them which yet may be no true Acts of Obedience to him because not according to his Word They do but obtrude a Worship upon God and Fancy it will please him because it pleaseth them Whereas indeed nothing is acceptable to him but what is enjoyned by him Nothing is Duty but that which hath a Warrant from God for the Performance of it Men may abound in Will-worship and come short in Obedience they may do more than is enjoyned them and yet less too much which will never be reckoned to them as it was never required of them You must judge of your selves not meerly by what you do but by the ground you have for the doing of it when Gods Will is the Reason of it and not the Precepts of men nor your own Fancies so much and no more you do for God as you do in Obedience to his Command 2. Vniversal both as to the extensiveness and continuance of it 1. As to its Extensiveness See that you be not Partial in the Law a Mal. 2.9 that you walk with God in all his Ordinances Luke 1.6 have respect to all his Commandements Psal 119.6 There is the same reason for Obedience to one Command as well as another b Gods Authority who is the Law-giver and therefore when men chuse one Duty and overlook others they do not so much obey the will of God as gratifie their omn Humours and Fancies pleasing him only so far as they can please themselves too and this is not reasonable we never yield him a reasonable Service but when it is universal 2. As to its Continuance and duration If Gods Command be still the same and the Obligation of it it is but reasonable that our Obedience likewise should be still the same Constancy and Perseverance in serious Godliness will greatly confirm and Evidence the reasonableness of our Practice and reality of our Principles Fancies are usually transient and variable and so are their Effects in mens actions few Live by Fancy all their dayes but one time or other they find their Error When a Christians carriage is uniform in the course of his Life and still continues the same in a congruity and suitableness to his Principles it can hardly be imagined that it should be the effect of meer Fancy but must proceed from something in him more fixed and settled 3. Spiritual If the Obedience we yield to God be conformable to his Nature who is a Spirit so far it is reasonable and that is such as Christ requires and this the reason he gives for it John 4.24 God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in truth See therefore that the Service you do him be not meerly external and carnal but inward and Spiritual 1. Spiritual in its Principle The goodness of your outward actions proceeds especially from within and you cannot judge rightly of them but by the Principles from which they proceed those Principles are Faith and Love Your work must be the work of Faith d 1 Thess 1.3 Rom. 1.5 your Obedience the Obedience of Faith Faith both in the Command and Promise must put you upon it and if your believing both makes you Act conformably to them the Faith of the Command presseth you to Obedience and the Faith of the Promise encourages you in it you therefore Serve the Lord because you believe him and trust in him that Service cannot be unreasonable And so likewise for Love Love to God must set you at work for God Exod. 20.6 those that love me and keep my Commandments If love within Command all without if that make you Labour in his Service fear to offend him strive to please him if you can not only see your own Obedience but feel your Love to God working your hearts to it you may be sure that Obdience is reasonable because its Principle is so reall Love felt in your Hearts and breaking out in your Lives cannot be a Fancy and what more Reasonable than for him that loves God to do all he can for God 2. Spiritual in the End for which ye Act. 1. Cor. 10.31 See that whatever you do you do it for the Glory of God as the Supreme End It is most Reasonable that as you do all from God so you should do all for him that he who is the first Cause of all you have should be the ultimate End of all you do and if you can be content to be abased that God may be Exalted to deny your selves as to your Credit and Interest and all Worldly concernments purely that God may be Honoured it is your desire that in all things Christ Jesus may be magnified in you whether by Life or by Death e Philip. 1.20 and so in doing or suffering that Obedience which is not only qualified as before mentioned but is directed to such an End is not Folly nor the effetct of Fancy 3. Spiritual in the Acts of it not that all Gospel Obedience or Worship consists only in the internal Acts and workings of the Mind for external Worship it self may be spiritual Worship and so it is when rightly performed that is when it is accompanied with and proceeds from internal but by Spiritual in its Acts I mean that which principally consists in the inward Acts of Faith and Love and Fear c. which is a Serving God in our Spirits f Rom. 1.9 yet withall is productive of and manifests it self in an outward behaviour correspondent to those internal workings See therefore that your Religion do not consist meerly in Externals that you make as much Conscience of inward and Heart-worship as outward and Bodily of the Actings of Faith and Love as of Praying and Hearing look as much at least to what is within as to what comes out Do not rest in the outside of Duty nor satisfie your selves with what you do when yet it is without life and warmth have as much regard to the Manner of Performing as to Performance it self to the motions of your Hearts as to the Labour of your Lips or postures of your Bodies To conclude this direction let your work in the whole of your conversation be as much about your Hearts g Prov. 4.23 as your Lives be the same in secret that you are in publick the same when under Gods Eye only that you are in the Face of the World This I am sure cannot be said to be foolish and unreasonable when it is grounded on the greatest reason God sees in secret h Math. 6.6 looks to the heart 1 Sam. 16.17 and calls for the heart i Prov. 23.26 and therefore it is but reason we should look to them too It is the seat of Sin the Fountain whence it springs and therefore must be look't too that we may prevent the working of it and mortifie the root of it and it is the seat of Grace there is no more good in any man than what is in his
With a reflection of Care and Watchfulness that thou mayst never dare to fall into the Sins that thou bewailest in another and that thou mayst never admit a temptation to a Sin in thy self which is the object of thy Lamentation in another That thou who labourest to quench the fire that hath seized upon thy Neighbours house mayst be careful to preserve thine from being set on fire also To conclude that thou mayst not dare to do that which doth or should grieve thee to see another do § 17 III. To shâ—w why this holy Mourning is 1. The Disposition and 2. Duty of the Righteous I shall express the Reasons of both distinctly 1. It is their Disposition and that under a threefold qualification 1. Because they are a knowing People They know what tears and heart-breakings Sin hath stood them in they know that Sin will cost the Wicked either Tears of Repentance or Damnation They know that Sin is but gilded Destruction and Fire and Brimstone in a disguise Knowing the terror of the Lord saith Paul we perswade men 2 Cor. 5.11 'T is as true we mourn for men that will not be perswaded In one word the Godly know that when the Wicked sin they know not what they do The Word threatning Sin makes Woe as present to a knowing Saints Faith as the evil threatned can in its execution be present to a Sinners sense To a Saints eye sinning is but the Seeds-time of Wrath and Eternal Vengeance in the root But principally the Godly know what Sin hath cost Christ not tears of Water only but great and many drops of Blood 2. As to a Saints Disposition He is Compassionate and tender-hearted § 18 If Sinners mourn he mourns with them If not he mourns for them The Wicked are more the objects of his Pity than Anger The Saints only have Bowels Col. 3.12 and Christs Bowels Phil. 1.8 The Wicked as the High Priests were to Judas are hard-hearted in drawing to Sin and in leaving those whom they have drawn into it Good men are full of tears see it in David Ezra Joseph Josiah Jeremiah Quanto quisque sanctior tanto fletus uberior The more holy the more plentiful are our tears Saints have received and return Compassion Grace kills not but only cleanseth Affection 3. The Righteous are a purifi'd sanctifi'd People A Saint as such § 19 hates nothing but Sin Grace ever conflicts with Sin where it sees it either in a mans own Soul or in the Life of another Holiness contends with Sin where it cannot conquer it Now where an Object is truly hated it ever causeth Sorrow till it be removed Further every sanctifi'd Soul labours to keep it self holy Now sorrow for Sin puts us upon carefulness to avoid it 2 Cor. 7.11 All take heed of that which occasions their grief 2. 'T is the Duty as well as the Disposition of the Righteous to § 20 mourn for the Sins of others And that as they are considerable in a threefold Relation 1. In their Relation to God they are his Sons Phil. 2.15 As the Sons of God they are commanded to be blameless without Rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation This Relation of Sonship doth as truly make us mourn for the Sins of others as it engageth us to avoid Sin in our selves It suffers us not to put up dishonour offered to God our Father with sinful Patience It makes us quietly to bear our private troubles but not quietly to suffer the Sufferings of Gods Name Exod. 32.11.27 Thô Moses when with God pray'd for the People yet when with the People he vindicated the honour of God with the Sword Job 2.10 Thô Job when a Sufferer from God was holily patient yet when an hearer of the Counsel of his Wife to curse God he was as holily impatient A Son of God cannot bear the abuses offered to his Father Saints can no more endure the dishonour done to their heavenly Father according to that measure of Grace given unto them than the Angels which are in Heaven do according unto theirs Jesus wept for Lazarus's death because his Friend and should not we much more weep for Gods dishonour because our Father Gods Glory should be dearer to us than our Lives He that toucheth it should touch the Apple of our Eye and that soon makes it water § 21 2. Their Relation to the Mediator the Lord Christ Here I shall mention only a double relation between Christ and Saints that engageth them to mourn for the Sins of others The first is his Relation to us as a suffering Surety in respect whereof he sustain'd and pay'd the debt of Penalty which we owed to Gods Justice for 't was Sin in man that made Christ a man of Sorrows Saints have but one Friend and He but one Enemy how then is it possible that that Enemy when seen should not be the Object of Sorrow Sin drew not from our dear Lord Jesus's eyes only tears of Water but from his sacred face great drops of Blood 'T was Sin that pierced not his feet hands and side only but his Soul Who can look upon the bloody Knife that stabb'd Christ without some Sorrow 2. There 's a second Relation between Christ and Saints that should make them mourn for the Sins of the Wicked and that is the Relation of Teacher and Instructer We are his Disciples and Scholars and 't is our Duty as much to make him our Example as to expect he should obtain our Pardon Christ never had a Pollution but oft a Commotion of Affection Christ never wept but for Sin or its effects How full of Zeal was he for his Father when he saw his Glory blemished Joh. 2.17 Joh. 19.9 10 11. Mar. 3.5 his House defiled did it not after a sort eat him up and consume him The Reproaches of them that reproached God fell upon Christ Rom. 15.3 'T is observable thô Christ in his own cause gave Pilate no answer but stood silent yet when he heard Pilate arrogate to himself the Power of Life and Death over Christ he could not forbear to shew Pilate his Sin by telling him of an higher Power than his from whence his was derived How full of grief was Christ Luk. 19.41 seeing the hardness of the Jews hearts to their own destruction In his approach to Jerusalem filled with Enemies to God and him he wept over it for their Blindness and Impieties and approaching Destruction He bewail'd the Sins of those that rejoyced in them and shed his tears for those that thirsted to shed his blood Either resemble Christ or lay off the name of Christian § 22 3. Their Relation to the Wicked for whose Sins they should mourn 1. The Saints are men with the worst they have the Relation of humane nature to the greatest Sinners upon Earth they are ex eodem luto formati In the Body as the Apostle expresseth it Heb. 13.3 'T is a wickedness to hide our selves from
all their promises are yea and Amen in Christ 2 Cor. 1 20. The Covenant was made for his sake 't was ratified and confirmed by his death his bloud is called the bloud of the everlasting Covenant Heb. 13 20. his bloud being shed the Covenant stands good unto eternity Here is vast encouragement to lay hold upon the promises If you come to God and ask Lord hast thou not made promises of pardon to the penitent and believing promises of grace to the humble promises of satisfaction to the hungry Souls promises of joy and comfort to the mourners In his Word God answered Yea. If you farther add Lord Let these promises be accomplished for thy Christs sake the answer is Amen it shall be so they shall be all fulfilled 10. Growing in the knowledge of Christ implies a more earnest looking for his Word appearing The day of this appearing is appointed it draws very near being hastned by the Prayers and sufferings of Saints by the Sins and security of the World Yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Heb. 10.37 If Christ were better known this day would be more longed for by the Saints Innocency will then be cleared all enemies more then conquered salvation will be perfected the whole Church of Christ with all its members glorified Col. 3 4. When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in glory Thus you see what it is to grow in the knowledge of Christ and the telling you this is indeed a directing you how to grow in this knowledge In the second place I am to shew you what properties are required in this Knowledge 1. This knowledge of Christ would grow more and more certain The Apostle speaks of Riches of full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the Mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ Col. 2 2. The truths of Christ are certain in themselves the mind should understand them as most certain there should be an assurance of their certainty a full assurance of it such an assurance is a rich thing a thing of great value for 't will have a great vertue and efficacy both upon the heart and life 2. This Knowledge of Christ should more and more 〈…〉 when he sees the treasures of Wâ—sdom in Christ he should be sensible of his own folly when he views the robe of Christs â—â—ghteousness he should be sensible that his own righteousnâ—â—â— are but rags When he studies Christs fulness and Power he should be sensible of his own emptiness and weakness Finally he should see himself to be nothing when he perceives that Christ is all in all Col. 3.11 3. This Knowledge of Christ should grow more Spiritual He is not to be known after a carnal manner and therefore Popish Images are very unfit representations of him not that his flesh is swallowed up of his Divinity as Servetus dreamed but his flesh is glorified and as transcendently glorious we must now look upon him We must also know him as the purchaser and bestower of all Spiritual gifts and graces that we may be further renewed by his Spirit the Apostle â—s thâ—◠〈◊〉 be understood when â—e sâ—â—s 2 Cor. 5.16 â—â— Though 〈…〉 after the Flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more therefore if 〈…〉 in Christ he is a new Creature 4. This Knowledge of Christ should encourage to a mâ—â—◠〈…〉 upon him when we see what a sure and everlasting foundation Christ is here we should build higher and higher till the top reach Heaven there is no fear that the foundation will not bear the superstructure We may safely depend upon Christ for a lasting peace with God for perfecting the work of grace and abundant entrance into the everlasting Kingdom He that believes in him shall never be confirm did 1 Pet. 2 6. Let 〈◊〉 this Râ—lyaâ—â—e be called a â—â—lling faith but without scoffing at her let the Church of Christ be permitted to lean upon her Beloved while she is so weak as she is in the Wilderness of this World Cant. 8.5 5. The Knowledge of Christ should raise him higher and 〈◊〉 Christians estimation The more we know of him new beauties will still be discovered in him He is greater than Jonas a Prophet grâ—â—â—â— tâ—â—â— Solomon a King who was the most famous King of Israel He is altogether lovely nay he is the Angels wonder Heavens darling the brightness of his Fathers glory Here is no danger of an over value of an excessive love Therefore let the Spark be blown up into a flaâ—â— that may not be quenched by many Flouds of Water that may be too strong for Death and Hell it self to conquer Cant. 8.6 7. 6. The Knowledge of Christ should have a great Aspect upon whatever else is revealed in the Word of God 'T is a great matter to know the truth as it is in Jesus Eph. 4 21. The Apostle tells us that he desired to know nothing else but Jesus Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2 2. will plainly intimate that he lookt upon other things with a respect unto Christ and indeed without such a respect what knowledge can be profitable what knowledge can be comfortable Luther said In Christs Crucifâ—◠〈…〉 Theologia cognitio Deâ— There cannot be a right knowledge of God if there be an ignorance of Christ crucified 7. The Knowledge of Christ it should be operative still in a greater measure It is inexcusable to be slothful where the Master is so good the promised assistance so great the commands far from grievous and the reward eternal The better we know our Lord Jesus we shall sâ—â—â—â— him witâ— a more perfect heart with a more willing mind Obedience is reasonable pleasant necessary we should be stedfast and always abound herein Labour shall not be in vain 1 Cor. 15 58. 8 The Knowledge of Christ should cause great glorifying and joy Well may believers who have no confidence in the Flesh who worship God in the Spirit rejoyce in Christ Jesus Phil. 3 3. God in Christ is become their Father and he will not disinherit any of his Children 〈◊〉 he has adopted but they shall abide in the House forever nothing shall separate them from his love The marriage union between Christ and them shall never be dissolved Mansions are preparing for them in Heaven where there is everlasting light and pleasantness and they are fitting for these Mansions and shall not be long out of them Well may they love their Lord and believing rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1 â— In the third place the Directions follow how you may increase and grow in the Knowledge of Jesus Christ The directions are these 1. Be sensible of your remaining ignorance and how great the hindrance is how great the harm is that is the effect of it You that are the Children of light and of the day have much of night and darkness in you A perfect
given is no other than the Will of the great God who made us all which Will must be made known and revealed unto man before it can have on him the force of a Law Now the Discoveries of God's Will are after a twofold manner for there are some other Discoveries than these that are by the Light of Nature What may be understood by the Light of Nature from the things made is done by the exercise of our Reason but what is revealed any other way is not received the same way with the former our knowledge of these Revelations depends not solely on the exercise of but principally on the exercise of Faith 'T is God who after an extraordinary manner has reveal'd his Will and therefore 't is on the Truth of his Testimony we must lean for the knowledge thereof that is we must Believe we must exercise Faith by the Exercise whereof we come to the knowledge of those things which we could not arrive unto meerly by the Exercise of our highest Reasonings and really God delights to try and exercise our Faith so that now especially since the Fall the Life and Heart of that Religion that is necessary to Salvation consists in the Exercise of Faith To be truly Religious and to be a sound Believer are expressions of one and the same import The Religion we are designed for and must now exercise if we will be saved is the Life of Faith which is a Life much higher than that of meer Reason for by Faith we know what by meer Reason we could never know If we consider the most momentous Points of our Religion we shall find that as they are adjusted to our own Capacities even so they are of Matters infinitely above us they are of Matters that are not within our view unto the knowledge of which we cannot come but by some special Revelation the certainty of which Revelations depend on the Veracity and Truth of God's Testimony and 't is our Faith alone by which we receive these Discoveries that are thus given us of God whence 't is said that the stronger our Faith is the more we glorifie God by believing the Truth of his Testimony And that we may thus glorifie God it hath pleased the Lord so to order the Revelations of his Mind and Will and so to dispose of things by his Providence as to pose our Reason and leave us in the dark at which time if we lean on the Veracity and Truth of Gods Testimony about the Doctrine and on his Wisdom and Righteousness about his Providence we discover the strength and firmness of our Faith to the Glory of God These things being so 't is manifest That the many profound Doctrines that are in Scripture and the many dark Providences that attend us do very much contribute to our living the more religiously i. e. to our walking the more by Faith to the saving the Soul This I conceive is one great End of the profoundness of the Doctrines of Religion and of the many difficulties in the Providences of God namely to raise us up to a Life above Sense and Reason even to the Life of Faith which is a high and a heavenly Life The more Difficulties that lie in the way of our Believing the more strong is the Faith that is exercised and the stronger our Faith the more God is glorified by us and the more is our Salvation furthered the which being so we have great reason to be abundantly quickned in our Thoughts If we consider the Nature of Faith we shall find that Mysterious Doctrines and Providences are very necessary for the engaging us to apply our selves to the Exercise of it 1. FAITH is the Evidence of things not seen Heb. 11.1 The Evidence not only of unseen future Glories but the Evidence of somewhat else not within the view of our Sence or Reason Faith doth evidence unto the Believer the Reality and Certainty of the Promises about Spiritual Blessings to be enjoyed in this Life and doth clearly shew unto him that these Blessings promised are real and shall most assuredly be enjoyed yea though there are in the eye of our Sence and our Natural Reasonings some Impossibilities between us and the inheriting the Promises yet even then Faith sees the Accomplishment not only possible but certain and sure By Faith we believe and receive those Truths which though clearly enough revealed yet are so much above our Capacity that we cannot otherwise embrace them By Faith we believe that the Promise shall be when we cannot see how it can be Thus was the Faith of Abraham exercis'd He believed when his Sight and Reason fail'd him Abraham was an hundred years old and as it were dead Sarah barren and now according to all Rules past Child-bearing notwithstanding all which the Promise being made that Sarah should bear a Son Abraham believes he could see how this could be by Faith though he could not see how it could be by his Reason According to his own Reasonings his Hopes were gone but being strong in Faith he staggered not at the Promise but had a hope above Hope being fully perswaded that what God had promised he was able also to perform Rom. 4. The like also when God commanded Abraham to offer up his Son his own his only Son Isaac whom he loved and of whom the Promise was for in Isaac shall thy Seed be called but nevertheless Abraham is commanded to kill him for a Sacrifice but here is the difficulty if Isaac be slain while so young as he then was even before he had any child how could the Promise be fulfilled Abraham must kill him and yet believe that he should live that he might be the Father of many Nations but how could this be Surely this transcended his Understanding but not his Faith for he believed That God was able to raise him from the dead therefore 't is said by Faith Abraham when he was tempted offered up Isaac accounting that God was able to raise him up from the dead Heb. 11.17 18 19. Time would fail to mention Jacob Joseph Moses David and many others who when surrounded with dark Dispensations by Believing gave Glory to God Then Faith is in a special manner acted and exercised when the Believer is compassed about with a cloud of difficulties when in the Doctrines that being plainly reveal'd are to be believed there is somewhat above our Reason and when in the Providences with which we meet there is somewhat very dark they seeming to thwart the doctrinal Discoveries that are made of the Will of God unto us then is the time to act Faith that is not Faith which does carry us no higher than our own scanty Reasonings To believe no more than we can comprehend with our own Reason is too low a thing to deserve the name of Faith Faith is a more noble and raised Grace by which a man believes when his Reason is at a Loss What is here said of Faith is a
He praies that the Lord would make his word effectual to cleanse and sanctifie them more and more He would have those who are given to him to be sanctified truly separated from Sin the World and carnal Self truly consecrated and appropriated to himself truly offer'd up and imploy'd for him as those who are wholly his and cannot without Sacriledge be converted to other ends and uses than those that are his 3. He prayes for perseverance that those who are given him may hold out and continue to the end in Faith and Holiness and Union with Him and the Father that they may not fall away to unbelief or profaneness nor be ever separated from him with whom they are once united ver 11. Holy Father keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me c. keep them in all dangers in all assaults in all tryals secure them from Sin from Satan from the World that they may be neither frighted nor enticed from me Through thine own name the name of God is that by which he is known as we are known by our names all those glorious perfections whereby he hath made known himself unto us his Power Wisdom Goodness Faithfulness Sovereignty Allsufficiency c. He would have all the infinite Excellencies and Perfections of God all by which he is called and known engaged for the security of his People that none of them may fall away and be lost Keep them by thy Power by thy Wisdom Goodness Sovereignty Allsufficiency c. Or if we take these words for an argument wherewith he urges this Petition it is of no less force Keep them for thine own names sake for the honour of thine own name so he engages the honour of God for the security of his people that none of them may fall away and that is the greatest the strongest engagement in the World and gives the best security that possibly can be The Lord will do more for his own Names sake than for all the works of his Hands than for all that is in Heaven and Earth besides His Honour is his Interest so that the Interest of God is thereby engaged to secure the Eternal concerns of his People Those men in the World that we are not secure of and can have no confidence in otherwise yet if their Interest do engage them for us we think our selves so far sure of them Interest amongst men is the strongest obligement if they understand it and have but so much respect to themselves as to be true to it Christ by his Prayer engages the Interest of his Father his Name his Honour for the security of his People that they may not fall away and be lost and if we acknowledge him to be God we cannot in the least suspect either that he knows not what his Interest is or that he will not be true to it When it is for his Names sake or his Honour to secure his people it shall certainly be done and this is that which Christ urges in this Petition 4. He prays for Glory ver 22 24. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them It is the Glory of Christ that he is the Son of God his only Son by Eternal Generation and Heir of all things Heb. 1.2 3. Joh. 1.14 Now such a Glory will Christ have for his people something like it though in a way below it he will have them to be Sons and Heirs of God Co-heirs with himself A wonderful Glory indeed and such a degree of it as could never have entred into the Heart of man to expect or believe if the Lord himself had not given assurance of it Rom. 8.17 And if Children then Heirs Heirs of God and joynt-Heirs with Christ All that are given him he will have to be adorn'd with his own title and be accounted and called Sons of God and all that are Sons he will have to be Heirs and joint-Heirs with himself not of some meaner part of his Fathers possession but even of his Kingdom Jam. 2.5 Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in Faith and Heirs of the Kingdom c. being Heirs they have hopes to inherit Tit. 3.7 They have a Title upon this account and so hope but Christ not satisfyed with this prays also that they may have possession ver 24. Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me that they may behold it so as to partake of it this sight will be the highest the happyest enjoyment it will be an enhappying a glorifying sight a sight that will make them who behold it happy perfectly so eternally so The sight of Christs Glory will make them glorious 1 Joh. 3.1 2. Beloved now we are the Sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is We are Sons that is a great Glory indeed but there is a Glory to come which is far greater so great that no expression can fully represent it to us or make it appear to be so much so great as indeed it is but this is the sum of it we shall be like him in Glory for we shall see how glorious he is The sight of our Glorious Redeemer will make us glorious like him When we are in the sight of that Glory wherewith he now shines at the right hand of the Throne of the Majesty on high to which the greatest brightness of the Sun is less than a spark we shall be adorned with his beams and so made glorious A hint hereof we have in what is recorded of Moses who when he was admitted to a nearer converse with God it is said his face shined Exod. 34.29 35. His face was horned as the word imports it appeared in such a form as the raies of the Sun appear to us his face sent forth beams like the Sun there was such a radiant Lustre such a Glory in his face as the weak eyes of mortals could not bear could not look on When we are where Christ is and see him in the brightness of his Glory which is that he prays for the sight of it will transform our Souls from Glory to Glory as the Apostles expression is in reference to that of Moses 2 Cor. 3.18 a Glory will be derived upon our Souls from his Glory and upon our bodies too that Glorious Vision will be a transforming sight and change vile Bodies so that they shall be fashioned like unto his own glorious Body Phil. 3.21 5. He prays for Vnion That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us This Union is a Mystery a great depth such as I was loath to venture on if it could have been avoided what my shallowness can say of it briefly I shall comprize in
by Impatience and he in his Wisdom and Love is resolved to bring us to his Foot Well! If we Comply before hand when we see the Storm approaching God's end is Attained and he either lay's down his Rod or Mitigateth the Chastizement yea he will e're long Embrace and Comfort broken and humble Ephraim Indeed this Frame superseed's Affliction for Judgment upon Saints are not to Destroy but Subdue them to their Fathers Will. And if we meet our angry Father in this Spirit he may Correct a little but he will certainly Comfort much 5. Lastly a resigned Soul meeteth God in the way of Judgments or Mercies to great advantage They are so far from doing him harm that they do good therefore it must needs be a blessed Preparation for either Physick never works so well as when the Body is antecedently prepared nor is any Person so certainly profited by Judgments or Mercies as he that is ready to entertain them I know God can do an unprepared Soul good by any Providence but I am sure none can come amiss to such as be prepared What then will prepare us to receive Chastizments Profitably The Apostle tells us Be Subject to the Father of Spirits and Live Heb. 12.9 Comply with his Will resign your selves to his Pleasure and what ever he doth will be a quickning in proving Providence Qu. What is the Nature of this Resignation to the Will of God for his Glory Or wherein doth it consist Ans I shall reply to this Quere by laying down something implyed in it and then speak to the Proper Nature thereof It implies many things I shall Instance only in a few for Brevity's sake 1. It supposeth a Lively exercise of Faith For as no Unbeliever ever did resign himself freely to the Will of God so no believer if Faith be not in Exercise can do it Yea it must be an active Faith will enable us to put our selves into the Hands of God especially in a Day of Affliction to deal with us according to his Pleasure I say that Soul must have a good Acquaintance with and a blessed Confidence in him whom he trusteth with his Life and All. Paul therefore tells us in case of Suffering he knew whom he had Trusted 2 Tim. 1.12 Therefore our Saviour here when he Referreth himself to God expresseth his Faith in that very Resignation Father Glorify c. He believed God to be his Father and that his Father loved him and now he is Satisfied that his Father dispose of him Psal 31.14 15. But I trusted in thee Lord I said thou art my God What then my times are in thy Hands q. d. 't is not only thy Perogative to dispose of me and my Days but I refer them Voluntarily to thee He put them into the hands of his God and trusted them with him There be many Perticulers that the Faith of a resigned Soul is Exercised in As That God is his God Faith must have Interest in him whom it Trusteth Isaac will Suffer his Father to Bind and Sacrifice him Why Abraham was his Father and God who had given the command for it was his God Gen. 22. And it believes that all the will of God is Good Good in it self and good for the resigned Soul A believer may know that there may be Pain and Affliction in Suffering according to the Fathers Pleasure but 't is withal assured 't is his good pleasure Heb. 12.10 And such a Soul believes that it 's God and Father is kind loving and tender that he will not oppress that he will not overwhelm He believes that God Glorifies not himself to the damage of his People but that his Glory and their Benifit are inseparably Linkt together Yea it is in Christ the Redeemer of the Soul putteth it self into the Fathers Hands and it expects Power and Strength from its God to bear the Sufferings and carry through them When Moses forsook Egypt and his Interest there and chose to Suffer Affliction with the People of God He did this in Faith Eying him who is Invisible Heb. 12.24 c. And David in the like case was well Satisfied in the good will of God to him 2 Sam. 15 25 26. Chap. 25. 5. 2. Consequently 't is an high act of Love He that loves his Heavenly Father will be disposed of by him but it must be above becoming the glorious Objection which it is fiâ—t Matt. 22.37 A Love that prefers his Will and Glory before all things else A Love in Comparison of which all other Love is hatred Luke 14.26 A Constraining love 2 Cor. 5.13 14. Abraham loved Isaac well why then did he offer him up at the Command of God O 't was because he loved God better This is the Love of God that we keep his Commandments and nine of his Commandments are greivous 1 Jo. 5.3 What no Command greivous Not Self-denial not bearing the Cross No! Those Commands are not greivous because the Soul loves God better then it self We have a great word Rev. 12.11 They loved not their Lives unto Death why because their love of Christ was stronger then Self-love Rev. 14.4 We Read of some that followed the Lamb where ever he went Into Tribulation of all sorts they followed the Lamb Why Love constrained them Christ therefore resigned himself into the Fathers hands for he loved his Father Love will lay the Soul at Gods Feet Love will follow and Obey the Fathers call in all things Love will keep stedfastly in the way of the Will of our beloved It argues little Love to Christ when we seek to evade Suffering for his Name by finding out Carnal Shifts He that loves the Father and Son is as to the main resolved into their Will 3. To come nearer to my Intendment This resignation of our Wills to the Pleasure of God for his Glory respect's Sufferings and Dutys Principally For there is no difficulty Ordinarily to comply with the good Will of God in Distributing Mercy and Favour But to have our Wills Resolved into his in case of difficult Duty and hard Sufferings which Cross our corrupt Nature and press upon our Pamper'd Flesh is a great Work far above the Sphear of an unregenerate Person and a special Effect of the Spirit of God in and upon the Hearts of Saints But because our Subject leads to consider the matter in case of Afflictions only I shall confine my Discourse thereto Only adding this by the way that where a Soul disputeth no Sufferings it Submits to all Dutys If it be resigned to the Will of the Lord in the one 't is Subjected to him in the other also 4. Therefore the Resignation I spake of consists in several things 1. In referring our selves to the Will of God in a Day of Tryal in the very things we fear Our Lord Jesus dreaded nothing like this Hour that was coming upon him It troubled and amazed his very Soul v. 27. gladly would he be saved from it had it been
