which is forced is not sincere Many own Christ in their sickness and distress that never care for him when they are well at ease then they forget all live as they did before when their turn is served There is a difference between a Womans coming to a Physician for cure and her coming to a Husband to dwell with him True Conversion doth begin in fear but it doth not end there it endeth in a change of Heart and a settled love to God and Holiness and an hatred of Sin This is not only seen in men when the fear of Death affrights them but in their whole lives Others under some Conviction they would have Christ for their Consciences and the World for their Hearts Secondly It must be a full and unbounded Consent to all the terms and demands of the Gospel to be what he would have you to be and to do what he would have you to do Mat. 13.44 The man sold all to buy the Pearl of great price You must not stick at any thing Though you are unwilling to let the match go yet it is no full consent Christ will be taken for better for worse you must renounce your dearest Lusts devote and resign your choicest Interests or else you are unworthy of him The bargain is not made till all your Interests be laid at his feet Luk. 14.26.33 So for Lusts Mat. 5.29.30 Here men usually stick and had rather undergo any cost and pains than undergo the mortification of Sin as you may see in Mica 6.6 7. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow my self before the most high God shall I come before him with Burnt Offerings and Calves of a year old Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams or with ten thousands of Rivers of Oyl Shall I give my First-born for my Transgression and the Fruit of my Body for the Sin of my Soul Now before it comes to this man hath many debates of Soul They are convinced that Sin is evil contrary to God and hurtful to themselves and have some mind to let it go But in fine their Hearts are more for it than against it and so do not come up to a saving consent to take Christ for their Lord and Husband The pleasures of sin are so bewitching that they cannot come up roundly to Christs terms or to the whole business of Christianity Thirdly It must be a firm and habitual Consent and such as is not retracted in our after Conversation Weak and wavering purposes soon come to nothing but when this is your ordinary frame and the new Nature and the inclination of your Souls is this way when there is a new bent put upon your Spirits then it will hold out Psal. 119.112 I have inclined my heart to perform thy Statutes alwayes to the end The Second thing remarkable in the Text is the Entrance of those that were ready in to the Nuptial Feast And 1. Who are the Persons They that are inwardly renewed and endowed with the saving Graces of the Spirit 2. What 's their Priviledge They went in to the Marriage to the Festivities of the Marriage Chamber or place of Nuptial Entertainment Marriage Feasts are often spoken of in Scripture Judg. 14.10 And Sampson made a feast for so used the young men to do And Gen. 29.22 And Laban gathered all the young men of the place and made a feast This figureth the joys of Eternal Life and that full and sweet Communion we shall have with Christ in Heaven Doct. Those only who are ready and prepared for Christ shall enter into eternal joys when others are excluded Luk. 12.37 Blessed are those Servants whom when the Lord cometh he shall find watching So Mat. 24.44 Therefore be ye also ready 1. I shall enquire What it is to be ready 2. Shew you why they only shall have eternal and immediate Communion with Christ. 1. What it is to be ready There is a Twofold Readiness 1. An Habitual and Constant Readiness 2. An Actual Readiness when you specially compose your selves to meet with Christ. 1. Of the Habitual and Constant Readiness that concerneth the state of the Person the frame of the Heart and the course of our Conversations as represented by Oyl in the Vessel and the Lamps kept burning 1. The State of the Person He must be one reconciled and one at peace with God There are two Expressions in Scripture that speak of the state that we must be found in when Christ cometh 2 Pet. 3.14 That we may be found of him in peace The other is 2 Cor. 5.3 That we may not be found naked And both do principally relate to Justification Our Peace depends upon our Reconciliation with God Rom. 5.1 And till your Pardon be sued out in an humble and broken-hearted manner how will you be able to stand before the Lord till you be rectus in Curia and have a discharge of Sin and the Curse and be not found in a natural and unconverted Estate The other Expression is That we may not be found naked 'T is sad to appear before God with no other covering but our own Skins No there is no getting the Blessing but in the Garment of our Elder Brother Therefore we are so often bidden to put on the Lord Jesus Rom. 13.14 and Gal. 3.27 and that you buy of Him white Raiment to cover your nakedness Rev. 3.17 18. These places are principally to be interpreted of Justification though it will not exclude Sanctification For that is a Garment of Salvation to cover our loathsome nakedness from the sight of the Lord. 2. As to the frame of the Heart that it be renewed and Sanctified Habitual Grace is Oyl in the Vessel that there may be a Spring or Fountain of Grace in the Heart Joh. 7.38 but that I spake of before The Graces of the Spirit are the Brides Jewels and Ornaments are the things which the Bridegroom delights in Isa. 61.10 I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord my Soul shall be joyful in my God For he hath cloathed me with the Garments of Salvation he hath covered me with the Robes of his Righteousness As a Bridegroom decketh himself with Garments and as a Bride adorneth herself with Jewels c. The more these things are in us and abound in us the more lovely in Christs eyes 3. Something as to the course of our Conversation 'T is not enough to have Oyl in the Vessel but the Lamp must be kept burning our Graces in actual and continual exercise and we must alwayes make it our study to please the Lord. This is part of our Preparation For men are judged according to their works therefore what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and Godliness 2 Pet. 3.10 The life of Grace is seen in the fruits of it for that end was it given us not to lie idle in the Heart but to discover its influence and efficacy in every part of our Conversation 2 Pet. 1.8
a Kingdom that cannot be shaken of which none can dispossess us our Sufferings may be many long and grievous but then all will be at an end when Christ shall place us at his right hand Heb. 6.19 Which Hope have we as an Anchor of the Soul both sure and steadfast and which entereth into that within the veil We have a sure Anchor in the stormy gusts of Temptations 1 Thes. 5.8 Let us put on the Breast-plate of Faith and Love and for an Helmet the hope of Salvation and Eph. 6.17 And take the Helmet of Salvation Hope is our Helmet in the dreadful day of Battel As long as we can lift up our heads and look to Heaven we should patiently bear all Calamities We shall at last hear this Blessed Voice Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World SERMON XXII MATTH XXV v. 35 36. For I was an Hungred and ye gave me Meat I was Thirsty and ye gave me Drink I was a Stranger and ye took me in Naked and ye Cloathed me I was Sick and ye visited me I was in Prison and ye came unto me WE have seen the Sentence now the Reason of the Sentence For The Illative Particle sheweth that many like the Sentence would be glad to be entertained with a Come ye blessed of my Father But turn back upon the Reason to Visit Feed and Cloath they have no mind or to any other serious Duties and Acts of Faith and Self-denyal but we must regard both and I hope in a business of such moment you will not be skittish and impatient of the word of Exhortation I shall first Vindicate the words and then give you some Observations from them First Vindicate them and assert their proper sense and intendment for upon the Reading four Doubts may arise in your minds 1. That good Works are the reason of this Sentence 2. That the good Works of the Faithful are only mentioned and not the evil they have committed 3. That only works of Mercy or the fruits of Love are specified 4. All cannot express their Love and Self-denyal this way Let me clear these things and our way will be the more easie and smooth afterward I. For the first Doubt That works are assigned as the reason of the Sentence of Absolution For the Papists thence inferr their Merit and causal influence upon Eternal Life I Answer 1. 'T is one thing to give a Reason of the Sentence another to express the Cause of the Benefit received and adjudged to us by that Sentence A Charter may be given to a sort of People out of meer grace and Priviledges promised to all such as are under such a qualification though that qualification no way mâ—riteth those Priviledges and that Grace promised As if a King should offer Pardon and Preferment to Rebels that lay down their Arms and return to their Duty and Allegiance and live in such bounds their returning to their Duty doth not merit this Pardon for it was a meer act of Grace in the Prince much less doth their return to their Duty and living peaceably within their ancient bounds merit the Honours and Advancement promised yet this is pleadable in Court and the Judge that taketh knowledge of the Cause taketh the Reason of his Sentence from their peaceable Living within their bounds whereby he Judgeth them capable of the Honours promised and expected So here God of his meer Grace promiseth the Pardon of our Sins and to bestow upon us Eternal life if we Believe and Repent and return to the Duty we owed him by our Creation Our Obedience is not the Cause of our Pardon or of our right to Glory but his free Promise but yet this qualification must be taken notice of by our Judge in the great day as the Reason of his Sentence The sprinkling of the Door-posts with Blood was not a proper cause to move the destroying Angel to pass over but according to that Rule he must proceed the admitting all that have a Ticket to any Solemnity is not the Cause why they are worthy to be received This is clear that a Person is justified in some other way than a Sentence is justified These works are produced to justifie the Righteousness of his Sentence before the whole World A Sinner is justified by Faith Christ's Sentence by the Believers Obedience 2. That Works merit not the Blessings promised and adjudged to us is evident For they are due Luke 17.10 So likewise ye when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you say We are unprofitable Servants ne have done that which was our Duty to doe And they are imperfect Phil. 3.12 Not as though I had already attained or were already perfect And they are Gifts of God for which we ought to give him thanks 2 Cor. 8.1 A Grace of God bestowed on us and Gifts have no Equality with the Reward Rom. 8.18 And they are done by Servants redeemed by an Infinite Price 1 Pet. 1.19 With the Precious Blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot being already appointed Heirs of Eternal Life Rom. 8.17 Deserving eternal Death Rom. 6.17 and that need continually implore the Mercy of God for the Pardon of Sin So much as you ascribe to mans Merit so much you detract from the Grace of God And the more sin is acknowledged the more Illustrious is Grace Rom. 5.20 Where sin abounded Grace did much more abound You cross the Counsel of God all glorying in himself 1 Cor. 1.29 That no flesh should glory in his presence And Deut. 9.4 5 6. Speak not thou in thy Heart after that the Lord thy God hath cast them out from before thee saying For my Righteousness the Lord hath brought me in to possess this Land but for the wickedness of these Nations the Lord doth drive them out from before thee Not for thy Righteousness or for the uprightness of thine heart dost thou go to possess their Land But for the wickedness of these Nations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee and that he may perform the word which the Lord sware unto thy Fathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob. Vnderstand therefore that the Lord thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy Righteousness for thou art a stiff-necked People 3. That Works are produced as the undoubted Evidences and Fruits of a true and sound Faith Justification is opposed to Accusation before Gods Tribunal A double Accusation may be brought against us That we are Sinners or guilty of the breach of the first Covenant And that we are no sound Believers having not fulfilled the Conditions of the Second From the first Accusation we are justified by Faith From the latter we are justified by Works and that not only in this World but in the day of Judgment Christs Commission and Charge is to give Eternal Life to true Believers and the Mark of true
them that are troubled rest c. This with respect to Christ's Merit and the Qualification of the Parties 3. The Third Righteousness is in Performance of his Promises For though his Promise be free yet if it be once made Justice doth require it and God is not free but bound to perform it Now in these two latter Respects are they capable 3. They are Signs and Tokens of their being approved and accepted with God according to the Gospel-Covenant Christ as God's Steward cometh to distribute the appointed Reward to the Heirs of Glory This is the Evidence he is to proceed by When the destroying Angel was sent to destroy the First-born of the Aegyptians he was to take notice of the Sign of Sprinkling of Blood on the Door-Posts Exod. 12. Not that that Blood deserved but it signified that there dwelt Israelites 4. They are Measures according to the Degrees of Grace and our abounding in the Work of the Lord 2 Cor. 9.6 He that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly and he that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully The Reward is more full or sparing according to what we have done or suffered for God VSE To set us right in the Doctrine of Grace and Works we have to do with three Parties 1. The Pharisaical Legalist 2. The Carnal-Gospeller and 3. The Broken-hearted and serious Christian. 1. The Legalist that trusts in himself that he is Righteous and hopeth to be accepted with God for his Works sake Trusting in Works is very natural and very dangerous 'T is very Natural because of the Law written upon our Hearts We all come into the World with a sense of a Duty-Covenant and because every one would be sufficient to his own Happiness an unhumbled Soul is apt to give more to Duty and Personal Righteousness than to Christ Rom. 10.3 For they being ignorant of God's Righteousness and going about to establish their own Righteousness have not submitted themselves unto the Righteousness of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A russet ragged Coat of his own pleaseth a Proud Man better than a silken Coat that is borrowed 'T is dangerous for 't is contrary to all the Declarations of God Eph. 2.9 By Grace ye are saved not of Works lest any man should boast The whole Progress of Salvation from its first Step in Regeneration till its final and last Period in Glorification doth intirely flow from God's Grace and not from our Works The securing the Interest of free Grace in our Salvation is a thing the Spirit of God is very careful of in the Scriptures the Glory of Grace being that which God mainly aimeth at Eph. 1.6 and a thing which we do naturally incline to intrench upon and to rob him of in whole or in part It crosseth the great End which God aimed at in contriving of Man's Salvation which was that all ground of glorying should be taken away from Man as being in the meanest or least respect a Saviour to himself and that all the Glory might be ascribed compleatly to God in Christ 1 Cor. 1.29 30 31. Christ spake a Parable against those that trusted in themselves that they were righteous Luk. 18.9 Two men went up into the Temple to pray the one a Pharisee the other a Publican The one cometh Appealing to Justice The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself God I thank thee that I am not as other men are Extortioners Vnjust c. I fast twice in the Week I give Tythes of all that I possess The other cometh crying out Grace The Publican standing a far off â—ould not lift up so much as his eyes unto Heaven but smote upon his Breast saying God be merciful to me a Sinner The Sinner is justified not the Worker In short to prevent all Mistakes First Our Works whatever they are either Works of Love to God or Man and the good use of External Means or Common Grace are not the moving Cause or Inducement to incline God to give us Christ or the Grace of Faith or Work of Conversion before others but this is the meer work of Grace or the Mercy and good Pleasure of God Tit. 3.5 6. Not by works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour Secondly Works both before and after Conversion are not that Righteousness nor any part of that Righteousness by which Sin is expiated or the Wrath of God appeased or whereby we are reconciled to God and do originally obtain a Right to Eternal Life This is only ascribed to the Merit of Christ Rom. 3.24 25. Being justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through faith in his Blood to declare his Righteousness for the Remission of Sins that are past through the forbearance of God The Merit is in Christ's Blood Christ's Obedience his Ransom and meritorious Price 3. Our Works or what we do to fulfill the Law of God are not that Instrument by vertue of which we apply the Merits of Christ to our selves or receive that Righteousness by vertue of which we are reconciled to God Our Interest in the Merits of Christ our Right to Pardon of Sin and Grace doth not arise from Works but meerly Faith Rom. 3.22 So that in the Plea of Justification or our Suit for the Pardon of Sin we must renounce all our good Works and wholly rely on the Merits of Christ giving up our selves to do the Will of God ' Bate this and then Works indeed come in as the fruits of Faith as Evidences of Eternal Life and the way to Glory 2. The Carnal-Gospeller is the other person we have to do with And to him we say 1. That no man can maintain his Comfort and faithfully relye upon Christs Merits but he that is faithful in doing his Fathers will No other Faith is allowed by the Scriptures for sound in the Judgment of our Consciences but such a Faith Gal. 5.6 For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Vncircumcision but Faith which worketh by love No other Faith will be approved by Christ for sound at the last day Mat. 7.21 Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven 2. That the doing of some good Works cannot excuse men for the Omission of others which be as necessary we must not do one act of Charity only but all Many acts are reckoned up of one kind to imply all the rest not only fed but cloathed not only cloathed but visited Therefore besides the goodness of the work which we are bound to do there must be an Uniformity in them There are good Works of divers kinds many Works of the same kind To Prophesie in Christ's Name is a good
Isa. 58.5 They afflict the soul for a day or bow down the head like a bulrush and so in the external actions of other Duties That this deceit may be more strong they exceed in outward Observances and that produceth Superstition or some by-Laws of our own by which we hope to expiate our sins as to whip and gash our selves Micah 6.6 7. Wherewithal shall I come before the Lord and â—ow my self before the high God shall I come before him with burnt-offerings with calves of a year old Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams or with ten thousands of rivers of oyl shall I give my first-born for my transgression the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul On the other side if mens Tempers Education and strain of Religion carry them to another way and they are all for the Grace of the Gospel without the Rudiments of men the Devil knows how to charm and lull Souls asleep in sin by that way of Profession also and so many take liberty to sin under the pretence that God may have more occasion to exercise his mercy and our proneness to please the flesh is countenanced by presumptions of Grace and the supposition of unreasonable Indulgences of God to the faulty Creature Psal. 50.21 These things hast thou done and I kept silence thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thy self God will not be so severe as is commonly imagined and so lessening Gods Holiness they abate their Reverence of him Psal. 68.19 20 21. Blessed be the Lord who daily loadeth us with benefits even the God of our salvation Selah He that is our God is the God of salvation and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death But God shall wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses He seeketh to obviate their conceit how great soever the riches of his Bounty and Grace offered in Christ be yet he is irreconcileable to those that cease not to follow a course of sin 3. This conceit is strengthened in us because many that profess Christianity live licentiously All sins propagate their kind and among others abuse of Grace we see others have great hopes and confidence in Christ notwithstanding their carnal and worldly course of living and self-love prompteth us that we may hope to fare as well as they and so we leaven one another with a dead loose carnal sort of Christianity instead of provoking each other to love and good works Heb. 10.24 Self-love is very partial and loth to think evil of our condition now this cannot be justified by the Laws of Christianity yet it is often justified by the lives of Christians after this Rule they live in the World and we think we may do as others do 4. There is another cause that is Satan who abuseth the weakness of some Teachers and the ignorance of some Hearers to misapply the Grace of the Gospel and the comforts of Justification to countenance their sins The Devil knoweth we will not receive his Doctrine in his own Name and therefore doth what he can to usurp the Name of Christ and to obtrude his Commands upon us in the Name of Christ and so conveyeth poison to you by the Perfume of the Gospel and if he can set Christ against Christ his Merits and Mercy against his Government and Spirit his Promises against his Laws Justification against Sanctification he knoweth that he obtaineth his end and purpose that the Gospel which was set up to destroy the works of the Devil will be a means to cherish his Kingdom in the World And on the Hearers part he abuseth them also carnal hearts turn all into fuel for their lusts and with the more pretence if they can alledge a Dispensation from God himself to serve and please the flesh and no harm shall come of it A little trusting in Christ shall serve the turn though they live never so impure lives I ascribe all this to Satan because all Errour is from him who is the Father of Lyes who often obtrudeth upon the simple credulity of Christians his own Gospel instead of Christ's and by a partial representation of Christs Gospel destroyeth the whole II. I come now to make good the Charge First That this inference is very unjust and ill grounded The Pretence here are those words of the Apostle in the two last verses of the former Chapter Moreover the Law entred that the offence might abound but where sin abounded grace did much more abound That as sin hath reigned unto death even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. These words yield no such consequence To evince which 1. I shall state the meaning of those words 2. Show the unjustness of this illation from them 1. For the meaning the Apostle sheweth the Law was given to the Israelites by Moses not that they might be justified thereby but that sin and punishment to which we are liable by reason of sin might the better be known and so the Grace of God in Christ which justifieth us notwithstanding the grievousness of sin might be the more esteemed and we might the more earnestly fly to it for Sanctuary and Refuge and the Curse might drive us to the Promise For there are two things which the Law discovereth 1. The multitude and hainous nature of our offences it entred that sin might abound not in our practice but in our sense and feeling as being more apparent and awakening more lively stings in our Consciences If a rugged and obstinate People sin the more that is not the fault of the Law but of our corrupt Nature which always tendeth to that which is forbidden it only took occasion from the commandment Rom. 7.8 The proper effect of the Law was to give us more convincing and clear knowledge of Duty and Sin or to be a means to aggravate sin to render it more exceedingly hainous as being against an express Law of Gods own giving with great Majesty and Terrour 2. The other use of the Law is to give us an awakening sense of the punishment due to sin as it exposes us to temporal and eternal death vers 21. and so our deliverance and life by Christ might be more thankfully accepted who by his Mercy hath taken away the condemning and reigning power of sin by granting pardon of it and power over it so that as a great and mortal disease maketh a Physician famous if he cureth it so sin maketh the Grace of Christ more conspicuous and glorious 2. The injustice of the Illation 1. There is a difference between causa per se and causa per accidens a Cause and an Occasion though the abounding of sin helpeth to advance Grace it is not of it self but by accident by Gods over-ruling Grace therefore it is a desperate Adventure to try Conlusions to drink rank Poison to experiment the goodness of an
