things which we comprehend not III. That which makes believing so difficult is the seeming contradictory acts of Faith it seems not to consist with it self Here I take Faith more generally as it has for its Object the whole Word of God the Law and the Gospel the special Object of Faith as Saving is the Promise Saving Faith seeks Life which is not to be found in Commandments and Threats but in a Promise of Mercy Faith acting upon the whole Word of God seems to contradict it self for Faith believes a Sinner is to die according to the Law and that he shall live according to the Gospel Faith has the Word of God for both both for the Death and Life of a Sinner and both are true the Law must be executed and the Promise must be performed but how to reconcile this is not so obvious and easie to every one Is the Law then against the Promises of God God forbid Gal. 3.21 't is impossible both should be accomplished in the Person of a Sinner he cannot die eternally and live eternally yet both are wonderfully brought about by Jesus Christ according to the manifold Wisdom of God without any Derogation to his Law and Justice God and his Law are satisfy'd and the Promise of Salvation made good to the Sinner and so both Law and Gospel have their ends not a tittle of either falls to the ground Heaven and Earth may sooner pass away than this can be O what a mistery is Christ Flesh and blood can't reveal this to us every believer assents to the truth of the Law as well as the Gospel he knows that both must have their full course the Law is fulfilled in inflicting Death the Gospel in giving Life the Law contributes nothing to the eternal Life of a sinner but kills him and leaves him weltering in his blood is no more concerned about him for ever if God will bring this dead sinner to life again he may dispose of him as he please the Law has done its utmost against him so the Law did against Christ spared him not but killed him out-right and left him for a time under the power of Death but having slain a Man who was God as well as Man Death was too weak to hold him he swallows up Death in victory he whom the Law slew as Man rises as God by the power of his godhead the Law contributed nothing to his Resurrection the Law had the chief hand in his Death but none in his Resurrection And here begins our eternal Life in the Resurrection of him who dies no more and is the Resurrection and Life to all who believe in him IV. The reigning unbelief that is among the generality of Men even among those who are of greatest reputation for Wisdom and Learning Ay and among those who carry the vogue for Zeal and Religion are counted the Head and Pillars of the Church Some pretending to Infallibility others set up themselves and are cryed up by many as such competent Judges in all matters of Faith that their judgment is not to be questioned but readily complied with by all who would not be counted singular and Schismatical So 't was in our Saviours time the Jews who had been the only Professors of the true Religion for many ages in opposition to all Idolatry and false Worship they stumble at the Gospel the Greeks who were the more Learned sort of the Heathen World they counted it foolishness And thus was the whole World set against Christ here was the greatest outward hinderance of the belief of the Gospel that could be imagined and add to this the indefatigable pains and industry of the Devil to keep out the light of the Gospel from shining in upon us he blinds the Eyes of Men by a cursed influence upon their corrupt minds that they should not believe Is it not a hard matter under all these discouragements to embrace the Gospel and declare our belief of it Have any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him But this people who know not the Law John 7.48 49. Why should any regard what a company of poor illiterate people do Their following Christ is rather an argument why we should not follow him they are all but fools and ideots that do so A cursed sort of people This is the judgement the Men of the World have of believers There is nothing among too many self-conceited Scepticks lies under a greater imputation of folly and madness than faith in the Lord Jesus Christ O what a pass are things come too that after so many hundred years profession of Christianity we should grow weary of Christ and the Gospel V. The notorious Apostacy of many Professors this day who have made Shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience 1 Tim. 1.19 may convince you all that 't is no easie matter to believe so to believe as to persevere in the Faith VI. Believers themselves find it a difficult matter to act their Faith if their Lives lie upon it they cannot act it at their pleasure without the special aid and assistance of the Spirit 't is God must work in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure Believers are hardly put to it great is the labour and travel of their Souls in believing they meet with much opposition from flesh and blood in every act of Faith they put forth they are forced to cry out for help in the midst of an act of Faith lest they should fail in it I helieve Lord help my unbelief q. d. I am now under some light and power of Faith but I see I can't hold it if thou dost not help me I feel flesh and blood rising up against my Faith I begin to stagger already Lord help me that I may not be run down by my carnal Heart Temptations shake our Faith many times there is a perpetual conflict between Faith and Diffidence yet Faith fails not utterly there 't is still Psal 31.22 23. Psal 42.6 9. Faith upholds the Heart still Psal 116.7 Unbelievers they tremble and turn away from God but true believers in their greatest frights and fears do run to God Psal 56.3 make towards him still Were it an easie matter to believe such suddain fits of unbelief would not come so strongly upon believers themselves Secondly The Reson why many Professors count it an easie thing to Believe The main Reason is this and I will insist upon no other viz. Because they mistake a formal Profession of Faith for real believing this undo's thousands who because they are qualified as National Protestants for all worldly preferments here they rest and make no other use of their Religion as if the Articles of their Faith obliged them to nothing A formal Profession is general takes up Religion in gross but is not concerned in any one point of it But real Believing is particular brings down every Gospel Truth to our selves shews us our concernments in it Save thy self saith
influence the Faith of some confident Professors has upon their Lives they are not they will not be governed by the Faith which they profess the Devil allows of such a profession and 't is all the Religion he will admit of in his followers provided they don 't touch upon the power of godliness all forms are alike to him and in some cases the purest and most Scriptural serve his turn best when separated from the power of godliness then he has some Scripture on his side to perswade them that all is well then he cries The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord are ye setled in a Church way according to all the Rules of Discipline laid down in the Word and is not this Religion enough to save you Thus the Devil will sometimes give the best form its due commendation from Scripture when it may serve as an Argument to perswade a formal Christian to sit down short of the power of Godliness he knows God's own form will not save us then though he would make them believe otherwise He put the Jews upon pleading this and possessed them that all was well while they held to the outward form of Worship that God had appointed which made the Lord himself so often to declare against them and the outward forms of Worship that he had appointed because he saw they rested in them and played the Hypocrites under them Let us have a care in these Gospel-times that we do not rest in Gospel-forms only placing the whole of our Religion in that which God has made but a part of it and such a part that should never be divided by us from the Power and Spirit of the Gospel We talk of damnable Heresies and there are such the Lord keep us from them but let me tell you you may pass though more silently into Hell through a formal Profession of the Truth and have your porticn with Hypocrites who profess'd what you do had the same form of Godliness that you have but deny'd the power of it I don't say as some of you do I hope otherwise of you all but let every one examine himself what powerful Influence those Gospel-truths have upon him which he has lived so long under the profession of you know this best and others may more than guess at it by your Lives and Conversations but I spare you having laid my finger upon the soar place I take it off again and leave every one to his own feeling Obj. You seem as if you would put us off from our Profession Answ It may be better off than on in some respects but my design is to bring you up to your Profession that you may be real in it and not mock the Lord nor deceive your selves I have often thought that he who makes a solemn Profession of his Faith and says I believe in God and in Christ had need consider well what he says lest he lie unto the Holy Ghost though what you profess be truth yet your Profession may be a Lie if you say you believe what you do not believe with the Mouth Confession is made but with the Heart Man believes believing is Heart-work which the Searcher of Hearts only can judge of therefore you should consult your Hearts whether you do indeed believe before you tell God and Man that you do 't is a sad thing that the frequeut repetition of our Creed and the renewed Profession we make of our Faith should be charged upon us as so many gross Lies as Psal 78.36 37. Thirdly They who count it an easie matter to believe are destistute of Saving Faith I prove it thus 1. They who have never found any Conflict in themselves about believing are destitute of saving Faith But they who count it an easie matter to believe have never found any Conflict in themselves about believing ergo If Faith did not act in opposition to carnal Reason and carry it against all the strong reasonings of the Flesh to the contrary Supernatural Truths which never enter never be admitted never find acceptance in the Soul we should never be brought over to assent to them so as to make them the sure ground of our trust and confidence in God but Faith captivates all rebellious thoughts that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God 2 Cor. 10.5 as if they could disprove all that the Gospel says but the demonstrations of the Spirit are with that power that we cannot resist them Christ teaches as one having Authority besides the instructive evidence of Truth in clear reasonings and full demonstrations of it by the Spirit there is Authority and Power to back all this so that having nothing to object that is and fully answered we dare not but obey because of his Authority lesh Power over us were it not for this Authority and Power proud F the would pertinaciously stand out against all the Reasonings of the Spirit but when the Rationale of the Gospel is made out by art Spirit beyond all contradiction from Flesh and Blood the carnal p et is nonplust and silenced cannot speak sense against the Gospel y e however 't will be muttering and kicking against the Truth her comes in the Authoritative Act and Power of the Spirit suppressing the insolence of the Flesh and commanding the Soul in the Name of God to obey and not stand it out any longer against such clear evidence resisting the Wisdom of the Holy Ghost You must know that Flesh and Blood i. e. that carnal corrupt part that is in every Man is never convinced 't is not capable of any such thing but the Power of the Spirit of God brings on a Conviction upon the Soul from a higher Light notwithstanding all that the Wisdom of the Flesh can say to the contrary Flesh is Flesh still in all chose who are born of the Spirit but 't is overpower'd and kept under by the stronger reasonings of the Spirit which is the cause of that continual Conflict that is between the Flesh and Spirit to talk of easie believing without any resistance from our own corrupt minds is to talk of that that never was nor can be in any man whatever Saints are inclined two contrary ways though one Principle be predominant yet the other is not extinct has not yet lost all its power 't will stir and fight and resist though it can't overcome and Faith it self feels the struglings of unbelief and bears up with more Courage against them 2. They who were never convinced of the sinfulness of sin and of the dreadfulness of God's Wrath against Sinners are destitute of Saving Faith but they who count it an easie matter c. ergo I don't mean that all must pass under the like terrors of Conscience some have a more easie passage from a state of Nature to Grace from Death to Life from Terror to Comfort they may sooner get over their Tears and attain to peace than others may But this I say that
13. When the Lord sent Paul to Preach the Gospel among the Gentiles that he might hearten him for that difficult and dangerous work he promised him Protection Act. xxvi 17 18. Delivering thee from the People to whom I now send thee To open their eyes They stand in need of a mighty presence of God with them who have just cause to fear That those people will seek their death to whom they bring the word of Life and Salvation I thought this Scripture so apposite to the matter in hand and so directive to private Christians that it may plead my excuse for this enlargement upon it 2. That Private Christians may be sure to mind it our Saviour hath put it into the Rule of Prayer Matth. 6.10 Thy Kingdom come I have read That it is one of the Jews Maxims touching Prayer Ista Oratio in quâ non est memoria regni Dei non est Oratio That Prayer in which there is no mention made of the Kingdom of God is no Prayer at all when we pray Thy Kingdom come we beg That the Gospel which is the Rod of Christ's Power and the Scepter of his Government may spread all the world over For where the Gospel is believed and obeyed there doth Christ reign over fallen Man as Mediator 3. The Saints under the Old Testament prayed for the Calling and Conversion of the Gentiles under the Gospel-dispensation Psal lxvii 2 3. That thy way may be known upon Earth thy saving health among all Nations Let the people praise thee O God Let all the people praise thee 4. When by the Preaching of the Gospel in any place the people were wrought upon and brought to Believe in Christ They were exhorted to pray That the Word of the Lord might be carried to all other parts of the Gentile-world 2 Thess iii. 1. Finally Brethren Pray for us that the Word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified even as it is with you And such Prayers are not to be thought to be lost or put up to God in vain That Prediction or Promise Rom. xvi 20. And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly did doubtless excite many a Prayer and That Promise was eminently accomplished and those Prayers which were grounded upon it and put up to God in faith took effect when the Kingdom of Satan administred in the Idolatries of the Gentiles was laid waste and the Christian Profession was advanced by Constantine the Great Having now so inviting an occasion offered to me give me leave to present a Request to you and it shall be in the words of the Apostle 1 Thess v. 25. Brethren Pray for us for those who labour among you in the Word and Doctrin And I hope I may without vanity enforce this Request by the same Apostles Argument or Motive Hebr. xiii 18. Pray for us for we trust we have a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly Many reflect upon us with disparagement and we are very sensible of our own many and great infirmities But Help us with your Prayers That we may Be better Live better and Preach better It is no Paradox but a well-weighed Truth That a godly private Christian upon his knees in his Closet may assist the Minister in his Study and in the Pulpit And that I may prevail in my Request I can assure you That whatsoever Gifts or Graces ye obtain of God for your Ministers by your Prayers they will come as Blessings upon your selves like the vapours that rise from the Earth being concocted in the Middle-Region fall down upon it again in fruitful showers 1 Cor. iii. 21 22. For all things are yours whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas If any say This is a Digression from the Case which I was to speak to I would entreat them to consider what is the general scope and design of it and they will find That it comports very well with it Once I am sure That it is as much the Duty and Concernment of private Christians to pray for the Success of the Gospel that it may be blessed to the Conversion and Salvation of Souls in England as that it may be preached entertained believed and obeyed in the uttermost parts of the Earth And so I will return to prosecute my Discourse with two Remarks 1. That From what hath been said touching the Prayers of private Christians for the spreading of the Gospel we may be assured That God hath determined to bestow those Mercies for which he commands his people to pray And more than That He usually bestows them in the disposal of his Providence upon the intervention of his Peoples Prayers as may be collected from Ezek. xxxvi 25. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness ver 27. I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes ver 30. I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the increase of the Field compared with ver 37. Thus saith the Lord I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them 2. That no godly private Christian can object against his Duty in praying that the Gospel may be carried to all Nations and be entertained by them nor alledge any excuse or pretence why they should be exempted from it If any hesitate let me expostulate the matter with their Consciences Have ye received the Spirit of Christ as the Spirit of Grace and Supplication and can ye not pray Do ye feel the Love of Christ warming stirring and constraining your hearts and will ye not pray ye dearly value the Glory of God and sincerely desire That the earth may be full of the Knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea And can ye refrain from praying that this may be performed ye tenderly compassionate the miserable condition of Poor Perishing Souls and will ye not afford them so much as your Prayers that they may be relieved Are ye not greatly affected with the distinguishing Grace of God in bringing the Gospel to you and opening your Hearts to receive it How then Can ye offer up your Praises to God for so signal a Mercy without making some reflection on the deplorable state of those who have not as yet obtained the like favour without lifting up a Prayer for them that they may be made partakers of the same Grace Or will ye reply That you do pray indeed That God would visit the heathen World with the Gospel of Salvation But ye cannot think that your Prayers will contribute much toward so great and good a work Suffer me to debate this also a little with you Why will you reproach the Spirit and Grace of Prayer in saying it can avail little or nothing when God himself saith Jam. 5.16 The effectual fervent Prayer of a Righteous man availeth much Those Prayers which can mount as high as Heaven are able also to reach
Jesus You are espoused to Him and should you not consent to be like to him who has betrothed you unto himself in Loving-kindness Mercy and Faithfulness for ever Hos 2.19 20. Nay you are members of his body Therefore you should grow up into Him in all things which is the Head even Christ Eph. 4.15 You should discover such a mind as Christ had you should manifest the same Spirit and act as he acted when he was here in the World 3. Consider that God did fore-ordain you that are Believers to a conformity to the Lord Jesus Rom. 8.29 For whom he did fore-know he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son that he might be the first-born among many Brethren If you would appear with Christ in Glory you must be now changed into his Image Holiness and patient suffering will make you like him and is the decreed way unto his Kingdom 4. Walking as Christ walked will make it evident that you are indeed in him 1 Joh. 2.6 He that saith he abideth in him ought to prove what he saith and himself so to walk even as he walked To be in Christ is to be a new creature And these new Creatures do all resemble him for he is formed in them Naming the name of Christ will never demonstrate your Christianity unless you depart from iniquity which makes you so unlike unto your Lord. But likeness to him will prove you His in Truth And an evidence of this what strong consolation will it afford If you are in Christ how safe are you you are secured from the curse of the Law the stroke of vindictive Justice the wrath of the Destroyer the bondage of Corruption and Sin the sting of the first Death and the power of the second If you are in Christ His God is your God his Father your Father Joh. 20.17 You are loved as He is loved Joh. 17.23 That the World may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me And v. 26. That the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them You are joint-heirs with Christ unto the same incorruptible inheritance how firm and sure is your title how certain and soon will be your possession and after possession is taken you shall not be dispossess'd unto Eternity 5. Your following the Example of Christ very much honours Him and credits Christianity 't is a sign that Christs death has a mighty vertue in it when it makes you to die to Sin and to be unmoved by the biggest offers that Mammon makes to you 'T is an argument that He is truly Christ when you are truly Christians that He is indeed alive when he lives in you and makes you to live to him and like him 'T is a demonstration that our Lord is risen indeed when you rise with him and seek those things that are above Col. 3.1 Christ is very much unknown and being unknown is undesired and neglected because so little of him is seen in Christians conversation How few deserve digito monstrari to be pointed at and to have such a Character given them There go the persons who discover such a Spirit who talk and walk too after such a manner that 't is evident Christ dwells and speaks and walks and works in them Be all of you prevailed with to honour your Lord Jesus by shewing the world what he was when here upon Earth and how powerfully he works in you though now he is in Heaven Chrysostom with great reason does call good works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unanswerable Syllogisms and demonstrations to confute and convince Infidels The World would flock into the Church being struck with the Majesty and Glory shining forth in Her if She were but more like unto her glorious Head But when they who are called Christians are so like unto the World 't is no wonder if the men of the World continue still as they are 6. Christ frequently speaks to you to follow him and observes whether and how you do it His word is plain that you should learn his Doctrine and live after his example And his eyes which are as a flaming fire are upon Professours ways His Omniscience should be more firmly believed and seriously considered by the Church it self Rev. 2.23 All the Churches shall know that I am He which searcheth the Reins and Hearts and I will give to every one of you according to your works I shall here by a Prosopopeia bring in our Lord Jesus speaking to you and himself propounding his own Example that you may hear and heed and follow the Lamb of God To this effect Christ speaks to you Look unto me and be ye saved all ye ends of the Earth Look unto me and become like me all you that profess your selves to be my Members What Do you see in me that in any reason should turn away your faces or your hearts from me Blessed is He whosoever shall not be offended in Me. The Father is well pleased in Me and so should you as you value his favour and would consult your own interest I never took so much as one step in the ways of misery and destruction be you sure to avoid them I always trod in those paths which to you will prove pleasantness and peace though to satisfy for your deviations and going astray I was fain my self to be a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief Consider your Lord and Master you that call your selves my disciples Many look upon you that will not look into my word and will judge of Me by your practices Be not so injurious to Me by misrepresenting Me as if I allowed those evils which you allow your selves in Why should I be wounded in my honour in the house of my Friends Why should you crucify me afresh And put me to an open shame When you yield to Satans temptations are you like to me When you are eager after worldly wealth the applause of men and flesh-pleasing delights are you like to me When you are proud and haughty bitter envious and revengeful do you at all resemble Me When you seek your selves and please your selves and matter not how much God is forgotten and displeased Am I in this your example O all you upon whom my name is called content not your selves with an empty name Be my disciples in truth and let the same mind that was in me be in you also be my disciples indeed live as I did in the World to honour God and to do good to man let it be your business for I have left you an example that you should follow my steps 7. Follow Christs Example that you may enter into his glory For if we be dead with him says the Apostle we shall live with him if we suffer with him we shall also reign with him 2 Tim. 2.11 12. Be of good courage and conflict but do it in his Strength with your Spiritual enemies and
the one because they must the other because they ought Some get into the greatest crowd for the advancement of their diving trade of picking pockets they not at all observing how the Devil tricks them of their Souls for perverting the ends of the Gospel 3. Some propose Ends frivolous and trifling though they are sinful too e. g. some to see fashions some to be taken notice of among serious Christians for Worldly not Spiritual advantage Prop. 4. Those that propose a good End must call themselves to a strict and severe account how that end is obtained or lost A slight account is in some respect worse than none at all for by a shuffling account you do but as it were bribe Gods Officer natural Conscience to respit you from time to time till Death surprizeth you with a summons to give up your account to Christ himself I 'll name four Metaphors which will illustrate and prove this 1. We must give such an account as a Scholar to his Teacher of what he learns (r) Mar. 4.13 And he said unto them know ye not this parable and how then will ye know all parables q. d. If you understand not those similitudes that most plainly shew you how you must receive the Word if ever you get saving benefit by it how will you ever profit by any thing else 2. You must give an account as a Steward to his Master (s) Luk. 16.2 Give an account of thy Stewardship c. But here 's the difference between being Stewards to our Heavenly and to an Earthly Master Christ and his Servants have but one and the same interest if we improve whatever he intrust us with for our real profit we do thereby give him the Glory he expects and he will accept of our accounts 3. We must give an account as a Debtor to our Creditor (t) Mat. 18.24 The Kingdom of Heaven is likened unto a certain King which would take account of his Debtors and when he had begun to reckon one was brought unto him which ought him ten thousand talents c. We are so far sinfully indebted to the Justice of God that unless we be discharg'd upon our Suretyes payment we must be imprisoned with Devils unto Eternity 4. We must give an account as a Malefactor to a Judge (u) Mat. 12.36 Every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account thereof in the day of Judgment for by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned Unprofitable words cannot scape being accounted for Let 's fulfil all these Metaphors in calling our selves to account and when we have done that we have not done all for Prop. 5. The strict Account we take of our selves must be frequent Every Christian is Christs Garden that drinketh (w) Heb. 6.7 in the rain that cometh oft upon it As there must be frequent Showers on Gods part so there must be frequent Weeding on our part or no Blessing to be expected This is not a Duty that can be dispatcht at once those that do not often account never account as they ought Methinks I may allude unto the dying words of Elisha to Joash (y) 2 King 13.18 19. when he bid the King smite upon the ground without prescribing how oft but when he smote only thrice the man of God was wroth with him and told him he should have smitten oftener What do you reflect upon your selves only upon some qualm of Conscience or upon some rouzing Sermon or upon some startling Providence Don't you know that your hearts are incredibly deceitful Satan perpetually watchful to steal away the Word and he will do it unless you (z) Ps 119.11 hide it in your heart Your ordinary Experience tells you that you never let your accompts run on to any length but they are intangled and that your frequent self-reflections are always blessed with growth of Grace But I 'll come to some Inferences from the Doctrine Infer 1. It is not the bare hearing of the best Preachers in the World that will save you Though a Minister be never so successful in the Conversion of Sinners unless your Souls be Converted you had better never have heard him Let not any scoffing Atheist say Then I 'll never hear any of them more Sirs pray believe this one word that will not make your Damnation more tolerable (a) Ezek. 20.32 33. That which cometh into your mind shall not be at all We will be as the Heathen as the families of the Country to serve wood and stone As I live saith the Lord God surely with a mighty hand and with a stretched out arm and with fury poured out will I rule over you God will not send his Word to a people and leave them at their liberty to continue in their infidelity or to return to it at their pleasure if they will live as Heathens their Condemnation shall be far worse Infer 2. Many persons who lay aside other Business spend much time and take much pains to hear the best Preachers but they either not proposing or not pursuing a right end renders all they do worse than nothing and they drop into Hell while they seem to be knocking at Heaven door We read of five thousand Men besides Women and Children may we not moderately reckon the Women and Children to double the number (b) Mat. 14.15 c. and 15.32 c. these poor people when they came from home took Provision with them for several days drank Water lay several nights upon the ground in the open Fields staid after their Victuals was sâ—ent till they were scarce able to get home for saintness all this appears by having Baskets so ready to gather up the Fragments whereas in the Wilderness there was none to be bought or borrowed But alas How few of this Ten Thousand were then savingly Converted We read not of any great numbers of Converts by Christs Preaching for Christ but covertly and sparingly discovered himself to be the Messiah least he should hinder the main thing he came into the World for viz. to dye for sinners for (c) 1 Cor. 2.8 had they known him they would not have Crucified the Lord of Glory Besides Christ told his Disciples (d) Joh. 14.12 their Preaching should be followed with the Conversion of more Souls than his Pauze a little and think how many will tell Christ they have heard him Preach in their streets and they have followed him into the Wilderness they have there wanted their sleep in the night and gone with a hungry belly in the day for which Christ fed them by Miracle and yet Christ will profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity (e) Lu. 13.26 27. Let me follow these Inferences with a word or two of Reproof 1. Of those whose other Duties do not hold proportion with their Hearing Mistake me not I had rather never speak word more while