the true Religion Though I am far from so loose and extravagant a Charity as to judge that Men may be saved in any Religion whatever if they do but live suitably to the Principles and Rules of that Religion when there are so many false so many Idolatrous ones so many which deny fundamental truths or maintain damnable errors Yet on the other side I am not so uncharitable as to confine true religiousness and consequently final Salvation to any particular sect or sort or party of Men professing Christianity to the exclusion of all that dissent from them True Religion is more affection and Practice than Doctrine or Nation and is seated more in the heart than in the head Men may be really gracious and so in truth religious in Gods account who yet differ in some things from others who are no less truly religious too There is indeed but one true Religion in the World but in that we must distinguish between principles and conclusions and those either nearer or more remote between fundamentals and superstructures and those either which touch the foundation or are farther from it between substance and circumstances things necessary or not necessary to the being or to the well being of Religion In some things they that are wise and godly may differ without prejudice to the Salvation of either Every truth is not necessary to Salvation nor is every error de facto Damning All Mens Light is not alike cleer nor are all Mens Minds equally enlightened some see more than others and some more clearly nor is every degree of Light which shall be for the perfection of Saints hereafter necessary while they are here in order to their Salvation There may be the unity of Faith in the main and of Love too where yet there is some disagrement about some things believed It is confessed that there is but one way of Salvation that of Faith and Holiness from which whatever by-paths of error leads Men aside they do at the same time carry them off from the end of Faith the Salvation of their Souls whatever is inconsistent with either Faith or Holiness is inconsistent likewise with Salvation But every difference or mistake about such truths as are not necessarily saving must not presently be looked upon as a false way or an error certainly Damning The way to Life is called the narrow way but is it therefore indivisible Is there no Latitude in it may not Two or Three or Four or Five go abrest in it Must all go in the self-same Track or Path May not several Paths be in the same great Road or run along by the side of it and lead to the same place which if sometimes they decline a little from the Road yet before the end fall in again with it and for the main are parallel to it It is as certain that truth is simplex error is multiformis truth is but one and error is various and whatever in the least deflects from truth must be a degree of error as it is that there can be but one perfectly strait Line between any two Points But may not a Line that divaricates a little from the strait one and is so far crooked run in again to it Doth any Saint on Earth attain to the whole of truth without any mistake so much as in lesser things Doth any keep exactly to the strait Line so as never to take a crooked step never in any thing to go off from it Some indeed may miss it in fewer things some in more and yet both keeping to what is necessary hit it in the main Some may go to Heaven more directly and with fewer wandrings when others may go farther aside and fetch a greater compass and yet at last arrive at it 2. Positively by Religious I understand those 1. Who as to the Doctrine of Christianity hold the head Col. 2.19 keep to that only foundation which God hath laid the Lord Jesus Christ though perhaps they may build some things on it which are not suitable to it Wood Hay Stubble 1 Cor. 3.12 such whose works shall be burnt yet themselves saved though with difficulty and as by Fire verse 15. such I mean therefore as own so much truth as is necessary to the Life of Faith and Power of Godliness and maintain no error which is inconsistent with either 2. Those who as to the Practice of Christianity fear God and work righteousness Acts 10.35 they that not only believe in Christ but live in obedience to him not only have received Christ Jesus the Lord but walk in him Col. 2.6 All true Religion consists in Faith and Holiness it is nothing else but a glorifying God by believing and obeying a seeking Salvation in that way and method in which alone God hath determined to bring Men to it i. e. through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth 2 Thes 2.13 whoever therefore they are that do unfeignedly believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and live up to that Faith are truly Religious though in some lesser things they may dissent from others who have the same Faith and practice the same Holiness So that from being thus religious I exclude not only Atheists that have no Religion Idolaters damnable Hereticks and all those whose principles are inconsistent with or repugnant to the truth of the Gospel so are of a false Religion but even among those that profess the truth I exclude 1. Those that are grosly ignorant know not the first principles of Christianity understand not what they own and pretend to believe 2. Those that are profane scandalous vitious livers despisers of them that are good persecutors of powerful godliness These are not real Saints but a prophane generation the Seed of the Serpent not of God 3. Hypocrites masked professors that make a shew of Religion to serve a carnal interest that have a form of godliness but deny the power of it 2 Tim. 3.5 have unsound hearts though under never so smooth faces In a word all those that are destitute of true Faith and real Holiness that allow themselves in any way of known sins whether more often as the second sort or more secret and close as these last 2. How or in what respects the religious of a Nation are the strength of it In order to the stating of this I shall premise one distinction The Holy Seed or religious in a Nation may be considered either 1. As being actually in the World and actually in a state of Grace brought into Christs Fold engaged in Gods ways effectually called and sanctified 2. Or as being in the World but not yet converted though in Gods time to be converted elect unbelievers He that is a sinner at present may be a Saint in time a Publican may come to be an Apostle nay a persecutor of the Saints may be called to preach that Faith which once he destroyed Gal. 1.23 They that are Christs Sheep by election may in time nay certainly
House of Jacob is a Fire and the House of Joseph a Flame and the House of Esau as Stubble Obad. 1.18 God takes notice of the least Injuries done to his Children by their Enemies nay of their very Omissions and Neglects Deut. 23.3 4. The Moabite and the Ammonite were not to enter into the Congregation of the Lord to the Tenth Generation because they met not the Children of Israel with Bread and with Water when they came out of Aegypt and what then will become of them that grudg Gods Children Bread that robs them of their Spiritual Bread and Water of Life would take from them the Allowance their Father hath given them and so would starve their very Souls 3. Whoever shew'd Kindness to the Godly in vain A Cup of Cold Water given to a Disciple in the name of a Disciple or because he belongs to Christ shall not wants its Reward Christ takes the least Respect shewn them as done to himself Visiting the Prisoners Clothing the Naked Releiving the Poor are acceptable Offices and usually followed with some Blessing even in this Life And I wonder wherein are they that this Day Persecute Gods Children the worse for them or for any Countenance they have shewn them Nor are they ever like to be if it be not their own fault by stirring up Gods Jealousie and pulling down his Vengeance upon their own Heads Were but Truth effectually beleived what an alteration would it make upon the Spirits of Men How would those that are at present so unkind to the truly Religious become their Friends and Favourers And the Governours of Judah would say in their Hearts the Inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my Strength in the Lord of Hosts their God Zech. 12.5 Quest Whether it be expedient and how the Congregation may say Amen in publick Worship SERMON XXXI The Text is Neh. 8.6 And Ezra Blessed the Lord the great God and all the â—â—ople answered Amen Amen OMnipotent and Eternal goodness never wants Instruments to deliver his Church from slavery or reform it from degeneracy All the Empires and Emperors in the World have served the Kingdom of God and been as Scaffolds set up about the House of God to be taken down when that is built up and finished They have been as Gibeonites and Nethamins to the Temple of the Lord. The Assyrian was Gods Rod upon Israels Back Persian was here Gods Shepherd whose Spirit was stirred up to raise up the Jews Alexander was a Servant and the Romans have been but Gods slaves to do his Will against their own The State of the Church at this juncture was the end of a desolation or beginning of a reformation The Jews had weathered out Seventy Years in Captivity wherein multitudes of them were wore off a Remnant being left God raised up Cyrus and moved him to set them free from Babylon according to the Prophesie of Isa 45.1 Two Hundred and Ten Years before Many of the People through lazy worldliness or despondency chose rather still to lie among the Pots in Caldea than return to Jerusalem to build their City and Temple though Cyrus gave them not only liberty by Proclamations but Accommodations for the Work But God raised up the Spirit of Zerobabel Joshuah Nehemiah and Ezra to carry it on This Ezra was a great Man of God one of the great Synagogue a Prophet a Scribe a Priest Some will have it that as Jehoiakim cut and burnt the roll Jer. 36.23 So the Caldeans burned all the Books of the Law and so Ezra restored them as a Prophet by Revelation or his Memory but this is false for Daniel 9.2 understood by Books the expiration of the Seventy Years and Cyrus himself read the Prophesie of Isaiah for Ezra 1.2 he says the Lord charged him to build his House at Jerusalem But he was a Prophet as he was directed by Gods Spirit to compose this History of his and a perfect Scribe living to Malachi's time he wrote the complete Old Testament and made a perfect Copy But here he Officiates as a Priest the Son of Seraiah Ezra 7.1 from Phineas Eleazar and Aaron to serve the Lord. When they had neither Temple nor Tabernacle they set up the worship of the God of Heaven in theopen Heaven which was neither Typical nor Topical but Natural and Evangelical Worship Upon the First Day of the Seventh Month in a Pulpit in the Street the People meeting as one Man Ezra 3.1 he read the Law of God and that distinctly giving the Sence of it verse 8. from Morning to Noon and all the Congregation stood attentively and at Noon probably he Dismissed them with a Blessing according to Numb 6.23 Gods command Bâ—â—â—re at the opening the Book Praying to God and praising him for his good hand over them and his good word before them he Blessed the Lord ere he Blessed the People and Ezra Blessed c. In which words there is 1. The Priests or Ministers Office Blessing And 2. The Peoples Office and all the People answered Amen Amen 3. The great God in the midst of this great Congregation the Object of the Priests Office and the Peoples also whence this Doct. That it is a lawful and laudable Practice for People in the conclusion of publick Prayer or Praysing God to pronounce an Amen This will answer the Question which is whether it be expedient and how the Congregation may say Amen in publick Worship 1. I will explain what is meant by Amen 2. Shew what warrant there is for the Practice 3. Deduce some inference from all 1. Then there is Amen Substantive and that is God himself who is what he is Alpha and Omega Truth it self Isa 65.16 he that blesseth himself in the Earth shall bless himself in the God Amen or of Truth Jesus Christ is God and the Amen the faithful and true Witness Rev. 3.14 he is that God in whom we may bless our selves his Being is of himself as God and he gives being to his Word 2 Cor. 1.20 all the promises of God being in him yeâ— and Amen whether Hebrew or Greek Old Testament or New Promises in him they are compleated and by him they are fulfilled 2. There is Amen Affirmative a Phrase used in the beginning of any momentous Truth as an asseveration what is Amen Matth. 16.28 Luke 9.27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or verily Our Saviour hath this Phrsae peculiar to himself Amen Amen to give confirmation to the Doctrine and to raise our Attention and Faith or to show that not only Truth is spoken but by him who is Truth it self 3. There is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Optative Amen which is as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let it be so Blessed be God by us and Blessed be we of the Lord or as Jer. 28.6 It is expounded Amen the Lord do so the Lord perform the words which thou hast spoken This Amen was used to be set to when good was spoken as 1 Kings 1.36 when David
commanded Solomon to be made King Benaiah said Amen the Lord do so Or when in Imprecations of evil as Numb 5.22 the Woman tried by the Water of Jealousie which sprinkled on the Curse it blotted out the Curse if she was Innocent if Guilty her Thigh presently rotted she was to say Amen Amen let it be so if I be Guilty and let it be so if I be Innocent So at the end of the Curses Deut. 27.10 and all the People shall say Amen they are loath to have the Curse come therefore they are commanded there to say Amen but they need no command to Seal the Blessings with Amen all are apt enough to Beleive and Wish them But here is a double Amen which hath the greater Emphasis and requires greater Attention and Intention of mind as Neh. 9.5 Bless the Lord your God for ever and ever and Blessed be his Glorious Name which is exalted above all Blessings and Praise Ever and Ever is answered by Amen Amen or let it be ratified in Heaven so on Earth And the Jews say that he that pronounceth this Amen as he ought is greater than he that Blesseth in the Name of the Lord he that pronounceth this Amen with all his might the Gates of Heaven flie open to him But there are Three evil Amens they call the 1. Abbreviated in the first Sillable or Letter and whoever so pronounceth it as to hasten his Amen his Days shall be soon passed 2. There is Amen cut off in the last Sillable suppressed 3. There is the Pupillar or Orphan Amen when it is pronounced at random impertinently and unseasonably without Understanding Prayer or Praise foregoing and so there is no Father to beget Devotion in them and so 't is an Orphan Amen and his Children shall be Fatherless that pronounceth such a lifeless Word and a Fatherless Amen But he that with knowledg and fervour pronounceth this Amen his Days shall be prolonged upon Earth as Buxtorff relates 2. Now I am to give you some considerations and arguments for the use of this Amen and the manner of it and they are Seven 1. It is lawful and laudable publickly to use it because it is connatural to Prayer and Praise I do not lay the lawfulness of it upon a Persian decree or a positive Injunction set on things no ways connatural to the Action for that is forced Meat and turns a Mans Stomack and his Conscience There is no need for a Rubrick by the Men of the great Synagogue or a Canon to command a Man to blush when it is only the natural passion that will command it So when the heart is warm in Prayer with serious and earnest affections a double Amen doth as naturally flow from us as Milk from a Mothers Breast to her Suckling and Amen comes from Amen which signifies to Nurse as if it were if not the Mother yet the faithful Nurse of lively Devotion Assent to Repetitions is essential unto Prayer and it is not signified publickly but by our Amen Not that we are obliged to speak it always and with a loud Voice quantis arteriis opus est si pro sono audiamur Tert. what Lungs had we need to have if God hear us for our loudness But when the heart is affected we see here how the People stood up and lift up their hands to Heaven naturally signifying they would lift the Name of God with all their might but they cast down themselves bowing down their Heads and worshipping the Lord with their Faces to the ground who can hold his Breath from a groan or sigh when matter and affection meet together The Israelites here could not withhold their hands nor Hannah hold still her Eyes when earnest in Temple Prayer nor can a zealous heart hold the Tongue from moving to an Amen at the end of Prayer and Praise There is no Child of God that can say our Father but lower or louder he must and will say Amen The Jews in time of Incense called themselves mutes in deep silent Prayer when they praised God on Instruments Semivocates but when in open Prayer and Praises then they were Vocates in their Amens 2. We have the practise of the Old and New Testament Beleivers for our example In Moses you had it in Numbers and Deuteronomy and David oft useth it in the Psalms yea this double Amen Psal 41.13 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting Amen and Amen God was Israels God accepting their Praises hearing Prayers fulfilling promises and this for Ever and Ever and be it Eternally ratified Amen and Amen to all Generations Psal 106.48 the same words are repeated with this exhortation let all the People say Amen Hallelujah And they had the same Praises and Petitions to offer therefore the same conclusion is suitable So the Prophet Jeremiah speaking of Gods Oath to give Canaan to the Jews says Oh Lord Amen or be it so Jer. 11.5 so Paul 1 Cor. 14.16 how can the Idiot the private Man who knows only his own private single Language say Amen to Prayer or Praise in another Tongue which not only imports the custom but the manner of saying Amcn to be with Faith and Understanding Eph. 3.21 to him be Glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all Ages World without end Amen Yea Jesus Christ a greater than Moses Prophets and Apostles adds this conclusion to his perfect form of Petitions in Matth. 6. so in his Book of Revelations chap. 5 14. the Four Beasts and Four and Twenty Elders who represented tho whole Church of Jews and Gentiles together cry Amen Yea that innumerable Company of those Triumphing Souls who had white Robes and Palms in their Hands as Victors over Temptations with the Elders and Angels fell on their Faces and worshipped God saying Amen Blessing and Glory and Honour and Wisdom and Thanksgiving and Power and Might be unto our God for Ever and Ever Amen Rev. 7.12 So at the fall of Babylon as the Voice of many Thunders and Waters the Church cries Amen Hallelujah The Lord God Omnipotent Reigneth and hath Avenged the Blood of his Servants Rev. 19.4 Yea it lasts unto the mariage of the Lamb Rev. 22.20 still when the Bridegroom comes the Church cries Amen come Lord Jesus come quickly 3. Amen after Prayer and Praise is the Mans consent judgment and approbation of what is offered unto God it is the setting to of our Seal to all and our putting our Hands to bear a part in the Praises and to have a share in the Petitions It imports the desire of our Soul which is the formality of Prayer now all these are essential to these Duties and the pronunciation is but the publication of our reward Sense which is very significant in publick Worship Hearing is but the formal Sense in conceiving the Petitions but Speech brings them forth and is a more open profession and a more Masculine expression of Devotion Lamen 3.41 let us lift up our hearts
with our hands to God in the Heavens When the heart is intensly elevated to God it carries the Hands and the Voice along with it it Acts all the Body from the Center as Tertullian Phraseth it bona conscientia eructat ad superficiem he lifts up his Soul Psal 143.8 and Body too to God as they lifted up the Mincah or Heav-Offering and waved it before the Lord the Soul will work the body into Simpathy when it is earnest indeed that which made the Veins of the Body to open their Mouths in drops of Blood as Christ his Prayer in his Agony did Luke 22.44 will certainly make us open our Lips Out of the abundance of the Heart the Mouth speaks Luke 6.46 4. This Vocal Amen is as it were the Epitome and summ of all our Petitions and Praises to God 't is the Center which all those Lines are drawn towards It is all the Duty vertually reduced to one word and point Yea it is the repeating and ecchoing or redoubling of all over again As the Mercury behind the Glass it reverterates the lively Image of all preceding Devotion It is a drawing the Arrow to the Pile by a strong ejaculation qua toto corde deum petimus in Bellarmines Phrase whereby the whole heart is darted up to God It is a stirring up our selves to take hold of God Isa 64.7 It is taking aim and directing our Prayer to him and looking up Psal 5.3 as if they would hand up Gods Praises to him and stand ready to receive his Mercies with open Hands and Mouths It winds up all together in one bundle many are willing to have God forgive their trespasses but cannot so readily forgive others we may be free for God to give us daily Bounty and Bread but cannot make it as Meat and Drink to do his Will Men will easily accept of Gods kindness not so roundly pay their tribute of Praises Such cannot roundly Pray nor say Amen Ah Lord and Amen are two long Prayers in few words managed by the whole Soul and thus it is an Amen with an Hallelujah when we seek God with all our hearts then we find him Jer. 29.13 5. Amen rightly pronounced is an intense Act of Faith or it involves a strong Faith The Hebrew Verb in Niphat signifies to be firm stable and strong and in Hiphil it signifies to beleive and trust and indeed we cannot beleive or trust to any thing but that which is stable invariable and immutable So that there are two Declarations made by this Amen 1. That God is firm and immutably true in himself and his word 2. That we will not only beleive his Truth but trust to his veracity and build upon it as the Prophet doth both Jer. 11.5 this is a laying hold on Gods Strength Isa 27.5 as we see Abraham Gen. 15.6 he beleived God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vehermen Gods Truth is beleived his veracity trusted to Israel twisted about both these as Abraham did he wrestled with God and prevailed The Jews say Amen habet tres nucleos hath Three Kernels the one is of an Oath the Second of Faith the Third of Confidence as Bunto says on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When we have confessed our Sins we do by our Amen say all is true and we have deserved Gods displeasure we beg pardon of them and so beleive God hath promised Pardon to the Penitent we trust our selves with God in Christ and beleive that he will Pardon our Sins as all others that cast themselves upon his promised Grace 6. The unanimous pronunciation of Amen is an assurance that God will accept our Praises and answer our Prayers So as the Soul comes off with Luther's Vicimus we have prevailed Mark 11.24 what things soever ye desire when you Pray beleive that ye receive them and ye shall have them nay 1 John 5.15 If we know that he heareth us whatsoever we ask we know that we have the Petitions we desired of him We ought to beleive we shall have them either in kind or value and infinite Wisdom and Goodness must be Judge in that Case alone Matth. 18.19 if two of you agree on Earth as touching any thing that they shall ask it shall be done for them of my Father which is in Heaven If any single Soul Pray in Faith it shall be heard much more if two have a Symphony as the word imports they shall be answered how much more when the whole Congregation is in Harmony and unanimously cries Amen when the whole Congregation meets as one Man Ezra 3.1 and the multitude of Beleivers are of one Heart and Soul Acts 4.32 God will say Amen to such Amens They are as it were a bath col the Eccho and Voice of God from the Mercy-Seat Sanctorum vota sunt oracula Gods Spirit stirs up such Prayers and they shall not be denied The Soul like Luther says fiat voluntas mea as Men make their Wills in the Name of God Amen it shall be thus for once let my Will Oh Lord be done Heavens Gate is open to this united Knock. 7. And lastly This unanimous Amen of Faith strikes terror on the Enemies of the Church whether Devils or Men. When the Romans had Conquered Philip and the Grecians and Flaminius caused Peace to be proclaimed to the Grecians there was such a Shout says Plutarch that the very Crows and other Birds fell down to the ground the Air was so rent and shaken And when the Church of God Terrible as an Army with Banners gives her unanimous Voices of Amens not only Satan falls like lightning from Heaven Luke 10.18 but Simon Magus by Peters Prayer is fetch'd down when he attempted to flie in the Air as if he had been the Holy Dove and Power of God as Ecclesiastical Story relates And Socrates tells us that upon Theodosius his Prayers and his Armies the Barbarians Captain was smitten with a Thunderbolt and his Soldiers by Fire As the Turks Mined the Eastern Empire of the Romans by Fire Smoke and Brimston i e. by Guns and Gun-powder Rev. 9.17 when the Church is united in hearty Amens it is like the Shout that the Israelites gave when God and his Ark came into the Camp which was such a great sound that the Earth rang 1 Sam. 4.5 for then God is gone up with a Shout Psal 47.5 to answer the Prayers made for the Salvation of his People This makes the hearts of their Enemies to melt and tremble as the Philistins did As Hierom expresseth it the hollow Idols and their Temples that were empty did Eccho and Rebound the Churches Amens so as their Fabricks shaked Thus when the Shophar lovely Trumpet sounded the Seventh time upon the Seventh day Josh 6.20 the Walls of Jerico fell and so shall the Gates and Walls of Babylon by the Preaching of the Gospel on the Lords Days and the Prayers of the Saints The united Breath of Gods People sends a blast upon their Enemies the Trumpet blew and the
them with acting out of Fancy or humour or any thing but a fixed and stable Principle Besides what hath been spoken by way of Direction in answer to the Question some further Improvment of this Doctrine may be made Vse 2 1. By way of Information If true Christians may give an account of their Christianity 1. They then are no true Believers no true Christians of whose Religion no good account can be given either how they came by it or whereon it is grounded 1. How they came by it when they pretend to be Saints but cannot in the least tell how they came to be Saints have found no real change in themselves are the same they have alwayes been they have they think loved God and believed in Christ and had hopes of Heaven ever since they can remember but know not how any of these things were wrought in them or by what means such a Faith I dare say is but a Fancy and so is their Hope and their Love and whatever Grace they pretend to 2. Whereon it is grounded 1. When their Faith is not rightly grounded it is no better than a Fancy When it is built on the Authority of a Church or the Traditions of men and not on the Word of God or on the Word misunderstood or misapplied or divided or maimed when they believe Promises without respect to Commands believe Christ is their Saviour and yet never receive him to be their Lord believe they shall See God though they be not pure in Heart follow not after Holiness and such indeed is the Faith and Hope of Prophane Worldlings and whoever live in Contradiction to Gods Commands and yet expect the benefit of his Promises 2. When their Practice is not rightly grounded it is no better than Folly how fair soever and plausible it may seem When men set up a Religion meerly of mans devising contrive new wayes of Worshipping God which he himself never appointed and so indeed impose upon him and prescribe to him what they think must certainly please him This is unreasonable for men to think that their Inventions or others Traditions can be more acceptable to God than his own Institutions that Sacrifice can go further than Obedience would have done They would themselves be served according to their own minds and not their Servants pleasure and why should not God They would not have their Commands neglected that their Servants Will might be performed and how foolish is it then to adhere to their own Inventions though with the slighting of Gods Institutions and yet how few be there that are so addicted to Humane Observances but they are careless of Gods Appointments Gods Commands being the Great and only Warrantable reason of all Divine Worship whatever Worship is uncommanded cannot be but unreasonable 2. How great is their sin that Question nay Deride the Grace that is in Believers as not being a real thing count the most Serious powerfull Godliness to be no better than Humour of Fancy All the Religion they own consists but in a few outward Forms or some moral Actions and whatever is above this they look upon as not real and so they leave us a Lamentably empty Religion when they condemn our Faith as Fancy our Practice as Folly and casheer all our Comforts as meer Delusions This usually proceeds either 1. From the Atheism and Infidelity of such mens Hearts some Question all Religion and so the true Religion among the rest they are themselves for none and therefore Quarrel with all they think all Religion is but Fancy or Policy and so the Christian Religion too They do not really believe the Grounds of Christianity and therefore laugh at them that do 2. Or from Pride and Conceitedness of their own Wisdom and Reason they magnifie their own Notions are in love with their own Wisdom and so contemn all else like the Athenians Acts. 17.18.32 that laugh'd when they heard of Jesus and the Resurrection The high Opinion they have of their Reason makes them deny the reality of Faith what they cannot themselves comprehend they will not believe nor allow others to do it they will scarce allow of any thing between Demonstration and Fancy and this makes them Innovate so much in Religion and Scoff at the Faith by which they should be Saved 3. Or from Ignorance of Spiritual things and their not Experiencing the Power of Grace in their own Hearts They will believe nothing in Religion but what they have themselves felt They never found the Light of Divine Truths shining into their dark Minds and overcoming their Carnal Reason nor the Power of Grace renewing their Wills and subjecting them to Gods Will breaking the force of their sinfull Inclinations mortifying their Lusts regulating their Affections changing the habitual temper and disposition of their Spirits nor the Efficacy of Faith in the Purification of their Hearts their resting upon the Promises cleaving to Christ and fetching in supplies of the Spirit from him nor the Love of God shed abroad in their Hearts enlarging them in Duties quickning them in his wayes supporting them under Burthens strengthning them against Temptations and comforting them under Afflictions and therefore they Question all these things and take them to be nothing else but canting Phrases and unaccountable Fancies A man that never was at Rome or Constantinople might at the same rate deny there ever were such places one that never tasted Honey might deny it to be sweet or a blind man laugh at Colours because he never saw them though contrary to the Experience of thousands that had with as much reason as they who live meerly by Sense and never Experienced any better pleasures deny a higher Principle by which Believers are acted and more Spiritual Comforts which they enjoy Vse 2 Of Exhortotion 1. Labour to Experience the reality of your Religion in your selves So live as that you may not be deceived and may know that you are not So act Grace as that you may feel it working and from thence conclude the Principle to be in you and may tast the sweetness of the comforts it brings with it Labour to be fully satisfied that you do not live by Fancy and act by Fancy think you believe and hope when you do not that Grace in you is as real a Principle as Reason is 1. This becomes you as reasonable Creatures as such you should know the reason of your own Actings upon what Grounds you do what you do and believe what you believe You would think a man very weak and foolish in the concernments of this present Life that could give himself no account of his own Actions or expectations should have high hopes of great things but not tell why he entertained them How unreasonable then is it for a man to hope for greater things in the other Life to engage in a Religious Course be diligent in Duties deny himself as to his Worldly Interest and yet not know why he doth so 2. It
and strengthen the Hands and confirm the Faith of your fellow Saints when they see that you believe as they believe and hope as they hope and Practise as they Practise that they are not alone nor singular in what they do Though a true Believer ought to hold on constantly in the way of Faith and Holiness notwithstanding the opposition of all the World against him yet it may be no small Encouragement to him to find others of the same mind Acting at the same rate and upon the same Grounds Quest How God is his Peoples great Reward SERMON III. GEN. XV. 1. I am thy Shield and thy exceeding Great Reward ABraham is called the Friend of God Jam. 2.23 The Lord spake with him familiarly Gen. 17.22 he was made of Gods Privy Council Gen. 18.17 And in the Text The Word of the Lord came to him in a Vision Representations of things in a Vision differ from Revelations by Dreams a Gen. 31.11 And what was the word that came to this holy Patriarch in a Vision I am thy Shield and thy exceeding great Reward Words too great for any Man or Angel fully to expound Both the Hebrew and Greek carry the Phrase very high b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am thy superabundant very exceeding much râ—ward c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Text is a Climax it riseth as the Waters of the Sanctuary higher I am thy Reward thy great Reward d Mâ—rcâ—s tua manna nimis Grotius thy exceeding great Reward There are four things here to be spoken to 1. That nothing besides God can be the Saints Reward 2. How God is their Reward 3. How God comes to be their Reward 4. Wherein the exceeding Greatness of this Reward consists 1. That nothing besides God can be the Saints Reward 1. Nothing on Earth can be their Reward The glistering of the World dazles mens eyes but like the Apples of Sodom it doth not so much delight as delude The World is res Nihili guilded emptiness e Prov. 23.5 The World is made Circular the Heart in the figure of a Triangle a Circle cannot fill a Triangle The World is enough to busie us not to fill us f Fumus Ventus sunt omnia mundana Aug. Tom. 9. Job 20.22 In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits It seems a Riddle to have sufficiency yet not have enough The meaning is when he enjoyes most of the Creature yet aliquid deest there is something wanting When King Solomon had put all the Creatures into a Limbeck and went to extract and still out the Spirits * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they turned to Froth Eccles 1.2 All is Vanity God never intended we should dig Happiness out of the Earth which he hath cursed 2. Heaven it self is not a Saints Reward Psalm 73.25 Whom have I in Heaven but thee There are Angels and Arch-angels †Ibi sunt angeli archangeli Musc saith Musculus I but though these are for a Saints comfort yet not properly for his Reward Communion with Seraphims is excellent yet can no more make a Saints Reward than the light of the Stars can make day Quest 2. How is God his peoples Reward Answ In bestowing Himself upon them f Non tantum sua sed se nobis impâ—rtit The Great Blessing of the Covenant is I am thy God The Lord told Abraham Kings should come out of his loyns and he would give the Land of Canaan to him and his Seed Gen. 17. but all this did not amount to Blessedness That which made up the Portion was Vers 8. I will be their God God will not only see that the Saints shall be rewarded but his own self will be their Reward a King may reward his Subjects with Gratuities but he bestowes himself upon his Queen God saith to every Believer as he did to Aaron Num. 18.20 I am thy part and thy Inheritance and as the King of Israel said to Benhadad 2 Kings 20.4 I am thine and all that I have Abraham sent away the Sons of the Concubines with a few Gifts but he settled the Inheritance upon Isaac Gen. 25.5 God sends away the Wicked with Riches and Honour but makes over himself to his people they have not only the Gift but the Giver And what can be more As Micah said Judg. 18.24 What have I more So what hath God more to give than Himself what greater Dowry than Deity God is not only the Saints Rewarder but their Reward g Merces idem valet quod haereditas Calvin Job 22.25 The Almighty shall be thy Gâ—d So much the Hebrew word imports h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aurum lectissimum Junius Buxtorf k Perperam impiè delirarunt qui complementum Dei Eph. 3.19 interpretati sunt plenam divinitatem quasi homines fiant Deo aequales Calv. The summe of all is The Saints Portion lies in God Psal 16.5 The Lord is the portion of mine Inheritance and of my Cup i Notant Grammatici Rectionem Plurium Synonymorum auxesim denotare Q. But how doth God give himself to his people is not his Essence incommunicable A. True the Saints cannot partake of Gods very Essence an Error of Montanus and the Familists The Riches of the Deity are too great to be received in specie But the Saints shall have all in God that may be for their Comfort they shall partake so much of Gods Likeness l 1 Joh. 3.2 his Love m John 17.26 his Influence and the Irradiations of his Glory n Joh. 17.22 as doth astonish and fill the Vessels of Mercy that they run over with Joy Quest 3. How God comes to be his Peoples Reward Answ Through Jesus Christ his Blood being Sanguis Dei the blood of God Act. 20.28 hath merited this glorious Reward for them Though in respect of Free Grace this Reward is a Donative yet in respect of Christs Blood it is a Purchase Eph. 1.14 How precious should Christ be to us Had not he died the portion had never come into our hands 4. Wherein the exceeding greatness of this Reward consists Quest 1. God is Merces ampla a satisfying Reward o Perfectionem omnium honorum in se uno comprehendit Rivet Gen. 17.1 Answ 1 I am God Almighty The word for Almighty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies him that hath Sufficiency God is a whole Ocean of Blessedness which while the Soul is bathing in it cries out in a Divine extasie I have enough Here is Fulness but no Surfeit Psal 17.15 When I awake I shall be satisfied with thy likeness p Spiritualem vult Foelicitatem quando Facit ad Faciem se nobis fruendum exhibeat Deui. Calvin When I awake out of the sleep of death having my Soul embelished with the Illustrious Beams of thy Glory I shall be satisfied In God there is not only Sufficiency but Redundancy not only Plenitudo
Conscience is seen in the gladness of the Countenance Let the Birds of Paradise sing for joy Shall a Carnal man rejoyce whose hopes lean on earthly Crutches and shall not he rejoyce whose Treasure is laid up in Heaven Be Serious yet Chearful A dejected Melancholy temper as it unfits for Duty especially Praising God so it disparageth Heaven will others think God is such a great Reward when they see Christians hang the wing and go drooping in Religion 'T is a sin as well not to rejoyce as not to repent But how can I be chearful I am reduced to great Straits Object Let God take away what he will from thee Answ he will at last give thee that which is better As Pharaoh said Gen. 45.20 Regard not your Stuff for the good of all the Land of Egypt is yours So I say Regard not your Stuff be not too much troubled at the diminution of these earthly things for the good of all the Land of Heaven is yours In the Fields of Sicily there is a continual Spring and Flowers all the Year long an Emblem of the Jerusalem above where are Flowers of Joy alwayes growing There you shall tread upon Stars be Fellow-commoners with Angels and have Communion with the blessed Trinity Let the Saints then be glad in the Lord in God are Treasures that can never be emptied and Pleasures that can never be ended If God be an exceeding great Reward let such as have hope in Branch 6 him long for Possession Though it should not be irksom to us to stay here to do Service yet we should have an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an holy longing till the Portion comes into our hand l Veni Domine Jesu ut ad te veniam veni dulcedo mea emancipato Animam hanc ut te Marito suo fruaatur Roll. This is a temper becoming a Christian content to live desirous to dye Phil. 1.23.25 Doth not the Bride desire the day of Espousals m In Visione Dei ut primi veri amore Dei ut summi boni consistit Corona Aug. Rev. 22.17 Did we but seriously consider our Condition here We are compassed with a body of Sin we cannot pray without wandring we cannot believe without doubting should not this make us desire to have our Pass to be gone Let us think how happy those Saints above are who are solacing themselves in God while we live far from Court they alwaies behold the smiling face of God while we drink Wormwood they swim in Honey while we are perplexed between Hope and Fear they know their Names are enrolled in the Book of Life while we are tossed upon the unquiet Waves they are gotten to the Haven Did we but know what a Reward God is and what the joy of our Lord means we should need Patience to be content to stay here any longer Let such as have God for their exceeding great Reward be living Organs Branch 7 of Gods praise n Gratias agere possumus referre non possumus Aug. Psal 118.28 Thou art my God and I will praise thee Themistocles thought he was well required by the Graecians for his Valour when they took such notice of him in the Olympicks saying This is Themistocles God counts it Requital enough for all his Love when we are grateful and present him with our Thank-Offering and well may we stand upon Mount Gerizim Blessing and Praising if we consider the Greatness of this Reward that we should be made Heirs of God and that this surpassing Reward is not a Debt but a Legacy and that when many are passed by the Lot of free Grace should fall upon us let this make us ascribe Praise unto the Lord. It is called the Garment of Praise Isa 61.3 The Saints never look so comely as in this Garment Praise is the Work of Heaven Such as shall have Angels Reward should do Angels work The word Praise comes from an Hebrew Râ—dix that signifies to shoot up p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Godly should send up their Praises as a Volley of shot towards Heaven shall you live with God and partake of his Fulness in Glory break forth into Doxologies and Triumphs long for that time when you shall join in Consort with the Angels those Quiristers of Heaven in sounding forth Hallelujah's to the King of Glory Such as are Monuments of Mercy should be Patterns of Thankfulness 3Vse Consolation Will God himself be his Peoples Reward this may be as Bezar-stone to revive and Comfort them 1. In Case of losses they have lost their Livings and Promotions for Conscience sake but as long as God lives their Reward is not lost Heb. 10.34 I cannot be poor faith Bernard as long as God is rich for his Riches are mine Habet omnia qui habet habentem omnia Whatever we lose for God we shall find again in him We have left all say the Disciples and followed thee Mark 10.28 Alas what had they left a few sorry Boats and Tackling what were these to their Reward they parted with movable goods for the unchangable God All losses are made up in him we may be losers for God we shall not be losers by him 2. It is Comfort in Case of Persecution the Saints Reward will abundantly compensate all their Sufferings Agrippa being laid in Chains for Caius when he came after to the Empire released Agrippa out of Prison and gave him a Chain of Gold bigger than his Iron Chain So God will infinitely remunerate them that suffer for him for their Waters of Marah they shall have the Wine of Paradise The Saints Sufferings are but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a while 1 Pet. 5.10 their Reward is for ever they are but a while in the Wine-press ever in the Banqueting-house q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys The Hebrew Word for Glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a Weight the weight of Glory should make Affliction light the enjoying of God eternally will cause Christians to forget all their Sorrows One Beam of the Sun of Righteousness will dry up their Tears after Trouble Peace after Labour Rest Then God will be all in all to his People 1 Cor. 15.28 Light to their Eye Manna to their Tast Musick to their Ear Joy to their Heart O then let the Saints be comforted in the midst of their Trials Rom. 8.18 I reckon that the Sufferings off this present time are not Worthy to be compared with the Glory which shall be revealed in us 4 Vse Terror to the Wicked Here is a Gorgons head to affright them They shall have a Reward but vastly different from the Godly the one shall be rewarded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the Plagues in the Bible are their Reward Prov. 10.29 Destruction shall be to the Workers of Iniquity God is their Rewarder but not their Reward Rom. 6.23 The Wages of sin is Death They who did the Devils work will tremble to
