matter of Praise The more Errour does prevail the more mercy it is that you are kept And truely the only way or a special way to be kept from Errour is to be thankful for Truth As a way to be kept from sin is to be thankful for grace So a special way to be kept from Errour is to be thankful for Truth So then Notwithstanding all this yet you are to be thankful Thankful even in this condition though many Errours yet ye are to be thankful to be in all things thankful in every thing thankful Thankful when ye are straitened as well as when ye are most enlarged Thankful when ye are Deserted as well as when God shines upon you Thankful when ye are Afflicted as well as when ye are Delivered Thankful when ye have no Victories as well as when ye have Victories Some it may be now will Praise the Lord and be Thankful hearing of so many Victories and because there may be some hopes of Peace But beloved 't is our duty to be in every thing Thankful 'T is the will of God our Father that we should be Thankful in every thing Thankful in every condition Give me leave to propound some few Incouragments hereunto for it seems a hard thing to be Thankful in every thing in every condition If you can be thankful in every thing even when ye are low you will engage God for to raise you up If when you are weak you engage God for to make you strong If when you are Deserted you engage God to enlarge you to shine upon you It pleases God much you cannot please him more than to be Thankful in every thing even when ye are low For Example Suppose a man be convinc'd of sin troubled in Conscience hath no assurance of Gods love in Christ If he should die he does not know whether he should go to heaven or hell Yet notwithstanding saies he what ever become of me I bless the Lord that I am come hither I was going on in the most sad condition the Lord hath opened my eyes I see indeed nothing but the wrath of God due for my sins but yet blessed be the Lord that hath opened my eyes to see this I saies the Lord doest thou blesse me because I have opened thy eyes for to see thy sins I 'le open thine eyes for to see thy Saviour Doest thou blesse me because I have opened thy eyes to see thy own heart and the naughtiness thereof I 'le open thy eyes to see all my grace and I 'le cause all my grace to passe before thee This engages God when ye can be thankful for every thing and when ye are low it engages God much unto you Again Hereby your Afflictions shall be made blessings unto you You say How shal I know whether an Affliction be a blessing or no Take this note when thou canst blesse God under an Affliction then thy Affliction is made a blessing thy very blessing of God under an Affliction makes thy Affliction a blessing to thee Job greatly afflicted and he blest God and his Affliction was a blessing to him so shall it be with you Touch but thy Affliction with a Thankful heart it will turn it into gold Moreover The more you can be Thankful for any thing when ye are low the more peace shall your heart and your soul be fild with Some of you it may be want peace of Conscience and ye say Oh! that I had peace within whatever become of me Outwardly whatsoever the world do with me Oh! that I had peace within To this purpose consider the 4. to the Philippians saies the Apostle Be ye in nothing careful at the 6. verse but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God And the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus This is the way to get a great and a full peace Be in nothing careful be in all things Thankful then the peace of God shall guard you Besides Hereby ye shall shame the Devil your great adversary shall retreate from tempting of you as one ashamed and confounded Some there are that shame the Saints and are a shame to the waies of God the Gospel Some there are that shame the Devil The Devil said unto God concerning Job Do but touch him Job 1.11 12 21 and he will curse thee to thy face saies the Lord He is in thy hand only save his life and Satan touch't him what then The Lord giveth the Lord taketh away blessed be his Name The Devil said he would Curse God and he blesses God See how the Devil is sham'd and confounded here Some there are that make the Devils words good Touch him and he will curse thee to thy face and so do some do and thereby they are a shame indeed unto the people of God and the waies of God But when people can blesse God under Affliction if ye in every this be Thankful the Devil is confounded God is much honoured Wherefore beloved as ye desire that God may be much honoured by you the Devil confounded your own peace setled all your afflictions turned into blessings and the Lord engag'd to you to raise you up when ye are low learn out this lesson not only to be Thankful when ye are full but to be Thankful when ye are empty