life and we are not lords of our own lives but guardians to keep them for God and he will in time deliver the soul into a state of light life and glory This waiting patience is delivered to us under the similitude of an husbandman Jam. 5.7 Who waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth and hath long patience for it till he receive the early and latter rain The husbandman cannot look for a present harvest but the seed that is cast into the ground must endure all weathers before it can spring up into a blade and ear so must we expect our season 3. The working patience which is going on with our self-denying obedience how tedious soever it be to the flesh Thus we are told that the good ground bringeth forth fruit with patience Luke 8.15 The others are hasty must have present satisfaction or else grow weary of Religion all evils from impatiency they could not tarry till God gave crowns and pleasures therefore they miscarried by their inclinations to vain delights so the heirs of promise are described to be those that continue with patience in well doing Rom. 2.7 And to the Church of Ephesus God saith Revel 2.2 I know thy works and thy labour and thy patience The business of Religion is carried on with great diligence and painfulness 't is not an idle and sluggish profession lusts are not easily mortified neither do graces produce their perfect work with a little perfunctory care no! but much labour is required Now to abound in the work of the Lord requireth a fervent hope to sweeten it 2. The qualification of that hope which produceth this patience 't is well grounded and 't is lively First 'T is a serious and well grounded hope when we first gave up our selves to Christ we reckoned and allowed for labours and troubles the Lord telleth us afore-hand Matth. 7.14 Strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life and few there be that find it The entrance and the progress is displeasing to the flesh or the carnal nature in us so Matth. 16.24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples If any man will come after me let him deny himself and follow me and Luke 14. If we will make war with the old serpent build for Heaven your hope is groundless if you hope for eternal life and are unwilling to undertake any difficulty for Christs sake you must reckon upon displeasing the flesh offending the world if you would enter into life 2. 'T is lively 't is not the cold and superficial but the earnest and effectual hope the desires of a lively hope are vehement we long for enjoyment and would fain attain the end but they are also submissive and we will quietly wait Gods leisure as Paul had a desire to depart yet was willing to abide in the flesh if he might do God any service Phil. 1.23 24. Tho the way be long the difficulties great and many yet we must be content to be without our reward till our work is finished and without our crown till our warfare is ended and suffer evil things and not forsake good things which are the way also to obtain better as long as God will prolong life tho it be to endure more troubles we must submit 3. How this hope produceth patience with respect to the object and the subject First with respect to the Object this patience ariseth from the certainty and goodness of the things hoped for 't is a sure and great reward First the certainty 't is not a vain hope such as is built upon the promise of a deceitful man but the word of the ever-living God Job 13.15 Tho he slay me yet I will trust in him The holy obstinacy of hope cometh from the certainty of the promise 2. The greatness of the things promised they are rare and excellent worth the waiting for it promiseth rest for labour Rev. 14.13 Your troublesome work will not last long but be over in a little time and you shall have joy and delight for pain and sorrow and all the sad things of the present life 1 Pet. 4.13 But rejoice inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christs sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed ye may be glad with exceeding joy And glory for shame Heb. 12.2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising the shame Secondly The subject First it breedeth courage and fortitude and strengthneth our resolutions for God and Heaven the spirit of power is hope 2 Tim. 1.7 2. It breedeth joy and comfort all the pleasures of the world doth not give that quiet content and rest to the soul which the hope of glory doth to a believer Matt. 5.12 Rejoice and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven 1. USE To perswade us to this patience of hope The things hoped for are to come at a great distance many things must be done many things suffered and we must make our way through the midst of dreadful enemies if we would attain our end 't is with us as with David he was promised a kingdom and at length he had it but in the mean time liable to many troubles remember David had his troubles So it is with you many are the troubles of the righteous but you must do nothing unworthy of our great hopes we expect great things therefore we should contemn low things and endure hard things all the pleasures of the world are mean and low and the hardships carry no comparison or proportion with our hopes what great evils will men endure to obtain worldly gain rise early go to bed late eat the bread of sorrows run from one end of the world to the other Our hope is not found unless it breedeth this patient waiting if we have a true hope we not only ought in point of duty but shall 't is the property of hope so to do to submit with patience to all things which God sendeth in the mean time and comfort our selves with the glory that shall ensue SERMON XXXIV ROM VII 26 Likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered IN the Context you have several arguments to perswade to patience under affliction those two that are of chief Consideration are the hope of glory to come and the help of the spirit for the present this latter is in the Text. In this Verse 1. The help of the spirit is generally asserted 2. The reason evidencing the necessity of that help 2. The particular assistance Where we have 1. The Author 2. The manner of the spirits assistance 1. The help of the spirit is generally asserted Likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities By infirmities he meaneth afflictions and the perturbations occasioned thereby as fretting or fainting or more generally
with the Spirit of Christ assisting but not reforming as an Angel sometimes appears in an assumed Body But 't is dangerous to rest in this it maketh our sin and Judgement the greater if after a taste we rest in a common work Historical Faith if not growing into a saving sound Faith 't is a kind of mocking of God and an Hypocrites portion As for instance We profess to believe him Omniscient yet fear not to sin in his presence Omnipotent yet cannot depend upon his Alsufficiency to believe a day of Judgement yet make no preparation for our Account Tit. 1.16 Mens sins and Judgements are aggravated according to the sense they have had of Religion and so their latter end may be worse than their beginning 2 Pet. 2.20 And sad it will be for those that from hopefull beginnings fall off from God I will tell you a man may live and die with a temporary Faith and Affections to God and Holiness without making any visible Apostasie and yet have no sound Faith of the right Constitution Yea if you regard what little rooting Grace hath in mens hearts how weak their Pulse beateth this way how strong their Affections are to the World and the things thereof how little they can vanquish the cares and fears of this world and the temptations that arise from voluptuous living 't is to be feared the far greatest part of Christians are but Temporaries 3. Oh then be sure to get this truth of Grace into your Hearts let your Hearts be effectually subdued to God let there be a Principle of Life set up in them Religion respects our Principles as well as our Performances 2 Tim. 1.5 The end of the Commandment is Charity out of a pure Heart and a good Conscience and Faith unfeigned There must be a renewed Heart as the fountain a well informed Conscience as our guide and Faith unfeigned as our great encouragement And so all acts of Charity to God and men are accepted with God as a piece of Obedience done to him If we will not regard the Manner God will not regard the Matter Oh then get this renewed Heart and a lively Faith and an awakened Conscience This is to get Oyl into your Vessels and if once you get this it will never fail but increase exceedingly like the Sareptan's Oyl But how shall we get it I answer 1. You have this Oyl from Christ. The Unction is from the Holy One 2 Joh. 2.20 As the Precious Oyl was first poured on Aaron's Head and then came down to the Skirts of his Garment so Christ is first possessed of the Spirit and then we have it by our Union with him Joh. 1 16. Of his fulness we receive Grace for Grace We must go to the Fountain every day to seek new supplies Christ was anointed with the Oyl of gladness above his fellows Zech 4. Christ is represented by the Bowl and the two Olive Trees that alwayes poured forth Golden Oyl Christ as Mediator is the Store-house of the Church who is intrusted with all Gifts and Graces for our benefit Oh bring your empty Vessels to this golden Olive-tree The Widdow only brought Casks the Oyl failed not till the Vessels failed 2. If you would have it from Christ you must use the Means of Grace the Word Prayer Sacraments Meditation We need continual supplies must use continual Prayers seek the Grace of the Spirit to keep in our Lamps Luk. 11.13 So the Word God droppeth in something to the Soul that waiteth on him Mark 4.24 Take heed how you hear for with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you again If we be earnest and diligent in waiting upon God God will abound to us in blessing his Word to us So for Meditation Mat. 13.19 The High-way Ground did not bring the Word to their minds again doth not revolve it mindeth it not heedeth it not So for the Lords Supper 't is a means to root us in the Love of God when we so often renew our Oath of Allegiance to him to excite our Faith in Christ. All these are a price put into our hands to get Oyl in our Lamps and prepare for his Coming 3. Keep your Vessels clean The Spirit dwelleth not but in a clean Heart Doves build not their Habitations on Dung-hills He cometh as an efficient Cause as a Spirit assisting before he comes as a Spirit inhabiting and purifieth our Hearts by Faith 4. After you have gotten this Oyl cherish it that it may not decay Of its own nature it would do so witness that stock of Original Righteousness which Adam had Gods Promise by which it is secured supposeth our endeavours to waste it Luk. 8.18 Whosoever hath to him shall be given but whosoever hath not from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have 5. Do not only cherish and keep it from decay but see that you encrease it 2 Pet. 1.5 Add to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge 1 Thes. 3.10 Perfect what is lacking 1 Thes. 4.1 That as you have received of us how you ought to walk and please God so you should abound therein A little Faith will be as no Faith not honourable to God nor comfortable to you nor useful to others All our doubts perplexities uncertainties come from the smallness of our Graces 'T will not make an Evidence therefore give diligence No endeavour labour pursuit after God but hath its recompense not an earnest thought an earnest Prayer or time spent What shall I say They whose Hearts are upon the wayes thereof go on from strength to strength You are almost at home nearer than when you first believed Then you thought all your pains too much now all too little Let me apply all to the Sacrament 1. There we come to meet the Bridegroom in a way of Grace The Marriage Covenant between God Incarnate and his espoused Ones is here celebrated and solemnized The Sacrament is a Transfiguration of the last Marriage Supper to ascertain us what entertainment we shall have at the Day of Judgment when the Bride the Lamb's Wife shall be made ready and cloathed with fine Linnen Rev. 19.23 and then be received in to the Nuptial Feast Blessed are they that are called to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. All is now prepared in this Duty 2. In some respect there should be a Serious Preparation for the one as for the other as we would prepare to dye or prepare to meet Christ the Judge Christ did not wash his Disciples feet when he took them with him to Tabor to his Transfiguration but when he took them with him at his last Supper Joh. 13.7 Surely to rush upon the presence of the Bridegroom with a perfunctory careless common frame of spirit is a dangerous thing When a People come hand over head prepare themselves slightly pray slightly before they come and live carelesly and negligently they slight the Bridegroom and wrong themselves strengthen themselves in sin rather than
If these things be in you and abound they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ That will make a Christian busie and active in Gods Service Well then by this you know who are prepared and who unprepared 2. There is an Actual Preparation which is like the trimming the Lamps when they heard the Cry and that noteth our actual fitting our selves for Death and Judgment Besides our general habitual Preparation there needeth actual Preparation When Pharaoh sent for Joseph he washed himself 'T is no slight thing to appear before Christ. Our general work should often be reviewed that we may get Promises ready Evidences ready Experiences ready that we may have nothing to do but to wait the good hour and give welcome to the Lord Jesus Christ as old Simeon Luk. 2.29 Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy Salvation You should be so settled in Conscience weaned in Heart purified in Spirit that you do with comfort wait for the Salvation of God and not only wait for it but long for it love his appearing especially after a long Profession of the Name of Christ so it should be Now this actual Preparation should be made either 1. Daily and when you are in the greatest health and strength We should think of our great change Job 14.14 for Death doth not alwayes give warning and to be provided doth no hurt It enliveneth our General Preparation and maketh us the more serious 'T is like poysing our confidence and weighing the strength and temper of it to see if it can encounter the thoughts of Death and Judgment to come A run-away cowardly Faith that cannot endure the serious thoughts and supposition of these things will do us no good Presumption is a Coward Besides it riddeth off the present work with more success when we live every day as if it were our last and do all things as if presently to give an account to Christ of the doing of them Once more to familiarize the thoughts of Christs coming to us it allayeth so much of the dread and terrour of it as belongeth to bondage and keepeth up so much as belongs to Reverence and serious and awful walking with God 2. When God summons us by his Providence to make up our Account Luk. 16.2 Give an account of thy Stewardship for thou mayest be no longer Steward Many are about to go into the other World but they do not think of making ready for it The Wrath of God is even at the door and they are stupid and careless Surely such a frame of Heart should be far from the Children of God They have a tender Conscience and a deep sense of the World to come therefore in probality when they have but a short time wherein to prepare their preparation should be the more serious So when we are to partake of the Lords Supper a man would go aside and renew his Evidences for Heaven and awaken his spiritual desire So for hearing the Word a man would compose his Heart to receive the Word with Meekness And should we not set our Hearts in frame when we are to meet with Christ not only in the Ordinances but in Person Secondly Why those only that are Ready and Prepared are to enter into the Nuptial Chamber 1. Those are only meet for heavenly Happiness 'T is most suitable to them as having that life begun in their Hearts which shall be perfected there Col. 1.12 What should poor sensual sinful Creatures do with Heaven Heaven is prepared for us and we for Heaven Rom. 6.23 When we are put into an Heavenly frame and temper Heaven Gates stand open for us 'T is the wisdom of God to put all things in their proper place heavy and light Bodies in their proper places So here the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 5.5 He that wrought us for this very thing is God Excellent Vessels are not thrown about the House but put into a place suitable The purging and purifying of our Souls is a kind of spiritualizing of our Bodies And so we are fitted both in Body and Soul 2. These only have a lively sense of the Coming of the Lord. Temporaries are a sort of Hypocrites their work is real though but a common work not because they purposely and intendedly dissemble but because they have not answerable impressions to the things which they profess to believe and their Affections and Preparations are not answerable to what they know and so 't is a kind of mocking of God They profess and believe God Omniscient yet fear not to sin in his presence to believe Eternity yet Temporal things have the greatest power and influence upon them They look for the coming of Christ in great Majesty and Glory but do not make suitable Provision If we had high thoughts of Christ and a great respect to him we would prepare accordingly But surely we have lessening thoughts of Christ and his glorious Coming if we do not make ready for him how high soever our notions be about it VSE Are we ready I must direct the edge of this Use to four sorts of People 1. Some care not whether they be ready or no They do but dally with Eternity and things of Religion Their Hearts are not moved with joy or grief or hope or fear at the Remembrance of this day Surely they have no Faith at least not a lively but dead Faith and therefore are so dead-hearted and besides they care for none of these things they mind Earthly things If they can live comfortably here be well at ease here they never take care to live eternally Now to these I shall only say Live in no state or frame of Heart but what you would die in Alas in your serious moods you cannot but say I would not die for all the World But what if God should arrest thee before thou thinkest of it What would become of thee On the other side consider when our work is done and our Ornaments put on then it will be pleasant to us to think of the coming of Christ. Now Lord lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy Salvation Luk. 2.29 2. Some think themselves ready when they are not Rev. 3.17 Thou thoughtest thou wast rich and encreased with goods and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked I trust in Gods mercy and hope I shall go to Christ 'T is easie to say this but do you know what 't is to meet with Christ what honour he expecteth from you at the last day and how little a naked trust and a dead and empty Faith will do to your acceptance with him I confess we have all from Christ and all the honour we can do him results from his own Grace But yet 't is said Rev. 19.5 The Bride hath made her self ready There is work required of us and such as