to them for the knowledge of Mysteries unless a Mystery of Iniquity were more pleasing to them whose very Religion was that Great Mystery of Godliness God was manifested in the flesh justify'd in the Spirit seen of Angels preacht unto the Gentles believed on in the World received up into glory 1 Tim. 3.16 Now this Mystery he first more generally characterizes by calling it the Mystery of God a divine Mystery not made one by meerly humane fiction and then he very distinctly specifies it in the following words and of the Father and of Christ Where the former and needs not be thought copulative but exegetical and might be read even or to wit or it may be read both as 't is usual with the Greeks as well as Latines when the copulative is to be repeated so to read the former As if it were said by the Mystery of God I mean not of God alone and abstractly considered as if it were enough to you to be meer Deists and that the whole superadded Revelation concerning the Mdiatour might be look't upon with indifferency or neglect as by the Gnosticks it was known then to be and afterwards by some of their great leaders in the substance of it with downright hatred and opposition but that which I so earnestly covet for you and wherein I would have you unite and be all one is the acknowledgement of the whole Mystery of God i. e. both of the Father and of Christ 2. The Apprehensive Principle which we may by a general name call Faith and accommodately enough to the name here given us of its object a Mystery which is elsewhere called the Mystery of Faith 1 Tim. 3.9 or a Mystery to be believed Faith being the known Principle of receiving the Gospel revelation But he here expresses it by words that signifie knowledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thereby intimating that the Faith of Christians is not to be a blind and unintelligent Principle but that though there were contained in the Gospel Mysteries never to be understood if God had not afforded a special Revelation of them on purpose yet being revealed we ought to have a clear and distinct as well as lively and practical perception of them By these two words and the other expressions he joyns in with the former he seems to intimate two sorts of properties which belong to that Faith of the Gospel which he wishes to them 1. The rectitude clearness and certainty of notion 2. The efficacy impressiveness and immediate aptitude to have influence upon practice which he would have it carry with it The latter properties supposing and depending on the former he there highly exaggerates the matter and heaps together expressions that might with most lively emphasis set forth the kind of that knowledge which he conceives would be of so great use to them He wishes them a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a clear perspicacious Knowledge and an Assurance even to a plerophory a fulness of assurance in their knowledge of the truth of the Gospel Yea he wishes them the Riches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea and all Riches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of that full assurance or Plerophory of understanding and knowledge of that Truth apprehending that this would certainly fix them in their Faith and Profession so as they would never recede from it As when in Christs own daies many went back and walked no more with him Joh. 6.66 That which retained others so that when Christ asks Will ye also go away vers 67. they presently answer Lord to whom shall we go could entertain no such thought was that besides what they believed of him was of greatest importance to them thou hast the words of eternal Life vers 68. So their belief was with that assurance as to exclude all suspicion or doubt in the Case and we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ the Son of the living God vers 69. And therefore neither canst want Power to confer eternal Life as all thy words do import thy design and promise to do nor truth to make good thy own plain words And then he also knew that such a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or knowledge would produce what he further wishes them an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an acknowledgement an inward vital owning a cordial embrace a lively perception of the same blessed Truths which must needs further most abundantly contribute to this their so much desired joynt and unanimous stability And now these are the two expedients by which he reckons they would be so closely compacted together as that no subtilty or violence could endanger them mutual love and a clear certain operative Faith of the Gospel if by the one they did cohere with each other and by the other adhere to God in Christ if the one might have with them the place power and bindingness of a cement the other of a continual inclination yieldingness and compliance to the magnetism of the center they would never so fall asunder as to give any enemies opportunity to be the succesful authors or the gratify'd Spectators of their ruine Thus therefore I would summ up the sense of this Scripture and the answer to the question proposed That the maintaining of sincere Love among Christians and the improving of their Faith to greater measures of clearness certainty and efficacy in reference to the substantials of Christianity are to be endeavoured as the best means to unite establish and preserve them against such as design the ruine of the truly Christian Interest The Case was at that time urging and important A great and numerous party was formed of such as did nauseate the simplicity of the Christian Religion and hate the true design of it All the care was what course was most proper and suitable to preserve the rest And you see what was then thought most proper Counsel was not taken to this effect and therefore Christians in a private capacity should not covet to have it so Let us bind them by certain devised preter-Evangelical Canons to things never thought fit to be enjoyn'd by Christ himself severely urge the strict and uniform observance of them make the terms of Christian Communion straiter than he ever made them adde new rituals of our own to his Institutions and cut off from us all that never so conscientiously scruple them No this was the practice of their common enemies and it was to narrow and weaken the too much already diminish't Christian Interest The Order mentioned vers 5. might be comely enough without things that were both unnecessary and offensive Nor was it consulted and resolved to agitate the Controversy about this power and practice in perpetual endless disputations and stigmatize them that should not be enlightned and satisfy'd in these matters as schismatical and wilful thô they never so sincerely adhered to the Doctrine and observed the Laws of Christ i. e. 'T was neither thought fit to urge the unsatisfy'd upon doubtful things
practice when it is so easie to misjudge and do wrong Most of all when the matter wherein I presume to fit in judgment upon another is of so high a nature as the posture of his heart God-ward A matter peculiarly belonging to another Tribunal of divine cognizance and which we all confess to be only known to God himself And if I would take upon me to conclude a man insincere and an hypocrite only because he is not of my mind in these smaller things that are controverted among us how would I form my argument No one can with sincerity differ from that man whose understanding is so good and clear as to apprehend all things with absolute certainty just as they are And then go on to assume and a strange assuming it must be But my understanding is so good and clear as c. 'T is hard to say whether the uncharitableness of the one assertion or the arrogance of the other is greater and whether both be more immoral or absurd But the impiety is worst of all for how insolently doth such a man take upon him to make a new Gospel and other terms of salvation than God hath made when his sentiments and determinations of things which God hath never made necassary must be the measure and rule of life and death to men How is the throne and judicial power of the Redeemer usurp't which he hath founded in his blood Rom. 14.4 Who art thou that judgest another mans servant to his own master he standeth or falleth Yea he shall be holden up for God is able to make him stand verse 9. For to this end Christ both died and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and living verse 10. But why dost thou judge thy brother or why dost thou set at nought thy brother we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ verse 11. For it is written As I live saith the Lord every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God One would think they that lay no restraint upon themselves in this matter of judging their brethren upon every light occasion reckon this chapter came by chance into the Bible And that our Lord spake himself at random words that had no meaning when he said Mat. 7.1 Judge not that you be not judged c. What man that fears God would not dread to be the framer of a new Gospel and of new terms of salvation It is a great solace indeed to a sincere mind but implies a severe rebuke in the mean time to such a self-assuming censorious spirit that it may in such a case be so truly said It is a much easier thing to please God than man They that find this measure will have the better of it if they can abstain from retaliating when as the reason of it is the same on both sides For they may say You are to remember I differ no more from you in this matter than you do from me and if I judge not you about it what greater reason have you to judge me And they have little reason to value such a mans judgment concerning their duty in a doubtful matter who cannot see his own in so plain a case The matter for which they judge me may be very doubtful but nothing can be plainer than that they ought not so to judge 9. A due Christian love would oblige us after competent endeavours of mutual satisfaction about the matters wherein we differ to forbear further urging of one another concerning them Which urging may be two wayes Either by application to our Affections or to our Reason and Judgment Some perhaps find it more sutable to their own temper and measure of understanding and conscience to go the former way and only vehemently perswade to do the thing wherein the other shall comply with them and in some fort justifie the course which they have taken Without regard to the others conscience press them right or wrong to fall in with them Sometimes labouring to work upon their kindness by flattery sometimes upon their fear by threats and menaces Sincere love would certainly abhor to do thus Would it let me violate anothers conscience any way The love I bear to a fellow-Christian if it be true having for its measure that wherewith I love my self would no more let me do it than hurt the apple of mine own eye An inspirited waking conscience is as tender a thing and capable of a worse sort of hurt If some have more latitude than I and think what they may do in present circumstances so far as they may they must would it not be the dictate of love patiently to admit it especially when it comes to suffering For let me put my own soul in his souls stead and would I be willing to suffer upon another mans conscience and not upon my own and forfeit the consolations which in a suffering condition belong to them who for conscience towards God endure grief would I if I lov'd them be content they had the grief and did want the consolation There will be still found in a state of suffering somewhat that will prove a common cause to good men wherein they will most entirely agree whatsoever smaller things they may differ in As the pious Bishops Ridley and Hooper well agreed upon a Martyrdom at the Stake in the same important Cause who before had differed somewhat angrily about some Ceremonies Concerning which difference how pathetical is the Letter †Fox Martyr of the former of these to the other when both were Prisoners the one at Oxford the other at London on the same account But now my dear brother saith he forasmuch as we throughly agree and wholly consent together in those things which are the grounds and substantial points of our Religion against the which the World so furiously rageth in these our dayes howsoever in time past by certain by Matters and circumstances of Religion your wisdom and my simplicity I grant have a little jarred each of us following the abundance of his own sense and judgment Now I say be you assured that even with my whole heart God is my witness in the bowels of Christ I love you in the truth and for the truth's sake which abideth in us and as I am perswaded shall by the grace of God abide in us for evermore Again if others have less latitude It would be far from us to add to the affliction they are liable to upon that very account by a vexatious urging and importuning them Especially to do it with insulting threats and menaces and labour to overawe their brethren against their consciences into the embracing of their sentiments and way Is it possible a Christian should not understand how necessary it is to every ones duty and peace that he exactly follow that direction of the Apostles and esteem it most sacred Rom. 14.5 Let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind And that
a formed design to this purpose If such men were capable of being reason'd with tho it were to as good purpose to talk to a storm or reason with a whirlwind or a flame of fire I would ask them What are you altogether unatoneable will nothing divert you from this pursuit If any thing what will What more gentle thing than our destruction do you seek or will content you Is it our communion And do you so recommend your selves Do you not know Cain is said to have been of that wicked one who slew his brother 1 Joh. 3.10 And that whosoever hateth his brother is a murtherer and that no murtherer hath eternal life abiding in him Is it not said Joh. 8.44 That such are of their father the devil and the lusts of their father they will do who was a murtherer from the beginning And in the forementioned 1 Joh. 3.10 In this the children of God are manifest and the children of the devil whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God neither he that loveth not his brother If all were like you under what notion were we to unite with them The Apostle tells us 1 Cor. 10.20 21. I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils Ye cannot be partakers of the Lords table and of the table of devils And in good earnest incarnate devils thô that Text do not directly speak of such have too much of devil in them to be participants in a communion that can seem desireable or is likely to be gratefull to serious Christians I must avow it to all the world it is not this or that external form I so much consider in the matter of Christian union and communion as what Spirit reigns in them with whom I would associate my self How can I endure to approach those holy mysteries wherein all are to drink into one Spirit and declare their union with the God of love with the Emmanuel God most nearly approaching us God with us collecting and gathering us in unto him as our common center whence the blessed Spirit of holy love is to diffuse it self through the whole body all enlivened by that spirit and form'd by it unto all kindness benignity goodness and sweetness With what significancy can I do so thô I were never so well satisfy'd with the external forms and modes my self if it be apparent I say if apparent I must cast in my lot and joyn my self with them were they generally such whose souls are under the dominion of the quite contrary spirit that fills them with malignity with mischievous dispositions and purposes towards many a sincere lover of God that cannot be satisfy'd with those forms and modes and who decline them only from a sense of duty to God and a fear of offending against the high authority of their blessed glorious Redeemer I know many are apt to justify themselves in their animosity and bitterness of spirit towards others upon a pretence that they bear the same disaffected mind towards them But besides that it is the most manifest and indefensible injustice if they charge the innocent or such as they are not sure are guilty if their own wrath and enmity be so potent in them as to enable their tainted vicious imagination to create its object or so to disguise and falsly clothe it as to render it such to themselves as whereupon they may more plausibly pour out their fury I say besides that how contrary is this vindictive spirit to the rules and spirit of the Christian Religion Is this to love our enemies to bless them that curse us and despitefully use us c How unlike the example of our blessed Lord when even in dying agonies he breath'd forth these words and his soul almost at once Father forgive them c Or of the holy Martyr Stephen Lord lay not this sin to their charge How unlike is that aptness to the retaliating of injuries to the Christian temper which the renowned Calvin discovers in an Epistle to Bullinger speaking of Luthers severity towards him If Luther a thousand times saith he call me devil I will acknowledge him for a famous servant of God which Passage both Bishop Morton and Bishop Davenant magnify him for and the former saith he herein spake so calmly so placidly so indulgently as if it were not a man but humanity it self that uttered the words Yea and such retaliation is what Paganism it self hath declaimed against a Maxim Tyr. Dissert 2. A noted Philosopher urges that against it that one would think should not need to be suggested to Christians somewhat so prudential as might not only work upon the principle of love to others but even that of self-love That then the evil must perpetually circulate and so must again and again return upon our selves As indeed if that must be the measure to revile them that revile us b 1 Pet. 2.23 c. 3.9 and render evil for evil railing for railing we should never have done It were a course which once begun could by that rule never find an end This then is the first part of the Answer to the proposed Question What may be most hopefully done c The endeavour of having our hearts knit together in love would surely do much towards it And this is agreeable to any the most private capacity No man can pretend his Sphaere is too narrow if his Soul be not for the exercise of love towards fellow-Christans And I hope 't is agreeable to all our principles Sure no man will say 't is against his conscience to love his brother And the same must be said of 2. That other expedient the endeavour to have our souls possest with a more clear efficacious practical faith of the Gospel Which was to make the other part of the answer to our Question And thô this is the more important part It is also so very evident that we do not need to make this discourse swell to a bulk too unproportionable to the rest it is to be joyned with by speaking largely to it Althô we have not the Name of faith in this Text we have the Thing It is not named but it is described so as that it may easily be understood both what it is and how necessary to our purpose 1. What it is or what measure and degree of it that would be of so great use in such a case We are told with great Emphasis The riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ. Such as whereby 1. Our understandings are duly enlightned so as mentally to entertain aright the doctrine of the Gospel i. e. 1. Distinctly to apprehend the meaning and design of this mysterious revelation of God in Christ 2. And to be fully assured of the truth of it 2. Such again as whereby our hearts are overcome so as practically and vitally to
to the end and ye see what power he had with God in Prayer for wicked Sodom God communicated his Secrets to him as one Friend to another and Abraham made Intercession to him as Favourites of Princes for Malefactors So did he for Sodom and ye know how far he prevailed for he was a Righteous man Jam. 5.16 and such a mans Prayer prevaileth much And what was Abrahams Righteousness even the Righteousness of Faith by Imputation Rom. 4. and this Faith living and working XV. We keep our selves in the Love of God when we declare a publick Spirit for the Cause of God in his Church against the Enemies of it by being zealous for his Glory and valiant for his Truth in our Station Judg. 5. This is lively asserted in the Song of Deborah and Barak who after she had praised some for their appearing and others for not appearing in this Cause dispraised the Lord she praised above all for his presence with his People and for that Spirit of Love he poured out upon them in these Words vers 31. So let all thine Enemies perish O Lord but let them that love him be as the Sun when he goeth forth in his might Now the Reason why this publick Spirit in the Cause of God is expressed by our Love to God is this Because God is so much concerned in it 1. As to his Honour to defend and deliver his People from his and their Enemies as the Midianites were 2. As to his Power in reducing thirty thousand to three hundred Jud. 7. as in Gideons case all that lapped He as a poor Barley Cake tumbled all the Enemies down and by a small company And a Woman in Deborahs case that is by her self and Jael Judg. 4.21 destroyed Jabin and Sisera's mighty Host To omit many other instances of publick Hearts in this case signally owned by God because they signally appeared for God Thus Moses Exod. 2.11 13. Judg. 5.9 This was their Love Thus saith Deborah My Heart is towards the Governours of Israel that offer themselves willingly bless ye the Lord. Zebulun and Napthali jeoparded their lives unto Death in the high places of the Field and thus did Issachar ver 15. But Reuben Gad Manasseh Dan and Asher are branded for their Cowardise I say all this appearing in the defence of all that was dear to God and them is called Love to God Therefore we may in no wise exclude this Noble publick Spirit in the cause of God and his People from the Love of God for there is no principle in the World like to the Love of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 3.8 Deum odisse in sacris literis peculiariter illi dicuntur qui falsos deos colunt Maimon Which love me and keep my Commandments Illa praecipuè quae ad arcendas pravas superstitiones pertinent Grot. Hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pij dicti sunt Ezek. 16.33 36 37. chap. 23.5 Jer. 2.2 I remember the love of the Espousals to animate and inflame the Soul to do great things for God This Spirit was marvellous in David whose very Name was from Love Therefore it is the duty of every Child of God to pray for the Spirit of God which only sheds all divine Love abroad in the Heart Rom. 5.5 which God inspires as he pleaseth XVI A great means of keeping our selves in the Love of God is to be Sincere and Sound in the Worship of God Mark this well for herein lyes the Love or Hatred of God as appears plainly in the second Commandement Exod. 20. ver 6. Therefore Idols and Idolaters are called our Lovers Hosea 2.5 7. Jer. 8.1 Hosea 13. They kissed the Calves ver 2. Therefore our Hankering and embracing of a false Worship provokes God to jealousie Therefore the Lord deals with Superstition and Idolatry in his People after the Law of Harlots and Adulterers The Scripture is full of this Language There is no higher Act of Love in God than to espouse a People to be his own and to give them a Rule of Worship of his own Institution and to hold them to it as he did Israel And when a People follows God and serves God according to his own appointments there are no higher Acts of Love towards him in Gods account God is enamoured with such a People God in his highest acts of jealousie was inraged against his Idolatrous people Psal 78.59 They kissed their Idols giving them all the tokens of Love and Homage 1 King 19.18 Job 31.27 They burnt their Children to them as the costlyest Sacrifice as Abraham would his Isaac in Love to God but God only tryed him by it Mark 7.7 Colos 2.22 Mat. 15.2 3 6. Rev. 17.4 5. he calls them his Hephsibah and his Beulah Isa 62.4 We see it also in the instance of good Kings how the Lord prized and praised them for this very thing for Reforming and setting up the true Worship of God as David Asa Jehosaphat Hezekiah Josiah how the Lord prospered them because their Hearts were right and perfect with God in this thing On the other side how he hath branded and blasted all those that were false herein For this was David a man after Gods own Heart fulfilling all his Wills which is chiefly meant in the point of Gods Worship Act. 13.22 As for the Wills of men in the Worship of God by their Inventions Traditions and Commandements he tells you he hates them and they are Abomination to him And no wonder for what intrencheth more upon the Honour of Gods Wisdom and Soveraignty than this That he doth not know best how to appoint his own Worship but must be fain to be beholding to Man for his devices and dictates in the Case This though it seems very gay is Whorish and Poysonous this golden Dress and Cup is intoxicating XVII A great Means of keeping in the Love of God is keeping up the Communion of Saints in all the parts and duties of it What this is we shall see according to Scripture The Communion of Saints is our Participation of all the good things of God in common whereunto all the Saints and only they have right consisting in our Union to God as our chiefest good this is with God as a Father with the Son and Holy Spirit 1 Joh. 1.3 2 Cor. 13.13 1. We have Communion with the Father as Children and all in the greatest Love 1 Joh. 3.1 Rom. 8.16 17. This is procured by Christ 1 Joh. 2.23 only obtained by Believing Joh. 1.12 And maintained by the Spirit Rom. 8.14 Who walk not in darkness but in light 1 Joh. 1.6 7. 2. We have Communion with Jesus Christ the Son of God By which we are made partakers of him of his Nature and of his Grace and of his Glory all which is done by Faith that uniteing and marrying Grace and this works such Conjugal Love between Christ and his Church as makes them
duely on it and then walk worthy of it Now this Love of God I cannot more compendiously declare than by that of the Apostle Ephes 1.3 c. Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ c. In which ye are to observe six remarkable things in Gods blessing of us for which we are to bless him 1. That God the Father of Christ is the Author of all our Blessings especially of Spiritual Blessings Election Redemption and all that flow from thence are given us upon the account of Christ by whom God becomes our Father that is by Adoption by which we have the right of Inheritance that is Salvation 2. That by the word Blessings he includes all things pertaining to Salvation because he saith with all spiritual Blessings alluding to Gods Promise made to Abraham in Christ saying In thee shall all the Nationss of the earth he blessed And therefore he will give the consummation of this Blessing at the day of Judgment to his Elect saying Come ye blessed of my Father receive the Kingdom prepared for you i. e. from his Everlasting Love ver 6. 3. That the Father loves and blesseth us that is his Chosen ones and none else Vers 4 5. who declare themselves such by their Faith and Holiness and Love vers 4. 4. That these Blessings are principally Spiritual Blessings such as the Elect only receive in a peculiar and distinguishing way and that under two Considerations 1. They are not carnal Blessings though the Father denyes not these to his Children for which his Child must bless him but here they are called spiritual because chiefly such 2. They are not common spiritual Blessings neither such are temporary Faith Heb. 6. 1 Cor. 13. a great degree of Knowledge even in Spiritual things yea a taste also of the Holy Ghost and the Beginning of a pious Life c. But only saving Grace and Eternal Glory the Fruit of Eternal Election for all other spiritual Blessings follow and flow from that as the true Knowiedge of God a living Faith effectual Calling Justification Sanctification a Christian Life Love to the Saints and Life Eternal this the Apostle calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all Blessing as containing and comprehending all fully and perfectly 5. But there is one thing more to be noted from that word in heavenly places For as carnal Blessings have their Beginning in the Earth and there they end so heavenly Blessings come from Heaven and terminate there in Glory without end Therefore we render it in heavenly places because it notes the Place of it which is Heaven where Christ is exalted in Glory as our Head to communicate and accumulate all spiritual Blessings on his elected and redeemed Members There it 's said Cap. 1.19 to Vers ult in heavenly places in Christ All this is amplified in this first and more particularized in the second where he saith He hath quickned us together Ephes 2.4 5 6. and raised us up together and made us sit together with Christ in heavenly places All this is an high act of Divine Love toward us By which three things here and in Heaven all Grace and Glory is meant and that Saints do partake of them with and by Christ And this leads to a 6. Sixth thing wherein the Love of God to us is declared in the place afore cited Ephes 1.3 4 5. viz. in Christ by which is assigned the material Cause of all Spiritual Blessings namely Christ as Mediator and High-Priest 1. We are blessed in Christ i. e. for Christs sake and upon his account 2. In Christ by the Merits of Christ by his Obedience Passion and Death 3. In Christ as our Head from whom as such all our Blessings flow in our Souls and Bodies therefore is he called the Lord our Righteousness Jer. 23.6 1 Cor. 1.30 That is in the Person of Christ We are raised with him and sit in Heaven with him i. e. We are counted raised and sitting there by his Dignity and Glory as our Head By this Imputation the Papists Justification by Inherent Righteousness is fully confuted Also we have infinite Priviledge and Comfort that the Lord Jesus is made to us his members Righteousness and Holiness which can never be had any other way either within us or without us but in Christ our Head only and there only it is perfect and sure and all this in love For the Father hath demonstrated his love to Christ for this his undertaking and his love to us because he appointed him for us and accepts us in him Ephes 1.3 4 5 6. This is the first Branch of the fifth Use of Studying the Love of God to us in Christ in all the Causes of it and in all the Parts of it For this is a strong Motive to keep us in this Love to understand it and to believe it and to walk up to it 2. The second Branch To understand and practise our Love to the Lord answering his Love to us 1. Understand what Love that is wherewith we are to love the Lord and whereby we keep our selves in his Love to us Matth. 22.36 37. In order unto this ye are to know that the whole Worship of God consists in the Love of God Hence Ambrose saith The Love of God is the form of all Vertue yea the Head and Foundation of all true Religion The end of the Law is Love out of a pure heart a good Conscience 1 Tim. 1.5 and Faith unfeigned There are three things that are in true Love 1. To be affected with a desirable Object upon our knowledge of it to be good 2. To be carryed out strongly in our Desires after it that we may be united with it 3. When we enjoy it to Rejoyce in it and to rest in it as in our End and Center of our Desires This the word signifies in the Original Hebrew and Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To rest greatly in the enjoyment of the thing beloved as Etymologists have it Phavorinus c. So true Love contains in it Affection Desire Joy as the Beginning Progress and End of it and this will be perfect in Heaven and our Perfection and Happiness In this Love outvyes all other Grace 1 Cor. 13. We have an excellent Saying of St. Augustin to this purpose Tom. 4. libro de substantiâ dilectionis Cap. 6. This is then the rest of the Soul when it is fixed by the Love of God as to its desire nor desires any thing or Object besides but having got possession of that which it desires is wholly taken up with the Delight of it and is happy in the secure enjoyment of it Whence we are to learn wherein the true Nature of our Love of God stands that the Heart rest in the enjoyment of what it desires which it can do in nothing else And only our Love to God is true
and perfect Love because our Souls find rest in God only St. Bernard makes four degrees of our Love to God 1. When a man loves Himself for himself but herein he can have no rest nor content for it is not to be found in him 2. When he loves God for himself and not for God when he would have God make him happy 3. When he loves God for God himself as judging him most worthy of all love 4. When he loves himself and all things else for God only and is therein satisfied desiring nothing more This is indeed to love God when we love him for himself and our selves and all other things subordinately unto God in him and for him only Our Soul as Noahs Dove hath no rest till it return to this Ark. This Injoyment satisfies Psal 17. ult ye shall be abundantly satisfied Psal 36.8 9. because it is the water of life which being once drunk of quencheth thirst for ever I conclude all with this that considering the Circumstances into which we are cast it is our Duty Wisdom and Priviledge to keep our selves in the Love of God from the transcendent Advantages we have by it above the love and favour of men which is hard to get and yet not worth the pains when gotten yea when gotten it is as hard to keep and yet not worth the keeping yea it is easily lost and better lost than kept Therefore never labour to keep thy self in the Love of Men by which thou mayst lose the love of God but keep your selves in the Love of God and that will keep you safe here and for ever The Lord gives it as a Reason why he would not cast off his People though he threatned them as if he would do it Hos 11.8 9. Because saith he I am God and not Man It is not after the manner of men to be constant in their Love but is like Himself and never breaks off or keeps in his Love Ezek. 16.5 6 7 8. The Lord will be called Husband of his People and is he not the best and dearest in the World Doth he take any People or Soul to Wife for rare Beauty or rich Dowry Alas there is none Did he not find us in our gore-blood and yet loved us when such vers 8. Now whom he loves he cleaves to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 2.24 Ephes 5.31 Thus he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit 1 Cor. 6.16 The word is glued to shew the close Union of divine Love Pray then to God for the Holy Ghost which he hath promised to give to them that ask that he may shed abroad the love of God in your hearts 2 Thess 3.5 Rom. 5.5 for hereby you will keep your selves in the love of God Quest What may gracious Parents best do for the Conversion of those Children whose wickedness is occasion'd by their sinful Severity or Indulgence SERMON VII MAL. IV. 6. He shall turn the hearts of the Fathers to the Children and the hearts of the Children to their Fathers THis intricate Text propos'd to me on which I preacht speaking but indirectly and by consequence only as I then said to the Question propos'd upon mature deliberation I have thought good to adjoin Another which I conceive looks with a more direct aspect on both the parts of our Bipartite Question Viz. EPH. VI. 4. Ye Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath but bring them up in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord. AS Malapertness frowardness sauciness self-will stubbornness sullenness disobedience yea contempt and scorning of Parents specially the more indulgent and weak are Vices too common with Children and Youth So on the other side Parents unless modell'd and confirm'd by the Word and Spirit of God are very prone to fall into one of these two extreams either immoderate severity and rigid abuse of the Parental Authority or fond indulgence and sinful neglect of just and discreet discipline Against Both these extreams our Apostle doth here Arm and fortifie gracious Parents by instructing them how equally to hold the Ballance and Discreetly to manage the reins and rudder of their Parental Power and Discipline so as they may not provoke their Children to a just disgust and wrath on the one side nor expose themselves to a base contempt and scorn on the other And this he doth 1. By forbidding a Vice Ye Fathers provoke not your Children to Wrath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad iram ad irae exuberantiam ne provocate ne irritate q. d. Fathers I know your Children are apt to be Vain rash foolish disobedient stubborn able to roil the most sedate Spirit to try the patience of a Job and 't is fit yea necessary that you admonish reprove rebuke chastize them but yet take heed that while though they provoke you to a just displeasure you by an unjust abuse of your just authority in a too strict rigid immoderate severity against them give your offending Children any just occasion of or urgent temptation to any sinful anger or inveterate wrath against you whilst you are correcting for one sin do not provoke them to commit another Whilst you are plucking them out of a gulph do not dash them against a Rock Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath But Observe we here the Apostles prudence Having vers 1 2 3. allotted to Children their share viz. Obedience Children obey your Parents in the Lord and backt it both with divine Precept and Promise the just consequence seems to require that he should have invested the Parents with Command and Government for their Portion but he fairly waves that and as supposing he had sufficiently fixt the Parents Authority by putting their Children under the yoke of Obedience he now consults the childs interest or rather the mutual comfort both of Parent and Child by advising Parents to use the Power that God had given them moderately and tenderly on the one hand he sweetens the Obedience of the Child on the other tempers the Authority of the Parent That the precept of Obedience may not fright the Child nor the Prerogative of Power swell the Parent let them both know The child that he is in subjection and must obey but then 't is his Father who either doth or should love him and the Father that he hath Authority and may command but whom 'T is his Child whom he must govern with that tenderness as not in the least to provoke Thus by forbidding a Vice 2. By enjoining them the contrary Grace or duty But bring them up in the Nurture and admonition of the Lord. Children as they must not be provoked to wrath so they must not be indulged in folly As they must not be discouraged so they may not be cocker'd Our Children naturally are too too like the wild Horse or Asses colt who if they once begin to know their strength and get the bit between their Teeth will first cast their Rider and then run in a full
