God and that he has power to save and to destroy James 4.12 There is one Lawgiver who hath power to save and to destroy And you profess That he can do whatsoever he pleaseth in Heaven and in Earth and among all the Inhabitants of the Earth and that none can stay his hand none can say unto him what dost thou Dan. 4.35 You profess this God to be your Soveraign yet for all this you make no bones of flighting his Authority you dare flight the Authority of this Law-giver and make no bones of breaking his Commandments You can break the first Commandment by Atheism impenitency hardness of heart lukewarmness unthankfulness You can break the second Commandment by neglecting or mis-performing the duties of Gods Worship and Service You can break the third Commandment by not honouring God by not glorifying God you do not sanctifie and honour his Name in his Word in his Works in his Providences in his Ordinances in his Mercies You make no bones I say of breaking his Commands Thus you profess one thing you say that the Lord is your Lord your Law-giver but you practice another when you slight his Authority and break his Commands See how angrily our Saviour speaks Luke 6.46 And why call ye me Lord Lord and do not the things which I command you Again You profess you believe the threatnings of God such dreadful threatnings as these Vpon the wicked he shall rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest this shall be the portion of their Cup Psalm 11.6 So Psalm 68.21 God shall wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalp of such a one as goeth on still in his trespasses You profess you believe these threatnings but yet notwithstanding your practice crosses your Profession for let a Minister come and thunder these threatnings in your ears yea let a Minister come and spit fire and vengeance in the face of Sinners yet notwithstanding they do no more tremble than the seat they sit on It were well if some Snners had but as much fear as the Devils have James 2.19 for they believe the threatnings of God and fear them and know they shall be accomplished to the uttermost Thirdly You profess that you believe the Promises I that you do I but what Promises do you believe You believe the Promise of Eternal life because you believe Jesus Christ will be your Saviour I but do you believe the Promises for example for this life Do you believe if you seek the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness in the first place all other things shall be cast into the Bargain Matth. 6.33 Again Do you believe that Promise Psalm 34.10 The young Lions do lack and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing Do you believe the Promises for this life let that be judged by your Covetousness by your carking carefulness that distracting dividing care that divides the mind from it self See what the Prophet Isaiah says Isa 28.16 He that believeth shall not make haste He therefore that does make haste to be rich does not believe He that makes haste to be rich shall not be innocent saith Solomon Prov. 28.20 You therefore that make so much haste to be rich you that make so much busling in the World wherefore is this craving carking whining after the things of this life It is a certain undeniable evidence of your distrusting Gods Providence and Promises and let me tell you You that will not believe him for the Body you will never believe him for the Soul You that will not believe him for your Estates and Children you will never believe him for your Eternal Salvation You that will not believe him for a Crust you will never believe him for a Crown And yet you say you believe his Promises that you do Fourthly You say you believe in the mercy of God for pardon I but when once Satan comes to shake your confidence but a little when you lie but under any temptation when God seems to hide away his face from you though never so little in the day of your fears and straits then you are ready to question whether you are the Children of God or no whether there be any thing of God in you or no you are ready to say then as Sion did Isa 49.14 The Lord hath forsaken me my Lord hath forgotten me my way is hidden from the Lord and my judgment from the Almighty It may be you may come to that condition to say with Cain My punishment is greater than I can bear my sin is greater than can be forgiven Gen. 4. God will never forgive such great sins as mine are You say that you believe in the mercy of God but when it comes to the trial it will be found no such matter Fifthly Again You say you believe a day of Judgment this is one thing you profess I but your practice is quite contrary for did you believe it seriously then you would pass the time of your sojourning here in fear 1 Pet. 1.17 Did you believe it seriously then you would be affected with it as that ancient Father was Whether I eat or drink or whatever I do methinks I hear the Trumpet sounding in mine ears Arise ye dead and come to judgment If you did believe the terror of the Lord 2 Cor. 5.11 certainly then you would exercise your selves to have Consciences void of offence both towards God and men Acts 24.16 Sixthly You say you believe that there will be a Resurrection of the Body and yet notwithstanding you carry your selves here upon the Earth as if so be there was no account or reckoning to come Some may be can live I am even ashamed to speak it they can live as if they had no God to serve and no Souls to save as if there would never come a day wherein they must appear before their Judg. I remember the speech of Saint Paul to King Agrippa Acts 26.27 King Agrippa Believest thou the Prophets I know says he that thou believest But I may say to many an impenitent unregenerate obstinate perverse Sinner Oh that there were none such in this Congregation I may say to many such Sinners Believest thou the Word of God Believest thou the Threatnings of God I know thou believest them not If thou didst believe the Commands of God Oh then thou wouldest say with Saint Paul What wouldest thou have me to do Lord Acts 9.6 Teach me the way of thy Statutes O Lord and I will walk in it and I will keep it to the end Psalm 119.33 If thou didst believe the Threatnings of God then thou wouldst be in the same condition that David was in Psalm 119.12 My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy Judgments If thou didst believe those dreadful Threatnings thou wouldst be in the same condition with the Prophet Habakkuk My belly trembled my lips quivered rottenness entred into my bones and I trembled in
carries them in his Bosom and gently Leads them and accordingly there are these two Points of Doctrine that are most eminently and clearly held forth in the Text. Doct. 1. That Jesus Christ is that Blessed Shepherd that is able both to feed and protect his People here and to give them eternal Life hereafter Doct. 2. That the Lord Jesus Christ in his carriage towards his People hath a tender respect to their Infirmities I begin with the first Doctrine The Lord Jesus Christ is that blessed Shepherd that is abundantly able to feed and protect his People here and to give them eternal life hereafter For the proof of this Doctrine take two or three Scriptures in Joh. 10.11 I am the good Shepherd the good Shepherd giveth his life for the Sheep and in Heb. 13.20 He is called the great Shepherd of the Sheep Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant c. And he is called the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls in 1 Pet. 2.20 For ye were as sheep going astray but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls so that doubtless Jesus Christ is the most blessed the best the greatest the sweetest Shepherd that ever was as will appear by these four reasons First Because he hath the greatest care over them Secondly Because he hath the greatest love to his Sheep Thirdly Beeause he hath the greatest power that ever Shepherd had Fourthly Because he hath the greatest reward for them that can possibly be bestowed First Jesus Christ hath the greatest care over his Sheep for he seeks them when they are lost I come says he to seek and to save those which were lost Luk. 1.9 20 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost And he gathers them from the ends of the world he fetches them from all corners of the earth there is not one of his sheep that is not one that belongs to the election of grace but in what place soever he be though among Pagans Heathens and Infidels of what condition soever he be whether high or low rich or poor noble or ignoble of what calling or employment soever As some will be ready to complain and say I am lockt up under a Calling I would be better if my Calling would let me I but there is not one of Christs sheep that belongs to the election of Grace though he be lockt up under a Calling but the Lord Jesus Christ will seek him out in what condition or Calling soever he be That 's the first reason He hath the greatest care over his sheep to gather them into his Fold 2dly Because he hath the greatest love to his sheep such love as the like was never heard of Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friend John 15.13 There cannot be greater love manifested than this but such love hath the Lord Jesus Christ he hath laid down his life that good Shepherd laid down his life for his sheep as in the forenamed place John 10.11 I am the good Shepherd the good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep You know Jacob sheweth a great deal of love to his sheep in that as he tells you he was in the day-time parched with heat the drought consumed him and in the night-time pinched with frost and he broke his sleep many times to watch his sheep Gen. 31.40 My sleep says he departed from mine eyes That was great love but David shewed greater love to his Flocks Psal 78.70 he followed the Ewes great with young when God took him from the Sheepfolds to wield the Scepter And he shewed yet greater love to his Flock as he tells you in 1 Sam. 17.34 35 And David said unto Saul Thy servant kept his Fathers sheep and there came a Lion and a Bear and took a Lamb out of the stock and I went out after him smote him delivered it out of his mouth and when he arose against me I caught him by his beard and smote him and slew him thy servant slew both the Lion and the Bear David ventured very far he ventured his life for one Lamb of the Flock but Jesus Christ that blessed Shepherd did not only venture his life but he laid down his life for his sheep and he did not venture to grapple with an ordinary Lion but with that roaring Lion that walks about seeking whom he may devour Nay he did not only wrestle with that roaring Lion but with all the powers of darkness he wrestled with principalities and powers Nay he wrestled with the wrath of a sin-revenging God and all that he might save his poor sheep therefore never was there such a loving Shepherd as the Lord Jesus Christ That 's the second reason Thirdly He hath the greatest power and ability that ever Shepherd had for this is extraordinary that he makes all the sheep he hath all his sheep are the workmanship of his hands Psalm 100.3 Know ye that the Lord he is God it is he that hath made us and not we our selves we are his people and the sheep of his pasture He hath that power that he can do whatsoever pleaseth him in heaven and in earth All power in heaven and carth is given to him Matth. 26.18 He hath that power that he is able to deliver his sheep from the gates of hell He hath said that the gates of hell shall not prevail against them Matth. 16.18 He hath that power that he can do that for his sheep that all the world and all the Princes in the world cannot do for them and therefore he must needs be the best Shepherd That 's the third reason Fourthly He hath the greatest reward also to bestow upon every one of his sheep Alas his sheep give nothing to him My goodness does not extend to thee Psalm 16.2 We can bestow nothing upon this blessed Shepherd he hath no need of any thing we have I but he bestows a very rich portion upon his sheep a glorious reward he feeds them he cloaths them he protects them here in this world and gives them eternal life hereafter First This blessed Shepherd feeds all his sheep he feeds them first by his Word and then by his Sacraments He feeds them by his Word by sending his Messengers as under-Shepherds to feed his Flock It is a Gospel-promise that in Jer. 3.15 I will give you Pastors according to my own heart which shall feed you with knowledg and understanding And it was one end of our Saviours ascention into Heaven and a great blessing we have by it he ascended into heaven that he might give gists unto men Ephes 4.8 11 12 13 verses Wherefore he saith when he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men and he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and
Lesson That such and so great is the indispensable need that we have of the Lord Jesus Christ that without him we are undone for ever In the 53d verse of this exeellent Chapter Verily verily I say unto you except you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood you have no life in you He speaks there of eating of his flesh and drinking his blood in a spiritual manner You know there are many desires of the Soul that may be dispenced with but hunger is a desire that must be satisfied unless you have bread for your sustenance the body dies so unless you have Jesus Christ for your spiritual sustenance your Souls die and drop down into Hell for ever for look as the union of the Body with the Soul is the life of the Body so the union of the Soul with Jesus Christ is the life of the Soul O hearken to this thou that art yet in a natural and unregenerate estate uncalled unconverted that never was yet transplanted from off the old rotten stock of Adam and replanted into the true Vine the Lord Jesus Christ if thou livest in this estate and diest in this estate thou art undone for ever the poorest worm that crawls upon the ground is in a better condition than thou art in Acts 26.27 Believest thou the Prophets said St. Paul to King Agrippa I know that thou believest Believest thou this Doctrine say I to thee that art yet uncalled unconverted I know thou believest it not for if thou didst believe it thou couldest not rest contented in a Christless condition for one week no not for one day but wouldest by prayers and tears and supplications cry out Lord Jesus give me thy self whatever thou denyest me give me thy self though I be as poor as Job upon the Dunghil But we cannot perswade men that the danger of a natural estate and condition is so great as indeed it is but the Lord convince you and perswade you of it A second Doctrinal Inference that may be hence deduced is this If Jesus Christ be the living bread then it follows the vanity and emptiness and insufficiency of all Creature-accommodations is exceeding great name what you will of these outward accommodations that the World do so greedily gape after whether Riches or Honours or Pleasures or goodly brave Buildings this and that alas we may say of them they are not bread Isa 55.2 Wherefore do you spend your money for that which is not bread Your money that is your precious opportunities your time that is your money to make your Markets for Eternity with for Moments are the Markets for Eternity Wherefore do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not Alas alas these outward things they are neither satisfactory nor permanent they are not satisfactory for Solomon tells us that He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver nor he that loveth abundance with encrease Eccles 5.10 As soom may you hope to fill a Chest with Wisdom and Knowledg as to fill a Soul which is a spiritual substance with temporal things And as these outward things are are satisfactory so neither are they permanent or lasting 1 Cor. 6.13 Meats for the belly and the belly for meats but God shall deslroy both it and them Look as the belly devours the meat so the worms at last shall devour the belly and so both meat and belly perish together But if you can but once get this spiritual bread the Lord Christ you shall never perish Alas alas consider your own folly and brutishness in seeking for satisfaction here below where none is to be found your bread without Christ is but gravel in your throats your moral Vertues without Christ are but glittering sins your bodies without Christ are but dust and ashes dust that will drop down into the Grave and ashes that are fitted for the Furnace of Hell-fire your Souls without Christ are but the Devils Palace your lives without Christ is but the service of sin and your deaths without Christ will be nothing else but the wages of sin Oh who would rest then in a Christless condition Who would sit down contented with these poor transitory shadowy comforts A third Lesson we may learn by way of Inference is this If Jesus Christ be the living bread then our main end and errand in coming to the Lords Table is not to feed the Body but to feed the Soul 1 Cor. 11.21 What have you not Houses to eat and to drink in saith the Apostle So that it is not the end of your coming to the Lords Table therefore you eat but a little piece of Bread and drink but a little draught of Wine to put you in mind that it is not the Body that you come to feed but you come to feed the Soul and therefore you should labour to get a preparation suitable to that spiritual bread that you are to taste of But what is that you will say I answer There should be something done before your coming and something done in the Administration of the Elements and something done after the receiving of the Elements First There should be something done before you come Oh beg a blessing upon your spiritual bread Man lives not by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Matth. 4.4 I may apply it thus Your Souls will not live by this Sacramental Bread but by the Word of Gods blessing If God will bless this spiritual food to you your Souls shall live On therefore beg the Blessing of God upon this Heavenly Bread Secondly And then there is something to be done while you are eating this Bread you should get your hearts all on fire with love to this blessed Redeemer that was contented to be made bread to be prepared food as I told you even now to be threshed and winnowed and ground and bak'd and scorch'd in the Oven of his Fathers Wrath Oh how should your hearts be all on a flame with Love as the two Disciples were going to Emaus As Jesus Christ brake bread and gave it to them and opened to them the Scriptures their hearts did burn within them Luke 24.32 they were as it were all on a fire So should it be with you when you come to the Lords Table you should have your meditations wholly taken up with that which is the life of the Sacrament even the death of our Saviour let not your hearts be roving and wandering about watch them narrowly you will hardly keep them close to a duty two Minutes without great watching Thirdly There is something to be done after when you have eaten of this living bread that is to be exceeding thankful study to walk worthy of the Lord unto all well-pleasing That 's the first Use of Information The second Vse is of Exhortation Is Jesus Christ that living bread that gives eternal life to all those that have a