the Understanding soundness of Judgment or solid Wisdom all these were given you of God and he expects an Improvement of these for his Glory that every man should be what he is for his Creatour 'T was a good saying of Epictetus in Arrian Si essem Lucinia c. If I were a Nightingale I would sing as a Nightingale Si essem Alauda c. If I were a Lark I would piere as a Lark but now I am a Man I will glorifie God as a Man But alas how often do men of the best endowments miscarry Isa. 47.10 For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness thou hast said None seeth me Thy wisdome and thy knowledge it hath perverted thee and thou hast said in thine Heart I am and none besides me Sathan made use of the Serpent who was the subtilest of Beasts of the Field Gen. 3.1 The Devil loveth to go to work with the sharpest Tools God hath given great Abilities to some above others to enable them for his Service Now the Devil to despight God the more turneth his own Weapons against himself But it should not be so We should remember that we have nothing but what we have received and who maketh us to differ 1 Cor. 4.7 So of the Body as Health and Strength Surely these Bona Corporis are Talents God fitteth every man for the work wherein he will be honoured by him Gal. 1.15 Separated from his Mothers Womb with a Body fit to endure travel and hardship Strength 't is not to be wasted in sin and vanity but employed for God It is better it should be worn out with labours than eaten out with rust Secondly Outward Interests such as Wealth Honour and Power these are comfortable to the Animal life and lay an Obligation upon us and also they give us many advantages of doing good which should alwayes be taken hold of and used by us as the greater Veins abound with blood to supply the less Prov. 3.9 Honour the Lord with thy substance and the first-fruits of all thy increase Though many never forget God more than when he hath blessed them it is their duty to make some improvement of this Talent also Eccl. 7.11 Wisdom with an Inheritance is good 'T is good of it self alone but 't is better more useful and beneficial to our selves and others when God giveth us with the blessings of this life Wisdome Wealth is an excellent instrument whereby a man is enabled to do much good and is an help to Piety and Charity Poor men are not heeded and regarded So Honour and great Place is an opportunity whereby Grace may put forth it self with greater advantage Neh. 1.11 The Lord shew me favour in the sight of this man For I was the Kings Cup-bearer He mentions his Relation as having made an advantage of it Thirdly The Providences we are exercised withall whether Mercies or Afflictions we are to give an account of them Mercies and Comforts vouchsafed to us by God 'T is a naughty heart that would enjoy any thing apart from God and looketh to his own personal contentment more than Gods Glory Joel 2.14 In a great famine they desire plenty that there may be a Meat-offering and a Drink-offering for the Lord. So for Afflictions God expecteth some improvement of them There is mercy in it that God will put us under his Discipline Job 7.18 What is man that thou shouldest visit him every morning and try him every moment and we must account for our afflictions Amos 4.2 3. God reckoneth up our Chastisements Fourthly Ordinances and instituted helps they come under a fourfold Notion Duties Priviledges Means Talents As Duties injoyned so they are part of our homage due to God 'T is not a matter arbitrary there is a tie upon our Consciences to keep us to the due observance of them As Priviledges Hos. 8.12 I have written to them the great things of my Law This keepeth us from weariness that we may not consider them as a burthensome task They are a great Priviledge dearly bought 'T is by the blood of Jesus that we draw near to God As Means for our growth and improvement that notion is necessary that we may not rest in the work wrought but look after the Grace dispensed thereby There is much difference in doing things as a Task and using them as a Means Means are for some end As Talents for which we must give an account which will quicken us to more earnest diligence in the improvement of them Some do not look upon them as Duties and so neglect them others not as Priviledges and so are not so chearful in the use of them others not as Means and so rest in the work wrought others not as Talents and so are indifferent whether they get good by them yea or no. Secondly What is it to trade with them It implyeth 1. A Conscionable use of all our Gifts 2. A Diligent Improvement of them to the ends for which they were intended 1. That we should use them well and holily our Graces well our Parts well our Estates well Our Gifts and Graces are not for Pride and Ostentation Open my lips that my mouth may shew forth thy praise not my own saith holy David The Service of Hell must not be maintained with the Contributions of Heaven neither must we seek Gods approbation to the setting up of our own glory Phil. 1.15 Some preached the Gospel out of strife and envy Unmortified Corruption will make a mans most excellent Gifts subservient to his basest Lusts though exercised in the choicest Duties of Prayer and Preaching Applause Vain-glory and such like carnal motions and ends may set some men on work and make them prostitute the service of Christ to their own Lusts. This is not to trade as Factours for God but to set up for our selves So for Estate to spend it in pomp and vanity 't is sowing to the flesh Gal. 6.8 To spend our Wit Time and Strength upon the service of our fleshly Lusts or to make our Body a Strainer for meat and drink or a Chanel for Lust to run thorough to be all for present profit pleasure and Preferment this is instead of trading with Talents to use them to Gods dishonour 2. That we should be laborious according to our Gifts and opportunities As a Servant is sent abroad to spy all advantages of gain for his Master so we are sent into the World to take all occasions of doing good 1 Cor. 15.58 Alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord. Ministers are to watch for Souls and Magistrates are to watch for good and private Christians to be careful to maintain good Works To do a little good by the bye will not be accepted we must be hard at work for God Thirdly To whom the Gain and Increase redoundeth In a Moral consideration there are three Beings God Neighbour and Self Accordingly we are appointed to work for three Ends the Glory of God the Salvation of our own Souls
Account that nothing is lost Rev. 20.12 The Books were produced the Book of Conscience and the Book of Gods Remembrance one of these is in the Sinners keeping and yet it cannot be blotted out nor defaced but at the day of Judgment Conscience shall be extended to the Recognition of all our Wayes Now these Books of Account that are kept between God and the Creature are somewhat like the Books of Merchants of Debtor and Creditor what returned and what received Gods Mercies to us are Booked so are our Returns That Gods Mercies are put upon the Book and Register appeareth by the Expostulations used in Scripture when God proceedeth to any particular Judgment As for instance Opportunities of Grace and instructions of the Word the Word Preached 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 24.14 And the Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the World for a Witness unto all Nations and then shall the End come God keepeth exact Account Behold these three years came I seeking Fruit Luke 13.7 This second Epistle write I unto you 2 Pet. 3.1 He taketh notice of a former God remembreth the Prophets words when the Prophets are dead and gone Every pressing Sermon every Notable Help This second Miracle did Jesus 〈◊〉 Cana of Galilee Joh. 4.54 Christs special Works and Manifestations of himself ought to be marked and kept in memory God doth so for Deliverances from Danger Isa. 11.11 The Lord shall arise the second time for the Deliverance of his People He taketh notice that he has been once at it and would be again So what Talents and Gifts we have had whether five two or one Secondly On the other side all the good that we do therefore the Apostle speaketh of Fruit abounding to his Account Phil. 4.17 The Lord taketh notice of our Faithfulness in evil times Mal. 3.15 16. And now we call the Proud happy yea they that work Wickedness are set up yea they that tempt God are even dilivered Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and a Book of Remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and thought upon his Name 1 Kings 19.18 Acts 17. ult Kindness to his Servants Mat. 10.42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a Cup of cold Water only in the Name of a Disciple he shall not lose his Reward Eccles. 11.1 Cast thy bread upon the Waters and thou shalt find it after many days 't is not lost On the other side Injuries done to his People he hath a bottle for their Tears and a Book for their Sorrows Psal. 56.8 All the Snares contrived Deut. 32.34 Is not this laid up in store with me and sealed up among my Treasures Job 13.27 Thou lookest narrowly to all my Paths thou settest a Print upon the Heels of my Feet Every Action leaveth a Track every Word Mat. 12.36 every Thought 1 Cor. 4.5 VSE Is our Account ready against that great day of Audit Most neglect it put off the thoughts of it Take occasion hence to reckon with your selves aforehand and see what an Account you can give to Conscience we should prepare more for this Solemn day of Reckoning and therefore should take notice of what we do and what we receive we had need keep a Register of every days Work and every days Mercies There are three Questions in Scripture often put them to your Hearts Deut. 32.6 Do ye thus requite the Lord O foolish People and unwise is not he thy Father that hath bought thee hath he not made thee and established thee Heb. 2.3 How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation Isa. 5.4 What could I have done more for my Vineyard that I have not done in it Wherefore when I looked for Grapes behold it brought forth wild Grapes The Profit of daily arraigning Conscience is great 1. It keepeth us sensible of our Duty maketh us often have recourse to Grace when we continually observe our Sins Duties Afflictions Mercies Comforts Opportunities of receiving Grace and do but intermingle this thought that one day for all these I must give an Account 2. It presseth us to be more earnest for pardoning Mercy and every day to make even This is the great Folly of men that they put off Sin when God doth not put it away There is an Expression often used in Scripture Their Iniquities shall find them out this Notion of Accounts will help us to understand it 'T was committed many years ago never heard of it since but at length they shall hear of it God reckoneth with them If men escape and prosper a Month or a Year or two they think all is forgotten but at length it findeth them out Sins are called Debts and all Debts lie upon Account against us till they be cancelled Augustus bought his Quilt of one who slept securely when he Owed an hundred Thousand Sesterces We may wonder at the Security of Sinners who sleep when their Damnation sleepeth not They run upon the score and never think of a Reckoning Solomon adviseth a man in debt not to sleep till he be delivered like a Roe from the Hunter Prov. 6.4 5. 'T is good Advice to us to get our spiritual debts discharged Psal. 51.1 Blot out my Transgressions Christ hath taught us to pray for daily Pardon as well as daily Bread The thought of these Records that are kept and the Account we must make should quicken us to it Oh what a Clamour will our Sins make when God sets them all in Order before us Psal. 50.21 Thousands of vain Thoughts light Words and Sinful Actions much mispense of time Abuse of Mercies we know not how soon God will put the Bond in Suit other Debts have a day of Payment fixed but this God hath reserved in his own Breast when he will call us to an Account 3. It Presseth us to live always as those that are to give an Account Paul quickned himself to diligence upon this Consideration 2 Cor. 5.9 10. If we were never to be called to an Account we should do God all the Service that possibly we can we are so much Obliged to him but he hath set a day wherein he will reckon with us Oh what Watchfulness what Diligence and Faithfulness should this produce in us Jam. 2.12 So speak and so do as those that shall be judged by the Law of Liberty We read in the Story of Albigenses when the President of St. Juliers coming to Angrogne would have forced a man to Re-baptize his Child in the Popish way he prayed the President that he would give it in Writing and sign it with his own hand that he would discharge him before God and take the Peril upon himself This made him relent and Profess his Trouble Conscience is startled at Gods Records if a man should do nothing and speak nothing but what is to be registred and proclaimed at the Market-Cross how watchful would he be All is Recorded the Books will
Net or Toyl that roar and foam They will curse God that created and sentenced them to this Death his Power by which they are continually tormented his Wisdom by which he governeth the World his Goodness that to them is turned into Fury his Sons Death and Blood which hath profited so many and they have no Benefit by it Secondly Against the Saints They hated them and have an Envy at all the Felicity that betideth them in this World Psal. 37.12 The Wicked plotteth against the Just and gnasheth at him with his Teeth So Psal. 112.10 The Horn of the Righteous shall be exalted with Honour The Wicked shall see it and be grieved he shall gnash with his Teeth and melt away The Godly are their opposite Party then their Blessedness shall be so great that they shall envy their Happiness when they see the Godly in good Case and themselves miserable At the great Day the Wicked shall see the Believers Joy to the Increase of their own Sorrow Thirdly Against Themselves Their own Hearts shall reproach them Hos. 13.9 Thou hast destroyed thy self They shall rave and vex at their own past Folly past Neglects and past abuse of Grace and past refusal of that Happiness which others enjoy when they find their own Delights salted with the present Curse Little Comfort and Satisfaction shall they have when they remember they came thither to avoid the Tediousness of a few blessed Duties VSE Is to shame us that we make no more Preparation to escape this dreadful Estate or in the Language of the Holy Ghost that we do not Flee from Wrath to come No Motion can be earnest and speedy enough There are two things that are very great Wonders 1. That any Man should reject the Christian Faith so clearly promised in the Predictions of the Prophets before it was revealed and confirm'd with such a number of Miracles when it was first set a foot received among the Nations by so universal a Consent in the learned Part of the World notwithstanding the Meanness of the Instruments imployed in it and perpetuated to us throughout so many Successions of Ages who have had experience of the Truth of it And yet still we have cause to complain Isa. 53.1 Lord who hath believed our Report Some cannot out-see Time and look beyond the Grave 1 Pet. 1.9 He that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off And 2 Pet. 3.3 There shall come in the latter times Scoffers and Mockers walking after their own Lusts Many dare not question the Precepts of Christianity because of their usefulness to humane Society and reasonable Nature they doubt of the Recompences and yet have a secret fear of them and seek to smother it by their Incredulity and unbelief But alas 't will not do They scoff at others as simple and credulous none so credulous as the Atheist there is a thousand to one against him At least if it prove true in what a case are they 'T will do them no hurt to venture upon probabilities 'till further assurance What assurance would you have Luk. 16.30 31. You have Moses and the Prophets if you believe not them neither will you be perswaded if one came from the dead Will you give Laws to Heaven God is not bound to make a Sun for them to see that wilfully shut their eyes Yet that way what assurance would you have to prove this is no Phantasm Doth God need a Lye to perswade you to your Duty But 2. The greater Miracle is that any should embrace the Christian Faith and yet live sinfully and carelesly that they should believe as Christians and yet live as Atheists You cannot drive a dull Ass into the fire that is kindled before him Prov. 1.17 Surely in vain is the net spread in the sight of any Bird How can men believe eternal Torments and yet with so much boldness and easiness run into the sins that do deserve them Many times not compelled by any terrour nor asked or invited by any Temptation but of their own accord tempt themselves and seek out occasions of sinning On the other side can a man believe Heaven and do nothing for it if we know that it will not be lost labour there is all the reason we should not grudge at it 1 Cor. 15.58 Be stedfast and unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord for asmuch as ye know that your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord Now there are three Causes of this 1. Vnbelief 2. Inconsideration 3. Want of close Application 1. Want of a sound Belief Most mens Faith is but pretended as appeareth by the Effects 1. By our proneness to Sin If God did govern the world by Sense and not by Faith we should be other manner of persons than we are in all Holiness and Godliness of Conversation If we were sure and certain that for every Law we break or for every one whom we deceive and slander we should hold our hands in scalding Lead for half an hour how afraid would men be to commit any Offence Who would tast meat if he knew there were present Death in it yea that it would cost him bitter gripes and torments How cautious are men of their Diet that are prone to the Stone or Gout or Chollick where 't is but probable the things we take will do us any hurt We know certainly that The wages of sin is Death yet how little are we concerned at sin 2. By our backwardness to good Works Sins of Omission will damn as well as sins of Commission small as well as great It is not said Ye have robbed but Ye have not fed Ye have not cloathed not Ye have Blasphemed but Ye have not invoked the Name of God not done hurt but done no good And cast the unprofitable Servant c. 3. By our weakness in Temptations and Conflicts We cannot deny a carnal Pleasure yet we are told Rom. 8.13 If ye live after the flesh ye shall die Nor withstand a carnal Fear yet we are told Matth. 10.28 Fear not him that can kill the Body but fear him that can cast both Body and Soul into Hell But shrink at the least pains of Duty when we are told on the one hand 1 Cor. 15.58 That our labour shall not be in vain in the Lord On the other side Rev. 21.8 That the fearful and unbelieving shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone which is the second death On the other side that 't is the most irrational thing to go to Hell to save our selves the labour of Obedience The whole world promised for a reward cannot induce us to enter into a fiery Furnace for half an hour If one much desiring sleep which is Chrysostome's supposition should be told that if he once nodded he should endure ten years torment would he venture 4. By our carelesness in the matters of our Peace If we were in danger of Death every moment we
those that have only a washy weak Knowledg not a living Light and Knowledg that is rooted in their own Hearts they talk like Parrots like the Moon they are dark themselves though from others they shine to others like Vintners that keep Wine not for use but for sale The Cellar may be better stored but it is for others 2 Pet. 1.8 For if these things be in you and abound they make you that you shall be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledg of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a disparagement to know Christ and never be the better for him These are like the Noble-man of Samaria that saw the plenty of Samaria but could not taste of it Surely there are not greater Atheists in the World than Carnal Scholars that have a great deal of Light but no Grace It is sad to hear of such a Christ and feel nothing John 17.17 Sanctify them through thy Truth thy Word is Truth They who are able to understand the Word but to no purpose must needs doubt of the Truth of it Vse 2. To press Christians to grow in Knowledg that they may enter upon Eternal Life by degrees Hos. 6.3 Follow on to know the Lord. There is a growth in Knowledg as well as Grace it is not so sensible in the very increase and progress as that of Grace is because growth in Grace is always cum luctû with some strife but the Work upon the Understanding is more still and silent Draw away the Curtain and the Light cometh in and our Ignorance vanisheth silently and without such strife as goeth to the taming of Lusts and vile Affections yet afterwards it is sensible that we have grown Ye were Darkness but now are ye Light in the Lord Ephes. 5.8 as a Plant increaseth in length and stature though we do not see the Progress We read of Jesus Christ that he grew in Knowledg we do not read that he grew in Grace he received the Spirit without measure and nothing could be added to the perfection of his Innocence yet it is said Luke 2.40 The Child grew and Vers. 52. Jesus increased in Wisdom and in Stature and in favour with God and Man The Godhead made out it self to him by degrees Oh let us increase It is notable that Moses his first Request to God was Tell me thy Name and afterward shew me thy Glory a more full manifestation of God We should not always keep to our Milk our Infant-Notions and Apprehensions but go on to a greater Increase it much advanceth your Spiritual Life and will be an advantage to your Eternal Life They have the highest Visions of God hereafter that know most of him here upon Earth they are Vessels of a larger capacity and though all be perfect yet with a difference Now for Means and Directions take these 1. Wait upon the preaching of the Word God appointed it and hath given Gifts to the Church for this end and purpose We should quicken one another Isa. 2.3 Come and let us go up to the House of the Lord and he will teach us his Ways God's Grace is given in his own way When Men neglect and despise God's solemn Institutions they either grow brutish or fanatical as we see by daily experience Light as well as Flame is kept in by the breath of Preaching By long attention you grow skilful in the Word of Righteousness Men that despise the Word may be more full of Crotchets and Curiosities but that Light is Darkness It is disputed which is the sense of Learning Hearing or Seeing By the Eye we see things but must by reason of innate Ignorance be taught how to judg of them 2. You must read the Word with diligence That is every Man's Work that hath a Soul to be saved They that busy themselves in other Books will not have such lively Impressions Psal. 1.2 His delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth he meditate day and night that must be our Exercise not Play-Books Stories and idle Sonnets How many Sacrilegious Hours do many spend this way Castae deliciae meae sunt scripturae tuae Aug. Nay good Books should not keep from the Scriptures Luther in Gen. cap. 19. saith Ego odi libros meos saepe opto eos interire ne morentur lectores abducant a lectione ipsius scripturae We should go to the Fountain 2 Tim. 3.15 And that from a Child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto Salvation We put a disparagement upon the Word when we savour and relish Humane Writings though never so good and excellent better than the Word of God it self This is the standing Rule by which all Doctrines must be confirmed and you do not know what sweet fresh and savory Thoughts the Spirit of God may stir up in your own Minds for Word-representations are not so taking as our own inward Thoughts and Discourses these like a draught of Wine from the Tap are more fresh and lively It is necessary as I said before to wait upon Preaching to hear what others can say out of the Scriptures but it is good to read too that we may preach to our selves Every Man is fittest to commune with his own Heart and that Conviction which doth immediately arise out of the Word is more prevalent A Man can be angry with any Preacher but Conscience In another when a Matter is expressed to our Case we are apt to suspect the mixture of Passion and private Aims but read thy self and what thoughts are stirred up upon thy reading will be most advantagious to thee Besides those that are studious of the Word have this sensible advantage that they have the Promises the Doctrines the Examples of the Word more familiar and ready with them upon all Cases It is said of one that he was a living Bible and a walking Library 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such a Christian is a walking Concordance And whereas other Christians are weak unsetled in Comfort or Opinion these have always Scriptures ready And let me tell you in the whole Work of Grace you will find no Weapon so effectual as the Sword of the Spirit as Scriptures readily and seasonably urged Therefore no diligence here is too much if you would not be barren and sapless in Discourse with others if you would not be weak and comfortless in your self read the Scriptures that you may bring sic scriptum est upon every Temptation and urge the solid grounds of our Comfort I speak the more in so plain a Point because I would make Men more conscionable both in their Closets and Families in this Point that they may not only have recourse to learned Helps and Books of an humane Original but to the Word it self 3. The Scriptures must be read with Prayer We must plow with God's Heifer if we would understand his Riddle we must beg the Spirit 's help The Spirit is the best Interpreter bene