all that rise against thee to do thee hurt be as that young man is 5. And what sayes King David to this Methinks I hear him say Psal 81.1 c. Come my dear People Come and let us sing aloud unto God our strength and make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. 2. Take a Psalm and bring hither the Timbrel the pleasant Harp with the Psaltery 3. Blow up the Trumpet as in the new Moon as on a solemn feast day 4. Let this be a Statute for Israel for this is the day that the Lord hath made we will rejoice and triumph in it The King shall joy in thy strength and greatly rejoice in thy Salvation The Lord is known by the judgment that he hath executed the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands Higgaion-Selah Is this the Io Triumphe wherewith he makes the Earth to ring again No but on the contrary the poor Father being as it were Thunder-struck with the words of his Blackmore forgets that he was a King and Father of his Countrey looks like Jephthah when he met his devoted Daughter and as if bereav'd of all Comfort breaks out into a flood of tears and into such an indecent Lamentation as no Records either Sacred or Humane can parallel The King was much moved and wept v. 33. and as he went he said O my Son Absalom my Son my Son Absalom would God I had died for thee O Absalom my Son my Son My just Indignation at this more than Womanish Transport forbids me to descant on it I shall barely lay before you Joab's smart Repartee whereby he endeavour'd to stop this Deluge 2 Sam. 29.5 6. Joab said to the King Thou hast this day shamed the faces of all thy Servants which this day have saved thy Life and the Lives of thy Sons and of thy Daughters and the Lives of thy Wives 6. In that thou lovest thine Enemies and hatest thy Friends For thou hast declared this day that thou regardest neither Princes nor Servants For this day I perceive that if Absalom had lived and all we had died this day then it had pleased thee well And thus we have seen the Malady Turn we now to the Remedy The Plague-sore has been open'd now for the Bunch of Figgs II. What may gracious Parents best do for the Conversion of those their Children whose Wickedness have been occasion'd by their own sinful Indulgence 1. Reflect seriously on your heart and wayes Begg and begg sincerely earnestly believingly constantly of the Lord effectually to convince you of the great sinfulness and mischief of your Indulgence and to humble you deeply for it O cast your selves at the foot of God lament it weep over it mourn as Doves before the Lord when you see if indeed you can see and fondness hath not quite put out your eyes Pride Stubborness Profaneness Averseness from God all sorts and degrees of sins and corruptions break forth in your Childrens Lives And that 1. With respect to your Children And this 1. Not only as the natural roots from whom all this their Lewdness springs They drew it from the Womb and breast They were poyson'd in the very Spring Psa 51.5 Job 14.1 15.14 25.4 This consideration only if no more to see your Children rotting sinking dying with a loathsome Disease which they drew from your Loins were enough to rend your hearts and Caul But 2. By your wretched Indulgence you have added much fuel to this flame you have heated your Furnace seven times hotter Your Indulgence hath fomented yea inflam'd their Wickedness You have heightned their feavour into a Plague and that worse a thousand times than that of the Body which ends in a temporal Death but this is of their Souls and is like to sink them for ever into a gulph of fire and brimstone 2. With respect to God The Lord was wroth with the Serpent and curs'd him for ever because but an instrument us'd by Satan for corrupting our first Parents though no cause at all of it Gen. 3.14 May not the Lord be much more angry with us and cause his Wrath to smoak against us that have not only been instruments really to convey this Poyson and corruption of nature into our Childrens bosoms but the principal occasions of of their superadded Wickedness You see on both these accounts matter of deep Humiliation 2. Love your Children hearken indulgent Parents I say it again Love your Children Yea Love them I say not more but better than ever yet you Lov'd them you can never Love them too well You may and have Lov'd them too much One saith well None is to be Lov'd much but He only whom we can never Love too much Love them with all the kinds degrees properties of Love before mention'd 1. Love them so as to be tender of their Bodies their outward man let that want nothing that is necessary convenient comfortable suitable to their age or quality but above all Love their Souls their inward man The Cabinet must not be neglected but the Jewel is to be most regarded The Ring is to be only esteemed but the Diamond in it most highly to be prized The Love of our Childrens Souls is the very Soul and Spirit and Elixir of True parental Love If we truely Love their Souls we shall unfeignedly desire and vigorously endeavour their Spiritual and Eternal Salvation If you Love their Souls indeed your Hearts desire and prayer to God for them will be that they may be saved Rom. 10.1 You will put forth your utmost affections and strength to lift them up out of that pit of Sin and Misery in which they lye and to raise them into and fix them in a state of Grace If we do not really grieve to see our Children lye weltring in their Sins of Ignorance unbelief folly profaneness and so under the power and paw of Satan If we do not faithfully labour to preserve them from perishing but suffer sin upon them pretend what we will let us shew never so much Love with our mouth God sayes we really hate them in our Hearts Lev. 19.17 See how Solomons Parents exprest their Love to Him Prov. 4.3 4. I was my Fathers Son tender and only beloved in the sight of my Mother 4. He taught me also and said unto me Let thy heart retain my Words keep my Commandments and Live If you Love them indeed and in truth you will you can have no greater joy than to see your Children walking in the Truth Joh. 3. Ep. 4. That foolish Son who is now an heaviness to his Mother being made Truely wise will make a glad Fatther Prov. 10.1 Oh what a lovely sight what a Soul-ravshing object in a godly Parents eye is an hopeful Timothy an obedient godly Joseph Prov. 23.24 25. Well then Love your Children and in the first place their precious Souls If you find your Love and care goes out more for their Bodies than Souls so far mistrust your
the Ministry of the Gospel promotes a mans own Salvation in so far as the work of Christianity is woven in with the right discharge of the Office of the Ministry Many Ministers can say that if they had not been Ministers they had in all appearance lost their Souls The Subject of the Ministers work is the same with that of a Christian's and above all men should he be careful of his Heart and Intentions that all be pure and spiritual No man in any work he is called to is under so strict a necessity of dependance on the influence and assistance of the Holy Ghost both for Gifts and Grace And are not all these great helps unto our own Salvation 2. The Second advantage is thou shalt save them that hear thee There is little hope of that mans being usefull to save others that minds not his own Salvation And therefore the Apostle puts them in this order thy self and then them that hear thee This description of the People them that hear thee saith that the principal work of a Minister is Preaching and the principal benefit People have by them is to hear the Lords Word from them though there be a seeing i. e. of their holy Conversation that is also useful Phil. 4.9 But the Apostle knew no such Ministers as were only to be seen in worldly Pomp and Grandeur and seldom or never heard Preaching Thou shalt save them The great End of both Preaching and Hearing is Salvation and if Salvation were more design'd by Preachers and Hearers it would be more frequently the effect of the action Thou shalt save them Thou shalt by the Lords blessing on thy Ministry be successeful in converting Sinners and in building up of Saints in Holiness and Faith unto Salvation Not that Ministers are of themselves able by all their Endeavours to carry on this great End they are only Gods Tools and Instruments 1 Cor. 3.6 7. Concerning this 1. We find that the Lord hath appointed this great Ordinance of the Gospel-Ministry for this end the Saving of men Eph. 4.11 12 13. It is through their Word that men believe Joh. 17.20 And Divine appointment of the Means declares both it to be usefull and the End to be hopefull 2. He hath also given many Promises of his presence blessing and success to follow and attend them whom he sends on this great Errand Christs first calling of the Apostles had this Promise in it I will make you Fishers of men which not only declared what that Imployment was he call'd them unto but it assur'd them of success in it At his leaving of them Matth. 28.20 he promised to be with them unto the End of the World and this Promise is as good to us as it was to them 3. He hath also revealed much of his Mind about Ministers Duty in order to this end of Saving men This also makes the End more hopefull 4. We find that the Lord doth qualifie and fit them whom he makes successeful He makes men able Ministers of the New Testament the Word of Life 2 Cor. 3.5 6. And still according to the success the Lord hath a mind to bless a man with gifts and qualifications and assistance are proportionably given The Apostles that had the greatest Harvest to gather in were made the strongest Labourers and though in a far inferiour degree the same method is observed by the Lord in dealing with and by ordinary Ministers It 's true that alwayes the most able and learned Ministers are not most successeful yet generally the most skilfull Labourers are most blessed Neither are the most Learned and able men for parts most fit and skilful in dealing with Souls at all times Now having opened the words we shall return to the Question to be resolved By what means may Ministers best win Souls In speaking to which I shall first shew What this Text saith unto this purpose 2ly And then give some further account thereof from other Scriptures 3ly And apply it both to Ministers and People 1. What this Text speaks about this matter It looks two wayes upon this Question 1. It gives a direct Answer unto it and points forth Duty 2. It gives an encouraging Promise of the good Effect and Fruit of the discharge of the Duty I shall carry on both together 1. Take heed unto thy self Wouldst thou be a saved and successeful Minister take heed unto thy self Such Warnings imply alwayes a Case of difficulty and danger wherein he is that gets them Take heed unto thy self in these things 1. Take heed that thou be a sound and sincere Believer The importance of sincere Godliness in a Minister is written in the deep wounds that the Church of Christ hath received by the hands of ungodly Ministers It hath been made a question Whether an ungodly Man can be a Minister but it is none That such men are in a most desperate condition Matth. 7.22 23. Depart from me not because you ran unsent or preach'd Error instead of Truth or preached poorly and meanly all great sins in themselves but because you work iniquity the usual expression of intire ungodliness What use the Lord may make of the Gifts for great Gifts he gives to the worst of men of ungodly men even in the Ministry of the Gospel is one of his deep Paths But no man can reasonably imagine that a walker in the way to Hell can be a fit and usefull Guide to them that mind to go to Heaven If a man would have peace in his Conscience and success in his work of the Ministry let him take good heed to this that he be a sound Christian There is a special difficulty for a Minister to know his Grace Gifts and Grace have deceived many with their likeness although the difference be great both in it self and to an enlightened Eye 2. Take heed to thy self that thou be a called and sent Minister This is of great importance as to Success He that can say Lord thou hast sent me may boldly adde Lord go with me and bless me It is good when a man is serious in this Inquiry It is to be feared that many run and never ask this Question so is it seen in their speed and success Jer. 23. I sent them not therefore they shall not profit this people at all is a standing rule to this day These things if found may serve to satisfie a Ministers Conscience that Jesus Christ hath sent him 1. If the Heart be filled with a single desire after the great end of the Ministry the Glory of God in the Salvation of men Every work that God calls a man to he makes the End of it amiable This desire sometimes attends mens first Conversion Paul was called to be a Saint and an Apostle at once Acts 9. and so have many been called to be Saints and Ministers together If it be not so yet this is found with him that Christ calls that when he is most spiritual and serious
mans Conscience in the sight of God Paul's Preaching this is the principal thing to be aimed at and it is the proper source of all profitable Preaching To conclude You that are Ministers suffer a Word of Exhortation Men Brethren and Fathers you are called to an high and holy Calling your Work is full of Danger full of Duty and full of Mercy You are called to the winning of Souls an Employment near a-kin unto our Lords work the saving of Souls and the nearer your spirits be in conformity to his holy temper and frame the fitter you are for and the more fruitfull you shall be in your work None of you are ignorant of the begun departure of our Glory and the daily advance of its departure and the sad appearances of the Lords being about to leave us utterly Should not these Signs of the times rowse up Ministers unto greater seriousness What can be the reason of this sad Observation that when formerly a few Lights raised up in the Nation did shine so as to scatter and dispell the darkness of Popery in a little time yet now when there are more and more Learned men amongst us yet the Darkness comes on apace Is it not because they were men filled with the Holy Ghost and with Power and many of us are only filled with Light and Knowledge and inefficacious Notions of Gods Truth Doth not always the Spirit of the Ministers propagate it self amongst the People A lively Ministry and lively Christians Therefore be serious at heart believe and so speak feel and so speak and as you teach so doe and then People will feel what you say and obey the Word of God And lastly for People It is not unfit that you should hear of Ministers Work and Duty and Difficulties you see that all is of your Concernment All things are for your sakes as the Apostle in another case Then only I intreat you 1. Pity us We are not Angels but men of like Passions with your selves Be fuller of Charity than of Censure We have all that you have to do about the saving of our own Souls and a great Work besides about the saving of yours We have all your difficulties as Christians and some that you are not acquainted with that are only Ministers Temptations and Tryals 2. Help us in our Work If you can do any thing help us in the work of Winning Souls What can we do say you O! a great deal Be but won to Christ and we are made Make haste to Heaven that you and we may meet joyfully before the Throne of God and the Lamb. 3. Pray for us How often and how earnestly doth Paul begg the Prayers of the Churches and if he did so much more should we begg them and you grant them for our Necessities and Weaknesses are greater than his 2 Thess 3.1 2. 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 that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men for all men have not Faith THE CHAMBER of IMAGERY IN THE Church of ROME laid open OR AN Antidote against Popery Quest How is the Practical Love of Truth the best Preservative against Popery SERMON X. 1 PET. II.III. If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious WHen false Worship had prevailed in the Church of old unto its Ruine God shewed and represented it unto his Prophet under the name and appearance of a Chamber of Imagery Ezek. 8.11 12. For therein were pourtraied all the Abomination wherewith the Worship of God was defiled and Religion corrupted Things relating unto Divine Truth and Worship have had again the same event in the world especially in the Church of Rome And my present Design is to take a view of the Chambers of their Imagery and to shew what was the occasion and what were the Means of their Erection and in them we shall see all the Abomination wherewith the Divine Worship of the Gospel hath been corrupted and Christian Religion ruined Unto this end it will be necessary to lay down some such Principles of Sacred Truth as will demonstrate and evince the Grounds and Causes of that Transformation of the Substance and Power of Religion into a Lifeless Image which shall be proved to have fallen out amongst them And because I intend their benefit principally who resolve all their Perswasion in Religion into the Word of God I shall deduce these Principles from that Passage of it in the first Epistle of the Apostle Peter Chap. 2. and the three first Verses The first Verse contains an Exhortation unto or an Injunction of universal Holiness by the laying aside or casting out whatever is contrary thereunto wherefore lay aside all Malice and all guile and hypocrisie and envy and all evil speaking the Rule whereof extends unto all other vicious habits of Mind whatever And in the Second there is a Profession of the Means whereby this End may be attained namely how any one may be so strengthened in Grace as to cast out all such sinful Inclinations and Practises as are contrary unto the Holiness required of us which is the Divine Word compared therefore unto Food which is the Means of preserving Natural Life and of increasing its strength As new born Babes desire the sincere Milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby Hereon the Apostle proceeds to declare the Condition whereon our profiting growing and thriving by the Word doth depend and this is an experience of its Power as it is the Instrument of God whereby he conveys his Grace unto us if so be that ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious See 1 Thes 1.5 Therein lies the first and chief Principle of our ensuing Demonstration and it is this All the Benefit and Advantage which any men do or may receive by the Word or the Truths of the Gospel depend on an experience of its Power and Efficacy in communicating the Grace of God unto their Souls This Principle is evident in it self and not to be questioned by any but such as never had the least real sence of Religion on their own Minds Besides it is evidently contained in the Testimony of the Apostle before laid down Hereunto three other Principles of equal Evidence with it self are supposed and virtually contained in it 1. There is a Power and Efficacy in the Word and the Preaching of it Rom. 1.16 I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it 〈…〉 Pâ—â—â—r of God unto salvation It hath a divine Power the Power of God accompanying it and put forth in it unto its proper Ends for the Word of Gâ—d is quick and powerful Heb. 4.12 2. The Power that is in the Word of God consists in its efficacy to communicate Grace of God unto the Souls of man in and by it they taste that 〈◊〉 Lord is gracious that is is efficacy unto its proper Ends. These are Salvation with all things requisite
Conviction but endeavour the temporal and eternal destruction of all that are otherwise minded This Image like that of Nebuchadnezzar was once set up in this Nation with a Law that whoever would not bow down to it and worship it should be cast into the fiery Furnace God grant it to be so no more But if it should there is no preservation against the Influence of Force and Fires but a real experience of an efficacious Communication of Christ unto our Souls in this holy Ordinance administred according to his appointment This therefore is that we ought with all diligence to endeavour and this not only as the only way and means of our edification in this Ordinance by an exercise in Grace the strengthning of our Faith and present Consolation but as the effectual means of our preservation in the profession of the Truth and our deliverance from the Snares of our Adversaries For whereas it is undeniable that this peculiar Institution distinct from all other doth intend and design a distinct communication and exhibition of Christ if it be pressed on us that these must be done by Transubstantiation and Oral Manducation thereon and can be no otherwise nothing but an Experience of the power and efficacy of the Mystical Communion with Christ in this Ordinance before described will preserve us from being ensnared by their Pretences There is not therefore on all accounts of Grace and Truth any one thing of more concernment unto Believers than the due exercise of Spiritual Light and Faith unto a satisfactory experience of a peculiar participation of Christ in this Holy Institution The same is fallen out amongst them with reference unto the Church and all the principal Concerns of it having lost or renounced the things which belong unto its primitive Constitution they have erected a deformed Image in their stead as I shall manifest in some Instances SECT IV. IV. It is an unquestionable Principle of Truth that the Church of Christ is in it self a Body such a Body as hath an Head whereon it depends and without which it would immediately be dissolved a Body without an Head is but a Carkass or part of a Carkass and this Head must be always present with it An Head distant from the Body separated from it not united unto it by such ways and means as are proper unto their Nature is of no use See Eph. 4 15 16. Col. 2.19 But there is a double Notion of an Head as there is of a Body also For they both of them are either Natural or Political There is a Natural Body and there is a Political Body and in each sence it must have an Head of the same kind A Natural Body must have an Head of Vital Influence and a Political Body must have an Head of Rule and Government The Church is called a Body compared to it is a Body in both Sences or in both parts of the comparison and in both must have an Head As it is a Spiritually living Body compared to the Natural it must have an Head of Vital Influence without which it cannot subsist and as it is an Orderly Society for the common Ends of its Institution compared unto a Political Body it must have an Head of Rule and Government without which neither its Being nor its Use can be preserved But these are only distinct Considerations of the Church which is every way one and the same It is not two Bodies for then it must have two Heads but it is one Body under two distinct Considerations which divide not its Essence but declare its different Respects unto its Head And in General all who are called Christians are thus far agreed nothing is of the Church nothing belongs unto it which is not dependant on which is not united to the Head That which holds the Head is the true Church that which doth not so is no Church at all Herein we agree with our Adversaries namely that all the Privileges of the Church all the Right and Title of men thereunto depend wholly on their due Relation to the Head of it according to the distinct Considerations of it be that Head who or what it will that which is not united unto the Head which depends not on it which is separated from it belongs not to the Church This Head of the Church is Christ Jesus alone for the Church is but one although on various considerations it be likened unto two sorts of Bodies The Catholick Church is considered either as believing or as professing but the Believing Church is not one and the professing another If you suppose another Catholick Church besides this one whoso will may be the Head of it we are not concerned therein but unto this Church Christ is the only Head He only answers all the Properties and Ends of such an Head to the Church This the Scripture doth so positively and frequently affirm without the least intimation either directly or by consequence of any other Head that it is wonderful how the imagination of it should befall the Minds of any who thought it not meet at the same time to cast away their Bibles But whereas an Head is to be present with the Body or it cannot subsist the Enquiry is how the Lord Christ is so present with his Church And the Scripture hath left no pretence for any hesitation herein for he 〈◊〉 so by his Spirit and his Word by which he communicateth all the Powers and Vertues of an Head unto it continually His Promises of this way and manner of his Presence unto the Church are multiplied and thereon doth the Being Life Use and Continuance of the Church depend where Christ is not present by his Spirit and Word there is no Church and those who pretend so to be are the Synagogues of Satan and they are inseparable and conjunct in their operation as he is the Hâ—â—d of influence unto the Church as also as he is an Head of Rule for in the former sense the Spirit worketh by the Word and in the latter the Word is made effectual by the Spirit But the Sense and Apprehension hereof was for a long time lost in the world amongst them that called themselves the Church An Head they did acknowledge the Church must always have without which it cannot subsist and they would confess that in some sense he was an Head of influence unto it they know not how to have an Image thereof though by many other pernicious Doctrines they overthrew the Efficacy and Benefit of it But how he should be the only Head of Rule unto the Church they could not understand they saw not how he could act the Wisdom and Authority of such an Head and without which the Church must be headless They said he was absent and invisible they must have one that they could see and have access unto he is in Heaven and they know not how to make Address to him as occasion did require all things would go to disorder notwithstanding
such an Headship The Church is visible and it must they thought have a visible Head It was meet also that this Head should have some such Grandeur and Pomp in the World as became the Head of so Great and Glorious a Society as the Church is How to apply these things unto Christ and his Presence with the Church by his Word and Spirit they knew not Shall they then forgo the Principle That the Church is to have such an Head and Supream Ruler That must not be done but be sacredly retained not only because to deny it in general is to renounce the Gospel but because they had found out a way to turn it unto their own advantage they would therefore make an Image of Christ as this Head of the Church to possess the Place and act all the Powers of such an Head for the Church they say is visible and must have a visible Head as though the Catholick Church as such were any other way visible but as the Head of it is that is by Faith That there must be an Head and Center of Union wherein all the Members of the Church may agree and be united notwithstanding all their distinct Capacities and Circumstances and how this should be Christ himself they know not that without a Supream Head present in the Church to compose all Differences and determine all Controversies even those concerning himself which they vainly pretend unto they expresly affirm that there was never a Society so foolishly ordered as that of the Church And hereon they conclude the Insufficiency of Christ to be this fâ—le Head of the Church another they must have for these Ends. And this was their Pope such an Image as is one of the worst of Idols that ever were in the world Unto him they give all the Titles of Christ which relate unto the Church and ascribe all the Powers of Christ in and over it as unto its Rule to him also But here they fell into a Mistake for when they thought to give him the Power of Christ they gave him the Power of the Dragon to use against Christ and those that are his And when they thought to make an Image of Christ they made an Image of the First Beast set up by the Dragon which had two Horns like a Lamb but spake as a Dragon whose Character and Employ is at large described Rev. 13.11 12 13 14 15 16 17. This is the Sum of what I shall offer on this Head Those who called themselves the Church had lost all Spiritual Light enabling them to discern the Beauty and Glory of the Rule of Christ over the Church as its Head and hereon their Minds became destitute of all Experience of the power and efficacy of his Spirit and Word continually to order the Affairs thereof in the ways and through the use of Means by himself appointed they knew not how to acquiesce in these things nor how the Church could be maintained by them Wherefore in this case they helped every one his Neighbour and every one said to his Brother be of good comfort so the Carpenter encouraged the Goldsmith and he that sâ—â—â—teth with the Hammer him that smiteth the Anvil They set themselves in their several capacities to frame this Idol and set him up in the place and stead of Christ so fixing him in the Temple of God that he might shew himself from thence to be as God Neither will this Idol be ever cast out of the Church until the Generality of Christians become spiritually sensible of the Authority of Christ exerting it self in the Rule of the Church by his Spirit and his Word unto all the Ends of Unity Order Peace and Edification until that be done a Pope or somthing like him will be thought necessary unto these Ends. But never was there a more horrid deformed Image made of so beautiful and glorious an Head All the Craft of Satan all the Wits of men cannot invent any thing more unlike Christ as the Head of the Church than this Pope is A worse Figure and Representation of him cannot possibly be made This is he of whom nothing not great nothing common nothing not exceeding the ordinary state of Mankind on the one hand or the other is thought or spoken Some say he is the Head and Husband of the Church the Vicar of Christ over the whole World God's Vicegerent a Vice-God Peter's Successor the Head and Center of Vnity unto the whole Catholick Church endued with a plenitude of Power with other Ascriptions of the same nature innumerable whereon it is necessary unto every Soul under pain of Damnation to be subject unto him Others aver that he is Antichrist the Man of Sin the Son of Perdition the Beast that came out of the Earth with two Horns like a Lamb and a Voice like the Dragon the false Prophet the Idol Shepherd the evil Servant that beateth his fellow-Servants the Adulterer of a Meretricious and false Church and there is no Mean betwixt these He is undoubtedly the One or the Other The Lord Jesus Christ who hath determined this Controversie already in his Word will ere long give it its ultimate Issue in his own glorious Person and by the brightness of his coming And this is an eminent Idol in the Chamber of Imagery in the Roman Church But at present it is evident wherein lies the preservation of Believers from being inveagled to bow down to this Image and to worship it A due sence of the sole Authority of Christ in and over his Church with an experience of the power of his Word and Spirit unto all the Ends of its Rule and Order will keep them unto the Truth herein and nothing else will so do And if once they decline from this in any Instances seem they never so small so as to admit of any thing in the Church or its Worship which doth not derive immediately from his Authority they will be disposed to admit of another Guide and Head in all other things also SECT V. Again it is a Notion of Truth That the Church of Christ is beautiful and glorious There are many Prophesies and Predictions concerning it that so it should be and there are sundry descriptions given of it as such It s Relation unto Christ with his Love unto it and valuation of it do require that it should be so glorious yea his great Design towards it was to make it so to be Eph. 5.25 26 27. This therefore all do agree in who profess Christian Religion but what that Glory is and wherein it doth consist whence it is and is said to be glorious is not agreed upon The Scripture indeed plainly declares this Glory to be Spiritual and internal that it consists in its Union unto Christ his presence with it the communication of his quickning Spirit unto it the cloathing of it with his Righteousness in its Sanctification and Purification from the defilement of Sin with its fruitfulness in Obedience unto
conscientious respect unto it Force and Fear rule all This is that Discipline in whose execution the blood of an innumerable company of Holy Martyrs hath been shed that wherein all the vital Spirits of the Papacy do act themselves and whereby it doth subsist and although it be the Image of Jealousie or the Image of the first Beast set up by the Dragon yet it cannot be denyed but that it is very wisely accommodated unto the present State of the Generality of them that are called Christians amongst them For being both blind and carnal and having thereby lost all Sense and Experience of the Spiritual Power of the Rule of Christ in their Consciences they are become an Herd not fit to be governed or ruled any other way Under the Bondage of it therefore they must abide till the vail of Blindness be taken away and they are turned unto God by his Word and Spirit for where the Spirit of the Lord is there and there alone is Liberty SECT VII Unto the foregoing particular Instances with respect unto the Church I shall yet add one more general which is indeed comprehensive of them all or the root from whence they spring a root-bearing Gall and Wormwood And this is concerning the Catholick Church What belongs unto this Catholick Church what is comprized in its Communion The Apostle declares Heb. 12.22 23 24. It is the Recapitulation of all things in Heaven and Earth in Christ Jesus Eph. 1.10 His Body his Spouse or Bride the Lambs Wife the glorious Temple wherein God doth dwell by his Spirit An holy mystical Society purchased and purified by the blood of Christ and united unto him by his spirit or the Inhabitation of the same spirit in him and those whereof it doth consist Hence they with him as the body with its head are mystically called Christ 1 Cor 12.12 And there are two parts of it the one whereof is already perfected in Heaven as unto their spirits and the other yet continued in the way of faith and obedience in this world Both these constitute one family in Heaven and Earth Ephes 3.15 In Conjunction with the holy Angels one Mystical-Body one Catholick Church And although there is a great difference in their present state and condition between these two branches of the same Family yet are they both equally purchased by Christ and united unto him as their Head having both of them effectually the same principle of the life of God in them Of a third part of this Church neither in Heaven nor in Earth in a temporary State participant somewhat of Heaven and somewhat of Hell called Purgatory the Scripture knoweth nothing at all neither is it consistent with the Analogy of Faith or the promises of God unto them that do believe as we shall see immediately This Church even as unto that part of it which is in this world as it is adorned with all the graces of the Holy Spirit is the most beautiful and glorious effect next unto the forming and production of its Head in the Incarnation of the Son of God which Divine Wisdom Power and Grace will extend themselves unto here below But these things the glory of this State is visible only unto the eye of Faith yea it is perfectly seen and known only to Christ himself We see it obscurely in the light of Faith and Revelation and are sensible of it according unto our participating of the graces and privileges wherein it doth consist But that spiritual light which is necessary to the discerning of this Glory was lost among those of whom we treat They could see no reality nor beauty in these things nor any thing that should be of advantage unto them For upon their principle of the utter uncertainty of mens spiritual estate and condition in this world it is evident that they could have no satisfactory perswasion of any concernment in it But they had possessed themselves of the notion of a Catholick Church which with mysterious Artifices they have turned unto their own incredible secular Advantage This is that whereof they boast appropriating it unto themselves and making it a pretence of destroying others what lies in them both temporally and eternally Unto this end they have formed the most deformed and detestable Image of it that ever the world beheld For the Catholick Church which they own and which they boast that they are instead of that of Christ is a company or society of men unto whom in order unto the constitution of that whole society there is no one real Christian grace required nor spiritual Vnion unto Christ the Head but only an outside profession of these things as they expresly contend A Society united unto the Pope of Rome as its head by a subjection unto him and his rule according to the Laws and Canons whereby he will grant them This is the formal reason and cause constituting that Catholick Church which they are which is compacted in it self by horrid Bonds and Ligaments for the ends of Ambition worldly Domination and Avarice A Catholick Church openly wicked in the generality of its rulers and them that are ruled and in its State cruel oppressive and died with the blood of Saints and Martyrs innumerable This I say is that Image of the Holy Catholick Church the spouse of Christ which they have set up And it hath been as the Image of Moloch that hath devoured and consumed the Children of the Church whose cryes when their cruel step-mother pittied them not and when their pretended Ghostly Fathers cast them into the flames came up unto the ears of the Lord of Hosts and their blood still cries for vengeance on this idolatrous generation Yet is this pretence of the Catholick Church pressed in the minds of many with so many Sophistical Artifices through the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lye in wait to deceive proposed with the allurements of so many secular advantages and imposed oftimes on Christians with so much force and cruelty that nothing can secure us from the Admission of it unto the utter overthrow of Religion but the means before insisted on A spiritual light is necessary hereunto to discern the internal spiritual beauty and glory of the true Catholick Church of Christ Where this is in its power all the paintings and dresses of their deformed Image will fall off from it and its abominable filth will be made to appear And this will be accompanied with an effectual experience of the glory and excellency of that grace in the souls of those that believe derived from Christ the sole head of this Church whereby they are changed from Glory to Glory as by the spirit of the Lord. The Power Life and sweetness hereof will give satisfaction unto their souls to the contempt of the pretended order of dependance on the Pope as an head By these means the true Catholick Church which is the body of Christ the fulness of him that filleth all in all growing