more particularly and expresly and heartily you do this the better you will be able to give account of your attendance upon the Word This will be like the washing or scouring of a Vessel before you fill it that what you put into it may not be spoil'd According to that of the Apostle James (n) Jam. 1.21 Lay apart not only restrain and keep in but put off and throw away all filthiness ◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sordes 'T is a Metaphor borrowed from the filth of the Body and thence transferr'd to the Soul Sin is a sordid thing and we must not only lay aside all things that defile us but all superfluity of naughtiness Some interpret of it those Excrements which we are in pain till we are rid of them q. d. Wash off all outward filth and purge out all inward for without this we can never savingly receive the Word 2. Propose to your selves such an End for your hearing that you will not be ashamed of If God should give you your Liberty propose what End you will to your selves provided it be such as upon serious reflection you will not be ashamed of e. g. You go to hear a Sermon to see a Mistriss is not that an End to be ashamed of or you fetch a Walk for your Recreation and sit down to rest you at the end of it to hear a Sermon and when you have rested you return may you not be ashamed of this You go to a Sermon for the Language or Notions of it though both these may be excellent your End is sinfull But yet I 'll close this with this Advice viz Hold on to hear Sermons though with an end to be repented of for while you play with the Bait you may be caught with the Hook while you are in the way of Grace you may be graciously surprized 3. Above all preface your hearing with Prayer As praying is the last thing the Minister doth before he Preacheth let praying be the last thing you do before you go out to hear Neither is he that planteth any thing neither he that watereth but God that giveth the increase (p) 1 Cor. 3.7 Many times our profiting is according to our praying But here again I advice you to hear though you pray not at all for by hearing you 'l be convinced that 't is your Duty to pray you 'l be instructed and incouraged in it 2. In hearing When you are engaged pray don't gratifie Satan then by a diversion for Preparation No tho it be by Prayer any other than Ejaculatory that must have been before herein likewise take these three Directions 1. Set your selves before God to hear Christ speaking to you from Heaven The more actually and seriously you presentiate Christ unto your selves the more you will give up your selves to him I grant we can't preach as the Apostles wrote by the immediate guidance of the Holy Ghost without all error and mistake Query whether all their popular Sermons were so infallibly guided it seems not (*) Gal. 2.11 yet Christ speaks through us as through a crack'd Trumpet though we betray our own frailties yet for the main of our Sermons we dare say Thas saith the Lord which is a proof of Christ speaking (q) 2 Cor. 13.3 in us this will be matter of thansgivings by both your Ministers and your selves when (r) 1 Thes 2.13 you receive the Word of God which ye heard of us not as the word of men but as it is in truth the Word of God then 't will certainly work effectually 2. Mix your hearing with Ejaculatory Prayers Ejaculations to God and Soliloquies to your selves will help to make and keep the heart tight Jogg your own hearts as you do your sleeping Neighbour call in your thoughts while they are within call and as far as 't is possible think of nothing but what you are about A Heart thus confin'd is like to be most enlarged both with Grace and Comfort 3. Be sure to hold fast the Seope of what you hear Not only those passages which more particularly affect you but that which is the main design of the Sermon I think this the weakest Memory may retain and I think this will do most good when 't is retained In short be be sure you retain something Do thus or somewhat like it in hearing 3. After hearing These Questions were proposed by Christ both negatively and affirmatively some months perhaps some years after they had heard John And Christ proposeth that with some vehemency That you may give a good answer I shall commend to you but two things 1. Consideration Chew the Cud this is the Metaphor that 's commonly made use of (ſ) Lev. 11.3 The Beasts that chewed the cud were clean for food and sacrifice◠these Creatures gather up their food into a kind of inward bag and then they sit down and bring it up to chew it over again and then convey it into the stomach for nourishment So that Christian whose self and service is a Sacrifice acceptable to God gathers up what he thinks the Best in a Sermon and when retired chews it over again for his spiritual nourishment and growth in Grace As your considering thinking Man is the only wise man so your considering thinking Christian is the only thriving Christian 2. Add something to your practice and continue that till it give way to something else of greater moment I am far from laying any stress upon any spiritual Prudentials that I can offer but I would humbly propose it to thinking Christians whether if every Lord's-day I do not exclude other days but Query Whether we may not expect more from Lord's-days Sermons than any other The Lord's-day being the time of Divine appointment and other days of humane conveniency The business of the Lord's-day is Devotion on other days we make a scape from worldly business to a Sermon and then rush into the World again as if we would redeem that time for the World that we spent with Go◠I query therefore If we do charge our selves upon what we hear on the Lord's-day to practise something more or something more carefully than before and to keep to that till that give place to something else of greater moment Did we begg something of God more this week than the last Did we single out some sin for mortification more this week than the last Did we do something enjoyned on the Lord's-day This would be to us like the Shew-bread to Israel which was made thus They brought twenty four pecks of Wheat-meal out of which they sifted twenty four Pottles of fine flower of which they made twelve unleavened Cakes every one was ten hand breadth long and five broad and seven fingers high which signified the multitude of the Faithfull presented unto God in his Church as upon a pure Table continually serving him (t) Lev. 24.8.9 as also the Spiritual repast which the Church of God obtaineth from
and before God who feedeth them with Christ the Bread of Life especially every Sabbath day Were this or some such course taken from week to week would not this hook into your practice all the great Duties of Religion And so you would give a good account of your hearing but 3. My third Direction is this Do not only satisfie your selves but carry on your enquiry that it may thrô grace satisfie Christ My Text is a question proposed by Christ and to him must we give our answer You may give a plausible account to Ministers but 'pray ' remember you must give an account to Christ You may by leading questions mislead Ministers as persons that go to Law do their Lawyers and they lose their Cause by it but when by studied Hypocrisie you mislead Ministers to gratifie you with a mistaken judgment you lose your Souls by it 'T is Christ that asks the question not to be informed by you for he knows what is in man better than they themselves Christ would have you to be plain-hearted and ingenuous that wherein you see cause to complain he may help you When the trembling Soul after the hearing of such Ministers as would undeceive them is like Jeremy for his peoples being deceived by false Prophets (u) Jer. 23. ◠My heart within me is broken because of the Prophets all my bones shake I am like a drunken man and like a man whom wine hath overcome because of the Lord and because of the words of his Holiness q. d. Fear and trembling takes hold of me I am ashamed I am at my Wits end the word of God calls for so much Holiness and I have so little Thou enquirest Lord what I hear for I dare not say that my intentions and ends are so serious as they should be I am afraid to own any thing that is good Christ in a way of compassion is ready to encourage such a Soul Canst thou but sincerely say thou comest to meet Christ and to learn of Christ Jesus Christ welcomes such to him and they may answer him with comfort Under this head consider 1. Christ asks thee here in this World that thou mayst now be able to give such an answer as thou mayst stand by at the last day when there will be neither Hopes nor Time to rectifie it if it be insufficient 'T is in this something like our Pleadings in Courts of Judicature we must put in our Plea and stand to it Thou knowest Lord there is through Grace something of sincerity but for any thing else do thou Lord answe◠for me 'Pray ' mark this when once the Soul can bring the question back again to Christ thus Thou askest me what I come for Lord I come for thee to answer for me I can't satisfie my own Conscience 't is ready to fly in my Face much less can I satisfie my Jealous Master unless tho◠compassionately answer for me Lord thou usest to answer for thine own May we then suppose Christ thus to enquire Who shall lay any thing to the charge of any one who sincerely comes to wait for me in mine Ordinances Can we suppose any one to be so daring as to perk up and say I charge all these to be a company of proud conceited Hypocrites they 'll needs be wiser than their Neighbours they spend their time in running up and down to hear Sermons Christ doth as it were answer Dost thou make this a Crime What he did 't was out of Love to me and Obedience to me He hath chosen that good (w) Luk. 10.42 part which shall not be taken away from him and for you who are so ready to accuse others and excuse your selves for slighting or ill managing all the means offered for your Salvation (x) Mat. 22.13 Bind him hand and foot that he may make no resistance take him away that he may neither make an escape nor have any hopes of Mercy and cast him into outer darkness where shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth 2. If you do not give Christ an answer which he will accept of 't is in vain to expect relief from any other If the Father be offended Christ interposeth himself bears the wrath of God and prevents it from us Christ is the days-man between God and us If the Spirit be grieved by our quenching his motions and striving against his striving with us to hear and obey the Lord Jesus provided that rise not to THE Sin against the Holy Ghost which the greatest part of trembling Christians often fear they have committed though by the way let me tell them that their fear they have committed it yields them sufficient assurance they have not committed it for this sin is always attended with such hardness of Heart that they sin without remorse So that while the Spirit overcomes their resistances and prevails with them to comply with Christ through Christ their sins against the Spirit shall be pardoned But (y) Exod. 23.20 21. when the Angel of the Covenant Jesus Christ was promised to be sent before the Israelites in the Wilderness to keep them in the way and to bring them into the place prepared for them they are expresly charged to beware of him and obey his voice provoke him not for he will not pardon your Transgressions but severely punish them Not that sins against Christ shall never be pardoned though repented of but to keep us from adventuring upon sin as if it should easily be pardoned whereas the Apostle tells us (z) Heb. 10.26 If we sin wilfully there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin i. e. Those that reject and renounce Christs Sacrifice for sin there 's no other Sacrifice can atone God for them I grant that this Text chiefly concerns the unpardonable sin But I pray you consider those that do not make it the main business of their Lives to give Christ such an account as he will accept of what improvement they have made of his Word if they live and dye in that neglect they shall as certainly perish as they who commit the sin against the Holy Ghost There are but very few can commit that sin but an incredible number commit this without considering the danger of it Now Christians is your time to make up such an account as you must stand or fall by to Eternity Oh that I had but one Minutes such conception of Eternity as 't is possible to be had in this World I reckon 't would influence my whole Life Christs Sentence at last will be according to 〈◊〉 account we give him here and if his Sentence ben't as you would have it there will be no altering of it Your Repentance then will be no small part of your Torment Object I can't think that Christ will be so sharp and severe This affrights me more than any thing This is the most terrible Consideration that ever I heard I expected relief from Christ at last and that Christ should hear me at my
at him (e) Psal 8.2 Out of the mouths of very unlikely persons hast thou ordained strength that thou mightest still the Enemy and the Avenger q. d. God doth by the Spiritual Skill and Strength which he gives even to young weak Converts unfit to grapple with an Enemy God enables even such to silence confound and conquer the Enemies of God and his People and the Devil in the head of them whose Kingdom and Power is broken by this means and those that fight under his Banner against God and Christ And pray observe the Title here given him viz. the Avenger he being Sentenced by God to Eternal Torments makes it his business to revenge himself what he can upon God and Christ upon his Children and Servants Christians if you can through Grace make Satan himself against his will help you to profit by the Word this will raise your Souls beyond what is ordinary both for Grace and Comfort Or if God in his Wisdom suspend such manifestations of himself yet such exercise of Grace shall certainly tend to the multiplying of Praises in the other World And now though I have in my pitiful manner answered the Case my work is not yet done till I have answered a Complaint upon the Case and 't is the Complaint of those who have least cause of those who give Christ that Answer to his Question which satisfies him but yet can't give an Answer will satisfie themselves Their Hearts ake from the very proposing of the Question and their Hearts misgive them under all that 's said in Answer to it Complaint We have more Cause to complain than we are able to express Oh the Sermons that we have lost of which we can give no account at all and of those that are not utterly lost we have made no suitable improvement We are convinced that we should be as impartial now in examining whether we have got saving Faith by hearing of the Word We should be as strict now as if we were upon our Dying Bed We know not whether ever we shall have a Death-bed many more likely to live than our selves dye suddenly and why not we Nay rather now for we have not now wearisome Sickness to disable us We have now those helps that we can't have then Freedom of Ordinances in publick Capacities for Duties in secret We may now bring things to an issue which is then next to impossible These and a Thousand such Considerations even fright me when I sit down to think my Thoughts even overwhelm me to reflect what a sorry account I can give of all that I have heard These and more doleful Complaints are the usual entertainments of their most serious Christian Friends To all which I shall offer these Answers Answ 1. The Word of God which they apply to their Sorrow they ought as well to apply to their Comfort for those who are really grieved that they can't satisfie themselves much less as they think Christ They are mistaken for Christ is ordinarily best satisfied with that which the gracious Soul is least satisfied e. g. That Prayer which he is most ashamed of Christ most approves of (f) Cant. 2.12 The Flowers appear on the Earth the time of the Singing of Birds is come and the Voice of the Turtle is heard in our Land 'T is Spring-time in the Soul When the Groans of a contrite Heart sound harsh to others they are Musick in Christs Ears not that Christ delights in his peoples Sorrows but as they are Evidences of his Graces in them and of his Spirit 's abiding with them It is only the gracious Soul that is grieved at Heart that he can't give Christ a better account of his profiting (g) Ezr. 9.6 10. ch 10.2 O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee my God What shall I say after this There 's hope in Israel concerning this thing The Apostle expresly assures us that (h) 1 Cor. 11.31 32. those that judge themselves shall not be judged with a Judgment of Condemnation Chear up therefore poor dropping Soul and to thy comfort consider whether this be not the only thing wherein Christ and you Believers be not of the same mind Christ puts a better interpretation of his actings than he himself dares many a time Christ owns that as Grace which he condemns for Hypocrisie Christ forgives him that which he can never forgive himself Christ says Well done good and faithful Servant for that which he ever finds fault with But the complaining Soul saith I mistake him I speak to the rong person Propose comfort to those that are grieved they can't give Christ a satisfying account whereas I am not troubled enough nor grieved enough a serious reflection upon such returns as mine to Christs kindness would certainly break any Heart but mine But alas I am next to nothing affected with it 2. I therefore further answer Thy complaining for want of sensible complaining entitles thee to Comfort Darest thou own so much as this that thou art troubled thou can'st be no more troubled at the shameful account thou givest to Christ Thou art afraid that Word has overtaken thee (i) Isa 6.9 10. Hear ye indeed but understand not and see ye indeed but perceive not make the Heart of this People fat and make their Ears heavy and shut their Eyes least they see with their Eyes and hear with their Ears and understand with their Heart c. Surely thou canst not think worse of thy self than this Let me tell thee the more thou thinkest of this the less cause thou hast to apply this to thy self for those who God gives up to judicial hardness never think or speak of such things but in scorn and to make a mock of them and that thou darest not do there 's another word for thee to think of (k) Isa 66.1 2 Thus saith the Lord The Heaven is my Throne and the Earth is my Footstool where 's the place of my rest To this Man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite Spirit and that trembleth at my Word If God hath any place upon Earth for his Repose it is in that Soul that stands in awe of his Word and with due Reverence receives it What! Dost thou complain thou art not troubled enough Nor contrite enough Not humbled enough How do many Souls bring their Complaints to Ministers and bring their Bills to Congregations for brokeness of Heart and a deep sense of Sin when they are so much broken already that their other Duties are almost justled out by it Don't therefore overlook that Text (l) Rom. 14.17 The Kingdom of God is Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost We should make it our business to live in a ferious course of Holiness towards God and Righteousness towards Men in the love and practice of Peace with all and in the joyful sense of the love of God and hopes of Glory
continues still to do in order to the freeing and delivering the Children of God from the fear of death and the bondage that ensues thereon 1. He worketh and increaseth those Graces of his Spirit in them which are destructive hereof and opposite hereunto you 'l say which are they 1. There is the Grace of Faith This is the Grace that conquers the World that conquers the Devil and that conquers also the slavish fear of Death This excellent Grace of Faith hath such an excellent hand in the conquering of all these that it is call'd the conquest and victory it's self This is the victory says the Apostle John 1 John 5.4 even your Faith Our Saviour tells Peter Luke 22.31 32. That Satan had desired to have him that he might sift him as Wheat And with what did he sift and shake him Why it was with the fear of Death he was afraid they would deal with him as they did with his Master It was his slavish fear of Death that made him deny Christ and to do it once and again but anon he recovered himself and got above this fear he was reâ—dy by and by boldly to confess Christ and that in the face of Death and danger How came this about Why it was by means of Faith Christ had pray'd for him that his Faith should not fail it may be said of those that are fearful of death that they are of little Faith 2. A second Grace is Love An ardent love of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ will banish all slavish fear of death out of the Soul 1 John 4.18 There is no fear in love but perfect love casteth out fear Of what fear doth he speak The next words tell you he speaks of slavish tormenting fear of that fear which hath torment By perfect love he means a greater measure and degree of love I said but now of fearfull Christians that they have but little Faith I may add also that they have but little Love for perfect or great love expells all tormenting and servile fear 3. A third Grace is Hope The very nature of Hope is quite contrary to fear Where there is a Hope of eternal life there can be no prevailing fear of Death 'T is said of the righteous Prov. 14.32 that they have Hope in their death and those that have Hope in their death they are not afraid to dye Then Hope doth more especially free us from an inordinate fear of Death when it grows up to that which the Scripture calls The full assurance of Faith Heb. 6.11 this is a gracious Gift which the Father bestows upon many of his Children they know that they are in him that they are pass â—â— from death to life 1 John 2.5.3.14 2 Cor. 5.1 that when the earthly house of this tabernacle is dissolv'd they shall have a building of God a house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens Ay this is that which steels and fortifies them against the fear and terror of Death This leads me to consider of a second way or means whereby Christ delivers the Children from a slavish fear of death 2. He delivers them from it by convincing and parswading them that they shall not be Losers but Gainers yea great gainers thereby It was this perswasion that made the Apostle Paul to desire death rather than to dread it I desire says he to depart or to be dissolv'd which is far better Philip. 1.23 And again v. 21. he saith For me to dye is gain It were easie here to expatiate and shew the advantage the exceeding great advantage that Believers have by Death It is commonly said to consist in these two things in a freedom from all Evil in the fruition of all Good 1. It consists in a freedom from all Evil which is sub-divided into the evil of Sorrow and the evil of Sin Believers are freed by Death from the evil of Sorrow 'T is one blessed Notion of the life to come that God will wipe off all tears from his peoples eyes and remove all sorrow and causes of Sorrow from their Hearts Believers also are freed by Death from the evil of sin which is indeed the greatest evil the evil of evils all the evils of sorrow are but the effects and fruits of the evil of sin By Death they are deliver'd from all actual sins not only from Fleshly but Spiritual filthiness Now they are deliver'd ordinarily from inordinate actions but then also from inordinate affections they shall never any more be troubled with Pride Passion Discontent Unbelief or the like By Death also they are discharg'd from Original sin and all remainders thereof when the Body dies Believers are rid of that body of death which dwelleth in them and is always present with them they no more complain of themselves as wretched creatures upon the account thereof 2. It consists in the fruition of all Good Believers when they dye they enjoy God Himself who is the chiefest Good He is bonum in quae omnia bona all other things that are good and desireable are comprized in him as the Sun-beams are in the Sun the Saints enjoyment of God in this life is a Heaven upon Earth but our enjoyment of God after death will be the Heaven of Heavens David says in one Place Psal 73.25 Whom have I in Heaven but thee There are Saints and Angels and Arch-Angels in Heaven says Musculus with whom David and such as he will have to do but what are these to God Believers won't barely enjoy God after death but they will enjoy him fully In this life they enjoy a little of God and oh how sweet and refreshing it is But in the life to come they shall have as much enjoyment of God as their hearts can wish or hold Now they enjoy God in the use of means in Prayer in hearing the Word and in receiving the Lords Supper but hereafter they shall have not only a full but an immediate fruition of God Now they see the Face of God in the Glass of his Word and Ordinances and 〈◊〉 what a lovely sight is it But then they shall see God face to face and what tongue can mention or heart imagine the loveliness of that sight If it were not too great a digression I could readily demonstrate the gain and advantage of Death from other Topicks Believers in the other life shall possess and inherit the Kingdom of Heaven which doth more transcend the Kingdoms of this World and all the glory of them than the light of the Sun doth excell the light of a Candle they shall be most gloriously perfected both in their Souls and in their Bodies their vile bodies at the Resurrection shall be changed and fashioned like unto the glorious body of our Lord Jesus Christ Phil. 3.21 Their gain and happiness will be greatly augmented in the other life by the work and employment that they shall do and by the Society and Company that they shall
have they shall associate with an innumerable company of Angels and with just men made perfect with many of their dearest Relations and Friends whom whilst alive they dearly lov'd and whose death and departure hence they greatly lamented Let me close this with one Text 't is in 1 John 3.2 There the Apostle tells us wherein the gain and glory of the godly consisteth after death he summs it up in two things They shall be like Christ and they shall see him as he is Ay that is the happiness of the Children when they dye it lyes in Conformity to Christ and in the Vision the beatifical Vision of him 3. Christ delivers Believers from the slavish fear of Death by giving them some real Foretastes of Heaven and of Eternal Life It is usual with God to give his People some Cluster of the Grapes of Canaan here in the Wilderness to give them some drops and sips of that new Wine which they shall drink full draughts of in the Kingdom of their Father he gives them to taste not only of the good Word of God and of the heavenly gift but of the powers of the world to come and this sets them a longing to have their fill thereof Even as the Gauls when they had tasted the Wines of Italy they were not satisfy'd to have those Wines brought to them but they would go and possess the Land where they grew This foretaste of Heaven is that which the Scripture calls The earnest of our Inheritance Eph. 1.14 't is both a pledge and a small part of that Happiness which the Saints shall hereafter inherit Rom. 8.23 We says the Apostle that have the first-fruits of the Spirit even we our selves do groan within our selves waiting for the Adoption to wit the redemption of our body By Redemption he means the Resurrection of the Body at the last day which the Scripture calls a Resurrection unto Life The Apostle knew there could be no Redemption of the Body without the dissolution thereof therefore in waiting for the one he must needs also wait for the other The Apostle and the Believers with him did groan for this they were so far from groaning under the fears of Death that they rather groan'd to be partakers of that which follows after Death nay In this they groan'd earnestly 2 Cor. 5.2 as he elsewhere speaks Now whence was this but from their having the first-fruits of the Spirit which are all one with the foretastes of Heaven and everlasting Happiness of which I have been speaking Those that whilst they live have these tastes of future Blessedness they are not afraid of Death the door by which they enter into the full enjoyment of them Having thus resolved this Question in both its Branches give me leave to make some short Application of what I have said and I 'le conclude I would Exhort you that are the Children of God and Oh that all that read these Lines were of the number of such I would earnestly beseech and exhort you to prize and improve this great Priviledge to wit a deliverance from the slavish Fear of Death 1. Be perswaded to Prize it it is a Priviledge that was purchas'd for you at a dear rate even with the precious Blood of Christ Oh what a blessed Priviledge is this not only to be delivered from the second Death but also from the servile and enthralling fear of the first Death This is the benefit and blessing that the Apostle Paul seems to be so much affected with Thanks be to God says he who hath given us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ What Victory doth he mean The foregoing words tell us 1 Cor. 15 5â— that he means a Victory over Death with all its fearful concomitants and consequents Death is become a Friend and not an Enemy 't is without any Sting or Curse attending of it Oh! this is owing to Jesus Christ he is the great Deliverer he hath so order'd the matter that though we must dye yet we shall not be in bondage all our dayes through a slavish Fear of Death 2. Be perswaded to Improve this Priviledge put in for a part and share therein See to it that you be Partakers of this benefit of Christ's Death to live without any tormenting fear of your own You 'l say how shall we help it can we contribute any thing towards our Deliverance from the Fear of Death I answer You may And therefore as I have shewn you what Christ hath done and doth to deliver you so now give me leave to shew you farther what you must do towards your own Deliverance I 'le give you some short hints of things which you may enlarge upon at your leisure in your own thoughts 1. You must be earnest with God that he would apply to you this benefit of his Sons Death by his blessed Spirit Oh! begg of God and that with all importunity that the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus may set you free from a tormenting Fear of Death This hath been done for others and who can tell but it may be done for you likewise Ezek. 36.37 only remember that God will be enquir'd of by you to do this for you 2. You must give all diligence to the attaining of a greater measure of Faith Love and Hope yea to the attaining of a full Assurance of Hope 't is by means hereof as you heard before that the Children are deliver'd in part from the Fear of Death 'T is Grace and the Assurance of Grace that is the Anchor of the Soul that keeps it safe from the fear of Shipwrack 3. You must resist the Devil and withstand his Temptations not only to other sins but to the sin of Despondency in particular You must not give place to Satan nor give way to enthralling Fear when he tempts you thereunto Remember as I told you before 't is the Law of the Combate betwixt the Devil and you that if you fight he shall fly if you stand your ground he must give ground 4. You must have frequent Meditation of Death and of the gain that is to be gotten thereby the frequent thoughts hereof will familiarize Death to you and if once Death and you be familiar together you won't be so much afraid of it 5. You must have frequent Contemplation also of the Resurrection You find that Job had conquer'd the Fear of Death and if you read the 9th Chapter of Job and Ver. 26 27. you will see that his thoughts of the Resurrection were very helpful to him herein He is a Conqueror over the Fear of Death that considers with the Apostle Paul that the Grave shall lose its Victory 1 Cor. 15.56 It was the saying of a worthy Minister of our Nation That nothing lifted him over the Fear of Death like the belief and Meditation of the Resurrection to Eternal Life 6. You must take heed of living or allowing your selves in any known Sin if it be as