die This is the Advantage of spiritual Comforts that they do not only satisfy our Desires but secure us against our Fears Isa. 35.10 The Ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with Songs and everlasting Joy upon their Heads They shall obtain Joy and Gladness and Sorrow and Sighing shall flie away Once in Christ and you shall be for ever preserved The Leaven and the Dough can never be severed when kneaded together so neither can you from Christ. Grace would be little better than temporal Things if it did yield but temporary Refreshment You are sure that nothing shall cut you off from enjoying God for nothing shall altogether cause you to cease to love God The Children of God would be troubled tho their Grace should not fail if their Privileges should be cut off but you are sure of both God will maintain a Spark and the Seed remaineth and the Privileges of Grace are sure too This was figured under the Law An Israelite could never wholly alienate his Title to the Land Lev. 25.23 The Land shall not be sold for ever for the Land is mine for ye were Strangers and Sojourners with me His Title to the Land shall not be quite cut off it shall not be sold for ever Which was a Type of our spiritual Inheritance in Christ which cannot be alienated from us He might for a while alienate and pass away his Inheritance yet the Property remained he knew it would return again So here God's Children are never disinherited By Regeneration we are made Coheirs with Christ we have an Interest in the whole Patrimony of the Gospel Now God will not cut off the Entail nor take the advantage of every Offence which his Children commit To insure us he hath not only put the Entail into our hands by giving us his Promise but he hath given us Earnest and Seisin in part and he hath chosen a Feoffee in Trust to keep the Estate for us our heavenly Patrimony is kept safe in his hands It is true we forfeit it by the Merit of our Actions but the Trust standeth still enrolled in the Court of Heaven and is not cancelled Christ is to look to that and it being conveyed in and by him as the first Heir he is to interpose his Merit As under the Law if the Person were not able to redeem the Inheritance the Kinsman was to redeem it Christ is our Kinsman after the Flesh he is our Goal and maketh all firm and sure between God and us It is true we lose the Evidences that are in our keeping Peace of Conscience Joy in the Holy-Ghost but the Estate is undefeizable and cannot be made away from us Well then you see that Grace is kept and the Privileges of Grace are kept O what a sweet Comfort is this But now because Comforts are never prized but in their Season Men that have not been exercised in spiritual Comforts nauseate these sweet Truths they know not what it is to be left to uncertainty when Troubles come like Waves one upon the neck of another let us see when these Truths will be sweet and seasonable 1. In great Troubles when God seemeth to hide his Face Oh! how sweet is it to hear God say Gen. 28.15 Behold I am with thee and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest and will bring thee again into this Land for I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of All this shall better thy Heart or hasten thy Glory We are apt to think that God will cast us off and will never look after us any more tho formerly we have had real Experience of his Grace What a foolish Creature is Man to weaken his Assurance when he should come to use it to unravel all his Hopes and Experiences Times of Trouble are a fit Season to make use of this Comfort 2. In the Hour of Temptation and hard Conflicts with Doubts and Corruptions when you find their Power growing upon you you are ready to say as David did after all his Experiences I shall one day perish by the Hand of Saul 1 Sam. 27.1 and many times out of Distrust ye give over the Combate Then say Who shall separate us from the Love of God One came to a pious Woman when she had been exercised with a long and tedious Conflict and read to her the latter part of the 8th of the Romans she broke forth in Triumph Nay in all these things we are more than Conquerors through him that loved us Sin or Death cannot divide you from Christ Christ will tread Satan under your Feet and weaken the malignant Influence of the World 3. In times of great Danger and Defection through Terror and Persecution as Sanders trembled to think of the Fire especially when others fall fearfully that were before us in Privileges and Profession of Zeal and Piety when the first become last when eminent Luminaries are eclisped and leave their Orb and Station as the Martyrs were troubled to hear of the Revolt of some great Scholars that had appeared for the Gospel When Hymeneus and Philetus two eminent Professors fell it was a great shaking 2 Tim. 2.18 19. Who concerning the Truth have erred saying That the Resurrection is past already and overthrow the Faith of some Nevertheless the Foundation of the Lord standeth sure having this Seal The Lord knoweth them that are his 4. In times of disheartning because of the Difficulties of Religion and the use of means groweth troublesome To quicken us in our Christian Course think of the Unchangeableness of God's Love all Grace riseth according to the Proportion and Measure of Faith loose Hopes weaken Endeavours 1 Cor. 9.26 I therefore so run not as uncertainly so fight I not as one that beateth the Air As those that run at all give over when one hath over-reached them they are discouraged when Hope is broken the Edg of Endeavours is blunted Go on with Confidence ye are assured of the Issue by these Endeavours God will bless you and keep you there is a sure Recompence 5. In the Hour of Death when all things fail you God will not fail you this is the last Branch Do but wait I will not forsake you notwithstanding all that I have done all that I have promised there is more behind than ever you have enjoyed Death shall not separate Olevian comforted himself with that Isa. 54.10 For the Mountains shall depart and the Hills be removed but my Kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my Peace be removed saith the Lord that hath Mercy on thee In the Pains of Death Sight is gone Speech and Hearing is departing Feeling almost gone but the Loving-Kindness of God will never depart Oh! the Lord give us such a Confidence in that Day that we may fix this Comfort in our Thoughts Doct. 2. That we are kept in the state of Grace by God's Name by his Power for
could not be supposed to feign Now he appealeth to their Experience You know in all your Hearts c. So Solomon speaks 1 Kings 8.56 Blessed be the Lord that hath given rest unto his People Israel according to all that he promised there hath not failed one word of all his good Promise which he promised by the Hand of Moses his Servant So if a Man would but observe the Course of Providence after a little Faith and Patience which is required of all that would inherit the Promises God never failed but made good his Word to a Tittle Object Many Temporal Mercies are Promises which Promises are not accomplished Answ. They are promised still with exception of the Cross. God is tied no further than the Covenant tieth him Psal. 89.31 32 33. If they break my Statutes and keep not my Commandments Then will I visit their Transgression with a Rod and their Iniquity with Stripes Nevertheless my loving-kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulness to fail My Covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my Lips Object But the Scriptures do absolutely press and inculcate these Hopes of temporal Mercies Answ. No only they are mentioned in the Promise partly to encourage our Hearts to pray we should not else ask them 2 Chron. 20.9 If when Evil cometh upon us as the Sword Judgment or Pestilence or Famine we stand before this House and in thy Presence and cry unto thee in our Affliction then thou wilt hear and help Psal. 119.49 Remember thy Word unto thy Servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope Partly to shew that God is able to keep them from such distress and if it be good for them will keep them Dan. 3.17 Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery Furnace and he will deliver us out of thine Hand O King Partly to shew that if we have such Mercies we have them by virtue of a Promise Psal. 128.5 The Lord shall bless thee out of Sion To see a Mercy come out of the Womb of a Promise is very sweet and comfortable Partly to comfort them if they have them not they shall have the spiritual Part nothing shall light on them as a Curse We must go into the Sanctuary to know the meaning of such Promises God will deliver either from the Lion or from every Evil Work 2 Tim. 4.17 18. I was delivered out of the Mouth of the Lion And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil Work If there be any Temporal Promise you may expect the Mercy in kind or as good There is not a waste word in the Promise God will give them satisfaction The People of God never complain when their Thoughts are regular Partly because God seldom faileth a trusting Soul few Experiences can be given to the contrary Psal. 91.2 3. I will say of the Lord He is my Refuge and my Fortress my God in him will I trust Surely he shall deliver me from the Snare of the Fowler and from the noisom Pestilence Thereby there is another Engagement on God Isa. 26.3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect Peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusted in thee Psal. 9.10 And they that know thy Name will put their trust in thee for thou Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee Vse Learn to regard the Promises and Threatnings of the Word with more Reverence as if God in Person had delivered them to you 1 Thess. 2.13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing because when ye received the Word of God which ye heard of us ye received it not as the Word of Men but as it is in Truth the Word of God Look to the Threatnings God hath left room for his Mercy and that must be sought in God's way or else we have no Security and Peace Look to the Promises 1. Seek after them more and mind them more Sure your Neglect saith you do not count them true 1 John 5.10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the Witness in himself he that believeth not God hath made him a Liar because he believeth not the Record that God gave of his Son If one should proffer you an hundred Pounds and you should go away and never heed it it is a sign you do not believe him 2. Venture more on the Promises they are God's Bills of Exchange whereby you have Treasures in Heaven Deny Interests God will make it up 3. Rejoice in them more You have Blessings by the Root Heb. 11.13 These all died in Faith not having received the Promises but having seen them afar off and were perswaded of them and embraced them they hugged the Promises Do you ever refresh your selves with the remembrance of them Do you ever bless God for your Hopes and say I will rejoice in God because of his Word 4. Wait for the accomplishment of them The Word of the Lord is a tried Word The Saints are tried and the Word is tried Psal. 12.6 The Words of the Lord are pure Words as Silver tried in a Furnace of Earth purified seven times It is enough for Faith that we have the Promise Fourthly God hath owned the Word by associating the Operation of his Grace and powerful Spirit with it and with no other Doctrine Things of a powerful Operation do evidence themselves as Fire by Heat the Wind by its Noise and Strength Salt by its Savour the Sun by Light and Heat and the like Moral Principles that are effectually operative manifest themselves also Let us see how the Case standeth with the Scripture It is called Rom. 1.16 The Power of God unto Salvation and the preaching of the Cross is to them which are saved the Power of God 1 Cor. 1.18 And 1 Cor. 2.4 My Speech and my Preaching was not with enticing words of Man's Wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of Power And 1 Thess. 1.5 Our Gospel came not unto you in Word only but in Power and in the Holy Ghost and in much Assurance It giveth a perswasion of it self by its being the Power of God and the Rod of his Strength Psal. 110.2 The Lord shall send the Rod of his Strength out of Sion When the Egyptians saw the Miracles that Moses wrought they confessed the Power of God that God was with him Exod. 8.19 Then the Magicians said to Pharaoh This is the Finger of God And when the Scripture evidenceth so great a Power it shews it self to be of God as in judging the Hearts of Men. Heb. 4.12 The Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged Sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of Soul and Spirit and of the Joints and Marrow and is a Discerner of the Thoughts and Intents of the Heart In convincing them of their evil Estate 1 Cor. 14.25 And thus are the Secrets of the Heart made manifest and so falling down on his Face
2 Tim. 1.12 For I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day It is an advised Act it is fit the Soul should be in safe Hands We are sensible that as long as this Life lasts we are subject to many Trials and Changes therefore we put our Souls into Christ's Hands in a confidence of his Alsufficiency It is a knowing Trust. Vse 1. To press us to mind this great Privilege Christ in us This should be our chief Care We cannot mortify Sin till we be in Christ He is our Sanctification We can have no security against God's Wrath till then Acts 4.12 Neither is there Salvation in any other for there is none other Name under Heaven given among Men whereby we must be saved Whatever shifts they made against the Flood it would not serve nothing but the Ark could save them Make this the Business of your Lives wait upon the Word and other Ordinances with this Aim improve Providences to this end to draw you the nearer to God by Christ. Let this be the constant breathing of your Souls Yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the Knowledg of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but Dung that I may win Christ. Phil. 3.8 Measure all the Business and Employment of your Lives by this A tender Mother that nurseth her Child she hath other Work to do but still she remembreth her Child when she awaketh she thinketh of her Child when she is abroad when employed in the Affairs of her Family her Mind is on her Child God is pleased to resemble his Love to us by this So a true Christian faith My Work is to get into Christ. When he is about Business of the World he still remembreth that this is his great Care and it must be minded every Day When he riseth when he goeth to sleep this should run in his Mind This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Work John 6.29 This is the Work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent All other Business is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his by-work that he may get or lose it Make more room for Christ in the Soul Vse 2. Examination 1. Is Christ in you who liveth there and worketh Christ or Satan These two divide the World between them the strong Man and the stronger than he The Heart of Man is not a waste Christ ruleth in the Church and the Devil in the World And yet all that are in the Church are not in Christ. John 15.2 Every Branch in me that beareth not Fruit he taketh away They that are where Christ is in Honour will make a general Profession The Devil hath a great Party in the Church Therefore who is in you Christ or Satan Satan is in all Carnal Men their Hearts are his Forge or Workhouse Ephes. 2.2 According to the Prince of the Power of the Air the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience 2 Cor. 4.4 The God of this World hath blinded the Minds of them which believe not He blindeth them and hardneth them and leadeth them captive by their own Lusts. Consider there is no Neutrality We are under Christ or the Devil The Devil is a Spirit he possesseth Men when they do not feel him He is called the Prince of the Power of the Air and infected Air is drawn in without pain and we get a Disease before we feel it and die of a Pestilent Air. Were you never changed Conversion is a Dispossession The Devil is in all the Children of Disobedience Did you ever consent to chuse Christ for your Mediator and Lord and King When you refuse Christ offered the Devil is most ready to entertain you and to enter into you and possess you the more securely There is a Tradition upon your Refusal God giveth you then up to Satan to be blinded and hardned Therefore consider this observe your Course Some are Satan's Slaves they that walk in the ways of their own Hearts and according to the Lusts of the World John 8.44 Ye are of your Father the Devil and the Lusts of your Father ye will do Satan's Mark and Brand is upon them that live in Malice and Envy against God and good Men Satan was a Murderer from the beginning in filthiness and uncleanness he is an unclean Spirit in railing swearing cursing whose Tongues are set on Fire of Hell tempting seducing lying Satan is a Liar and a Tempter enticing to drink and gaming Again Is Christ in you A great deal of Bran will remain if we use too course a Bolter Doth Christ dwell in your Hearts You will know it by the Effects of his Presence 1. Doth Christ fill the Heart So great a Guest is enough the Believer desireth no more to his Peace of Conscience Joy and compleat Blessedness There is a full acquiescency of the Soul in Christ he desireth above all things to enjoy him There is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 6.6 Godliness with contentment is great Gain There is nothing in Heaven or Earth that can fill the hungry Soul of Man but Jesus Christ. He that hath his Heart full of Christ all things seem base and vile to him a little portion of the World serveth his turn They are cheap things to Jesus Christ after which the World runs a whoring 1 Sam. 19.30 And Mephibosheth said Nay let him take all forasmuch as my Lord the King is come again in peace unto his House Mephibosheth is contented to see the King's Face in Peace They have the Pearl of great Price there is little room for other things Christ filleth every corner of the Heart Phil. 4.12 13. I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need I can do all things through Christ which strengthneth me 2. He ruleth and acteth and swayeth all these He doth not dwell as a Stranger or Guest in another Man's House or as an Inmate but as a Lord in his Possession therefore he still directeth counselleth quickneth destroyeth the Kingdom of Satan reneweth us more and more dwelleth in us as the King of Glory Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty Light Joy Strength Peace 2. What Entertainment do you give him The more Faith is inlarged the more room hath Christ in thy Heart With great chearfulness should you receive him not always frowning he looketh for Reverence not constant Mourning Do not grieve him by Sin by such things by which the Wrath of God cometh upon the Children of Disobedience If an earthly King lie but a Night in a House what care is there taken that nothing be offensive to him but that all things be neat clean and sweet How much more ought