last verse For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted p. 116 Fear of losing Salvation the way to obtain it on 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 p. 139 The persevering Saint shall be the Crowned Saint on Rev. 3.11 Behold I come quickly hold fast that which thou hast that no man take thy Crown p. 185 Mercy despised and God provokd thereby on Psal 106.24 Yea They despised the pleasant Land and believed not his Word p. 218 Christs Preciousness on 1 Pet. 2.7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious p. 269 The Necessity of Humiliation on Acts 16.29 30 Then he called for a Light and sprang in and came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas c. p. 330 Christ the Bread of Life on John 6.35 I am the Bread of Life c. p. 360 Christs true Disciples Doers of Gods Will c. on John 7.17 If any man will do his Will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self p. 383 These two Books of Mr. Tho. Brooks are lately Printed for and to be sold by Dorman Newman at the Kings Arms in the Poultrey A Golden Key to open hidden Treasures or several great Points which refer to the Saints Blessedness and their future Happiness with the Resolution of several important Questions c. Paradise opened or the Secret Mysteries and Rarities of Divine Love of infinite Wisdom and of Wonderful Counsel laid open for Publick View Also the Covenant of Grace and the high and glorious Transactions of the Father and the Son in the Covenant of Redemption Opened and improved at large c. Believers Mortification of sin by the Spirit or Gospel-Holiness advanced by the Power of the Holy Ghost in the hearts of the Faithful Whereunto is added the Authors three last Sermons on Gen. 3.5 By the Learned and Pious Mr. Alexander Carmichael formerly of Scotland and late Preacher of the Gospel in London Published by his own Copy The Crown and Glory of a Christian consisting of a sound Conversion and a Well-ordered Conversion Mr. Wadsworth's Legacy being his serious Exhortation to a Holy Life Also his Funeral Sermon Sayings and Elogy MANS PETITION AND GODS COMPASSION A SERMON Preach'd Septemb. 6. 1657. Psalm CXXXVIII 3. In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me and strengthened me with strength in my soul THis Psalm for the kind of it is Eucharistical a Thanksgiving-Psalm The occasion of penning this Psalm in the judgment of Interpreters was this Davids establishment in the Kingdom after that he had been hunted like a Partridg upon the Mountains driven from his own Country and banished into a Wilderness and pursued like a Traitor when after all these dangers and fears and snares and opposition that he met with from Saul and from his bloody and implacable enemies God had now setled him in the Kingdom brought his hope into his hand and had lifted up his head above his adversaries and had trodden his enemies under his feet now what he had won by prayer he wears with thankfulness I will praise thee says he in the foregoing verses with my whole heart I will worship towards thy holy Temple and praise thy name for thy loving-kindness and for thy truth for thy loving-kindness in promising and for thy truth in performing for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name In the 2d verse it is a dark sentence at the first view but as a judicious Expositor upon the place well observes the words may be thus read and will better agree with the Hebrew Thou hast magnified thy name above all things in thy word that is in fulfilling thy word thou hast magnified thy name above all things in that thou hast fulfilled thy word what thou freely promisedst thou hast faithfully performed what thou hast spoken with thy mouth thou hast fulfilled with thy hand for which thy name is wonderfully to be magnified The name of God is that whereby God is known thy name is wonderfully magnified in fulfilling thy word nay thy name is magnified above all things that is the meaning of the phrase For the proof and evidence of this truth That God is wonderfully to be magnified for fulfilling his promise for making good his word to his Servant for the proof of this David brings in his own experience to set seal thereto in the words of the Text for says he In the day when I cryed to thee thou answeredst me and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul So then in this verse you may take notice of these two particulars First You have Gods free favour and gracious dealing with David in the day of his fears and of his straits in these words In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me Secondly You have the evidence or proof of this free favour of God towards him in an experience that he had of it for says he Thou strengthenedst me with strength in my soul and accordingly there are these two points of doctrine that may be fairly deduced from this Text. Doct. 1. That the Lord is ready to answer the Prayers of his poor servants when they cry unto him Doct. 2. It is one gracious way of answering our Prayers when God does strengthen us with spiritual strength when he gives us strength in our souls I begin with the first The Lord is very ready to hear and answer the prayers of his poor servants when they cry unto him For the proof of this point I could bring you a whole cloud of witnesses out of the book of God but I will content my self with three or four That in the 107 Psalm Then they cryed unto the Lord in their trouble and he delivered them out of their distresses and it is four times repeated in that one Psalm for the confirmation of our faith because we are so backward to believe the truth of it and he gives four instances of men that were brought into great straits and still when they cryed unto the Lord the Lord delivered them out of their distresses and remarkable is that Scripture Isa 30.19 For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem thou shalt weep no more he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry when he shall hear it he shall answer thee Mark he will be very gracious to thee at the voice of thy cry you shall see the experience of it in two of Gods Saints and Servants that had tasted of Gods goodness in this particular and have set it down for our encouragement one was the Prophet Jeremy in the Dungeon Lam. 3.55 56 I called upon thy name O Lord out of the low Dungeon thou hast heard my voice hide not thine ear at my breathing at my cry God had an ear for his very breathing The other example
is that of the Prophet Jonah in the Whales belly in that remarkable place Jonah 2.2 Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fishes belly and said I cryed by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord and he heard me out of the belly of hell cryed I and thou heardst my voice If you would know a reason why God is thus ready to hear and answer the prayers of his Servants when they cry take these three or four reasons briefly First Because of Gods faithfulness He is very faithful that hath promised Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will hear and answer and thou shalt glorifie me Psal 50.15 So in Isa 65.24 And it shall come to pass that before they call I will answer and whiles they are yet speaking I will hear God is faithful to his promises All his promises in Jesus Christ are yea and in him they are amen Our unfaithfulness cannot make him unfaithful if we believe not he remains faithful he cannot deny himself Secondly God hears his Servants prayers Because of that compassion that is in him towards them as he is very faithful so he is very pitiful as he hath beams of Majesty so hath he also bowels of mercy and his bowels yearn towards his poor children when they cry to him Can a mother forget her sucking-child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee Isa 49.15 A tender-hearted mother if she hear her little child whimper in the cradle that does not move her but if the child cry to purpose then her bowels yearn towards it she can stay no longer from it but runs in all haste to it so here when we do but whimper pray coldly God may be is not ready to hear but if we cry in prayer if we follow God with our supplications then his bowels cannot but yearn towards us Third reason Because Gods servants have Jesus Christ to pray for them We have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous he is pleading our cause 1 John 2.1 And he ever lives to make intercession for us Heb. 7.25 Nay his very presence with the Father is our intercession he appears in the presence of God for us he appears as our advocate in our stead for our good Heb. 9.24 For Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands which are the figures of the true but into heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us The fourth reason is this Because the servants of God have not only Christ to pray for them but they have the Spirit of Christ to pray in them Rom. 8.26 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 groans which cannot be uttered If you ask me But how does the spirit of God help our infirmities I answer These four or five ways First The spirit of God helps our infirmities by affecting us with them with our wants and weaknesses that being humbled and lying low at the feet of God we may be vessels more capable of mercy God will not pour in the oyl of his mercy but into the vessels of a broken heart now the spirit of God by a sight and sense of our manifold infirmities doth empty us and work in us some kind of brokenness of heart and so fits us for mercy Secondly Again the spirit of God helps our infirmities likewise by acting his own graces in us by acting those beginnings of faith and love and humility and self-denial which he himself hath wrought in us Thirdly By stirring up in us holy motions holy desires and pantings and breathings after our heavenly Father even such breathings as these Psal 42.1 2. As the hart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God my soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God when wilt thou come to me when shall I come to thee And my soul followeth hard after God Fourthly The spirit of God helps our infirmimities by working in us a childlike-boldness enabling us to cry Abba Father we can come to God as a child to a Father Father I want this I want that God is delighted to hear the moan-makings of his poor children Fifthly By restraining Satan that he may not interrupt us and distract us in holy services for this is certain we seldom go to duty but Satan still stands at our right-hand When Joshua the high Priest stood before the Angel of the Lord Satan stood at his right-hand to resist him Zach. 3.2 But now Jesus Christ he is stronger than Satan and he by his spirit does rebuke him But there is one great objection I know will be ready to arise in every one of your hearts You say God is ready to hear and answer the prayers of his poor servants when they cry to him but some will say Experience seems to deny this Gods own servants pray oft and yet they have no answer nay God is sometimes angry with the prayers of his servants Psal 80.4 O Lord God of Hosts how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people the prophet Jeremy he professes he cryed to God and shouted and yet God shut out his prayers and wrapt himself in a cloud that his prayers should not pass through Lam. 3.44 Thou hast covered thy self with a cloud that our prayers should not pass through It may be some will say I have been praying for such a grace twenty thirty years together and yet have not got it for strength against such a corruption and yet have not got it For answer to this objection you must know First Gods people sometimes pray not when they seem to pray Secondly God hears his people when sometimes he seems not to hear First Gods people pray not when they seem to pray as when they pray coldly and carelesly this is as no prayer as the Apostle said in the like case When ye come together therefore into one place this is not to eat the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11.20 as if he should say irregular unprepared receiving is not receiving at all as good never a whit as never the better so here cold careless formal customary prayer is as no prayer Dan. 9.13 All this evil is come upon us yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God that me might turn from our iniquities and understand thy truth for these seventy years hath thine hand been heavy upon us yet we have not made our prayers before the Lord our God we made a shew of praying but our careless praying may be said to be no praying Again Gods people in praying may be said not to pray at all when they exercise only gifts in prayer and have not the grace of prayer for you must know the power and prevalency of
now be confirmed and precious Evidences of Eternal Salvation may be now gained and likewise precious Graces and precious Faith and precious Hope and precious Love Humility Repentance and Self-denial these precious Graces may be now procured a precious soul may be saved a precious pardon may be sealed Oh what precious things then are tendred to you in the preaching of the Gospel these opportunities therefore are exceeding precious if Christ be thine now he is thine for ever Oh that you you did but know the price of these things that are tendred to you in the preaching of the Gospel if a condemned prisoner did know how precious the pardon that was brought to him was would he slight it Here is a precious Pardon Grace Mercy Peace all tendred to you in the preaching of the Gospel How infinitely then does it concern us to improve our Gospel-seasons 4. The fourth Lesson by way of inference is this It lets us see the contempt nay the neglect of the Gospel is a very dangerous sin for if the knowledg of Salvation be brought to the soul by the Gospel then certainly he that neglect the Gospel neglects Salvation and Salvation it self shall not save that man that despiseth the remedy yea that neglects Salvation says the Apostle How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation Heb. 2.3 As if he had said It is impossible to escape eternal Damnation if we do but neglect this eternal Salvation These are the Lessons from this Doctrine and that 's the first Use of Information The second Use I shall make of this Doctrine it is for Examination If so be the knowledg of eternal Life be brought by the Gospel be discovered and revealed by the Gospel then take occasion to call your selves to an account and see whether this eternal Salvation be so discovered to you that you may be partakers of it otherwise what advantage will it be to you to hear that Life and Immortality is brought to light unless this Light do shine into your souls But may be you will say to me How may we do to know that the Day-spring from on High hath shined into my soul that God hath called me out of darkness into his marvellous Light that he hath discovered the Mysteries of Salvation to me even to me I answer You may know it briefly thus If the Light of Life be revealed to thy Soul then certainly thy knowledg will not be a Notional knowledg only but an Experimental knowledg thou wilt not have a knowledg swimming in thy head only but a soaking and sinking knowledg in thy heart thou wilt not only know Christ but taste Christ thou wilt taste that hidden Manna Rev. 2.17 To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden Manna Thou wilt not only know but taste the bitterness of sin and thou wilt say Jer. 2.19 It is an evìl and bitter thing that I have for saken the Lord and that his fear is not in me A blind man may talk of Colours that never saw them and a hungry man may talk of a full dinner that never tasted it so a carnal man may have a great deal of knowledg in his head and never rellish nor taste it but he that hath the knowledg of Salvation revealed to his soul he hath a Light shining in his heart Jer. 31.34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for they shall know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them saith the Lord that is they shall not need to be taught those experimental truths that are written in their own hearts by the finger of the Spirit of God A man that hath this Life and Immortality brought to light by the Gospel will say You need not tell me that sin is a bitter thing I have tasted the bitterness of it You need not tell me the favour of God is sweet and lovely Oh it is sweeter to me than life it self You need not tell me that Jesus Christ is very Amiable and Beautiful I see him to be so with my eye of faith You need not tell me there is a marvellous power in the death of Christ for the crucifying of sin I do experimentally know it when a man hath this experimental knowledg he will say as the Apostle 1 Tim. 1.13 I was before a Blasphemer and a Persecutor and injurious but I obtained Mercy because I did it ignorantly When a man hath the feeling and experience of spiritual Truths in his own soul then may he be sure that Life and Immortality is brought to light by the Gospel unto him A third Use I shall make of this Doctrine it is of Reproof Two sorts there are that are justly liable to the reproof of this Doctrine First It condemns and crys down that Hellish practice of the whore of Rome and the Popish Clergy who lock up the Scriptures and keep Millions of souls from the knowledg of Gospel from the knowledg of the mysteries of Salvation this is all one as if they should lock them up in the pit of Infernal darkness for if so be Salvation or Eternal Life be brought to light by the Gospel and this Gospel be to them but as a Light in a dark Lanthorn must not they needs inevitably perish Oh cruel bloody Butchers Oh merciless mischievous Soul-destroyers may we say of the Romish Synagogue well may the whore of Rome be said to be drunk with blood because she is drunk not only with the blood of the bodies of Men but with the blood of the Souls of men Oh the tender Mercies of God that hath opened our eyes to see better things and to free us from the bondage and slavery of that Antichristian yoke this is a great mercy to be delivered from the poyson of those serpents and a greater mercy than ever we can be thankful for But take this withal I beseech you Take heed that Popery do not creep in at a back-dore of Toleration let us bless God for that liberty that we have but take heed that you do not hanker after those Popish Doctrines that may poyson the soul and that will provoke God to remove his Candlestick from amongst us A second sort to be reproved are those that grow weary of the Gospel I but may be you will say Are there any so bad in our days as to be weary of the Gospel yea my brethren many there are that are weary of the Truths of it many that are weary of the Profession of it many that are weary of the Power and Practise of it First Many there are that are weary of the Truths of the Gospel that chuse rather to be raking in the stinking puddles of Popery Arminianism Socinianism and other damnable heresies as the Apostle calls them they chuse these rather than the clear fountain of truth revealed in the Gospel Oh these are in a very dangerous condition when men chuse rather to
from Babylon and the comfort that is here proclaimed it is derived from a double Spring 1. From the Promulgation of the Gospel 2. From the coming of Jesus Christ in the Flesh who is the Marrow of the Gospel 1. From the Promulgation of the Gospel and that is amplified two ways from the Herald that Proclaims it and by the Place where it was proclaimed 1. By the Herald that proclaimed it namely John the Baptist called the voice of one crying in the wilderness Prepare ye the way of the Lord make straight in the desart a way for our God 2. It is amplified by the place where it should be proclaimed namely in Sion or Jerusalem in the 9th verse O Sion that bringest good tidings get thee up into the high Mountain O Jerusalem that bringest good tidings lift up thy voice with strength lift it up be not afraid say to the Cities of Judah behold your God Then Christs coming in the flesh that is described two ways 1. By his Terrour to his Enemies 2. By his mild carriage and behaviour towards his own People By his Terrour towards his Enemies in the foregoing verse the 10th ver Behold the Lord will come with a strong hand and his Arm shall rule for him behold his reward is with him and his work before him Then he is described here by his meek and mild carriage towards his People in the words I have read unto you He shall feed his flock like c. Let me first open the terms of the Text and then come to some points of Instruction He shall feed The Government of the Lord Jesus Christ in his Church and towards his Chosen is exprest by three names He is call'd a Ruler a Leader and a Shepherd He is called a Ruler 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Hebrew in Micah 5.2 But thou Beth-leem Ephratah though thou be little among the thousands of Judah yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be Ruler in Israel whose goings forth have been from of old from everlasting Now Jesus Christ rules three ways 1. By his Commanding-power 2. By his Compelling-power 3. By his Perswading-power He hath a Commanding-power All power is given to me in Heaven and Earth Matth. 18.35 He hath a Compelling-power Those mine enemies which would not that I should reign over them bring hither and slay them before me Luk. 19.27 Then he hath likewise a Perswading-power Gen. 9.27 God shall perswade Japhet and he shall dwell in the Tents of Shem. 2dly His Government is exprest by this Name He is a Leader to his people Now Christ is a Leader to his People three ways 1. By teaching of his people his very enemies did acknowledg it Mar. 12.14 We know thou teachest the way of God in truth He teacheth them by going before them in a way of good example John 13.15 I have given you an example that you should do as I have done He leads them likewise by drawing of them Cant. 1.4 Draw me we will run after thee Then as he is a Ruler and a Leader so he is a Shepherd his Government is comprised under this Name He shall feed his Flock like a Shepherd And here in the Text where under the name of Feeding is comprised all the necessary attendances and accommodations that conduce to the safety and welfare of the Flock such as providing of them Pasture and protecting of them from the danger and mischief of Wolves and Lyons and Beasts of Prey and likewise in preventing their stragling and wandring in the Wilderness And in curing of those Diseases that are incident to Sheep All these are meant by Feeding Oh the Richness and Compleatness of this precious Redeemer well may the Apostle say He is able to save to the utmost those that come to God by him And well may the Apostle say Christ is all and in all because he is both the Ruler Leader and Shepherd the Prince and Captain of our Salvation and Saviour and all He shall gather his Lambs with his Arms. The Lord Jesus Christ hath a tender care of all his Sheep that none of them be lost as he says in that Heavenly Prayer John 17.11 While I was with them in the world I kept them in thy Name those that thou gavest me I have kept and none of them is lost but the Son of Perdition that the Scripture might be fulfilled I but he hath the most tender and pitiful compassion towards those that are his Lambs that is young Beginners Babes in Christ those he gathers in his Arms so the Text tells us those he carries in his bosom that is he deals favourably with them those he cherishes with all indulgence He does not quench the smoaking flax nor break the bruised read Matth. 12.20 Then he gently leads those that are with young or those that give suck the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sigfies both either those that are with young or those that give suck The Prophet here in the Text alludes to the manner of Jacobs dealing with his Flocks See what a compassionate man that good man was as you may read Gen. 33.13 The flocks and the herds that are with young they are with me and if men should over-drive them but one day all the flocks would dye What a care had Jacob of all his flocks especially of those that were with young so the Lord Christ he gently leads those that are with young that is weak Christians such as are easily offended such as are dejected and discouraged such as are full of infirmities and imperfections he gently leads them that is he exercises a great deal of pity and patience and compassion and tenderness towards them In all their afflictions he is afflicted with them Isa 63.9 He hath Sympathizing Bowels towards those that are full of Infirmities his Bowels are troubled as it were for them Jer. 31.20 Is Ephraim a dear Son is he a pleasant Child for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my Bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord So that here is gentleness in bearing with them and patience in suffering of them In a word the Lord Jesus Christ he is a meek a gentle a mild a compassionate Saviour that is the sum of the whole verse he is of a very sweet amiable pliable disposition As God hath fitted him with a Body so he hath fitted him with a Heart to be a merciful and compassionate Redeemer The words being thus opened there are two things in them especially presented to your view 1. Christs relation to his People 2dly His mild carriage towards them in that relation 1. Christs relation to his People that you have in these words He shall feed his flock like a Shepherd 2dly You have his Meek Mild and Gracious carriage towards them he does both Protect them and Feed them and Pity them and gathers them in his Arms and