hath provok'd layes the hand of his Faith upon Christ and humbly beggs that Christ's Death for him may be accepted instead of his own which he had deserved But now to give a further illustration of my Text and Subject if he pleads thô for Christ's sake for pardon of sin and yet retains a love and liking to his sin if he desires never so earnestly that he may not dye for sin and yet is willing that his sin may live these are vain Oblations vain Prayers but most real and dreadfull provocations There is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Beast within us which we must kill I mean every corruption or no Sacrifice no not of the Lamb of God himself will be accepted for us Habes in te quod occidas Every Man hath some sin or other within him nay a whole body of sin which he must slay by at least a sincere continued endeavour or all Legal and Gospel sacrifices too in the World will not avail him we must mortifie the deeds of the flesh Rom. 8.13 or we cannot live And now we may easily understand who they are that name the Name of Christ And to what purpose For our Saviour is he who is so called the same with Messias from his being anointed by God to those Offices of King Priest and Prophet to his Church All Christians name the name of Christ Now those that apply themselves unto him for Life and Salvation are necessitated to name his Name And so they do 1. In their Profession 1. In their Profession Hence we are call'd Christians and we own the Name and rejoyce and glory in it as a name divinely imposed on the Disciples of the Blessed Jesus by God himself for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 does import and in our Baptism we agree to be listed amongst his Souldiers Acts 11.26 and to fight under his Banner nay we name Christ's Name and 't is our ambition to be call'd by it 1. Owning him as our Father 1 Pet. 1.23 By whose Spirit we are born again thrô his Word and as Jacob would have his Name named on the Children of Joseph Gen. 48.16 thereby owning and respecting of them as if they were his own Children so does Christ look upon all Believers as his Children and condescends to have his Name named on them nay he names them his Children when he says Here am I Hebr. 2.13 Isa 8.18 and the Children which thou hast given me 2. Looking upon Christ as our Husband 2 Cor. 11.2 to whom this Apostle tells us that we are espoused It is as ancient as the Prophet Isaiah's time to have the Wife called by the name of her Husband Isa 4.1 which is the meaning of their desire Let us be called by thy name i. e. that being married they might change their names for that of their Husbands and this was the custom amongst many of the Romans as still amongst us Vbi tu Caius ibi ego Caia And thus all that look upon Christ as their Father and hope for the Inheritance he hath so dearly bought for them or whosoever beholds him as their Husband and esteem his Love and long for the enjoying of him are concerned in this Obligation to depart from Iniquity As also 2. In their Petition naming Christ 2. In their Petition In every Prayer to be sure they name the Name of Christ in that they ask all in his Name that is in his strength and for his sake So indeed runs the Promise John 14.13 14. Whatsoever ye shall ask in my Name and i' th next verse If ye shall ask any thing in my name I will do it especially after our Saviours Ascension when he had paid the price for his People and for all the Pardons and Graces Strength or Comfort they should want he bids them expresly to mention his Name relying on his Merit for the obtaining of them He told them a little before his going to suffer for them John 16.24 Hitherto ye have asked nothing in my Name thô doubtless they had prayed according as they were commanded Luke 11.2 the Lords Prayer day by day and implicitely at least desired all those mercies thro a Mediator They knew that the High Priest was to appear with the Names of God's Israel and to offer up Incense for them yet clearly and explicitely Christs own Apostles did not enjoy this great priviledge And doubtless some new advantages have accrewed to the Disciples of Christ since that Prayer was recommended or commanded by his Death and Resurrection Now the explicit naming of Christ is a very great encouragement in Prayer whether in those or any other words More particularly Pardon and Acceptance Justification and Peace with God must especially be desired in the Name of Christ and for his sake only for he was made a Curse for us Gal. 3.13 and by being a Curse for us hath redeemed us from the Curse he was as accursed in our stead and did bear what the Curse did threaten to transgressors which being done and God's Justice and the Law satisfied it follows that in him God is well-pleased Mat. 3.17.17.5 which words are not only mention'd by the other Evangelists but repeated again in that extraordinary voice at his Transfiguration and are the more remarkable in that it is not said That Christ was God's beloved Son with whom God was pleas'd tho that was a truth from all Eternity but that God is pleased in him that is that God is well-pleased with all that are by Faith united to him and are as it were ingrafted in him Hence we are said to be justified freely by the Grace of God thro the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ Rom. 3.24 So that all who are liable to condemnation have no other Remedy no hope or help but in Christ Jesus Acts 4.12 1 Cor. 6.11 and there is no other Name by which they can be saved but by the name of Christ for we are justified by Faith in his Name Justification properly speaking is not the making of any righteous or holy tho none are justified who are not also sanctified but it is the accepting of any person who duely comes in the Name of Christ as righteous and holy for so he is in God's sight Christ's Righteousness being imputed unto him and for Christ's sake he becomes one of those blessed ones unto whom the Lord does not impute sin Psal 32.2 as the Psalmist expresses it in those very words En Graecis bonis Latina fecere non bona Ter. Whatsoever the import of the Latin word from whence our English word Justification may seem to be the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by the Apostle are Juridical words and relate to a Court of Judicature where when the accused Party upon sufficient ground is acquitted he is said to be justified and Justification or Absolution is the proper Antitheton
to Condemnation as by the whole of St. Paul to the Romans ch 8.33 may appear Now we must suppose that the convinced Sinner sets himself as in God's sight and having seriously considered what the Law threatens dreading that Curse and Wrath to come hearing his Conscience pleading guilty to the Accusations of the Law against him he seems to hear the Judge asking of him what he hath to say for himself why the sentence of death should not pass upon him here it is that he names Christ and remembers in Prayer unto God what the Blessed Jesus did and suffered unto the utmost for him he became sin for him he could not be a Sinner but he was dealt withall as if he had been one because he was in the Sinners stead Now the convinc'd Sinner urges God's Promise and Covenant with Christ that He should see of the travel of his Soul c. Thus the Name of Christ is the Souls strong Tower Isa 53.11 Prov. 18.10 Isa 44.24 he runneth unto it and is safe and in Christ who is also the Lord Jehovah he hath righteousness and strength Again Is the penitent Sinner so oppress'd that words fail him only sighs and groans which in his case are never wanting are frequent with him the Name of Christ upholds him for he knows as God said of Aaron that he can speak well Exod. 4.14 Heb. 7.25 and he ever lives to make intercession for him I do not wonder that our being thus made whole only thro the Name of Christ should be by so many gainsayed and ridiculed Rom. 10.3 2 Cor. 5.21 for 't is hard to bring our Thoughts into subjection unto the Kingdom of God and Jesus Christ and when I read it so often call'd the Righteousness of God in Scripture as surely he alone could find out the Ransom c. I know it must be something beyond the ordinary apprehension of Man for no man knows the things of God but the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.11 and Nil diurnum nox capit May this suffice concerning the Subject of my Text viz. He that nameth the Name of Christ We must now speak of the Injunction that is laid upon him or the Direction given unto him Let every such an One depart from Iniquity In which we shall have cause to enquire how it consists with the naming of Christ especially for our Justification as I have explained it and these four Particulars I shall offer to your consideration 1. That departing from Iniquity or Holiness is no Cause of our Justification properly taken notwithstanding 2. Holiness hath an Influence upon our Salvation and also 3. Holiness is indispensibly necessary to all justified Persons 4. Nay more Free Justification or Justification by God's Free Grace in Jesus Christ is the best and most forcible Incentive unto Holiness Departing from Iniquity is no cause of Justification Reason 1 1. It will appear that Holiness is no Cause of our Justification It did neither move God when foreseen to choose us or when actually existing to justifie us Mercy is only from something in God 1. For all God's Works of Mercy arise from something in God himself who is the fountain of Mercy or of living waters and Judgments are said to be his strange Work because he never proceeds to them but when he is necessitated to vindicate the Glory of his injur'd Attributes that is Jer. 17.13 the cause of all God's severities is out of himself and only to be found in the provocations of his Creatures The Cause of all his Mercies are his own Bowels and Compassions and wholly in and from himself O Israel Hos 13.9 thy destruction is from thy self but in me is thy help Nay when God says unto the Soul Live Ezek. 16.6 he sees it in its Blood and it remains in its Blood untill he says unto it Live for in the Apostles Phrase Rom. 4.5 6. he justifies the ungodly and the sinners that is God does for Christ's sake discharge and acquit Sinners who flee unto him and desire Pardon and Acceptance thro the Blood of his Son The Lamb of God that thus taketh away the sin of the World And yet thus the Judge of all the Earth does right too when he makes Christ to become Righteousness unto the believing and penitent Sinners for by the same Reason and Justice that they fell in one Adam they may be made alive in another and where is the Disputer Rom. 5.19 2. There is no commutative Justice betwixt God and his Creature 2. Reason There is no commutative Justice between God and his Creature We can give no Equivalent for the least mercy the least crumb the least drop to be sure as coming from God The giver puts a suitable price upon the Gift as the Giver is in excellency so is the Gift in esteem what a Prince or a King gives is much magnified tho many times otherwise a trifle but here is Eternal Life and a Crown immortal given by the great King of Heaven and Earth to such as know themselves to be but dust and ashes and to be sure they cry Grace Zech. 4.7 Grace unto it God gets nothing by all our holiest Performances devoutest Prayers Job 22.2 and most spiritual Duties Our righeousness cannot profit him Can a Man be profitable unto God that is he cannot by any ways be profitable unto his Maker no 't is for our sakes that God hath given us his Commandments and Institutions that we might by them mend the frame and temper of our hearts and be fitted for to enjoy him to all Eternity in the mean while to stay our longing after him he affords us to see him thus tho as in a glass darkly But if God could be promerited as they speak and obliged it must be by some things that are our own and Secondly It must be by such things as are not due upon any other account whatsoever 1 Cor. 4.7 Now what hast thou which thou hast not received Thy Faculties and Powers thy Grace and Goodness a Heart and Will to do good every Enlargement of Prayer and Exercise of Faith or any other Grace is his it is he that works in us to will and to do accord-to his own good pleasure Phil. 2.13 Luke 17.9 and if thanks be not due to a Servant when he does what he is bidden as our Saviour expresses what can be due to a Creature from his Creator who gives him Food and Rayment Life and Breath and all things Where is there any proportion betwixt these and any returns we can make In all Trading or Exchanging there 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a quid for quo which cannot be given to God by us 2. Departing from Iniquity hath an Influence upon our Salvation tho it be not a Cause of our Salvation Departing from Iniquity hath its influence upon tho no cause of our salvation And tho it cannot
in vain and he will not hold thee guiltless for thy Prayers will be turned into sin unto thee Psal 109.12 And yet Pray thou must or thou runnest into a greater Iniquity by neglecting to acknowledge thy dependence upon God thou wilt at least border upon Atheism Oh what a miserable Dilemma does thy wickedness betray thee unto If thou hadst a design to dishonour God thou couldst not more effectually execute it than by saying That thou art his Servant or Child and by sin to disparage him thy Father or Lord and Master As he must needs provoke any great and noble Person who in the Livery of his Servant or Garb of his Child acts filthiness and abominations And as for laying hold on Christ and shrouding of thy self amongst his Retinue calling him thy Husband or professing him to be thy Head what a Monster pardon the expression I tremble to mention it wouldst make him As if he were a Dagon whose head was like a Man but his lower parts like stinking Fish The truth is the pretensions of such unto Salvation would make Scripture a Lye and Christ the Minister of unrighteousness Gal. 2.17 ult which God forbid Dost thou think it will serve thy turn well enough if thou canst but with Stephen say at last Acts 7.59 Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Unless thy Spirit be sanctified and sins washed away in his Blood thou wilt now soon hear him say unto thee Depart thou Cursed into everlasting fire Men Brethren and Fathers hear our Apology If we be taxed because we maintain free Grace and Free Justification that we make a way for free sinning and free living and doing what we please and yet geting thus into Heaven at last and that we may be assured of it in the mean while we justly abomnate such Inferences and think they can least of all be inferr'd from such premises May we all agree to stand up for God and to oppose sin to our outmost which is the last and only Use that remains and the best and suitablest to the Text that can be made It is foretold concerning the times of the Gospel Exhortation To Depart from Iniquity Hos 3.5 That in the latter dayes they should fear the Lord and his goodness Oh that these words might be now fulfilled That men would fear to abuse the Goodness of God which is design'd to lead them to Repentance Rom. 2.4 The richest and sweetest Wines they say make the sharpest Vinegar I am sure sweetest Promises when neglected or abused issue in the severest Torments Wo to thee Chorazin wo to thee Bethsaida why is so sad a wo denounc'd beyond that on Tyâ—e and Sidon Mat. 11.21.23 And Capernaum too is threatned with a more terrible destruction than that of Sodom and Gomorrah because those miserable ones perished without having had the Means of Salvation declared in the Gospel amongst them these refused to come to be saved though invited by Christ himself The hotter the Sun-beams are the more they harden the Clay that will not be softned by it If you keep your Sins now you do despite unto the Spirit of Grace that in the Gospel Heb. 10.29 invites perswades and offers to enable you to forsake them You trample under foot the precious Blood of the Son of God which should wash you from all your Impurities you count it as a common thing and let it be spilt in vain as water on the ground One brings in Satan upbraiding our Saviour with the fewness of his Followers and true Disciples he Satan did never any good for Man he is Mans Enemy on all accounts and yet upon the offer of any foolish Toy Profit or Pleasure he is obeyed and men yield themselves up to his service tho so hard and tyrannical a Master Our Blessed Lord became Man liv'd meanly dyed miserably that he might gain Obedience to such just Precepts and Commandments that are for our good and yet hath so very few that will serve and obey him Jerem. 2.12 Rom. 14.9 1 Cor. 15.27 Eph. 1.22 Psal 66.7 Be astonished O ye Heavens Therefore Christ dyed and rose and revived that he might be Lord of the living and of the dead All things are put under his feet and by his Power he ruleth over all whether they will or no But Christ died and fuffered that he might obtain a willing People Psal 110.3 such as out of choice and love would obey him And do any of you pretend to be bought with a Price even with the precious Blood of the Son of God 1 Cor. 6.20.7.23 then you ought to glorifie him with those Bodies and Spirits which are his 'T is now Sacriledge indeed to rob God and he will bring thee into Judgment and indite thee ay and condemn thee too without serious and timely Repentance for it And Oh how hot is that Hell which is especially prepar'd for Hypocrites and Unbelievers Thy Obligation is as strict and as you heard stricter too under the Gospel than it was to any under the Law and yet the Transgressors of the Law deserv'd then to perish without mercy Heb. 10.28 and how shall we escape One difference there is indeed betwixt the Law and the Gospel The Law required the full tale of Brick but afforded no Straw It required Obedience but the Law as such afforded no means to perform it The Means how thou mayest be enabled to do the Will of God and to depart from Iniquity is manifested in the Gospel here thou art shewn a fulness in Christ Colos 1.19 out of which thou mayest have Grace for Grace Thou art invited to come thou art assured to be welcome bring never so many empty Vessels thou mayest fill them freely 't is in vain to say Thou canst not Isa 55.1 but thou wilt not be holy Did any now in a sense of their weakness and inability beg Strength and Power from him to do his Will and walk in his Commandments there would be Joy in Heaven for such a Petition Luke 15.7 10. so readily would it be heard and granted You have heard that every one that calls himself a Christian does it therefore because he pretends to be married to Jesus Christ but in good earnest to use the words of Rebecka's Friends Wilt thou go with this Man Wilt thou go with Christ and be a Follower of him Say and do it Gen. 24.58 and God speed thee well I cannot wish thee more Joy than thou wilt find And Oh what Advantages would this bring would Christians be what they profess and would seem to be were the Precepts of Christ obeyed and his Life copyed out by them this would mend the World indeed Pagans and Mahometans Papists and Jews would not be able to stand out against the power of Godliness when it once appear in the lives of Men Not only Ministers may Convert 1. Pet. 3.1 but even Women too thus the Husband the Apostle
6.12 Ye are not straitned in me but ye are straitned in your own Bowels Our hearts are narrow towards Spiritual and Heavenly things because they are so enlarg'd towards earthly and visible things when the heart is enlarged as Hell and death that cannot be satisfied Hab. 2.5 For these perishing things no wonder if there be little room for the Graces of the Spirit This is therefore our great concern to pray that God would enlarge our desires that he may satisfie and fill them 4. We ought to pray and strive That all the Powers and Faculties of the whole man may be filled according to their measures There is much room in our Souls that is not furnish'd much waste ground there that is not cultivated and improved to its utmost We might have more light in the Understanding more tractableness in the Will more heat in our Love and a sharper edge set upon our Zeal And we have warrant to pray for this measure of the fulness of God 1 Thess 5.23 Now the God of peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God your whole Spirit Soul and Body may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ 5. Every gracious Soul ought to pray and strive for such a measure of Grace that he may be qualified for any Duty and Service that God shall call him to and engage him in The Hebrew word which we render Consecration or separation to an Office is Filling the hand Exod. 29.9 Consecrate ye Aaron and his Sons in the Hebrew Fill the hand of Aaron and his Sons Where God employs the hand he will fill the hand we have ground to believe that he will send us about no Errand but he will bear our Charges where-ever he gives a Commission he will bestow a competent qualification when we go about his Work we may expect his presence and assistance in the Work And Moses seems to stand upon these terms with God Exod. 33.15 If thy presence go not with me carry us not up hence As therefore there is great variety of Duties in our Christian Calling we may in Faith expect and from that believing expectation pray that we may be furnish'd with a suitable variety of Grace for the discharge of them 6. Every true Christian ought to pray strive for such a measure of Grace as may enable him to bear patiently chearfully and creditably those afflictions and sufferings which either God's good pleasure shall lay upon us or for his Names sake we may draw upon our selves We ought to pray that either he will lay no more upon us than our present strength can bear or if he encreases our trials he will encrease our Faith There 's no danger of excess in our Prayers when we confine them to the limits of his gracious promises Now here we have encouragement from his Word 1 Cor. 10.13 God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able but will with the temptation make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it 7. Every true Christian ought to pray and strive for such a measure of Grace as may bring the Soul to a settlement and stability that he be not soon shaken by the cross and adverse evils that he shall meet with in this Life And the Apostle Peter has gone before us in this Prayer 1 Pet. 5.10 The God of all grace who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus after that ye have suffered a while make you perfect stablish strengthen settle you And herein especially let us keep an eye upon these particulars § 1. Pray that God would so stablish you in the truth that ye may not be blown away with every wind of Doctrin A sorry trivial Error many times oversets and puzzles a weak Understanding Now 't is our great Interest to pray and strive that we may reach such a clear distinct coherent Light into the Doctrin of the Gospel that every small piece of Sophistry may not perplex and stagger our Belief of it So the Apostle Paul Eph. 4.14 would have Believers be no more Children tossed to and fro with every wind of Doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive § 2. Pray also that God would so stablish you in the truth of the promises that your Faith may not be shaken with every wind of Providence We are apt to have our hearts tossed by contrary Dispensations So upon a rumour Isa 7.2 The heart of Asa was moved and the heart of his people as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind It argues great weakness of Faith that we cannot maintain an equality of mind under various Providences the only remedy of which evil is to pray that God would encrease and strengthen our Faith that we may be so firmly built upon the unmoveable rock that we may not be afraid of evil tidings having our hearts fixed trusting in the Lord Psal 112.7 And this was the glory of Job's Faith Job 13.15 That tho' God should slay him yet would he trust in him § 3. Let us pray and strive that God would so settle and stablish us in Love to himself that no blast of Afflictions from his hand may cool the fire of Divine Love in our hearts We want exceedingly the Faith that God carries on a design of Love under all his various and seemingly contrary dealings with us he can love and correct why then cannot we love a correcting God Whether he wounds or heals his love is the same and why not ours Can we not love God upon the security of Faith that he will do us good as well as upon the experience that he has done us good § 4. Pray we and strive that God would so settle and stablish us in our inward peace that no wind of temptation may overthrow it 'T is a slender and ill-made peace which every assault of the Tempter dissolves The Psalmist stood upon a firmer bottom when the terrifying Onsets from without made him fly more confidently to his God Psal 56.3 What time I am afraid I will put my trust in thee And we have Gods own promise to answer our Faith Isa 26.3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is staid on thee because he trusteth in thee And thus I have return'd some Answer to the second Branch of the Question What is the measure of the fulness of God with which every true Christian ought to pray and strive to be filled There will still remain an enquiry How we may reach to such a measure of the Divine fulness as has been described To which tho' the limits of this discourse will not allow a full and just Answer yet the importance of the Question will oblige me to point at some few things upon which your own Meditations may find matter of enlargement 1. And first it is necessary that we be convinced that we are very far short