to be in every thing Thankful this is the will of God your Father How shall we do this Quest you will say how must that be done Some few things in answer to that and so I will wind up all First Answ 1 Observe your own temper and accommodate your selves put thy self upon that duty and that grace which thine own disposition lies next unto God hath given us this indulgence Jam. 5.13 Is any afflicted let him pray is any merry let him sing Psalms According to your disposition saies he that is the meaning So let your work be so let your grace be It may be thou canst not Pray by that time thou hast been at another duty that thy disposition lies more unto next unto thou wilt be fit to pray It may be thou canst not Sing by that time thou hast been at Prayer which thy disposition lies next unto thou wilt be fit to Sing Let us not be more cruel to our souls than God is he hath give us this indulgence observe your selves accommodate your selves and by this means you shall be able upon all occasions to blesse and praise the Lord. Again Be sure of this that you maintain your Assurance fresh and green It 's a hard thing for a man to be thankful in every thing that wants Assurance Come to him for to praise God for a great work but it may be saies he it came in Judgment to me I have no Assurance Strengthen your Assurance in these Three things and it will cause continual Thankfulnesse Thankfulnesse in every thing Assurance
unto ye like unto me hear ye him And now here in this 17. of Matthew at the transfiguration Moses and Elias appeared which they did not in the 3. of Matthew First Consider that the Emphasis may lie upon the word Hear and not upon the word Him only This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Hear ye him His face did shine as the Sun and his rayment was white as the light And Christ appeared in great glory and they stood looking upon him Nay saies the Lord from Heaven do not make it a gazing matter but Hear him don't stand looking upon him but Hear him He don't appear in such a glory in the 3. of Matthew when he was baptized and therefore those words are not added there But again Here now in the 17. Chapter of Matthew at the Transfiguration appears Moses and Elias Behold at the 3. verse There appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him Moses that gave the Law Elias that restored it Then answered Peter and said unto Jesus Lord 't is good for us to be here if thou wilt let us make here Three Tabernacles one for Thee and one for Moses and one for Elias Peter and so the rest of the Disciples began for to equallize Moses to Jesus Christ One for Moses and one for Elias and one for Jesus Christ no more for Christ than for Moses Now the Lord takes Peter off from all his mistakings Your eye is upon Moses saith he but I saith the Lord God Almighty am wel pleased in my Son This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased I am well pleased with you and with your Duties through this my Son and not through Moses and therefore Hear Christ and not Moses He laies this in upon it that therefore they should be Evangelical and hear Jesus Christ because the Lord Christ gives acceptance unto all and by him God is well pleased with them Again further The more glory Christ does appear in the greater reason there is why we should hear him Now here the Lord Jesus Christ appeared in glory his face did shine as the Sun and his raiment was white as the light In the 3. of Matthew he was there baptized and he did not appear in glory but now here he appears in glory and therefore saies the Lord now Hear him this is your glorious Saviour Hear him Beloved what greater glory can Jesus Christ appear to your souls in than this the glory of his love he takes every one of your Duties and your Prayers and he carries them in to the bosome of God the Father and by him you have acceptance Oh! what a glorious Saviour have ye therefore Hear him This is that if any thing will make ye very Obedient to Christ more than to Moses to be Evangelical in all your Duties Yet further The more a man can rejoyce in spiritual priviledges with humility and the more humble a man is and yet can rejoyce in his spiritual priviledges the more holy he is there goes a great deal of Holiness to it to joyn these two together for a man to rejoyce in his spiritual priviledges and yet to be humble and to walk very humbly Some there are that look upon ther spiritual priviledges and rejoyce much but they don't walk humbly Some labour to walk humbly and are much troubled in the consideration of their own evil but they don't rejoyce in their spiritual priviledges Give me a Christian that doth both and he is a blessed man The study of this Truth that is now before you will teach you to do both to do both together For what a great priviledge is this