into one body whether we be Jews or Gentiles whether we be bond or free and have been all made to drink into one Spirit One alone is the Baptism of Water the other the Baptism of the Spirit The one inferreth an obligation the other produceth an inclination to dye unto sin and to live unto God And therefore 1. Let us speak of Baptism and 2. Of Regeneration 1. Of Baptism which inferreth an obligation All those that profess Faith in Christ and an interest in him are by Baptism taken into the number of his Disciples and visibly joyned into his Church Acts 2.41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls And therefore they are bound to rise from the death of sin to the life of Grace and to make use of the virtue purchased by Christs Death and evidenced by his Resurrection to this end and purpose and to use all good endeavours to subdue sin and a double wo and curse shall befal us unless we verifie and make good this Vow and Profession by our constant practice And therefore all the Members of the visible Church are to be put in mind that they are planted into the likeness of his Death and engaged to walk in newness of life 1 Joh. 2.6 He that saith he abideth in him ought to walk also as he walked Not only he that abideth in him as a real Member of his mystical Body but he that saith he abideth in him All that profess Communion with Christ their Profession bindeth them to a resemblance of Christ otherwise their Baptism is but a mockery and their Profession a dissembling and counterfeit respect to Christs Name and Memory It may be said to them as Alexander said to one that bore his Name but was a Coward Either lay aside the name or put on greater courage So either do as Christians or do not pretend to be Christians 2. As to Regeneration figured by Baptism In Regeneration there is planted in us or put into us a Principle destructive of sin and impulsive to Holiness Now the working and urging of this Principle should not be restrained or obstructed 1. As to the destruction of sin the checks of the new Nature should be observed 1 Joh. 3.9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God 2. As to the perfecting of Holiness where the life of Holiness is begun we should give way to its operations and when the new Nature would break out with operations proper to it self we should obey these motions 1 Joh. 2.5 But whoso keepeth his word in him verily is the love of God perfected that is breaketh out into its consummate and perfect effect So 2 Pet. 1.8 For if these things be in you and abound they make you that you shall be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Grace in its vigour will put you upon fruits becoming a Christian this vigour should not be quenched which is our internal Baptism 3. This Union sealed in Baptism inferreth a Likeness and Conformity to Christ. I prove it thus First Surely we are cut off from our old stock and planted into a new one to better our condition that it may be otherwise with us in Christ than we were when we merely belonged to Adam This improvement of our estate and condition cometh from our being planted into a new stock and partaking of his virtue and influence and that inferreth a likeness 1 Cor. 15.49 As we have born the image of the earthly we shall also bear the image of the heavenly As we grew upon our natural Root we were like Adam but when cut off and planted into a new Root we are made like Christ. How like Adam Gen. 5.3 Adam begat a son in his own likeness corrupt man begat a corrupt son mortal man begat a mortal child So by proportion we may conceive of the image of the Heavenly first made holy then happy creatures in the first we had the seed and pledge of death and corruption and in the second the seed and pledge of incorruption immortality and life Secondly Christ was â—it to be a Pattern to whom all the rest of the Heirs of Promise should be conformed for this reason Because he was the Head of the renewed state Primum in unoquoque genere est mensura regula caeterorum the first and best in every kind is the measure and rule of the rest He is a Fountain of Grace set up in our Nature Rom. 8.29 He hath predestinated us to be conformed to the image of his Son that he might be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first-born among many brethren that principal new Man to whom we might be conformed In every case wherein one thing beareth the image and likeness of another there must not only be similitude but deduction or a means of conveying that likeness Both are in Christ therefore Christ is set up as a Pattern in our Nature who lived among men in the same flesh that we have to teach us a life of Holiness and Patience and contempt of the World Thirdly The sameness of the Spirit in Head and Members doth evidence this For the Spirit worketh uniformly in both Rom. 8.9 But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if so be the Spirit of God dwell in you The sap of the stock doth all now if the stock be the good Vine the fruit must be as the sap is the branches must bring forth Grapes Christ as the Root communicateth to us not only the fruits and effects of his Death and Resurrection but also the likeness of it in a way proper for our reception We partake of the likeness of the Root by Analogy and just proportion and what was done to Christ literally is spiritually done to us he dyed for sin we dye unto sin he rose to live unto God so do we in our way here upon earth as we seek his Glory and do his Will Fourthly That this Likeness and Conformity to Christ is carried on with respect to his Death and Resurrection To clear this it is good to see wherein our Likeness to Christ consists He was to be a Pattern to us in three things 1. His Graces 2. His States 3. The special Acts of his Mediation 1. His Graces There are certain Graces wherein we resemble God as Wisdom Purity Holiness Goodness and Truth in these God himself is our Pattern Mat. 5.8 Be ye perfect as your Father which is in heaven is perfect There are other Graces that help us in the duties of subjection to God as Faith Patience Humility Self-denial and Obedience in these we cannot have the Pattern from God for God is over all and subject to none therefore in these Christ is a Pattern to us As for instance Humility Mat. 11.29 Learn of me for I am meek and
for us Luke 12.32 Fear not little flock it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you a kingdom And 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him Mat. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my Father inherit a kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world God prepared this Glory for us and by degrees traineth us up for it 2. The everlasting Merit of Christ Heb. 9.15 For this cause he is the Mediator of the new Testament that by means of death for the redemption of transgressions that were under the first Testament they which are called might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance It is by his means that we are redeemed from the guilt and power of sin and have an eternal Inheritance stated upon us It behoved Christ for the honour of the Divine Government by the intervention of his Merit and Intercession to satisfie Gods Justice and acquire unto us those things which Love and Mercy had prepared for us and among other things that blessed and glorious estate which is to be enjoyed upon the Resurrection This is made sure to the Heirs of Promise by the Death of Christ which is of everlasting Merit called therefore v. 12. Everlasting redemption 3. The Almighty Power of the sanctifying Spirit both to change the Soul and raise the Body To change the Soul which is made an Act of Omnipotency 2 Pet. 1.3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and vertue Therefore it is often compared to Creation which is a making things out of nothing To raise the Body as he did Christs Rom. 1.4 And declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead and will raise the bodies of the Faithful in whom he once dwelled Rom. 8.11 He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you Phil. 3.21 Who shall also change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the wonderful working whereby he is able even to subdue all things to himself 4. The immutable Covenant or Promises of the Gospel which always stand firm and stable 2 Cor. 1.20 For all the promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen Heb. 6.18 That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope that is set before us Hope is put for the thing hoped for that is the glorious estate which is reserved in Heaven to be injoyed there this hope is set before us in the Promises as the Prize which we must seek after and the Blessedness we must aim at We lay hold upon it when we consent to Gods offer and we fly for refuge to take hold of this Hope for it is our Sanctuary and safety as the City of Refuge was to him that was pursued by the Avenger of blood this is ground of strong consolation in all fears troubles and sorrows in the midst of the infelicities of this life this consolation is secured by two immutable things Gods Promise and Oath which are as unchangeable as his Nature these cannot fail or frustrate our hopes these give us security of injoying what we hope or receiving the reward promised to us 5. The unquestionable right of the mortified or those that are dead with Christ There is nothing wanting but the clearing up of our right and title Now the Christian Faith proposeth and sheweth much good to them as real Members of Christs mystical Body Rom. 8.13 If ye through the Spirit mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live and till this be done the whole design of Grace is at a stand we cannot upon other terms expect everlasting Blessedness from Christ. 3. The profit of Believing 1. It strengthens our Reason and helps it to maintain its authority and government against Sense and Appetite Reason is a middle Faculty that standeth between things above and things below and it may be either debased by Sense or elevated by Faith The one is easie because corrupt Nature carrieth us to things pleasing to Sense which are near at hand and carry a great suitableness to our Fancies and Appetites The other is difficult because it dependeth on supernatural Grace for the Spirits illumination is necessary to Faith 1 Cor. 2.12 Now we have received not the Spirit which is of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we may know the things that are freely given to us of God Therefore here lyeth the benefit we have by Faith to take us off from the life of sense and to mortifie the desires of the flesh which the nearness of things sensible is apt to irritate and stir up in us 2. The more we believe the stronger and greater is our Consolation As for instance our comfort under crosses is more abounding 2 Cor. 4.14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus 2 Cor. 4.18 While we look not to the things which are seen but to the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal Our courage against death is more strong 1 Thess. 4.18 We shall ever be with the Lord. Our diligence in duties is more unwearied 1 Cor. 15.58 Wherefore my beloved brethren be ye stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as you know that your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. Vse Let us now improve these things that we have been delivering to you 1. Let us make great Conscience of the first part of our Duty If we be dead unto sin See that the work of Regeneration be once begun The first virtue we receive from Christ is the likeness of his Death that will make way for other things Christ is dead let us be dead with him that to us he may not dye in vain And when it is once begun let it be carried on to a further increase adhere still to Christs dying and persevere both in your diligence and your dependence Diligence do not give over your endeavours of mortifying sin till it be quite gone Dependence that you wait for the power of his Spirit which his Death merited for us 2. As to Life let us incourage our selves with the hope of it the same Grace that hath begun will also finish the work when we are prepared by living the life spiritual in the midst of conflicts and temptations Therefore while you are studying to please God wait for it 1. With Patience Christ after his Resurrection was not presently glorified there must be a time to
well-pleasing 1 Thess. 2.12 That ye would walk worthy of God who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory 2. As good he hath deserved at our hands more than ever we can repay him By experience we have felt the evil of sin and why should we indulge it any longer We have also tasted that the Lord is gracious 1 Pet. 2.3 And why should we not prize and love him and value his service The Lord our God is the best Master and therefore we should serve him chearfully he is not true to God and hath not a due sense of his Mercy that is indifferent and cold in his service We are bound to serve God with gladness of heart for the abundance of all things Deut. 28.47 that is because of our obligations from common Providence but how should we serve him for his Mercies in Christ wherein he is infinitely good to us Rom. 12.1 I beseech you therefore Brethren by the mercies of God that ye present you bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God that is your reasonable service 2 Cor. 5.14 15. For the love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one died for all then were all dead And that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose again there the obligation is much greater Nature will teach us to love those that love us and who loves us better than God who hath provided Pardon and Life for us Shall we go about his work with backwardness and weariness You should serve him after another manner with more zeal diligence and exactness Secondly The Work which on the one hand is Sin and on the other Righteousness to be hot and earnest in Sin and cold and negligent in our Duty when God hath set thee in a better work how can this be justified not only before the Bar of God but of any sound Reason Surely the best work requireth the best strength now which is better to be rebelling against our Creator and violating the rectitude and harmony of our own Natures or to be serving our Creator and regulating our Faculties in their due order and proportion to the great ends and uses for which we were made There is a great deal of difference between the way we have left and the way we are put into by Grace the one is our distemper the other is proper work for a man that our endeavours should shew how much we prefer the one before the other for surely it is better for us to live as a Man than to live as a Beast Psal. 119.140 Thy word is very pure therefore thy servant loveth it Thirdly The Wages which is eternal Life Now the Question is Whether you will seek Heaven as fervently and diligently as before you sought the World and the fleshly pleasures thereof Will you now be contented with a sluggish wish and lazy dull endeavours whereas before you thought you could never do enough in the pursuit of your Lusts Will you not bid as much for a Jewel as you would for a Bead or a piece of Glass In all reason more if you laid out your strength before for nought for that which satisfieth not will you now stand hucking when a blessed Inheritance is offered to you Who can excuse you from folly We are bidden to seek after these things in the first place Mat. 6.33 Seek ye first the kingdom of Heaven and the righteousness thereof 1 Cor. 15.58 To abound in the work of the Lord. Phil. 2.12 To work out our salvation with fear and trembling We are on the other side bidden to use the world as if we used it not 1 Cor. 7.31 Now then what will you do 2. The Necessity in point of Evidence hereby we shew that we have utterly shaken off the yoke of sin otherwise it will remain as a nice debate whether your change be sincere or no. It is certain you did much for sin Conscience is sensible of that the only sensible evidence of your change is when the vigour and fervency of your spirits is turned into another chanel and you are as earnest to please God as ever you were to serve your Lusts otherwise you never sensibly and plainly distinguish your selves as renewed from your selves as carnal There is no question then but that there is a thorow change wrought in you Therefore that your sincerity may not be a doubtful thing and hard to interpret you should be as free from sin as formerly from Righteousness When men are unlike themselves there is no doubt 1 Cor. 6.11 Such were some of you but you are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Philem. 11. Which in time past was to thee unprofitable but now profitable to thee and to me This is no small or obscure change but such as may be felt of our selves and discerned by others Paul a Persecutor and Paul a Preacher sheweth the same fervour but his earnestness was imployed about other matters therefore plainly different from himself 3. It is convenient it should be so that we should do as much good or far more good than we have done hurt by our ill Example therefore the worse we were before our calling the better we must be afterwards This was that which made Paul go beyond the rest of the Apostles in pains and zeal because of the hurt he had done by the sins of his Unregeneracy 1 Cor. 15.10 I laboured more abundantly than they all This made Mary Magdalen to exceed in love to Christ above others because she had been so excessive before in the love of her unlawful pleasures Luke 7.47 Her sins which are many are forgiven her for she loved much but to whom little is forgiven the same loveth little Therefore it concerneth us to repair our Errors especially when they have been noxious to others that by eminency of Grace we may awaken those whom we have hardened by our sins or joyned with in their sinful courses Dives would have his Brethren and Companions believe surely this Charity will possess the hearts of the converted Vse 1. To press those that are or would be accounted renewed by Grace to free themselves from sin yet more and more The chain is broken by Grace and you have had experience of both Masters now shew it that you do heartily forsake the one and cleave to the other 1. Be more tender and fearful to offend As long as you make little reckoning of sin you are in danger of committing it It is said Prov. 13.13 Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed but he that feareth a commandment shall be rewarded Those are the two opposite parties those that despise and those that fear a Commandment there is not a worse or a better frame than the one or the other they are properly free from Righteousness that despise a Commandment
the soul is an immortal being but the new life is an eternal principle of happiness as soon as Christ beginneth to dwell in us eternal life is begun in our souls 1 John 3.15 The immortal seed 1 Pet. 1.23 2. The meritorious cause is the righteousness of Christ or the pardon of our sins and the justification of our persons by the Blood and Merits of Jesus Christ when once forgiven we are out of the reach of the second Death 1 Cor. 14.56 The sting of death is sin We are freed from the damning stroke not the killing stroke of death Christ having freed us from the curse of the law and merited and purchased for us a blessed Resurrection Heb. 2.14 15. The VSE is to enforce the great things of Christianity There are but two things we need to regard to live holily and die comfortably these two have a mutual respect one to another those that live holily take the next course to die comfortably the end of that man is peace and to know how to die well is the best way to live well both are enforced by this place 1. To live holily There are several Arguments from the Text. 1. The comforts of Christianity are not promiscuously dispensed or common to all indifferently but suspended on this condition If Christ be in you by his sanctifying Spirit if you be deceived in your foundation all your life hope and comfort are but delusory things but when quickned by the renewing Grace of the Spirit of Christ and made partakers of the Divine Nature you have then the earnest of your inheritance Eph. 1.4 2 Cor. 5.5 He who hath wrought us to this same thing is God who hath given us the earnest of his Spirit Others die uncertain of comfort or it may be most certain of condemnation 2. From the concession The body is dead sentence is past and in part executed this awakeneth us to think of another world and to make serious preparation when the walls of the house are shaken and are ready to drop down is it not time to think of a removal the body is frail and mortal and that 's enough to check sin Rom. 6.12 Let not sin reign therefore in your mortal bodies that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof But 't is made more frail by actual sin Gal. 6.8 If we sow to the flesh of the flesh we shall reap corruption Shall we sow to the flesh and pamper the flesh which must soon be turned into stench and rotteness Man consulting with present sense carrieth himself as if he were a body only not a soul and therefore out of love to sensual pleasures he maketh no account of any thing but sensual pleasures and satisfactions but shall we bestow all our time and care upon a body that was dust in its composition and will shortly again be dust in its dissolution The body is not only dying but dead you think not of it now but this death cometh before 't is looked for Saul trembled when the spirit answered him 1 Sam. 28.19 20. To morrow thou and thy sons shall be with me Would you sport and riot away your time if you should receive such a message Surely the dust and stench and rotteness of the grave if we thought of it it would take down our pride and check our voluptuousness for we do but pamper worms meat it would prevent our worldliness all a mans labour is for the body and usually in a body overcared for there dwelleth a neglected soul The body is not only the instrument but the incitement of it the soul is wholly taken up about the body but doth the dead body deserve so much care Death doth disgrace all the seducing pleasures of the flesh and the profits and honours of the world Who is so mad as wilfully to sin with death in his eye Alas All the pleasures and honours of the world will be vanity and vexation of spirit to us when we come to die 3. Come we now to the corrective assertion and there 's the life promised for body and soul this breedeth the true spirit of faith 2 Cor. 4.13 14. We having the same spirit of faith according as it is written I believed therefore have I spoken We also believe therefore speak knowing that he that raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise us up also The true diligence and godliness 1 Cor. 15.58 Be stedfast and unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord for your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. And patience Rom 2.7 Who by patient continuing in well doing seek for glory immortality eternal life Christians We that have souls to save or lose and have an offer of happiness shall we come short of it for want of diligence and spend our time in eating and drinking and sporting or in the service of God 4. 'T is the effect both of the spirits renewing and the righteousness of Christ Both call for holiness at our hands as the effect of the renovation of the spirit and our title to the righteousness of Christ so that this life doth not belong to us unless we are in Christ and walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 8.1 which begun this Discourse The double principle and ground of hope inforceth it 2. To die comfortably Christianity affordeth the proper comforts against death as it is a natural and penal evil a natural evil it is as it puts an end to present comforts 't is a penal evil as it maketh way for the final judgment Heb. 9.27 Heathens could only teach them to submit to it out of necessity or as a debt they owed to nature or an end of the present miseries but Christianity as the sting of it is gone 1 Cor. 15.56 As the property is altered 1 Cor. 3.22 Death is yours and that upon solid grounds as the life of grace is introduced and sin is forgiven and the conclusions drawn from thence first the life of grace introduced how bitter is the remembrance of death to the carnal man much more the enduring of it a dying body and a startling conscience maketh them afraid of everlasting death and so much sin as you bring to your death bed so much bitterness you will have so much holiness so far you have eternal life in you and the more 't is acted in the fruits of holiness the more comfort Isa. 38.3 A little without is grievous when all is amiss within Secondly sin is forgiven upon the account of the righteousness of Christ for we shall then be foiled if found in no other righteousness than our own Phil. 3.8 9. That I may be found in him not having my own righteousness In short the worst that can befal believers is that 't is the death but of a part the worst and basest part and that but for a season the bodies of the Saints shall not always lye in the grave nor can it be imagined they shall perish as the beasts no