what are they think you they are just in such a case as God threatneth Babylon shall be Isa 13.14 God says that Babylon shall be as the chased Roe and as a Sheep that no man taketh up This is the case of every one that is yet out of Christ exposed to be a prey to that roaring Lyon that walketh about seeking whom he may devour those that have not an interest in Christ God threatens them Hos 4.16 I will feed them as a Lamb in a large place I will feed them the same Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifies to feed signifies to let them wander Num. 14.33 God let the children of Israel wander in the wilderness for forty years together So God lets those that have not an interest in Christ to wander in the Wilderness to their own destruction Oh that God would open the eyes of those that have not yet secured their interest in Jesus Christ that they may see what they are and where they are and what danger they are exposed to So much of the first Use of Instruction The second Use is by way of Examination How nearly does it concern every one of us to call our selves to an account whether we be in the number of Christs Sheep or no otherwise we can have no comfort by this Doctrine But may be you will say to me How shall we do certainly to know that we are the Sheep of Christ and that Christ is that Shepherd that feeds us like a Flock For answer to this We cannot curiously pry into Gods decree to tell you who are not his Sheep for it may be there are many that belong to the Election of Grace that is many are the Sheep of Christ that are not yet called nor converted that are wandring in the Wildernes yet and though the Lord will not suffer them to wander to Destruction yet for the present they are not brought into the Folds therefore we cannot say who are not his Sheep we cannot say who are Reprobate we may know who are Elected but we cannot know who are Reprobated we can tell who are his Sheep but we cannot tell who are not his Sheep Now they that are his Sheep that are Converted and brought home to the Folds of Christ they may be known by these four signs First If thou art a Sheep of Jesus Christ certainly the Shepherd hath set his mark upon thee whereby he does know thee and will own thee at the great day of his appearing John 10.14 I am the good Shepherd and know my Sheep and am known of mine I know every one of my Sheep 2 Tim. 2. 19 The Lord knoweth them that are his he knows them with a distinguishing knowledg There are and will be at the great and dreadful day of Jesus Christ abundance that will claim acquaintance with Jesus Christ Oh what seeking will there be to find his favour at that great day seeking and suing and crying with tears of blood for his favour at that day many will claim acquaintance and say Lord Lord Matt. 7.22 23 Have not we prophesied in thy name have not we heard thee teach in our Synagogues have not we heard thy Messengers which thou hast sent in thy name teaching on the Lords day and on the week-day nay have not we sate at thy Table with thee in the use of the Sacrament of thy Body and Blood to whom the Lord Christ will say I know you not Why because he does not see his Mark upon them nay they themselves when their consciences are once awakened and they begin to look and search for the Mark they cannot find it upon themselves and therefore they will hear that dreadful sentence Matth. 25 Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels But you will say What is this mark whereby Jesus Christ knows his sheep and whereby they may know that they are his I answer This mark is the holy Spirit of God which he bestows upon every true believer 1 Cor. 6.17 He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit that is he that is united to Christ hath the same spirit that Christ hath hath one and the same spirit that Christ hath Rom. 8.9 Now if any man hath not the spirit of Christ he is none of his If any man have not this mark upon him the spirit of Christ our Saviour will never own that man for his Hence it is the Spirit of God is compared to a Seal or Mark Ephes 1.13 After ye believed ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise If thou hast received this mark this seal of the Spirit of God upon thy soul thou maist be as sure that thou art one of Christs sheep as if thou didst see thy name written in the Book of Life I but here it may be demanded But may not this Seal or this mark be counterfeited may not a man be mistaken and deceived in thinking he hath this mark the Spirit of God when indeed he hath it not To this I answer Yes it is possible for a man to be mistaken and therefore the Apostle so often presses this duty of Examination 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether you be in the faith prove your own selves know ye not your own selves that Jesus Christ is in you except you be reprobates And let every man prove his own works the work of grace in his heart let him prove it Gal. 6.4 Then shall he have rejoycing in himself alone and not in another he shall have rejoycing in the testimony of his own conscience and not in the witness of anothers tongue therefore we should be examining our hearts what operations the Spirit of God hath had upon our spirits whether it hath been an enlightning a quickning a convincing a heart-warming a sealing and a healing spirit certainly the healing and sealing-work of the Spirit goes together as I have formerly shewed you Many boast of the Spirit of God they question not but they have the Spirit of God but I told you the Spirit of God never sets his feal to a blank there is first some work of the Spirit of God upon the soul enlightning convincing quickning and drawing the heart to Jesus Christ So we should examine the fruits and effects of the Spirit of God upon our souls Now there are four fruits especially whereby a man may know he hath received not the spirit that is of the world but the spirit that is of God 1 Cor. 2.12 by these four effects First An unseigned love to the servants of Jesus Christ that is one effect of the Spirit of God that proves Jesus Christ hath set his mark upon him that hath it John 13.35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another This is a mark I set upon my sheep So 1 John 4.7 8 12 Beloved let us love one another for love is of God and every one that loveth
thee to prove thee and to teach thee to prise Jesus Christ so much the more It may be God le ts loose these infirmities as the avenger of blood was let loose upon the man slayer to force the man slayer to fly to the City of Refuge Numb 35 so these infirmities are let loose to force thee to fly to Jesus Christ the Refuge of thy soul Some there are that was it not for strong infirmities cleaving to them strong temptations meeting with them would never be beholding to Jesus Christ at all Look therefore in every infirmity not only at the evil of it but at the good God intends by it it may be God intends good to thy soul by them Whereas we as he said once many times make plaisters to become a poyson the Lord is able on the contrary to make a plaister of poyson We many times bring sin out of Grace God can bring grace out of sin he can bring Heaven out of Hell therefore as there is something against God so there is something from God in our infirmities therefore we should not be discouraged because of them Secondly Consider the great difference between thy self when thou wast in a state of nature and now when thou art a weak Christian and subject to infirmities did not God reject thee at that time and cast thee off when thou wast an open Traitor and Rebel marching on in a course of rebellion against him did he not cast thee off but had compassion on thee and did pity thee and spare thee then certainly he will not now cast thee off for some unvoluntary errour which thou bewailest and mournest for in his presence Did the Lord seek thee at that time when thou despisedst him certainly then he will not despise thee when thou feekest him That is a good argument of the Apostle to strengthen and support and comfort drooping spirits Rom. 5.10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Certainly therefore God will not reject thee for an infirmity if he was so gracious to thee in thy state of sin and enmity to him there is as great a difference between a state of grace and a state of nature as there is between Heaven and Hell though grace be never so weak and imperfect Thirdly Consider the great danger of being pluckt away from Jesus Christ by giving too much way to despondency Satans main drift and great plot is to drive thee away from Jesus Christ by thy infirmities he labours to bring thee to despond and despair and to say there is no hope for thee because Satan knows the more he draws thee from Jesus Christ the weaker thou wilt be Thy infirmities should not drive thee from Christ but they should drive thee to Christ to improve and make use of his gracious disposition in helping and healing thee in thy miseries and distresses Fourthly Consider what may be the causes of thy infirmities those infirmities will be cured in the causes For example if thy infirmities arise from want of age or time to gather strength that will be cured because the path of the just is as a shining light that shineth more and more to the perfect day Prov. 4.18 Or if from want of the means of grace or because the means of grace thou enjoyest are not such as others enjoy the Lord in such cases will have a tender respect to thee and measure to thee not according to what thou hast but according to what thou wouldst have Again if thy infirmities arise from some corruption that was not discovered to thee at thy first conversion thou must then pray and beg that the Lord would discover thy self to thy self more and more Again if thou hast forsaken some old truths of God and art grown weary of them and hankerest after Novelties and new Opinions then return from thy wandrings and prize solid meat above kickshaws beg that thy soul may taste once again the sweetness of Gospel-truths In a word what ever the cause of your infirmities be get the disease healed in the cause get thy heart more weaned from the World and stir up thy self to take hold of God remember thy former zeal and repent and do thy first works and this is the way to get thy infirmities healed That 's the first Use a Use of Comfort and Consolation The second Use is a Use of Caution The Lord Jesus Christ as you have heard hath a tender respect to his people a tender care of his people in respect of their infirmities let not a wicked man then apply this to himself and say the Lord Christ will have a tender respect to me that go on in the course of sin that live in sin and lye in sin and sleep in sin and wallow in sin No for there is a great deal of difference between the weakness of a Lamb and the wickedness of a Wolf the Lord Jesus Christ pities his Lambs for their weakness but he doth not pity a Wolf for his wickedness that is that man who is resolved to go on in a course of sin say a Minister what he can to the contrary if he is dead in trespasses and sins if he hath no spiritual life in him if there be no work of grace begun in him all that I have said concerning Christs tender care of his peoples infirmities doth not belong to him he hath no part in this Inheritance if thou beest a Wolf and not a Lamb the Lord Christ that hath a tender care of his Lambs will be sure to meet thee not as a Shepherd that carries his Lambs in his Arms but he will meet thee as a Lion Hosea 13.7 8 Therefore I will be unto them as a Lyon as a Leopard by the way will I observe them I will meet them as a Bear that is bereaved of her Whelps and I will rent the caul of their heart and there will I devour them like a Lyon the wild beasts shall tear them The same Christ that is a Shepherd to his People he knows how to be a Lyon a Leopard and a Bear to his Enemies That is an awakening Scripture Psalm 68.21 But God shall wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses If therefore thou art one that goest on in thy trespasses in an unreformed course if thou livest in sin and settest thy heart on wickedness and takest pleasure therein this doctrine doth not belong to thee thou art not a Lamb in Christs account he will not deal tenderly with thee nay he will deal most roughly with thee his wrath and fury will be powred out upon thee as the Prophet speaks That 's the second Use of Caution Lastly A word of Exhortation If the Lord Jesus Christ hath such a tender respect in his carriage to the infirmities of his People O then resolve to have no other
of my sloth and security The third and last Use it is for Exhortation If so be it is not enough for Christians to receive Christ and to receive grace but they must be walking in Christ and they must be acting of their grace then I beseech you to hearken to the counsel of the Apostle here I cannot give you the exhortation in better words than these in the Text As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him Oh be walking in Christ Oh be acting of your grace Oh be stirring up your selves to take hold of God Oh be stirring up the grace of God that is in you Oh be active Christians be not sleepy Christians be not dull drowsie dead-hearted in matters of everlasting salvation You have but little time to spend and you have need to spend it well every day brings you nearer your graves Oh that every day might bring you nearer to God God is continually acting for you he is an overflowing and an ever-flowing Fountain of goodness God is continually renewing his mercy upon you Jesus Christ is continually interceding for you the Spirit of God is continually knocking at the dore of your hearts And is God acting for you and will you act nothing for God Secondly consider Wicked men they are continually acting for Satan continually doing the Devils drudgery what a shame is it that wicked men should take more pains to go to hell than Gods children should take to go to heaven Judas was as busie as could be that night to betray his Master plotting and contriving how to betray Christ into the hands of the Jews when the rest of his Disciples were sleeping Judas was waking to do the Devils work I beseech you let not wicked men rise up in judgment against you let not them be more vigorous and active in the work of sin than you are in the work of grace and holiness Thirdly consider If you be not acting your graces God may justly leave you to be acting your corruptions if you be not acting one way you will be acting another way if you be not acting grace be sure the Devil will set you on work to be grinding of his grist The mind of man is like a Mill it is always grinding Chaff or Wheat if you be not doing Gods work you will be doing Satans work On the contrary see what the Apostle says Gal 5.16 This I say then walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh Be walking in the spirit be acting the grace you have received then you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh though it is true those lusts of the flesh and cursed corruptions will be stirring in you yet you will never fulfil the lusts of the flesh It may be you may be drawn to act them to be sold under sin as the poor captive is carried into captivity against his mind and will so you may be held under sin and carried captive by it but you will never willingly fulfil the lust of the flesh But then may be you will say What means or helps or directions can you prescribe to this end that we may act grace Briefly in answer to this and so I have done First I will shew you in whose strength you must act grace Secondly In what manner you must act grace Thirdly In what seasons you must act grace First in whose strength you must act grace I told you before no man can do it in his own strength therefore you must go out of your selves and run to the Lord Jesus Christ Hos 11.3 I taught Ephraim also to go taking them by their Arm. God does not only give us spiritual life but he also gives us strength He did not only give Ephraim life but he gave him strength I taught Ephraim to go leading them by the arm I remember the speech of Sampson Judges 16.20 when his locks were cut off the Text says And he awoke out of his sleep and said I will go out as at other times before and shake my self and he wist not that the Lord was departed from him I may apply it thus Many times we set about duty in our own strength and we think to do such and such duties as before but alas when the spirit of God is withdrawn we are as weak as Sampson was when his locks were cut off On the contrary Let the King sit but at his table then our Spicknard sendeth forth the smell thereof Cant. 1.12 that is let Jesus Christ be but with us then our graces which are compared to Spicknard send forth a sweet smell If the wind blow upon our Garden that is the spirit of God working in the soul Awake O North-wind and come thou South blow upon my Garden that the spices thereof may flow out Cant. 4.16 then the spices will flow forth If the Sun shine upon the Marygold how soon does the Mary-gold open Oh make sure of the presence of Jesus Christ with you say Lord let me have thy grace with me as well as thy grace in me Secondly I will shew you how or in what manner you must act Grace First You must act your Graces evenly not by girds and starts Walking we say is an equal and even Motion some there are that are very forward that will run for a quarter of a mile then they sit down having run themselves out of breath this is the case of many forward Professors Oh they seem for a while to be very zealous God-ward and Grace-ward but then they faint and flag and grow weary of the ways of God See what the Prophet David says Psal 119.112 I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes always even unto the end That is a right acting of Grace indeed a man that resolves to keep Gods statutes alway to the end Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I shall keep it unto the end in verse 33 of the same Psalm Secondly As you must act Grace evenly so you must act it orderly that is you must not turn aside either to the right hand or to the left This is one of Gods own commands Deut. 5.32 Ye shall observe to do therefore as the Lord your God hath commanded you you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left Thirdly You must act your Grace Evangellically to do all your duties from Christ by Christ and to Christ from Christ as the Root by Christ as the Rule and to Christ as the end Let Christ be the Spring let him be the Guide and let him be the Centre of all your actings Fourthly See that you act all your Graces likewise couragiously that you may say Nothing shall daunt me or discourage me in the way that I have undertaken As David in the business of his dancing before the Lord which was an evidence of his exceeding great zeal when Michal scoft at him savâ— he I will yet be more vile than thus and