of the Gospel and endeavour as they say the conversion of the Souls of men This is the second Part of that Image which they have set up instead of the Holy Appointment of Jesus Christ The Third Way they insist on unto this purpose the third part of this Image consists in Plots and Contrivances to murder Princes to embroil Nations in Blood to stir up Sedition unto their Ruine inveagling and alluring all sorts of Vicious Indigent Ambitious Persons into an Association with them so to introduce the Catholick Religion in the places which they design to subvert This Engine for the Propagation of the Faith hath been plied with various Successes in many Nations of Europe and is still at work unto the same purpose And hereunto belong all the Arts which they use for the infatuation of the Minds of Princes and Great men all the Baits they lay for others of all sorts to work them over unto a compliance with their Designs Of these Parts I say is that dreadful Image made up and compos'd which they set up embrace and adore in the room of the Holy way for the propagation of the Gospel appointed by Jesus Christ In his way they can see no Beauty they can expect no success they cannot believe that ever the world will be converted by it or be brought in subjection unto the Pope and therefore betake themselves unto their own Faith Prayer Holiness Preaching Suffering all in expectation of the promised Presence and Assistance of Christ are no ways for efficacy success and advantage to be compared unto the Sword Inquisition and under-hand Designings And this also is that which they call Zeal for the Glory of God and the Honour of Christ another deformed Image which they have brought into Religion For whereas that Grace consists principally in postponing Self and all Self-concerns with an undervaluation of them unto the Glory of God and the special Duties whereby it may be promoted this Impious Design to destroy Mankind by all ways of Subtilty and Cruelty unto their own advantage is set up in the room of it But the consideration of the Nature and Spirit of the Vse and End of the Gospel of the Design of Christ in it and by it is sufficient to preserve the Souls of men not utterly infatuated in an abhorrency of this Image of its Propagation It is that wherein the God of this World by the help of their Blindness and Lusts hath put a cheat on mankind and prevailed with them under a pretence of doing Christ Honour to make the vilest Representation of him to the World that can be conceived If he hath appointed this way for the propagating of the Gospel he cannot well be distinguished from Mahomet But there is nothing more contrary unto him nothing that his holy Soul doth more abhor And had not men lost all spiritual Sense of the Nature and Ends of the Gospel they could never have given up themselves unto these Abominations For any to suppose that the Faith of the Gospel is to be propagated by such Cruelty and Blood by Art and Subtilty by Plots Conspiracies and Contrivances any way but by the foolishness of Preaching which unto that end is the Power and Wisdom of God is to declare his own Ignorance of it and inconcernment in it And had not men conceived and embraced another Religion than what is taught therein or abused a pretence thereof unto Ends and Advantages of their own this Imagination of the propagation of it had never taken place in their Minds it is so diametrically opposite unto the whole Nature and all the Ends of it SECT IX There is yet amongst them another Image of a General Principle no less horrid than that before mentioned and that with respect unto Religious Obedience It is the great foundation of all Religion and in especial of Christian Religion That God in all things is to be obeyed absolutely and universally Of all our Obedience there is no other Reason but that it is his Will and is known unto us so to be This follows necessarily from the infinite Perfections of the Divine Nature As the first Essential Verity he is to be believed in what he reveals above and against all contradiction from pretended Reasons or any Imaginations whatever and as he is the only absolute Independent Being Essential Goodness and the Sovereign Lord of all things he is without further Reason Motive or Inducement to be absolutely obeyed in all his Commands An Instance whereof we have in Abraham offering his only Son without dispute or hesitation in compliance with a Divine Revelation and Command It will seem very difficult to frame an Image hereof amongst men with whom there is not the least shadow of these Divine Perfections namely Essential Verity and absolute Sovereignty in conjunction with infinite Wisdom and Goodness which alone renders such an Obedience lawful useful or suitable unto the Principles of our rational Natures But these of whom we speak have not been wanting unto themselves herein especially the principal Craftmen of this Image-Trade The Order of the Jesuites have made a bold Attempt for the framing of it Their Vow of blind Obedience as they call it unto their Superiors whereto they resign the whole conduct of their Souls in all the concernments of Religion in all Duties toward God and man unto their Guidance and Disposal is a cursed Image of this absolute Obedience unto the Commands of God which he requireth of us Hence the Founder of their Order was not ashamed in his Epistle ad Fratres Lusitanos to urge and press this blind Obedience from the Example of Abraham yielding Obedience unto God without debate or consideration as if the Superiors of the Order were Good and not Evil and Sinful men Whilst this Honour was reserved unto God whilst this was judged to be his Prerogative alone namely that his Commands are to be obeyed in all things without Reasonings and Examinations as unto the Matter Justice and Equity of them meerly because they are his which absolutely and infallibly conclude them good holy and just the righteous Government of the world and the Security of men in all their Rights was safely provided for for he neither will nor can command any thing but what is holy just and good But since the Ascription of such a Godlike Authority unto man as to secure blind Obedience unto all their Commands innumerable Evils in Murders Seditions and Perjuries have openly ensued thereon But besides those particular Evils in matter of Fact which have proceeded from this corrupt Fountain this perswasion at once takes away all grounds of Peace and Security from Mankind for who knows what a Crew or Sort of men called the Jesuites Superiors known only by their restless Ambition and evil Practices in the world may command their Vassals who are sworn to execute whatever they command without any consideration whether it be right or wrong good or evil Let Princes and other great men
notitiae connotat affectum light and heat clearer views and dearer and stronger Loves must go together 3. The Persons who are to labour after a greater measure of Knowledg and those are real Christians who have attained to some degree of spiritual Understanding that Light which is as the Light of the Moon should be increased so as to equal the Light of the Sun and that which is as the Light of the Sun should be augmented so as to equal the light of seven days should grow more and more glorious 4. The Arguments to perswade and they are two Christ is their Lord Christ is their Saviour 1. Christ is their Lord a Lord most great most gracious the more this is understood the better will his Service be liked as honourable and advantageous and Obedience will be yielded with greater chearfulness and constancy 2. Christ is their Saviour a Saviour from the greatest Evils Sin and the miserable effects of it in time in eternity a Saviour to the greatest Blessedness an everlasting Kingdom and Glory a Saviour of that which is most pretious the Soul which if safe the whole man must needs be secured The Text may be considered with a double reference to what goes before to what follows after 1. To what goes before grow in Grace and Knowledg 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and hence we may observe That the way to increase in Grace is to increase in the Knowledg of Christ the means of Grace will be found inefficacious and empty will convey nothing if Christ be not with them and in them if he be not understood by those that use them All that fulness out of which the Church is replenished from the beginning of the world to the very end of it it has pleased the Father should dwell in Christ Col. 1.19 If a man know where a vast Treasure lies hid he may quickly go and enrich himself the way to have more Grace is to understand that Christ is the Fountain from whence all Grace is derived He is head over all things to his Church which is his Body and is called to shew the reality and plentifulness of Communication the fulness of him who filleth all in all Eph. 1. ult 2. The Text may be referred to what follows after To him be Glory both now and for ever Amen Hence observe thâ—t thâ— grâ—â—â—â—r Knâ—â—lâ—â—â—â—â—â— Christ we attain to the more we shall â—â—â—â—â—r and sâ—◠〈…〉 glorifie him his Godhead is the same with the Fathers his 〈…〉 Dominion equal and eternal The Church millitant muâ—◠〈…〉 begin to glorifie her Lord and Saviour and wheâ— she comes to be 〈…〉 praises will be vastly higher and to magnifie to love to aâ—â—ire and to rejoyce in him will be her everlasting business But I shall wave the Connexion and from the words themselâ—â—â— râ—â—se this Doctrine That it highly concerns all sâ—â—cere 〈◊〉 to grow and iâ—crease in the Knowledg of Christ The Gospel which revâ—â—ls Christ 〈…〉 mystery which the Angels themselves desire to 〈…〉 looking they admire the manifold wisdom of God the exceeding riches of his Grace and love and shall not the Saints search farthâ—â— into this Gospel shall they not look more unto and into Jesus what 〈…〉 him the nature of Angels but the Seed of Abraham The better Christ is understood the better will they understand how happy he has maâ—â—â— them and that Christ being theirs all is theirs The question that in this exercise I am to answer is this How 〈…〉 grow in the Knowledg of Christ and make use of and 〈…〉 Kâ—â—wledg Now that the Answer may be the more full I shall do theâ—â— four things First I shall tell you what it is to grow in the Knowledg of Christ 〈◊〉 the telling you this will tend to the advancement of this groâ—th Seâ—ondly What Properties are required in this Knowledg Thirdly The Directions are to follow that you may increase in the Knowledg of him Fourthly What Vse and Improvement you are to makâ— of tâ—is Kâ—â—wledg or of Christ known I begin with the first of these What it is to grow in the Kâ—â—wledg of Christ Here several Propositions are to be premised 1. The Knowledg of Christ is of the greatest Excellency The Apostle calls this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 3.8 Yea doubtless and I câ—â—â—t â—ll things but loss for the Excellency of the Knowledg of Christ Jesus my Lord other kind of Knowledg is like Light from the Sâ—ars this like bâ—amâ— from the Sun Christ is called the Sun of Righteousness He is called Wisdâ—m in the abstract Sapientiae omnimoda sapientia Prov. 1.20 in the Hebrew it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wisdom in him iâ—â—he Sum the Perfection of Wisdom To know him does assimuâ—ate and make us like him and when we shall have a full view of him in glory we shall to our utmost capacity fully resemble him To know him is Life eternal and they that seek Life any other way will find death 〈◊〉 themselves mistaken in the end No wonder the Apostle glories in 〈◊〉 Knowledg and that an ancient Father said he was glâ—d he had sometâ—â—â—â— of value he meant Philâ—sophy to despise in comparison 2. This Knowledg of Christ is of absolute necessity Stat invicta haec rupe s. Ego sum Via nullus a in s quicquid ante m via haec non fuerit error lubricum te nebraesunt Luther Tom. 2. p. 507. In Scripture he is compared to those things which are so needful that we cannot be without them 〈◊〉 Mâ—â—t and Drink and Raiment Christ is the Bread of Life the fountain of Living Water we are to put on the Lord Jesus his righteousness is tâ—â— Garment which must cover and secure us To be totally ignorant â—f him must needs be death eternal for there is not Salvation in any other◠〈◊〉 4.12 3. The Knowledg of Christ is by supernatural revelation Much of God may be râ—â—d in the Book of nature his visible Works do make the wisdom pâ—wer and goodness of the Worker also visible But Christ is a mystery hâ—d from Ages and Genâ—rations and would have remained hid still if the Gospel had not revealed him Col. 1.26 Who could ever have thought of God his being manifested in the flâ—sh and redeeming the Church with his oâ—â—â— Blood if this had not been brought to Light by the Gospel Thâ—se are indeed the deep things of God which the Spirit reveals 1 Cor. 2.10 11. and power to discern them and believe them is from the same Spirit 4. The Knowledg of Christ was communicated in a degree under the old Testament The Prophets spake of him and if they had not what they had said besides had been insignificant The Law was a Schoolmaster to bring Israel to Christ Gal. 3.24 The Ceremonial Law requiring the blood of so many sacrifices 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shewed plainly that the Sacrificers themselves deservâ—d to die and therefore is said to be against them
day you cannot indeed expect in this world but that 't is possible that your darkness may be much more dispell'd and 't is your fault if it be not So far as darkness remains the Prince of darkness has Power the world has an advantage and there is danger of being reduced to the works of darkness The want of greater light is the cause of doubts and fears disconsolateness and confusion How little do you know of Christ in comparison of what you ought or might Are you got beyond the surface of Gospel Mysteries how far from searching into the heart of them and discerning the depths of wisdom the â—eigâ—th of love in them Hence it is that your admiration and affection are no greater You are engaged in a warfare 't is dangerous fighting in the dark especially with an enemy that fights best there You are travelling in a very narrow way the less of light is in you you will find it the more difficult to keep this way For shame be not Babes in knowledge but in understanding be ye men 1 Cor. 14 20. Let it very much humble you to consider the small progress you have made in knowledge notwithstanding the great advantages you have had of improvement 2. Compare all other Knowledge and this Knowledge of Christ together and see the vast difference in point of excellency and this will stir you up to grow therein The Philosophers of old how restless were their minds how endless their inquiries the farther they went the more they were puz'led and after long study they came to understand that they fully understood nothing That Wise King of Israel after he had diligently employed his large understanding about humane knowledge he cryes out as a man exceedingly vexed and disappointed Eccles 1 18. In much Wisdom there is much grief and he that increases knowledge increases sorrow But the knowledge of Christ is of another nature He that rightly understands the Lord Jesus understands how to have his guilt removed his heart renewed his conscience calmed his Soul secured and that for ever This knowledge is not a vexation but a satisfaction to the Spirit both because of its certainty and because of the superabundant grace and fulness in Christ who is known Here it may truly be said Intellectus est in quiete the better Christ is understood the more the Soul that understands him is at rest 3. You must not lean to your own parts and understandings Men of the greatest natural capacities have been men of the greatest mistakes and the foolest errours and herein they have embraced for the truths of Christ and the reason is because their hearts being proud God thwarted them and their pride blinded them In your ordinary secular affairs 't is not safe to confide in your own wisdom but even here you are to acknowledge God Certainly then when searching into the Mysteries of the Gospel you must be sensible that the sharpest understanding has need of illumination from above You must indeed be fools that you may be wise 1 Cor. 3 18. A sight of your folly and weakness must make and keep you very humble Such the Lord has promised to guide in judgeâ—â—nt and to teach his way Psal 25 9. 4. Heedfully attend to the word of the truth of the Gospel this is the great means to infose and to increase the knowledge of Christ 'T is called the word of Christ Col. 3 16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom Because Christ is the Author of it and the principal subject therein treated of The Gospel informs you of his Natures divine and humane of his Offices Prophetital Priestly Kingly of his benefits justification adoption regeneration strong consolation and such like Conarer in animos summâ vi inserere infigere infulcire amorem amorem autem imo vero ardorem potius literarum verè Sacrarum Conarer ad legendum illas extimulare ad perscrutandum animare ad medirandum nocturrâ versandum manu versandum diurnâ ad insenescendum aâ— immoriendum denique quanta maximâ possem vâ—â—â—mentiâ inflammare Mart. Dorpiuâ— De laud. Pauli p. 6. The Gospel informs you what he did what he suffered and how he eyed his Churches good in both It informs you where Christ is gloriously present in the highest Heavens where he is graciously present he walks in the midst of the Golden Candlesticks and accompanies his own institutions with a mighty and gracious efficacy Oh study this Gospel more take it in at your eyes by reading it at your ears by hearing it nay receive it into your very hearts the Gospel is that which brings you to the knowledge of Christ and so makes you wâ—fe unto Salvation 5. Look unto Jesus himself for in him are had all treasuries of Wisdom and Knowledge Col. 2 3. The Sun is seen by its own light the knowledge of Christ is derived from himself He is the greatest and best of Prophets who teacheth like him He not only reveals the things of peace but also gives the power of spiritual discerning 't is from Him that we have the Ey-salve to make us see Prov. 3 18 and the more of this Ey-salve we see the clearer What kind of Master would that be that were well skilled in all sorts of learning and were able also to give parts and capacities to all his Scholars that they might be all excellent Christ is such a Master as can give subtlâ—â—y to the simple and reveal those things to babes which are above the wise and prudent of the world 'T is said of Jesus that He opened the Disciples understandings thâ—t they might understand the Scriptures Luk. 24.45 There was good reason why the Apostle should wish that the Lord Jesus might be with Timothy's Spirit 2 Tim. 4 22. that he might be better instructed and that he might be a better instructer 6. Cry for more Knowledge and eye the promise of the Spirit of Wisdom and revelation The Psalmist who was wiser then his enemies that understood more then his teachers that had greater understanding then the Ancients Psal 119 98 99 100 how often and how earnestly does he cry to be taught of God v. 33 34. Teach me O Lord the way of thy Statutes and I shall keep it to the end give me undâ—rstanding and I shall keep thy Law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart He that has the greatest measure of knowledge has reason to beg for more And â—hat which is an encouragement to prayer is the readiness of the Father of lights to give Wisdom liberally without upbraiding and likewise the promise he has made of his Spirit who is styled by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Spirit of wisdom and revelation Eph. 1 17. The Spirit searcheth all things even the deep things of God these are the truths of Christ in the Gospel and the Spirit reveals them which also could more have entred into the heart of men 1 Cor. 2
9 10. Lay hold of the promise of the Spirit which the Father is more forward to give then earthly Parents bread to their hungry Children take heed of grieving this holy Spirit deliver up your selves to his guidance and hear what he saith unto the Churches and he will lead you farther into all truth and glorify Christ Joh. 16 14. by causing you to see more of his beauty more of his glory 7. Take heed of seducing Spirits Hearken to the Apostle Joh. 14 1. Beloved believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they are of God and the Trial is to be made with reference to Christ v. 2. It is much to be observed that Satan the Father of lies in broaching of heresies has struck at our Lord Jesus in a special manner Arrius of old denied his Godhead Eutyches his Manhood Nestorius denyed the Union of his Nature in one Person Pelagius opposed his Grace and Antichrist would fain banish his Gospel and hinder him from being lookt unto as the only Mediatour You that are the Sheep of Christ hearken not to the voice of such strangers but flee from them Be not like Children toss't too and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine as you would become perfect men in the knowledge of the Son of God and attain to the measure of the Stature of the fulness of Christ Eph. 4 13 14. 8. Abstain from worldly and fleshly lusts these put out the Souls eyâ— and take away the heart These lusts are called deceitful and foolish lusts for they make meer fools of those that make provision to fulfil them The cleaner your hearts are from pride envy passion malice evil concupiscence and covetousness the clearer will the eyes of your understandings be to see the Lord Jesus The Apostle bids the Ephesians Chap. 4 22 23. to put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts and then adds be ye renewed in the Spirit of your mind So Col. 3 5 10. Mortify your members which are upon Earth fornication uncleanness inordinate affection c. and then it follows put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the Image of him that created him 9. Associate your selves with them who have a great measure of the Knowledge of Christ Solomon tells us He that walketh with the wise shâ—ll be wise but a companion of fools shall be destroyed Prov. 13 20. Value the communion of Saints and delight in them as the most excellent Company and like them best when they shew the best of themselves and most of all manifest that light and heat that is in them Oh what an improvement might Saints make one of another as to wisdom grace and consolation if they were not wanting â—ne to â—â—other and to themselves also The weaker Christians should learn of the stronger â—specially of their Teachers and Teachers themselves by iâ—â—â—â—ing light to others would find then own light increased Ego ex corum numero me essâ— profiteor qui scribunt proficiendo scribendo proficiunt August Epist 7. Knowledge being likâ— the Widdows oyl which the more it was drawn out the more it was augmented 10. Let your end in desiring a greater degree of the Knowledge of Christ be right not that you may be paâ—â— up in your own minds or admired by men but that Christ may bâ— more admired and esteemed by you If knowledge pulls you up you â—re not really great and grown but only swell'd and diseased Apparet Christus humilis ad superbos Est enim superbia non magnitudo sed tumor quod autem tumes videtur magâ—â—â—sed non est saâ— num Augustin Serm. 27. de Temp. as a Father observes Superbia non est magnitude sed tumor More talents will be committed to your trust if you ask more that you may improve them Let this be your design in desiring to grow in the knowledge of Christ that your Faith may grow exceedingly that your love may grow more ardent and that over all things in your hearts Christ may know the preheminence Long to know him better that this knowledge may more perfectly cleanse both your hearts and conversations Follow on to know him that you may follow harder after him In the fourth and last place I am to tell you what Vse and improvement you are to make of this knowledge of Christ or of Christ known And here I might speak largely first of all to them that are without Christ you that are in this state must needs he also without hope and with us God in the world You that are such pray consider what you have heard concerning the Lord Jesus and seriously weigh with your selves whether you have reason still to slight him Much good has been told you concerning him and none but a lying Spirit can suggest and a foolish heart believe that 't is best still to keep at a distance from him Christ calls after you to this day though you have long rejected him behold he stand at the door and knocks Prov. 3.20 waiting that he may be gracious Oh that at length you would he prevailed with to come to him I shall only vse these two arguments to perswade you 1. Christ is willing to receive the very must of you upon your returning and believing he will take you with all your faults and obtain your full and free pardon he will take you with all your debts and cross your scores cancel your bonds though you debts amount to many thousand talents He will take you with all your infirmities though â—ever so soul and loathsome and heal and cleanse your Souls by his Blood and Spirit The Apostle Paul speaks of his being apprehended of Jesus Christ Phil. 3 12. And when our Lord Jesus apprehended him and graciously received him whom did he receive it was a Blasphemer 〈◊〉 Persecutâ—r and Injurious and yet he obtained mercy Iâ— tâ—e Apostle had ransack all he could hardly have found a worse â—rue theâ— those mentioned 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11. Fornicatours Idolaters Adulterers â—ffiminate abusers of themselves with Mankind Thieves Covetous Drunkards Revilers Extortioners and yet these were washt and sanctified first and saved afterwards Here is a strong inducement to the very worst to come to this Gracious this mighty Saviour 2. Christ is willing to give himself to you so that all that he is and has shall be yours you are not only called but wooâ—d you are solicited to give your conâ—ent marriage and this is the greatest and the bâ—â— Match of all to be married to the Prince of life and Lord of all Be but willing to be his he is much more willing to be yours Oh wonder at his condescending love wonder at your own madness in standing out and presently yield your selves to Jesus saying Lord we repent we believe help thâ—â— our and â—â—belief and heal the impenitency and â—ardness of our hearts I shall say no more at present to the
is this Quest How may our belief of Gods Governing the world support us in all worldly distractions The Text which I have now read is the precious and sure foundation on which I am to build in that we find these things observable 1. A comfortable assertion the Lord reigneth i. e. Jehovah God or if you please our Lord Jesus Christ unto whom all power is given both in Heaven and in Earth For that he is particularly intended in this Psalm may be gathered from vers 7. Confounded be all they that serve graven Images and boast themselves of their Idols worship him all ye Gods which last words relate to Christ as the Apostle Paul assures us Heb. 1 6. When he bringeth in the first begotten into the World he saith and let all the Angels of God worship him 2. Here is an Exhortation to joy and gladness upon account of the Lords reigning Let the Earth rejoyce and let the multitude of Isles be glad thereof i. e. Let all the world rejoyce at least all those that are the subjects of this mighty Lord who have bowed to his Scepter and submitted themselves to his Government as a willing people in the day of his power Christ was the desire of all Nations and there is reason why he and his Government should be the delight and satisfaction of all Nations Both those in the Earth by which some understand the Continent and those in the Isles England Scotland and Ireland among the rest or if you please you may understand the Gentiles because that passage of the Prophet Isa 42 4. The Isles shall waite for his Law is by the Evangelist rendered thus Mat. 12 21. In his name shall the Gentiles trust 3. We have here the manner how the Lord administers his Kingdoms and mannageth his Government and that is laid down in two things 1. First with terrible majesty and mysteriousness this you have in the former part of the second Verse Clouds and darkness are round about him Which words do intimate to us the tremendous majesty of the Lord which may well strike an awe upon his Subjects and friends and much more fill his enemies with dread and horrour He was terrible at his giving forth the fiery Law upon Mount Sinai As we read Deut. 11 4. The Mountain burnt with fire unto the midst of Heaven with darkness Clouds and thick darkness So he is and will be still in his present and future appearances and dispensations Mala. 3 2. Who shall abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth well may that question be propounded for Mat. 12 3. His Fan is in his hand and he will throughly purge his Floor and gather his wheat into the garner but burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire And as these Clouds and darkness do signifie the terrible Majesty so the mysteriousness of his proceedings He often goeth so much out of our sight that we are unable to give an account of what he doth or what he is about to do Frequently the Pillar of divine Providence is dark throughout to Israelites as well as Egyptians so that his own People understand not the Riddles till he is pleased to be his own Interpreter and so lead them into his Secrets Psalm 77 19. His way is in the Sea and his path in the great Waters and his footsteps are not known c. The Lord mannageth his Kingdom and Government with perfect equity and unspotted Justice Righteousness and Judgment are the habitation of his Throne Righteousness whereby he preserves saves and rewards the good Judgment whereby he punishes confounds and destroyes the wicked These are the habitation of his Throne his Tribunal his Seat of Judicature These are the Basis or foundation which give unto his Throne is recritudinem stabilitatem rectitude and establishment His Throne is established in righteousness and the Scepter of his Kingdom is a right Scepter Though there be Clouds yet no blemishes though darkness yet no deformities Psalm 92 15. The Lord is upright he is our Rock there is no unrighteousness in him The Doctrine I shall speak to is this In the midst of all outward distractions and confusions Doct. Gods Governing the world may and should be the support and joy of his Saints In the handling thereof I shall observe this method 1. Enquire what Government is 2. Prove that God doth Govern the World 3. Shew why this should support and comfort his People 4. Improve the whole in a way of use I begin with the first of these Quest What is Government Answer I answer Government is the exerting or putting forth of that Power which any one is justly cloathed with for the ordering and directing of Persons and things to their right and proper ends In this description of Government are three things to be considered and spoken to In all Government there is an end fixed and aimed at Thus it is in Domestick or Family Government which Parents have over their Children by nature and Masters over their Servants by vertue of Contract The end of that Government is the good of the Family and every one that is a member thereof The Parent or Master ought not to be wholly addicted to himself nor to aime solely at his own honour pleasure and advantage but to desire study and by all lawful means to promote the good and welfare of the whole And just so it is with Political Government both in Cities and Provinces and Kingdoms or Empires When People did at first excogitate and constitute such or such a form of Government and place one or more at the Helm and submitted themselves to him or them no rational man can doubt but it was for some wise end Government and Governours are not set up for nothing but for an end which end is either supreme and ultimate or inferiour and subordinate The supreme and ultimate end is and ought and deserves to be the glory of God the exalting of his Name the preserving securing and inlarging of his interest the maintaining and promoting of Religion and Godliness None can shoot at a fairer mark nor drive a nobler design this is worthy of men of the best and greatest men It is the great end which God himself aimes at in all the works of his Hands He both made all things for himself and for himself likewise he doth uphold and order them And unto this end all Magistrates are in duty bound to have an eye and direct their rule and all their actions This is the great work of their place the main and principal business of their Office The good Lord give them all an heart to consider it and to act accordingly As they rule by God so they are obliged to rule for him they ought not so much to design the lifting up of themselves as the lifting up the Name of God and Christ in the world especially in their own Dominions That Magistrate who doth not make the glory of God
in his Spirit upon the consideration of Gods work both for their number and for their wisdom Psal 104 24. O Lord how manifold are thy works in wisdom hast thou made them all They are very many yet all very good notwithstanding their multitude and variety God miscarried in none there is an impress of wisdom upon them all 3. God governs all things powerfully where the word of a King is Solomon tells us there is power what power then doth the Word of God carry along with it He orders and rules turns and overturns things as he thinks good That is a notable and very comfortable place which we have Isa 33 11. The Counsel of the Lord standeth for ever and the thoughts of his heart to all generations The counsel of the Lord doth so stand as that all things shall certainly fall before it that rise up in opposition to it The counsel of the Heathen when contrary thereunto is brought to nought and the devices of the people are made of no effect As the rod of Moses prevailed against the rods of the Magicians so do the thoughts and counsels of God against all other thoughts and counsels that run counter and bid defiance to them Psal 135 6. Whatsoever the Lord pleased that he did in the Heaven and in the Earth and in the Seas and in all dâ—ep places Gods will obtains and hath the upperhand every where Down Man down Pope down Devil you must yield things shall not be as you will but as God will We may well say who hath resisted his will many indeed disobey and sin against the will of his precept but none ever did none ever shall frustrate or obstruct the will of his purpose for he will do all his pleasure and in his way Mountains shall become a plain Many men think and some say they will do what they will especially great men who are advanced in place and armed with power they love to be arbitrary stat pro ratione voluntas their will is their own reason and shall be other mens Law but to say I will have my will is a Speech too lofty for a Creature When they exalt their wills God can bind their hands and break their necks How resolved was Pharaoh he would do this and that I that he would Exod. 15 9. The enemy said I will pursue I will overtake I will divide the spoile my lust shall be satisfied upon them I will draw my Sword mine hand shall destroy them But God was full out as much resolved that as high and great and proud as Pharaoh was yet he should not have his will and God was too hard for him verse 10. Thou didst blow with the wind the Sea covered them they sunk down as lead in the mighty waters by the blast of God they perished and by the breath of his Nostrils they were consumed God did â—asily scatter and consume them as if they had been but dust or chaff the breath of Gods nostrils stopt the breath of their nostrils Nay God need not send forth a blast when he did but give a look the Host of the Egyptians was troubled When God hides his face from his people he troubles them and when he looks upon his enemies he can trouble them Nay more God cannot only bind the hands of men but he likewise can bind their wills yea and turn their hearts too as the Rivers of water He can make enemies to be at peace and Lyons to lye down with Lambs and Leopards with Kiddes and Egyptians to lend their Jewels unto Israelites yea he cannot only pacify them but reconcile them turning their enmity into friendship and their hatred into love Esau resolved to kill his Brother Jacob but he embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him Observe that passage which plainly speaks Gods power over the Spirits and wills of men Exod. 34 23 24. Gods command there was this thrice in the year shall all your men children appear before the Lord God of Israel And his promise was this no man shall desire thy Land when thou shalt go up to appear before the Lord thy God thrice in the year The Jews were invironed with enemies and those enemies might very well desire their Land because it was a good and pleasant Land flowing with milk and hony and when all the males were gone up to Jerusalem and so the borders of the Country were left naked that was a fit opportunity for an invasion But saith God trouble not your selves do your duty go up when I bid you and I will take care and overrule in the case look you to your duty and I will look to your borders I will so order the Spirits of your enemies that not a man among them shall have any mind to give you a disturbance or to make an inroad into your Country And this may afford strong consolation to us in the very worst of times and when things are darkest that God whom we own and serve hath such a mighty and effectual influence upon the hearts and wills of men even of those that are his peoples most desperate and inraged enemies 4. God doth govern the world most righteously So the Text tells us Righteousness and Judgment are the habitation of his Throne It is true many times affairs are so mannaged and things at such a pass good men deprest so low and wicked men advanced so high vice encouraged and vertue frowned upon godliness trampled under foot and prophaneness rampant and triumphing that thereby some have been induc'd to question and deny a Providence and even good men have been stumbled as we may see in several precious and eminent Saints Joh Jeremy Habakkuk Asaph whose names stand upon record in the Sacred Scripture But it doth not become any of us to call the great and glorious God down to the bar of our reason nor to measure his dealings with our line It is not for us to be his Counsellors nor his Judges Rather where we cannot comprehend him let us adore him and give him the justification of faith still resolving with Jeremy to hold fast this conclusion Righteous art thou O Lord. And this is certain whatsoever advantages some wicked men may have as to temporal outward enjoyments yet even here good men have the better of them their lines are cast in more pleasant places so that they have no cause of envy nor complaint Have wicked men at any time the smiles of the world the favour of great ones waters of a cup full wrung out to them do they ruffle in Silks and glister with Jewels and abound with sensitive comforts The Saints though they be poor and afflicted and despised and counted the off-scouring of the world have the love of Gods heart which is most cordial better than wine and the graces of his Spirit which do outworth the gold of Ophyr and oftentimes the light of his countenance and beams of his favour which makes the most lightsome
keep them A transgression of the Law is the endangering of a Subject He shall give his Angels charge ever thee to kâ—ep thee in all thy ways Their commission as large 〈◊〉 it is reaches no further when you leave that you lose your guard but while you keep your way Angels yea the God of Angels will keep you Do not so much fear loosing your Estate or your liberty or your lives as losing your way and leaving your way fear that more than any thing nothing but Sin exposeth you to misery So long as you keep your way you shall keep other things or if you lose any of them you shall get that which is better though you may be sufferers for Christ you shall not be losers by him Noah was a just man and perfect in his generation and walked with God and he was secured in the Ark before the world was drowned with the Flood Let the worst come that can it is not so bad as carnal reason represents it if a good man should be deprived of his temporal comforts it will commend spiritual ones the more to him so that he shall the better rellish and taste them Gods voice is never so sweet as when he speaks comfortably in a wilderness If a Child of God should be cut off by a violent stroak he is thereby brought the sooner to his Father such a death is the shortest way home If inraged Persecutors add to his sufferings in so doing tâ—â—y add to his Crown and by making his burden heavy they make his glory the more exceeding weighty 3. Let Gods governing the World be the matter of your Faith no Truth will be a Staff of Support unless you carry it in a believing hand precepts will not prevail threatnings will not awe you and promises will not comfort you and the most pretious Scripture-Revelations will not chear you any farther than as they are believed Let a Minister of the Gospel present you with never so precious a Cordial made up of the most choice and excellent Ingredients it will do you no good unless it be mingled by you with Faith therefore believe that the management and ordering of all things is in the hand of God and pray that you may have a well confirmed and improved Faith hereof when the Faith is weak it affords but weak comfort do you strengthen your Faith and that will greaten your peace and raise your joy to this end Be careful of this that you do nothing to the prejudice of your Faith do not you weaken that which must support you what a madness was it for Sampson to let his Locks be cut when he knew he should lose his strength together with them Now there is nothing in the World so prejudicial to Faith as Sin is A guilty Conscience doth always make a palsey-hand which is tremulous and shaking whensoever it goes about to lay hold upon God and Christ and the Covenant or any promise Rebukes of Conscience are severe checks to Faith O! saith the poor soul when snib'd from within What! shall I look upon God as my God alass I have disobeyed and dishonoured him Shall I trust in Christ as my Saviour I have crucified him afresh and put him to an open shame Shall I rejoyce in the Covenant I have broken it and dealt falsely in it Shall I delight in the promise and live upon it where is the Condition I cannot find it in my self Such Reflexions as these produce inward Troubles and Disquiets and Fears so that the very sweet meats of the Gospel are imbittered to such an one He cannot rellish them because he questions his Interest in them What is all God to one that cannot say my God Guilt makes Faith and Comfort run low whereas Great Peace have they that love the Law and nothing shall offend them they have peace in trouble joy in sorrow calms in storms inward sedateness in the midst of outward Commotions If our hearts condemn us not then have we boldness toward God and if so then comfort comes in from every Prospect which we have of God Let us then Look upon him which way we will we shall see smiles and delights that very appearance which is dark to others will give Light to us Lastly Be very serious and frequent in your Meditations upon Gods Governing the World transient and fleeting thoughts make either none or but little and slight and short Impressions The Burning-Glass will not Fire any combustible matter unless it be held some considerable time with a steady hand in the beams of the Sun so it is here dwell therefore in your thoughts upon this Subject consider it and return to consider repeat the Work again and again and again 25. Ps 15. Mine Eyes are ever toward the Lord that is often and often at all times and upon all occasions Was he in straits he looked to God Was he in danger he looked to God Was he in fears he still looked to God and that supported him as you may gather from the next Words He shall pluck my Feet out of the Net though mine Enemies have got me in their Net and I am so entangled in it that I cannot make my own Escape yet God shall pluck me out from him I shall have my Deliverance and a Song And in such Cases and Conditions we should specially look to God under the notion of Supreme Rector and Governour of the World Are there confusions and distresses up and down in the World Are Foundations out of course yet comfort your selves with this that God sits at the helm and he is our refuge and strength a very present help in time of trouble you will find serious reiterated meditation will be exceeding influential upon you David remembred God upon his Bed and meditated upon him in the night-watches and called to mind his former mercies how he had been his help 63. Psalm and this greatly supported and comforted him therefore saith He in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoyce he would both hide under it and rejoyce Gods shadow should be both his shelter and his Paradise and so it may well be for his Name is not only a strong Tower but likewise an Ointment poured forth having in it strength and sweetness In the second Use I exhort and beseech you to evidence it unto the World That your Belief of Gods Governing the World doth really support and chear you in the midst of the present Distractions when many Mens hearts are failing for fear of those things which may come to pass The Truth is the day in which Providence hath cast us is a day of Distraction the World is stark mad wicked men are mad upon sin and vanity and superstition and idolatry and mad against Religion and Godliness Well Christians if they will be mad let them be so God knows how to tame them and how to chain and fetter them too he hath hooks for their Noses and bridles for their Jaws Only be