importance and the eternal recompences not their own interest only as David Psal. 73.13 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocency As if he had said What reward is there of Holiness Mortification Patience and self-denyal In the lower world where God is unseen our great hopes yet to come the flesh being importunate to be pleased and the things of the world necessary for our use and present to our imbraces Christians are not certain and past all doubts of the truth of their everlasting hopes else there would be no weak faith nor faint hope Did not the Disciples in a great temptation doubt of an Article of Faith Luke 24.21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel And v. 25. O ye fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken To doubt of what the Prophets spake was not to doubt of their own Salvation but of the constant state of their Souls all the Godly are perswaded of the truth of the Gospel that ordinarily they have no considerable doubts about it but that still they resolve to cleave to God and Christ looking for their reward in another world whatever it cost them here and in some measure can fell all for the pearl of price 2. As to the hope which ariseth from your assurance 1. Make your sincerity more clear and unquestionable and every day your hope and your confidence will increase upon you to believe and hope that you your selves shall be saved is very desirable and comfortable but then you must do that which assurance calleth for give diligence to make your calling and election sure abound in the love and work of the Lord grow more indifferent to temporal things venture all in Christs hands for while your faith and repentance is obscure you will not have such full comfort tho you are confident of the truth of Gods promise to all penitent believers 4. This latter or consequent hope which dependeth on the assurance of our interest admits of a latitude it may be full or not full Heb. 6.11 To the full assurance of hope That is full which casteth out all fear that is not full which is accompanied with doubts but the certainty prevaileth Mark 9.24 Lord I believe help thou mine unbelief Cant. 5.2 I sleep but my heart waketh Now we should labour to go to Heaven with full sails or abound in hope Rom. 15.13 and 2 Pet. 1.11 For so an enterance shall be ministred unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. With hearts full of Comfort 5. When 't is full it may be interrupted or continued to the end or at sometimes it may be full or nor full at another 1 Pet. 1.13 Hope to the end If we continue in our duty with diligence affection and zeal our full hope may be continued if we abate our fervour grow remiss and cold in the spiritual life we lose much of the comfort of our hopes 6. The hope which followeth after experience and much exercise in the spiritual life may result from an act of ours and from an impression of the comforting Spirit 1. From an act of ours From our considering the truth of Gods promises or his wonderful mercy in Christ and his grace inabling us in some measure to fulfil the conditions of the new Covenant when thereupon we put forth hope Phil. 3.20 21. For our conversation is in Heaven from whence we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who shall change our vile bodies that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body 2. Or some impression of the comforting spirit supporting and relieving us in our distresses or rewarding our self-denial and obedience as Rom. 5.5 Hope leaveth not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy ghost given unto us The one is an act of Godliness the other one of Gods internal rewards the one is a duty the other a felicity 2. VSE Is to press us to get and act hope Hope implieth two things 1. Certain Perswasion 2. An earnest Expectation The certainty is seen in the quiet and pleasure of the mind for the present The earnestness in the diligent pursuit after the thing hoped for by all holy means Now we must look to both acts of Hope 1. To strengthen the certain expectation There we must often revive the grounds of hope which are these 1. The mercy of God which hath made such rich preparation for our comfort in the Gospel The first ground of hope to the faln creature is the undeserved grace mercy and goodness of God 2 Thes. 2.16 He hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace And therefore it is our great invitation to hope Psal. 130.7 Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord is mercy and plenteous redemption Apply your selves to God as a God of mercy otherwise such were our undeservings and our ill deservings there were no hope for us so Psal. 13.5 I have trusted in thy mercy my soul shall rejoyce in thy salvation Let others trust in what they will I will trust in thy mercy The serious remembrance of Gods mercy maketh hope lift up the head so Jude 21. Looking for the mercy of the Lord Jesus unto eternal life There 's our best and strongest plea to the very last Therefore the Heirs of promise are called Rom. 9.23 Vessels of mercy Because from first to last they are filled up with mercy 2. The promise of God which cannot fail Titus 1.2 The hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie hath promised before the world began he promised it to Christ in the Covenant of Redemption and he hath promised it to us in the Covenant of Grace that before time this in time now God will not fail to do what he hath promised when he made the promise he meant to perform it For what need had God to court his creature into a false hope or to flatter him into a fools paradise to tell them of an happiness he never meant to give them and if he meant it is he not able to perform it Men break their word out of weakness they cannot do all that they would their will exceedeth their power Or out of imprudence they cannot foresee what may happen or out of levity and inconstancy for all men are lyars but none of these things can be imagined of God We have Gods Word and Oath Heb. 6.18 We have his Seal the spirit who hath wrought miracles without to confirm this hope and assâ—re the world Heb. 2.4 God also bearing them witness with signs and wonders and with divers miracles and gifts of the holy ghost Within preparing the hearts of the faithful for this blessed estate Eph. 4.30 And grieve not the holy spirit whereby ye are sealed to the day of redemption And giving them some beginnings of it as an earnest 2 Cor. 1.22 Who
afflictions of the Gospel 2 Cor. 5.8 9. Death its self may then be born for 't is but the Key to open the prison-door and let out that soul that hath long desired to be with Christ Phil. 1.23 Gratias agimus vobis quod a molestis Dominis liberamur You do them a favour to send them home to their dear Lord. 2. 'T is accompanied with hope they expect within a little while to have their desires accomplished and will a soul that is at Heavens Gates lose all that he hath waited for because the entrance is troublesome When men have crouded to any Mask or Show and have waited long they will not lose their waiting tho they venture many a knock or broken pate to get in so when salvation is very near will a Christian give over his waiting seeking and striving for it Matth. 11.12 Even from the days of John the Baptist the kingdom of heaven suffered violence and the violent take it by fâ—rce 3. Delight We have gotten in part a tast and earnest of our fruition and enjoyment of God and Christ hereafter and it is very pleasing to the soul so that the tempter must needs have a hard task to draw off the soul from him in whom he delighteth Worldly men will not let go their vanities nor sinful wretches their foulest sins because they delight in them Many who never knew what it is to love Christ and delight in his salvation do noâ— so earnestly long for and fixedly hope for the promised blessedness Now these may be easily taken off but the other will venture upon the greatest difficulties Oh. But may not a sound believer be foiled as to his inward man by these afflictive temptations Ans. Yes The experience of the Saints sheweth it too often But 1. 'T is not totally and finally their heel is bruised not only as the outward man is molâ—sted by afflictions but as they may be drawn to some sinful slips and temptations the hâ—el is the lowest and basest part of the body far enough from any vital part the wounds whereof endanger not the life at all the devil may draw them into some sins which may cause much unquietness and affliction of spirit but these wounds are not deadly and do not quench the life of grace in them these wounds may be painful but not mortal They shall not be hurt of the second death Rev. 2.11 2 Upon recovery by repentance The Lord sanctifieth these falls to them to make them the more cautious and watchful so they grow wiser and better and more resolute as being warned before by their own bitter cost as a ball with the more force it is beaten down it rebounds the higher or as a child that hath gotten a knock or been bitten by a sâ—appish Cur groweth the more wary Josh. 22.17 Is the iniquity of Peor too little fâ—r us They were not yet whole of the iniquity of Peor and therefore should be careful not to wound themselves again 3. All ends in final conquest over Satan Rom. 16.20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under our feet shortly We are now in our combat 't is some conquering to keep up our resistance but our full triumph is hereafter 2. Ob. But will it not hurt to press believers to this confidence Will not this weaken their care and diligence No. 1. This is pleasing and acceptable to God to believe that he will perfect and maintain his begâ—n work Phil. 1.6 Being confident of this that he that hath begun a good work in you will pâ—rfect it to the day of Christ. 2. 'T is honourable unto God and doth excite us to praise and thanksgiving when we can trust our interests in his hands with a quiet and well composed mind 2 Tim. 1.12 And I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him A Christian in all respects of time can bless God for what he hath done called us when strangers and enemies 1 Pet. 2.9 What he doth do keepeth the feet of his Saints 1 Sam. 2.9 For what he will do 2 Tim. 4.17 18. Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me and strengthned me And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and preserve me to his heavenly kingdom To be satisfied in Gods conduct is certainly very honourable to him 3. 'T is very profitable to the Children of God 1. To keep us from falling God promiseth to keep us but in his own way and that engageth us to an intire dependance upon him in the use of means John 15.4 Abide in me and I in you So 1 John 2.16 17. Ye shall abide in him And then he presently addeth Little children abide in him First a promise and then an exhortation and then we use the means with the more diligence and encouragement as Paul had a promise that not one should perish Acts 27.23 But yet they must all abide in the ship v. 31. 2. To encourage us to return when fallen we have some holdfast on God when we seek to recover our selves by repentance Psal. 119.170 Let my supplication come before thee deliver me accordâ—ng to thy word And Jer. 3 4. Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me My father the guide of my youth 4. 'T is very comfortable and breede 〈◊〉 everlasting joy that should be in Gods redeemed ones Isa. 35.10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads Nâ—y it begets an heroâ—cal spirit when we can bear up on the love of God in the sorest tryals As here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 VSE It cautioneth us not to be dismayed when the people of God seem to be run down by oppositions and reproaches and the cause of Religion to suffer loss and visibly to go to ruin No Christ hath promised that the gates of helâ— shall not prevail against the Church Matth. 16.18 All the Powers which the devil can muster up cannot destroy Christs interest in the world his Kingdom is like a Rock in the midst of the Sea which being beaten on every side with waves standeth unmoveâ—ble his people many times may be scattered oppressed their profession discountenanced and opposed every where seemingly beaten out of the world but then the Church groweth inwardly the graces of his people are strengâ—hned and increased and their hearts bettered their glory hastned their profession more honoured and râ—verenced in the consciences of men Some converted others confirmed When the Christians were butchered and went to wrack every where Oftentimmes it falleth out so when God breaketh that temporal interest to which we lean he provideth for his own Glory and the advancement of the Gospel by other and better means and Religion gaineth when it seemeth to lose as in the primitive times when the slaughters were frequent they sought to drive Christians to deny Christ but they confess him the more they fumed and chafed because they could not get their will and
clearing up our Title to it The same things serve to enter into Heaven that serve to assure us of our interest in it Fulfil Gods conditions which he hath annexed to the new Covenant and you may be sure and the same is necessary to have as well as to be sure all the difference is some make a hard shift to go to Heaven others enter abundantly 2 Pet. 1.11 They that make it their business to know they have Eternal life have this above others that they go more seriously to work and do more attend upon it Secondly The force and virtue of this sure confidence 1. 'T is of great force to support us under the difficulties of Obedience In the context Paul is discoursing of what supported him and kept him from fainting under the labours of his Apostolate 'T was a toilsome life to go up and down venturing upon all hazards and uncertainties and to travel far and near and all to draw Souls to Christ. A Blessed work in it self But toilsome to the flesh But we know c. The same holdeth in all other duties of our general and particular Calling Nothing puts us upon such a willing Industry and ready constant Watchfulness as this confidence that after we have gone through a short life here in this world this everlasting Blessedness will be our Portion 1 Cor. 9.26 I run not as one that is uncertain An assurance of the end sweetneth the Race and allayeth all the difficulties of the way A poor Beast will go home chearfully How pleasant is it to know that we shall be with God for ever When we are assured that every step sets us nearer Heavenward it will make us mend our pace Doubtfulness is a Torment to an understanding creature and blind guesses and dark Hopes cannot animate us so much as a chearful and confident expectation The more assured our hope our endeavours the greater 1 Cor. 15.58 Be ye stedfast unmovable alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as ye know your labour is not in vain in the Lord. 2dly 'T is of great force to quiet our minds in the midst of all the cares sorrows and Crosses of the present world The Soul that hath this Anchor needeth not to be tossed with all those Tempests and anxieties of mind which worldly men are subject unto for whatever uncertainty there may be in their outward Condition there is a sure estate laid up for them in Heaven Col. 1.5 1 Pet. 1.4 reserved for us in Heaven There we shall fully enjoy our God and all things in him We know it and are sure of it A certain durable treasure which is above the reach of danger and beyond all possibility of loss 3dly 'T is of greatforce to enable us to bear the greatest sufferings not only with a quiet but with a joyful mind A duty often pressed upon us in Scripture and a Christian height which we should all aspire unto and we can hardly attain to it till we have a confidence of our own Blessedness in another world for it is this maketh light the greatest sufferings Rom. 8.18 2 Cor. 4.17 Heb. 10.34 One that hath the promise of Eternal Life in the hand of his Faith this Glory and Blessedness in the Eye of his hope can look through all Tribulations see sunshine at the back of the storm That the Tribulation is working out means to help on and hasten this Glory He knoweth in himself hath assured grounds of confidence in his own Soul that he shall have better things from God than he can lose in the world That to be persecuted for Righteousness sake is the nearest way to Heaven He hath the promises to shew for the certainty of the thing and evidences in his heart of his own right and Title 4thly 'T is of great force to support us against Death it self which is the King of Terrours Certainly a Christian should get above the fears of death and be willing to be dissolved and to be with Christ. Now we shall be so far from desiring to dye that we can hardly venture to dye without assurance of a better estate Alas how bitter is the thought of death to that Soul that must be turned out of doors shiftless and harbourless and is not provided of an Everlasting Habitation or a better place to go to But now get this once certain and then death will not be so terrible whether it come in a natural or violent way Natural When sickness is ready to fret Life asunder then you are at the Gates of Heaven waiting every moment when you shall be called in When death shall draw aside the vail and shew you the Blessed Face of God you are just ready to Step into Immortal pleasures you do but change Houses when you dye and it is not an exchange for the worse but for the better A Cottage for a Pallace Do but step into this House and you bid an Everlasting Farewel to all sin and sorrow in a moment in the twinkling of an Eye Violent Rom. 8.35.36 The Sword is but the Key to open the Prison Doors to let out that Soul which hath long desired to be with Christ. Heb. 11.35 Were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection contented to dye by the hands of the Tormentour because they would have Gods deliverance not his SERMON III. 2 Cor. 5.1 For we know that if our earthly House of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an House not made with hands Eternal in the Heavens Vse 1. Is an Exhortation to press you to several Duties As 1. TO Believe the promised Glory Here I shall First shew the necessity of this Secondly How Faith worketh as to the other World Thirdly How we shall rouze up our Faith to a more firm belief of the promised Glory First The necessity We had need press this much 1st Because eternal life is one of the principal objects of Faith and the first motive to invite us to hearken after the things of God The Apostle telleth us Heb. 11.6 That without Faith it is impossible to please God for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him He that would have any thing to do with God must be persuaded of his Being and Bounty In the choosing of a Religion we first look after a right object whom to Worship and a fit reward what we may expect from him For that is the great inducement to make up the match between our hearts and that object Now God that knoweth the heart of Man and what wards will fit the lock doth accordingly deal with us He propoundeth himself as the first cause and highest Being to be reverenced worshipped and obeyed by us so also as the chiefest good to be enjoyed by us in an everlasting state of Blessedness All the Doctrines of the Christian Faith tend to establish this
injoyment Cyprian bringeth in the Devil vaunting against Christ Ostende tuos tales munerâ—rios O Christe c. I had not Heaven to bestow upon them nor eternal happiness to propound to them only a little carnal satisfaction in the pleasures of sin that are but for a season Yet among all thy Pensioners O Christ shew me one that is so ready to follow thee as they are to follow me If we had Faith as Moses had we would choose rather to suffer affliction with the People of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Heb. 11.25 But alas those that believe as Christians live as Heathens a little profit and a little pleasure in the world is enough to sway with them to run the hazard and forfeiture of all their hopes in the world to come 2. Surely men do not believe Heaven because they are so little affected with it Affections follow persuation Heb. 11.13 Being persuaded of them embraced them We would find more considerable stirrings of joy and thankfulness when we hear of these promises or read of them or think of them If a poor man did understand of some great inheritance bequeathed to him he would often think of it rejoice therein long to go and see it and take possession of it There is a promise of Eternal Life left with us in the Gospel of being Heirs with God and joint Heirs with Christ who putteth in for a share thinketh of it rejoyceth in the hopes of it Longeth for it is earnestly stirred up to put in his claim 3dly Because we do so little labour after it Negligence is the fruit of unbelief That 's evident Because when the Holy-Ghost would cure our neglects it doth not somuch discourse of the worthiness of our hopes as of the certainty of them Heb. 2.3 4. And when it would provoke us to diligence it thinketh it is enough to say the Gospel is no Fable 2 Pet. 1.5 10. with the 16. There is the Argument For outward advantages be they certain or uncertain men will endure great pains Certain A man toileth hard all day for a small piece of money for a shilling or so do we seek Heaven with a like earnestness do we serve God instantly day and night that we may come to the Blessed hope Certainly if we were more perswaded of it we would think all pains too little nothing more than needeth Nay for uncertain gains as Merchants how many hazards do they run to increase their substance by Traffique We are not uncertain as we pretend why do not we more abound in the work of the Lord Why do not we seek Heaven in the first place 4thly Because we are contented with so slight assurance as to our Title and Interest In matters of weight men would be upon sure terms and labour to bind the bargain as strong as they can by Earnest by Covenants by Witnesses Do we labour to make all so sure and clear as to Heavenly things to get the earnest of the Spirit to have certain evidences to shew 2 Pet. 1.10 Heb. 4.1 Let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us of entring into his rest any of you should seem to come short of it We should put it out of all question as not come short so not seem to come short or give any appearance of coming short Alas Any fond presumption or slight hope serveth the turn or we leave things at six and seven at a meet hazard If our belief were more strong this could not be 5thly The pretended strength of our Faith about the future recompenses doth in some measure shew the weakness of it And that it is but a slight and overly apprehension I demonstrate it thus Most men will pretend to be able to trust God for their Heavenly Inheritance and yet cannot trust God for their daily maintenance they find it difficult to believe in temporals and yet very easy in Spirituals or Eternals What should be the reason of this Heaven and things to come are greater mercies and the way of bringing them about is more difficult and they are not so commonly dispensed by God as temporals are There lye more natural prejudices against them when men are serious what Can you easily believe that you shall live though you dye Joh. 11.26 That your scattered dust shall be recollected and raised up into a beautiful and Glorious Body that a clod of Earth shall shine as the Stars What! more easily believe this than that God will give you daily bread The whole Earth is full of his goodness and God feedeth all his Creatures openeth his hand and supplieth the desire of every living thing not a worm but is sustained by his providence he pardoneth but a few saveth but a few blesseth but a few with Spiritual and Eternal Blessings And in dispensing them God requireth qualifications But here is the mistake bodily wants are more pressing and Faith about them is put to a present exercise usually men are careless of their Souls and content themselves with some general desires of ease and hopes of Eternal welfare and therefore is it they say they find no difficulty in believing Salvation and Eternal Life Eternal Life is sought in jest and talked of as a plausible fancy but worldly things are desired in good earnest It fareth with them as with Martha Joh. 11.24 I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day Compare verse 39. Lord by this time he stinketh for he hath been dead four days It is not strange things that are afar off and about which they have no present exercise when yet their Faith is weak in the matter of the present tryal though less difficult then that which they profess to believe Martha can profess to believe the resurrection of all men yet staggereth at his being raised presently But 't is but a pretence the strength of our Faith about Eternity is not seen in health so much as in sickness and in a sickness unto death 6thly Because we will venture so little upon our everlasting hopes Where men have a great expectation there they will make great adventures because they know it will turn to a good account God hath made us many great and precious promises he hath told us Give Alms and ye shall have treasure in Heaven Luke 12.33 Leave anything for his sake and you shall have an hundred fold in this World with Persecutions and in the World to come eternal life Mark 10.30 Again Rom. 8.13 Mortify the deeds of the body and you shall live Now when we will not venture any thing upon Gods Bond it is a sign we do not count him a good Pay-master not an interest not a lust you make him a lyar in all his promises 2dly How Faith worketh as to the other World It giveth us a sight it giveth us a tast 1. A sight For it is described to be Heb. 11.1 The substance of things hoped for the