nature he might be a merciful and faithful High-priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people and that 's set down in Verse 17. And the ground of this Assertion the Apostle lays down in the words of the Text which I have now read unto you For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted So then the Text contains in it a singular benefit and advantage that believers have by Christs temptations namely a sanctified use of temptations and a gracious support under temptations For the clearing of this you must know all that ever our Lord and Saviour did here upon earth as Mediator was done not for himself alone but was done for us and for our good For example He took our flesh in the womb of a Virgin that he might sanctifie our nature He was born of a woman that he might sanctifie our birth He suffered in the flesh that he might sanctifie our sufferings He was buried in a grave that he might sweeten and perfume the grave that he might make the grave as a bed of spices He rose again from the dead that he might assure us that we shall be raised by his power 1 Cor. 6.14 And God hath both raised up the Lord and will also raise up us by his own power And he was tempted that he might be able to succour us when we are tempted Let me first open the words to you and then draw out the Doctrine I intend to pitch upon I shall dispatch this Text in one Sermon For in that he himself hath suffered The Lord Jesus Christ suffered indeed He was a great sufferer nay the greatest sufferer that you read of in the whole book of God He suffered in his Circumcision when he was but eight days old he condâ—scended to that painful Ceremony that painful Sacrament He suffered a painful pilgrimage for three and thirty years together and although he was heir of all things all the Kingdoms of the world were his yet he had not a house to hide his head in The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head Mat. 8.20 He suffered by Satan when he was led into the Wilderness to be tempted for forty days together which was a greater abasement to the Son of God than if the greatest Empress in the world should be solicited in her chastity by the basest Scullion that ever was Oh how did Satan hurry the body of our dear Lord and Saviour first to the pinacle of the Temple then he hurried it to a Mountain and carried it from one place to another Oh that the precious body of Jesus Christ should be thus basely used by a Vassal by a cursed Fiend by a cursed creature So he suffered by Satan And he suffered by men he suffered the contradiction of sinners he suffered himself to be reviled scorned reproached blasphemeed when they said Say we not well Thou art a Samaritan and hast a Devil Joh. 8.48 And he is mad and hath a Devil why hear ye him Joh. 10.20 He suffered on the Cross a shameful painful and cursed death He suffered in his body but most of all he suffered in his soul when he said My soul is heavy unto death is girt about with death Joh. 12.27 Now is my soul troubled and what shall I say He speaks as if he had been non-plust My soul is so troubled says he that I know not what to say I know not what to do So you see the Lord Jesus Christ he suffered Further the Text says he suffered being tempted Jesus Christ you know was tempted by Satan for forty days together and he was tempted by his Enemies the Pharises they required a sign of him tempting of him Luk. 11.16 Then he was tempted by the Herodians when they came with that captious question Shall we give tribute to Caesar or shall we not Mat. 22.17 18. Christ answered them Why tempt ye me ye hypocrites He was temptted by one of his Disciples Peter says he to him Master spare thy self and do not go up to Jerusalem insomuch that Christ sharply reproved him and said to him Get thee behind me Satan thou art an offence unto me for thou savourest not the things that be of God but those that be of men Mat. 16.22 23. And he was tempted even by his own dear Father when his Father hid his face from him when he seemingly did forsake him when he cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Mat. 27.46 So you see that our Saviour suffered and our Saviour was tempted And why was he tempted that he might succour them that are tempted saye the Text. Why may some say did the sufferings and temptations of Jesus Christ add any thing to his ability to succour his tempted Servants which he had not before To this I answer You must know he had an ability of Power which was irresistable he had an ability of Power as he was God but the Apostle speaks here of an ability of Compassion or of an ability of Experience as he was man as he says in the like case Heb. 5.8 He learned obedience by the things which he suffered How did he learn it he learnt it experimentally So here by his suffering and temptations he learnt to succour them that are tempted he learnt compassion by his temptations How did he learn compassion he learnt it experimentally for now he hath learned by experience to know the kinds of temptations to know the wounds that temptations make in the soul of a poor sinner and to know the proper means and medicines for the curing of temptations so that if you ask But why was the Lord Jesus Christ tempted I answer he was tempted for these three ends especially First That he might teach us this Lesson If Satan was so bold with him that was the dear Son of God he will be much more bold in tempting us poor creatures If he was so bold with the Master much more will he be bold with the Servants If he were so bold with the Captain of our salvation much more will he be bold with his Soldiers If he were so bold in tempting him who was the King of glory a pure and spotless Saviour a Lamb without spot and blemish in whose mouth could be found no guile 1 Pet. 2.22 Oh he will be much more bold with us that are poor sinful creatures that have such impure and defiled natures How abominable and filthy is man Job 15.16 When the Devil came to tempt our Lord and Saviour he found nothing in him he found no matter to work upon he found no corruption on which he might fasten his temptation Joh. 14.30 The Prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me All the temptations of Satan upon our Saviour were but like the jogging of pure and clean water in a Chrystal glass where
is no mud at all but now Satan never comes to us but he finds matter enough and ground enough to work upon there is a great deal of mud at the bottom therefore he prevails on us when he comes But that is one end that he may teach us to expect temptations he himself was tempted then certainly much more must we expect to be tempted Secondly Jesus Christ was tempted that he might know how to compassionate us in our temptations Thirdly He was tempted that he might take out the sting the poison the venom of every temptation that though we be sorely assaulted by Satan yet we may not be conquered by Satan That that David speaks to Saul Psal 188.13 Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall but the Lord helped me The like may Believers say of Satan Thou hast thrust sore at me if it were possible to thrust me into hell but the Lord is my helper nay God can so order it when Satan thrusts his forest darts at us he can ward off the blow or at least so order the temptation that it shall kill our sins and not hurt our souls As I have read a story of one Pareus Jason who was conflicting with his adversary when his adversary thought to have run him through with his sword God did so order it that it did open an imposthumation which all Physicians could not heal so that instead of killing of him he preserved his life so God can so order it when Satan is thrusting sorely at us with his temptations they shall kill our sins but shall not hurt our souls So then the words being opened to you the way to the Doctrine is made plain which is this Doct. Christs temptations and his sufferings for us stir up in his heart a tender compassion to succour us in our temptations and in our fufferings That which God commands Israel is suitable to this Exod. 23.9 Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger for ye know the heart of a stranger seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt So the Lord Jesus Christ knows the hearts of tempted ones and knows how to pity tempted ones because he himself was tempted That which the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 1.4 God comforteth us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God I may apply it thus The Lord Jesus Christ knows how to succour us to comfort us to support us in our temptations with the same spirit that he had in his sufferings and in his temptations though his temptations were so great that he himself needed an Angel to come and comfort him For the better explication of this point there are two Quaeries that would be satisfied First Why Christs sufferings and temptations stir up in his heart such tender compassion towards us to succour and relieve us in our temptations and sufferings Secondly How the Lord Jesus Christ does succour and relieve poor tempted ones in their distrsses and sufferings For the first Why does Christs sufferings and temptations stir up in his heart such tender compassions towards us I answer The reason is plainly this because the Lord Jesus Christ his suffering in our Nature makes him not only a merciful God but a merciful Man also the Lord Jesus Christ as he is God equal with the Father to all Eternity so his mercies are from everlasting to everlasting Psal 103.17 But now his sufferings in our flesh makes him not only a merciful God but a merciful man also a merciful Mediator between God and man so he hath not only beams of Majesty but bowels of mercy his sufferings made him a merciful High-priest that is touched with the sense of our infirmities as you read Heb. 4.15 for says he We have not an High priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin The Lord Jesus Christ suffered all our natural infirmities though he did not suffer our sinful infirmities He was tempted in all things like unto us yet without sin a merciful High-priest he is and this is that that makes him so tender-hearted to the sufferings and infirmities of his People Oh what bowels of compassion hath Jesus Christ towards the souls of poor People Mat. 9.36 the Text says When he saw the multitude he was moved with compassion on them because they fainted and were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepheard His bowels did earn towards them as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies he had compassion on their souls because they wanted those that might instruct them in the way of life and happiness And what compassion had he on the bodies of poor ones that waited on his Doctrine Mat. 15.32 Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said I have compassion on the multitude because they have continued with me now three days and have nothing to eat and I will not send them away sasting lest they faint in the way And what compassion had he towards the poor Widow that had lost her only son and they were now carrying him to the Grave the Text says he had compassion on her his Bowels did earn towards the poor Widow therefore he touched the Coffin and raised him up again Luke 7.13 Look as a Child-bearing woman that hath felt the bitter pangs and pains of Child-birth hath more compassion towards a woman in that distress than a barren woman that never felt those pangs and sorrows or as a man that hath been sorely afflicted with the Gout or Stone pitianother man that is afflicted with the same disease more than one that never felt the torment of that disease and as it is storied of Queen Elizabeth when she past once through an Hospital where she saw many poor Orphans and Fatherless and helpless Children Oh says she I was once an Orphan a poor helpless creature when I was shut up in prison therefore says she I have tasted of the sufferings of Orphans and I cannot but be merciful to Orphans and as it is said of Luther That he was a rare and and excellent man in comforting afflicted consciences those that were tempted and afflicted why because he himself was exercised with temptations for three years together so here the Lord Jesus Christ is a most rare and excellent Comforter a Physician good at all diseases especially at binding up broken hearts and comforting tempted souls why because he himself had experience of the sting and venom of temptations but some may say the Lord Jesus Christ is now in heaven hath he not left the bowels that he had on earth I answer No the Text says Isa 63.9 In all their afflictions he was afflicted and the Angel of his presence saved them in his love and in his pitty he redeemed them and he bare them and carried them all the days of old Act. 9.4 the Lord Christ cryes
out Saul Saul why persecutest thou me when a man treads upon another mans little toe the tongue complains why do you hurt me Jesus Christ when he is now in heaven he complains of himself being persecuted in his Members he hath such a simpathy with them That 's the first Quaery Secondly It may be demanded How does Jesus Christ succour and relieve his servants in their temptations I answer he succours and relieves them these five ways First By discovering to them that it is a temptation for many there are that misliste their temptations some take temptations for the impulsess or impresses of Gods spirit not considering that there are tempting providences as well as approving providences such a providence was that which you read of when David had Saul at an advantage 1 Sam. 26.8 When Saul lay sleeping in his trench and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster then said Abishai to David God hath delivered thine enemy into thy hand this day now therefore let me smite him I pray thee with the spear even to the earth at once and I will not smite him the second time Abishai thought that this was an approving medicine that God had delivered Saul into the hands of David and now he may be avenged upon him and cut his throat and smite him presently nay nay says David to Abishai destroy him not for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lords anointed and be guiltless David saw it was a tempting-providence not an approving-providence he would not have a hand in his blood he would not slay the Lords anointed though his enemy though a wicked man though a man guilty of blood for he had slain Fourscore of the Lords Priests at one time commanding Doeg to fall upon them and destroy them But says David I will not have a hand in the blood of the Lords anointed though he hath delivered him into my hand this was but a tempting-providence not an approving-providence this is a certain Rule that there are tempting providences as well as approving-providences to follow providence without the Word is dangerous to follow providence against the Word is damnable but to follow providence with the Word that only is safe and comfortable now David he had a providence here but he had not the Word of God going along with that providence and therefore he looks upon it as a tempting-providence Now Jesus Christ succours his people by discovering to them which is a tempting-providence and which is an approving-providence Secondly The Lord Christ succours and relieves them by his Gracious Supportation he does support them under their tryals that is a precious Scripture that tempted ones should be continually meditating upon 1 Cor. 10.13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it God sometimes draws the Bow to the Arrow head but he will not break the Bow if God lays heavy loads on poor tempted ones then he will make their shoulders so much the stronger by his Gracious Manutency or holding them by the hand Psal 73.23 Nevertheless I am continually with thee thou hast holden me by my right hand And when God holds a poor tempted soul by the right hand though he fall he shall not utterly be cast down because the Lord upholds him Psal 37.24 Thirdly Jesus Christ relieves and succours tempted ones by his gracious intercession for he sits at the right hand of God to make intercession for them Heb. 7.25 and if so be thou art but one that does but desire to believe in Jesus Christ and take hold of him though it be but with a trembling hand know thus much for thy comfort in every temptation that thou meetest with Jesus Christ does nominate thee to his Father he nominates thee in particular and he says to thee as he did to Peter I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not Luke 22.32 Fourthly Jesus Christ does succour and relieve tempted ones by making a diversion some way or other of them by a less temptation sometimes he prevents a greater that would even crush a poor soul to pieces sometimes by an outward affliction upon the body he prevents a greater affliction and trouble that would lye upon the spirit It is better a thousand times to be afflicted in the body than afflicted in the mind Fifthly The Lord Christ doth succour tempted ones by a gracious Abolition as I may call it by a total removal of the temptation when he treads Satan under our feet as he hath promised Rom. 16.20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly And when he gives Charge to Satan as he did to him concerning the poor Child that was possessed with a dumb and deaf spirit I charge thee that thou come out of him and that thou enter into him no more Mark 9.25 Thus you have the point opened Now briefly to apply it two Uses I shall make of it Frist for Information Secondly for Consolation First For information you may learn this Lesson by way of Inference That Gods own people his Elect true Believers must look for temptations nay they must look for divers temptations Jam. 1.12 My brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations in 1 Pet. 6 Wherein ye greatly rejoyce though now for a season if need be ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations They must look for temptations of all sorts as the Apostle saith in the like case All that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution so all that will live godly must look for temptations Gods People may be tempted these four ways First Sometimes they may be tempted by their godly friends so was St. Paul Acts 11.12 when the Prophet Agabus foretold that Paul should be bound at Jerusalem and suffer so many things of the Jews Pauls godly friends disswaded him from going thither but Paul lookt upon it as a temptation for says he in the next verse What mean ye to weep and to break my heart for I am ready not to be bound only but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus Acts 21.13 Secondly Gods people are sometimes tempted by wicked men as Joseph was by his wanton and lascivious Mistress Thirdly Gods people are tempted sometimes by Satan they are tempted to presumption on the one hand and to desperation on the other hand For these are two great Rocks upon which thousands of souls suffer shipwrack but there are more that perish on the rock of Presumption than of Desperation Fourthly Gods Children are sometimes tempted by God himself it is said God tempted Abraham to try him Gen. 22.1 And it came to pass after these things that God did tempt Abraham and said unto him Abraham and he said behold here I