obstruct this work of Regeneration that either of the other Extreams have 2. Another Requisite to our eternal happiness is a progress in this way of Life by maintaining an holy and heavenly conversation God hath said let who will or dare contradict it Heb. 12.14 Follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. This Holiness of heart and Life consists in our fiducial dependance upon Gods Promises and in a sincere and hearty respect to all Gods Precepts in the making the Word of God our Rule and the Glory of God with the Salvation of our Souls our main and ultimate end and this in the whole course of our Lives and Conversations This is that Trade of Godliness in which we must be exercising our selves whilst we live if we design to be really happy when we die Now a middle worldly Condition considering our present Case is the most advantageous and hath the fewest hinderances for our driving on with success this Trade 1. A man under the Extream of Poverty destitute of necessary Provisions for the supply of this Life and yet suppose him a godly man Psal 37.25 such a Supposition may be made though David tells us I have been young and now am old yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken nor his Seed begging Bread From whence some though I judge upon a mistake would conclude that extream Poverty so as to be reduced to Beggery is a Condition that God never exposes his Children to But thus to say would doubtless be a condemning of the generation of the righteous one thing which God abhors some of whom in all Ages have been brought to such great straights that they have been necessitated to beg or starve And we read of some that were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 11.37 destitute afflicted tormented of whom yet the world was not worthy So that I rather approve of that Sence of the foregoing Text which confines it either to Davids Experience in his time or rather to lay the Emphasis of the Matter upon the Word forsaken When Paul gives us a Catalogue of his Distresses he puts in this as an alleviation of his Troubles 2 Cor. 4.9 Psal 37.24 Persecuted but not forsaken which Sence also sutes best with the Context Though he fall he shall not be utterly cast down for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand Now supposing a Child of God under the Extream of Poverty though de jure this ought not yet de facto it does prove very prejudicial to this Trade of Godliness and this many times several ways sometimes it does necessitate them to absent themselves from those outward means and those Soul quickning Opportunities which others enjoy whereby their hearts might be kept up warm and lively for God Are there not many at this day whilst you can spare so much time as to come hither in a morning to gather up this heavenly Manna that falls at your doors who are forced poor hearts to be hard at their Labours and that to get Necessaries for themselves and Families Sometimes though that is sad I confess are they overpowered by temptations to use indirect means for the relieving their wants which upon a review make sad work in their Consciences and set them many degrees back in the way of holiness Sometimes they are so dispirited with the weight of their Burdens that they are almost totally uncapable of doing any thing in their general or particular Callings not knowing how to pray nor how to work Oh the Temptations that such poor Souls are under to Distrust to Murmuring and Repining to Unthankfulness and Discontent every of which are very prejudicial to the life of Holiness 2. Consider the other extream riches Suppose a man to be great and in the main good and godly too a rarity but withal a singular blessing to the ages and places in which they live alass how difficult is it for such to thrive in Godliness when they are under the bright rays of worldly prosperity do we not too often sind that riches prove to a godly man what the Ivy doth to the Oak which indeed may seem to adorn it and set it forth more speciously to the eye of the beholder but sucks out that sap and nourishment that should feed and nourish the tree and if not timely look'd to may endanger its life few if any have been the better for their being rich but too many have been the worse What Temptations are such daily encountering with to carnal pleasure and sensuality to sloth and fleshly ease to pride and ambition all which so far as they are indulged prove to the detriment of serious religion how apt are such to be flattered nay even by good men to be cryed up as none such in their age if they speak but now and then a few good words and shew a little countenance to religion when upon a strict view it may be they have very little if any thing at all of the power of godliness which have given occasion to that unhappy saying that a little Religion goes a great way with great men whenas in truth that which might pass for great Religion in persons of an inferior condition should be esteemed but little in those whom God hath fixt in a higher orb and so are under greater Obligations from God and in a greater capacity of bringing more honour unto God 3. Another requisite to our eternal felicity is not only a progress Finis coronat opus Mat. 10.22 Rev. 2.10 Heb. 10.38 but a perseverance in the way of Faith and holiness to the end and that against all Temptations and Oppositions from within or from without he that endureth to the end shall be saved and be thou faithful to the death and I will give thee a Crown of Life again if any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him From all which you may conclude the necessity of Perseverance to salvation Now though a security from final and total Apostacy is the undoubted priviledg of Gods Elect and truly called ones 1 Pet. 1.5 such shall be kept by the power of God through Faith unto salvation yet such may and many times do in an hour of Temptation such an hour as this is in which God hath cast our lot fall fouly to the great dishonour of God and discredit of their profession to the hardening the wicked in their sin and wounding of their own souls and to the interrupting their peace and comfortable Communion with God many Christians may and do fall to the breaking of their bonds and like Eutychus who fâ—ll from the third Loft and was taken up for dead though Paul told them Acts 20.9 10. 1 Sam. 4.18 trouble not your selves for his Life is in him but they shall never fall as Ely did Of whom 't is said he fell backward to the breaking of his neck and the loss of his Life now a middle condition in
misery and the sadness of your condition lies in this that it layes you open without preventing Grace to many strong Temptations to dishonour and neglect God and Christ and your Souls and so makes way for your being miserable in both Worlds may you but obtain wisdom from God to hearken to his Calls to close with his Counsels and accept of the gracious proffers of Christ and Salvation by and through him which proffers are made as freely to you as to any in the World and then admit your poverty continued nay increased upon you yet it will be but for a very little while Luk. 16.20 21 22. and thou who with Lazarus art forc'd to lye at the rich mans Gate and glad when thou canst get but the crumbs and fragments that comes from his Table shalt be taken into Abraham's bosom and sit down at the right hand of God Psal 36.8 where are Rivers of pleasure for ever more and thou shalt hunger no more neither thirst any more neither shall the Sun light on thee nor any heat but the Lamb shall feed you and lead you unto living fountains of waters and God shall wipe away all tears from your eyes Rev. 7.16 17. For the Lords sake think of this Things here below are but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 4.18 for a little season whether they be good or evil and therefore not worth the minding in comparison with those eternal things which are just before you 2. Two Words to you that are rich and the first shall be that which you find 1 Tim. 6.17 Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high minded nor trust in uncertain riches but in the living God who giveth us richly all things to enjoy You have little reason to set a higher estimate upon your selves because God by the bounty of his Providence hath lifted you up above your Brethren either if you consider who it is that hath made you to differ 1 Cor. 7.4 and that you have nothing but what you have received as the Apostle upon another account expresseth it and received it not as an absolute Proprietor to do with what you have what you lift but as God's Steward to be laid out in the Service of your Lord who will shortly call you to a strict account and will say Luke 16.2 Give an Account of thy Stewardship for thou maist be no longer Steward and that the more you have the greater is your debt and the greater account you have to make but that is not all your Riches and Honours which you are so apt to admire and dote upon if God give you not great wisdom in the management of them will be sad Riches as they will be temptations to you to forget both God and your selves and under your Salvation more hazardous as you have heard and if they should in this sence be for your hurt you will shortly wish you had rather have been amongst the number of those that beg their Bread at your door then thus as you do Coach it up and down and lie upon your Beds of Ivory and drink Wine in Bowls and Health and Carowse it with your huffing Companions Read James 5.1 2 3. Go to now ye rich men weep and howl for your Miseries that shall come upon you your Riches are corrupted and your Garments are Moth-eaten your Gold and Silver is cankered and the Rust of them shall be a witness against you and shall eat your flesh as it were fire ye have heaped treasure together for the last days You that trust and pride your selves in your uncertain Riches and live in the neglect of God and your Souls apply this to your selves for it belongs to you A Second Word to you that are rich shall be that of Solomon Prov. 3.9 Honour the Lord with thy Substance and with the first fruits of all thine increase Let it not offend your Worships that I become a humble Monitor to you on this account It is true I have pointed at some of the inconveniences and evils that do attend and are incident unto your high Condition and upon an impartial view I question not but you will find many more but yet I must tell you that these are not inseparable concomitants If God gives you his Grace and once brings you to submit to the conduct of his Spirit without which you are undone your Riches may be so far from being hindrances that they may become excellent helps and advantages in your way heavenward Oh! if God gives you but hearts how many opportunities may you enjoy for the good of your Souls that others cannot Nay how much good may you be instrumental to do to the Souls and Bodies of others What influence may your Examples of piety have upon others in the places where you live How may you even by your Riches and Greatness be a terror unto evil doers and a praise to them that do well Rich and great men if they be good and gracious and lay out themselves for God and the good of others are great Blessings of the Age the Lord increase them Lastly I have three words to you that are in a middle worldly Condition you have heard that your Condition upon many accounts is the most eligible then I infer 1. See what interpretation you are to make of those Providences that have put a check to your endeavours and graspings at great things in the world and that you have greater reason to take this more kindly from the hand of God than you are aware of My Beloved I have known some that through an overvaluing of things here below have been reaching after great matters and God in the way of his Providence hath seem'd to concur with their ambitious desires placing them under such Circumstances giving them such a commodious Seat such a promising Trade that they have had a prospect of huge Matters in the world and have reckoned themselves and said well in a few years I question not but I shall be a man as they sometimes phrase it but all on a sudden some Accident or other happens that blasts all their hopes and makes them take down their wide Sails that stood ready spred to receive a prosperous gale and they are fixt possibly in a middle state neither very poor nor ever likely to be very rich and Oh how hardly are such disappointments born Much ado to comport with patience with such Providences Now do but consider what you have heard and you will find that God was kinder to you than you were to your selves Are you sure that if you had not been stopt in your pursuit it might not have been much very much to your spiritual and eternal detriment 2. Hence learn to be wiser for the time to come moderate your affections to the things of this world Jer. 45.5 Seekest thou great things for thy self seek them not If God in the way of thy Calling and honest
was able to do them good he not only gave them bread in their hunger but nourished and comforted them and was a shelter to them in a strange Land as long as he lived As we should do them all the good we can so we ought to prevent any evil that might fall upon them Saul had been very defective in his duty to David both as a Prince and a Father As a Prince he ought not only to have protected but rewarded so deserving a Subject As a Father he ought to have cherished such an obedient Son who went whither soever Saul sâ—nt him 1 Sam. 18.5 But on the contrary he not only encourages some of his Followers to kill him but endeavours to take away his life by his own hand 1 Sam. 19.1 10. Now how doth David carry it in this case He endeavours to save himself as well as he could by withdrawing and giving place to Saul's wrath And when he in pursuing after him 1 Sam. 24.6 7. 1 Sam. 26.8 9. falls into his hands more than once he doth not only not destroy him himself but withholds those that would The tenderness that was in him toward such an enraged Enemy appeared in this that his heart smote him but for cutting off the skirt of his Garment tho this was done only to shew that he was in his power and that he could have done him a mischief if he would What effect this had upon Saul may be seen in the Story When David shewed him the skirt of his Garment and spake a few words to shew his innocency he tho a King and mightily enraged against him is melted into tears 1 Sam. 24.16 17. Saul lifted up his voice and wept saying Thou hast rewarded me good whereas I have rewarded thee evil There is nothing like to overcome the rough temper and rugged carriage of others sooner than a kind and gentle behaviour toward them When Paul came first to Thessalonica he found them or at least many among them Constat apud Graecos translatitiè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad mores ad animum accommodari Beza to be a rough and untractable people The Bereans Acts 17.11 are said to be more noble 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of better breeding and more ingenious than they who upon Paul's preaching there took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort and gatheted a Company and set all the City in an uproar ver 5. Hence it is that he saith 1 Thes 2.1 2. That at his entrance in unto them he spake the Gospel of God with much contention that is on their part For as for his own part he was otherwise disposed It was the Rule he gave to Timothy 2 Epist 2.24 The servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all men apt to teach patient in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth This was his own practise at this time for ver 7. he says We were gentle among you as a nurse cherisheth her children As a Nurse bears with the frowardness and peevishness of Children and by all ways imaginable endeavours to quiet them and bring them to a good humour so did the Apostle with them And it is probable that those of them that did believe partly by the Apostle's Doctrine and partly by his Example were of the like disposition and carriage toward them that believed not And what the effect of this was in that place where the Gospel was so much opposed at first we may gather from what he says in his second Epistle to them Chap. 3.1 Pray for us that the word of the Lord may have a free course and be glorified even as it is with you 2. As we should do them all the good we can and prevent the evil that might hurt them so we ought to pray that God would do them the good and prevent the evil we cannot Pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you And if for such much more for such who tho they may be in some particular instances prejudicial to us have a love to and kindness for us David complains Psal 57.4 That his soul was among lions and that he did lie among them that were set on fire even the sons of men whose teeth were spears and arrows and their tongue a sharp sword And of these or such as these he says Psal 35.15 They did tear me and ceased not What did David now Did he rend and tear as they did No ver 13. As for me when they were sick my cloahting was sackcloth I humbled my soul with fasting and my prayer returned into mine own bosom What could he have done more for his nearest Friend or dearest Brother So he says ver 14. I behaved my self as tho he had been my friend or brother Take an instance also of what was done for Friends who in a day of temptation did not the good they should When Paul came to Rome he preacht the Gospel among them for two whole years together Acts 28.30 31. And no doubt but that he that was sure that when he came Rom. 15.29 he should come in the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel was kindly received by them And we may well think that he who before he came to them did so earnestly beseech them for the Lord Jesus Christs sake and for the love of the spirit Rom. 15.30 31. to strive with him in prayers to God that he might be delivered from them that did not believe in Judea did confidently expect that they would use not only that but other good means that he might be delivered from them that did not believe at Rome But it fell out otherwise For when a day of tryal came these Romans Faith did so far fail that not a man of them stood by him when he was in that great danger to be devoured by the mouth of the Lion 2 Tim. 4.16 At my first answer no man stood with me but all men forsook me This must needs greatly affect and afflict him yet in the next words he prays that this sin might not be imputed to them I pray God it may not be laid to their charge You see this is the will of God and this hath been the Saints practise But if you find holy men as sometimes you may David and Paul uttering themselves in another manner against God's and their enemies Psal 59.13 2 Tim. 4 14 as if they desired evil to fall upon them either the evil was Temporal or Eternal 1. If the evil were Temporal they cannot be thought to desire it absolutely sub ratione mali as evil but as it had a tendency to their good Deliberata imprecatio mali sub ratione mali contra homines quae est formalis maledictio non potest non esse mala Ames Cas lib. 4. Augustine de ser D. in monte As David Psal 9.20 Put them
proposed was to shew the manner how all this good must be done that it may be the more effectual It must be done 1. Cordially What you do must be done as in the presence of him by whom actions are weighed Your prayers must not come out of feigned lips 1 Sam. 2.3 Psal 17.1 2 Cor. 2.17 What you speak must be as in the sight of God It is easie to use a few complemental words in speaking to Men or a few vain words in speaking to God for them as all are that come not from the heart When you are about this work you should endeavour to draw deep even from the bottom of your hearts Paul calls his prayer for the Jews his greatest enemies his hearts desire Rom. 10.1 2. Readily Titus is charged to put Christians in mind of this To be ready to every good work Tit. 3.1 Altho these good works be contrary to corrupt Nature Grace will make a Man ready to them The holiest Men have been alway the most forward in them When God had set that Mark of his displeasure on Miriam for chiding with Moses how ready was he to pray for her Moses cried unto the Lord and said Heal her now O God I beseech thee Numb 12.13 The Jews before the Captivity were grown to a height of wickedness 2 Chron. 36.16 They mocked the messengers of God and despised his word and misused his prophets and among the rest Jeremiah in particular who was sent to tell them of the approaching Captivity yet he was far from desiring that evil to overtake them tho they said Jer. 17.15 Where is the word of the Lord let it come now He appeals to God in the next verse That he had not desired the woful day He was so far from that that he prayed hard for that hard-hearted people How his heart stood this way you may see by Gods telling him again and again that he should not pray for them Pray not thou for this people Jer. 7.16 So again chap. 11.14 and once more chap. 14.11 till he tells him at last tho Moses and Samuel stood before him yet his mind could not be toward that people chap. 15.1 Such an admirable readiness was found in the Man of God against whom Jeroboam stretched out his hand saying lay hold on him for his crying in the Name of the Lord against his idolatrous Altar at Bethel God had dried up that hand which he stretched forth against the Prophet which brought him to intreat the Man of God to pray for him And the man of God besought the Lord and the Kings hand was restored again and became as it was before 1 Kings 13.6 3. Constantly It is not enough to use these means once or twice for a fit or when you are in a better frame than ordinary but it must be your constant course You find that when your bodies are full of evil Humors the use of a good Medicine once or twice doth not remove your Distemper therefore you steer to a course of Physick So must you do to remove or alter the tough Humors that may be in others you must use the Means constantly There must not only be a well-doing but a patient continuance in it Rom. 2.7 Gal. 6.9 If you find no good effect for a while be not weary of well-doing Say not I will recompence evil but wait on the Lord Prov. 20.22 Thus did David for a long time when Saul was his enemy he waited on the Lord and kept his way tho he was put to many a hard shift the while And God put a sweet song into his mouth at last when he had delivered him out of the hands of all his enemies and the hand of Saul Psal 18.20 21. The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompenced me for I have kept the ways of the Lord. Use 1. If these these things be so have we not cause to take up a lamentation when we see Men professing themselves Christians make so little account of such duties as Christ hath by Precept enjoyned and by Example led them to how unsuitable to Christian-Doctrine is the practise of such as cannot or will not forgive the least injury This is far from endeavouring to overcome evil with good How can such say Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us Some of old are said to leave out these words as we forgive c. fearing it 's like that doom Out of thine own mouth will I judg thee thou wicked servant If any be more hardy in our days they may know one day That God will not be mocked Nor is this all Are there not some that account it necessary to avenge themselves for a small offence it may be only for a word tho to the hazarding nay the loss of their own and others blood And to do thus is by many accounted to be of a brave spirit and he that will not do so is by some not thought worthy of the name of a Gentleman as if the name were allied to Gentilisme rather than Gentleness Indeed a Learned Divine speaking of this matter saith Gentility according to the vulgar Dr. Jackson of Justifying Faith chap. 13. parag 8 9. and most plausible notion retains the substance of Gentilism with a light tincture of Christianity But the Learned and Pious Bishop Davenant speaking of the same says Haec opinio est plusquam Ethnica This opinion is more than Heathenish For several Heathen Philosophers have given better counsel in the case than these Christian Gentlemen think fit to take and if it be more than Heathenish think what it must be There are others Est illa diabolica opinio quae invasit mentes omnium ferè qui se generosis somniant nimirum non posse se salvosue honore nominis sui existimatione ferre vel verbum contumeliosum sed teneri ad ultionem quaerendam etiam duello Davenantius in Col. 3. and too many too who altho they dare not go about to wrest the sword of Vengeance out of the hand of God who says Vengeance is mine to commit so great an evil as is the forementioned yet they will be adventuring to shoot their arrows even bitter words against such as do in the least offend them or stand in their way And O that we could say that such as make a greater profession than others and are in most things of good and exemplary Conversations were altogether free in this matter But this evil is Epidemical and the best I fear are too much infected with it The sad consequences of this we partly see already and may see more in time if God in Mercy prevent them not So that it is for a lamentation and like to be for a lamentation Use 2. Look about you and take heed that you be not overcome of evil 1. Let not imaginary evils overcome you as they will be like to do
in actually engage in it and you 'l find Religion carries Meat in its mouth 't is of a reviving nourishing strengthning nature it brings that along with it that enables the soul chearfully to go thorow with it Enter in at the strait gate You cannot judg of the way on this side the gate Most men stick at the strait gate Beg of God to draw thee thorow to lift thee over the Threshold and set thee in the narrow way as narrow as it is yet none who enter in at the strait gate by a true and thorow conversion did ever perish in the way God will lead thee and sustain thee and carry thee on to the end of thy Race Therefore be strong and shew thy self a man and keep the charge of the Lord thy God to walk in his ways and to keep his statutes and his commandments and his judgments and his testimonies as it is written in the law of Moses that thou mayst prosper in all that thou dost and whithersoever thou turnest thy self 1 Kings 2.3 Secondly How the well discharge of our present duty may encourage us to hope in God for his help and assistance in all future duties 1. 'T is promised 2 Chron. 15.2 The cause of desertion is from our selves God shews mercy for his own sake without any respect to any thing in us But all acts of judgment and wrath take their rise from something in our selves that provokes God to such severities Therefore let us keep close to our present duty and trust God who has promised never to leave us nor forsake us Heb. 13.5 6. vide Isa 40.31 vide Psal 84.11 and Isa 41.10 There is a special promise to the seed of Abraham of help and strength But they who neglect their present duty are greatly threatned Prov. 1.24 and Psal 52.7 vide 2. Present Grace is a pledg of future Grace To him that hath more shall be given Luke 19.17 26. Where God begins a good work he will finish it Heb. 12.2 Phil. 2.6 So Psal 25.3 10 14. Mat. 10.19 20. vide Judg. 13.23 The Lord is faithful who shall stablish you and keep you from evil 2 Thes 3.3 3. The experience of the Saints confirms this Psal 18.26 30 31 32. vide 'T was some such thing as this that David had Psal 119.56 4. The Saints made this an Argument in prayer Psal 38.20 21 22. vide Psal 119.30 31 94 121 173. vide Psal 25.21 3. A conscientious discharge of our present duty fits and disposes our minds to the next duty As there is a concatenation of sins so of duties as one sin leads to another so one duty leads to another the breach of one Commandment is virtually the breach of all James 2.10 1 John 4.20 As there is a revolting more and more Isa 1.5 a proceeding from evil to evil Jer. 9.3 waxing worse and worse 2 Tim. 3.13 so a godly man goes from grace to grace from faith to faith from strength to strength Job 17.9 vide Therefore in all thy ways acknowledg him and he shall direct thy paths Prov. 3.6 A man cannot act his Faith upon God for future preservation but in the discharge of his present duty Commit the keeping of thy soul to him in well-doing 1 Pet. 4.19 and then you 'l find grace to help in time of need Heb. 4.16 6. By the well discharge of our present duty we may attain assurance of salvation Col. 3.23 24. vide 'T is Paul's motive to Timothy when he stirs him up to his present duty 2 Tim. 4.1 2 5 8. vide q. d. I am Paul the aged who have one foot in the grave ver 6. but you are a young man Timothy you are putting on your Armour but I am putting off mine I have finished my course and kept the faith I have discharged the duty of my place and by that means gained assurance of my salvation Henceforth is laid up for me c. He dates his full assurance from that time as the happy result of a well-spent life and exhorts Timothy to tred in his steps to make full proof of his Ministry Fight on Timothy and fear nothing that in the end of thy days thou maist have a comfortable sight of that Crown of righteousness which I am sure of Therefor let us all by patient continuance in well-doing wait for eternal life Rom. 2.7 These are the Scripture-grounds of hope for the time to come that God will help us and stand by us and strengthen us with might in our inward man giving us a sufficiency of grace answerable to all the occasions we may have for it Object May not Saints fail in future duties Ans They may and do fail and when 't is so their former neglects have no small influence into their present miscarriage But tho they may fall yet God upholds them with his hand that they don't fall utterly Psal 37.23 24. God gives them a heart that cannot totally depart from him Jer. 32.40 APPLICATION You see how the way of the Lord is strength to the upright He that is a doer of the word is like a house built upon a Rock which may be shaken but will never fall Mat. 7.24 25. In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence Prov. 14.26 A Saint when he relies upon God for help to perform his present duty does not say as Sampson did Strengthen me only this once Judges 16.28 but promises to trust in God at all times hereafter Psal 62.8 to come again and again for help as often as there is need Every single act of Faith implies a universal trust reposed in God for all things at all times He that doth not trust God for every thing cannot trust in him for any thing because there is the same reason for one act of Faith as for another You must bare upon God's Infinite Power Wisdom and Grace in every act of Faith God is always the same in himself If you can believe in him now why not for ever What should discourage you hereafter that may not be objected now You have nothing now to object therefore conclude with David That goodness and mercy shall follow thee all the days of thy life Psal 23.6 He that hath delivered will deliver Not that the doing a present duty does merit assistance for the future but God for our encouragement in well-doing hath graciously promised it This is a great motive to quicken us to our present duty O that every one of you would go home from this Sermon and set upon your present duty You that are Masters of Families take up Joshuah's resolution and say every one of you in the presence of God this day That I and my house will serve the Lord. Fly all appearance of evil declare against every thing that looks like sin let there be no lying swearing drunkenness or any sort of profaneness countenanced by you Be zealous reprovers in your own gates and walk within your houses with a perfect heart live
God to deliver them from evil because they rushed not themselves into Temptation for it 's hardly conceivable how any should trust in God to give them Victory who tempt and challenge the Combate or how they can expect that Divine Grace should secure them from being overcome when by their enticing Attire they provoke others to Assail their Chastity If then the Daughters of Zion will be the Heirs of Abrahams Faith they must approve themselves the followers of Sarahs modesty Conclusiâ—n 2. Nothing can justly pretend to be Lawful Ornament which takes away the Distinction which God has put between the two Sexes That Law Deut. 22.5 is of Moral Equity and Perpetual Obligation The Woman shall not wear that which pertaineth to the Man nor the Man put on the Wâ—mans Garments for they that do so are an Abomination to the Lord that which pertaineth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Word signifies any Vessel Instrument Utensil Garment or Ornament Military or Civil used for the discrimination of the Sex So Aynsworth and the Rabbins gloss it thus In Pent. The woman shall not poll her Locks nor put on a Helmet or a Tyara on her head neither may a Man put on a Coloured Garment or Golden Jewels where men use not to wear such Jewels God therefore will have the distinction between the Sexes inviolably observed in the outward Apparel which is a fence about the Moral Law to prevent those Murders Adulteries and promiscuous Lusts which under those disguises would more secretly and easily be perpetrated And yet observe 1. That there may be a Case put wherein in some Exigency it may be Lawful for the Woman to wear the Apparel of the Man and Asterius gives us one Homil. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I knew a Woman saith he that polled her hair and put on Mans Apparel and that a Flowered Garment too that she might not be separated from her dear Husband that was forced to fly and hide his head 2. What particular form of Apparel shall distinguish the one Sex from the other must be determined by the Custome of particular Countries provided that those Customes do not thwart some general Law of God the Rule of Decency the ends of Apparel or the Directions of Scripture 3. That yet there seems some distinctive Ornament to have been provided by God that the difference between the Sexes might not be left to the Arbitrary Customs and desultory Humours of Men As in the hair of the head and the manner of wearing it or at least in the Beard which is ordinarily given to the one Sex and denied the other And hence it seems probable That for Women to poll for Men to nourish the Hair at the full length is a Contravention to the discriminating badge and cognizance which the God of Nature has bestowed upon them 4. That however a prudent and cautilous Christian will be well advis'd how his Practise contravenes the plain Letter of a Law when the distinctions used to avoid the dint and turn the edge of it are not very clear and satisfactory but precarious and such as are contriv'd to ward off the Force of an Argument 1 Cor. 11.14 15. As if an Instance should be given in that of the Apostle Doth not even Nature it self teach you that if a man have long hair it is a shame to him ver 15. But if a woman have long hair it is her glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 11.14 15. if a man wears his Hair at the full length Now the Evasion used to escape the danger of this Text is That by Nature is meant no more than the Custome of the Country which being a second Nature is able to warrantize whatever is conformable to it as also to render whatever is opposite undecent and uncomely and since the Custom of our Countrey is altered the Sin is banished But let it be considered 1. That the Phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even Nature it self seems to restrain the word to its proper and primary signification 2. That the Apostle could not well argue against long hair nourisht to its utmost extent from the Custom of the Greeks since they of all Men are famous for wearing it promisse which Homer notes as the common Epithete of the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Grecians that nourisht their hair nor will it appear that they from the Trojan War to the days of the Apostle had chang'd their Custom which they made much of as that which rendred them Formidable to their Enemies 3. But supposing that Custom onely had formerly taught the Men to wear their hair short and Women theirs at the utmost length and that encroaching-practice in process of time should introduce the contrary Custom for Women to Poll and Men to nourish their hair yet how many Millions of sins must be committed ere the new Custom could prevail to jostle out the old and legitimate the new practice so that they who plead this for themselves do but acquit themselves at the cost of other Mens condemnation 4. As the case stands with us the Custom is not so general either for the number or quality of the persons if by quality we understand those of a Pious and Religious character as to justify the Modern deviation from a generally received practice but this I confess if the commonness of the Custom be not extensive enough to take away the sin 't is yet so prevailing that it has taken away the sense of it in the Consciences of very many Professors 3. Conclusion Nothing ought to be allowed for Ornament which crosses the great end of all Apparel covering of Nakedness The Israelitish Women are said to have been made Naked to their shame Exod. 32.25 when onely deprived of their Ear-rings which were one part of their Apparel but amongst us our English Ladies will not acknowledge it any nakedness any shame to have their Breasts exposed And they will pretend 1. That the parts which decency requires to be covered and in whose nakedness shame doth lie are onely those which the Apostle calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 less honâ—urable and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uncomely To Which I Answer 1 Cor. 12.23 1. That no parts of the Body are in themselves dishonourable and uncomely 2. That yet the uncovering of any will be so when no honourable use requires the uncovering thus the Prophet calls the uncovering of the locks of the legs the thigh the nakedness and shame of the Babylonians Isa 47.2 3. which tho it be meant of a necessitated nakedness which may be a reproach but not a sin yet when that is done voluntarily which then was done necessarily it will become both the sin and the reproach 3. It is pleaded That what they do is not out of Pride to glory in the beauty of the skin nor out of Lust to inveigle others to become enamoured at their beauty but onely to avoid the reproach of a morose