earthly Clay House is dissolved there were a building not made with hands eternal in the Heavens we would groan earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with that House For a Christian while out of Heaven is out of his proper place Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God are joyned together 2. Pet. 3.12 The one word implyeth Faith and the other desire surely men do not believe eternal Blessedness who are coldly affected towards it For an estate so Blessed if it were soundly believed it would be earnestly desired 2. Love They that love Christ will long to be with him Phil. 1.23 I desire to be dissolved and to be vvith Christ c. That Christ is there is the great motive to draw our hearts thither Col. 3.1 If ye then be risen vvith Christ seek those things vvhich are above vvhere Christ sitteth on the right hand of God love desireth the nearest union with the party loved Is Jesus Christ the beloved of our Souls Are we espoused to him as to one Husband 2 Cor. 11.2 do we desire to meet him and delight in his Presence in his Ordinances here Surely then we would desire to be with him hereafter for love doth always desire the nearest conjunction the fullest fruition and the closest communion The absence of our best Friend would be troublesome to us therefore we would groan and desire earnestly to be there where he is to behold his Glory How can we love him when we are so contentedly pleased to be long from him 3dly Hope That is a desirous expectation made up of looking and longing and shewing its self in Hearty groans after as well as delightful foretasts of the Blessedness expected what you hope for will be all your desire This estate is a good absent possible but difficult to be obtained as 't is good it is the object of Love as absent and future of desire as possible we look for it as desirable we groan after it well therefore hope hath a great influence upon these affectionate breathings after Heaven and happiness when joined with earnest expectation Phil. 1.20 5thly The Holy Ghost stirreth up in us these groans or a fervent desire partly by revealing the object in such a lively manner as it cannot otherwise be seen Eph. 1.17 18. 1 Cor. 2.22 Partly by his secret influences as he stirreth up holy Ardors in Prayer Rom. 8.25 26. Inutterable groans after happiness He that imprinteth the firm perswasion doth also imprint the desires of these things in our Hearts 6thly All the Ordinances of the Gospel serve to awaken these desires and longings in us and to raise up our affections towards Heavenly things The word is our Charter for Heaven or Gods Testament wherein such rich Legacies are bequeathed to us that every time read it or hear it or meditate upon it we may get a step higher and advance nearer Heaven The promises of the Word tend to this 2 Pet. 5.4 So do the Precepts to put us in the way everlasting Psal. 119.96 All Gods Commandments have an Eternal influence So for Prayer in company or alone 't is but to raise and act those Heavenly desires There we groan and long in the Lords Supper for New wine in our Fathers Kingdom To put an Heavenly relish upon our Hearts All is done in formality and with Hypocrise if it doth not promote these ends 7thly These desires are necessary because of their effect If we do not desire we will not labour and suffer trouble and reproach and persecution What maketh the Christian so Industrious So patient so self denying so watchful Only because he breatheth after Heaven with so much earnestness Desires are the vigorous bent of the Soul that bear us out in all difficulties The Soul leaneth that way its desires carry it If they be weak and feeble they are controlled with every lust abated upon every difficulty the desire of the other world beareth us out in the midst of the Temptations of this world otherwise a man is soon put out of the humour brought under the power of present things Whatever it is that gets your heart that will command you Foolish and hurtful lusts drown and sink you into a base Spirit 1 Tim 6.9 that all the Counsel that can be used will not reclaim you But if you be groaning and longing for and desiring the happiness of another world you have a victory over Temptations you have overcome the world for you regard it then only as your passage you cannot settle here 8thly The state of the present world doth set the Saints groaning and longing for this House from Heaven For this world is vexatious the pleasures of it are meer dreams and shadows and the miseries of it are real and many and grievous Gal. 1.4 To deliver us from this present evil world The present world is certainly an evil world take the best part of the world the state of the Church here it is quite different from what it will be hereafter Now Gods Children are pilgrims and can hardly get leave to pass thorow as Israel could not get leave to go thorow Edom at other times enemies come forth to stop them in the very wilderness Sometimes the Church is like a Ship in the hands of foolish guides that know not the right art of steerage at other times spotted with the Calumnies of adversaries or the stains and scandals of its own Children sometimes rent and torn by sad Divisions every party impaling and enclosing the Common Salvation within their own bounds unchristianing and unchurching all the rest and the name of Christians challenged to themselves and denyed to others and like a ball of contention carryed away by that party that can rustle down others who stand in their way Though with all this disadvantage 't is better to dwell in the Courts of the Lord than in the Tenâ—s of wickedness Yet surely a tender Spirit that mindeth Sions welfare will groan under these disorders and long to come at that great Council of Souls who with perfect Harmony are lauding and praising of God for evermore That innumerable company of Spirits made perfect Heb. 12.23 That general Assembly gathered together out of several Countries into one Body and one place who live together sweetly and serve God without weakness weariness and imperfection obj But how can Christians groan and long for their Heavenly state since there is no passage to it but by Death and 't is unnatural to desire our own Death Answ. 1. They do not simply desire Death for its self but as a means to injoy these better things So Phil. 1.23 I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ. 'T is not our duty to Love Death as Death No so 't is an evil that we must patiently bear because of the good which is beyond it But it is our Duty to Love God and to long after Communion with him and to be perfected in holiness Had it not been an evil
Body and so remaineth a widdow as it were till the Body be raised up and united to it 'T is without its mate and companion so that it remaineth destitute of half its self which though it may be born for a while yet not for ever 2dly 'T is agreeable to the Wisdom Justice and Goodness of God that the Body which had its share in the work should have its share in the reward 'T is the Body which is most gratified in sin and the Body which is most pained in obedience What is it that was wearyed and tyred and endured all the labours and troubles of Christianity Therefore the Body that is the Souls Sister and Coheir is to share with it in its Eternal Estate whatsoever it be before that the wicked are but in part punished and the Godly in part rewarded There is a time when God will deal with the whole man 3dly The state of those that dye will not be worse then the state of those that are only changed at Christs coming The Bodies are not destroyed but perfected the substance is preserved only endued with new qualities Now there would be a disparity among the glorified if some should have their Bodies others not 4thly In the Heavenly estate there are many objects which can only be discerned by our Bodily senses The Humane Nature of Christ the beauty of the Heavenly place or Mansion of the Blessed with other the works of God which certainly are offered to our contemplation Now if God find objects he will find faculties How shall we see those things which are to be seen hear those things which are to be heard unless we have Bodies and Bodily senses 5thly As Christ was taken into Heaven so we For we shall bear the Image of the Heavenly He carryed no other flesh into Heaven but what he assumed from the Virgin that very Body which was carryed in her womb which was laid down as a sacrifice for sin that very Body was carryed into Heaven Phil. 3.21 The Body that is subject to so many infirmities that is harrassed and worn out with labours exposed to such pains and sufferings even that Body shall be like Christs Glorious Body 1 Cor. 15.43 44. It shall not be decayed with Age nor wasted with sickness nor need the supplies of meat and drink nor be subject to pains and Aches c. Well then let us serve God Faithfully 1 Cor. 15.58 Therefore my beloved brethren be ye stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as ye know that your Labour is not in vain in the Lord. SERMON VII 2 Cor. 5.5 Now he that hath wrought us for this self same thing is God who also hath given unto us the Earnest of his Spirit HAving shewed 1. The Persons who desire Eternal Glory v. 3. 2. The Manner of desiring not simply to be unclothed v. 4. 3. He now shews the grounds of desiring in this verse They are two 1. God hath fitted us for this very thing 2. He hath given us the Pledge and Earnest of this Glorious estate All the business will be 1. To open the Expressions 2. To shew how these are grounds of the Desire First To open the meaning of the Expressions 1. God's forming us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is that self same thing he speaketh of A groaning and an earnest desire after Immortality say some We would gladly be rid of our Burthen here and be in Heaven and surely the sense of Nature would not incline us to so holy an Affection No God hath wrought us for this self same thing hath framed such a desire in us We know and are assured that when this earthly Tabernacle is dissolved we have a Building c. say others Surely this persuasion is of God created and produced in the hearts of his People by his Special Grace Flesh and Blood hath not shewed it to us Still good Others carry it higher That we eye things unseen and make them our scope still this is from Grace not from Nature for Nature looketh only to things before us to present welfare That we are contented though our outward man perish so that our inward man be renewed Surely all this is from God A man may admire Coelestial Happiness but not industriously desire it and self-denyingly seek after it to the loss of the Contentments and Interests of the bodily life unless God move his heart and supernaturally bestow such a disposition towards himself All this is true and good but 't is a part of this sense The Apostle speaketh not of the Desire but of the Happiness its self that we may be capable of it He first formeth us and frameth us for this very thing 1. Here in this World he fits us and prepareth the Soul by Sanctification or Regeneration purifying and cleansing us from sin 2. For the Body the Spirit that now dwelleth in us will at last raise our mortal Bodies Rom. 8.11 and prepare us for that Immortality God now frameth the Souls of his People hereafter their Bodies They are wrought to this thing Man must be new made before he is capable of entring into glory There is a new work on the Souls and on the Bodies of his Saints they must be new moulded and transformed before they are brought into this Blessed estate The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 noteth a powerful work and an exact work None who are unfit or unmeet for Heaven get an access to it no we are framed for this very thing II. Given us the Earnest of his Spirit This better life is sealed and confirmed to us by Earnest Dona gifts that is one thing As we give a shilling to a Beggar Pignus a pawn or pledge is another As when a poor man layeth his Tools at pledge with an intent when he can make up the money borrowed to fetch it away again But Arrha earnest is a part of the bargain till the whole be performed God will not deal with us by bare Covenant but give Earnest to assure us the more of that life which he hath promised in his Covenant we have a tast and experience of it in the present work of his Spirit Secondly How these are grounds of this Desire There are Two things considerable in that glorious estate which we expect according to promise the Certainty and the Excellency both are confirmed by God's working us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And giving us the Earnest c. 1. The Certainty of it is confirmed by both these by things the frame of the New Creature and Earnest of the Spirit 1. By the Frame of the New Creature If a Vessel be formed 't is for some end and what doth not attain its end is vain and lost A man may make a thing useless and short of its end but God cannot for he cannot mistake in the forming nor change his mind and therefore if God had made us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the end is sure to be
1. Cor. 2.12 But we have not received the Spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God If I have this I am safe the carnal cannot say so they have no earnest 2. By way of effectual influence The Spirit is given as an earnest of Blessedness to come and causeth all the motions and inclinations of the Soul to tend that way in the heart he is as a Spirit that came from Heaven exciting the Soul to look and long for and prepare for that Happy Estate The Life of grace begun and maintained by the Spirit in our hearts wholly tendeth to this to carry up our hearts thither The Spirit mortifieth the earthly and sensual disposition Rom. 8.13 But raiseth in us hopes desires and endeavours after the other World Phil. 3.20 But our Conversation is in Heaven Inclineth us to drive on a trade for another Countrey and another World yea our very confidence is wrought by him and increased by his influence The Devil the World and the Flesh do continually assault it but the Spirit maintaineth it Therefore the more of his Spirit the more confident 'T is his work within us to promote it and to maintain it This cometh of the Spirit of God He causes us to live in Peace and Hope and Joy and die in Hope and Peace and Joy 3dly By way of gracious improvement on our part For if God giveth the Spirit as an earnest we must make use of him as an earnest The Spirit and grace of Christ is not only given us to subdue corruption to carry us on delightfully to converse with God but as an earnest that we may live in hope but we may reason within our selves God hath not only offered me this happiness when I had no thought of it but followed me with incessant importunity till my anxious Soul was troubled began to make a business of it By the secret drawings of his Spirit he inclined my heart to choose him for my portion since given me the comfort of the pardon of my sins bound up my broken heart visited me in Ordinances supported me in troubles helped me in Temptations his Spirit still liveth dwelleth and worketh in you therefore I am confident and wait on him 2 Cor. 1.20 21. For all the promises of God are yea and Amen in Christ Jesus to the Glory of God by us Now he that hath established us with you and hath anointed us is God Who hath also sealed us and given us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts 1. Use is to shew us that true confidence is not a devout sloath or idle expectation but breedeth in us a noble choice excellent Spirit maketh us vigorous in our duty watchful against sin patient under the cross longing and breathing after more of God and hastening our preparation for the injoyment of him 2. Vse to put us upon Self-reflection 2. Have we the earnest of the Spirit His comforts are not so sure an evidence as his sanctifying influence Are our hearts changed God giveth earnest before he giveth Heaven 2. Do we improve it to an Holy confidence such as sheweth it self in diligence 1 Cor. 15.58 Wherefore my Beloved Brethren be ye stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord. And courage 1 Phil. 28. And in nothing terrifyed by your adversaries which is to them an evident token of perdition but to you of Salvation and that of God A Spirit of courage under sufferings which is the same with confidence here so as not to be driven from our duty or to take any sinful course for our safety 3. Use to press us to seek after this confidence with diligence it may be kept up Heb. 6.11 And that you do shew forth the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end SERMON IX 2 Cor. 5.6 Knowing that whilst we are at home in the Body we are absent from the Lord. FRom the connexion with the former branch you see a Christians Condition in the World is mixed he is comforted but not satisfied his Faith is satisfied for he is confident but his love is not satisfied For while he is at home in the Body he is absent from the Lord. And that not for a little time only but for his whole course as long as his Life shall last all the while that he is at home in the Body This is added to shew the reason 1. Of groaning 2. Of confidence Of groaning because we are absent from Christs presence and full Communion with him in Glory Of confidence We must be sometime present with the Lord. Now we are not therefore we have a certain perswasion that there shall be granted to us a nearer access after Death Then we look cheerfully upon Death as that which bringeth us home to God from whom these earthly Bodies keep us as strangers Two points offer themselves to us 1. That a Christian is not in his own proper home while he sojourneth in the Body or liveth here in this present World in an earthly Tabernacle 2. The main reason why a Christian counteth himself not at home is because he is absent from the Lord. 1. That a Christian is not in his own proper home while he sojourneth in the Body or liveth here in this present World in an earthly Tabernacle The Greek words run thus We in dwelling in the Body dwell forth from the Lord. That is from the Lord Jesus the beholding of whose Glory and presence we must want so long which is grievous to a Christian. Instances Abraham who had best right by Gods immediate Donation Heb. 11.9 He sojourned in the Land of promise as in a strange Country As in a place wherein he was to stay but a while and to pass thorough it to a better Country David who had most possession an opulent and powerful King Abraham inherited or purchased nothing in the Land of Canaan but a burying place but David counted himself a stranger too Psa. 39.12 I am a stranger and a pilgrim as all my Fathers were He that bore so full a sway in that Land did not look upon the world as a place of rest and stability But it may be he spoke this when he was chased like a flea or hunted like a partridge upon the mountains No in the midst of all his wealth and opulenlency when he had offered many Cart-loads of Gold and Silver for the building of the Temple See 1 Chron. 29.15 For we are strangers and sojourners before thee as were all our Fathers Nay Jesus Christ who was Lord Paramount telleth us John 17.16 I am not of this World He that was Lord of all had neither House nor home he passed through the World to sanctify it as a place of service but he setled not his constant residence here as in a place of rest We do not inhabit only pass through to a better place Reasons 1. Our birth and