not a figh not a groane not a duty but the Lord Christ takes it and carries it in and presents it to God the Father for me whereby I have acceptance Considering this here is matter of much joy and rejoycing I but It is Christ that does it there is no such worthiness in mine own duty it were lost and cast away if Jesus Christ did not take it in his hand and carry it into the bosome of God the Father and therefore why should I not walk humbly I conclude all with this If that the Lord Jesus Christ our great High-Priest offers up all our Gifts unto God the Father whereby we have acceptance What infinite cause have we all to be Thankful to God for Christ and to love Jesus Christ for ever Suppose one of you had been among the Disciples when the Lord Christ wash't his Disciples feet and he should have come and wash't your feet and have done it would not your heart have glowed with love to Jesus Christ Yet when the Lord Jesus Christ wash't his Disciples feet it was in the daies of his flesh when he was here on the earth but now he is in glory and yet for all this he takes your dirty prayers and does as it were wash the feet of your prayers that he may present them to God the Father he washes your tears over again in his bloud and presents them to God the Father he takes all your Duties and perfumes them with his intercessions and so presents them unto God the Father Oh! what cause have we to love Jesus Christ Oh! you that never loved Christ love him now and you that have loved him before love him much more you that fear the lord love the Lord and let us all even go away with our hearts warmed with this love blessing and praising the Name of the Lord. And thus I have led you into a Third work of our great Hight Priest which is this To offer up the Gifts of the people unto God the Father A Fourth follows c. SERMON IV. HEBREWES 2.17 18. Wherefore in all thing it behoved him Preached at Stepney May. 16. 1647. to be made like unto his brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High-Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people For in that He himselfe hath suffered being tempted he is able to succou them that are tempted IT hath been opened and applied that the work of the High-Priest was and is To satisfie for the sins of the people to make Intercession for them and to offer up their Gifts unto God the Father all which Christ doth for us I shall speak of one work more of our great High-Priest and that is To bless the people We reade in the Old-Testament of two sorts of High-Priests One according to the order of Aaron the Levitical High-Priest as I may so speak and his work was for to Bless the People as we may reade in the 6. Chapter of Numbers the 23. verse Speak unto Aaron and unto his Sons saying On this wise ye shall bless the Children of Israel saying unto them c. There was another High-Priest not according to this order of Aaron and that was Melchisedec and he also did Blesse Abraham And the Apostle speaking of him
sold his Birth-right for a mess of pottage the Lord look't upon him as a Prophane man and he stands upon record in Scripture for a Prophane man unto this day because he sold his Birth-right And saies the text Though he sought the Blessing it was a blessing with tears he never recovered it The Lord Jesus Christ he is now among us and offering to bless us and if I will rather keep my sins than come unto Jesus Christ the Lord will look upon me as a Prophane man and I may go and seek the blessing with tears and never recover it again Oh! here 's that me thinks that should make every wicked man if there be ever a Drunkard Swearer or Unclean wanton that reades this book mind what is said for your Everlasting peace I say here 's that me thinks that should make every wicked man to look upon the Godly as David did upon the sparrows and upon the swallows Saies David These birds full nigh thine Altar may have place to sit and sing as ye have it in your singing Psalms These birds can come and make their nests but as for me I am kept at a distance He was provoked by the sparrows and swallows making their nests neer the Altar So may a wicked man say There 's a godly man indeed he may go to Jesus Christ he may go to Prayer and he may offer up his Gift to God the Father by the hands of Christ he can come neer to God by Christ But as for me I am yet without Christ I am not yet gone to Jesus Christ I am such a cursed Swearer I am such a prophane Drunkard I am such a vile wretched Wanton such a Notorious Scandelous sinner Oh! these people are blessed but I am Cursed but now through the Lords grace I will go unto the Lord Christ that I may be blessed Yea My beloved here is me thinks a strong Invitation unto all those that are young people for to come unto Jesus Christ even those that are very young Hear