that to come short of Heaven This is a very awakening Truth but I shall by Gods assistance make it clear to you and confirm it in the three Branches of it First That it is possible for many Professors of the Truth or true Religion to come short of Heaven Secondly That it is possible for many that are confident that they are in a state of Grace to come short of Heaven Thirdly That it is possible for many that come very near to Heaven yet to come short of Heaven I shall prove these three and let your hearts go along with me and oh that you and I could follow the counsel of the Prophet Isaiah To hear the word of the Lord with trembling For the first That it is possible for many that profess the Truth and true Religion to come short of Heaven I shall give you two instances for this the Scribes and Pharisees were those that professed the truth and true Religon they sate in Moses Chair our Saviour commanded his Disciples to hear them because they opened the Law they were Expounders of the Law and our Saviour commanded his Disciples to hear them although they should not do as they did they professed the Truth and true Religion and in the outward acts of Piety these Scribes and Pharisees went exceeding far I will shew you how far they went in these six particulars First They searched the Scriptures they were very diligent in reading the Law of Moses they gave themselves so much to the study of the Law that they could tell exactly almost every verse in the five books of Moses nay they could tell you how often every letter in the Hebrew Alphabet was repeated in the Law of Moses for example the Letter Aleph was repeated Three-hundred seventy-seven times in the five books of Moses Secondly They were frequent in prayer they prayed in the Streets and in the Synagogue and made long prayers for a pretence to devour Widows houses Matth. 23.14 Thirdly To Prayer they added Fasting also hear what one of them saith Luke 18.12 I fast twice in the week and this he did for the taming of the body Fourthly They were very strict in the observation of the Sabbath insomuch that they quarrelled with our Saviour because his Disciples did but pluck the ears of Corn upon the Sabbath day nay they were so superstitious in the observation of the Sabbath that if one had got a thorn in his foot they would not pull it out upon the Sabbath-day for fear of breaking the Sabbath Fifthly They were very industrious in teaching of others they compassed Sea and Land to make a Proselyte Matth. 23.15 they would have taken any pains to win others to the same Sect or Religion with themselves Sixthly They were very exact and unblameable in their outward conversation for 1. They were free from more gross and scandalous sins which stare a man in the face God I thank thee saith the Pharisee that I am not as other men are extortioners unjust adulterers or even as this Publican Luke 18.11 Nay they separated themselves from notorious sinners they would not come into the company of Drunkards and Sabbath-breakers they were of the strictest Religion amongst the Jews their Religion was the most strait Sect Acts 26.5 which knew me from the beginning if they would testifie that after the most strait Sect of our Religion I lived a Pharisee insomuch that it was generally conceived among the Jews that if there were but two men in all the world that should go to Heaven a Scribe was one and a Pharisee the other and yet those Professors for all that fell short of Heaven and our Saviour saith That except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees you shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of heaven Matth. 5.20 Let me give you another example of the five foolish Virgins which you read of in Matth. 25 Our Saviour tells us That five Virgins were wise and five were foolish By Virgins there are meant Professors and they are called Virgin-Professors because they were not tainted or defiled with any gross or scandalous sin even those five foolish Virgins they notwithstanding in their own opinion and in the opinion of others were waiting for the coming of the Bridegroom Christ and yet for all this those Virgin-professors fell short of Heaven Matth. 25.10 And while they went to buy the Bridegroom came and they that were ready went in with him to the Marriage and the door was shut the door of Heaven the door of Mercy was shut against them so you see the first Branch proved 2. Let me prove the second Branch That it is possible for many that are confident that they are in a state of Grace and that they have an interest in and belong to the Lord Jesus Christ to come short of Heaven in Matth. 7.22 23 Many will say to me in that day at the great day of Judgment Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out Devils and in thy name have done many wonderful works and then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity Mark how confident they are have we not prophesied in thy name and cast out Devils in thy name We have eaten and drunk in thy presence Luke 13.26 To whom Jesus Christ will say Depart from me ye that work iniquity get you out of my sight I cannot abide to look upon you these were confident What a deal of confidence express they as if they had been as really acquainted with Jesus Christ as any were Lord Lord have not we prophesied in thy name c Again in Rom. 2.17 18 19 the Apostle speaks there to that boasting Jew Thou restest in the Law and makest thy boast of God and knowest his will and approvest the things that are more excellent being instructed out of the Law and art confident that thou thy self art a guide of the blind a light of them which are in darkness an instructor of the foolish a teacher of babes which hast the form of knowledg and of the truth in the Law thou therefore which teachest another teachest thou not thy self Such a one as teacheth others and teacheth not himself such a one is stark naught so that it is possible for a man to be a teacher of others and confident of coming to Heaven and yet for all that come short of it that 's the second Branch 3. Let me prove the third branch of the Doctrine That it is possible for men to come very near to Heaven and yet for all that to come short of Heaven Let me give you some Examples for that This was the case of the young man in the Gospel which you read of Matth. 19 20 21 when our Saviour bid him to keep the Commandments saith he Lord all these things I have kept from my youth up the meaning is this as to his outward
and say Lord what will become of me Lord what will become of me Vse 2. Of Exhortation I shall close this Point with a word of Exhortation If it is possible for many that profess the Truth and true Religion and are confident that they are in a state of grace and seem to come very near to Heaven and yet for all that to come short of it then as you love your God as you love your Souls as you love your Peace as you desire to appear with comfort before your Judg rest not in any bare outward profession rest not in a naked name of Religion Be not contented that you have the Lamps of Profession unless you have the Oyl of saving Grace Consider what advantage will it be for you to come near to heaven to come to the brow of the hill as it were and afterwards to drop down into hell What advantage will it be for a man to be lifted up to heaven and not lifted up into heaven it is the greatest curse that can possibly be expressed Oh what a cutting Corrosive what a gnawing Worm will this be to all Eternity for a man to say I came near to Heaven to the top of the Hill and yet I fell short of those glorious hopes that are laid up for the Saints in light O what a stinking Cockatrice will this be to them that have but a bare naked name of Religion an outward profession only It may be thou art no Swearer nor Lyar nor Sabbath-breaker but it may be thou art a covetous wretch over head and ears in the world tumbling up and down in dirt and clay as if there were no other happiness but here below It may be thou art but a formal Christian it may be thou art but a picture that hath hands and eyes but no legs it may be thou hast eyes but no feet to run the ways of Gods Commandments It may be it may be said of some of you young men that hear me this day what was said of the young man in the Gospel You are not far from the Kingdom of God what will this advantage you if you do not follow Jesus Christ fully and obey him sincerely that you may enjoy him eternally O that my counsel this day were accepted by you in the fear of the Lord give no rest to your eyes nor slumber to your eye-lids until you can say Blessed be God I am more than the best Hypocrite in the world though he can outstrip me in shew yet for the inside I outstrip him But it may be you will say What is this inside of Christianity this essential Religion wherein you would have us outstrip Hypocrites and those that come short of Heaven I will tell you in three words To the Essentials of Christianity there are these three things required 1. Union with Christ 2. Renewing Grace 3. A Compliance with the Will of Christ First Union with Christ Till you are united to him you have no interest in him nor benefit by him therefore look this that you have the Spirit of God to unite you to the Lord Jesus Christ Our Saviour saith John 15.4 As the branch cannot bear fruit of it self except it abide in the Vine so neither can you bring forth fruit unless you abide in me O labour for this Union when the Soul is once united to him then it hath communion with him in his life in his death in his resurrection in his intercession in his graces and comforts and all What is that which knits the Cistern to the Fountain You know it is the Leaden Pipe that is it that is the conveyance from the Conduit-head to the Cistern so here What is it that knits thy Soul to Jesus Christ that thou mayst be continually partaking of him who is the Fountain of light and life and peace and consolation What is it but this Pipe the Union that is between Christ and the soul Now a Hypocrite hath not this Union he is not united to Christ it may be he bears the name of Christ but never was ingrafted into him it may be he is tyed to Christ by the thred of an outward profession as the Seions is tied to the stock but yet he is not ingrafted into the stock Secondly It consists in renewing Grace If any man be in Christ he is a new creature 2 Cor. 5.17 An Hypocrite may have many trinkets and bables as we say I but a Regenerate man he brings forth one Jewel worth ten thousand of them An Hypocrite may have restraining grace but a truly Regenerate man he is renewed in the spirit of his mind he hath a new name which I spake of in so many Sermons the white Stone and the new Name Rev. 3. Thirdly This Essence of Christianity consists in a total compliance with the Will of Christ he that is a true Believer a true Regenerate man an inside Christian he can say Lord not my will but thy will be done Lord Rule in me as thou pleasest so I may be but thine take possession of my heart and dispossess sin and Satan he will say Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee But now an Hypocrite it may be he gives up his name to Jesus Christ in profession but he doth not give up his heart to Christ in subjection and submission it is one thing to give up the name to Christ and another thing to give up the heart to Christ when you give up the key of the Castle to Christ then you will say Lord I will do what thou wouldst have me do and suffer what thou wouldst have me suffer and forsake what thou wouldst have me forsake there is nothing I have though it be as dear to me as my right-hand and right-eye but I will part with it at thy command To shut up all If you would not come short of them that come short of Heaven then rest not in a bare profession in a bare naked name of Christianity labour to be united to Christ labour for renewing Grace labour to give up your selves to Jesus Christ let there be a compliance in your will to the will of Christ Again If many may be confident that they are in a state of Grace and yet come short of Heaven O then take heed of self-delusion and self-flattery to think your selves something when you are nothing and so deceive your own souls It is better a thousand times for a man to think himself nothing when he is something than to think himself something when he is nothing saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.10 I have laboured more abundantly than they all and yet not I but the grace of God which was with me Beg earnestly of God that you may know the worst of your selves and the best of Jesus Christ and pray O Lord let me not be deceived in this great business of Eternity let me not go to hell with vain hopes of Heaven
keep his Shop his Shop will keep him The truth will be your Shield and Buckler if you keep it to defend you against all gainsayers Psal 91.4 He shall cover her with his feathers and under his wings shalt thou trust his truth shall be thy Shield and Buckler hold fast the Faith and that will hold you up the Apostle bids us in one place to stand fast in the faith Rom. 11.20 and in another place by faith we stand 2 Cor. 1.24 From both those places together you may gather thus much when we stand in it then we stand by it when we stand fast in the Faith then we shall be sure to be established by the Faith against all oppositions Thirdly The holding fast the Truth will yield and afford you the sweetest joy and comfort upon your Death-beds What was that made Saint Paul rejoyce at death 2 Tim. 4.7 I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith He had not let go his hold this was the ground of his joy and hope when he was ready to be offered and his departure was at hand Fourthly The truth of the Gospel is a Testament sealed with the blood of Jesus Christ wherein so many precious rich and royal Legacies are bequeathed unto us by the Testator our blessed Mediator our dearest Friend that hath redeemed us with his own precious blood Now shall we not look after the proving of the Will of this blessed Testator So much for the Explication Now for the Application of this Point And the first Use is by way of Reproof does not this Doctrine justly and sharply reprove the unconstancy and unsetledness of many Professors at this day Doth it not meet them as the Angel did Balaam with a drawn Sword of a sharp reproof O that this Reproof might take hold on those that are concerned this day you know we read that Passage this day What went ye out into the wilderness to see a reed shaken with the wind No John Baptist was not a Reed but a Rock But alas look upon Professors at this day and we have more Reeds than Rocks we have more falling than fixed Stars More Children that are carried about with every wind of Doctrine Ephes 4.14 than men setled rooted and stablished in the present truth that are constant in nothing but unconstancy are there not some that can be content to part with Religion and let Truth go and Gospel-priviledges go and all go so they may but enjoy their Trades and Professions their places and preferments though I hope better things of many of you that hear me this day will not the Lord think you sharply rebuke such in his anger will he not speak to them in his hot displeasure What have I given you the Gospel such precious Truths and do you slight them do you trample them under feet do you prefer the puddles of Popery before these wholsom streams and clear fountain of Truth Well if the Gospel be a burthen to you I will ease you of your burthen and how doleful would this be if God should say the priviledges you are weary of shall be taken from you you shall be eased of them Vse 2. Therefore give me leave in the Name of Christ and in the cause of the Gospel to beseech you to hold fast that which you have received hold fast the Truth against Errour hold fast the truth of the Protestant Religion against Popery and Popish Innovations and Superstitions this I forewarn you of the rather upon this account because there are some among us which are well conceited of that cursed Religion because they never have smarted under the Antichristian tyranny as our forefathers have done they have forgotten the blood of our Martyrs that was shed in Queen Maries days Nay that blood that was spilt in Ireland but twenty one years ago therefore that you may be fenced against the flatteries and insinuations of Popish Doctrine take notice that Popish Religion is an Idolatrous Religion they are guilty of as gross Idolatry as every was practised among the Heathens for 1. They worship the Saints with a religious worship which is proper to God only they pray to Saints departed which is a dishonour to God the Father and Jesus Christ the only Mediator between God and man They pray to the Virgin Mary and make her their Redeemer by praying to her saying Save us O Saviouress and redeem us and in the hour of death receive us This is a great dishonour to the Lord Jesus Christ What can be greater Idolatry than this to attribute that to a creature which is proper only to the Creator 2. They set up Images to be worshipped contrary to the second Commandment which says Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image nor how down to it nor worship it c. But they will object and say They do not worship the Image but God in the Image I answer Neither did the children of Israel worship the golden Calf but they thought they worshipped God in or under the Image of the golden Calf Exod. 32.4 yet it was gross Idolatry as appears 1 Cor. 10.7 Neither be ye idolaters as were some of them as it is written the people sate down to eat and to drink and rose up to play 3. Their Idolatry exceeds the Idolatry of the Heathen in that they worship a piece of Bread or the bread Transubstantiated as they call it into the body of Christ Now if the body of Christ be in Heaven as we are sure it is as appears by that of the Apostle Acts 3.21 Whom the heaven must receive until the time of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began The Apostle says the heaven must receive him until the time of the restitution of all things that is until the day of Judgment It Christs body be in Heaven then certainly they worship not the body of Christ but a piece of Bread and what more abominable Idolatry than this One of their own Religion Costerus confesses It is more tolerable to worship a Dog or a Cat or a Crocodile than to worship a piece of Bread This their Idolatry is a great stumbling-block both to the Jews and Heathens Therefore Averroes a great Philosopher being asked why he would not be a Christian because says he The Christians eat the God they worship therefore says he Let my Soul be among the Philosophers Again As they are Idolaters in their worship so they are erroneous in their Doctrines witness their doctrine of Justification denying the righteousness of Christ and trusting to their own righteousness witness their doctrine of Merits by Works yea their doing works of supererogation witness their Popish pardons and Purgatory-satisfaction as if the satisfaction of Jesus Christ were imperfect witness their robbing of Jesus Christ of all his Offices both as King Priest and Prophet as might easily be proved In brief
that pleasant Land this was a grievous provocation indeed so the Doctrine I shall give you from the words considered in this notion or sense is this Doct. That despising or undervaluing that Heavenly Inheritance that God hath prepared for the Saints in light is a very grievous God-provoking sin it is a sin of the first magnitude For the proof of this Point that one place of Scriptue will be sufficient Heb. 2.2 3 For if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation By Salvation there he means the Gospel which is the cause of our Salvation for it is observable that both the Gospel of Grace and Grace wrought by the Gospel and Glory which is the perfection of Grace they all come under one name The Kingdom of God in Scripture because those whom God by the Gospel brings to Grace he will by Grace bring to Glory now says the Apostle How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation It is a marvelous strong Negation he does not say We shall not escape or hardly escape if we neglect so great salvation but How shall we escape It includes the strongest Negation that can be as if he should say It is impossible for us to escape eternal Condemnation if we do neglect so great Salvation not only if we do despise this eternal Salvation but if we neglect it Salvation it self will not save that man that despises or neglects it But for the clearing of this Point that you may a little better understand it there are these three Queries I will endeavour to speak to in opening of the Doctrine First When may a man be said to despise or undervalue that Heavenly Inheritance that is prepared for the Saints in light Secondly How comes it to pafs that men so lightly regard and undervalue that eternal Salvation Thirdly How may it appear that this despising or undervaluing of this Heavenly Inheritance is such a God-provoking sin First When may a man be said to despise or undervalue the Heavenly Inheritance that is prepared for the Saints in light I shall answer this Query and shew it you in these four Particulars First Then doth a man despise and undervalue this Heavenly Inheritance when he is an Earthly-minded man when he does over-value earthly things and under-value Heavenly things when he does set his affections so much on things below that he cannot set his affections on things above for these two are inconsistent they cannot stand together as appears by that in 1 John 2.15 Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him As if he should say The love of God and the love of the world are inconsistent So in Col. 3.2 Set your affections on things above and not on things on the Earth as if he had said If you set your affections on things below you cannot set them on things above Now when a man prefers a present possession before a future expectation when he says Give me a Bird in hand rather than two in the Bush give me the pleasures and profits and honours and contentments of this life let me have prefent pay but as for that glorious Inheritance you speak of for the time to come let them look after it that will as he said Let me have my part in Paris let who will look after a part in Paradice This is an undervaluing of this Heavenly Inheritance Secondly Then may a man be said to despise and undervalue this Heavenly Inheritance when he is sluggish and sloathful and will not stir up himself to take hold of God when he will not set about those means that God hath appointed for the attaining of those glorious hopes that are laid up in Heeven True nothing is to be done by us in a way of merit but much is to be done in the use of means for the attaining of this Eternal Happiness Phil. 2.12 Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling Mark it is not said Work out your salvation Christ hath wrought out our salvation for us by way of merit but we must work out our salvation in the use of means Orig 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Work it out as it were out of the fire Now when a man will not be contented to take that pains that the Lord requires in this working out of his salvation when he sits still and is idle or when he is sloathful or negligent in Duty when he does either neglect Duty or sleepily and carelesly perform every Duty this is a despising and undervaluing this Salvation For you must know the Kingdom of Heaven is compared to a Race 1 Cor. 9.24 and he that would win the Crown by first coming to the Goal must run for it It is compared to a Kingdom Luke 13.24 and he that would win it must strive for it Strive to enter in at the strait gate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Strive as in an Agony And it 's compared to a Crown 1 Cor. 9.25 and he that would obtain it must fight for it I have fought a good fight saith the Apostle I have finished my course I have kept the Faith henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judg shall give me at that day 2 Tim. 4.8 The Crown of Glory there is called a Crown of Righteousness not because it was merited by Pauls righteousness you must not understand it so but it is called a Crown of Righteousness because it was promised and because it was purchased it was freely promised by the Father and it was fully purchased by the precious blood of Jesus Christ says he Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the Righteous Judg shall give me at that day But says he I have fought a good fight first and I have finished my course Now when men will neither so run as that they may obtain nor so strive as that they may gain a Kingdom nor so fight that they may get a Crown that is laid up in Heaven for the Saints then they may be said to despise and undervalue the Heavenly Inheritance That is the second Thirdly Then may a man be said to despise this Heavenly Inheritance when he is a self-seeking Christian or rather a pelting Chapman as I may so call him that will not come up to the price of Salvation that will not be contented to take the pains that must be taken if so be he may be the master of his own desires then he would be content to enjoy those glorious hopes But when a man will not with the wise Merchant sell