of that fulness of God which is attainable even in this life Many might have had more grace if they had not been under the delusion that they had grace enough already The dream of Perfection attained has prejudiced the perfection which is attainable As Tully observes Multi ad sapientiam pervenissent nisi eo jam se pervenisse putassent Many Men had arrived at a high degree of Wisdom had they not fondly conceited that they had already reacht the top of it The Apostle's frame was most excellent and imitable Phil. 3.12 13. Not as though I had already attained either were already perfect but I follow after it that I may apprehend that for which I am apprehended of Christ Jesus He considered more what was before than what he had left behind that is he more lookt forward to what he had not yet attained than backward to what he had 2. Let us pray that we may know more of the Love of Christ to us as the proper mean to be filled more with the fulness of God in us This is the expedient of the Text and what greater encouragement can there be to love serve obey and glorifie our God than that he has so freely wonderfully loved us in Christ 3. Let us strive to keep our vessels pure and clean tho' they be small and narrow that however they are of a narrow capacity yet being pure and clean God may delight to fill us and to enlarge our hearts that we may receive more of his fulness Matth. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God The sight of God which a pure and holy heart qualifies us for is the enjoyment of God i. e. Gods communicating his love in its sanctifying and saving effects and so we shall find if we compare John 3.3 Except a Man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God with vers 5. Except a Man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God 4. Labour to experience poverty of Spirit The way to be rich in Grace is to be poor in Spirit which poverty of Spirit does not consist in having little Grace but in a sense that whatever we have little or much it s not of or from our selves but from the fulness of God The more we empty our selves in that sense the more God will fill us Luke 3.5 Every valley shall be filled The humble valleys are often fruitful when the high hills are commonly barren self-sufficiency discharges and disobliges the all-sufficiency of God Luke 1.53 The rich he sends empty away Now as by the Rich we are here to understand such as are rich in their own conceit tho' they be really poor so by the poor in Spirit we are to understand them that are convinced of their own original indigency though by the Grace of God they are enriched and their spiritual wants supplyed Phil. 4.20 This poverty of Spirit tho' it pretend not to merit yet has a meetness for the fulness of God Jer. 31.25 I have satiated the weary Soul and I have replenished every sorrowful Soul 5. From this Spiritual poverty arises a Spiritul hunger and thirst after more of the grace of God which temper of Soul lies directly in the way of that promise Matth. 5.6 Blessed are they that do hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled for 't is upon him that is thirsty that God promises to pour out water and 't is the dry ground that God promises to satisfie with the floods Isa 44.3 6. Attend in Conscience and Faith with constancy and perseverance upon all the Ordinances of the New Testament you read Zech. 4.12 of two olive branches that through the two golden pipes empty the golden oyl out of themselves Let the two Olive branches be the Person of Christ in two Natures the golden oyl will then be his precious Grace and the golden pipes the Ordinances of Christ by which he empties out of himself that precious Grace into holy and clean tho' earthen vessels Amongst many other terms which the Ancients gave to the Lords Supper they called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The perfect or the perfection so Zonoras 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To come to the Perfection is to come to the holy Eucharist And indeed where do believers find their choicest derivations from God their sweetest Communion with God but in that Sacred Ordinance worthily received 7. And lastly To all these we must add and with all these we must joyn fervent and believing Prayer which as it glorifies God God will glorifie it and make it the means of conveying down to our Souls such a measure of fulness as may serve us in the time of our need we can never be poor whilst we can pray He that is the Spirit of Supplication in us will be th◠Spirit of Grace to us Let us therefore pray with the Apostle Rom. 15.13 That the God of hope would fill us with joy and peace in believing Let us pray that the God of all Grace would make us perfect stablish strengthen settle us 1 Pet. 5.10 That the God of Peace would sanctifie us wholly 1 Thes 5.23 And let us pray that the same God the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ would give us to know the Love of Christ which passeth knowledge that we may be filled with all the fulness of God Quest How are the ordinary means of Grace more certainly successful for Conversion than if persons from Heaven or Hell should tell us what is done there SERMON VII Luke XVI 31. And he said unto him If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead WHether the Narrative of our Saviour beginning at the 19th verse of this Chapter concerning the Rich-man and Lazarus be an History relating really matter of fact or a simple Parable representing the matter by way of similitude Or an useful discourse by way of Delineation partaking of both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just Martyr viz. a Parabolical History or Historical Parable Hath been variously determined both by the Ancients and Moderns * Voss Thes Dispt 5. One †Lomierus indeed would go further and have it to be a Prophetical Parable representing by Dives Judaism and by Lazarus Gentilism This latter as he thinks from the name Lazarus imports one before Christ came that had no help forsaken of all kept out of doors amongst the Dogs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They who conceive it to be an History argue it from the proper Name of Lazarus others who judge it to be a Parable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dr. Lightfoot c. alledge that the Talmudists do frequently use Lahazar contractly for Eleazar yet here not as a proper Name but common denoting a destitute beggar indefinitely or him who of himself is bereft of help or one to whom help should be shew'd As Rachel is used Appellatively
say I will give you my word for it We may easily conceive it requisite from that natural light which remain'd in the reasonable creature that God the Creator and Governor is to be worshipped 4 Acts 17.23 Rom. 1.23 25 1 Kings 18.21 and that no worship can be accepted of God but what is instituted of himself and sith there abides in Man naturally a strong desire of truth and immortality of knowing how he may be accepted of God 5 2 Cor. 5.9 Psal 4.6 73.24 and enjoy Communion with him that there should be some assured 6 2 Tim. 3.14 Revelation 7 John 1.18 Deut. 29.29 whereby he doth manifest himself and declare his will as the glass of his Divinity 8 2 Cor. 3.18 4.6 and the rule of his worship 9 Isa 1.10 12. Matth. 7.21 Col. 2.23 24. that we may not be guilty of worshipping we know not what or how being he is a Spirit and will be worshipped in Spirit and in truth 10 Joh. 4.22 24 3. Tho' God in infinite Wisdom during the time of the long-liv'd Patriarchs till some time after the flood thought it sufficient notwithstanding there was an early defection from his appointments which yet in some measure came under the Reformation of Enoch 11 Gen. 4.26 Noah 12 Gen. 8.20 9.5 and Abraham 13 Gen. 17.1 c. Deut. 8.5 4.7 8. to continue that way of Revelation from one to another during the infancy of his Church however when she grew up it became necessary for the due Conservation Vindication and Propagation of his Word that as all Nations by the light of Nature are directed generally to the use of Laws his own Laws reaching to the very motions of the heart should be written 14 Prov. 22.19 20. Luke 1.3 4. Rom. 15.4 This is found to be the most credible way of Proposal it being most fit we should ascribe that to God which is really consonant to the greatest Wisdom that the certainty of the Word of truth might be known and communicated God himself wrote his Laws 15 Exod. 24.12 Hos 8.12 and commanded Moses 16 Exod. 34.1 27. and the Prophets 17 Hab. 2.2 Jer. 36.2 Scripta tabella manet Dr. Templer to write his will and oracles These coming as the credential Letters of the supream infallible Majesty which are to remain inviolable not be rejected by any who could never see any demonstrative evidence to weaken the Authority thereof So that it would be most injurious to the Divine benignity to suspect that the All-wise and most gracious God would be wanting to his Church in so necessary a matter The great Doctor of the Gentiles would argue ‖ Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his Son but deliver'd him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things These things being premis'd 2. I shall proceed to the particular grounds of the Assertion so as I would hope they may not only satisfie real Christians but such as are doubting of the Divine Authority of the holy Scriptures if not dispos'd to be Antiscripturists 1. The Assent of Divine Faith whereby a sinner is converted and brought nigh to God is only built upon the Authority of God the Revealer considering his infallible Veracity that he is a God of truth and cannot deceive or be deceived having dominion over his Creatures who are therefore to submit to his Word penn'd upon his command by those who were divinely inspir'd 18 2 Tim. 3.16 2 Sam. 23.2 3. Hos 12.10 2 Pet. 1.21 1 Thes 2.13 as they vouch'd and prov'd themselves to be and we have no solid reason to except against their Proof Tho' the Prophets and Penmen of Scripture were not always accompanied with miracles when they delivered their Messages from God yet they required an attendance and obedience under an eternal penalty to be inflicted upon those who did disobey the voice and Message of God which if they to whom it came did not receive with a Divine Faith they did in Gods account refuse to obey There is no suspending our Assent when God expresly declares his Will by himself or his Messengers coming in his Name as in the last days he did by his Son 19 Heb. 1.1 who spake with Authority and not as the Scribes 20 Matth. 7.29 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There was a Divinity discern'd in it by the hearers and so there was in some proportion in the Prophets of the Lord somewhat Divine which might be discern'd by those unto whom it came as by Paul distinctly ‖ else it had been hard for God to have charged their eternal and temporal welfare or ruin 6 Acts 22.9 upon their discerning or not discerning a right betwixt his Word in the mouth of his own Prophets and that Word which pretended only so to be in the mouths of the false Prophets We have a notable instance hereof in opposition to those who pretended to Prophecy in the Name of the Lord to gain credit to their lies 21 Jer. 23.22 25 28. The Prophet that hath a dream let him tell a dream and he that hath my Word let him speak it faithfully what is the Chaff to the Wheat saith the Lord Is not my Word like fire saith the Lord And like an hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces The righteous God would not have required of Men under a dreadful penalty to have assented to his Word in opposition to the impostors dreams had there not been most certain tokens for the differencing of it from that of the false prophets whose words as all others besides his were as Chaff light and useless stuff for Mans food which the Wheat the bread of life might be easily known from by those who had eyes to see and did not because of their evil deeds love darkness rather than light ‖ John 3.19 we know they who by a good light are conversant in receiving and paying of monies do readily discern the genuine from counterfeit coin Whereupon Gerson * Pars prima De distinctione verarum Visionum a falsis affirmed that the true coin of Divine Revelation may be known from the counterfeits of Diabolical Visions as true Gold is from its counterfeit by its weight flexibility and durableness or continuity and incorruptibleness configuration and colour Gods holy Word had light and heat and power proper to it which made it evident tho' prejudice and conceited interest hindred many to whom it came from giving entire credit to it delivered by the Lords true Prophets 21 Isa 53.1 Jer. 43.3 and Christ himself 22 John 9.29 12.37 38. who will certainly manifest himself as in displeasure to those who reject him revealing the Father so in favour to those who receive him 23 John 14.21 Matth. 11.20 T is no way likely that one from the dead should so manifest himself if he came to impart his experiences to his
on the other hand how many partly by meer fictions partly by true nocturnal Apparitions of unclean Spirits assuming dead corps but to deceive miserable Men have on purpose given themselves occasion to be deceived Not heeding Pauls fear lest through the Serpents subtilty their minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ 1 2 Cor. 11.3 To which impostures the Popish Purgatory Prayer for the Dead Invocation of Saints and that which they call the Adoration of Reliques owe their Original When the Lord hath of old forbidden that the dead should be consulted or heard 2 Deut. 18.11 To conclude 4. Le ts be exhorted to mind Moses and the Prophets Le ts labour in the light of the Scriptures to see the Author of them 3 Psal 36.9 84.11 that we may thereby as the most successful means be brought to repentance of our sins avoid the torments of Hell and enjoy the pleasures of Heaven And if any of us under temptation as looking for somewhat more sensible and lively fall into doubting concerning the Divine Writ or Word of God as written which yet I have shew'd is more credible for that it shews it self in a Diviner way being written as Water in the Fountain or Light in the Sun which while it is strained passing thorow the Pipes and Instruments of Mortals in a traditionary way is defiled or obscured Le ts then take off our Eyes from curiosities and not think to delight our senses with novelties and Preter-Evangelical Doctrins knowing the great Apostle hath Anathematized or cursed all them who bring another Gospel or Doctrins besides the Gospel in the beginning of his Epistle to the Galathians 4 Gal. 1.6 7 8 9. Christ here in my Text represents Abraham as preferring the Sacred Scriptures to be more worthy of credit and beneficial to Conversion than the Reports of those raised from the Dead and Paul by whom Christ himself speaks not writing rashly and unadvisedly when moved by the Holy Ghost but upon mature deliberation with a great deal of gravity repeats As we said before so say I now again confirming what he and others for substance had de-deliver'd for greater certainty If any man preach any other Gospel unto you he doth not say as some of the Ancients have observed * Chrysostom Theophylact. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 any contrary but any the least thing besides that we have preached and ye have received tho' he be an Angel from Heaven let him be accursed He prefers the Divine Writ to the Angels coming down with a message from Heaven Evangelical Doctrins to Angelical could it be supposed and that deservedly Because the Angels tho' great yet are Servants and Ministers 5 Heb. 1.14 whereas all the Holy Scriptures are not commanded and sent of Servants to be written but of God himself the Lord of all as hath been shewd 6 2 Tim. 3.16 1 Pet 1.11 12. 2 Pet. 1.20 21. John 20.31 Le ts then depend solely upon the sure Word which is most effectual to convert and comfort us Here 's a firm support for if this Earthly Globe we stand upon tho' heavy and bulkey hang up encompassed by the Heavens not stirring from its centre tho' it hath no Shoars to uphold it but the Word of God 7 Heb. 1.3 certainly it concerns us to stay our selves securely on the infallible promise of the eternal God admiring the excellency of his Holy Writ which saith Augustine * Tract 35. in Joh. Lucerna ardens est idonea alia quae tenebris operiebantur nudare seipsam tuis oculis demonstrare is a burning light fit both to make bare those things which are cover'd with darkness and to demonstrate it self to thine Eyes For indeed it contains the purest Precepts the best Counsels the clearest Examples the strongest Helps and the most cogent motives and encouragements to Duty the most dreadful Threatnings of Wrath to the Disobedient and the surest and fullest Promises of Rest to the Obedient Quest How may it convincingly appear that those who think it an easie matter to believe are yet destitute of saving Faith SERM. VIII Ephes I. 19 20. And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead THE Design of this Epistle is to set forth the Free-Grace of God in Man's Salvation by Christ I. More generally vers 3. who hath blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings II. By a particular enumeration of those eternal Blessings which were decreed for us in Christ viz. Election and Adoption vers 4 5. Having thus looked so far back before the foundation of the World vers 4. the Apostle sets down what Christ did in time for us in his own Person when he took our Nature upon him and entred into the Office of a Mediator as our Head compleating our redemption in himself by dying for us in whom we have redemption through his Blood the forgiveness of Sins vers 7. Then follow the Blessings that we our selves as Members of Christ are Partakers of in this Life and they are all comprehended in Faith and in the certain consequents of it These Ephesians were called to this Faith by the preaching of the Gospel which the Spirit of God accompanying it became effectual to beget Faith in them Paul was mightily affected with the success the Gospel had among the Ephesians gives God thanks for it vers 15. and prays heartily for a further encrease of that Faith in them vers 16. and shews what a wonderful thing it is that any are brought to believe in Jesus 't is as great a Miracle as the Resurrection of Christ from the Dead that was an effect of Divine Power and so is this I have made what hast I could to bring down my Discourse to the Text and to the Point or Question that I am desired to speak to this morning viz. How it may convincingly appear that those who think it an easie matter to believe are destitute of saving Faith In stating this Case I shall do these three things 1. Shew what a difficult thing it is to believe 2. Give the reason why many Professors count it an easie thing to believe 3. Prove that those who count so are destitute of saving Faith First The Difficulty of Believing I. That which requires the greatest-power and strength to effect it is no easie thing but believing requires the greatest power to effect it therefore it is no easie thing to believe I prove the Assumption viz. That the greatest power in Heaven and Earth is required to raise up Faith in us Because Faith deals with the power of God only about those things which it believes bears it self up upon that and when God is about to perswade a Sinner to believe his Free Grace he first convinces him of his power that he is able to perform his promises 1.
God asserts his Power he declares himself to be an Almighty God So to Abraham Gen. 17.1 and in the new Testament he often asserts his Power that all thing are possible to him Omnipotency sticks at nothing knows no difficulties what cannot the exceeding greatness of his power do 2. God doth exert and put forth his Power in some visible exemplification of it that fully demonstrates his Omnipotency and can signifie nothing less such an instance we have in the Text in the Resurrection of Christ this overt act Speaks out his infinite power 't is matter of fact and cannot be deny'd 3. God gives the Saints some feeling and experience of the exceeding greatness of his power put forth in their own Souls by working faith in them they see 't is the Lords doing that nothing in Man would ever lead him out to it if God did not perswade him and bring over his heart to believe the Gospel Believers under the new Testament though they hear much of the power of God set forth in the letter of the word and though they experience the efficacy of this power in their own hearts yet that which puts the matter quite out of doubt with them is this undeniabl instance of divine power in the Resurrection of Christ Abraham wanted this though he saw much of the power of God towards him in calling him alone from his Fathers house and greatly increasing him afterwards when he became two bands Gen. 32.10 and in giving him a Son in his old age c. yet the greatest proof of Gods power to Abraham was the inward efficacy of it upon his own heart that he should be brought to believe a Resurrection when there was never any instance of such a thing in the world before 't is a sign he was satisfied in the almighty power of God accounted that God was able to raise him up Heb. 11.19 though he received him from the dead in a figure Isaac was not really slain therefore Abram's Faith was more remarkable that he should believe that God could raise his Son from the Dead and that he would do it rather than break his promise he resolved to obey God for the present and to trust him for the future All that we believe now is but the consequent of Christs Resurrection and follows upon it the Head being risen the Members will also rise every one in his own order not only by a bodily Resurrection at the last day but by a Spiritual Resurrection in their Souls here when the time of their Conversion and Regeneration comes That which convinces us of the Almighty Power of God to perform his Promises is the Resurrection of Christ but that which was the chiefest proof of God's Power to Abram was the inward impression of it upon his Heart when he was first called That he who as a Man had this Law written in his Heart That he should not kill should so readily yield to the killing of his Son and when he was resolved so do had the Knife in his hand ready stretched out was under the highest impulse of Faith to do what God commanded him that he should presently be taken off from it by a counter-command from Heaven How did God try Abram as if he had set himself to puzzle him turns him and winds him this way and that way backward and forward he must not kill and then he must kill and by and by he must not kill God was resolved his Faith should move as he would have it according to his Will and Abram was as ready to comply He is my God says Abram and I will obey him Isaac shall die and Isaac shall live what God will He sees further than I do I 'll follow him though I know not whether I go nor what I do God knows that 's enough for me I 'll trust him Lord what wilt thou have me do tell me and I 'll do it shall I kill my Son or shall I spare my Son it shall be as thou wilt Lord. Herein Abram excelled all Believers under the New Testament though they have some experience of God's Power put forth upon their Souls in believing yet they don't bear only upon this as Abram did they have the Resurrection of Christ to support their Faith which Abram had not and yet believes a Resurrection Power as firmly as they who saw Christ risen from the Grave God appeared to Abram and made such immediate Impressions of his Power upon his Heart that he needs no Sign no visible Instance to confirm his Faith he was satisfy'd without it he saw that in God himself that made him never to dispute his Power afterwards Saints now though they have experience of a Divine Power touching their Hearts and drawing them to Christ yet they cannot so clearly discern this conquering subduing Power of God in themselves as they may in Christ their Head because they are under many infirmities not yet removed they don't see Sin and Death and the Devil and the World quite overcome in themselves but they see all overcome in Christ his Resurrection proves all and they are fain often to reflect upon that to strengthen their Faith and Assurance of Victory in their own persons at last they know that Christ did not die for himself nor rise for himself but for them they see Christ crowned with Glory and Honour Heb. 2.9 he suffers no more in his Person though he still suffers in his Members but they shall e're long be as free from Suffering as the glorified Person of Christ now is in Heaven thus it will be when Christ mystical shall have all things put under his Feet then Christ and his Saints will reign gloriously to all eternity all tears shall be wiped from their eyes then and this will as surely come to pass as Christ himself is risen from the Dead Be of good cheer I have overcome the World I have and you shall overcome it in me you already are more than Conquerors and in your own Persons you shall be when I come again II. Because no natural Principle in Man can take in the objects of Faith Flesh and Blood can't reveal them to us Faith is an act above Reason how is it possible for a Man as a Man to act above his Reason 't is absurd and irrational to think so Gospel-truths are so deep and mysterious that they do transcend our humane capacities and cannot be discern'd but by the light of a Divine Faith What is humane we may undertake and count that easie to us but what is Divine is above us quite out of our reach therefore Faith is said to be the work of God fulfilled by his Power 2 Thess 1.11 The knowledge of Faith by which we are perswaded of that which we conceive not is higher than all rational understanding we acknowledge the truth of that as Christians which as Men we do not Scientifically know by any Logical Demonstration Faith gives us the certainty of those
Faith and work out thy own Salvation see you neglect it no longer no Man can save another Mans Soul by his Faith his own he may Faith busies it self about our own Salvation shews us what we must do to be saved were there more of this Faith among Professors we should every one have work enough upon our hands and not find it so easie a matter to secure our Souls into eternity General Professors carry it as if they had nothing to do were sure of Heaven already at this rate we may count it an easie matter to believe but when we come to die we shall not find it so any Faith may serve some Mens turns to live by but every Faith will not serve our turns to die by when we are dying in good earnest a feigned Faith signifies little to our comfort we see thorow it and sink under it If your Faith do not often call upon you to look to your own Souls it cannot be saving Faith he that seeks not to save himself let him talk what he will of his Faith it is not saving Faith that is intent upon the salvation of a believer and finds enough to do in carrying on that work with fear and trembling lest it should not go thorow with it You who have been at this work in good earnest don't find it so easie as some would make it new doubts new difficulties new temptations do arise every day that put the Faith of the best Christians to it if Faith do's not bestir it self the Devil may be too hard for you and your Faith too if the righteous are scarcely saved surely 't is no easie matter to get to Heaven you must run wrestle strive fight contend earnestly else you may miss of Heaven and come short of all your expectation of eternal glory I speak not this to discourage you but to awaken you to that diligence and care that so weighty a business calls for Saving Faith is to cast my Self and my own Soul upon Christ for salvation what ever your Faith may be 't is not come to saving Faith till you do this you may carry all your knowledge and all your Faith to Hell with you any Faith that is not saving but remains separate from it will prove a damning Faith to you 't will greatly aggravate your condemnation that you who knew such things believed such things assented to such Truths and Gospel Doctrins should never put forth an act of saving Faith for your own Souls in particular according to the import of those Doctrins 't is strange to see how many Professors do leave themselves quite out of their own Faith they will not be at the pains to act it for themselves but in general they believe as the Church believes but let me tell you 't is not the Church nor all the Churches in the World 't is not all the Angels in Heaven nor all the Saints upon Earth can believe for you you must every one believe for your selves and act your own business cast your own Souls upon Christ for Salvation else they will be eternally lost How many knowing historical Believers are there in Hell who have Prophesied in his Name Prayed in his Name have Written Disputed Argued strongly for the Faith have done every thing that belongs to a common Faith but could never be brought to put forth one act of saving Faith upon Christ for the Salvation of their own Souls Come unto me all ye that are weary c. is this done till you personally come to Christ for the pardon of your sins and for the Justification of your persons by name John Thomas Mary whatever your names are he or she I am sent this day to give you a particular call to come to Christ and I do warn every one of you and exhort every one to go to Christ by a personal act of your own Faith for eternal life he has purchased it for all who come unto him if you neglect it and will not go your blood be upon your own heads I have delivered my own Soul Brethren be perswaded to hearken to the invitation that is given you in the Gospel before it be too late O what a do is there to bring a sinner to Christ O that you would bethink your selves this day and set about saving Faith act that Faith that will save you and say Lord after all my Knowledge and long Profession after all my Praying Hearing Reading I now see these are but means in order to something else the end of all is real believing in Christ and I am now at last come to do that to commit my self wholly to Christ to cast my sinful Soul upon him for Righteousness and Life Lord help me to do this bring me to a through reliance upon Christ and keep me in the frequent exercise and lively actings of this Faith every day that I may see my self safe in him who is faithful and will keep that which I so commit unto him The Just shall live by his own Faith which he acts for himself and for his own Soul if you do not thus commit your selves to Christ every day by a renewed act of Faith you may lose the joy of your Salvation ere you are aware If you say this is done I will not ask you when you did it first that may seem too nice a question to some but I will ask you when you did it last I hope you do it every day if you are at any stand in your thoughts about this your wisest course is to act over this saving Faith more distinctly more particularly more frequently for the Salvation of your own Soul then your Faces will shine and your Hearts will rejoyce we shall know you have been with Jesus 'T is impossible to experience the power and efficacy of saving Faith till we act it in our own case for our own Souls then it comes home indeed to our selves then we feel the comfort of it we may own the general Doctrin of Faith and be little affected with it or concerned about it but when the Grace of Faith comes and makes a particular application of that Doctrin to thy Soul and my Soul then we believe for our selves and are filled with joy unspeakable and full of Glory that we should be received unto mercy have all our sins pardoned our persons accepted and our Souls eternally saved all this Faith makes out to us by name from such undeniable grounds and reasons that we cannot gainsay They count it easie to believe who shut all acts of self-denial quite out of their Faith they live as they did before it may be walk on more securely in their evil courses from a presumptuous perswasion of mercy at last pray God deliver us from such a Faith that gives encouragement to sin If your Faith do not strongly incline you to a holy Life you may be sure 't is not right saving Faith 'T is a sad thing to consider how little