the word of the Lord ye Children The Lord Jesus Christ received Children into his armes and he blest them You that are nine ten eleven twelve thirteen fourteen or fifteen years old you can be solicitous for your fathers blessing and have gone down upon your knees often unto your father and you have said Pray father pray to God to bless me Oh! will ye go to your outward father for his blessing and will ye not go unto Jesus Christ He is an Everlasting Father this your earthly father will be dead erelong He is an Everlasting father children and he is able to bless ye and willing to bless ye Have ye gone down upon your knees to your outward father Oh! children down down upon your knees before the Lord Jesus Chrit and go to him for his blssing Some of you it may be never went yet to Christ for his blessing ye have lived so many yeers ten eleven or twelve yeers and never went to Christ as a High-Priest for his blessing all this while Oh! what a mighty incouragement is here unto all men to come to Christ that they may be blessed by him But yet further As there is an incouragement for to come unto Christ So this argument does also incourage us to go on in the good waies of Christ notwithstanding all opposition that we meet withall I say it does speak incouragement to go on in the face of all opposition For when Abraham had been at battel then came Melchisedec the High-Priest to bless him And when a poor soul goes out to battel for Christ then comes our great Melchisedec our High-Priest and blesses that soul The time of opposition it is the time of Christs blessing Therefore why should I be dilcouraged or beaten out of the way of Christ by reason of any opposition though it be never so great Times of opposition are Christs blessing-time Again This argument does not only speak incouragement against all oppsition But it does also incourage us to go on in the good waies of God when we are called unto it though we have but little strength and weak parts Though there be but little oyle in the Cruse though there be but little meal in the barrel if Christ call to the work he will bless a man in it and when Christ blesses he does multiply and increase a mans parts in the using of them As when he commanded them to sit down and eat he did multiply and increase the bread in their eating So now does Christ call me to any work or service well then though I am weak though I have not oyle enough though I have not meal enough though I have not strenght enough yet the Lord Christ will bless and when he blesses he does increase and multiply and therefore why should I not go on upon his work if he do call mee thereunto though I have never so little strength And yet further If all this be true Why should not a man be contented with his condition though it be never so mean Beloved in the Lord is there not enough in Christs blessing Truly He is too covetous whom the blessing of Christ will not satisfie Well what ever my condition be yet I may be blessed by Jesus Christ and hath the Lord blest me then will I be contented with my Condition though it be never so mean I have All as Jacob oncesaid I have All. Yea in the Fift and last place Here is that which if wel studied and considered will provoke us all for to bless the Lord and continually to blesse the Lord What is the life of a Christian here but a continuall blessing of God 't is Heaven begun and in Heaven they do nothing else but blesse and praise the Lord and I say our life here is Heaven begun and therefore a Christian should be alwaies blessing and praising the Lord. Well But what will make a man to be alwaies Blessing Quest and Praising of God in Christ The knowledge that a man is blessed by Christ Answ wil make a man blesse God for Christ And therefore consider how the Apostle reasons in the 1. of the Ephesians the 3. vers Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Why Who hath blessed VS When once a man can come to this for to say That the Lord Christ hath blest him then he will break forth into blessing and praising of the Lord Oh! Blessed be the Lord Blesse the Lord O my soul blesse the Lord all that is within me For the Lord hath blessed me with spiritual blessings Do you therefore desire to be alwaies in this work of blessing the Lord think much of this To conclude al give me leave to cal upon you to remember what ye have read Ye have read That it is the work of our great High-Priest To Satisfie for the sins of the people To answer unto all Accusations that are brought against them To offer up all