will you not run do you not strive to enter Again You say you do not undervalue Heaven I beseech you consider What are you content to part with for Heaven will you sell all to buy this Pearl Will you part with any thing that stands in opposition to your hopes Will you take Christ in his own way and on his own terms and in his own time Can you be content to swallow down some discouragements and difficulties and temptations and bless God for them and say One smile of thy face will recompence a thousand years of adversity If I have Christ for my portion and Heaven in reversion though I carry a Rod of affliction at my back every day though I am fed with the water of affliction and with the bread of adversity Heaven will make amends for all But alas How many have weak hands and feeble knees and are not able to go on in the way of Salvation and will not come up to the price of Salvation Do not deceive your felves These are plain down-right Truths bottomed upon Scripture if I speak not the truth believe me not but if I do some of you have cause with serious self-reflection to smite upon your Thighs and you have cause greatly to fear this despising and undervaluing this heavenly Inheritance is your sin and Oh that it might be your sorrow and shame Secondly This Doctrine may justly serve for to reprove and I profess I know no reproof sharp enough for such persons as despise and undervalue that heavenly Inheritance that God hath prepared for the Saints in Light Let me say to some of you as God speaks Acts 15.41 Behold ye despisers and wonder and perish So say I Hearken ye despisers hearken ye secure careless sensless sottish Atheists I can call you no better Oh you that have such slight thoughts of Heaven you that look upon this heavenly Inheritance but as imaginary a Fools Paradise or as a meer conceit rather than any real existent thing you that never yet set your hearts and souls to seek the Lord Jesus Christ and his Kingdom you whose hearts are buried in Earth and Earthly things who mind nothing but Earth nothing in the World but raising great Estates and satisfying the brutish part of your selves Tell me Do you think that ever you shall enjoy this external Inheritance which you have despised Shall you ever taste of that everlasting happiness which you have so much undervalued Will the Lord cast Pearls before Swine Will he hang such a Jewel such an unvaluable Jewel which is better worth than ten thousand Worlds will be hang such a Jewel on a Swines snout No no you deceive your selves if you think so Do you think that Heaven will drop into your mouths as you lie a-dying Do you think our Saviour speaks in vain when he says Matth. 11.12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force If Heaven could be purchas'd with a Lord have mercy upon us if it could be procured in such a cold lazy luke-warm way as you walk in then certainly our blessed Saviour did not know what he said his exhorting to strive to enter in at the strait gate was to no purpose But if prizing of this Salvation and striving or this Salvation to the end of your lives if these must go before enjoying then as sure as the Lord lives you careless secure sottish Sinners that mind nothing less than that one thing necessary assure your selves you shall never have a portion in that Inheritance which is prepared for the Saints in Light no there is another place prepared for such Dogs and Swine as they are called that place without Rev. 22.15 For without are Dogs and Sorcerers and Whoremongers and Murtherers and Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lye You all cry out of Esau a prophane wretch the Spirit of God brands him for it a prophane Atheist that sold his Birth right for a Mess of Pottage he sold his Birth-right which was a Type of Heaven he sold this for an old Song as we say And you that neglect and undervalue and despise Heaven you are guilty of the same sin and have you not as prophane spirits as he You cry out of Judas because he sold his Master for thirty pieces of silver Oh hearken impenitent sottish Sinner It may be thou sellest Christ and Heaven and Glory and all may be for a base lust a base lye thou sellest it for some considerable advantage as thou conceivest for the present though at last it will be like Gravel in the Throat Take home this reproof with you the Lord set it home upon your Souls you that never set your hearts souls to seek the Lord. I have done with a word of Exhortation That is I beseech you and exhort you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that you would take heed of this God-provoking Soul-damning sin take heed of undervaluing this heavenly Inheritance Let it not be said of any of you that you despised the pleasant Land instead of despising it do you highly prise it and say as David Psalm 119.174 I have longed for thy salvation O Lord and thy Law is my delight And what a kind of longing was it Not a cold wish such a wish as Balaam had O that I might die the death of the Righteous that Heaven might drop into my mouth then but I would live as I list it was not such a desire no says David I have longed for thy salvation what then Thy Law is my delight That is a right longing that is accompanied with an endeavour he rightly longs for the Salvation of God that delights in the Commands of God In the 123 ver of the same Psalm Mine eyes fail in waiting for thy Salvation Look as the Lord Jesus Christ will never bestow himself upon that Soul that does not pant and breathe and break with longing desires after him So likewise he will never bestow this heavenly Inheritance upon that Soul that does not most earnestly wishfully and industriously pant after him and long for him and seek him that you may prize him Take heed in the fear of God of those four causes of undervaluing this Salvation First Take heed of Earthly-mindedness beg that you may be digged out of the thick Mire and Clay say Give me not my portion here O Lord How sad will it be with me if thou puttest me off only with these outward things Secondly Take heed of sloathfulness and sluggishness in the service of God and in seeking this Salvation Rom. 12.11 Not sloathful in business sèrvent in Spirit serving the Lord. Seek the Lord and seek his Salvation with all your might mind and strength Thirdly Be content to part with any thing for Christ take heed of placing your love upon the Creature be content to part with any thing that stands in opposition to or in competition with
my self Hab. 3.16 If so be thou didst believe the Promises Oh thou wouldst embrace them thou wouldst suck and be satisfied with those Breasts of Consolation Isa 66.11 It is said of the Patriarchs They saw the Promises after off and embraced them Heb. 11.13 But now when thou sayest thou believest the Commands of God and yet never obeyest his Commands thou sayest thou believest his Threatnings and yet never tremblest at any Threatning thou sayest thou belivest the Promises and yet art no way thereby encouraged to a more active and fruitful and chearful walking with God then thy Belief crosses thy Profession And this is a certain and undeniable Evidence of Unbelief the Lord awaken some of you and convince you and send you home to your own hearts to see how deeply you stand guilty of this sin my Text speaks of for if there be not reigning unbelief in many of you for my part I do not understand the Scripture I shall close with a word of Exhortation Is it so That Vnbelief is one main cause why so many men despise and undervalue that Heavenly Canaan and are debar'd from that Heavenly Canaan Then I have a twofold Exhortation to tender to you The First is to those that are Regenerate Secondly To those that are Unregenerate First To those that are Regenerate And my Counsel to you is this Oh do not mourn for the dregs of this sin that yet remain in you there are dregs of Unbelief even in those that are true Believers That man or woman that is not sensible of the dregs of this sin in him I say then he is a stranger to his own heart In Heb. 13.5 says the Apostle Let your Conversation be without Covetousness and be content with such things as ye have for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee There you have a Promise He hath said Who is it that hath said it The Great God of Heaven and Earth that can make it good How hath he said it how with the greatest earnestness or asseveration that ever Promise was made for he that hath skill in the Greek Tongue shall find there five Negatives in that one Promise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will not forsake thee that is not enough but says God Be assured I will not forsake thee no no no no I will not forsake thee so many No's therefore be assured As if the Lord should say it as the greatest Asseveration and with the greatest earnestness that ever we read of any Promise made with Yet let me tell you and it is what you will find by your own experience Though in time of prosperity it is an easie matter to presume yet in time of adversity it is a hard matter to believe this Promise when we come into straitness to say God will not leave me nor forsake me he will not leave me in the Bryars nay though you and I have had experience of Gods faithfulness to this day we had experience of his faithfulness when we were in our Mothers womb As a learned man once said If a man should live to the days of Methuselah if he should live a thousand years he could never have that experience of Gods power and tender mercy to him as he had when God preserved him in his mothers womb and took him out of his mothers belly We have had experience of Gods preserving us then and we have lived upon him ever since some twenty some thirty some forty some fifty years all this time God did never leave us nor forsake us yet if we be in straits we find it a very hard matter to believe that one Promise I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Oh therefore bewail and bemoan the dregs of Unbelief cry out with that good man Lord I believe I would believe help my unbelief That is the first Exhortation Secondly I have an Exhortation to those that are in a state of unbelief unregenerate impenitent wretches that go on in sin and will not be reclaimed that slight the invitations of Jesus Christ and the proffers of his Grace My Counsel to you is this and I have but two words of Counsel to tender to you First Be sensible of this sin Secondly Labour to get this sin removed First Be sensible of this sin be sensible of the greatness of it be sensible of the hainous nature of it what to turn the Truth of God into a Lye what to make the great God of Heaven and Earth a Lyar what to rob him of his Glory what to go into his Cabinet and steal away his chiefest Jewel Can there be a greater sin Be sensible of the danger of this sin it brings imminent and unavoidable destruction along with it Tremble at that Scripture John 3.18 He that believeth not is condemnâ—d already because he hath not believed on the Name of the only begotten Son of God he is condemned a sentence of death is past upon thee if thou be in a state of Unbelief Secondly My other word of Counsel is this Oh labour labour to get this cursed sin of unbelief destroyed in you O let this sin be destroyed or else thou must be destroyed But you will say How shall we get this sin of unbelief cured I will tell you Will you hearken to me in four or five Rules and then I have done First Take heed of Atheism for I profess we are fallen into days of Atheism and all our Religion if the Lord be not merciful to us will end in Atheism Infidelism and Athesm there is but one step between them what is Atheism but when men will not believe there is a God all Insidelity springs from Aheism But you will say What do you think we are Atheists Do you think that we believe there is not a God Let me tell you There are Atheists in Opinion as well as Atheists in Language The Fool hath said in his heart there is no God there are Atheists in practice as well as Atheists in profession They profess they know God but in works they deny him Take heed therefore of this cursed sin of Atheism Secondly Would you have Unbelief removed then learn to know more of God to know more of his Goodness Wisdom Holiness Purity Perfection and other of his glorious Attributes They that know thy Name will put their trust in thee I am sure did you but know him you would believe in him you would obey him you would fear before him I know whom I have believed saith St. Paul 2 Tim. 1.12 Thirdly Resolve to practice what you do know if you would be Believers you must know that there are many things a man may believe notionally which he does not believe practically I shall give you an instance There is never a one of you that hears me this day but believes you are mortal you believe you shall die you verily believe that as you believe there is a Sun in the Firmament yet notwithstanding though you do
very precious As if he should say You have an infinite and an invaluable benefit by him therefore you have great reason so highly to prize him Vnto you that do believe that is that can rest and rely upon this Rock of Salvation that can pawn your Souls upon him that can close with him and cleave to him and obey him as your Prince and your Saviour Vnto you says the Apostle he is precious or he is a price and an honour for so the Original word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies he is not only precious but of infinite price he is not only honourable but honour it self in the Abstract for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies both price and honour The words being thus opended afford these two Points of Doctrine which lie clear in the Text. Doct. 1. That the Lord Jesus Christ is infinitely precious in himself Doct. 2. As Jesus Christ is precious in himself so he is exceeding precious in the eyes of all Believers and most highly prized by them Doct. 1. That the Lord Jesus Christ is infinitely precious in himself He is called in the 4th verse of this Chapter A living-stone chosen of God and precious And in Isa 28.16 Therefore thus saith the Lord God behold I lay in Sion for a foundation a stone a tryed stone a precious Corner-stone a sure Foundation For the better understanding of this Point two things are to be opened First What it is to be Precious or what may be included in this Phrase precious Secondly How this may be applyed to Jesus Christ or wherein the preciousness of Jesus Christ consists First What is it to be precious What is included in this Phrase precious The Hebrew word signifies divers things I will name you but these five or six and every one of those significations are rightly applicable to the Lord Jesus Christ Sometimes the word precious is taken for bright and glorious Thus the Sun and the Moon are said to walk in brightness Job 31.26 If I beheld the Sun when it shined or the Moon walking in brightness Job there speaking of the Moon says it walks in brightness it walks as it were through the Heavens honourably it walks in a great deal of brightness and glory Thus the Lord Jesus Christ in this sense is precious because he is the glorious sun of Righteousness as he is called Mal. 4.2 Vnto you that fear my Name shall the sun of Righteousness arise with healing under his wings And he calls himself the bright Morning-Star in Rev. 22.16 I am the bright Morning-Star Again Secondly The word precious is taken sometimes for that that is scarce and rare to be had for that which is not bestowed upon all but upon some few persons Thus the Word of God in Samuel's time was said to be precious 1 Sam. 3.1 And the Word of the Lord was precious in those days there was no open Vision it was communicated but to a few And in this sense also the Lord Jesus Christ may be said to be precious because he is communicated but to a very few A little Flock Luke 12.32 A little little Flock as the word signifies a very little Flock in comparison of those that have no interest in him nor any benefit by him For not many wise men after the flesh not many Mighty not many Noble are called 1 Cor. 1.26 There are but few very few in comparison of the great multitude that have an interest in him in that regard he is precious Thirdly Sometimes the word precious is taken for that which is dear and costly So the Lord Jesus Christ is very dear to his Father the dearly beloved Son of his bosom and his blood is very costly it is called precious blood If the blood of all the Princes upon Earth had been spilt nay if all the Angels in Heaven had lost their lives it had not been comparable to one drop of the precious blood of Jesus Christ which is called the blood of God Acts 20.28 Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the Flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood Fourthly The word precious sometimes is taken for that which is pleasant and delightful Jer. 31.20 Is Ephraim my dear Son is he a pleasant Child There is the same word for precious called pleasant In this regard the Lord Jesus Christ may be called precious because he is so delightful to the Father Isa 42.1 Behold my servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my soul delighteth Fifthly That may be said to be precious that is of very great and invaluable use or that whereof we have an indispensable necessity Now in this sense also Jesus Christ is precious he is of infinite use to a Believer such indispensable need have we of him that without him we must perish everlastingly Except ye eat the flesh of Christ and drink his blood you have no life in you John 6.53 Lastly That is said to be precious which is honourable Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honourable and I have loved thee therefore I will give men for thee and people for thy life Isa 43.4 And as I told you even now the Original word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 siguifieth honour as well as price So the Lord Jesus Christ he is infinitely honourable honourable in himself all the Angels honour and admire him and he is an Honour to his Church and Chosen to all those that have a part and interest in him therefore he is said to be The glory of his people Israel Luke 2.32 A light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel You see the first thing opened What it is to be precious Now the second thing for Explication is this How this Title precious may be applyed to Jesus Christ or wherein does the preciousness of Jesus Christ so much appear For answer to this You must know the preciousness of Jesus Christ does appear in these six Particulars First He is exceeding infinitely unconceivably precious in his Person God and Man united in one Person Co-essential with the Father that is having the same Essence and Substance with him in John 10.30 I and my Father are one And he is Co-equal with the Father He thought it no robery to be equal with God Pbil. 2.6 Being the brightness of his Fathers Glory and the express Image of his Person Heb. 1.3 Therefore he is infinitely precious in his Person Secondly As he is precious in his Person so is he precious in his Titles those rich and glorious Titles that are attributed to him For Example Isa 9.6 This is the name wherewith the Lord Jesus Christ is called Wonderful Counsellonr El the Mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace Pray mark with what a glorious Title he is called there The Mighty God How dare then any blasphemous Arrian or Atheist deny the Divinity