by the power and influence of Faith 'T is not enough to have Faith but we must walk by it our whole Conversation is carryed on and influenced by Faith and by the Spirit of God on Christs part Gal. 2.20 I live by the Faith of the Son of God a lively Faith There living by Faith is spoken of as it respecteth the principle of the Spiritual Life here walking by Faith as the scope and end of it there as we derive vertue from Christ here as we press on to Heaven in the practice of Holyness In short walking noteth a progress and passing on from one place to another through a strait and beaten way which lyeth between both So we pass on from the earthly state to the Heavenly by the power and influence of our way our way is through all Conditions we are appointed unto and through all duties required of us 1. Through all Conditions By honour and dishonour evil report and good report afflictions prosperities 2 Cor. 6.4 5 6.7 8. Whether despised or countenanced still minding our great journey to Heaven Faith is necessary for all that the evil be not a discouragement nor the good a snare Evil Rom. 8.18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the Glory that shall be revealed in us Good 2 Tim. 4.10 For Demas hath forsaken us and loved the present World 2. All duties required of us That we still keep a good Conscience towards God and towards man Acts 24.15 16. In this Faith and Hope Reasons 1. Walking by Faith maketh a man sincere because he expecteth his reward from God only though no man observe him no man commend him Matth. 6 6. Thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly Yea though all men hate him condemn him Matth 5.11 12. Blessed are you when men shall revile and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my names sake rejoice and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in Heaven Now this is true sincerity when we make God alone our pay master and count his rewards enough to repair our losses and repay our cost 2. It maketh a man vigorous and lively When we consider at the end of our work there is a Life of endless joys to be possessed in Heaven with God that we shall never repent of the labour and pain that we have taken in the Spiritual Life 1 Cor. 15.58 Always abounding in the work of the Lord knowing that your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. Phil. 3.14 I press towards the mark because of the high prize of the calling of God in Jesus Christ. The thoughts of the prize and worth of the reward do add Spirits to the runner 3. It maketh a man watchful that he be not corrupted with the delights of sense which are apt to call back our thoughts to interrupt our affections to divert us from our work and quench our zeal Now one that walks by Faith can compare his Eternal Happiness with these transitory pleasures which will soon have an end and everlastingly forsake those miserable Souls who were deluded by them As Moses Heb. 11.24 25. By Faith Moses when he was come to years refused to be called the Son of Pharaohs Daughter Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to injoy the pleasures of sin for a season 4. Walking by Faith will make a man self denying having for Heaven in his Eye he knoweth that he cannot be a loser by God Mark 10.21 Forsake all that thou hast and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven So the 29 30. Verily I say unto you there is no man that hath left House or Brethren or Sister or Father or Mother and Children and Lands for my names sake but he shall receive an hundred fold 5. Walking by Faith maketh a man comfortable and confident a Believer is incouraged in all his duty imboldened in his conflicts comforted in all his sufferings The quieting or imboldening the Soul is the great work of Faith or trust in Gods fidelity A promise to him is more than all the visible things on Earth or sensible objects in the World it can do more with him to make him forsake all earthly pleasures possessions and hopes Psa. 56.4 In God I will praise his word in God I have put my trust I will not fear what flesh can do unto me So Paul Acts 20.24 But none of those things move me neither count I my Life dear unto me so I may fulfil my course with joy Save the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every City saying that bonds and afflictions abide me Did wait for him every where I make no reckoning of these things I maketh us constant Have ye fixed upon these hopes with so great deliberation and will you draw back and slack in the prosecution of them Have you gone so far in the way to Heaven and do you begin to look behind you as if you were about to change your mind Heb. 10.39 The Apostle saith Phil. 3.13 I forget the things which are behind reaching forth unto the things which are before The World and the flesh are things behind us We turned our backs upon them when we first looked after Heavenly things Heaven and remaining duties are the things before us if we lose our Crown we lose our selves for ever Use is to shew the advantage the people of God have above the carnal and unregenerate The people of God walk by Faith against the present want of sight How do the World walk Not by Faith they have it not nor by the sight of Heaven for they are not there and so continuing never shall be there So they have neither Faith nor sight what do they live by then They live by sense and by fancy by sense as to the present World and they live by fancy and vain conceit as to the World to come Live in their sins and vain pleasures and yet hope to be saved Here they walk by sight but not such a sight as the Apostle meaneth they must have something in the view of sense Lands Honours pleasures and when these are out of sight they are in darkness and have nothing to live upon But now a Christian is never at a loss let his Condition be what it will Suppose God should bring him so low and bare that he hath no estate to live on no House to dwell in yet he hath an inheritance in the promises Psa. 119.111 Thy Testimonies I have taken for an heritage for ever And God is his Habitation Psa. 90.1 A full heap in his own keeping is not such a supply to him as Gods alsufficiency Gen. 17.1 That 's his storehouse But his great Happiness is in the other World there is all his hope and his desire and he looketh upon other promises only in order to that SERMON XI 2 Cor. 5.8 We are confident I say and willing rather to be
now 'T is a Blessed thing at the close of our pilgrimage that God will receive us into his Glory But while we continue in the Body The believing apprehensions of the favour of God are very comfortable before we come to injoy the fruits of it 1. How else can we long for the coming of Christ and expect his appearance if before we pass to our Judgment we know not whether we shall be accepted yea or no Now within time it concerneth us to know how we shall fare hereafter Man hath a curiosity to know his destiny as the King of Babylon stood at the beginning of the ways to make divination The good and the evil of the World is of such light concernment and of so short continuance and God is so good that we may trust him blindfold for Worldly things and 't is a wicked foolish and needless curiosity to be so desirous to know our fortune But it concerneth us much to know whether we shall be well or ill for ever how the case will be carryed in the last Judgment if it be evil that we may prevent it and correct our errour in Death we cannot err twice if good that we may know our portion and rejoice in it if it be our Happiness then it must needs be very desirable to know it aforehand In the next verse to the Text verse 10th he speaketh of our Judge our Happiness and final doom dependeth upon his being pleased with us if we apprehend him as an angry Judge or an adversary let us agree with him quickly by the way if he be a gracious Father let us have the solace and comfort of it during our pilgrimage while we so much need it 2. Else we cannot comfortably injoy Communion with God for the present How can we come before him if we know not whether he will accept an offering at our hands They who being in a state of Faith and Reconciliation make it their endeavour to please God have God ever with them John 8.24 He that sent me is with me The Father hath not left me alone for I do always the things that please him They that would have the comfort of Gods presence and company in all Conditions they ought to set themselves to please God and observe his will in all things and when we have any special business to do with God 1 John 3.22 And whatsoever we ask we receive of him because we keep his Commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight So that while we are present we are accepted of him 3. We cannot have a cheerful fruition of the Creature and Worldly injoyments till God accepteth us Eccl. 9.7 Eat thy bread with joy and drink thy wine with a merry heart for God accepteth thy works Till we are in a reconciled estate accepted by God all our comforts are but as stolen waters and bread eaten in secret like Damocles his banquet while a sharp sword hung over his head by a slender thread But now when our persons and ways are pleasing unto God then all these comforts are sweet and satisfactory we tast Gods love in them and can use them as his Blessings with cheerfulness and thankfulness 4. That which maketh us more lively and active in our course of pleasing God is First The future Judgment And 2. The hope of our presence with him 1. The future Judgment That I gather from the 10 th verse for we must all appear before the Judgment seat of Christ. There will certainly come a day when every person that ever lived in this World shall be Judged by God and this day is sure and near In this life we are always expecting an end and carryed in a Boat that is swiftly wasting us towards Eternity Now whom should we please and with whom should we seek to be accepted A vain World or frail man or the God to whom we must strictly give an account Surely this universal impartial Judgment bindeth us to carry it so that we may be accepted with God 2. The hope of our presence with him and the beatifical vision and fruition of him for in the context he speaketh of presence and sight and then he saith wherefore we labour We are so sluggish and backward because we seldom think of the World to come earthly things are the great poise to an earthly mind but Heavenly things to an heart that is Spiritual that is their motive there are many such wherefores in the Scripture 1 Cor. 15.58 Wherefore my Beloved Brethren let us be stedfast and unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord. And Heb. 12.28 Wherefore we receiving a Kingdom which cannot be moved let us have grace whereby we may serve God accceptably with Reverence and Godly Fear There being such an eminent and excellent state of Glory and we being Candidates and Suitors for it how should it quicken us to use all diligence that we may be accepted of God and admitted into the fruition of it The Apostle telleth us Phil. 3.14 I press towards the Mark for the prize of the High calling of God in Christ Jesus Paul had his eye still upon the Mark that he might stear his whole course in order to it The thoughts of the prize and worth of the reward made him press forward through difficulties and discouragements the more we have this Glory in our thoughts the more shall we be heartned against faintings and failings which we shall ever and anon be tempted unto 2. Reasons 1. We were made and sent into the World for this end That by a constant course of obedience we might approve our selves to God and finally be accepted of with him and received into his Glory 'T is good to consider the end why we were born and sent into the World John 18.37 To this end was I born and for this cause came I into the World that I should bear witness unto the truth Surely man was made for some end for the wise God would make nothing in vain Now what is mans end Not to fill up the number of things as stones and not to wax bulky and increase in growth and stature as trees not to eat and drink and serve appetite as the beasts not for the earth the end is more noble than the means not dig for iron with mattocks of Gold The Earth was made for us to be our habitation for a while not we for it Surely God made all things for himself Prov. 16.4 And Rom. 11.36 For of him and through him and to him are all things So we especially who have the faculties of heart mind to know him love him and serve him injoy him for ever Now we seek after him our whole life is a coming to God we have not enough of God here to satisfy the Soul only enough to direct incline us to seek more and every one that seriously mindeth his end maketh it his trade and daily work John 6.38 I came from
avoid everlasting misery 'T is no 〈◊〉 what we suffer in time and endure in time USE 3. Improve it first to seek a reconciliation with God in the way of Faith and Repentance A man that is under the sentence of death and in danger to be executed every moment would not be quiet till he get a pardon All men by nature are Children of wrath as a Son of death as one condemned to die so 't is an Hebraism Now run for refuge to take hold of the hope that is set before you Heb. 6.18 make peace upon earth Luke 2.14 Agree with thine Adversary quickly while he is in the way Luke 12.58 59. Now God calleth to repentance Act. 17.30 31. Oh Labour to be found of him in peace 2 Pet. 3.14 How can a man be at rest till his great work be over 2. Improve it to holiness and watchfulness and to bridle licentiousness and boldness in sinning Eccl. 11.9 Rejoyce O young man in thy youth and let thine heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth walk in the ways of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know thou for all these things God will bring thee to judgment As cold Water cast into a boiling pot stops its fury 1 Pet. 1.17 And if ye call on the Father who without respect of persons Judgeth every man according to every mans work pass the time of your sojourning here in fear Say as the Town Clark of Ephesus Acts 9.40 We are in danger to be called in Question for this days uproar I must give an account for idle words careless praying and unprofitable mispending of time 3. Improve it to patience under ignominy and reproaches Thy innocency will appear on thy tryal if in an abject Condition the upright shall have dominion in the morning afflictions and persecutions will then end and thou shalt have thy reward 1 Thes. 1.6 7. And ye became followers of us and of the Lord having received the word in much affliction with joy in the Holy Ghost so that ye were ensamples of all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia And 1 Cor. 15.58 Wherefore my beloved be stedfast and unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as ye know your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. SERMON XVIII 2 Cor. 5.11 Knowing therefore the terrour of the Lord we perswade men but we are made manifest unto God and I trust also are made manifest in your Consciences THe Apostle is giving an account of his sincerity zeal and faithfulness in his Ministry Three things moved him to it hope fear and love Here he asserteth the influence of the second principle In the words take notice of two things 1. The motive and reason of his fidelity in his Ministry knowing therefore the terrour of the Lord we perswade men 2. The witnesses to whom he appealeth For the proof of his fidelity and diligence 1. God the searcher of hearts 2. the consciences of his Auditours who had felt the benefit and force of the Word 1. To God as the supream Witness Approver and Judge but we are made manifest unto God he seeth our principles and aims and with what hearts we go about our work 2. To the Corinthians as secondary witnesses and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences He was confident that he had a witness of his sincerity and uprightness in their consciences The greatest approbation that we can have from men is to have an approbation in their consciences Mark the order our first desire should be to approve our selves to God who is our Judge and then to men And in doing that to approve our selves to their consciences which is the faculty which is most apt to take Gods part rather than to their humours that we may gain their respect and applause next to God the testimony of conscience next to our own conscience the consciences of others 1. I begin with the motive and reason of his fidelity knowing the terrour of the Lord we perswade men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the vulgar Timorem Domini knowing the fear of the Lord. Erasmus Beza and our translation terrorem domini Grotius according to the former reading knowing the fear of the Lord i. e. The true way of religion we perswade men to Imbrace it Rather the Apostle understandeth the terrour of this Judgment being certain that these things are so and that such a terrible Judgment of Christ will come we perswade men to become Christians or to live as such as shall speed well then when others shall be destroyed he saith plurally 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we perswade as comprizing his Colleagues suppose Timotheus and Sylvanus he and they perswaded men to Imbrace the Faith and to live as those who are to be judged For 't is to be looked upon 1. As an Argument and Motive to perswade himself and his Colleagues to sincerity in their Ministry who were to give an account of their dispensation 2. As an Argument and Motive to the People for their obedience to the Faith Doct. That the certain knowledge of the terrible Iudgment of God should move us to perswade and you that hear to be perswaded to a careful and serious preparation for it In managing which Point 1. I shall consider the object Here is terrour or matter of fear offered in the Judgment mentioned 2. The subject or persons fearing Paul and his Colleagues together with all the parties who are to be judged 3. The means How this fear cometh to be raised in us or to work on us Knowing 4. The effect here is perswasion grounded thereon knowing the terrour of the Lord we perswade men 1. That there is terrour and matter of fear offered in the day of judgment upon several accounts 1. As it is an Impartial Judgment that shall pass upon all heathens Christians Apostles Ministers private Persons This ground is urged 1 Pet. 1.17 If ye call on the Father who without respect of Persons judgeth according to every mans work pass the time of your sojourning here in fear Those who take the Lord to be their Father and themselves for his Children must consider him also as an Exact and an Impartial Judge of all their actions And therefore with the more care and sollicitude carry on the work of holiness What is respecting or accepting persons in the Judgment 'T is to esteem one person rather than another for outward advantages not regarding the merits of the cause which cometh to discussion and tryal As in mans courts when men are spared for their greatness dignity or worldly preheminence But what person may God be supposed to respect or accept in Judgment Surely none can be so irrational as to think the great or rich can have any pretention to his favour or merciful dealing rather then others no Noble or Ignoble Poor or Rich Prince or begger they all stand upon the same level before God Well then the persons who may be supposed
their obedience to him 1 John 2.5 But who so keepeth his word in him verily is the love of God perfected That is hath produced its consummate effect So 1 John 5.3 This is love to keep his Commandments Love implieth the doing of those things which are most grateful and acceptable to the party beloved and this is the prime if not the only way of demonstrating our love to God which the Scripture so much insisteth upon So Exod. 20.6 That love me and keep my commandments Now for the Reasons Our love to God is not the love of courtesy that passeth between equals but a love of dutiful subjection such as is due from an Inferiour to a Superiour such as is that of Servants to their Master Subjects to their Prince and Governour creatures to their Creator and therefore is not discovered by a fellow like familiarity so much as by obedience Gods love to us is an act of bounty our love to him is an act of duty and therefore he will see that the tryal of this love of gratitude or this returning love be sincere if it produce an uniform and constant obedience or an universal care to please God in all things faith is known by love and love by obedience Gal. 6.15 and Gal. 5.6 4 This obedience which love produceth must be active constant and pleasant 1. Active and laborious Love will not rest in word and profession only or lye lurking in the heart as an idle habit but will break out in sensible proofs and endeavours and keep us hard at work for God Rom. 12.11 Not slothful in business fervent in Spirit serving the Lord. So 't is where there is love but for others every thing is tedious to flesh and blood and where love is cold men cannot overcome a little ease and sloth of the flesh Now how can they know the love of God who will do nothing for him or no great thing for him Till you abound in the work of the Lord love doth not discover its self Love will be working and labouring and ever bringing forth fruit and that is not real and sincere which is not such which will not be at the pains and charge of obedience 2. Constant. For one act or two will not manifest our love to God but a course of holiness John 15.10 If ye keep my commandments ye shall abide in my love even as I have kept the Fathers commandments and abide in his love And love must shew its self as by obedience so by a constant obedience And therefore it requireth some competent space of time before we can be fully assured of the sincerity of it when we find it growing it 's very comfortable and when we have rode out so many Temptations 't is an incouragement still to go on with God 3. It must be pleasant 1. John 5.3 For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not grievous And Psa. 112.1 Blessed is the man that delighteth greatly in his commandments When we cheerfully practise all that he requireth of us love sweetneth all things 't is Meat and Drink to do his will the thing commanded is excellent but 't is sweeter as commanded by him A man is never throughly converted till he delighteth in God and his service and his heart is overpowered by the sweetness of his love A slavish kind of religiousness when we had rather not do than do our work is no fruit of grace and cannot evidence a sincere love 5. In the course of our obedience God ordereth some special seasons for the discovery of our sincere love to him As Abraham had his tryal so we Heb. 11.17 By faith Abraham when he was tryed offered up Isaac And God tryeth non ut ipse hominem inveniat sed ut homo se inveniat Gen. 22.12 For now I know thou fearest God That is a document a sensible proof of the reality and sincerity of grace as under sore tryals God doth most manifest himself to us upon these occasions when put upon great self-denial we have a sensible occasion to see which we love most 't was a nice case before When faithfulness to Gods interest is dearer to us than our own credit liberty life then is a special sensible occasion to improve the sincerity of our love Such things are pleaded Psa. 44.17 All this is come upon us yet have we not forsaken thee nor dealt falsly in thy covenant Gods choicest comforts are for them that overcome temptations 7 Case of Conscience But how shall we do to get or increase this love to Christ Is there any thing that man can do towards it since love is of God and a fruit of his Spirit Ans. 1. 'T is true that a man in his natural estate cannot by his own power bring his heart to love God Partly Because men naturally are lovers of themselves that is of their carnal selves and so lovers of pleasure more than God 2 Tim. 3.4 So addicted to vain and sensual delights the flesh and World have intercepted their love and delight John 3.6 That which is born of flesh is flesh Will a nature that is carnal resist and overcome the flesh And can men be brought by their own inclination to abhor the sin they dearly love And a worldly mind overcome the World Therefore till grace heal our natures we cannot love God or Christ First the carnal love must be mortifyed Deut. 30.6 The Lord thy God shall circâ—mcise thy heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and all thy Soul that thou mayest live Till God pare away our foreskin and mortify our carnal love and inordinate passions there can be no love to God or Christ raised or inkindled in our hearts And Partly Because men are haters of God Rom. 1.30 Enemies to him as standing in the way of their desires and keeping them by his laws from things which they affect as forbidden fruit Col. 1.21 And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your minds by evil works And Rom. 8.7 Because the carnal mind is enmity to God for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be And Jam. 4.4 Know ye not that the friendship of the World is enmity with God Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the World is the enemy of God There is a mixture of love palpable and evident by nature and though men might be imagined to have some kind of love to God as a Creator and Preserver and Benefactor yet they hate him as a Law-giver and a Judge Therefore till this enmity be broken there is no hope of bringing the heart to love God 2. Since God worketh it it must be in the first place begged of him As the Apostle prayeth for others so do you for your selves Eph. 3.17 18. That ye being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and