are in the deep and his footsteps are not known but as the Heavens are greater than the earth so are Gods waies of mercy beyond our waies Now therefore if a drak temptation do come upon ye and ye see no way to get out say O but my soul remember Gods waies are infinite and his waies are beyond our waies and though I see no way God hath infinite waies he walks over mulbery-trees and his waies have been in the deep and so it hath been all along with my soul and therefore now O my soul wait on God Sixthly Answ 6 If temptation come if Satan come Do you run to Christ and look how Satan appears to you so do you apply the Attributes of Christ to you sutable to his temptation Does Satan set a temptation unto your breast observe what temptation it is and take an Attribute of Christ sutable to that temptation and set it to the breast of that temptation For Example Does Satan come and tempt as a Serpent Then remember that Jesus Christ is the brasen serpent Does Satan come and present himself as a roaring Lyon Now remember that Jesus Christ is the Lyon of the tribe of Judah Does Satan come and present himself as an Accuser Now remember that the Lord Jesus Christ is an advocate Beloved in the time of temptation ye are to run to Christ that is true but that is not all but you are to observe how your temptation lies and apply that Attribute of Christ to your soul which is sutable to your temptation do this and your faith shall not faile in time of temptation Seventhly Answ 7 and lastly Above all things take the Shield of faith Take the Shield of faith that your faith may not fail for the way to beleeve is to beleeve the way to pray is to pray the way to hear is to hear the way to receive is to receive the way to perform duty is to perform duty the way to exercise grace is to exercise grace When temptation therefore does come upon thee that thy faith may not fail now stir up thy self to this work of faith and to beleeve and if ye beleeve that ye shall overcome ye shall overcome and if ye beleeve that ye shall prevaile against your temptations ye shall prevaile against your temptations And poor soul if thou canst relie upon Christ and beleeve that thou shalt be justified thou shalt be justified and if thou canst by faith relie upon the Promise the Promise shall belong to thee Wherefore stir up your selves now to beleeve when temptation comes When ye have to deal with an Enemy here among men I don't say beleeve ye shall overcome your enemy and ye shall overcome a man may beleeve he shal overcome his outward enemy here in the field and yet fall before him and not overcome but having to deal with this enemy Gods enemy your fathers enemy and your enemy beleeve ye shall overcome him and ye shall overcome him Quest But shall we overcome him Only if we beleeve Answ Who ever thou art that speakest or thinkest thus Doest thou make on Only of beleeving I tell thee from the Lord It is an harder thing to beleeve than to keep all the Commandements for there is something in Nature towards the keeping of the ten Commandements but nothing in Nature towards beleeving in Christ And poor soul doest thou make an Only of beleeving thou doest not know what beleeving means but I say unto thee from the Lord Beleeve that thou shalt overcome and thou shalt overcome beleeve that thou shalt prevaile against Satan and thou shalt prevail against him beleeve that thy sins shal be pardoned through Christ and relie upon him and thy sins shal be pardoned Whensoever therefore any temptation comes Oh! run to Christ cry unto Christ and rest upon Christ and say Lord I do beleeve help thou my unbelief Beloved in the Lord ye have heard That in all Satans temptations his great design is upon your faith to weaken your faith therefore let it be all your design in all your temptations to strengthen your faith and to look to your faith Which that ye may do think on all these things and the Lord bless them to you SERMON V. Of TEMPTATION LUKE 22.31 32. And the Lord said Simon Simon behold Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat Preached at Stepney Oct. 24 1647. But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not THese words as ye have heard acquaints us with a great temptation that was to come down upon Christs Disciples Concerning which ye have here The Danger of the temptation And the Remedy against it For the Danger of the temptation I have spoken already and now come unto this 32. verse But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not Here is something Implyed and somthing Exprest Satans design implyed which is and was to weaken the faith of Christs Disciples to make their faith to fail And of that ye have heard already Now that which is exprest is Christs tender care of and love unto his Disciples in regard of their temptations And this love and care of his towards his Disciples under temptation is Exprest in many things First in the forewarning of them of a temptation coming upon them there is his love and care in that he told them of the temptation before it came And then also He prayed for them Yea He prayed for