lord I never come to thee but by thee I never goe from thee without thee Sozonem saith of Apollonius That he never asked any thing of God but he had it And another speaking of Luther saith Hic homo potuit apud Deum quod voluit He could have what he would of God Rich men may long for this and that and have it they have something that will fetch it but poor men may not Oh now who would not labour as for life to be rich in Grace Oh this will bear you out under great means and under great names and under great desires therefore rest not satisfied with a little Grace But then sixthly and lastly Soules rich in Grace are the honour of Christ and the glory of Christianity As 't is the glory of the stock when the Grafts grow and thrive in it even so it is the glory of Christ when those that are ingrafted into him thrive and grow This declares to all the world that Christ keeps a good house and that he doth not feed his Children with trash but with the choisest delicates that he is open-handed and free-hearted 'T is the glory of the father when the Child growes rich under him and the glory of the Master when the Servant growes rich under him and so 't is the glory of Christ when poore soules grow rich under him The name of Christ and the honour of Christ is kept up in this world by souls that are rich in grace they are the persons that make others think well and speak well of Christ You may at your leisure read the first and second Epistles to the Thessalonians and there you shall see what an honour they were to the Lord Jesus and the Gospel who abounded in spirituall riches Such Christians that are like to Pharoah's leane Kine reproach three at once God the Gospel and their Teachers And this Age is full of such Christians 'T is your greatest work in this world to keep up the honour and the glory of the Lord and this you can never you will never doe except you labour to be rich in Grace Let others labour for the meat that perisheth doe you labour for that which endureth to everlasting life When you come to dye and when you come to make up your Accounts 't will never be a grief but a joy unto you that you have made it your greatest businesse and work in this world to be rich in Grace But here you may say What Meanes must we use that we may grow rich in Grace I Answer FIrst Let no discouragements take you off from labouring to be inriched with spirituall riches A soule that would be spiritually rich must be Divinely resolved that come what come can he will hold on in the use of means that he may be rich with the riches of Christ Josh 24. 15. Joshua was resolute in this Point Choose you whom you will serve whether the Lord or those other Gods that your fathers served as for my part I and my house will serve the Lord. Luke 13. 24. Strive to enter in at the straight Gate The Greek Agenizesthe Many men are like Cicero not throughly resolved in themselves whether to follow Pompey oâ— Caesar the riches of this world or the riches of another world such men will still be poore word signifies To strive with all your might with all your strength to strive even to an Agony to strive as they did for the Garlands in the Olympick Games The word here used seemeth to alude to their striving for the Garland where they put out themselves to the utmost So in John 6. 27. Labour not for the meat that perisheth but for that which indures to everlasting life which the Son of man shall give unto you for him hath God the father sealed I have read of one that did not feare what he did nor what he suffered so he might get riches For saith he men doe not aske how good one is or how gracious one is but how rich one is Oh Sirs the day is a coming when God will ask how rich your soules are how rich you are in faith in wisedome in knowledge in fear c. and not how rich you are in money or in Jewels or in Land or in Goods but how rich are you in Grace which should provoke your soules to strive in the face of all discouragements to be rich in Grace What will not the Merchant doe and the Marriner doe for these temporall riches Oh the dangers the hazards the tempests the stormes the deaths that they run through for earthly riches which are never without their sting And shall not Christians labour in the face of all oppositions after spirituall riches It is reported of Nevessan the Lawyer that he should say He that will not venture his body can never be valiant and he that will not venture his soule will never be rich I am sure that man that will not venture and venture hard in the face of all discouragements to be spiritually rich will never be rich he may be good in the maine and may goe to heaven in a storme but he will never be rich in spiritualls that will not venture himselfe to the uttermost for the gaine of spirituall riches Secondly Be fixed under a Christ-exalting and a soule-inriching Ministry Under that mans Ministry that makes it his businesse not a thing by the bye but his businesse his work not to tickle the eare to please the fansie but to inrich the soule to win the soule and to build up the soule 2 Tim. 4. 3. For the time will come when they
promises are over-performed 1 Cor. 2. 9. c. Christ upon his word Doe you believe he will give you a Crowne and will you not trust him for a crust Doe you believe he will give you a Kingdome and doe you doubt whether he will give you a Cottage to rest in Ha's he given you his blood and doe you think that he will deny you any thing that is really for your good Surely he will not he cannot Againe Trust him for power against all the remainders of sin in you Hath Christ freed you from the damnatory power of sin Rom. 8. 1. Rom. 6. 14. Heb. 13. 5. and from the dominion of sin and will not you trust him for deliverance from the remainers of sin Psal 65. 