honour Jesus Christ even as they honour the Father See it exprefly commanded in John 5.23 That all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him Why should they honour the Son as they honour the Father because he is so precious in his person being God and Man united together in one person therefore see that you honour him therefore kiss the Son with a kiss of Reverence of Love and of Obidience lest his anger be kindled against you Secondly Is the Lord Jesus Christ so precious in his Titles as being the Delight of the Father the Fathers Fellow the Judg of the World the Judg of quick and dead O then never give rest to your eyes nor slumber to your eye-lids never rest satisfied with any condition with any portion with any parts priviledges whatsoever here below till you have got an interest in him that is every way so precious get him and get all want him and want all A man that catches at the shadow you know loses the substance but get the substance and you get the shadow with it So long as you look after other things besides Christ you lose him but if you get him you get the shadow of all you get life and peace and comfort and all that your hearts can desire be content to lose all to get him who when you have got you shall be sure never to lose Thirdly Is Jesus Christ so precious in his Offices as King Priest and Prophet then do you labour to be experimentally partakers of all those Offices that you also may be Kings And hath made us to be Kings and Priests to God and his Father Rev. 1.6 Labour to be Kings in Ruling over your own lusts over your own distempers and passions as he said excellently Do but conquer thy self and the world is conquered to thy hand A greater victory it is for a man to conquer himself than to conquer a Kingdom Labour in this sense to be Kings that your iniquities may not have dominion over you but that you may at length get victory over your lusts which fight against your Souls Again labour to be spiritual Priests to offer up spiritual Sacrifices to God acceptable through Jesus Christ and do you labour to be Prophets that is endued with such wisdom and spiritual knowledg that you may be able to admonish and instruct one another This is that which the Apostle speaks of to the great commendation of the Romans in Rom. 15.14 And I my self also am perswaded of you my Brethren that ye also are full of goodness filled with all knowledg able to admonish one another Do you my Brethren labour to be like Jesus Christ in all his Offices Fourthly Is Jesus Christ so precious in his Ordinances O then do you labour to taste the sweetness of every Ordinance taste the sweetness of the Word of God that you may say How sweet is thy Word to my taste yea sweeter than Honey to my mouth Psalm 119.103 Taste the sweetness of Jesus Christ in the precious Ordinance of the Lords Supper that you may say I sate down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my taste Cant. 2.3 And in Cant. 5. ult His mouth is most sweet His mouth is sweetnesses as the Hebrew phrase carries it and he is altogether lovely He is most sweet fn his Ordinances O say one hours Communion with him is better than all the pleasures of the World one taste of that spiced Wine and of the juice of the Pomgranate spoken of in Cant. 8.2 I would lead thee and bring thee into my mothers house who would instruct me I would cause thee to drink of spiced Wine of the juice of my Pomgranate One draught of that generous Wine that spiced Wine how pleasant and delightful would it be to my Soul Is Jesus Christ so sweet in his Ordinances Oh then labour to taste the sweetness of Jesus Christ in his Ordinances Fifthly Is Jesus Christ so precious in his Prerogatives he is the only Saviour the only Mediator then subject your selves to him and to none but him be subject to him as your only Prince and Saviour and say O Lord our God other Lords besides thee have had Dominion over us but by thee only will we make mention of thy Name Isa 26.13 Lastly Is the Lord Jesus Christ so exceeding precious in the purchase of his blood then do you labour to have an interest in his purchase what is it for you to hear of the purchase of Christs blood if this purchase be not yours if you have not a share and part in it What is Christ if he be not my Christ What is his purchase if it be not my purchase For Example If he hath purchased an Eternal Redemption by his own blood O do you labour every day to get an assurance that you are in the number of his Redeemed ones But how may we know that I answer If you be the Redeemed of Jesus Christ then you will walk in the way of the Redeemed of Christ and that way is called Holy Isa 35.8 And an high-way shall be there and a way and it shall be called the way of holiness the unclean shall not pass over it but it shall be for those the wayfaring men though fools shall not err therein Hath he purchased not only Redemption but the Donation of his Spirit Oh do you beg the Spirit of God that that Gift that great Gift may be bestowed on you according to that Promise a Text I opened to you in many Sermons And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my Judgments and do them Ezek. 36.27 If any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8.9 And do you put the Lord in mind of all those gracious Promises that he hath made I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thine off-spring Isa 44.3 Again Hath he purchased such precious Graces to be bestowed upon all his Children upon all those that have an interest in him O then do you labour to be truly gracious not only to have restraining grace but renewing grace not only common grace but sanctifying grace sound faith sincere love unfeigned obedience that you may have the graces of Humility meekness patience that you may have the Image of Jesus Christ stamped upon your Souls that you may receive of his fulness grace for grace that you may in every grace of Christ have a part that by his Wisdom you may be made wise by his Holiness we may be made holy Again Hath he purchased likewise such precious Priviledges for his Children O then do you labour to be made partakers of those precious Priviledges to be united to Christ and to have
and obey not his Gospel 2 Thess 1.8 Can you be content to give as much for him now as you would give in that day for him Can you be contented to give as much for him as a damned Soul would give for him if it were possible he could purchase him Certainly he is as precious now as he would be to a damned soul if he could be made partaker of him In a word Tell me Are you willing to give up your selves to him wholly to be ruled by him to give up your Understandings to him to desire to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified To give up your Will to him to say Rule in me as thou pleasest so I may be but thine to give up your Affections to him to love him to delight in him to rejoyce in him to say with the Apostle God sorbid I should rejoyce in any thing save in the Cross of Christ Gal. 6.14 If you can do thus then you have answered the first Question and you may know certainly Jesus Christ is precious to you Secondly Tell me What are you willing to lose for Christ to part with for a precious Redeemer First Are you willing to part with your sins though they may be never so near and dear to you though they be as your right hand and right eye can you throw them away from you with detestation Isa 30.22 Ye shall defile also the covering of your graven Image and the Ornament of thy molten Image of gold thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth thou shalt say unto it get thee hence they shall cast away their Idols with detestation Again Can you be content to part with the World your Estates your Liberties your Comforts any thing for Christ Understand me thus First If they come in competition with him Secondly If they stand in opposition to him First If they come in competition with him Tell me can you hate Father Mother Wife children any thing that is near and dear to you if it stand in competition with Christ or any thing that stands in opposition to him If any thing hinders the meeting of Christ and your Souls though never so near and dear to you can you cast it away can you be content to part with it Thirdly Answer me this Question What pains can you be contented to take for the gaining of the Lord Jesus Christ can you be as industrious and unwearied in the pursuit of those unsearchable riches that are laid up in Christ as you are after these temporary and transitory riches that oftentimes take to themselves wings and fly away can you be as unsatiable in seeking to gain Jesus Christ on the Lords Day as you are unwearied in your Callings on the Week day certain it is if Jesus Christ be precious to you you will think no pains too great you will think no cost too much you will think no industry can be great enough for the purchasing this Pearl of Price you will with the Wise Merchant in the Gospel sell all to purchase him you will seek him in the Streets as the Spouse did you will seek him in the Assemblies you will be driving a Trade still that you may get more of him more influences of Grace from him and more conformity unto him This is the first Use of Examination to discover whether Jesus Christ be precious to you or no if your desires be strongly carried out after him if your love be a servent and sincere love if you can be content to give any thing for him and to lose or part with any thing for his sake and if you can be content to take any pains and think no pains too great to gain him who is the Pearl of great Price The Lord make your own hearts your Judges in this particular And so much for the first Use of Examination There are three other Uses a Use of Conviction a Use of Information and a Use of Exhortation But I must refer them to another opportunity 1 Pet. II. 7. Vnto you therefore which believe he is precious I Have spoken to this Text in two Sermons already upon the like occasion of our solemn approaching to the Table of the Lord and there are two Points of Doctrine I have drawn from these words the first is this That Jesus Christ is infinitely precious in himself The second is this As Jesus Christ is infinitely precious in himself so is he also precious to all Believers and highly prized by them This Point I spake to upon the last Occasion and opened it to you and made one Use of Examination I now come to a second Use that is of Conviction If it be so that Jesus Christ is thus precious to all Believers then it follows few yea very few Believers there are in the World nay very few of those that do profess the Name of Christ because there are very few that do prize him very few that make that high account of him as becomes so rich so precious so invaluable a Redeemer But it may be you will say to me Who are they then that do not prize Jesus Christ who are they that do not value him I shall instance in four or five sorts of Persons First They do not prize the Lord Jesus Christ that see no beauty in him that they should desire him that see no beauty in spiritual things no beauty in Grace no beauty in the peace of a good conscience no beauty in Joy in the Holy Ghost in righteousness and holiness for in these things consists the Kingdom of God Rom. 14.17 For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Now those that see no beauty in those things that lead the Soul to Christ in those things wherein the Kingdom of Christ consists certainly they do not prize Christ This is the great fault of the Jews for which they were rejected as the Prophet Isaiah foretold Isa 53.2 3 He shall grow up before him as a tender Plant and as a Root out of a day ground he hath no form nor comeliness and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him He is despised and rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised and we esteemed him not The Jews look upon Christ with a carnal eye they look upon his Humanity the meanness of his Birth born in a Stable the lowness of his Parentage the House of David being at that time but like the stump of a Tree a dry Root he coming from the Root of Jesse they look upon his attendance a company of poor Fishermen they look upon his condition not having a House to lay his Head in therefore they slight him reject him and despise him Just thus it is at this day many there are that value not at all spiritual things neither value they the
his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head What is the reason that St. Paul and Mary Magdalen prized Jesus Christ so much the reason is Because they were so exceeding sensible of the bitterness of sin Paul he cryes out I am of all sinners the greatest And Mary Magdalen you know was one out of whom was cast seven Devils a notorious Sinner now she being sensible of her sins this made her love much because much was forgiven her Luke 7.47 Take it for a Rule they that slight their sin will quickly slight a Saviour where sin is slighted a Saviour will be slighted also where sin is a burden and where it is bitter there Jesus Christ will be very sweet the bitterness of sin adds a rellish to the sweetness of Christ O therefore eat this Passover with bitter herbs Thirdly Then get your hearts unglewed from the World I do not say quite cast off your care of Earthly things but this I say the world should not have so much of your hearts set your feet upon the World set your hearts upon Jesus Christ Carnal men are so glewed to the World and glutted with it that it is as hard a matter for them to be pulled from it as you find a sucking child is unwilling to part with a full Breast O therefore use the World as if so be you used it not Fourthly Then study his Excellency his Beauty his Perfection study the unsearchableness of the Promises All the promises of God are in him Yea and in him Amen Study the unsearchable Riches of the covenant of Grace as Justification Sanctification and Adoption which all come streaming in his blood Oh that you would study these more than you do What is the reason we prize Christ so little it is because we know so little of him if we knew him more we should love him more and prize him more and cleave to him more Therefore in the fifth and last place Do you desire to prize Jesus Christ beg earnestly that God would open your eyes to see more of his beauty and give you hearts to taste more of his sweetness that you may say Lord shew me thy Glory and it sufficeth Oh one glimpse of thy favour how sweet and precious will it be to me Says our Saviour to the woman of Canaan John 4.10 If thou knewest the gift of God if thou didst but know me the greatest gift that ever God did bestow upon the sons of men then if thou knewest me Thou wouldst have asked of me living water If you did but know Jesus Christ you would open your eyes to see more of him and love him and prize him more and more The last Use it is for Consolation If Jesus Christ be so precious to all Believers then here is a word of Consolation and Encouragement to all you that do prize him to all you that do set your hearts upon him to all you that do resolve to make him your Portion your Husband your Head your Rock your Redeemer your All. First Can you say with the Apostle Phil. 3.3 I rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh I can rejoyce in nothing in comparison of him neither Riches nor Honours nor Parts nor Parentage nor in any of these outward possessions O they are nothing to me in comparison of Jesus Christ Secondly Art thou one that canst say I can be contented to beg with him to die with him to die for him to be under any reproach or disgrace to suffer any loss so I may but gain him for my Portion Thirdly Art thou one that dost study more conformity to him as well as Communion with him desiring to be holy as he is holy to have his Image stampt more and more upon thy Soul Fourthly Art thou one that desirest to be Ruled by him as well as to be Redeemed by him O Lord Rule in me as thou pleasest so I may be but thine I would be under thy Dominion under thy Government Lord shew me the way thou wouldst have me to walk in Then know this for thy Comfort it is a sign that thou hast a Spouse-like affection in thee to Jesus Christ it is a token that Christ is dear to thee that Christ lies near thy Soul indeed and know this for thy Comfort thou that prizest Christ here thou shalt enjoy him for thy Portion to all Eternity hereafter where he shall be Light to thine eyes and Musick to thine ears and Comfort to thy soul unspeakable Comfort to thy heart and thou shalt be satisfied with his fulness when thou shalt have thy Soul bathed in those Rivers of pleasure that are at the right hand of God to all Eternity O that you would think of these things and lay them up in your hearts and be careful to walk according to these Rules Consider what hath been spoken and the Lord give you understanding in all things THE NECESSITY OF HUMILIATION ACTS XVI 29 30. Then he called for a light and sprang in and came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas And brought them out and said Sirs what must I do to be saved THE Lord knows who are his saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 2.19 Namely they whom he hath chosen to life Eternal and when once God hath set his Privy Seal upon them he will call them and bring them home to himself in what place soever they be though scattered amongst the Heathen in what condition soever they be whether high or low rich or poor learned or unlearned nay though they be lock'd up under a Calling that may seem to be a bar from coming home to God You shall sometimes hear a man say My calling hinders me from God and Goodness but I would say to such a one if thou belongest to Christ though thy calling be never so base and unsuitable to God and the ways of God yet thou shalt be fetch'd home and brought home to Jesus Christ at one time or other witness the Jaylor here the Text speaks of that had a calling bad enough for instead of professing Christ and his Gospel he was a persecutor of Christ and his People a rough-hewen Fellow that dealt hardly with these precious Servants of Christ beating them and putting them in the inward Prison and made fast their feet in the Stocks as you may read in the 24 verse but Paul and Silas sang in Prison verse 25. And take notice by the way That God can sometimes make a Prison a Palace to those that fear him And as they were praying and singing Praises to God the Lord shook the Prison where they were and with his shaking the Prison he did shake the Jaylors heart he had an Earthquake within him as well as without him whereupon being greatly perplexed and amazed the Text tells you here He calls for a light and sprang in and came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas and brought them out and said Sirs What must
vanity of it are ready to draw away our hearts to it O then have a care to do Gods will Deut. 6.11 12 When thou hast eaten and art full when thou art in a prosperous condition then beware lest thou forget the Lord which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt c. The Apostle Saint Paul had learnt a great Lesson when he said I have learnt in whatsoever state I am in therewith to be content I know how to be abased and I know how to abound Phil. 4.11 12. There is more danger in prosperity than in adversity as in a croud a man is in danger to lose his Purse so in a croud of worldly businesses and prosperity a man is in greatest danger to lose his God Secondly In a time of danger then God calls you to do his will that you should not decline Duty for danger sake that you should not break a Hedg to miss a foul way See a singular example of this in Daniel when he knew the doing of his duty would be the hazard of his life when he knew the writing was sealed and that snares were laid for his life yet he would not omit duty for the saving of his life he prayed three times a day as he was wont to do his Window being open in his Chamber towards Jerusalem Dan. 6.10 So those three Noble Worthies who were so highly honoured by God as to be miraculously preserved they would not deeline duty for dangers sake Be it known unto thee O King our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from this burning Furnace but if not we will not serve thy gods nor worship the golden Image which thou hast set up Dan. 3.17 18. So singular was the courage of Saint Peter and Saint John Acts 4.20 We cannot but speak the things that we have seen and heard Threaten or not threaten imprison or not imprison we cannot but speak the things that we have seen and heard Thirdly A third Season when God calls us to do his will is this when he puts an opportunity into our hands of doing some special piece of service for him now is a price put into your hands now a man should do the will of God especially This is that which Mordecai told Esther Esther 4 Who knows whether thou art come to the Kingdom for such a time as this It is as if he should say It may be God hath put an opportunity into thy hand to help his Church at this time The third thing by way of Explication is this But why must the Disciples of Christ be Doers of Gods will The Reasons are these First Because the whole Body of Religion as I may say consists in these two things namely in Believing and Obeying take away one of these and Religion is a lame Religion Secondly By doing the will of our Father we shew our selves to be Disciples of Christ indeed because we now imitate our Lord and Master for thus did he see that remarkable Scripture John 6.38 I came from Heaven not to do my own will but the will of him that sent me Thirdly Because if we do not do the will of God we shall certainly do the will of a worse Master if we do not work in Gods service we shall do the Devils drudgery if we be not workers of righteousness we shall be workers of iniquity as appears by that in Matth. 7.21 23 He that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven he shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven compare it with verse 23 And then will I say unto them I never knew you depart from me ye workers of iniquity It is as if our Saviour should say Because you would not be workers of righteousness to do the will of my Father therefore it is that you are workers of iniquity Fourthly Christians must do the will of God because this is that which makes for the honour of God John 15.8 Herein is my Father glorified if ye bring forth much fruit Look as by believing we give honour to the Truth of God so by obeying we give God the honour of his Soveraignty As obedient Children we shall shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2.9 Before I come to the Application there are two or three Objections that lie in the way which I shall endeavour to remove Object 1. It may be some will say You do so cry up Duty and doing the will of God that you infringe or eclipse the Free grace of God this is not Preaching Free grace Answ I answer This is not an infringing or an eclipsing of the free-grace of God because you must know Faith and good Works are not opposite one to another but they are subordinate they are consistent and may stand one with another very well Secondly I answer The grace of God doth not exclude all works but it excludes those works only that are meritorious Good works therefore we may say truly are Causes without which we cannot be saved though they are not Efficient Causes nor instrumental Causes yet they are Causes without which we cannot be saved as the Apostle saith Without holiness no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 So may I say here Though we be not saved for our good works yet we shall never be saved without good works I would have you to remember this Good works though they are not necessary to our Justification yet they are necessary to our Salvation there is a great deal of difference between these two to be saved by faith and saved for faith this is certain we are not saved for our faith this is the errour of the Socinians that say The Act of believing is our righteousness Though we are not saved for faith yet the Apostle saith We are saved by faith So here we are not saved for our good works yet we are not saved without good works as the Apostle saith He that is a Doer of the Word shall be blessed in his deed James 1.25 He doth not say for his deed so you may be blessed in your good works though not for your good works Thirdly I answer Although faith alone doth justifie yet that faith that is alone doth not justifie though no man is justified for his works yet that faith that is a justifying faith is a working faith Secondly It may be objected But why do you press us to do the will of God when of our selves we are not able to do it we cannot of our selves think a good thought nor speak a good word much less do the will of God in that manner as you have laid down how it must be done To this I answer Our inability doth not nullifie or make void the Commands of God God for example bids you believe 1 John 3.23 And this is his Commandment that we should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ and yet Faith it is the gift of God