them before they were tempted Yea And he tels them that he did pray for them that they might have assurance of his help in the time of their temptation Great was his love and care to and for his Disciples unders their temptation And so the Observation is this Christs love and mercy Doct. is never more at work for his Disciples and people then when they are most assaulted by Satan When Satan is most busie to tempt and assault their faith then is Christs love and mercy most at work to keep and defend both them and their faith We don't reade of such a prayer for Peter before We reade indeed that our saviour said unto Peter Vnto thee do I give the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven Thou art Peter and upon this rock will I build my Church but we don't reade there that he prayed for Peter But here he prayes and for Peter in particular I have prayed for Thee Why because now his temptations were to be more than Ordinary and therefore Christs love and care was drawn out and exprest in a more than ordinary way For the clearing of this Truth unto ye I shall labour to discover First Wherein the love care and mercy of Christ is expressed unto his people under their temptations Secondly That this love and care of his is most expressed when they are most tempted Thirdly What there is in the heart of Christ that does thus incline him to this indulgence or mercy And so to the Application First Quest 1 If
holy he is the more a man sees his sins pardoned the more is he engaged to Christ ibid 5 The more a man denies his own reghteousness the more holy is he with Gospel-holiness Page 21 SERMON II. Heb. 2.17 18. The second work of a high priest is to pray and intercede for the people Page 25 Proved Page 26 Cleered by opening 1 Wherein it consisteth 1 In owning our cause and souls to God his father Page 27 2 Carries the merit of his blood into the presence of God the Father Page 28 3 Answers the accusations that are brought in against us ibid 4 Cals for pardon of our sins at the hands of God Page 30 2 How powerful it is with God the father 1 The great interest he hath with his father Page 31 2 The inclination God the Father hath to the things Christ intercedeth for Page 32 3 upon what terms Christ was taken and admitted into heaven Page 34 3 He now intercedeth for us in heaven as our High-priest 1 He hath gone through more temptations than any High-priest ever did Page 35 2 He is filled with more compassions Page 36 3 He is more faithful in his office Page 37 4 He liveth for ever to intercede Page 38 5 He intercedeth at all times ibid 6 For all sins the sin against the holy-Ghost excepted 4 This conducech to our comfort and holiness To our comfort proved Page 39 Object I am afraid the Lord Christ doth not intercede for me Answ 1. It is no presumption to bear our selves upon the intercession of Jesus Christ Page 41 2 Who those are that Christ doth intercede for Page 42 3 How infinitely willing he is to intercede for us 1 He hath received his anointing for it Page 44 2 It is the work of his relation Page 45 3 It is the work of his office Page 46 To our holiness 1 The more we are engaged to come to Christ Page 48 2 The more we are engaged to appear on earth for him Page 49 3 The more we are engaged to lay out our selves for him Page 50 SERMON III Heb. 2.17 18. The third work of the High Priest to offer up the gifts of the people to God to present their duties to him Page 52 Proved Page 53 Cleered by particulars 1 What Christ doth when he offers up our gifts to God the Father Page 54 1 He takes our persons and carries them to God the Father in an unperceivable way to us ibid 2 He takes out the iniquity of our duties before he presents our duties to his father Page 55 3 He mingles his own intercession with what is good in our duties and so presents them as one work to his father Page 56 2 What acceptance this hath with God the Father Page 57 1 It was an agreement made between them before the world was ibid 2 He was made the great Lord treasurer of all grace Page 58 3 The father promiseth him his desire ibid 4 He hath put the keys of heaven and hell into his hands ibid 3 He doth Improve his acceptance for our acceptance Page 59 4 What abundance of acceptance we have in all our duties by him Page 60 Objections answered Page 62 5 How this makes for our comfort and holiness Page 64 For our comfort 1 Our duties are not lost Christ takes notice of them Page 65 2 We have liberty to go to the mercy seat and there meet with God ibid 3 We know how it shall go with us at the great day of judgment ibid 4 Being poor beggers we are releeved of God Page 66 Object How shall I know the Lord accepts my duty Answ 1 If thou find thy heart warm in duty or after duty thy duty is accepted Page 67 2 Can you pray and intercede for other godly