3. Iniquities prevaile against me As for our transgressions thou shalt purge them away O excellent faith Againe Trust him to bring you into the Land of rest Doe you think that this Joshua is not able to carry you through all difficulties dangers and deaths Doe you think that he will leave you to dye in the wildernesse who have already had some glimpses of Heavens glory O trust to this Christ for the bringing of your soules into the Promised Land Christ would loose his glory should you fall short of glory c. Againe If Christ be so rich Then don't forsake him don't leave him don't turne your backs upon him Is there Riches of Justification and Riches of Sanctification and Riches of Consolation and Riches of Glorification in Christ Yes why then doe not depart from him doe not You read of no Armes for the back though you doe for the breast Phil. 6. shake hands with him That 's a sad complaint of God in Jer. 2. 12 13. Be astonished O ye heavens at this and be horribly afraid be ye very desolate saith the Lord For my people have committed two evills They have forsaken me the fountaine of living waters and hewed them out Cisternes broken Cisternes that can hold no water Is it madnesse and folly to flye from the fountaine to the streame from the light of the Sun to the light of a candle And is it not greater madnesse and folly to forsake the Creator to run after the creature O say as Peter Whither should we goe thou hast John 6. 68. the words of eternall life To run from Christ is to run from all life peace and joy 't is to run from our strength our shelter our security our safety our Crown our glory Lev. 11. 10. Crabbs that goe backward are reckoned among unclean creatures The application is easie Origen coming to Jerusalem after that he had shamefully turned his back upon Christ and his truth and being exceedingly pressed to preach at last he yields and as he opened the Book he happened to cast his eye upon that place of the Psalmist What hast thou to doe to declare my Statutes or that thou shouldest take my Covenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest Psa 50. 16 17. instruction and castest my words behind thee Now the remembrance of his owne folly so reflected upon his conscience that it made him close the Book and sit downe and weep Such as forsake a rich a full Christ shall have weeping work enough That is a very dreadfull Scripture Jer. 17. 13. All you that forsake the Lord shall come to be ashamed and they that depart from him shall be written in the dust Can you read this Text backsliding soules and not tremble c. Againe If the Lord Jesus Christ be so rich Oh then all you that have an interest in him labour mightily to clear up your interest and to be more and more confident of your interest in so rich a Jesus My Brethren 't is one thing for a man to have an interest in Christ and another thing to have his interest cleer'd up to him I doe speak it with grief of heart That even among such Christians that I hope to meet in Heaven there 's scarce one of forty nay one of a hundred that is groundedly able to make out his interest in the Lord Jesus Most Christians live between feare and hope between doubting and believing One day they hope that all is well and that all shall be well for ever the next day they are ready to say That they shall one day perish by the hand of such a corruption or else by the hand of such or such a temptation And thus they are up and downe sav'd and lost many times in a day But you will say unto me What Meanes should we use to clear up our interest in Christ I 'le tell you there are six singular Means that you should labour after for the evidencing more and more your interest in Christ And take it from experience you will find that they will contribute very very much for the evidencing your interest in Christ And the Means for the evidencing our interest in Christ First is this Faithfully and constantly fall in with the interest of Christ Holinesse is the interest of Christ the Gospel is the interest of Christ the precious Ordinances are the interest of Christ c. Now the more sincerely and roundly you fall in with the interest of Christ the more abundantly you will be confirmed and perswaded of your interest in Christ Such soules The Primitive Christians did generally fall in with the interest of Christ and they generally had an assurance of their interest in Christ Lam. 1. 16. Phil. 4. 30. Isa 63. 10. Spiritus sanctâ— est res delicaâ—a Psal 77. 2. 1 Thess 5. 19. as fall in with strange interests or with base and carnall interests may justly question whether ever they had any reall interest in Christ Christians did you more sincerely and fully fall in with Christs interest you would lesse question your interest in Christ this would scatter many a cloud Secondly Be kind to the spirit of Christ Doe not grieve him doe not slight him If you should set this spirit a mourning that alone can evidence your interest that alone can seale up your interest in Christ by whom shall your interest in Christ be sealed up O doe not grieve the spirit by acting against light against conscience against ingagements doe not grieve him by casting his cordialls and comforts behind your backs doe not grieve him by slighting and despising his gracious actings in others doe not cast water upon the spirit but wisely attend the hints the Items and motions of the Spirit and he will clear up thy interest in Christ he will make thee say My Beloved is mine and I am his Câ—nt 2. 16 Thirdly Labour more and more after a full and universall conformity to Jesus Christ The more the soule is conformable to Christ the more confident it will be of its interest in Christ 1 John 4. 17. As all good Orators indeavour to be like Demosthenes so all good Christians should indeavour to be like to Jesus Christ for