To him that hath shall be given he that well useth his Talent shall have more Talents given to him Thirdly Because God doth love to reward his Servants Just as a Master deals with his Factor beyond the Seas when he sees that he deals faithfully with him in smaller matters he intrusts him with more of his Estate so when God sees us faithful in a little he trusts us with more when he sees us to use one talent well he will give us five talents to trade with Fourthly Because the more grace is acted the more it grows and is encreased Remarkable is that Scripture Heb. 5. ult But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil By reason of use have their spiritual senses exercised Use legs as we say and have legs the more a man sets about this Heavenly Employment of acting of grace the more grace he shall have in his heart Now for the Application of this Point and first by way of Instruction it serves to let you see what is the reason of that truth which carnal men will hardly helieve That Godly men are the only wise men and that wicked men though they are never so knowing are errant fools this is a truth plainly set down in this Scripture The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom Prov. 9.10 None are wise but those that fear the Lord none are prudent in Gods account but those that are obedient those that practise what they know practical Christians are the only prudent Christians in Gods account Remarkable is that Scripture Deut. 4.5 6 Behold I have taught you Statutes and Judgments even as the Lord my God commanded me that ye should do so in the Land whither ye go to possess Keep therefore and do them for this is your wisdom and understanding in the sight of the Nations that shall hear these Statutes and say Surely this great Nation is a wise and understanding People But now on the contrary wicked men let them have never so much knowledg let them have as much knowledg as the wicked Angels who are knowing Spirits the Devils are intelligent Spirits if he do not put his knowledg into practise if he be a wicked man he is in Gods account an errant fool he is but a very Sot He is in darkness and walketh in darkness and knoweth not whither he goeth because darkness hath blinded his eyes 1 John 2.11 The second Use it is by way of Exhortation and let it be a powerful perswasion to every one here present and Oh that I could leave this Exhortation warm upon your hearts Oh that I could put you upon the practise of what you have heard I beseech you as ever you desire that Jesus Christ should take you by the hand and kiss you with the kisses of his mouth and manifest his love to you as ever you desire that Jesus Christ should make fuller discoveries of himself to you labour to practise what you know live up to your light do not foster or favour any known sin nor bauk nor decline any known Duty but live up to your light Now that I may press you to it consider First We live in times of Libertinism and loosness wherein many hold the truth in unrighteousness The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against them that imprison the Truth that sin against the light of their knowledg and Conscience that blow out the Candle lest it should discover truth to them Light is come into the world but men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil John 3.19 And this is the condemnation to them with a witness who shut the light out of their Souls The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness Rom. 1.18 Let me set on this Consideration with this Motive First Consider how little it is that we know of God The very best of Gods Saints and Servants how little do they know of him To use Jobs phrase Job 26. ult How little a portion is heard of him What a little knowledg is it that the most knowing men have There is a thousand times more excellency and sulness and sweetness and Soul-satisfaction and beauty and all sufficiency in God in the Lord Jesus Christ than ever yet was known or discovered How little a portion do we know of God! The greatest part of our knowledg is the least part of our ignorance we are ignorant of a thousand times more than we know There are unsearchable riches in Jesus Christ as the Apostle calls them Ephes 3.8 There is a thousand times more riches in Christ than ever was discovered Mines of Wisdom and Knowledg that you were never yet acquainted with now if you would know more practise what you do know Secondly Consider the more you know of God the nearer do you come to Heaven for the fulness of the Saints happiness in Heaven will be this when they shall see God as he is and know him as he is 1 John 3.2 Beloved now are we the Sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Heaven consists in the Beatifical Vision of God a sight of God seeing of him as he is in Heaven David gives you a glimpse of Heaven in one Verse Psalm 17. ult As for me I will behold thy face in righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness Heaven consists in the Vision of God in conformity to God and in satisfaction in God this is Heaven Vision of God I will behold thy face in righteousness Conformity to God When I awake with thy likeness Satisfaction in God I shall be satisfied then our Knowledg will be perfected Thirdly Consider that this experimental Knowledg that springs from Obedience will make you sound and solid Christians that you shall not take up Religion upon trust but you shall know upon what grounds you believe upon what grounds you have the hope of eternal happiness you shall not have your Religion upon trust or Tradition you shall have a certain evidence of your interest in Jesus Christ and your hope of Eternal happiness you shall be able to read your names written in Heaven On the contrary take away that experimental Knowledg that springs from Obedience and a man may be a Turk upon the same ground that he is a Christian because he takes his Religion upon trust Take away this experimental Knowledg a man may be of any Religion as well as a Christian O get this Knowledg that springs from Obedience then you will know upon what grounds you take up Religion and your hopes of Heaven and happiness will be upon good grounds Fourthly Consider God looks upon all your Knowledg as nothing worth unless
you practise what you know and live up to your light God looks upon all your Praying and Reading and Hearing and Communicating as nothing if so be you do not live up to what you know Jer. 32.23 And they came in and possessed it but they obeyed not thy voyce neither walked in thy Law they have done nothing of all that thou commandedst them to do What had they done nothing that God commanded them to do they had circumcised their Children in obedience to Gods Command they offered Sacrifices they came to the Temple they did many specious outward Duties but saith the Prophet They did nothing of all that God commanded them Why because they did not practise what they knew their lives were not answerable to the profession they made therefore God esteemed their profession no profession God esteemed their Sacrifices no Sacrifices take your Sacrifices to your selves Ezek. 20 Your new Moons and your Sabbaths and solemn Assemblies I am weary of them saith God they are an abomination unto me All their outward professions were nothing because they did not practise what they knew It is said of the Sons of Eli that they were sons of Belial they knew not the Lord 1 Sam. 2.12 It may be thou mayst have a great deal of notional knowledg thy tongue may be so tip'd with Religion that thoumayst be able to discourse upon Points of Religion very judiciously thou mayst be able to give an account of thy Faith thou mayst to able to answer an Argument thou mayst be able to defend the Truth yet if so be thou dost not live according to thy knowledg in Gods account still thou knowest nothing at all God notwithstanding all thy Knowledg looks upon thee but as an ignorant Sot as it is said of Israel Jer. 4.22 For my People are foolish they have not known me they are sottish children and have no understanding Again Though thou mayst hear a thousand Sermons if thou dost not frame thy life according to the Rule and Prescript of the Word of God in Gods esteem thou art as one that never heard a Sermon in all thy life and is not this a pitiful thing that a man for want of practise shall lose all that he hath done all his Prayers and all his Hearing and all his Communicating at the Lords Table for an unpractical Christian in Gods account hath done nothing at all methinks this should work upon your hearts If ever therefore you desire that God should look upon you as upon his Children that God should own you in a day when you would give a whole World for a smile of his face If ever you desire that Jesus Christ should give this testimony of you Father here are they that have kept thy Word if ever you would have God to say to you as he saith of some These are my Children then rest not in a bare notional profession of the Truth but let Profession and Practice Science and Conscience go together This is the first Branch of the Doctrine or the first Proposition They that obey the will of God shall know more of his Will JOHN VII 17. If any man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self I Come now to the second Proposition which is this He that doth the will of God shall be more assured of what he knows This is that which our Saviour implies when he saith He shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self that is he shall know it more certainly know it more assuredly To this agrees that speech of our Saviour John 8.23 32 If you continue in my Word then are you my Disciples indeed and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free Such an assured Knowledg had the Disciples John 6.69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ the Son of the living God It was not a conjectural knowledg but a certain knowledg say they We believe and are sure And such a knowledg had Saint Paul 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day He is able to keep my Soul my Salvation which he calls his Depositum which he had deposited with God For the better Explication of this Truth That he that doth the will of God shall be more assured of what he knows it may be demanded What is this certainty or assurance of knowledg First There are some things to be premised or Cautions to be observed for the finding out the Nature of this sure and certain Knowledg Secondly I will give you some distinctions of Knowledg whereby you may see what it is I am speaking of Thirdly I will then give you the Description of this sure and certain Knowledg 1. That you may know what this certainty of Knowledg is there are some things to be premised some Cautions for the finding out of this sure and certain Knowledg and the Cautions are these five First When I speak of sure and certain Knowledg I do not mean an assurance of Salvation neither do I speak of the reflect act of Knowledg whereby we know that which we know 1 John 2.3 Hereby we know that we know but I speak of that the Apostle calls the full assurance of understanding Col. 2.2 When a man is so rooted setled and established in the present truth Ephes 4.14 2 Pet. 1.12 that he is not always doubting imagining haesitating and carried about with every wind of Doctrine The second Caution is this When I speak of full assurance of understanding you must remember that there cannot be such a full assurance attained that will be absolute and perfect certainly an absolute perfect certainty of Knowledg cannot be attained in this life that is free from all doubting for our knowledg in this life at the best is but imperfect We know but in part saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 13.9 Although it be not absolutely perfect yet it is so strong that it will not be overswayed by the opinion of others though they be very learned men and this is that which the Apostle means in that Scripture 1 Cor. 2.15 The spiritual man judgeth all things but he himself is judged of no man That is he is able to judg and discern between Truth and Error between Copper and Gold between Food and Poison he is able to discern Error from Truth He himself is judged of no man that is he is so certainly assured of the truth that he holds that the contrary judgment of others though men of greater parts and greater Scholars shall not oversway him or make him to stagger It is true indeed Thomas staggered a while at the Doctrine of the Resurrection yet he recovered himself and afterwards came to that certainty that he cryed out My Lord and my God John 22.20 A man for Example
from vers 27 to ver 59. Thirdly You have the issue or consequence of the Sermon some believed and some revolted some murmured and some marvelled The Text that I have now read unto you is part of the Sermon it self wherein our Lord and Saviour because of the stupidity and incredulity of his Auditors doth again and again both press and prove this Heavenly Doctrine that he himself was the Bread of Life I am says he the Bread of Life he that cometh to me shall not hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst In which Text you may take notice of these two parts First An undeniable Proposition I am the Bread of Life Secondly A comfortable Inference upon that Proposition He that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall nevtr thirst I shall begin with the first the evident and undeniable Proposition I am the Bread of Life which words must not be understood literally as if our Saviour was such Corporal Bread as could be chewed in the mouth and digested in the stomach as the Capernaites did fondly conceive when they said How can this man give us his flesh to eat this was as gross a conceit as Nicodemus's who askt If he should go into his Mothers womb again and be born But the words must be understood in a Metaphorical sense That as Bread strengthens the body and revives the spirit and supports the nature of a man and enables him to perform natural actions with more vigour and vivacity so likewise the Lord Jesus Christ strengthens the Soul and revives the spirit and supports us in our spiritual life and helps us to perform spiritual duties in a spiritual manner therefore he saith I am the Bread of Life He is not only bread but the bread of life because it is he that gives us spiritual life here and preserves that life and will hereafter give to us Eternal lise in Glory and therefore he is called The Bread of Life So then the Doctrine I would commend to you from hence is this Doct. The Lord Jesus Christ is that living bread that gives Spiritual and Eternal life to all those that have a part and interest in him This is a Truth so unquestionable that it is no less than six times repeated in this one Chapter And for the better Confirmation of it it may be demanded First Wherein doth our Saviour resemble bread Secondly And how doth it appear that our Saviour is better than bread I shall speak briefly to them both First Wherein doth our Saviour resemble bread I will name but three particulars though I know more might be reckoned up First Bread you know it is prepared food the Corn must be threshed and winnowed and ground in a Mill and baked in an Oven before it can be bread for us to eat So the Lord Jesus Christ he was threshed as I may say by afflictions and tribulations He was a man of sorrows and he was winnowed by temptations he was baked and scorch'd as it were in the Oven of his Fathers wrath for it was he that trod the Winepress of his Fathers wrath alone for us and all this was done before he could be made fit Bread that is a fit Saviour for our Souls Secondly Bread you hnow it is common food it is common to the poor as well as to the rich for the foolish as well as the wise the poor have bread if they have any thing so the Lord Jesus Christ he is a common Saviour common for all ranks and conditions of men for high and low and rich and poor noble and ignoble all are beholding to Jesus Christ here There is neither Greek nor Jew Circumcision nor Vncircumcision Barbarian Scythian Bond nor Free but Christ is all and in all Col. 3.11 Thirdly Bread you know it is the principal food it is the stay and support of a mans life therefore it is called The staff of bread Isa 3.1 So the Lord Jesus Christ he is the principal portion of the Souls of all Believers He is the choicest of ten thousand Cant. 5.10 We may better want any thing than bread The Lord Jesus Christ is as I may say not only the food of our Souls but the Soul of our Souls and the Life of our Lives Secondly It may be demanded But wherein doth Jesus Christ excel this corporal bread I answer in these four respects First Corporal bread though it doth help to preserve life yet it cannot give life but now the Lord Jesus Christ is he that gives spiritual Life he begins it and begets it in his People Ephes 2.1 You hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins And hence it is that the Lord Jesus Christ is called the second Adam The first man Adam was made a living Soul the last Adam was made a quickning Spirit 1 Cor. 15.45 And in John 5.21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead and quickneth them even so the Son quickneth whom be will Secondly Bread doth satisfie but one appetite namely hunger never was it known that bread could satisfie thirst but now the Lord Jesus Christ he can satisfie all the desires of the Soul and supply all the wants of the Soul he is both the bread of life and the water of life nay not only bread and water but he is cloathing to the Soul as it is in Rom. 13. ult Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ So that he is both Food and Spiritual Cloathing Thirdly Bread though it satisfie your hunger for the present yet it cannot so take away your hunger that you shall hunger no more if it satisfie hunger to day you will be hungry again to morrow But now the Lord Jesus Christ doth so satisfie the hunger of our Souls that we shall never hunger nor thirst more for so the Text tells you He that comes to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst Fourthly Corporal bread you know is perishing and doth but nourish a perishing life John 6.27 Labour not for the meat that perisheth But now the Lord Jesus Christ is not perishing bread but that bread that endures for ever and that life that he gives is not a perishing life neither John 6.51 I am the living bread which came down from Heaven if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever and the bread which I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world So you see the Point opened Let me briefly apply it because I principally aim at the second part of the Text the comfortable-Inference But for the improvement of this Point First By way of Information and then by way of Exhortation First By way of Information there are three Doctrinal Inferences from the Point thus opened that may be thence deduced First If the Lord Jesus Christ be that living bread that gives Spiritual and Eternal life to them that believe in him then you may learn this