restraints of fear and shame are taken off and every breath of a temptation is strong enough to overthrow the Carnally minded The purest and noblest Chastity is from a principle of Duty within not constrain'd by the apprehension of discovery and severity 4. The Continuance of the temptation she spake to him day by day Her Complexion was lust and impudence and his repeated denials were ineffectual to quench her incensed desires the black fire that darkned her mind She caught him by the garment saying Lye with me she was ready to prostitute her self and ravish him 5. The Person tempted Joseph in the flower of his age the season of sensuality when innumerable by the force and swing of tâ—eir vicious appetites are impell'd to break the holy Law of God 6. His Repulse of the temptation was strong and pereâ—â—tory How can I do this great wickedness He felt no sympathy nâ— sensual tenderness but exprest an impossibility of consenting to her guilty desire We have in Joseph exemplified that property of the Regenerate He that is born of God cannot sin by a sacred potent instinct in his brest he is preserved not only from the consummate acts but recoils from the first offers to it 7. The Reasons are specified of his rejecting her polluting motion Behold my Master knows not what is with me in the House and he hath committed all that he hath to my Hands there is none greater in his House than I neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee because thou art his Wife How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God 'T was a complicated crime of injustice and uncleanness a most injurious violation of the strongest tyes of duty and gratitude to his Master and of the sacred marriage Covenant to her Husband and the foulest blot to their persons Therefore how can I commit a sin so contrary to natural Conscience and supernatural grace and provoke God Thus I have briefly considered the narrative of Josephs temptation and that Divine grace preserved him unspotted from that contagious fire may be resembled to the miraculous preserving the three Hebrew Martyrs unsinged in the midst of the flaming furnace The patience of Job and the Chastity of Joseph are transmitted by the Secretaries of the Holy Ghost in Scripture to be in perpetual remembrance and admiration From this singular instance of Joseph who was neither seduced by the allurements of his Mistriss nor terrified by the rage of her despis'd affection to sin against God I shall observe two general Points I. That temptations to sin how alluring soever or terrifying ought to be rejected with abhorrenc II. That the fear of God is a sure defence and guard against the strongest temptation I will explain and prove the first and only speak a little of the second in a branch of the Application I. That temptations to sin how alluring soever or terrifying are to be rejected with abhorrence There will be Convincing proof of this by considering two Things 1. That sin in its Nature prescinding from the train of woful effects is the greatest Evil. 2. That Relatively to us it is the most pernicious destructive Evil. 1. That sin considered in it self is the greatest Evil. This will be evident by considering the general Nature of it as directly opposite to God the supreme good The definition of sin expresses its essential Evil 't is the transgression of the Divine Law and consequently opposes the rights of Gods Throne and obscures the Glory of his Attributes that are exercis'd in the Moral Government of the World God as Creator is our King our Lawgiver and Judge From his propriety in us arises his just title to Sovereign Power over us Psal 100. Know ye that the Lord he is God 't is he that made us not we our selves we are his people and the Sheep of his pasture The Creatures of a lower order are uncapable of distinguishing between Moral Good and Evil and are determin'd by the weight of Nature to what is merely sensible and therefore are uncapable of a Law to regulate their choice But Man who is endowed with the powers of Understanding and Election to conceive and choose what is Good and reject what is Evil is govern'd by a Law the declared will of his Maker accordingly a Law the rule of his Obedience was written in his Heart Now sin the transgression of this Law contains many great Evils 1. Sin is a Rebellion against the Sovereign Majesty of God that gives the life of Authority to the Law Therefore Divine Precepts are enforced with the most proper and binding motives to obedience I am the Lord. He that with purpose and pleasure commits sin implicitly renounces his dependance upon God as his Maker and Governor over-rules the Law and arrogates an irresponsible license to do his own will This is exprest by those Atheistical designers who said Psal i2 4 With our Tongue we will prevail our lips are our own who is Lord over us The Language of Actions that is more natural and convincing than of Words declares that sinful Men despise the Commands of God as if they were not his Creatures and Subjects What a dishonour what a displeasure is it to the God of glory that proud dust should fly in his Face and controule his Authority Daniel 7.10 Psal 103.20 He has ten thousand times ten thousand Angels that are high in dignity and excel in strength waiting in a posture of reverence and observance about his Throne ready to do his will How provoking is it for a despicable Worm to contravene his Law and lift his Hand against him It will be no excuse to plead the Commands of Men for sin for as much as God is more glorious than Men so much more are his Commands to be respected and obeyed than Mens When there is an evident opposition between the Laws of Men and of God we must disobey our Superiours tho' we displease them and obey our Supreme Ruler He that does what is forbidden or neglects to do what is Commanded by the Divine Law to please Men tho' invested with the highest Sovereignty on Earth is guilty of double wickedness of impiety in debasing God and idolatry in deifying Men. It is an extreme aggravation of this Evil in that sin as it is a disclaiming our homage to God so 't is in true account a yielding subjection to the Devil For sin is in the strictest propriety his work The original rebellion in Paradise was by his temptation and all the actual and habitual sins of Men since the fall are by his efficacious influence He darkens the carnal mind 2 Cor. 4.4 and sways the polluted will he excites and inflames the vicious affections Ephes 2.2 and imperiously rules in the Children of disobedience He is therefore stiled the Prince and god of this World And what more contumelious indignity can there be than the preferring to the glorious Creator of Heaven
and Earth a damned Spirit the most cursed part of the Creation It is most reasonable that the baseness of the Competitour should be a foil to reinforce the lustre of Gods authority yet Men reject God and comply with the tempter O prodigious perversness 2. Sin vilifies the ruling Wisdom of God that prescrib'd the Law to Men. Altho the dominion of God over us be Supreme and Absolute yet 't is exercis'd according to the councel of his Will by the best means 1 Tim. 1.17 for the best ends he is accordingly stiled by the Apostle The eternal King and only wise God 'T is the glorious Prerogative of his Sovereignty and Deity that he can do no wrong for he necessarily acts according to the excellencies of his Nature Particularly his Wisdom is so relucent in his Laws that the serious contemplation of it will ravish the sincere minds of Men into a compliance with them They are framed with exact congruity to the Nature of God and his relation to us and to the faculties of Man before he was corrupted From hence the Divine Law being the transcript not only of Gods Will but his Wisdom binds the understanding and will our leading faculties to esteem and approve to consent and choose all his precepts as best Now sin vilifies the infinite understanding of God with respect both to the precepts of the â—â—w the rule of our duty and the sanction annext to confirm its obligâ—â—â—on It does constructively tax the precepts as unequal too rigid â—â—d severe a confinement to our wills and actions Thus the impious Rebels complain The ways of the Lord are not equal as injurious to their liberty and not worthy of observance What St. James saith to correct the uncharitable censorious Humour of some in his time James 4.11 He that speaks evil of his brother and judges his brother speaks evil of the law and judges the law as an imperfect and rash rule is aplicable to Sinners in any other kind As an unskillful Hand by straining too high breaks the strings of an Instrument and spoils the Musick so the Strictness and Severity of the Precepts breaks the harmonious Agreement between the Wills of Men and the Law and casts an Imputation of Imprudence upon the Law-giver This is the implicit Blasphemy in Sin Besides the Law has Rewards and Punishments to secure our Respects and Obedience to it The wise God knows the Frame of the reasonable Creature what are the inward Springs of our Actions and has accordingly propounded such Motives to our Hope and Fear the most active Passions as may engage us to perform our Duty He promises his favour that is better then life to the Obedient and threatens his wrath that is worse then death to the rebellious Now Sin makes it evident that these Motives are not effectual in the Minds of Men And this reflects upon the Wisdom of the Law-giver as if defective in not binding his Subjects firmly to their Duty for if the Advantage or Pleasure that may be gain'd by Sin be greater than the Reward that is promised to Obedience and the Punishment that is threatned against the Transgression the Law is unable to restrain from Sin and the Ends of Government are not obtained Thus Sinners in venturing upon forbidden things reproach the Understanding of the Divine Law-giver 3. Sin is a Contrariety to the unspotted Holiness of God Of all the glorious and benign Constellation of the Divine Attributes that shine in the Law of God his Holiness has the brightest Lustre God is Holy in all his Works but the most venerable and precious Monument of his Holiness is the Law For the Holiness of God consists in the Correspondence of his Will and Actions with his moral Perfections Wisdom Goodness and Justice and the Law is the perfect Copy of his Nature and Will The Psalmist who had a purged Eye saw and admir'd its Purity and Perfection Psal 19. Psal 119.140 The Commandment of the Lord is pure inlightning the eyes The word is very pure therefore thy servant loves it 'T is the perspicuous and glorious Rule of our Duty without Blemish or Imperfection The Commandment is holy just and good It injoyns nothing but what is absolutely Good without the least Tincture of Evil. The Sum of it is set down by the Apostle to live soberly that is to abstain from any thing that may stain the Excellence of an understanding Creature To live righteously which respects the State and Scituation wherein God has disposed Men for his Glory It comprehends all the respective Duties to others to whom we are united by the Bands of Nature or of civil Society or of Spiritual Communion And to live godly which includes all the internal and outward Duties we owe to God who is the Sovereign of our Spirits whose Will must be the Rule and his Glory the End of our Actions In short The Law is so form'd that prescinding from the Authority of the Law-giver its Holiness and Goodness lays an eternal Obligation on us to obey it Now Sin is not only by Interpretation a Reproach to the Wisdom and other Perfections of God but directly and formally a Contrariety to his infinite Sanctity and Purity for it consists in a not doing what the Law commands Rom. 11. or doing what it forbids 'T is therefore said That the carnal mind is Enmity against God An active immediate and irreconcilable Contrariety to his holy Nature and Will From henee there is a reciprocal Hatred between God and Sinners God is of purer eyes then to behold iniquity without an infinite Displicence the Effects of which will fall upon Sinners and tho' 't is an Impiety hardly conceivable Rom. 1. yet the Scripture tells us that they are haters of God 'T is true God by the transcendent Excellence of his Nature is uncapable of suffering any Evil and there are few in the present State arrived to such Malice as to declare open Enmity and War against God In the Damned this Hatred is explicit and direct the Fever is hightned to a Frenzy the blessed God is the Object of their Curses and eternal Aversation If their Rage could extend to him and their Power were equal to their Desires they would Dethrone the most High And the Seeds of this are in the Breasts of Sinners here As the fearful Expectation of irresistible and fiery Vengeance increases their Aversation increases They endeavour to rase out the Inscription of God in their Souls and to extinguish the thoughts and sense of their Inspector and Judge They wish he were not All-seeing and Almighty but Blind and Impotent uncapable to vindicate the Honour of his despised Deity The Fool hath said in his heart there is no God The Heart is the Fountain of Desires and Actions interpret the Thoughts and Affections from whence the Inference is direct and conclusive that habitual Sinners who live without God in the world have secret Desires there was no Sovereign being
the ends of the Earth Why will ye by your disobedience as much as in you lies make void the Commandments of Christ Doth not He expresly charge you To pray to the Lord of the Harvest that he would send forth Labourers into his Harvest And to pray That his Kingdom may come And will ye say That the Lord Christ doth injoin his Servants to do that which is insignificant and impertinent Why will you by your unbelief go about to make the Promises of God of none effect When as he himself hath assured us That He will fulfil the regular desires of them that fear him Psal cxlv 18 19. And that whatsoever we ask according to his will he heareth us 1 Joh. v. 14. For ever then beware of entertaining that Temptation which is formed and cherished in the hearts of the ungodly Who say unto God What profit should we have if we pray unto him Job xxi 14 15. I shall close this when I have added That were the Prayers of private godly Christians more frequent intense and importunate for the spreading of the Gospel it would be an hopeful indication that the Gospel is about through the blessing of God to find better entertainment in the World than it hath done of later years This may suffice to have been spoken touching the first way and means wherein private Christians who live remote from those places where the Gospel is not entertained may be helpful to promote the spreading of it that it may be brought to them viz. by the Prayers which they put up to God in Faith for the propagation of it 2. The second way and means whereby private Christians who live remote from those places whither the Gospel is not yet come may promote the reception of it among them is By a ready chearful and liberal contribution of supplies and encouragements to them who labour in that holy work And here the different Abilities and Capacities of private Christians are to be considered They who are rich may cast in much into the Lords Treasury and for the proportion the Apostles Rule and Measure should be attended unto 1 Cor. xvi 2. Every one as God hath prospered him When the Tabernacle was to be made every one brought something They who had gold silver and precious stones offered them they who could bring but rams-skins and badgers skins were accepted And those good Women who had nothing to bring did yet spin with their hands and brought that which they had spun and they also were accounted and recorded among the Contributers What private Christian is there who can afford Nothing They who subsist by the labour of their hands should spare something for works of Piety and Charity Eph. v. 28. To excite and encourage you to comply with this Direction I shall lay before you several Examples which will shew you how Practical and Acceptable a work this is 1. Private Christians were helpful to our Lord Jesus Christ himself in his preaching of the Gospel in the days of his flesh upon Earth Tho all things were made by him and he upholds them by the Word of his power and so the Earth is His and the fulness thereof yet for our sakes he became poor and was pleased to receive provisions for his subsistence from some godly women who ministred to him of their substance Luk. viii 1 2 3. 2. The Apostle Paul records it to the praise of the Philippians That they were careful of him and made provision for him not only when he laboured among them and when he was in Bonds for preaching the Gospel And I heartily wish that all private Christians among us yea and such as glory in their profession would keep pace with them so far but also when he was employed in the service of the Lord among such as were then strangers to Christ and the Gospel Phil. iv 15 16. Now ye Philippians know also that in the beginning of the Gospel when I departed from Macedonia no Church communicated with me as concerning Giving and Receiving but ye only For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again to my necessity 3. St. John drawing up the fair character of Gaius a private Christian placeth this as a beautiful flower in his garland That he was hospitable and liberal to those who for Christs names sake went forth preaching the Gospel among the Gentiles taking nothing of them 2 Ep. John ver 5.6 7. Let private Christians take notice that the name of Gaius and his Charity are registred in the sacred Scripture and if their disposition and practice be like to his theirs also shall be written in Christs book of remembrance Mat. x. 41 42. He that receiveth and so he that encourageth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophets reward 4 Take notice that it stands as a Blot in the Escutcheon of the Corinthians that they were altogether for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gratuitum Evangelium A Gospel that should cost them nothing Corinth was the most convenient and so the most frequented Port for Trade in all Greece The Inhabitants are said to have been very Wealthy Proud and Voluptuous They had abundance to spend upon Themselves but could find nothing for Paul while he resided among them and preached the Gospel to them For this the Apostle makes a very mild but a very close reflection upon them enough to make their Consciences to start if they had any Spiritual life and sense and their Faces to blush if they retained any sparks of Ingenuity in them 2 Cor. xi 8 9. I robbed other Churches taking wages of them to do you Service For when I was present with you and wanted I was chargeable to no man for that which was lacking to me the Brethren which came from Macedonia supplyed It is a sad word but too frequently experienced That a faithful Minister of Christ may Labour and yet Live in want in a wealthy City And I think it cannot be rationally supposed that such as suffer those to want who labour among them will be very forward with their purses to assist them who preach the Gospel to Infidels in the remote parts of the World Upon this Head give me leave to say a little as I did upon the former London doth out-shine Corinth in Trade God grant that it may still flourish in wealth and yet be preserved from those Vices which are the usual Attendants of it May London ever have the Corinthians advantages and the Philippians spirit It will be I hope to the praise of God and of many of Londons Citizens to Recollect what hath been done here to help on the propagation of the Gospel in New-England and I hope also that the care of that work is not extinct but will revive as there may be a necessity and opportunity for it When I shewed how private Christians might he helpful to promote the Gospel by their Prayers I made a Request to you that ye would not fail to befriend
those who preach it at home with your prayers that they may receive grace and assistance from God and be blessed with Success And now I shall take the liberty to present another to you in the behalf of many who preach the Gospel among us your Contributions for Wales and the Collection made at Pinners-hall for the encouragement of several poor Ministers in the Country hath afforded matter of rejoicing to many And I doubt not have drawn forth many praises and prayers to God on your behalf and let me beseech you be not weary of well-doing in this Instance The Apostle found that Professors are as likely to faint and tire in works of Charity especially if they be frequent as in any Christian duty whatsoever and therefore he fixeth his Counsel and Encouragement there Gal. vi 9. And let us not be weary of well doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not Bear with me if in special I commend to your care those whom the Providence of God hath disposed of in good Market-Towns and Corporations Possibly some may think that such are well enough provided for But many find that the Corinthian temper hath not left the World Even in good Towns Ministers may Preach and want I think I shall not speak beside the purpose if I shut up this with 1 Tim. v. 8. He that provideth not for his own is worse than an Infidel This may suffice to have been spoken touching the second means whereby private Christians who live remote from such places as have not entertained the Gospel may be helpful toward the bringing of it among them 3. The third way wherein private Christians who live far from those places where the Gospel is not entertained may be helpful to promote the admission of it among them is to use their interest in those who on several occasions may go to such places by importunate perswasions and pertinent directions to excite them to carry a Love and Zeal for Christ in their own hearts and from that principle to act to the uttermost of their capacity for the spreading of his Gospel and the enlargement of his Kingdom It was I think a good design of Hugo Grotius who as he tells us wrote his Book Of the verity of the Christian Religion for the use of his Country-men who Sail to the uttermost ends of the Earth to furnish them with proper Arguments which might leave a due impression thereof upon the hearts of the poor Heathen Private Christians may also write to their friends who live abroad to endeavour to convince the miserable Captives of Satan that their Idols are vanities This course did the Prophet Jeremy take to excite and direct the Jews who were in Babylon how they should deal with those among whom the providence of God had cast them Jer. x. 11. Thus shall ye say to them The Gods who have not made the Heaven and the Earth even they shall perish from the Earth and from under the Heavens It is observed by learned men that this verse is written in the Chaldee tongue tho the rest of the book be written in Hebrew whereby he doth as it were put the words into their mouths that they might speak to them in their own language so as to be understood by them and by this he doth instruct us That it is not sufficient for the worshipers of the true God to keep themselves from the pollutions of Idols but they must do more for they must make Profession of the true God and his worship The like course may private Christians take to promote the conversion of the Ignorant Earthly and Profane at home with whom they have no personal converse and that is To stir up others who have that advantage to deal with them about the everlasting concernments of their Souls Thus I have spoken something touching the case of such private Christians as come within the first Circumstance viz. Such as live remote from the places where the Gospel is not entertained and in what ways they may be helpful in order to their reception of it 2. I proceed to consider the case of such private Christians as occasionally or providentially are brought among those people which have not entertained the Gospel and to shew how they may be helpful in bringing them into acquaintance with the Doctrine of Salvation Let none pretend that because this work doth specially belong to the Ministers of Christ that thereupon private Christians are exempted or discharged from that which God hath made their Duty Let none think to excuse themselves by saying They are not learned for they are a Reproach to Christianity who have not learned the Essentials of their Religion and the enforcing and inculcating of these must lead the way in the Conversion of Infidels Let none say They have enough to do to mind their own business For I doubt not but if they minded the Interest of Christ more their own would prosper the better But if they drive on any Design that is contrary to the Faith or Precepts of the Gospel it will be found their Duty and safety to extricate themselves out of it as soon as they can If they suggest that it would be a vain thing for them to expect or attempt to do any good among Infidels That will be found to be only the sluggards Plea There is a Lion in the way Prov. xxvi 13. He who hath no heart to an undertaking will not fail to lay in his own way huge Mountains of insuperable difficulties But to prevent or remove all Evasions it shall be proved that among private Christians if we may judge by circumstances or visible appearance few or none if they really be such as they profess themselves do labour under such disadvantages or improbabilities of succeeding in their attempts of recommending Christ and his Gospel as many of those were under whom yet the Lord made use of and eventually blessed in communicating the knowledge of Himself to such as were before strangers to him To manifest this I shall produce four Examples two out of the holy Scriptures and two out of Ecclesiastical History Out of the holy Scriptures one shall be out of the Old Testament the other out of the New Out of the Old Testament it is surprizing and astonishing to observe what a glorious work the Lord brought about by the Instrumentality of a little captive Maid whom the Syrians had brought out of the Land of Israel Read 2 Kings v. 2 3. to verse 19. The brief summary whereof is this The poor little Girl waiting on her Lady dropt a few words Would God my Lord were with the Prophet in Samaria for he would recover him of his Leprosie Another takes up those words and reports them to Naaman Many such Discourses are breathed and expire in the same moment The more wonderful is the conduct of Gods Providence who worketh all things according to the counsel of his will I may accommodate to this case
what was spoken upon a very different account James iii. 5. Behold how great a matter a little spark kindled For by various steps the Conversion of Naaman was at last accomplished and considering his Character and Interest we may probably conjecture that his Example and Counsel might prevail with others also to turn from Idols and to serve the living and true God We cannot well pass by this strange and remarkable Instance without staying so long as to observe 1. That this little Girl appears to have been seasoned with the knowledge of the True God and to have been acted in what she said by a principle of Faith This she shewed by her confidence That God would work a miracle by his own Prophet and Servant Elisha for it was He whom she intended as the sequel discovers Samaria was then like Athens a City wholly given to Idolatry therein had Ahab built an Altar and an House for Baal and he had four hundred and fifty Priests to attend his Worship The Inhabitants may well be supposed to have been generally of the Court-Religion only some few resorted to Elisha and they it 's likely in a more private way We read of the good Woman of Shunem 2 King iv 22 23. that was one of his Disciples and this Girl seems to have been of that way Happy are those young ones upon whom the Fear of God makes early impressions 2. God opened the way to Naamans Conversion by a little Maid The weaker the Means the more is Gods Power glorified 3. A few good words dropt occasionally may operate very successfully especially when they are suitable and seasonable Prov. xxv 11. Let private Christians mind this 4. A poor little Maid carried into captivity opened the way to the Conversion of one of the greatest Personages in the Countrey It is very lamentable to hear so frequently of Men and Women Boys and Girls carried away captives by Turks and Tartars But who can tell whether God may not in his own good time by some or other of them convey the knowledge of Christ to some perishing Souls This may suffice touching the Example produced out of the Old Testament The Example out of the New Testament shall be of those who were driven out of Jerusalem in the persecution that followed the Martyrdom of Stephen of whom ye may read Acts viii 4. Therefore they who were scattered abroad went every where preaching the Word in the strange countries whither providence led them and a wonderful blessing went along with them as ye may see Acts xi 19 20 21. Now they who were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice Which when they were come to Antioch spake unto the Grecians preaching the Lord Jesus And the hand of the Lord was with them And a great multitude believed and turned unto the Lord. These were private Christians for any thing that appears to the contrary And what they did was no more than every private Christian Regularly may and in duty ought to do if the Criticism of the late learned Annotator be allowed who saith That tho 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do Materially signifie the same thing Yet perhaps they differ in the manner For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a work that lies in common any Christian may publish the glad tidings of the Gospel and give a Relation of our Lord Jesus Christ his Doctrine Miracles Sufferings Resurrection c. Which was permitted to be done by Women themselves But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to proclaim the Gospel as Heraulds appointed and authorized thereunto by Jesus Christ This is proper to the Ministers of the Gospel and belongs to their Office Upon this I shall leave one Remark only That it were greatly to be wished that all such as for their adherence to the Gospel are by persecution driven from their Habitations and Countries were persons of the same Spirit with those who were scattered abroad from Jerusalem such as bring the Grace and word of God with them whithersoever they come so would they prove great Blessings to all that receive them This may suffice to have been spoken of the New-Testament instance To the examples taken out of the Holy Scriptures I shall subjoin two also out of Ecclesiastical History The one is related by Ruffinus who gives this account of the Conversion of the Kingdom of the Iberians to the Faith There was saith he a certain poor woman who had been taken Captive and lived among them She was at first taken notice of for her Sobriety and Modesty and then for her spending so much â—ime in Prayer These raised a great admiration of her in the minds of the Barbarians At last they brought to her a sick child which upon her prayers was restored to health This spread her fame abroad so that the Queen of the Country was brought to her and by her prayers recovered Whereupon the King and Kingdom were won over to Christ and the King sent to Constantine the Great for some to instruct them farther in the Christian Religion Ruffin Hist Eccl. l. 1. c. 10. The holy Conversation and the ardent Devotions of private Christians are excellent means to recommend the Gospel and to represent it as most amiable and desireable The other is of Frumentius Aedesius These being Christians were left young in one of the Kingdoms of the Inner India and were after some time for their excellent parts and unspotted life honoured and employed by the Queen of the Country during the Minority of her Son In process of time some Roman Merchants came to traffick among them Then Frumentius understanding that there were some Christians among them invited them to reside with him and provided a place for them where they might offer up their prayers to God after the Christian manner and himself having obtained leave of the Queen went to Athanasius in Alexandria requesting him to send some Bishop to that Kingdom to promote the farther entertainment of the Gospel among them to which they were well inclined and disposed for the reception of it Athanasius ordained Frumentius himself who returned and by Gods blessing met with wonderful Success Ruffin Hist Eccl. l. 1. c. 9. Socrat. Eccl. Hist l. 1. c. 15. Sozomen l. 2. c. 23. If providence shall bring these lines to the view of Christian Travellers Merchants and Mariners who come among the poor Heathen let the examples laid before them excite and encourage them to use their endeavours to bring them to the knowledge of Christ and the entertainment of the Gospel Thus much touching the case of those private Christians who occasionally or providentially may come to or be brought to those places where the Gospel is not entertained as yet 3. Such private Christians as live in a more setled way among the Indians and other Heathen Nations and were placed in the third rank or order come to have their case to be considered How they