pittifull work would they make Yea for want of a Christ within how little of Christ doe they understand How little of Christ doe they make known notwithstanding all their borrowed helps Paul was a man that had got a Christ within him Gal. 2. 20. I live yet not I but Christ lives in me and the life that I live is by the faith of the Son of God c. Compare this with Gal. 4. 19. My little Children of whom I travell in birth till Christ be formed in you A Christ within makes him travel in birth Odino 2 Cor. 11. 23. ult As Nurses to Princes children are fed with the most delicate fare but not for their owne sakes buâ— for the childrens sake to whom they give Nurse So 't is with many Ministers that want a Christ within â— Tim. 2. â—4 25. The Greek word Translated I travell in birth signifies not onely the travel of the woman at the birth of the Child but also the painfull bearing thereof before the birth The paines of travel breed not a greater desire to see a Man-child borne into the world then Paul's love bred in him till Christ were anew formed in them No man did so much for the winning of soules to Christ as Paul nor no man had so much of a Christ within him as Paul Nothing will naturalize a Ministers heart to his work like a Christ within nothing will make him so wise so painfull so watchfull so carefull to win soules as a Christ within nothing will make him hold out and hold on in the work of the Lord in the face of all oppositions persecutions dangers and deaths as a Christ within Nothing will make a man strive with sinners and weep over sinners and waite upon sinners for their returne as a Christ within Such Ministers that have not a Christ within them will find to comfort and as little successe in their Preaching of Christ Above all gettings get a Christ within or else after all thy Preaching thy selfe will be a cast-away Secondly They that would Preach Christ to the people must Study more Scripture truths Scripture Mysteries then humane Histories They must study Gods Book more then all other Books The truth and antiquity of the Book of God finds no companion either in Age or Authority No Histories are comparable to the Histories of the Scriptures Moses is sound more ancient then all those whom the Grecians make most antient as Homer Hesiod and Jupiter himsâ—lâ— whom the Greeks have seated in the top of their Divinity For 1 Antiquity 2 Rariety 3 Variety 4 Brevity 5 Perspicuity 6 Harmony 7 Verity Gregory calls the Scripture Cor animam Dei The heart and soule of God for in the Scriptures as in a glasse we may see how the heart and soule of God stands towards his poore creatures It was the glory of Apollos that he was mighty in the Scripture Acts 18. 24. John 5. 39. Search the Scripture saith Christ The Greek word signifies to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 search as men search for gold in Mines You must search the Scripture not superficially but narrowly The Scriptures are a great depth wherein the choycest treasures are hid therefore you must digge deep if you will find Col. 3. 16. Let the word of Christ dwell richly in you Or as the Greek hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let the word of Christ indwell in you as an ingrafted word incorporated into your soules Let the word be so concocted and digested by you as that you turne it into a part of your selves You must be familiarly acquainted with the word you must not let it passe by you as a stranger or lodge and sojourne with you as a wafairing man it must continually abide with you and dwell richly in you 2 Tim. 3. 16 17. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousnesse That the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good workes All Books and helps are not comparable to the Bible for the compleating and perfecting of a man for the work of the Ministry That which a Papist reports of their Sacrament of the Masse That there are as many Mysteries in it as there are drops in the sea dust on the earth Angels in heaven Starres in the skie Attomes in the Sun-beams or sands on the sea-shore Whiles they burned us said Reverend Moulin for reading the Scriptures we burnt with zeale to be reading of them But where is this brave spirit now c. may be truly asserted of the word of God No study to the study of the Scripture for profit and comfort Count Anhalt that Princely Preacher was wont to say That the whole Scriptures were the swadling bands of the child Jesus he being to be found almost in every page in every verse in every line Luther would often say That he had rather that all his Bookes should be burnt then that they should be a means to hinder persons from studying of the Scripture The third and last Rule I shall lay downe is this Such as would Preach Christ aright to the people had need Dwell much upon the vanity of humane doctrines The vanity of which doctrines may be thus discovered First They doe not discover sin in its uglinesse and filthinesse as the Scriptures doe They search but to the skin they reach not to the heart they doe not doe as the Master did in Jonah's ship when they were in a storme Secondly Humane doctrines have no humbling power in These things had need be seriously minded in these dayes wherein â—umane doctrines are so much exalted and admired them They may a little tickle you but they can never humble you they cannot cast downe Satans strong holds they cannot melt nor break the heart of a sinner they cannot make him cry out with the Leaper Vnclean unclean Thirdly Humane doctrines nourish not the noble part the soule of man The Prodigal was like to starve before he returned to his fathers house A man may study much and labour much and lay out much of his time and spirits about humane doctrines and yet after all be like to Pharoah's lean Kine A man that studies humane doctrines doth but feed upon ashes Fourthly Humane doctrines cannot cure a wound in the conscience The diseased woman spent all she had upon Physitians but was not a penny the better The remedy is too weak for the disease Conscience like Prometheus Vulture will still lye gnawing notwithstanding all that such doctrines can doe Fifthly Humane doctrines are so far from inriching the soule that they usually impoverish the soule They weaken the soule they expose the soule to the greatest wants and to the greatest weaknesses they play the Harlot with the soule they impoverish it and bring it to a morsel of bread Who so poore in spirituall experiences and heavenly injoyments as such that sit under the droppings