follows in the Text doth not seem to be a condition of freedom from the sharp and hazardous pain of Child-birth wherein the visible accidents are common to believing and Pagan women and because since God's sentence of the womans bringing forth in sorrow * Gen. 3.16 there hath been no promise upon any condition that the pain should be abated But experience hath taught us That choice holy women who have been the Lords most dear Servants have tasted of the denounced sorrow as deep as any others and some of them as Rachel and Phineas his Wife expired with their pangs Another Learned Critick mighty in the Scriptures ‖ Gataker Cinnus c. 15. p. 330. thinks that to say The woman shall be sav'd altho she be compell'd to bring forth and bring up children with sorrow which thing seems to be an argument of the divine wrath is an unusual construction and more forc'd Resolution But if by being saved from or out of that hazardous condition of child-bearing tho it otherwise carry the signatures of Gods displeasure upon it import only that it shall be no impediment to pious womens either temporal or eternal salvation however difficult that office of breeding and bearing may seem to be as the faithful Ministers not stop'd in their hard Province by honour or dishonour t 2 Cor. 6.8 but she shall be delivered with Gods favour for the best Then it agrees upon the matter with 4. Our translating of it in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consonant to the most Orthodox Expositors as not signifying the cause or means here but only the bare order or way to the end or wherein the issue is attainable So it is frequently used in the New Testament as of going in that way u Mat. 2.12 and 7.13 Believers continuing faithful in many afflictions antecedent to their entring into the Kingdom of God w Acts 14.22 in the letter and circumcision and in uncircumcision x Rom. 2.27 29. and 4.11 in the body of Christ y and 7.4 in a Parable z Luke 8.4 building the Temple in Three days a Mat. 26.61 Rom. 14.14 c. c. I might also produce many Testimonies from Ethnic Authors to the frequent use of this Particle in them as well as Scripture to signifie in * Plat. in Caes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plat. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Xenoph. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 'T is plain here in my Text the Apostle doth not discourse of the cause of womans salvation but suggests that bearing and taking the word more largely b 1 Tim. 5.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bringing up of children is the ordinary way wherein pious Wives apt to be suspicions and fearful should meet with saving-help from God who would lead them on therein to salvatian which of his Free Grace through Christ he had designed them to and prepared for them who sensible of the signal Marks of the Divine sentence in their child-bed sorrows are appall'd under the dreadful apprehensions of the first womans guilt and the sad consequent thereof to all of the same Sex ready to swound away in despair For as Abraham was of Gods good pleasure father of the faithful in uncircumcision c Rom. 4.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which could be no cause of begetting faith or any obstruction to justification So any yea every godly Wife whatever tho not permitted to teach in the Church as a little before my Text d 1 Tim. 1.12 yet in her honest Function Employmet and good work of child-bearing travail allotted to her by the righteous Governor of the World e Mar. 13.34 should in due circumstances be either temporally sav'd i. e. comfortably delivered from those pains so that she should no more remember the anguish for joy that a man or one of Mankind was born into the world f John 16.21 if God in his all-wise disposal of persons and things sees this to be best for her or else eternally sav'd by God in Christ who commandeth light to shine out of darkness g 2 Cor. 4 6. Non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being found in her Journey Heaven-ward wherein she goes on with submission to Gods disposal in her proper Vocation Office and Duty for the propagation of Mankind It 's strange then that any should take this causally as if here the Apostle were opening the cause by which women shou'd be saved when rather the cause should have been explain'd why he chiefly mentioned this condition or state * Beza not by which but in which the woman might be saved For he had touch'd on the special punishment wherein the Woman was amercd for deceiving the Man and now he would subjoyn a Cordial to the imposed penalty or give support under it lest tremulous Wives should faint in their child-bearing pangs which however they might have the signature of Divine wrath upon them did not exclude them from happiness but as other Christians in a way of Tryal do pass into glory so religious Wives should not fall from the hope of salvation because through Christ in their Feminine state and Function of child-bearing tho they be not free from all spot of sin they have a blessed Cordial in their sanctified sufferings and shall by a comfortable separation of Mother and Babe be safely delivered of their burden in their appointed time if that be best for them and at the end of their peregrination in this life shall be eternally sav'd supposing they have sustained those troubles in Faith Charity Holiness and Modesty Having thus as well as I could making my passage clear through some difficulties weighed the import of the Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in these Four Respects 't will be convenient to say a little for the explaining of the compound word it relates to viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. Child-bearing or bringing forth Children as expressing the most proper act of a good womans parturition rather than the child brought forth Yet some do not only take it more strictly as noting the very act of a womans being in Labour or Travail wherein are sharp throws and pains antecedent concomitant and subsequent but also more largely from the Apostles use of the word afterward in this Epistle as hath been hinted h Danaeus in loc 1 Tim. 5.14 as comprehending also the nursing and educating of Children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord i Eph. 6.4 which is also very painful as Augustin's Mother Monica experienc'd when solicitous for his conversion till Christ was formed in him These burdens will then be born in a Christian acceptable manner if the woman be out of the rich grace and bountiful gift of God so qualified that she is endow'd with saving grace which is 2. The support and strength express'd as the way and means by keeping her Ornament to evidence her Title
breeding bearing and religiously bringing up their children shall work together by Gods infinite wisdom and benign influences for their Temporal safety so far as God sees that good for them y Rom. 8.28 and in the issue for their Eternal salvation Hence I infer to make a short Application of this Doctrine 1. That good Women Applicat when they are call'd to it for all are not call'd to it at all and some not at all times upon several accounts they are so far from hindring that they may forward their own salvation by entring into a marriage state And tho they may think subjection to their own Husbands z 1 Pet. 3.5 only in the Lord as is fit a Col. 3.18 for the Gospel requires no other subjection but in the Lord Christ to be some obstruction to their comfort and happiness yet they are much deceiv'd in such apprehensions For this Doctrine resulting clearly from my Text shews that this kind * Admonentâ— hoc genus obsequi sibi esse salutare Dâ—â— acceptum Calv. in Textum of willing submission and obedience to their own Husbands b Tit. 2.5 Heb. 6.9 is a better thing than they deem of accompanying salvation and acceptable to God being Marriage is honourable in all c 13.4 an Ordinance instituted by him who brings so many good Wives to Heaven to enjoy most contenting sweets there from their afflicting sorrows in Child-bed here Further I infer 2. That hypocritical pretences of Sanctity and unwarrantable vows of perpetual Virginity should not bring a disparagement upon the honourable state of marriage from the pains and perils which child-bearing Women pass through The Disciples of Christ were over hasty in saying d Mat. 19.10 'T is not good to marry But these of Antichrist who embrace the Doctrines of Demons and forbid marrying e 1 Tim. 4.1 2. to their Priests whether they have the gift of Continency yea or no and to such Virgins which for their gain they decoy into an irrevocable Vow as they call it is detestable Yet this is the common practise of the Papists how odious soever it be and in the consequents pernicious * Bernhardinâ—â— in Rosarioâ— as well as the practâ—ses of those before reproved who either to cherish covetousness or cover their wantonness seek to prevent Conceptions or procure Abortions are enemies to the propagation of Mankind and when the subtilties of School-distinctions ‖ Estius in Senten are laid aside will be found culpable of Homicide God deliver us from that mystery of iniquity which they who go a wondring after the Beast f Rev. 13.3 in contempt of Marriage labour to bring in following a wicked Pope * Syric Distinct 82. tho they incur the Anathema of a Council ‖ Concil Gangr c. 10. and tho as we may see some of our first Reformers detecting the Acts of the English Votaries * Bale Myst of Iniquit p. 17 18. Engl. Votar p. 18. cast it out with abomination in that they said the Whorish Papal Synagogue was a great blemish to godly marriage which hath already in our days been ridicul'd by some Atheistical Debauchees whose monstrous Immoralities make them contemptible Whereas Marriage derives its honourable Pedigree from the first pair when innocent in Paradise here below and is no way obstructive to an happy entrance into the Paradise of God above Hence I am at last come to the Obs III. IIId and Principal Observation from the words which will directly answer the Enquiry before us viz. By perseverance in Christian and Conjugal Graces and Duties child-bearing Wives may be best supported against in and under the hazard of their Travail This doth clearly result from the Text as I have explain'd it and needs not much proof By patient continuance in well-doing those who seek for glory and honour and immortality have eternal life saith the Apostle elsewhere g Rom. 2.7 and a prudent Wife abiding in faith charity holiness and sobriety may have such support from the strengthning-word of Promise here and elsewhere that travailing in birth and pained to be delivered h Rev. 12.1 as the borrow'd speech expresseth the Churches sorrow she may have good hope of being preserv'd and seeing a comfortable separation 'twixt her and the burden of her belly when her loins are filled with pain and pangs have taken hold on her i Isa 21.3 * Isa 43.6 The Lord will say as I may allude to that in the Prophet to the loins give up and to the womb keep not â—a k so that all shall be sanctified to her and in a proportion she may rejoyce in hope as Elizabeth from her own experience heartned her Cousin Mary k Luke 1.45 blâ—ssed is she that believeth for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord if not in kind yet in Equivalency or that which is better For tho as the most beloved Wife Rachel in her hard labour she should dye l Gen. 35.17 18. or tho the sad estate of the Church should multiply her groans as Phineas his Wife 's were for the the taking of the Ark m 1 Sam. 4.20 21. yet she may have good evidence from the clear shining of her Jewels and Chains which Christ her Husband hath put upon her as his Spouse * Cant. 1.10 I mean the exercise of her Graces that she shall be eternally sav'd her soul shall pass into that rest which remains to the people of God n Heb. 4.9 where there shall be neither sorrow nor crying nor any more pain for the former things shall be passed away o Rev. 21.4 and that may be written on her Tomb-stone which a Learned Doctor wrote on that of pious Mrs. Wilkinson * Dr. Reynolds in her Life She and her Child were buried together who with her child went to Heaven from her Child-bed viz. Here lyes Mother and Babe both without sins Next Birth will make her and her Infant Twins Those necessary and eminent Graces to perseverance or continuance wherein the promise of salvation is made by the Apostle unto child-bearing Women on which they live for support against and in their Travail are as you have heard these Four viz. Faith Charity Holiness Sobriety 1. Faith which we may distinctly conceive of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as comprehending both that which is Divine and Moral or Christian and Conjugal 1 A Divine Faith which is precious and saving p 2 Pet. 1.1 with Heb. 10.39 a Grace of the Holy Spirit whereby the enlightn'd heart being united to Christ doth receive him and resigns up it self to him as Mediator and so is espoused to that one Husband q 2 Cor. 11.2 depending entirely upon him By this Faith receiving the Son of God who is also the Son of Man born of a Woman is the good Wife to live in subjection to Christ her
women They are heart-reviving words to every drooping woman and should lead her with Sarah to judg him faithful who hath promised g Heb. 11.11 whereupon she may notwithstanding her state of subjection and sorrows be humbly confident in this great work of serving her Generation according to the will of God in child-bearing of preservation and salvation and God will lay no more upon her than he will enable her to bear and find a way for her escape either by a comfortable sanctified deliverance here or a blessed translation to Heaven to reap in joy what was sown in tears and those but temporary when the joys are eternal Further it doth administer comfort 2. To the Husbands of such good Wives i. e. such as continue in the Graces and Duties before and in their pregnancy or growing big hoping in Gods word that Root and Branch shall do well being under the blessings of the New-Covenant When they cannot but sympathize with their Wives in their sorrows they may chear up in humble confidence that the sting being took out of the punishment their Wives joys shall be encreased by the pains they undergo and that God will deliver them and hear their prayers and they shall glorifie him h John 16.21 Psal 50.15 And if after prayers and tears their dearest consorts should decease and depart from them out of their child-bearing pains Tho this be a most cutting and heavy cross in it self yet comfort may be gathered from it in the issue For indeed that 's the comfort of comforts which affords Life in Death that 's the Honey which is taken out of the dead carcase That supposing the worst which can befall us in temporals gives better security in those things which are eternal The Fruition of God in Glory is the highest end and when we and ours attain that after the serving of our Generation here according to the will of God and thereby glorifying his most sacred Majesty there is matter of geatest consolation and truest joy to holy souls In expectation of which let pious Husbands and gracious Childing Wives in their mutual Offices wait upon God with submission for a sanctified support when they stand in most need of divine aids Then such Hand-maids of the Lord may humbly hope they shall receive help in and under their child-bearing travail and in due time even a temporal deliverance supposing that to be best for them from those pains and perils taking comfort from that gracious word of the Lord by the Prophet tho spoken upon another account i Isa 41.10 with which I shall conclude Fear thou not for I am with thee be not dismaid for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness SERMON XXV Quest How may we best know the worth of the SOUL MATTHEW 16.26 For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole World and lose his own Soul Or what shall a man give in Exchange for his Soul IN the Twenty first verse of this Chapter our Saviour foretels his sufferings together with many considerable Circumstances as the Place where at Jerusalem The Persons from whom the Elders and chief Priests and Scribes The Degree unto which he must suffer not only that he must suffer many things but that he was to suffer unto death and be killed by which enumeration of so many particulars he spake more plainly and preached to them the unwelcome Doctrine of the Cross A Doctrine so strange unto them as they had shewn themselves of a quite contrary Opinion expecting a worldly Kingdom and hoping for considerable advancement in it Peter in the name of the rest therefore cavils at it and enveighs against it and was probably suffered to be tempted himself and to become a Tempter to our Saviour that he might not be exalted above measure for what our Saviour had said ver 17 18. Thou art Peter and upon this Rock I will build my Church But our Blessed Saviour who had overcome the Devils temptations when they came immediately from himself Matth. 4. could not be overcome by them now they are suggested to him by another but shews that he continued his Resolution of suffering the utmost for us by his severe check given unto Peter under a smart compellation Satan This is that very same Apostle who but a few verses before had his Name chang'd from Simon to Peter and presently after here from Peter to Satan to shew how much he and all other differ when mightily assisted by Gods Grace and Spirit from themselves when left to themselves and become as other if not worse than other men And how easily do we slide into sin at unawares and how carefully need we to watch over our very zeal for Christ and Goodness when our very best Affections are subject to so gross mistakes and may deserve such severe reproofs Upon this occasion it was that our Saviour in stead of retracting his former resolves declares that he was not to be alone in them but they should all come to be of his mind and be conformed to his Will Nay that if they would be his Disciples in deed ver 24. If any man will come after me i. e. be in deed my Disciple alluding to the manner and custom of the Eastern Countreys when the Master or Rabbi was wont to go with his Scholers attending after him he must not only forego his Ease and resign his Will but leave his life in these things denying of himself as if his present pleasure or advantage were to be considered no longer of when they stood in opposition to Gods Glory or our Souls good And this is not only or barely asserted but convincingly proved least the Disciples shall cry again this is a hard saying as if ever they had cause to say so they had on this occasion Our Blessed Saviour is willing to abide the Tryal upon this Issue and to have it judged and determin'd by themselves Appealing in the words of the Text to their rational and wise faculties For what is a man profited if he should gain the whole world and lose his own Soul or what shall a man give in exchange for his Soul In which words as to the form of them 1. Our Judgment and Consciences are called upon being we do so often vilifie our Souls and preferr the little things of this world now one thing then another before them to shew cause for our so doing and to bring forth our strong Reasons Of all sorts and ways of arguing this came most home and is closest when we are allowed to be as it were both Judge and Party and yet must condemn our selves This manner of Speech is only used when the case is very plain and obvious And we care not who hear it or determine it Thus God calls upon the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah to judge betwixt him and his Vineyard Isa
be made a Possessor of Him in his Indwelling in us To be led by the Spirit is our partaking of his Directive Influence after we are made Possessors of him The First supposes the receiving of the Agent or Principle the second imports the Operation from that Agent or Principle The Greek Expositors do much insist upon this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys Whom Oecumenius and Theophylact follow Ideo non dicit Qui spiritum Dei acceperunt sed qui spiritu Dei aguntur i. e. qui illius actui obtemperant Musc but with that Explication of it which I do not drive at Observe say They 't is not said as many as have received the Spirit are the Sons of God but as many as are led by the Spirit For as they glosse upon it many receive the Spirit at Baptism who yet afterwards not being led by the Spirit to and in an Holy Life their Sonship to God ceases But this stating of the Having of the Spirit I meddle not with I consider the Reception of the Spirit not only in an external Baptismal way but in that which is inward real and saving And even this I make to be distinct from his Leading For although these are never disjoyn'd and separated but do always coexist and accompany each the other all Circumstances concurring yet in themselves they differ both as to Order and Precedence and also as to Nature and Essence The Having of a Soul and then the having of the subsequent Acts of that Soul are different things so 't is in that which I am upon These things that are more general being premis'd I come to a more strict and particular Explication of this Leading of the Spirit What is it to be led by Him It notes something on the Spirits part and something on the Creatures part Both must be taken in in the opening and stating of it 1. Something on the Spirits part So it imports 1. His special Guidance 2. His powerful Inclination 3. His Cooperation and Corroboration 4. His Regency and Gubernation 1. His special Guidance To be led by the Spirit The special Acts included in the Spirits Leading 't is to live under the blessed Guidance and Conduct of the Spirit This is the Notion which does most obviously comport with Leading How is the Blind man led why as he has one to direct and guide him to and in the way wherein he is to go So here Of this act as done by God and his Spirit the Scripture often speaks And the Lord shall guide thee continually Is 58.11 I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldst go Isa 48.17 Thou shalt guide me by thy Councel and afterward receive me to Glory Psal 73.24 Teach me to do thy Will for thou art my God thy spirit is good lead me into the land of uprightness Psal 143.10 Lead me in thy truth and teach me for thou art the God of my Salvation Psal 25.5 I will direct their work in truth and I will make an everlasting Covenant with them Is 61.8 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. Psal 37.23 Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee saying This is the way walk ye in it when ye turn to the right hand and when ye turn to the left Isa 30.21 Here 's the Leading of the Spirit What the Cloud was to the Israelites in the directing of them in their Motions what the Guide is to the Traveller who knows not his way that the Spirit of God is to Believers their Guide and Director in this their Journeying and Wilderness state II. His powerful Inclination He leads not only by a naked Guidance or Directive Light beam'd into the Understanding whereby Believers are brought to know God's Will and what they are to do Col. 1.9 that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his Will Quid est duci spirieu Dei Est a spiritu sancto soris Verbo intus Illuminatione doceri de Dei voluntate nec non efficaciter flecti ac Regi ad volendum faciendum ea quae Deo placent Par. in all Wisdom and spiritual Vnderstanding Eph. 3.10 Proving what is acceptable to the Lord But he leads also by the Efficacious Inclining of the Heart the bowing and bending of the Will the overpowring of the Affections to close with and follow his Guidance in the doing of what is good and in the shunning of what is evil Divines bring the whole of the Spirits Leading under two words Monendo Movendo he first counsels and directs as to what is to be done and then he excites and effectually enclines to the doing thereof Psal 119.33 teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes here 's the Informing and Directing Act of the Spirit v. 35 36. make me to go in the path of thy Commandments Encline my heart unto thy testimonies and not unto Covetousness here 's the Efficacious and Powerful Act of the Spirit They who feel and experience This in themselves they are the Persons that are led by the Spirit I shall have occasion to speak more of it in what will follow III. His Cooperation and Corroboration When one leads another both the person leading and the person led have their proper Action and Motion and both unite and concurr therein And so 't is in the Saints being led by the Spirit as to what is Holy and Good He Acts and They Act too something there is done on His part something on Theirs too and there 's a mutual conjunct efficiency or Agency in Both. He acts then they act acti agunt And the Act is Theirs and His too theirs Subjectively and Formally His in respect of Excitation to it and Assistance in it They do the thing but 't is by his Influxe Is 26.12 thou hast wrought all our works in us Philip. 2.12 13. Work out your Salvation for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure In short we move we act and the Spirit concurrs and cooperates with us therein and so we are led by him †Dicet mihi aliquis ergo agimur non agimus Respondeo imò agis ageris tunc benè agis si a bono ageris Spiritus enim Dei qui te agit agentibus adjutor est Ipse nomen adjutoris praescribit tibi quia tu ipse aliquid agis Serm. 13. de Verbis Ap. Austine when he is proving the Necessity of the latter from my Text does also prove the Reality and Verity of the Former The other Act of the Spirit Corroboration or Strengthning falls in with this in part So his Leading resembles the Mothers or Nurses leading the Child it being weak not able to go alone they take it by the hand hold it up joyn their strength with its weakness and so they enable it to go In like manner the strong and mighty Spirit of
Opinion or Practise especially if they are not imposed as necessary For this hath made such woful Divisions in the Church the making things unnecessary and doubtful the necessary terms of Church-Communion Was the Church of Rome it self the truly Ancient Catholick and Apostolick Church as she stiles her self I could have Communion with it They that leave the Apostles shake the Foundation of the Churches stability and forsake the center of its Unity The Lord help us all to understand the way of Peace and Union in this miserably divided Age. Vse VI Lastly And now from all that hath been said we may take a prospect of Heaven Heaven is not a Turkish Paradise it is Communion with God that is the very Heaven of Heaven as the loss of it is the very Hell of Hell And this makes Heaven not desirable to the Carnal Man who hath no desire after or delight in Communion with God but it doth commend it the more to the Spiritual Man that he shall then enjoy that in its highest perfection which he hath been pursuing and had the fore-tasts of in this World Quest What is the best way to prepare to meet God in the way of his Judgments or Mercies SERMON XXVIII 1 John XII 28. Beginning of the Verse Father Glorify thy Name IN this Chapter we find the Lord Jesus under two very different Exercises in the one attended with much Solemnity in the other under great Perplexity much Courted much cast Down highly Honoured and exceedingly Troubled and he beareth both with wonderful Equanimity He is Feasted at Bethany v. 1 2. Anointed with Oyle of Spiknard very costly v. 3. Rideth Tryumphantly into Jerusalem v. 12 13. c. His Disciples bless and entertain him upon the way with Hosannas v. 13. Matth. 21.8 9. Strangers desire to see him and give him their Acknowledgments v. 20. And the Multitude throng after him v. 12. And strow his way with Palm Branches v. 13. But immediately the Scene is changed As our blessed Lord was not much affected with these things so contrary to all Expectation he enters upon a discourse of another Nature v. 23. The hour is come that the Son of Man should be Glorified Why Had he not been Glorifying throughout this Chapter yea But not comparably to what he here intends q. d. my Feast my Tryumph my applause bear no Proportion to the glory I am hasting to These are but Dull low Glories to what is at Hand The hour is come i. e. is near That the Son of Man shall be Glorified upon the Cross by Expiating the Sins of his Elect Glorified thereupon in Heaven at the right hand of the Father Christ had his Eye upon an higher Glory which would redound to him upon the Performing and Finishing our Redemption And a true Christian frame overlook's present Comforts and Honours from Men and fixeth mainly upon the Honour to be received from God in the way of Obedience here and hereafter Nor will our Lord Jesus pass over this Meditation till he have improved it 1. Inferring thence the Fruitfulness of his Death Verrily Verrily I say unto you v. 24. Except a Corn of Wheat fall into the Ground and Dye it abideth alone but if it Dye it bringeth forth much Fruit. Alluding to the Propagation of his Church by his Death 2. The Proportionable advantage of the Death of his Saints for his Sake v. 25.26 and Testimony and the disadvantage of forbearing and refusing to suffer for his Name But passing thence to the consideration of his Dreadful Agony and Passion ensuing v. 27. beginning His Thoughts are at a Stand his Soul is Troubled yea the Extremity of his grief stopt his Mouth so Amazing so Astonishing was the Fore-sight of his Sufferings At last Prayer breaks out Father Save me from this Hour and is presently Corrected But for this cause came I to this Hour q. d. I would escape but must not resist thy Will I 'd save my self yet not without a Salvo to thy purpose and councel I am in a Strait between Nature and Faith between Fear and Subjection between Death and Duty First Meer Trouble is no Sin Christs Soul was Troubled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Water when it is Mudded Jo. 5.4 7. Not that thier was any mixture of Sin in his Trouble it was such as might consist with his pure unspotted Nature If grief be not groundless if not extravagant no Sainted with unbelief or effected of disobedience 't is but Natures Weakness Grace induceth no Stoical Stupidity 'T is no property of the Gospel to make Men Sensless Secondly Fear of Death and sense of the Wrath of God are of all things most Perplexing Now is my Soul Troubled Now I am to conflict with the Father's Anger Mens Malice and Death's Pains and Terrours and now not my Flesh only but my Soul is Troubled Thirdly Extream distress of Spirit is of an amazing Nature Christ had not the Freedom of Prayer What shall I say and then what he did say was corrected Matt. 26.39 42. Fourthly No Extremity can Ordinarily or should really put an Holy Soul by the Plea of or hope in his Relation to God Christ calls God Father My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Matt. 27.46 Fifthly Prayer must be suited to the Occasion Save me from the Hour c. A great Argument against most forms is that an Holy Soul cannot relish them nor can I see how God accepts them because they are impertinent or not full to the case Sixthly In our Extremitys we may be importunate must not be Peremptory with God in Prayer Our Saviour here Prayed not more Heartily then submissively Matt. 26.39 Our Text is the Result of the Lords Wrastling both with his own Soul and with his Father Here is first Christs Prayer Father Glâ—rify thy Name And the Fathers Answer in the next words but I meddle not with that now In the Text we have Two things 1. The Compellation Father 2. The Petition Glorify c. 1. The Compellation Father Prayer ought to be Ushered in with some Suitable Title of God which is expressive of his Supremacy our Reverence of him and Relation to him All these are Couched in the Single word Father Read Matt. 6.10 Malach. 1.6 Rom. 8.15 1. This Title expresseth God's Authority and Chirst's Allegiance both owned by him in this little Word 2. Relation The Lords Petitioners must ask so as to assure themselves of Acceptation which the Recognition of our Interest in God Read Isa 63 16. as our Father in Christ is very proper to Effect Hence the Rule of Prayer enters with Our Father And it is most Suitable to the Spirit of the Gospel that believers call God Father in Prayer having the Spirit of the Son poured out upon them to this End Gal. 4.6 2. The Petition Father Glorify thy Name q. d. Be thou rather Glorified then I Spared If I dye thy Glory will make amends for my Torment and
be opprest Read Isa 49.14 15 16. Obj. This is an hard saying who can hear it Ans 1. 'T is hard to untamed wanton Proud Nature to make the Will of God our Rule and deny our own Wills but then how hard will Suffering be without it An unresign'd Soul in a day of Affliction is like a wild Bull in a Net full of the Fury of the Lord and the troubled Sea that cannot rest but casteth forth Mire and Dirt. 2. But it is easie to a gratious Soul as such Grace in the Heart is the Image of God and this Image mainly consists in the Conformity of the Will to Gods VVill. The Scripture call's it writing his Law in the Heart and putting it in the inward parts Jer. 31.33 VVell and what is the proper natural Effect or result hereof Psal 40.7 8. It makes the Soul not only Obedient in Suffering but to Submit with Delight Now none of Gods Commands nothing of his Will Scriptural or providential is greivous 1 Jo. 5.3 1. Hence I infer that God is not Glorified but in his own way for our VVills must be resigned to and resolved into his If he will that we Suffer 't is vain to dream of Honouring him otherwise suppose we resove to save our selves and make him amends by double and treble Duty we decieve our selves Obedience is better then Sacrifice and to hearken then the fat of Lambs 1 Sam. 15.22 All the Manifestative Glory of God dependeth on his VVill Rev. 4.11 VVe may extol his Power Grace Justice Holiness c. and not give him Glory if in the interim we resist his VVill t is vain to think of Honouring God and doing our own VVill give him all but his VVill and we give him nothing For 1. His great design is his VVill Rev. 4.11 He both contriveth and Executeth according to it Eph. 1.11 All his word is but his VVill Collos 1.9 Truth is the Analagy of persons things word and thoughts unto the VVill of God And this is his great Contraversy with men in the VVorld they 'd have their VVill and he will have His And indeed Sin is only and that 's enough and too much a Contradiction of his VVill 1 Jo. 3.4 And the accomplishment of his VVill is his Glory 2. In relucting against his VVill we contend against all his Name and being 'T is a denial of his Soveraignty and perogative for what is that but his Pleasure We thwart his decrees for they are the Purpose of his Will VVe contradict his Power thereby as if he were notable to do his Pleasure many are our oppositions we thereby Disbeleive his Holiness as if his Will were not good and his Wisdom as if he had not ordered his matters accurrately yea we deny his Justice by resisting his VVill as if he required more then his due Indeed his VVill is the hinge upon which all his Attributes move disappoint it and you supplant them all so absolutely doth his Glory depend upon his Will 2. I infer that Gods Glorifiing his Name by our Sufferings is not inconsistent with his Parternal Relation Father Glorify thy Name If he be our Father then he Loves then he Careth for us when he Afflicteth us For nothing can deprive us of the Comfort of this Relation which is consistent with that Relation Christ in his Agony calls him Father Mat. 26.39 When he was betrayed and apprehended Jo. 18.11 When he was upon the Cross his expression implies as much Mat. 27.46 And he saith no more when he was Risen Jo. 20.17 Obj. There is not the same Reason why God should continue our Father in Suffering as that he should be Christ in his Passion Because he is his Eternal Son we only adopted Sons Ans This Objection proves only that Christ hath the first Right to his Paternity and we only secundarily in him but not that he is less constantly our Father then his Jer. 31.3 Though we be but adopted Sons our Adoption is Endless not Temporary And therefore our Father will be our Father in Affliction and we shall be his Children For 1. His Fatherly Love is the Reason of his Chastizements He would not Scourge and Correct his Childeren but because they are his Childeren He Chastizeth them as a Father he Condemneth others as a Judge Heb. 12.7 8. 2. We are Heirs of his precious promises even in Affliction 1 Cor. 10.13 It seems then his Faithfulness to his word of promise is engag'd when we are Tempted 3. Suffering Saints have the Image of their Father when they Suffer Christs Sufferings were consistent with the Clouding of his Divine Nature then it did not appear in its Glory but not with the seperation of it from his Humane Saints may be Black by Affliction but withal they are Lovely by grace Cant. 1.5 4. They then stand in most need of his Fatherly Care and Love and therefore shall not be deprived thereof Psal 89.30 31 32 33. Isa 40.12 43.23 5. Our Sonship dependeth on Christs Sonship if therefore God were his Father in his Sufferings he will be our Father in ours For we are chosen and predestinated in Christ to the Adoption of Sons Eph. 1.3 4 5. This is the Reason why Sin it self cannot Un-son us because we are Adopted in Christ not for our own Sake but his Rom. 8.38 39. While we cease not to be Christ's Members we cease not to be the Fathers Children Obj. But if God be our Father why doth he Suffer his Children to be so abused in the World Can it consist with the Love of our Father to see his Children Imprisoned and Slain c. before his Face and he not help and save them An. It is enough that the Scripture hath Reconciled these things Rom. 8.35 36 37 c. Psal 89.30 31 c. We may as well say how could the Father Love Jesus Christ yet Bruise him in that dreadful manner Isa 53.7 8 9 10. But I add 1. That be the Saints never so dear to their Father yet his own Name and Glory is more Dear Their Sufferings being for his Glory he 'l therefore permit them Is it fit that he Suffer in his Name rather then we in our Flesh Or must he loose his Glory to preserve our Estates Ease Liberty or Lives Nay faith the Lord Jesus Father Glorifie thy Name do any thing with me rather than neglect thy Glory and see the Fathers answer in the following words 2. Be his Love to his Saints never so great his hatred of Sin and his just Indignation against it are as great Now here lyes the case she must either Chastize as for our Sins or be unjust He must either dispence so far with his Love as to correct us or dispence with his Righteousness and Holiness And judge now which is most like a Father to correct a Sinning Child or Pamper him in Sins Psal 89.30 c. 3. Hence I infer that our Peace Ease joy Estates Liberty and Life are Subordinated