so doing though very ill requited for it this is high and noble indeed this is an honour not vouchsafed to the elect Angels who are not capable of suffering this is to be a Christian in truth and eminency and to resemble Christ himself who suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps In the words which I have read you may take notice 1. Of one end of Christ in Suffering and that is that he might leave us an example To say that this was the principal end of his passion to deny his satisfaction as if it were impossible or needless is heretical in a very high degree to deny the Blood of Christ to be the price of our redemption is to deny the Lord that bought us And truly the only propitiatory Sacrifice for Sin being rejected there is no other remaining but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and of fiery indignation which shall devour the Adversaries And yet though Christ bare our sins in his own body on the tree He is not only our Redeemer but our Example He hath bequeathed Blessings never enough to be valued in his Testament he has also left us an incomparable Example The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Example is either taken from excellent Writing-Masters who set a fair Copy for their Scholars to write after or 't is taken from Painters who draw a curious Masterpiece for inferiour Artists their Admiration and Imitation 2. They were remarkable steps that Christ took when he was here in the days of his flesh and among them all he did not take one wrong one He was made of a Woman made under the Law and he did not in the least transgress the Law He came upon this Earth to do his Father's Will Heb. 10.7 Lo I come in the volume of the Book it is written of me to do thy will O God And never did he any thing that was in any degree contrary to it 3. The Steps of Christ are to be followed Good men in Scripture are our patterns whose Faith and Patience we are to follow Heb. 6.12 That ye be not slothful but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promise The Cloud of witnesses is to be minded and the bright side of it gives a good light unto our feet but there is a dark side of the Cloud which may make us cautious we must take heed of resembling the best of Men in that which is bad in their falls and infirmities Abraham is renowned for his faith yet not to be imitated in the carnal shifts he made for the saving of his life Barnabas was to be blamed for being carried away by Peter's dissimulation But Christ is such an example as to walk according to it and to walk by the strictest rule is all one for our Lord did whatsoever became him and exactly fulfill'd all righteousness 4. Here is a special intimation as appears by the context of a Christian's Duty patiently to bear injuries and to take up the cross Though the Gospel be the gladdest tidings yet Suffering is a word that sounds very harsh to flesh and blood But the Apostle bids us behold Christ in his Sufferings and not think mâ—ch of our afflictions which were but a drop compared with His which were a vast Ocean The Sufferings of Christ the Head were unconceivably greater than those which any of his Members at any time are called to undergo And indeed when he drank the Cup his Father gave him he drank out the Curse and bitterness of it so that it is both bless't and sweetned to the Lambs followers who are to drink after him 5. The Sufferings of Christ and his Example being joyned together in the Text here is a signification that by his Death he has purchased Grace to assist and enable us to follow his example Our Lord knows our natural impotency nay averseness to follow him or so much as to look to him His death is effectual therefore to kill our Sin and to heal our depraved Nature his power rests upon us that we may tread the Path in which he is gone before us I am able to do all things says the Apostle through Christ strengthning me I am desired this Morning to speak of Christ as our Example and to shew how Christians are to follow him This is a Theme that commends it self to you by its excellency usefulness and seasonableness in such an Age wherein there is such a sinful sad and almost universal degenerating from true and real Christianity Glorious Head had'st thou ever on earth a Body more unlike thee than at this day How few manifestly declare themselves the Epistles of Christ written by the Spirit of the living God! Few Professors have his Image who yet bear his superscription In the handling of this Subject I shall 1. Premise some things by way of Caution 2. Shew you in what respects Christ is an Example to be followed 3. Produce some Arguments to perswade you to the imitation of him 4. Close with some Directions how this duty may be done effectually In the first place I am to premise some things by way of Caution 1. Think not as long as you remain in this world to be altogether free from Sin as Christ was He indeed was from his Conception in the Womb to his Ascension far above all visible Heavens altogether immaculate and without blemish Some have fancied spots in the Sun but sure I am in the Sun of righteousness there is none The Sins of all that are saved were laid upon him but no Sin was ever found in him or done by him The Apostle tells us that he was holy harmless and undefiled Heb. 7.26 You are indeed to imitate Christ in Purity but perfect Holiness you cannot attain to while you carry such a body of Death about you and are in such a world as this It may comfort you to consider after the fall of the first Adam and the sad consequences of it how the second Adam stood and conquer'd and kept himself unspotted from the world all the while he conversed in it But as long as you remain on Earth some defilement will cleave to you to admonish you where you are and to make you long for the heavenly Jerusalem More and more holy you may and ought to be but to be compleatly holy is the happiness not of Earth but Heaven 2. Think not that Christ in all his actions is to be imitated There are Royalties belonging to our Lord Jesus which none must invade He alone is Judg and Lawgiver in Zion and that worship is vain which is taught by the Precepts of Men. Christ is all in all he fills all in all Eph. 1.23 When the Fathers of the last Lateran Council told Leo the Tenth That all Power was given to him in Heaven and Earth As it was blasphemous flattery in them to give so it was blasphemous pride and right Antichristian arrogancy in
cause that will pass for just and sufficient at the great day before they resolve upon a total separation from their Brethren 8. Christ is to be followed in his great humility and meekness Mat. 11.29 Take my yoak upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your Souls Pride overcame the first man he affected Divinity and would needs be as God but behold the Lord Jesus who is the Eternal God and he humbled himself and became Man Humility was the constant attire and ornament of the Man Christ Jesus Though this great Redeemer be the chief of all the ways of God though more of God is visible in Him than in the whole Creation besides Though he glorifies his Father more than all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth put together and though he is exalted far above all Principalities and Powers and Might and Dominion no◠only in this World but in that which is to come Yet our Lord never was in the least High-minded Humility is one most remarkable feature in the image of Christ therefore resemble him in being humble Be not proud of Habit Hair and Ornaments 1 Pet. 5.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Etymologists derive the word from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies nodus a knot Be cloathed or be knotted with Humility I wish that other knots were less and this which is incomparably most becoming were more in fashion Let not your Estates puff you up Riches are not always to men of understanding and there may be a great deal of Gold in the Purse where there is no true Wisdom in the Head no Grace at all in the Heart Let not your natural parts your acquired endowments your spiritual Gifts though never so excellent make you to look upon others with contempt upon your selves with admiration you owe all Glory to that God from whom you have received all Let Humility look out at your Eyes a proud look is one of the seven things which the Lord hates Prov. 6.16 17. Let Humility express it self at your Lips let it attend you in all your addresses to God and beautifie your whole behaviour and converses with Men. The more humble you are the more of every other Grace will be imparted to you the more Rest and Peace you will have within your selves and since you will be ready to give him all the Praise the Lord is ready to put the more honour upon you in making you useful unto others 9. Christ is to be followed in his love to God great care to please him and fervent zeal for his Name and Glory Joh. 14.31 The World may know says Christ that I love the Father and as the Father gave me Commandment even so I do He obeyed that first and great Commandment and loved the Lord his God with all his Heart and Soul and Mind and Strength Christs love made him do whatever his Father pleased Joh. 8.29 He that sent me is with me the Father hath not left me alone for I always do those things that please him Christs love was stronger than Death no Waters no Flouds could drown it neither could the Baptism of blood quench it Christ was consumed with Divine and Holy zeal and he matters not what befal him so he might but glorifie his Father and finish the work which was given him to do Oh let us bring our cold and careless Hearts hither to the Consideration of this Great Example that the frost may melt care may be awakened and there may be something in us that may deserve the name of Warm zeal for God Let us be importunate in Prayer and restless till we feel the constraints of the Love of God forceable till we find really the greatest delight and pleasure in doing that which pleases him and aiming at his Glory we think not much of labour difficulty and hazzard that this our end may be attained 10. Christ is to be followed in his Sufferings and Death and unto this my Text has a more particular reference Christs Faith was strong though he was under a dismal Desertion The Sun of Righteousness did set in a dark cloud He submitted to his Fathers will and being confident of a joyful Resurrection he endured the Cross and despised the shame When Christians come to die their Faith should be most lively as being near finishing it should by no means fail when there is most need of it Though he slay me says Job yet will I trust in him Job 13.15 Christians should submit when the Lord of time will grant no more time to them and they should gladly enter upon a holy and blessed Eternity When the body is about to be sown in corruption by Faith they should see that its lying there will be to advantage for it will be raised in Incorruption and Glory 1 Cor. 15.42 43. Let Death be more natural or violent it is yours in the Covenant if you are true Believers 1 Cor. 3.22 Fear not to follow our Lord Jesus through that dark passage into the House not made with hands eternal in the Heavens And all the while you remain on Earth study a Conformity to your Lords death by crucifying the Flesh and dying to the World The more dead you are with Christ in this sense you will live to the better purpose and die in the greater Peace In the third place I am to produce some Arguments to perswade to the imitation of our Lord Jesus 1. Consider the greatness of the Person that gives you the Example Christ has this Name written on his Vesture and on his Thigh King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 19.16 A Roman Historian commends a Prince who is maximus imperio Velleius Paterculus l. 2. exemplo major greatest in authority and yet greater by his example Every thing in Heaven and Earth and under the Earth does bow and is subject to the Lord Jesus and yet whose obedience ever was so exact as his was He gives us precepts and he himself is the great Pattern of performance Claudian the Poet has a notable passage concerning the examples of Monarchs and what a mighty influence they have Tunc observantior aequi Fit populus nec ferre vetat cum viderit ipsum Autorein parere sibi componitur Orbis Regis ad exemplum nec sic inflectere sensus Humanos edicta valent quà m vita Regentis Kings have many observers who very much Eye them and their high estate both awes and allures their Subjects to the imitation of them If they keep within the bounds of their own Laws their Subjects will be the more unwilling to transgress them Christ is the universal Soveraign who commands both Heaven and Earth and has the whole Creation at his beck He has kept the Laws he gives his Church 't is duty 't is interest 't is reasonable 't is honourable to resemble him in obedience 2. Remember the Relation wherein you that are Saints do stand unto the Lord
prophaneness they will pull down upon their own heads the guilt of all that prophaneness which is committed And this I dare say there is no man that liveth in the World no not the best and most holy but he hath sins enough of his own too too many more than he is able to bear or to answer for His own follies and miscarriages if bound upon him will be found sufficient to break his back and sink him into the bottomless pit of misery So David tells us and he spake no more than what his own sense and feeling did suggest and dictate to him Psal 38.4 Mine iniquities are gone over my head as a burthen they i. e. His own iniquities his own head heart and life sins are too heavy for me And as it was with him so it is with every one and therefore no man hath need to add to the load by heaping upon himself the guilt of other mens sins too Though it must be confest that notwithstanding all which the wisest and most circumspect person can do notwithstanding all the care he can take he will hardly be found altogether innocent as to this Holy Austin one of the best of the Fathers saw sufficient yea abundant reason for the putting up this humble Petition Lord deliver me from my other mens sins and it may be feared that no small number of great men who have been yea and are in place of power and authority will when the all-seeing God comes to search them be found deeply culpable and dreadfully chargeable upon this account and therâ—fore others that do at this day possess the same or like places are very nearly concerned to look to themselves Felix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum Happy the man whom other mens sins and dangers falls and hurts make to beware That hath gone for currant as a certain truth qui non prohibet cum potest jubet He that doth not forbid and prevent the commission of sin when it is in the power of his hand to do it doth interpretativè Command the doing of it He allows it who winks at it he doth encourage it who stops it not He doth so in the account of God who is a righteous Judge He had as good command it as stand by and see it done and say nothing And if men will in this or any other way contract guilt they may expect to tast the bitter Effects of it If Rulers will spare offenders let not them think that God will spare them Ahab in a foolish kindness and pity let Benhadad go whom God had appointed to utter destruction Now observe what a thundering Message the Prophet brought him thereupon 1 Kings 20.42 Thy life shall go for his life and thy people for his people So that this kindness of Ahab to Benhadad was desperate cruelty to himself and Israel And the case of Eli is very pertinent to this purpose and most worthy of observation He was not only Priest but Judge armed with both Parental and Magistratical power His Sons did not write after that Copy which he had set them but were Sons of Belial wicked and prophane to a Prodigy for they Sacrilegiously robbed God and filthily abused the women that were assembled at the door of the Tabernacle and by these means made the offering of the Lord to stink turn'd it to an abomination For this Eli their Father reproved them but it was with very soft and silken words Why do ye such things For I hear of your evil doings by all this people nay my Sons for it is no good report that I hear ye make the Lords people to transgress And here was all he did but Oh how angry was God hereupon It made his fury come up into his face Though Eli was a good man a Priest one that God had caused to draw near to him though he had reproved his Sons and given them good advice yet this was not enough it would not serve his turn God was greatly provoked because he did proceed no further and see how dreadfully he threatned him 1 Sam. 2.31 c. I will cut off thine arm and the arm of thy Fathers house that there shall not be an old man in it thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation the man of thine that I shall not cut off from my altar shall be to consume thine eyes and to grieve thine heart And the dream is doubled the resolution of God is fixed this one threatning that carrieth sorrow and anguish enough in the bowels of it is followed with another 1 Samuel 3.11 I will do a thing in Israel at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle I will perform against Eli all that I have sworn concerning his house when I begin I will also make an end God would go thorow with the work and not only be diligent in the beginning of it but likewise constant in the performance and compleat in the finishing of it For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever Such a punishment shall be inflicted such a burden laid upon him as shall never be taken off for the iniquity which he knoweth because his Sons made themselves vile and he restrained them not Set a mark upon these last words in which indeed the accent and emphasis lies there was the provocation that was it that exposed him to the divine displeasure and brought him under so severe a judgment His Sons made themselves vile they defiled debased and dishonoured themselves by their sins and abominable practices they had render'd themselves odious and loathsom in the eyes of God and in the eyes of the people Eli was not ignorant of this but was told of it it raised a great cry many complaints thereof were brought to him but he RESTRAINED THEM NOT. He did not curb them He was too mild and tender and gentle he carried the matter as one that was not zealous for his God but afraid to offend them and unwilling to grieve them He did not affright and ferret them out of their prophaneness they still continued what they were and held on their former course and yet he did not draw the Sword of justice he did not inflict upon them grievous punishments though they persever'd in the Commission of grievous sins he forgot to act up to the Authority of a Father an High-Priest a Judge and therefore God will severely punish him Eli's Sons run deep in Score and because he thus let them alone God would make Eli himself to pay the reckoning Consider of this and tremble you indulgent fond Parents that hear and see your Childrens Lying Swearing Looseness and Debaucheries but let them alone you timorous Slothful Magistrates that will not make prophane persons smart know and be assured that your selves shall You let them go but Vengeance will hold you But I proceed for though Rulers own concerns should awaken and rouze them up yet that is not all therefore Sixthly
If Rulers will not take due that is utmost care to suppress prophaneness in a Nation where their power lyeth they take a direct course to pull down the wrath of God upon that whole Nation as well as upon themselves Solomon hath these passages Prov. 9.12 If thou be wise thou shalt be wise for thy self but if thou scornest thou alone shalt bear it But we cannot say if a Magistrate will not discharge his duty but suffer wickedness to pass without controul he alone shall bear it no no the burden may light and lye heavy upon more shouldiers than his own His remissness and neglect may turn to the smart of the Land and people over whom he is set the not shutting the floud-gates of sin which let in a deluge of wickedness below is no other than the opening of the Windows of Heaven above for the letting down Showers and Storms of wrath that shall drown and swallow up all For want of this as you heard under the last particular God did not only with great severity judge the house of Eli but also threatned to do a thing in Israel or unto Israel as some read it at which both the ears of every one that heard it should tingle 1 Sam. 3.11 If any enquire what that terrible thing was I answer it was no less than the delivering of the Army of Israel into the hands of the accursed Philistines so that three thousand of them fell in battel before those their Enemies and which was yet worse the Ark of God was taken before which they worshipt and which was the special and delightful Symbol of the Divine presence with them When the Sword of Magistracy lieth still and dormant in the midst of crying abominations then God thinks it fit and high time to awake himself to the Judgment which he commanded and man neglected and to draw his own and how doth he then lay about him what blows doth he give what stupendous work doth he make When one Jonah that had been disobedient to his God and being sent by him upon a Message to Nineveh took him to his heels and run another way when he I say was in the Ship and lay in peace and at ease the whole was in danger nor did the storm cease though the Heathen Mariners called every one to his God till the guilty Criminal received his deserved punishment in being cast into the Sea That is a notable saying of Solomon Prov. 29.4 The King by Judgment stablisheth the Land When it shakes and totters he shores it up he settles and confirms it again and makes all sure But he that receiveth gifts overthrows it These do blind the eyes of men in place and bind or tie their hands so that they shall not do the things they should And he that receives them that will take bribes to stop the course of Justice doth overthrow the Land he turns it upside down he destroyeth the very foundations of it and when he hath once done that where is the wise man that can tell me what he will do himself I can expect no other but his own being buried in its ruins yea probably he shall go first and not live long enough to be a mourner at its Funeral Whereas on the other side Seventhly Magistrates by a vigorous suppression of prophaneness may most happily both prevent the coming of those Judgments which are impending over a Nation and remove those which are incumbent and heavy upon it They may stay the hand of revenging justice when it is lifted up as Abrahams was and ready to give the fatal stroke and also they may take off the hand of God when it lies heavy upon a people and presseth them sore or to use Davids expression they may remove the stroke away from it and hold his hand when it is about repeating of the blow I shall speak to both these under this head They may prevent a Judgment and dispel that Cloud which threatens a storm Hence it was that when the people had most grievously offended and provoked God by making a Golden Calf and then worshipping it after the manner of Egypt Moses said unto the Sons of Levi who had gathered themselves together unto him as Persons resolved to be on the Lords side Exod. 32.27 Thus saith the Lord God of Israel put every man his Sword by his side and go in and out from Gate to Gate throughout the Camp and slay every man his Brother and every man his Companion and every man his Neighbour And the Children of Levi did according to the word of Moses and there fell of the People that day about three thousand men Observe his temper He was the meekest Man in the Earth of a most sweet and loving Disposition knowing how to bear and forbear but now he was all on a flame the Lamb was turned into a Lion He was nearly and greatly concerned for the Name and Honour of his God and He accordingly set upon the doing of Justice and therefore made many a Sacrifice and when that was done he said unto the People upon the Morrow ver 30. Ye have sinned a great Sin and now I will go up unto the Lord peradventure I shall make an Atonement for your Sin Now that I have done the Duty of my place now that I have vindicated the Honour of God now that there hath been this due Execution of Justice Now I will go up unto the Lord and I will go up in hope now I have a peradventure to encourage me to think that I shall make an Atonement for you And let us not pass over in silence that which you have in ver 29. of the same Chapter Moses had said Consecrate your selves to day to the Lord even every Man upon his Son and upon his Brother that he may bestow upon you a Blessing this day The shedding of Blood of the Blood of Man the Blood of an Israelite by the hand of Justice in a cause deserving Death did not defile them but consecrate them Acts of Justice are as acceptable to God as Sacrifice the Blood of Sinners as the fat of Rams and abundantly more and saith Moses upon your doing this the Lord may bestow a Blessing upon you Levi therefore by using a Sword of Injustice and Cruelty against the Shechemites lost the Blessing When their Father Jacob called all his Sons together speaking of Simeon and Levi Gen. 49.5 He speaks of their instruments of Cruelty calls to mind their Sin cursed their Anger and Wrath divided them in Jacob scattered them in Israel but not a word of Blessing That they had lost Now saith Moses do you quit your selves in this great piece of Justice and you may get a Blessing and so they did for God chose the Tribe of Levi for himself above all the Tribes of Israel and appointed and imployed them about his Sanctuary and Service Numb 3.6 c. Bring the Tribe of Levi near and present them before Aaron the Priest that
by those who knew the promise to Abraham much about the time that God sent Moses and therefore 't is observed of Moses that when he vindicated the injur'd Hebrew and slew the Egyptian that he supposed they would have known him to be the person God had sent to deliver them Near the time of the return from the Babylonish Captivity many of the Jews expected their Deliverance some that were very Aged could reckon the number of years by their own Age. And Daniel searched into the nearness of it by Books Dan. 9.2 and we may now hope some great perhaps the last and full deliverance from Antichristianism is near at hand the generality of Gods people do expect as well as pray for it Pray ye as they do 3. Compare your great News abroad when Kingdoms and States are shaken with the Threats that are denounced against the Enemies of the Church Consult the Word of God in this thing You may discover much of the Approaches of Mercy in deliverance of the Church by the Executions of Threats against the Enemy When Moses and Aaron began to Execute Judgments upon Egypt Israel might well conclude their deliverance was near at hand when the Rivers were turn'd into blood Israel might hope their God was coming to avenge their blood The Jews had good ground to conclude when the Medes and Persians began the War against Babylon that their Captivity drew on to an end and when they read the Mans name who was the great Commander in that Expedition Cyrus by name foretold the Deliverer of Gods Captives and builder of the Temple if then they did not pray earnestly and praise God heartily they were inexcusably stupid and wanting to their own Release It will much help you in prayer at this day if you will look into the several Menaces pronounced in the Book of the Revelations against Babylon and observe which of them are in part Executed which are now Executing which of the Trumpets we are under and which of the three woes are now Executing c. By this we might conclude the sounding of the Seventh Trumpet near and the Kingdoms of the VVorld e're long are like to be the Kingdoms of Christ 4. Look to Promises made to the Church for her Deliverance when you hear of or Enquire after any great News among the States and Kingdoms of the World among which the Churches of Christ sojourn and among which the Saints of God have and still do suffer It needs not a particular proof that there are many express Promises that the Church shall be delivered that there is a fixed time for the beginning progress and full accomplishment of these Promises that their accomplishments shall be gradual and such as will clear it self and though we cannot say when the full accomplishment to a Day or Month or Year yet by comparing Transactions and Occurrences with Promises we may without doubt discover somewhat of the Promise made good to the Church for which we ought to praise the Lord and all the rest of the Promises shall be fulfilled and for this we should earnestly pray to the Lord. 5. Compare the great News in the present Revolutions with the Times God hath been pleased to make known to us in his Word By this you may discern what Encouragement and awakening Considerations are given to us to pray and praise our God for what is already done and for what is doing and what e're long is to be finished Here is work for learned Men for Ministers for Understanding Saints There are in the Revelations two distinct Numbers mention'd which were they clearly unfolded would enable us as very wise Christians to receive seek and improve the great News that is abroad in the World The first Period is that Rev. 9.15 They i. e. the four Angels bound at Euphrates i. e. the Turkish power were prepar'd for an Hour and a Day and a Month and a Year i. e. for Three Hundred Ninety Six Years and a very little more Now from One Thousand Three Hundred in which Osman or Ottoman was Elected King of the Turks they have been the destruction of the Christians and were to be until Three Hundred Ninety Six Years were expired i. e. till One Thousand Six Hundred Ninety Six which will in likelihood end their Empire and how great Hope of this now This calls us to pray for their Ruin The second great Period is of the Forty Two Months i. e. One Thousand Two Hundred and Sixty Years the time the Beast was to persecute the Church and then the Beast was to perish i. e. the Papal Kingdom shall be destroy'd Now these One Thousand Two Hundred and Sixty Years in likelihood began about Four Hundred Seventy Five or somewhat sooner and by this Account you may suppose the News you still hear of both Turk and Papacy will encourage you to hope for a speedy deliverance of the Church from both It will be worth your while to read those Excellent peices of Mr. Joseph Mede who wrote his Key of the Revelation above Threescore Years ago in Latin I cannot say whether it be Translated into English having alwayes kept my self to the Latin Copy but 't is a Thousand pitties it should be confin'd to Latin a Book fit to be publisht in all Languages Of Mr. Jurien Accomplishment of Prophesies Translated out of French into English Of a Nameless Author newly written in French and translated into English Printed lately under the Title of A New System of the Apocalypse c. I commend to you who would know the Importance of publick News How to pray and praise God on hearing it How to wait for Deliverances to read diligently those Books in which are greater and better News than any Pacquets then all Gazzetts or Coffee-houses can yet afford to you when you have read these Books then Long for One Thousand Six Hundred Ninety Six or One Thousand Seven Hundred and hope if you live to that day to hear Mahometanism in the Turkish Empire destroy'd with that Empire Wish for One Thousand Seven Hundred Thirty Five or One Thousand Seven Hundred and Forty and remember I do not pretend to Prophesie but I do dismiss with a conjecture that between this time and that you 'l see great Deliverances to the Churches of Christ and as great Distresses and Judgments executed on the Anti-christian Kingdom it may be the total Ruin of that Kingdom which was to last but One Thousand Two Hundred and Sixty Years and I think will have out-lasted that Period before One Thousand Seven Hundred and Forty Quest Wherein may we more hopefully attempt the Conversion of Younger People than of others SERMON XVII OMnipotence can suffer no Difficulty and that which is Immense can admit no Limits Unto the Divine Power all things are as perfectly Easy as they are certainly Possible And the Heavenly Grace is fruitful equally of all things consistent with its spotless Purity God Creator did strain no harder to make
declining Old Age must be judged to come under the name of Evil Dayes No reason appears why all the periods of the contrary Age should not be put under the name of Youthful or Choice Dayes All young Gamesters are here called to God Children from their playing for Pins Boys from their playing for Pence Young Men from their playing for Mony and Land All from their several Games of equal folly The Games in which invaluable Souls be lost and the best that is got is but Yellow Dust These Spritful Sportive People are all called to play wiser parts and lay out their various degrees of Strength for the good that in weak Old Age in the last and worst Childhood they will be as unable as now they are unwilling to seek The Time wherein these Tribes are all of them commanded to Convert is the present Remember hath its Now expresly added Forbidding both your Delay until the Afternoon of your Life-day and your Delay unto any other Day Hour or Minute of your Forenoon Requiring that God's Tribute be paid as the Kings Tax is upon sight And that not the least distance of time be admitted between your discerning and your doing your Duty The Doctrine thus offers now it self Present Conversion is the Duty of Youths and Children even the very Youngest that are come to Vnderstanding Or thus It is not for Young Men and Maidens for School-Boyes and Girls or very Children in Hanging-sleeves to put off their Conversion to God so much as a Minute of an Hour This I shall competently demonstrate if I make good these two Assertions viz. 1. That these Young Folk are really bound to Convert presently 2. That they are singularly engaged and encouraged by God so to do and are advantaged more for it than Older People are and than they themselves can be when they are Older And this I essay by these following very Intelligible and Invincible Reasons Hear them as for your Lives O you Young ones to whom I direct them If you hear aright you live and Joy will be in Heaven by and by for your new Birth If not we despised Preachers shall shortly hear you accursing your closed Ears Exclaiming much like unto Joseph's Brethren Gen. 42.21 We are verily guilty concerning our Ministers in that we saw the anguish of their Souls when they besought us to convert presently and we would not hear therefore is distress and it may be remediless Damnation come upon us However in Duty unto all and in hope of gaining some in God's fear I tell you R. 1 You are Commanded as truly as the Oldest People Living to turn unto God presently Therefore 't is your Duty The King of Babylon would have Young Men stand before him So would the King of Heaven He calls you the Youngest of you And as expresly and frequently and more frequently than he calls Old People For he calls you conjunctly with them in most or all Texts in the Bible and he calls you apart here and in other Portions of Scripture by your selves Ezek. 33.11 Turn ye turn ye 'T is not turn ye O ye Old decrepit Folk But Turn ye Indefinitely that is Universally O ye of all Ages that hear the Word Psal 148.12 13. Young Men and Maidens and as Old Men Children are called to Praise the Lord. Nagnarim little Children the word indeed is put for Joseph in Egypt Gen. 41.12 and Gideons Son Judg. 8.20 But as the Etymology carryes it 't is most frequently used to signifie New-born Children just shaken out of the Womb And is very often put to signifie Children just able to speak and run up and down 2 Kings 2.23 You the Children of Believing Parents have an Holiness of Covenant-Relation before you are born 1 Cor. 7.14 You have an Holiness of Solemn Dedication by and by after you are born in Holy Baptism Col. 2.11 12. And God requires your Parents and Ministers to be dealing with you as soon as you come to Understanding for Holiness of Inhesion and Qualification He saith there is a way of Holiness in which every Nagnar little Child should go and commands us to Catechise and Train you up in it Prov. 22.6 Ephes 6.4 Nor doth he allow you to delay the little that you can do for your Souls any more than he allows the Oldest People to delay any thing that is in their Power to do Now now is his Word unto all Sinners 2 Cor. 6.2 And Now now is his Word unto you His Command for Duty and for Hast of Duty equally binds Children of tender Years and people of Fourscore Remember it Young People if you be not commanded to come unto God and to abide with him there is no Sinner in the World commanded to Convert nor any Saint in the Church commanded to Persevere Need I tell you what an Authority his is who doth so command And how infinitely obliging 'T is such an one as cannot be told you by Man or Angel Should God command you to cut off your Right hands or to run into the Fire it would be infinitely your Duty and Interest presently to do it For so Supream and Absolute is his Authority that he cannot Command beyond his Right And 't is an Authority so constantly governed by Infinite Goodness that he cannot command us against our Interest So that it is as perfectly impossible for us to Obey him and not benefit our selves as to disobey him and not hurt our selves In a word Could you see this Soveraign Commander but as Moses saw him Exod. 34 Or as Isaiah Isa 6. or as Job Job 42. Or as St. Paul Act. 9. Or as St. John Rev. 1. It would be no Question with you Whether he were to be obeyed or no Or to be obeyed presently or no. You would then think no Obedience great enough no Hast swift enough no Grief for Converting no sooner heavy enough O how late did I love thee St. Austin exclaimed Twenty years was I a bondslave to the Devil cryed Mr. Jo. Machin who was Converted in his Twentieth year Remember not the sins of my Youth saith the Man who knew God's Heart better than to imagine that Youth was Lawless Psal 25. But R. 2. You are threatned just as Old People be if you turn not unto God presently Therefore 't is your Duty Sirs as you are not Lawless so neither are you less under the Menaces and Threats of the Law-giver than other Folk be Psal 9.17 The Wicked shall be turned into Hell 'T is not said Old Sinners shall into the place of Devils No 't is unlimitedly the Wicked all of them Wicked Parents and wicked Children wicked Masters and wicked Scholars or Apprentices Every thing wicked every Minute that you delay your Conversion that Threat stands ready charged against your Breasts And who knows but God will shoot it off this very moment if you Convert not this very moment Rom. 1.18 The Wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all Sin 'T is not said
Galatians than the Romans for the same fault Because the Galatians had been fore-instructed and sinned against more Light In all the Bible though it be an History of more then Four Thousand Years we read of but one that converted just before his Death And we do believe that he also did convert at his first convincing-call Rarely do any savingly Convert who do not upon their first convictions Convert St. Austin's stifled Convictions cost him dear You that will make so bold with Conscience as Spira did should expect to roar for it here as he did or hereafter to fare worse than many hope him to do They are considerable Divines who are not hopeless of his Salvation R. 5. You dye and go to Judgment as ordinarily in your young dayes as others in their older Therefore 't is your Duty to convert presently Come stand forth the liveliest Spark of you all and tell us if you can that no body was ever known to dye at your Years Or if there did your Life is no such Vapor your Flesh no such grass as theirs You know our Weekly Bills of Mortality would shame you And the great multitudes of Graves of all sorts every where You do know your own vanity in putting far from your Minds the fatal day that cannot be thrust off one Minute from your Persons It is an undenyable Truth the day of Life and of Grace be not always of a Length And that if they were that could be no warrant for delaying the work of your Salvation But one would think your Life's uncertainty it self if considered should be of weight enough to press you unto hast And make your wilful delay as impossible unto you as 't is Impious For you are not Papists And if you were Prayers for you after death you could not think regularly to obtain They do not hold it lawful to pray for any after their death that do not Repent and Convert in their Life If you dye unconverted your Fathers and Mothers are taught to consent to your being damned And the best Friends you have be forbid to pray for your being took out of Hell or your being cooled in it You do not imagine I hope that a cold drying God be merciful to you just before death is a saving Conversion If it were we might say Heaven is the receptacle of the most and worst of men And a great part of the Scripture is took up in requiring our needless Labor But we are well sure of the contrary Though you ought to be told also that if it were really so yet were your delay still a prodigious Folly Being of your ability to utter those words at your death you are as uncertain as of any thing And you have little reason to think that your present Obstinacy shall not then be punished with at least Impotency Oh Death of Judgment come look you in the Faces of these secure young Folks Shew your selves unto them ask them whether upon sight of you they can think two or three broken words preparation enough for your Terrors And that it can be time enough to think of peace with God when Pain will not let men be able to think three thoughts together of him I knew an excellent Person that used to Exclaim O Lord Pain will not let one think upon thee R. 6. You as much as elder people are absurd in your promises to Convert hereafter Therefore it is your Duty to Convert presently It is no easie thing to ascend to the height of Atheism in which alone you can dare say There is no God or None that you are bound penitently to convert unto or You will not whatever follows ever Turn to him Wherefore you must be dumb or find somewhat else to say Very many I suspect to Harbor in them a dumb Devil and to say little to themselves about matters between God and their Souls But many there are in whom Conscience will not be so easily muzzled But will have somewhat said or else give no quiet For want of all things beside this is said Hereafter I will convert But who has bewitch'd hearers of the Gospel Neither Law nor Gospel it self knows any way to Heaven by a delayed Conversion The Law requires continuing the Gospel requires Beginning and Persevering neither admit of Delaying Gal. 3.10 Cursed be every one young and old that continues not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them Did you not only Intend but Begin and that this present minute not only to wish but to do not only some but all things of the Law The Law for all this would damn you without Mercy for having ever ceased to do all Glory be to God in the highest for the blessed Gospel And what says that Why Act. 16.31 Believe on the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved Thou art a sinner a sinner grievous against Law Gospel and Conscience But what then Believe now on the Lord Jesus Turn to God by him dutifully God will draw nigh to thee graciously But neither there or any where is it said If thou art not minded to believe presently do but promise hereafter to do it thou shalt be saved And for your lives young People consider after Law and Gospel but Example and Presidents When Christ call'd his Disciples all follow'd him presently VVhen the Three Thousand were preached to and were convinced they were converted presently So the Jailor Act. 16. converted straitway But look we a little into these your words you will convert hereafter Fall they not into these two parts 1. We will not Convert now 2. We will hereafter First You will not Convert now That is You will abide Rebels to God Devils to your self Vassals to the Devil Idolizers of this vain VVorld c. This you will do though you know it Vnjust Vnsafe Vnprofitable Vngrateful and all that is worst And though you would think it hard if God should hold you in such a state against your Wills Or suffer Satan to keep you in it by force This you will do though you know if God should now use you like your selves that is like unreconcilable Enemies even against his very intreaties you must be sent quick to Hell Though you know too that every sin you commit makes Conversion harder if ever it be made and Hell hotter for you if it be not made This ye will do of Choice you will And because you will without any Reasons that you dare to produce or let mortal Men hear you speak Secondly You will Convert hereafter Thy Power Foolish Creature thy Power Where is thy Power thy Will or thy Reason Thy Power Man Canst thou live as long as thou wilt Or canst thou keep what ability God has now given thee for Conversion and make it more when thou wilt Canst thou save thy self from Distraction Delusions of Satan c. Art thou able thy self to supply thy self with necessaries Natural and Supernatural now and hereafter
Well if thou couldest say plainly what is thy Will 'T is a Will not moved by Gods Threats or Promises to Fear or Love him If it were so thou wouldst Convert now And if it be not so what is thy Purpose for all thy fair Promise Dost intend hereafter to turn unto a God neither Feared nor Loved Surely thou dost not Thinkest thou that thou shalt hereafter Fear and Love him I ask what should make thee so think He will for ever be the same God that now he is Lay to thy Heart what I tell thee If God be not just now worthy of Fear and Love then he never was or will be so for he Changes not In a word VVhat if thou hadst both power to Convert when thou wouldest and hadst a real will to Convert hereafter to God where is the Reason for staying without and against God all the while Thou art Servant he is Lord thou the Child he the Father When Servants run away and will not return to their Masters and very Children run away and will not come back to their Fathers No though the Masters and Fathers call and send and promise and do not need them while they all the while need their Masters and Fathers All people conclude there is a cause of this and a fault must lie somewhere in one of the Parties Either the Fathers Unnatural and the Master Cruel or else the Child is a Viper and the Servant a Monster Speak Man and say now where is the fault what is the cause that thou canst not yet be prevailed with to return to thy Lord and Father Thou must charge Him or thy self with most black and bloody faults If thou lay'st it on God thou makest him worse than the Devil and proclaimest Satan the better Master and Father of the two If thou takest the blame on thy self I ask thee how thou canst endure to see hear or think of thy self A Creature hating it's God that is all Love and all Loveliness No words I think no words of mine I am sure can express how Blasphemous or how Self-condemned they are all that put off Conversion to another time Alas here is Life and all in the case Conversion is the Life of thy Soul Man 'T is Dying till it Convert 'T is in Hell till thou Convert And is this a fit word I will then Convert hereafter Thy darling Child drops into the Fire and thou promisest to come help it out to morrow A very Kind creature thou wilt be thought and as Wise an one Upon every account I may say of these Promises of Turning hereafter as was said of Judas It had been better they had never been born And they be Judasses indeed for though they Flatter and Kiss they Betray and Kill poor Souls R. 7. You as plainly as elder people do dare God to damn you all the while you delay your Conversion Therefore 't is your duty to convert presently I have heard of a Man much accustomed to cursing in his health that could not utter any word but a curse in his sickness Could not pronounce Yes or No but as oft as he spoke in several Months time he bid God to damn him A most frightful thing you will say And yet young people I take you to be in very like condition all that delay your Conversion For the Language of Practice is with God and Men as significant as any if not more If you practically bid God damn you you are of the same spirit with them who verbally bid him so do And if I know any thing Delayers do bid him in deeds as certainly as any sinners do in their words I appeal to your very own thoughts in the case You are corrupted with sin and condemned for it The grace of God calls you to come take your Pardon and your Cure But tells you Now is your Time Promises you no Breath of Life but what 's in your Nostrils nor any offer of Cure or Pardon after the first In every Precept requires present coming Your Delaying therefore is running the Venture And that adventuring is plain saying Lord if now just now be the time I shall not take hold of it Though I Burn I will not yet Turn Thou dost not promise to stay longer for me but if thou wilt not Damn and do thy worst with me I would rather thou wouldst change thy Word Blot now in the dayes of thy Youth out of the Bible Write Remember thy Creator when thou art old and bedridden But if this thou wilt not do I will live under thy Threatning VVrath And let its Vials fall on me if they must I am set against present Conversion for thy Peace Let me add but this Sirs There is but one way possible to Hell which is by Sin For nothing else can incense God against You. He cannot be in the least displeased for ought beside But sin is that which he cannot but Hate and Punish Now to go on wilfully delightfully and resolutely in sin is in effect as if you should kneel down on your knees and beg and pray with tears in your eyes that you may never be saved But may be assured of a place in the lowest Hell The former is interpretatively the latter O madness beyond compare though not Admired because so much Practised R. 8. You as well as Elder people do hate and rob God and imitate and obey Satan till you do Convert Therefore 't is your duty presently to Convert Young people it may be you know not what you do but knowingly or ignorantly these things you do do till you Convert You hate God Interpretatively you hate him By your actions no other can be judged of you If you desired to express hatred of him you could not take a more direct way for it then that you are in For you walk contrary unto him Comparatively you hate him If you have any love to him sure it 's nothing and less than nothing in comparison of that which you bear unto your idolized things and persons Yea Absolutely you hate him as an holy and just Ruler and Judge In his Government you hate him and wish you could dethrone him Deny it if you dare In his Children and Friends you hate him Their Company is an Eye-sore and Burthen unto you his Image on them you cannot bear If it were otherwise you could not but Convert unto him You Rob him yea and all his You rob him of a Child Christ of a Member the Holy Ghost of a Temple the Heavenly Host of a Joy the Church of a Star the World of a Pillar And in the mean time what do you VVhy Satan in the God of every unconvert Creature Him in your Spiritual impurities you Imitate in your bodily you Obey in both you Serve and Gratifie Horrid Servitude Unendurable by Souls and jod less senseless than Plants or less wild than Brutes R. 9. You as elder People do out-sin Satan himself till you do Convert Therefore
or less angry with Men holds up Satan in a longer or shorter Chain Being less Angry with you Young People he suffers him not to fall upon you with such strength of Fraud or Force as upon Old Transgressors So much reach at you God doth allow him as maketh needful your Watching and Prayer and Wariness of his Devices But God allows him so very much less at you than at others that he may be repelled more easily by you than others And you have less reason to doubt of Victory when you fight against him than others have And may be certain that if you abide Unconvert in your sins and go on to incense God more against you you shall then have a much more powerful Enemy of him than now you have Now Would any General of an Army delay to Fight with his Enemy till he himself were Weaker and his Enemies stronger O do not any of you say practically I will not yet fight for my Translation out of the Kingdom of Darkness I will have the Prince of Darkness get an Hundred times more forces against me and more advantagious ground before I will encounter him How kind to Satan are Delaying Children C. 3. Your Hearts which are your Rulers under God be not yet so bad within you as Old Peoples be and as they will themselves be sure to be if you now Convert not Your Hearts the Lord shew it you are they that do most under God for your Conquering or your being Conquered by Sin Death and Hell These Hearts of yours be blind and foolish proud and perverse enough they be sufficiently Unteachable Untractable Unfaithful The Lord humble you deeply in the deepest sense of it But still they be not near so bad as Old Sinners Hearts be Believe it there is a sense in which Nicodemus his words be smart How can a Man be born when he is Old God has in his Offence departed farther from Old Men than you Satan in his long stay in them has hammered them into a greater hardness than he has yet brought you into Actual Sins have put more strength into their Habitual than into Yours And they have more Milstones about the neck of their Souls than yet are about yours Insomuch that you have as much the better of them as those who have in War a less unqualified Commanded have of them whose Leader is most blind most Lame and most Lunatick it self Your Work is more easie and your Encouragement to expect Victory is more ample than Old Sinners And both such as they will not continue unto you unless you now Convert unto God Which if you do not you do like Soldiers that should say We will have no Battel with our Enemy as yet The Leader whose Conduct and Action are our Life or Death will shortly be Stone-blind and under the Dead Palsie And we will stay till he be so before we employ him O plotted Self-Destruction O Chosen Ruine If this Consideration go for nothing with you ye are Blind against Sun-shine and Deaf unto Thunder C. 4. Your Bodies the Instruments of your Souls Action be not yet so sorry as Old Peoples be and as yours will be most certainly if you Convert not presently Sirs An Unsanctified Body is a Souls Unknown Enemy A Trojan Horse a Pandora's Box a Forge of Mischiefs Your Young ones are such that almost proverbially the Blood of Youth is Satan's Tinder and Match 'T is seen you have warm Bosom for all Snakes Legions of Devils are a less formidable Army than your own five Senses unhallowed Beware of the Flesh But withal know ye an Unruly Horse is more desirable than a Dead one He may be Bridled and made serviceable 'T is better with you than Old Folk if you will but well use that whereof they want the use Health and Strength in general reading Eyes and hearing Ears and walking Feet in particular Old Age is it self say some a Disease a very Hospital of all Many are deprived of the means of Grace by Blindness and Deafness Most do use them with much pain and great disadvantage None have so few Clogs about them as you So that great is your advantage for working out your Salvation Your Labour is less to read or hear an Hundred Sermons than theirs to hear or read one And to go Twenty Miles for Advice than theirs to go Twenty Steps Being that Sin and so Death came in at the Eye and Ear and it is God's Will to drive them out at the same and to transmit the Wisdom that saves our Souls through those Bodily Senses these are not inconsiderable things O that you had heard but what I have done of poor Old Creatures Outcryes Cursing the Courses and Companies that devoured their strength Wailing with sighs and tears their disability to Read difficulty of hearing and utterly lost faculty of Remembring The Memory ought to cut my Heart may the Notice sway yours If you will yet put off your Conversion this is the Language which that Delay utters I have a work given me to do that is for my Life Eternal I have yet Eyes and Ears and Hands and Feet I have Ease and Strength But these all have Wings and will shortly fly and be gone as others be When gone I cannot work or if I do it must be in the Fire as it were Nevertheless I will not set to my Work till my Sun and Moon and Stars be darkned I will not stir one Foot for Heaven till my other Foot is in the Grave If my Peace be ever made with God it shall be even at the Graves brink When I am just come to the Mouth of Hell and can scarce open my own Mouth to deprecate it I will bestow a wish for Heaven if that may possess me of it Sensless Creature that wantest nothing of a Bruit but Hair and two Feet more C. 5. The World another back friend of yours hath not yet lain so many Loads on your backs as upon Old Peoples and as it will lay on yours if you live longer and live under its Power and Vnsubjected and Vnconvert unto God This I speak to you especially of the Younger sort Children and next to Children I hope you have heard what an Enemy the World and the things of it do make to Conversion and Sanctification Read the Texts in the Margent Read Ecclesiastes 1 Jo. 2.15 16. Jam. 4.4 Matth. 6.24 a whole Book of Sacred Scripture took up in warning us against this said Enemy More or less Woe is to every Dweller in it because of the Avocations the Distractions and Interruptions of this Old Adam's World But here also you have the better ordinarily of Old People For themselves or their more Beloved Selfs their Children they are swallowed up of Designs Bargains c. Gains and Losses make their Souls a Sea of tempestuous Cares knowing little calm or quietness You are yet free comparatively and Unladen You may Contemplate and Act for next World without the