and thereby hasten his judgments on them It is true Gods Children are commanded to pray for their Enemies and Persecutors Matth. 5.44 and there may be Mercy in store with God for them when what they do they do as Paul did before his conversion 1 Tim. 1.16 ignorantly in unbeleif Thus Stephen Prayed for those that stoned him Acts 7.6 Lord lay not this Sin to their charge and Christ for those that Crucified him Luke 23.34 Father forgive them for they know not what they do And yet Christ himself excludes the World out of his Prayer John 17.9 I pray not for the World i. e. not for the reprobate World or the World in opposition to those his Father had given him How often doth David pray against his Persecutors especially Psal 69. 109. though his Prayers are generally prophetical yet Prayers still they are and how often do we find him and other Saints Praying against Idolaters Psal 97.7 haters of Zion 129.5 obstinate and hardened Enemies of Gods Truth and Ways and People see Psal 74. 94. And though the Jews in Babylon were commanded to pray for the Peace of the City Jer. 29.7 yet that must be but a limited command they were to pray for the Peace of Babylon during its time and so long as it was to be the place of their abode but they were not to pray for its perpetual Peace and Welfare for that had been to pray against the declared mind of God in all those Prophesies which foretold its ruin and indeed against their own deliverance which was to follow upon the beginning of Babylons destruction in the dissolution of that Empire Nay do we not find them praying for Vengeance on it Jer. 51.35 The violence done to me and my Flesh be upon Babylon shall Zion say and my Blood upon the Inhabitants of Chaldea shall Jerusalem say Gods Children ought to pray for their own private Enemies nay for those that at present are Enemies to the publick Weal of Zion as not knowing who of them may come to be her Friends God may have a Seed among them all have not sinned the sin unto death though many may for whom they are expresly forbid to pray 1 John 5.16 and if they knew in particular who they were they ought no more to pray for them than for the Devil himself if Austin may be beleived But certain it is they must not cannot dare not pray for the implacable incorrigible Enemies of their Lord and Master Nay they cannot pray for the exaltation of Christs Kingdom but they at the same time pray for the downfal of such whenever they pray Gods Will may be done and his Kingdom come They pray for the confusion of those that obstinately oppose his Will and whose ruin must make way for the coming of his Kingdom and so all the Saints in the World are every Day Praying against the Malignant hardned Enemies and Persecutors of Christ and his People And is it not a Dreadful thing to have the Prayers of Saints of Thousands of Saints of all the Saints upon Earth against them Those Prayers which shall not be lost which will be heard and not one of them be in vain See Rev. 11. what power the Prayers of the Saints have Gods Witnesses even in their Sackcloth Vers 5 6. what is the Fire that proceeds out of their Mouths but the Judgments they Denounce and by Prayer bring down upon the Anti-Christian World No Army with Banners more Terrible than a Company of Praying Saints When Saints are full of Prayer Heaven is big with Vengeance and their Prayers cannot go up so fast but Judgments will soon come down as fast 2. They lose the help of the Saints God his Protection and whatever Favour he hath been wont to shew them for the sake of his Saints This follows upon the former and I shall meet with it again under the next use To conclude this therefore The Enemies would fain now as well as in former Ages extirpate Gods Seed from out of the Earth their Language is as the Jews was of Paul Acts 22.22 It is not fit that they should Live They would have the Name of Israel be no more in remembrance Psal 83.4 But what would they get by that were the Holy Seed the Plants of Gods Planting stub'd up how soon would the Vineyard be laid wast If the Green Trees were out of the way the Fire of Gods Wrath would quickly consume the Drie and what should hinder Who should Interpose with the Lord of the Vineyard Who should say Destroy it not when alas there were no Blessing in it I dare say had some Men their wish it would be the Blackest Day thâ—â— ever England saw and it may be Blacker to none than to them 〈◊〉 wish for it Use 2. EXHORTATION 1. To the truly Religious of all sorts and persuasions I mean â—et it appear that you are indeed the Substance and Strength of a Sinful Land Act like those that are so do what you can to help a poor sinking Nation stand in the Gap and make up the Hedg and Labour to convince your Enemies themselves that you are their Friends and the best they have too 1. Intercede witb God for the Land Improve all the Interest you have in Heaven to keep off approaching Destruction And to quicken you consider 1. You know not how far you may prevail with God for the prevention of National Judgments When other means fail yet Prayer may prevail Human Strength and Human Wisdom may be able to do little the Power and Policy of Enemies may be too hard for the Wisdom and Strength of the Godly but when you can do least your selves you may Engage God by Prayer to do most He is Wise in Heart and Mighty in Strength Job 9.4 If he take your part he can turn about the Hearts of Enemies disappoint their Devices befool their Politicks or if need be break their Power Enemies are commonly the Instruments of Evil brought upon a Land yet they are but Instruments God himself is the principal Agent Amos 3.6 they are the Rods in his Hand the Scourges which he useth or lays aside when he pleaseth You may be helpful in diverting the Evils which Enemies might do though you touch not themselves but Address to God and set him against them You may do in this Case as when you have to do with Men in Civil things if a Prince be offended with you and like to punish you though what he doth he doth by Ministers and Officers yet you do not fall a quarrelling with them but apply your self to the Prince if he be pacified toward you his Officers dare not meddle with you his Pardon is a Supersedeas to all their Actions Try what you can do with God if he side with you either Men shall not desire to touch you or not be able if they would to hurt you Think how many times have the Prayers of the Saints prevailed with God in the
People shouted and Jerico fell down to the ground Our Amens must not drop like a cold Bullet of Lead out of the mouth of a Musquet bowing to the ground but they must be Fired by preparations of the Heart and warm affections they must be Discharged and Shot off with the utmost valde of the Soul and fervency of the Spirit Samuel Thundred in Prayer and God Thundred upon Israels Enemies So David Prays Psal 144.5 that God would bow the Heavens and come down c. Ps 1.8 9. he did bow the Heavens and come down verse 13. the Lord Thundred in Heaven the highest gave his Voice Hailstones and coals of Fire When Gods People can unite in one Voice God gives his Voice with them and for them Use The First Inference then is of Reproof for our deep silence and too much neglect of this hearty Amen which proceeds from these Four ill Causes 1. From thence whence all ill things come in upon us even from Popish ignorance and darkness When Men grew dull and stupid and neither understood or cared to understand either the word of God to us or ours to him in Prayer Religion was looked upon as a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a By-business or troublesome laborious and needless curiosity It was enough to Beleive as the Church Beleived and to Pray as the Church Prayed and so they devolved all their Devotions on a pack of idle Monks and Friers whom they called Religious Omers who should serve God supererogate and merit for them yea not only procure a freedom from Purgatory and Pardons but Paradice also for their Moneys And as soon as their Silver did chink in the Bason of the Priest out springs the Soul from Purgatory as if the sound of Money was powerful in Purgatory as true Amens are in Heaven 2. The Divisions among Christians of the reformed Religion is another Cause of this defect and neglect 1 Cor. 14.26 when ye come together every one hath a Psalm a Doctrine a Tongue a Revelation an Interpretation One was for Singing another for Reading a Third for Preaching one for Prophesying another for Interpreting the Apostle gives two Rules to oppose this and Womens talking in the Church let all things be done distinctly and in order to edification natural decency forbids all confusion In our days some have such Schismatical Phrases Notions and Doctrines in Preaching Praying and Praising that a sober Christian cannot say Amen Some so zealous for Forms that nothing else must be a Prayer but the Lords Prayer as if because Cyprian calls it a Legitimate Form all others were spurious when 't is the Sense that is the Prayer and not the words which are differently set down in Luke from Mathew as Chemitius well observes Others are so vehement against all Forms that they would reduce all Devotion to an invisible Spirituality as if they had drop'd their Bodies and were crouded within the Vail into the Triumphant Quire of Spirits in Heaven But certainly while we are in the Body we ought to glorifie God with our Bodies as well as our Spirits and with our Tongues as the Bodies Instruments in publick Worship Verbo deus laudandus quia deus verbum says Lactan God was made Flesh to speak to us therefore we ought to speak to him Psal 16.9 the Tongue is Mans Glory as it differenceth us from Beasts so it make us Priests to God Rev. 1.6 to offer up our own and the dumb Creatures Sacrifices of Praise to God to him be Glory and Dominion for ever Amen 3. Another rate of this defect is the degenerating of Assemblies from their first Constitution and Plantation For these as all Bodies contracted defilements both in Ministers and People Formality hath over-run that Zeal Piety and Charity which formerly burned among them So that many Assemblies are run down so into the Spirit of the World that they differ little from Papists How have some Ministers been thrust in upon the Assemblies by a secular hand who never understood how to preach or pray a live Prayer and many Congregations full of such ignorance and prophaness that the Arches and Vaults in the Building give as good an Eccho as their dead Amens One comes in his Drink another pipeing hot out of their Wordly Businesses a Third in huffing Finery and Bravery to be gazed on another is heavy laden with Sleep and comes for a Nap. How can they that are not concerned for Gods Glory his Church his Word the pardon of their Sins nor think themselves beholden to God for Daily-Bread or that they need daily Grace say either Our Father or Amen with any Sense When either Ministers or People Drink and Swill and Swear and roar with one another at the Tavern all the Week and yet will be the most Vocal and Loud in their responsals on the Lords Day it turns Mens Stomacks and Consciences from publick expressions as something to rankly of Hypocritical Formality That with the wise Heathen in the Ship when a Company of wicked Persons cried and prayed hold your peace sad he least the Gods know you are here and so destroy us D. Laer. Roaring at the Ale-house and bellowing at the Church are both alike beastly and ugly to be heard 4. Worldly Peace Plenty and Prosperity dirty and dull the Wheels of the Soul so as Activity and Fervency are Bird-limed 'T is unreasonable yet too true that those Tenants who have the best Farms pay God his Rent worst When Christians were kept warm by the Zeal of their Persecutors they met in Caves and Woods with the hazard of their Lives they had a Zeal for God and the Gospel they heard and Prayed as for their lives and for the life of Religion it might be their last Sermon or Prayer they might joyn in and so they had a fervent hearty love for one another which made them not only seal their Prayers with warm Amens but they sealed one another also with an holy kiss not knowing whether they should ever see one anothers Faces again in the Flesh or no they fell on one anothers Necks and kissed at parting Rom. 16.16 another expression springing naturally from strong affection truly Christian in those times which if practised in this dirty Age would be perhaps proved as well as judged a piece of wretched carnality But their Flesh was kept under by poverty and persecutions so as such filthy tentations were burnt up by the love of God and each other And we have cause to fear God hath some such Irons in the Fire to fear of that dead yet proud Flesh which in these days is bred in the hearts of many professors In the mean time this Flesh hinders our very lips from closing in a sound Amen Use 2. This then informs us that if ever the Church recover primitive purity and fervency it must have such administrations as 1. The whole Worship of God must be in a known Tongue that so all may say Amen in the
we do not hear our selves 3. Beware of a lazy posture of the Body for the Soul is drawn into consent and sympathy with it verse 5. here the Jews stood up to shew their reverence and attention to the word of God They lifted up their hands bowed down their heads and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground here was exalted Attention and Devotion and most humble veneration with intense affections and these could say Amen Amen But to see one sit and hang down his head and hang his hat on his nose or perhaps sleeping till he snore himself awake and then give a yawn or an idle Amen any one without breach of Charity may think him guilty of lazy Hypocrisie with detestation This is a mocking of God giving the Congregation a flap with this Foxes tail when they have cunningly slept over the greatest part of the Prayer and slipt out of the Congregation without removeal Irreligiosissimum est sedere nisi quod deo exprobamus quod oratio nos fatigaverit as Tertul. de Or. do says 'T is most indecent without a good Reason to sit at Prayer for 't is else in effect to tell God Prayer hath tired us out Use 4. Is of Direction and Exhortation how to keep up this Harmonious Amen in Publick Assemblies 1. Let Pastor and People never meet but premise some solemn preparations of Heart to meet the Lord. Rehoboam and most of the Kings of Israel and their People also Sin'd in this That they prepared not themselves to set their Hearts to seek the Lord 2 Chron. 12.14 he fitted not his Heart as the Hebrew Word imports it was no more fit to that Duty then an Ass is to play upon an Harp We should never offer God that which cost us nothing put off thy Shoes from thy Feet Vain Thoughts and Vile Affections and put on the Lord Jesus Christ e're you go into the Fathers Presence A Worldly Spirit coming off from common Employments is not fit for Communion with God A common Heart will never be inclosed in any Duty but runs wild of it self and lies open to all Incursions Vzzah was smitten though he touched the Ark out of a good intention but in an undue manner 1 Chron. 15.13 He did it not in Judgment nor according to Gods Order and Appointment 2. We must watch unto Prayer Matth. 26.41 for the Devil is there as to catch away the good Seed so to catch us away by every wandring Thought 1 Pet. 4.7 Peter and John were at Christs Transfiguration in the Mount Luke 9.32 but were sadly heavy with Sleep It is strange when they should have been taken up with Raptures and Extasies of Joy that they should be so Drossie and Drowsie But how hard a matter it is for to watch with Christ One Hour in Duty Grief might make them heavy in the Garden and yet Christ his Propassion and Sweating Drops of Blood was enough to have put them into an Agony of Compassion But alas neither the Garden nor the Mount is able to transport us or keep up Intention of Soul or Affection unless God keep Fire on his own Altar and blow up our Spark into a Flame 3. Our Intention cannot last long our Actions depending on the Body and those Spirits the finer Particles of the Blood separated from it by the Alembick of the Brain And as it is sometime e're they rise so their height and speed is soon over and then we run down into Flegm and Heaviness therefore in all Publick Duties solemn Fastings excepted for humbling Soul and Body we ought not to be too Prolix but to labour for strength rather then length thick and short as Davids Panting and Daniels Praying Chap. 9.19 Oh Lord hear Oh Lord forgive Oh Lord hearken and do defer not c. When weighty Petitions are sent up for thâ— whole Church they draw Universal Consent Not that we ought for Brevity 〈◊〉 to confine all Prayer to the Lords-Prayer as if no Bushel was a Bushel but 〈◊〉 Standard so to fall down at this and stand up against all others whereas it is 〈◊〉 diffused in Sense and so contracted in Words that the Text may very well admiâ— Comment in Conformity to its Sense and we need a more Comprehensive Mind then the Vulgar have to fill those words with 4. When all is done there is nothing done but all to do till we implore the good Spirit of God which he gave the Jews here Nehem. 9.20 And he bad them work for his Spirit was with them Hag. 2.4 And should remain among them when they Built the Temple Luke 24.49 Christ bad his Disciples tarry at Jerusalem till they were Endued with Power from on High there was no Preaching or Praying without this Spirit of Grace and Supplication Zech. 12.10 It is impossible the Organs of our Bodies or Faculties of our Souls should Praise God aright unless this Spirt of God fill them and blow them up He must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philip. 1.19 tune the Praise and form the Prayer in us he must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 James 5.16 inlay it and work it both in and out and he is the Master of the Choice to hold and keep us in Frame as well as set us in and enable us to drive all our Petitions home and through to a fervent Amen Deus solus docere potest ut velis se orari as Tertul. says None but God can teach us how to Pray tâ— God That Spirit of Adoption that enableth us to say Abba Father can only teaâ—â— us how to pronounce Amen Amen FINIS
to God therefore inconsistent with the Love of God These six things the Lord hateth yea seven which his Soul hateth Prov. 6.16 Psal 97.10 Math. 6.24 Therefore ye that love the Lord hate evil These are two Masters which we cannot hate and love both 3. Sin separates from God therefore we cannot keep our selves in the love of Sin and in the love of God Sin makes us depart from God and God to depart from us Therefore Conversion reconciles God to us because it mortifies Sin in us by vertue of Christs Death for us VII He that will keep himself in the Love of God must clear up his Interest and Union to Jesus Christ 1. Because Jesus Christ was sent us as the greatest Instance and the greatest Token of Gods Love in the World 1 Joh. 4.9 2. Because the Lord Jesus purchased the Love of God to us when we were the greatest Enemies to each other Rom. 5.8 10. 3. Because Jesus Christ is the Souls Love Cant. 3.1 4. Because Jesus Christ is all Loves Cant. 5.16 5. Because this was the End of Christs coming into the World to save us from our sins the sole cause of Gods hatred to Sinners Math. 1.21 6. Because the Father loveth whom Christ loveth and he loveth them that love Christ Joh. 16.27 7. Because our Interest in Christ puts a Soul out of all danger Rom. 8.1 Rom. 5.1 Chap. 7.24 25. 8. Because the Lord Jesus makes the Fathers Love to him the measure of his love to us As the Father hath loved me so have I loved you continue in my love Joh. 15.9 i. e. By this ye keep in Gods Love 9. Because the Lord Jesus teacheth us the way how to keep in his Love Joh. 15.10 Consider all this and how cogently they prove this Head of clearing up our Interest and Union unto Christ to keep our selves in the Love of God VIII An eighth way of keeping our selves in the Love of God is by keeping Gods Commandements I do not mean as to a Covenant of Works but upon a Gospel account If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my Love as I have kept my Fathers Commandments and abide in his Love John 15.10 Vers 14. Ye are my Friends if ye do whatsoever I command you O! mind that Again mark this Joh. 14.21 He that hath my Commandments and doth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and we will make our abode with him This Love is the fulfilling of the whole Law and the Gospel too There be many that will complement a Love to God but will do nothing for him The greatness of Abraham's Love to God and of David's Love and of Peter's Love and of Mary's Love of Paul's Love and of the Martyrs Love was in doing and in dying for him And is not the greatness of Gods Love and of Chists Love to us Joh. 15.13 in Doing and Suffering We read of Labour of Love because true Love is Laborious as it was in Jacob's Love for Rachel There is nothing God hates more than pretending to love therefore the Lord hates Hypocrites Not every Mat. 7.21 one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into Heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven As God saith This People Deut. 5.29 have well said in all that they have spoken O that there were such a Heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my Commandments alwayes So I say of Professors and great Pretenders that shew much kindness with their Mouth but their Heart is not right with God O that there were such a Heart in them that they would make Conscience to do the Will of God If the Lord loved the young man that was in a fair way of keeping the Commandments of God and was not perfect and thorow-pac'd how much more will he have a Love for them that have a respect to all the Commandments of God Psal 119.6 IX The way to keep our selves in the Love of God is to walk closely with God in wayes of strict Holiness This is a Commendation and Character upon Record of Gods chiefest Favourites Thus it was with Abraham Gen. 17.1 Thus it was with Enoch Gen. 5.22 Thus it was with Noah Gen. 6.9 Thus it was with Caleb Num. 14.24 And thus David Psal 73. ult Now we shall see how such a one is to God who desires to keep in the Love of God We have known 1 Joh. 4.16 and believed the Love that God hath to us God is Love and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him O sweet dwelling You shall shall find that the Holyest Persons were alwaies the highest Favourites of God Witness those before-mentioned and these following Instances Job 1.1 2 3. How did God bless him and praise him and trie him and reward him for his eminent Holiness Zachary and Elizabeth Luk. 1.6 7. How singularly did they shine in Holiness and in the Favour of God to whom God gave a Son in their old age the Harbinger of Christ Mary the Mother of Christ Luk. 1.28 how was she for her Holiness pronounced 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 highly favoured And Simeon Luk. 2.25 c. and Anna vers 36 37 38. Holiness and Purity brings us to the fight of God which is called Beatifical which is the Souls highest Happiness and ultimate end Math. 5.8 Psal 24.4 Heb. 12.14 and therefore is pronounced Blessed Psal 119.1 2. X. They keep themselves in the Love of God who do not wave or abate their Profession and Practice of Godliness in evil times and do not baulk the wayes of God under severe Providences and sharp Tryals this was eminent in all Christs Worthyes Thus David Psal 44.17 to vers 22. Mind that Place Though they were sore broken and smitten into the Place of Dragons and cover'd as with the shaddow of death yet we have not forgotten thee nor declined from thy way c. Job 13.15 cap. 3.17 18. Thus Job Though he slay me yet I will trust in him Thus Habakkuk Although the Fig-tree shall not blossom the Vine Olive and Field shall fail of their Fruit and not any Flocks or Herds left yet I will rejoyce in the Lord and joy in the God of my Salvation The Lord God is my strength And thus all the Champions of God Let Paul be one Instance more Rom. 8.35 36 37 38 39. Reason Prov. 3.11 12. 1. A Friend loveth at all times and a Brother is born for the day of Adversity Prov. 17.17 2. They know the Lords Chastenings are in Love Heb. 12.6 Rev. 3.19 Psal 119.67 71 72. 3. They know that all the Lords Severities are for good many wayes To drive them to Ordinances and Duties to sweeten them and to teach them to profit by them to know more of the Will of God by them and to give us a better Relish of the
Word by the Rod as Shepherds let loose their Dogs to hunt the stragling Sheep into their Bounds As Parents use Bug-bears to make their Children run into their Arms all in Love and to keep them in it by keeping them from excursions XI Another Means to keep our selves in the Love of God is to keep in our Hearts a quick sense of the Pardon of Sin of the wonderfull love of the Lord to a poor sinfull Soul to pardon great and many sins This puts such an Obligation upon a Sinner that he cannot chuse but express his great love to the Lord for it See a famous Instance of this in Mary Magdalen who having received this great Mercy from the Lord Luc. 7.38 47. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 came where he was in Simon the Pharisees house kneeled down at her dear Saviours feet and instead of Water her Eyes were Ewers and she wept tears upon the feet of Christ and washed his feet with them so abundant were they and then instead of a Towel she wiped his washen feet with the hair of her Head and not only so but kissed his feet All which thô the envious Pharisee blamed yet the Lord Jesus allowed and highly praised with tart reflexion upon the proud Pharisee who omitted those Civilities which that humble loving Convert performed Moreover the Lord that knew her Heart testifies for her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 she did it all in much love to him for the forgiveness of her many sins 1. Because Forgiveness of Sin is an act of the greatest Grace condescension and kindness of God to a poor Soul Because by the guilt of Sin a Soul is bound over to eternal Death and Wrath in Hell there to make satisfaction which will be ever a doing and never done Pardon of Sin loosneth the Sinner from that by Christs satisfaction for him 2. Because every one thus Pardoned Psal 51.12 Vphold me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with thy ingenuous or generous Spirit is made truly sensible of the Kindness of God to him in it and by converting Grace hath an ingenuous and noble Spirit created in his heart that will never suffer him to forget it nor think he can ever sufficiently prize or express it XII A further Means to keep our selves in the Love of God is not only to love the Lord but to keep up our Love to him to the height Such a love as the Bride and Bridegroom have to each other which is brisk and highest then Jer. 2.2 Rev. 2.4 5. I remember saith the Lord the love of thine espousals And again I have somewhat against thee because thou art fallen from thy first love repent and do thy first works The Lord commands our Love towards him in the most intense degree of Affection with all the heart with all the soul with all thy might Cum omni valdè tâ—o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with all thy utmost power Deut. 11.1.13.22 Cap. 19.9 Cursed be the deceiver that hath this Male in his flock Mal. this Masculine Love and yet giveth God the lame and the lean The highest Love of the Soul is a Present for the greatest King in the world Therefore labour to keep up thy Love to the height towards God Thou canst never be excessive in thy Love to God to the Creature thou mayst and commonly art But behold the perversness of Man in this Affection We stint our Love to God where it should know no bounds nor measures and we are boundless in our love to Creatures which alwayes ought to be bounded XIII If we will keep our selves in the Love of God let us labour to grow in Grace and to carry on the work of it in our Souls to the highest perfection This is grounded upon the Verse immediately before the Text viz. Ye beloved building up your selves in your most holy Faith where the Participle building agrees with the Verb in the Text keep your selves in the love of God Noting this growth in Grace and Knowledge to be an effectual means to keep our selves in the Love of God Whether we understand this Clause building up your selves in your most holy Faith to be understood of the Doctrine of Faith or the Grace of Faith or of both for we cannot well sunder them they being helps to each other according to that of Peter who puts them both together to grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and this is a Soveraign Remedy against falling away 2 Pet. 3.17 18. Now there is good reason why our growth in Grace and particularly in Faith is a principal means to keep our selves in the Love of God 1. Because the Power of God goes with Faith to keep us firm unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are kept thereby as with a strong Guard 2. Because by building up our selves in our most holy Faith we please God without Faith we cannot do that and we gain upon his Love for we are in the way of God and doing his Will this is the Will of God even our Sanctification He that hath my commandments and doth them Joh. 14.21 he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me my Father and I will love him Joh. 15.9 10. As the Father hath loved me so have I loved you continue in my love If ye keep my commandments ye shall abide in my love even as I have kept my Fathers commandments and abide in his love XIV A great Means of keeping our selves in the Love of God is this to Pray in the Holy Ghost ver 20. the verse after my Text Now we shall see how forcible and cogent this means is Consider 1. All good things come from God Jam. 1. Prayer is the Key of Gods Closet and Treasury we are meer Beggers and have nothing of our own but are fain to beg our daily Bread of God who keeps us from Hand to Mouth God will have it so because he will have us know to whom we are beholding for all Moreover he Loves to see our Face and hear our Voice and the oftner the more welcome And this he doth as tender Fathers use to do with their Children who know what they need but will have them come to them for all with bended knees for their Fathers Blessing nor shall they come in vain 1. For the Lord commands it and approves it Mat. 6.9 2. He hath annexed great Promises to Prayer 3. Even the Holy Spirit Rom. 8.15 26 27. And hath given us a Mediator to Intercede and plead for us by Office Heb. 4.15 16. and this is the great Office of his High-Priest-hood Heb. 2. two last verses By all which we see how seasonably the duty of Prayer and the Priviledge of Prayer is here annexed ver 20. to keep our selves in the Love of God How can Friends maintain their Amity without frequent converse Abraham was called the Friend of God Jam. 2.23 Gen. 18.17
renders them comly in the sight of men yea and in the sight of God too As the Ornament of a meek and quiet spirit so the Ornament of an humble and lowly spirit is in his sight of great price Indeed all along this was the great Requisite in the People of God The main thing that he required of them was to do justly to love mercy and to walk humbly with and before him so the Prophet informs us Mic. 6.8 To do justly and to love Mercy that is the Sum of all Duty to man to walk humbly that is the Sum of all Duty to God 8. Set before your eyes the Examples of humble and lowly Persons Direct 8 Some are greatly influenc'd by Examples more than they are by Precepts 1. Look upon the most eminent Saints that ever were upon the earth and you will find they were most eminent for humility Jacob thinks himself less than the least of Gods Mercies David speaks of himself as a worm and no man Agur says that he was more brutish than any man The Apostle Paul says of himself 1 Tim. 5.15 Eph. 3.8 that he is the chiefest of sinners and less than the least of all Saints How does that great Saint and Apostle vilifie and nullifie himself Bradford that holy man and Martyr subscribes himself in one of his Epistles a very paintâ—d Hypocrite The Apostle Peter said unto our Saviour Depart from me Luke 5.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for I am a sinful man O Lord a man that is a great sinner Thus the heaviest ears of Corn do always hang downwards and so do those Boughs of Trees that are most laden with fruit 2. Look upon the Angels of God the elect Angels they excel in strength and so they do in humility likewise they readily condescend to minister unto the Children of men that are abundantly inferior to themselves they take charge of them and bear them up as it were in their arms Are they not all ministring Spirits says the Apostle to the Hebrews The Interrogation is an Affirmation The greatest Angels do not disdain to minister to the least Saints When they have appeared to men they have utterly rejected the reverence they would have shewn them and have openly declared themselves our fellow-servants that we and they have but one common Lord. 3. Look upon the Lord Jesus Christ himself he is the great instance of humility though he was in the form of God and thought it not robbery to be equal with God yet he was made in the likeness of men and took upon him the form of a Servant and made himself of no reputation or as the word signifies he emptied himself of all his Glory he sought his Fathers glory and not his own yea he humbled himself so as to become obedient unto Death even the death of the Cross The very Incarnation of Christ is condescention enough to pole both men and Angels what then was his Crucifixion When you feel any Self-exaltation then remember and reflect upon Christ's Humiliation and think how unsutable a humble Master and a proud Servant is a humble Christ and a proud Christian This alone through the Spirit 's assistance is sufficient to bring down the swelling of the Spirits Direct 9 9. Use all Gods dealings with you and dispensations towards you as so many Antidotes against this Sin You hear they are design'd by God I pray you let them all be improv'd by you for this very end and purpose Hath God shined into your hearts and given you the knowledge of his Glory in the face of his Son Jesus Christ says Judas not Iscariot How is it Lord that thou dost manifest thy self unto us and not unto the World Hath he quickned and saved you from Sin and Death Say then By Grace we are saved not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy he hath saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Is Grace and Life preserved and increased which was at first infused into your Souls give God the Glory Say Not unto us O Lord not unto us but to thy Name be the praise Yea let all Gods outward Dispensations have this operation upon you Let Mercies humble you if God gives you worldly wealth and honour and lifts you up above others in Estate or Esteem say as David Who are we Lord and as Jacob We are less than the least of thy Mercies Let Afflictions humble you if God lays his hand upon you then lay your mouths in the dust if he smites you upon your backs do you smite upon your own Thighs We are call'd upon in Scripture to humble our selves under the hand of God 2 Chro. 33.32 You read of Manasseh how when he was in affliction he humbled himself greatly before the God of his Fathers May your Afflictions have the like effect Direct 10 10. Be much in the Duty of Prayer Give thy self to it If Pride doth not hinder Prayer Prayer will subdue Pride and whilst thou art in this Duty make this one of thy chief Petitions that God would cure thee of this evil disease Some are ready to wonder why Prayer in all cases is one of our chief Directions and Prescriptions they may as well wonder why Bread in all Meals is one chief part of our Food Why Prayer is the principal thing that calls in God to our Assistance without whose help we shall never be able to master the Pride of our hearts This was the course the Apostle took when he was like to be exalted above measure he besought the Lord thrice that is often a definite Number for an indefinite he did not only pray that God would take the Thorn out of his Flesh but that he would also cure the Pride that was in his heart he knew if the Cause were taken away the Effect would cease Oh for this do you beseech the Lord again and again pray and that earnestly that God by his Spirit would help thee to mortifie the Pride of thy Spirit be humbled as Hezekiah was for the Pride of thy heart in times past and pray as Paul prayed that God would prevent and cure the Pride of thy heart for time to come Desire God to use what Preservatives and Medecines he pleaseth so that the Cure be effected Beg of God that he would help thee on with this Ornament and cloath thee with Humility he hath promised to give Grace to the humble do you pray that he would give you the Grace of Humility Quest Wherein is a middle worldly condition most eligible SERMON XVII PROV XXX VIII IX Remove far from me Vanity and Lies give me neither Poverty nor Riches feed me with food convenient for me Lest I be full and deny thee and say who is the Lord or lest I be poor and steal and take the Name of my God in vain MY Text presents you with a short yet very pithy Prayer of Agur concerning whom
we have no other account than what the Holy Ghost gives in verse 1. The Words of Agur the Son of Jakeh even the Prophecy the man spake unto Ithiel and Ucal The Jewish Rabbins would make each of these Names to import some great Mysteries an account of which I do not think to be of such importance as to trouble my self or you to search after but will content my self with the most vulgar Interpretation viz. that this Agur was a person contemporary with Solomon one eminent for his Wisdom and that the other two before mentioned were his Disciples to whom in the following Instructions he applies himself In the second and third Verse you have his humble acknowledgment of the meanness of his own natural abilities and that whatever wisdom he had attained to it was not the product of his own industry but donum desuper a Gift from above Surely I am more brutish than any man and have not the understanding of a man I neither learned wisdom nor have the knowledge of the Holy In the following Verses you have a short yet very significant confession of his Faith and that with respect to God and Christ the Son of God displaying some of his most glorious perfections by which he infinitely exalted above as well as distinguished from all his Creatures v. 4. Who hath ascended up to heaven or descended who hath gathered the Wind in his fists c. Next followeth an excellent Encomium of Gods Word that Transcript of the divine Will which saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 3.15 is able to make us wise to salvation v. 5. Every word of God is pure he is a Shield unto them that put their trust in him The Application of these Instructions you have v. 6. Add thou not unto his words lest he reprove thee and thou be found a Liar Thus have I given you a brief account of this excellent Sermon I have not now leisure to acquaint you either with the importance of the matter or the Method here used but shall proceed to the Prayer that followed this Sermon In the Verse before my Text you have first the Preface v. 7. Two things have I required of thee deny me them not before I die In which you have first the Sum of his Requests Two things David goes to God with his single Request Psal 27.4 One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after Not but that David and Agur too doubtless had many things to ask of God upon whom they depended for whatever they had in hand or in hope but that one or these two Requests must either be supposed to lie uppermost upon their hearts at this time or else that they were such Petitions as were comprehensive of all things substantially good and necessary What these two Requests are and how large and extensive might appear if I had time to give you an account of them in their due latitude 2. You may observe the Object to whom he directs his Prayer viz. to God Two things have I required of thee who for our encouragement in our addresses to him hath ascribed to himself that Title to be a God hearing Prayer Psal 65 2â— 3. You have the manner of his Address expressive both of his Faith and Fervency two necessary ingredients to an acceptable Prayer 1. Two things have I required of thee There is his Faith To require is more than barely to request it imports a looking and a longing for a thing with expectation of receiving what is asked This is the Language of Faith and the freedom that Christ hath purchased for his People in their approaches to the Throne of Grace Eph. 3.12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him 2. His Fervency Deny me not importing that holy courage laying hold on God as not willing to let him go without a blessing 4. You have his Constancy and Perseverance in this Duty Deny me not before I die q. d. I intend not to give over calling upon thy Name whilst I have breath I 'll give thee no rest I 'll never take thy seeming delays for deniâ—ls Here are many profitable Instructions that might hence be collected did not the present design of this Exercise hasten me to step forward to the words of my Text where you have these two more general Parts 1. The Requests the things pleaded for at the hands of God 2. The Arguments for the enforcing these Requests I. The things pleaded for Their Number you heard in the foregoing words Two things Here we are acquainted with their Nature 1. Remove far from me Vanity and Lies This Petition did primarily respect his inward man the Concerns of his Soul Whenever we are sending Dispatces to Heaven spiritual and eternal things should alway have the preheminence Peccata omnis complectitur sub nominibus Vanitatis Mendacii Jun. The things he deprecates are Vanity and Lies By which as is conceived we are to understand those sinful Soul-Maladies under which he groaned and unto which by nature we are wholly addicted and enslaved This then in short is expressive of the breathings of his Soul after a freedom from the damning domineering Power of his in-dwelling Lusts that his Sins might be pardoned that his Conscience might be purged that all might be removed far from him that kept him at a distance from and interrupted him in his communion with God But 2. That Request in which I am at present concerned especially to give you an account of is the next which doth more immediately respect his outward man and the temporal enjoyments of this transitory Life These are also the gifts of God and though they are the Blessings of the Footstool Mercies of an inferiour rank yet as â—ur Saviour tells us such things as during our abode in this lower world our heavenly Father knows that we have need of Mat. 6.32 The Request is this Give me neither Poverty nor Riches feed me with food convenient for me Which though made up of several Sentences yet is it but one single Request According to the Order observed in my Text we must consider First Somewhat that he deprecates and declines viz. Pâ—â—â—â—â—y and Riches Secondly Something for which he supplicaâ—â—s viz. Feed me with food convenient for me 1. The things he deprecates are the two Extreams of a worldly condition Poverty on the left hand Riches on the right 1. Poverty I suppoâ—e you all know at least in the Notion what that means viz a Nâ—â—â—tion or Privation of such â—hings 〈◊〉 God in the ordinary course of 〈◊〉 Providence hath mâ—de neceâ—â—â—â—y for â—he support of our outward man or for our comfortable subsistence in thâ—â— world and in that station in which God hath set us Such as are destitute of necessary supplies for the satisfying of the cravings of Nature these we reckon to be truly poor Such as want Cloaths to coâ—â—â— their nakedness Bread to satisfie