Text your State is one that God judges an ill one and calls you out of it and charges you to make all possible speed out of Many wish themselves in a State of God's Wrath when they say Oh that I were in but so good a Condition as this or that Child They know less than many Catechised little Children who know not this Such is an Vnconvert State that Christ himself cannot save a Soul in it The Lord maketh you all to feel the words that I can make you but hear My Father in all his Letters to me used to write O Child better never born than not New Born Infer 2. Your Miserable State is one Alterable Would God call you out of your damning forgetfulness if there were no return possible Would he call you to a saving Remembrance if there were a fixed gulf and unpassable between you and Blessedness 'T is sin and madness for the worst of Sinners to say they are Reprobates No Man alive can know himself to be so And the worst Man Living must make himself still worser by concluding so Young People your Unconversion hitherto has kept you unreconciled to God but hitherto You are not now Vnreconcileable if now ye be not Obstinate and Vnperswadable I praise him who when Satan tempted him to despair of Salvation thus answered For shame Satan say not there 's no hope of me thou mightest be saved thy self if thou could'st Repent Infer 3. God is willing your miserable State should be altered and that speedily too Would he otherwise call you and so call you as you have heard Or can you tell what should make him unwilling True he needs you not But you need him and he delights in Mercy if you will believe him Forget not this of God and his Son God swears by his Life he desires not a Sinners Death Consequently he must desire their Conversion And as for his Son your Blessed Redeemer as he shed his Blood to save Sinners so he sheds Tears over them when they refuse his Salvation 'T is Satan not God that is the Herod desirous to slay you Children And be confident of this if he now moves you to Duty he surely means you Mercy Infer 4. You your selves can do more towards your Conversion and perfective Alteration than all the World can do This is hence gathered from God's setting his Ministers and your Parents and Friends all upon your selves He bids us not go to any others and tell them they must go new form your hearts No but charges us to apply unto you and call on you to make you new Hearts and new Spirits and Convert unto him and Remember him to right purpose 'T is therefore certainly most in the power of your own hand next to Gods God has committed you more to your own keeping than unto any meer Creatures And given you more power over your selves than any other Creature hath Wherefore neither can best Angels benefit you or worst Devils injure you as you can benefit or injure your selves And it less concerns you dayly to enquire what all the World has done for you or against you Then what you your selves have done for or against your selves Would you know what is the just extent of this Power what it is you can do and what it is you cannot do toward your Conversion Others have answered more largely I say this briefly Try and you shall know Do all the good you can and you shall know what good you can do To lie idle and do nothing because you know not how much you can do were a folly like Ezekiels Infant wallowing in its own Blood Infer 5. Your Tempters from present Conversion are Hells black Legion I infer it thus It is only Hell that opposeth Heaven Divels that fight against the Command of God Black Devils that withstand his express Commands But 't is his Command and most express one that you now presently do Convert Wherefore as oft as any man disswades you from it tell him you find by his Lip he has a Cloven Foot And you see Satan is grown idle and impudent and leaves off the trouble of transforming himself into an Angel of Light Tempting Company is the openest Mouth of Hell in all this World Infer 6. Your way unto Salvation is one and the self-same with other folks If not why should it be prescribed in the self-same words that the way of all others is prescribed in Sc. Remembering God Deut. 8.18 Jer. 51.50 There be many about you that will shew you young people a shorter cut to Heaven And there is much within you that will catch at it greedily enough But the Lord give you to receive your sight you will then as easily believe there is one God for you and another for old people as that there is one Religion for you and another for them Verily there is but one narrow Gate for the Entrance and one strait Way for the Progress of both of you Blessed are both that find it Miserable both that miss it I know not how he himself shall be saved that prompts young people that they may be so without Understanding Owning and Living sincerely according unto their Baptismal Engagement May the weight of Mat. 5.19 never lye upon my Soul dear unto me Infer 7. Your greatest Danger is of delaying to Convert Why else are you twice warned thereof in the Text Why required to Convert in your Youth before you are Old and just Now before you are a minute Older Death stands before Old Mens Faces and one would think they should not venture to put it off It is somewhat farther out of your sight indeed but so swiftly it oft comes that it is of wonder you your selves should be so daring as to do it But alas both of you are daily seen full of your Delays Full often in my Pulpit I think what a number should I Convert this time but that my old Folk think they may as well Convert next Week and my young ones think they may Convert next Year both think they may Convert another time And what saâ—â—s my trembling Heart Plainly thus Oh Delay Delay thou bond of Iniquity thou bane of Piety thou bar of Conversion Satan's great Barge into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone be gone and destroy not this Congregation Sirs Remember it down-right denyal of Conversion is nothing near so like to ruine you as dallying Delay of it 'T is Delay is the Element of Unregeneracy as Unregeneracy is the Element of Hell Infer 8. Youthful Vnconverts are the worst of Demoniacks and break most bonds of God For as you have heard you have special Obligations on you Though God makes your days choice and good yet cleave you will unto the worst evil Though you have on you the Restraints which old sinners have long ago had took off from them you sin as they The Spirit of God that has done striving with many of them strives still with you Conscience that is
may not be expected to cleanse a Young Mans way nor any others Get a Promise from him to lend you his best Direction to thorough Conversion A Youth without a Pastor is a Child without a Nurse Direct 2. Vse him whom you chuse your Guide for your Soul and follow him as far as he follows Jesus Christ Hear him ordinarily a Child 's own Parents Milk is commonly best for it Write after him the Heads of his Sermon I mean and his Chief Notes Incomparable King Edward the Sixth used to write Sermon Notes Go often to his House and always to ask things worth his time and your own Little rest give him till Grace has blest his labors to fit you for the Lords Table Plainly tell him you shall count small good gotten by the Word till you are qualified for the Sacrament And that it is to you a dolorous thing to have but a Place in Gods House and no Room at his Table It looks as if you were but a Dog and not a Child Direct 3. Look alway and adhere closely unto God's Son and Spirit Without these the Holy Bible can no more make you wise unto Salvation than the Fables of Aesop that Papists dare compare it to The Word of Life is a Word of Death to you without these to make it beneficial These without whom you can expect no more Edification from the best Minister than from a blind Harper In all things ye want Jesus Christ for Acceptance in all you want the Holy Ghost for Assistance in all things and at all times Without right use of them no Soul can fetch a Breath of Divine Life or take a Step of Holy Walk Nature indeed shews you an Heavenly Father and ties all of you unto him But 't is only special Revelation Jupiter q. Juvani Pater reveals a Redeeming Son of God and an Holy Sanctifying Spirit of God And 't is much Grace and that much used too that can keep you close unto these VVithout which you may be great Socinians but no Christians Direct 4. Beware of setting against each other Gods Mercy Christs Merits Holy Faith and Good Works VVe cannot say to either of them we have no need of thee All are truly necessary and unspeakably But in the Countrey I saw it and in this City I see it most people do fix on some one of them and cry it up to the Exclusion of the rest To the virtual Exclusion Of so Epidemical and fatal a hindrance of Conversion beware you The Mercy of God! All the Rhetorick of Heaven cannot praise enough but wo be to you if you expect the Pardon of the least Sin by it otherwise than through Christs Merits The Merits of Christ These without question are infinite But you are undone if you dream you shall have the saving benefit of them Living and Dying without Marriage unto him by Faith Holy Faith Is a Grace most Precious by God most highly honoured and of all most honouring God Honouring him in some respects more than Adam's personal Obedience did before the Fall But mortally you erre if you look to put off God with it without Obedience And slight good VVorks as Supererogations Good Works Are the blessed Fruit of God's indwelling Spirit and the very end of our Election Redemption and Conversion But what then they be neither acceptable to God nor profitable to us but through the Gift of the Mercy the Purchase of the Merits and the Means of the Faith aforesaid If you rest on VVorks and imagine them otherwise good your Eternal Lodging will be among Evil-workers Young people make your Pastor set you well at rights about these things And let the Excellency Connexion Order and Necessity of them be judged worthy of your frequent and serious thoughts Direct 5. Be very Critical in the Choice of your Company Be sowre and unkind unto none Affable to all but pleased with Few to wit the Best Which are those that will either best teach you or best learn from you Companions of Fools are doomed to destruction But where ere you are walking with wise Men you are on your way to Heaven Prov. 13.20 Souls the most thoughtful of Eternity are still the most careful of their Company And it is certain the Company of your Choice in this World is both that which you would have and shall have in the next Direct 6. Besides the Holy Scriptures read ye such good Books as shall be commended to you by your Pastors 'T is not every good Book that is for you good Nor every one that will hereafter be good for you that is good Now. Your Pastors can judge best which are most sutable I think it Soul-Felony for you to be without the Westminster Assemblies Catechisms And I should think it as little needful to commend Mr. Baxter's Call or Mr. Alleyn's or Mr. How 's very Jewel of Yielding unto God or Mr. F. Fuller's Words to give Wisdom with his piece of Repentance and Faith or Mr. Lawson's Magna Charta England is blest with the best in this World and I do not light upon any that excel or equal them in England You must search farther than I have done young people if you find things better worth your most careful reading Books be dead things but God makes them oftentimes Lively Preachers These several last years many have acknowledged to me that they have been blessed Stars to lead them unto Christ Yet do not for your Lives ever neglect reading the Scriptures Take some portion of God's Word as daily as you eat of his Bread 'T is very honourably that I do remember a poor Soul who sometimes burned the Thatch of her House to read her Bible by the Light of it And no less a Saint than Mr. Richard Fairclough told me she died a glorious one It was Luther's saying The reading of the Scriptures is the terror of Devils Direct 7. Examine often the state of your Souls Scrupulousness it self is as much more safe as 't is less sweet than Audaciousness But humble and careful Inquisitiveness is sine naevo Venus as unspotted a Virtue as the state of Grace is adorned with Humility one calls the Violet of Graces of sweetest scent though lowest place And Care is the commanded Fear of falling short of Gods rest Heb. 4.1 The Exertion of humble Care in heart-searches doth answer many Gospel-precepts And when it is much and often it is not the least Evidence of truest grace For Bankrupts can no more endure much looking into their Count-books than sore Eyes can bear long beholding of Sun-shine And as impatient be Hypocrites of very much conning the Scriptures and their Hearts But I conclude Young people Mahomet gat the Turkish Empire by making extraordinary hast And Alexander Conquered the World by the same Policy Never Delaying Go you and out-do them Conquer VVorld Flesh and Devil And take by violence the Kingdom of Heaven by your hasting to Remember and Convert just now VVith great
which God chargeth us with and truly own that we are chargeable with the faults for which God reproveth us Jer. 3.13 This God enjoyneth Only acknowledge thine iniquity that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God They cannot be said to Repent who plead guiltless This Plea God reproveth Israel for yet thou sayest because I am innocent Jer. 2.35 c. Whiles Men plead for sin as no sin or acquit themselves when they are Criminals sins bind on them the wrath of God and stand in the way of a peoples good But there 's hope of a Land Jer. 14. â—0 when it poureth out its Confessions with them We acknowledge O Lord our wickedness and the iniquity of our Fathers for we have sinned against thee 2. Shame fear and deep humblings of Soul under the sence of the wrath of God as provoked by our sins Ahab humbled himself Turn to me with fasting and with mourning Joel 2.13 14. rent your hearts and not your garments for he is gracious c. and repenteth him of the evil who knows if he will return 1 Sam. 7.6 and leave a Blessing behind him God will embitter sin to us or avenge it Provocations shall prevent Mercy when they are easie and pleasing but this remorse must reach to the Heart though it do not savingly change it The Heart must tremble at the threatned Wrath God will have his anger awful to Men and their abominations shall cause a blush at least in a sence of what miseries they expose to Therefore while people make a mock of sin as harmless while they sport with the wrath kindled thereby as a scare-crow God will go on to strip a Kingdom of its Blessings and load it with Judgments They were not at all ashamed Jer. 6.15 neither could they blush therefore at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down But this Humiliation Fear and Shame must be from an affected Soul not bare Bodily appearances in a day of Humiliation or hanging down the Head like a bulrush for a day Isa 58.5 these the Lord despiseth for such things he will not turn away his anger Jer. 3.25 Whereas there is hope when a people lye down in their shame and confusion covers them becâ—use they have sinned against the Lord. It bodes well Ezra 9.4 when men tremble at the words of the God of Israel because of transgression 3. Such a complyance with Gods warnings and rebukes as to put Men on seeking Gods savour and resolving to forsake the National pollutions There must be supplications as well as weeping Jer. 3.21 A voice was heard on the high places weeping and supplications of the Children of Israel for they have perverted their way This is Gods advice to a Land and its the constant way of a Repenting people Jon. 3.8 Thus Niniveh cryed mightily to God Herein the dominion of God is owned and so far Men acknowledge a dependance upon him But this must not be only with the Mouth no it must be with the Heart as to this act and occasion Hos 7.14 Neh. 9.33 A sleighty cry will not prevail It 's a brand on a people that they cryed not unto me with the heart With our Prayers there should be a justification of Gods Threats and Punishments How hopeless then is the condition of a people when that 's true of them we made not our Prayer to God Dan. 9.13 Ez. 18.29 30. and as sad whilst they arraign his ways as unequal But good resolves must attend Prayer a full purpose under present Convictions though it may not alwayes prove effectual through want of a Principle in Sinners and remains of Corruption in Saints We are led to this by that place Take away all iniquity Ashur shall not save us Hos 14.2 3. what have I to do any more with idols Ezra 10.3 Neh. 9.38 and 10.29 Expressive hereof was Ezra's and Nehemiah's entering the people into a Covenant with God against National Sins Now what hopes can there be of a Land if it neglect the Lord as if he had nothing to do with them yea continues resolute in its sins Thus did they who said after our Idols will we go Jer. 44.17 we will worship the Queen of Heaven c. Alas Such a people may lye down in fear and look at the Mercies they want as impossible yea consider the Blessings they yet enjoy as soon to be removed I added that Prayer and Resolves should be in complyance with Gods warnings God will have a regard to his Threatnings and some tribute of Obedience rendered to him by them whom he spares Thus Ahab yielded to Elijahs Message and Niniveh regarded the Threatnings of the Lord by Jonah Therefore it s an awful sign when Nations refuse to hearken Zech. 7.11 12. draw away the shoulder and make their heart as an adamant least they should hear the law and the words of God by the Prophets When this is the frame and carriage of a people towards God what effects follow the following words acquaint you Therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of Hosts Whether the warnings are sent by the Word in the mouth of his Servants or by his Wonders or by lesser Afflictions the disregard of them makes the bands of a people strong whereas attentiveness and complyance therewith affords encouragement 4. There must be a Reformation All the former without this are too insufficient to be a prognostick of good the other things tend to this and must terminate therein or Repentance wants its aptitude to the designed end I have sent my Prophets Jer. 35.15 saying return ye now every man from the evil of his way and amend your doings c. and ye shall dwell in the Land a gracious offer but behold the obstacle to their benefit thereby you have not inclined your ear nor hearkened unto me In the same manner God leaves it on this issue Learn to do well Is 1.17 18 19. c. If you be willing and obedient yon shall eat the good of the Land but if ye refuse and rebel you shall be devoured with the sword for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it It 's no Repentance while gross evils are continued in if our sins be sins of Commission Zech. 14.19 It 's no Repentance while an express Duty be not complyed with when the offence is a sin of Omission This shall be the punishment of all Egypt and of all Nations that come not up to keep the feast of Tabernacles Let there be never so much mourning though it rise to the covering the Altar with tears Is 58.6.7 8. it yields but vain hopes when Men continue unreformed But amendment carryeth with it a happy presage it restraineth the bitter effects of past provocations and God in Mercy encourageth it in a people though on the brink of ruine We see an instance in Judg. 10. the people having confessed
transgress you the commandments of the Lord that ye cannot prosper Were it otherwise Gods Name would not be Sanctified no order in this lower World would be kept But further Impenitence is not onely a Moral Obstacle to good as it provokes God to with-hold it but it s a Natural Obstacle the wickedness of men is efficient of Wo to a People and is in many senses destructive of Mercies and inconsistent therewith Many Enormities of a Nation are its Plagues as bad Laws wickedness in Magistrates a corrupt Ministry Oppression c. It s Iniquity is even materially its Ruin APPLICATION Many Inferences are obvious As How dreadful an Evil is Sin How dangerous to a Land are multitudes of Offenders A Nation is foolish that discountenances Piety and destroyeth the godly Party whereby it strikes at its own Refuge How good and long-suffering is God that calls the vilest Nations to return waits long for their Answer and destroys not till their Repentance be even hopeless What Enemies to themselves Neighbours and Posterity bound up in their doom are an impenitent people What sottish and Atheistical Men are they that guide their hopes and fears of a Nations Welfare by Fancies or second Causes but without regard to Gods Favour or Anger or the influence that Repentance or Impenitence have upon the wayes of God towards a People What a dismal Prospect is a Wicked Nation sporting with their Provocations and Warnings How uncertain a Tenure do most Nations hold their Mercies by But I have not time to insist on these I shall briefly apply the Resolution of the Case to our own Nation We are a Nation we have National Sins Repentance of these Sins is a presage of our future State as well as others I know no exemption or peculiar allowance we can expect at the hands of the righteous Governour of the World Oh that our Hearts were under the Power of this awful Truth that our iniquity may not be our ruin Ezek. 18.30 In order to this 1. I shall insist on some things in order to our Repentance 2. Enquire Whether we may groundedly expect National Mercies from our present Frame 3. Conclude with an Use of Lamentation of our National Impenitency and Dangers In order to our Repentance I shall 1. Represent to you the National Sins we ought to Repent of Hereby you 'l know what we should be humbled for resolve against and reform What a Terror ought it be but to mention our Provocations Oh that a Land of Light should be chargeable with such Enormities and yet be secure and hate to be reformed Where shall I begin the Charge We and our Fathers for some Ages have been guilty of the same sins yet unrepented of Against whom shall I level the Inditement Alass we have all sinned and done wickedly as we could Magistrates and Subjects Ministers and People the Unbelievers and Believers To what sorts of Sins shall I confine my self to Wo is us what Sins did God ever destroy a Land for that are not National with us But that the sound may not appear uncertain I account my self bound in Conscience to be more particular My subject forceth me not any uncharitable design Oh that my own heart were more filled with Zeal for God and deepest sorrows for the Nations Sin whiles I am recording what may offend the guilty though the Charge be too plain to admit a Denial Let us Enquire Is England altogether innocent as to its Laws Do not we see that some of the terms of Conformity are far other than our blessed Lord hath instituted Are they not remote from a tendency to advance real Piety and exclusive of some things that would much conduce thereto Is not a Diocesan Bishop set up whose sole Jurisdiction barrs all the other Ministers from the Exercise of a great part of their Office while the Bishop is utterly unable to perform it through the largeness of his Diocess Is there not more than an Umbrage of Lying and Perjury imposed on all Ministers when they must Assent Subscribe and Swear to what is more than suspicious yea utterly false Are not a heap of Ceremonies and corrupt Usages re-assumed though once cast out to the facilitating of the return of Popery dividing of Protestants and the scandal of the weak who are too apt to place Religion yea all their Religion in those Vanities How many severe Laws were made against Dissenters and severely executed to the ruin of Thousands Was it no provocation to silence Two Thousand Faithful Ministers when their Labours were so necessary and their places were to be filled up with many young Men who have proved fatal to serious Religion The Sacrament is made a Politick Engine to further the Damnation of unworthy Receivers that all such may be kept out whom they suspect any way hazardous to excessive Pomp and Ecclesiastick Pageantry Can the Land be Innocent where Atheism is so professed the most Blasphemous Oathes are fashionable Perjury Uncleanness Drunkenness Malignity against all credible Holiness so common and consistent with Reputation VVas it not among us that the Covenant was burnt by the hands of a Common Hangman and horrid Murthers committed as legal Executions Is not that Christian Nation guilty where prophanation of Sabbaths is so notorious yea pleaded for as warrantable Most Families have nothing of Gods VVorship the plainest Essentials of Religion by few understood the Operations of the Spirit turned into Ridicule and Religion placed in things that bear not a faint resemblance of the very form of it while Sobriety its self is meer matter of Scoff and the Fountains of Learning send forth many more fitted to Infect than Reform the Age Is it to be concealed that Men enter on the Ministry as Apprentices on a Trade and use it as a meer means for a Livelihood How many are Pastors without the peoples Consent And too many preach while unacquainted with the Gospel as a Law of Faith and Rule of the Recovery of Apostate Sinners The Labors of such have no tendency to Convert or Edifie their Hearers yea alass Conversion is judged a Foolish thing to urge All the most Debauched and Prophane are Regenerate if they were Baptized and come to Church Many Souls eternally perish by the influence of this one principle and the Ministry is diverted from its greatest end Have we not seen the Ministry too much laid out to serve the late Governments in designs of enslaving the Nations and ruining the Life of the Protestant Religion Though amazing was the Providence which almost too late opened some Mens Eyes by a close attempt against their own places and so swayed their Minds that they contributed to save the Land from that Ruin which a few more Sermons of Non resistance if believed by the Nation had rendred unavoidable The good Lord continue that impulse least our Miseries become greater by the beginnings of our Deliverance I design not this Account of all our publick Ministers blessed be God
Land is sometimes absolutely determined When it s thus a blessing is withheld from means that tend to make a people penitent and what of Repentance there is becomes uneffectual to divert the Misery Manasseh repented Josiah and the People with some solemnity humble themselves 2 King 23.25 26 27. But notwithstanding this the Lord turned not from the fierceness of his wrath c. because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withal c. When the utmost limits of the time of Gods Patience is over ruin is unavoidable God bemoaneth a Land in this condition Luk. 19.42 The figure Apostopâ—siâ— is twice used in this verse thou hadst been happy hadst thou known in thy day thou art now undone because they are hid from thy eyes Deut. 32.26 27 Josh 7.9 Isa 48.8 9. Ezek. 36.2 8.22 23. as our Saviour in his Tears over Jerusalem If thou hadst known at least in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace but now they are hid from thy eyes 5. God sometimes moderateth and refrains his Judgments from other Considerations besides Repentance If executing Judgments upon his People will occasion Blasphemy and reproach to his Name he oft forbeareth his People though impenitent I would scatter them into corners c. were it not that I feared the wrath of the Enemy and they should say Our hand is high the Lord hath not done all this Joshuah and others knew it was a strong Plea What wilt thou do for thy great Name Again when his People have been so obstinate under Judgments that if he preceded in his Wrath they must be utterly destroyed rather than do so he hath eased his hand If the sins of his Enemies be full he conniveth at his Church whiles he avengeth himself on his Adversaries especially if his Servants are to be Executioners of his Wrath. Sometimes God hath had respect to some Ancestor or some particular action of a People that hath been pleasing to him and on that account hath been favourable though they have been otherwise obnoxious to judgments 6. It s not very easie at all times to judge of National Judgments or Mercies God may afflict in order to Mercy he may take away lesser Mercies to make way for greater Blessings He oft layes a foundation of lasting good by delays and astonishing struggles On the other hand he may forbear Judgments and bestow good things whereby a Nation is ripened for sorer Plagues He may destroy the Gentry to save the Vulgar or level his stroak against evil Magistrates or Ministers and so shake the State to make the Body of a People or his own people at least prosperous Many such wayes are with him Each of these affect a community and yet the aspect of them are so intricate and clouded that deep thoughts are needful to determine when we see the Mercy we expect or the Judgment which we fear You may perceive that the Case before me though it seemeth so popular is not so easily decided But the greatest Difficulty is to adjust the Nature of Repentance as accommodated to our expectation of National Mercies Which will fall under the next Head Fifthly The Case resolved and somewhat concerning the Rule by which it is resolved The Rule by which we must determine this is hinted in the Case it self The Rule to decide the Case by under those Words what Repentance doth God require Some Expression of the Divine Will must guide us we must not judge by Second Causes or by vain Fancy as we are too apt to do Neither too rigid nor yet too compassionate Inclinations must decide the Matter or lead our Expectations The Directions of the Soveraign Ruler of Kingdoms must alone take place what Notices he hath vouchsafed must be regarded with Reverence natural Principles due Inferences from his Essential Perfections the Nature Order Ends and Methods of his Government well considered and an Observation of his Dealings with our selves in past times and also with other Countreys do all contribute some light in the Matter before us But our chiefest regard must be to the Scriptures especially to such parts of them as urge Repentance on a people with Promises of good in case of compliance and Threatnings of Ruin upon their Obstinacy Also such parts should be observed as contain instances of National Repentance which have been succeeded or accompanied with National Mercies By this rule we must determine what that Repentance for National Sins is whereupon we may expect National Mercies Here we must consider Repentance modified as a means to this proper end viz. National Mercies And it s to be considered as to that lowest degree which will support our expectations of those Mercies Having premised this I think it may thus be determined 1. A Repentance short of that which is injoyned in order to Eternal Salvation will suffice to warrant our expectations of National Mercies Eternal Issues are not determined by the same Rules as Temporal Blessings Unregenerate persons may repent so as to divert present Judgments and secure Mercies This is evident in Ahab and Nineveh 1 King 21.29 Jonah 3. If it were not so we could not expect National Mercies before the generality of a Land became true Converts yea active Converts For Regenerate Persons that shall possess Heaven may come short in that Repentance which secures Blessings to a Nation Saving Repentance is the Grace we calls sinners to by our Ministry the more of this prevaileth in a Land the more sure are the Mercies of that people Without it a Nation will soon run into new forfeitures and bring plagues on it self at last as Niniveh did Nah. ch 2. 3. This saving Repentance is a change of Heart as well as Practice it strikes at the root and excludeth the Dominion of all Sin as well as National Provocations It hath a mixture of Divine Love reigning in the Heart as well as Fear It s excited by a sence of pardoning Mercy through the Blood of Christ as well as Gods Wrathful displeasure it s an effect of the Spirit in-dwelling and not onely of its common Operations it s the fruit of the Divine Life and not meerly of Natural Principles excited by Forreign impressions In these and the like saving Repentance exceeds that Repentance of a Land which yet may afford expectations of National Mercies 2. The Repentance which yields us ground to expect National Mercies I shall describe in these following particulars 1. It hath several things wherein it partakes of the nature and sincerity of a true Repentance 2. It must be for National Sins 3. The Repentance must usually be National 4. It must be suited to the different condition and circumstances of such as make up a Nation 1. It must have so much of the nature and sincerity of a true Repentance as is included in these following heads 1. Clear Convictions of the guilt and offences of a Nation We must believe those things to be sins