men Page 68 3 If grace be larger under the Gospel than under the Law ibid For our holiness 1 To the ungodly 1 It keeps men from opposition to the wayes of God Page 69 2 It is a mighty encouragement to ungodly men to come to Christ Page 70 2 To the godly 1 Here 's an infinite reason why we should be much in duty ibid 2 Infinite reason why we should receive every truth that comes from Christ Page 71 3 It will make you more obedient in an evangelical way Page 72 4 The more a man rejoyceth in spirituall obedience the more humble he is Page 74 SERMON IIII Heb. 2.17 18. The fourth work of the High priest is to blesse the people Page 76 Proved ibid Opened 1 Wherein the blessing of Christ and of the Gospel consists Page 77 1 In the spiritual enjoyment of God in Christ Page 79 2 In the holy Ghost dwelling in our hearts ibid 2 What Christ doth when he doth blesse 1 He wisheth choyce blessings to them Page 80 2 He doth authoritively pronounce him blessed Page 81 3 He absolves them from all their sins ibid 4 He confers and bestows the blessing upon them ibid 5 He gives increase Page 82 3 That this belongs especially to Christ proved Page 83 4 That Jesus Christ is willing to blesse poor sinners Page 85 5 He doth this fully ibid Object We do not see it Answ 1. 'T is a hard thing to discern the blessing of Christ sometimes ibid 2 He doth not blesse as the world blesseth Page 84 3 Not as professors blesse Page 85 4 Not alwaies as godly men blesse ibid But 1. He blesseth such as are weak in gifts and grace Page 86 2 Such as he hath made use of in the work of God ibid 3 Such as are willing to leave all relations to follow him Page 87 4 He blesseth when the world curseth ibid 5 Such as graciously enjoy evangelical ordinances Page 88 6 All this conduceth to our comfort and holiness To our comfort Page 88 Object If I were assured God had blessed me I could have comfort Answ 1 It is a sign a man is blessed when others are blessed by him Page 90 2 When he is drawn the neerer to God by outward things Page 91 3 When he encreaseth and multiplieth ibid To our holinesse 1 it encourageth to come to the truth Page 92 2 To go on in it against all opposition Page 94 3 To go on though we have but weak parts ibid 4 To be contented with our condition Page 95 5 Continually to bless the Lord ibid Hebrews 2.18 SERMON I Text opened Page 98 Doct. God suffers his deerest children to suffer by the hand of temptation Page 101 Opened 1 There is an afflictive disposition in every temptation Page 101 2 God suffers his own children thus to suffer 1 The best many times suffer most Page 103 2 At that very time when they have most of God ibid 3 Satan many times seems to have the better of them Page 104 4 This continues a long time ibid Why God doth so 1 That they may be the more enlightened Page 104 2 That they may be cleansed ibid 3 That they may be
as a great Type of and in relation to Jesus Christ our great High-Priest in the 7. Chapter of this book of the Hebrews and the 6. verse saith That he blessed Abrabam But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham and Blessed him that had the Promises So then this Blessing of the people being the work of both the High-Priests and both Aaron and Melchisedec being great types of Jesus Christ our High-Priest Surely it must needs be one of the great works of our High-Priest for to blesse the people For the opening and cleering up of this Truth I shall endeavour to discover First What the Blessing of Christ our High-Priest is wherein consists and what Christ doth when he doth Bless the people Secondly That it belongs unto Jesus Christ especially for to Bless the people Thirdly That our Lord and Saviour Christ our great High-Priest is exceeding willing for to Bless poor sinners and that this Blessing of the people is a work whereunto he is much inclined and wherein he is much delighted Fourthly That he doth this and doth it fully Fifthly according to our method How all this doth conduce unto our Comfort and unto our Holiness First If ye aske me What the Blessing of Christ Quest 1 and of the Gospel is and wherein it consists I answer First in the General That the Blessing of the Gospel Answ and of Christ consisteth in Spiritual things especially and not in Temporal And therefore saith the Apostle in that 1. of the Ephesians and the 3. verse Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all Spiritual blessings in Heavenly places in Christ The Curse and Judgments of God that do befal men now under the Gospel are not in outward afflictions and bodily troubles so much as in Spiritual miseries Blindness of mind and Hardness of heart And so also on the contrary the blessing of the Gospel doth not consist much in Outward things as in Spiritual Who hath blessed us with Spiritual blessings Indeed if we look into the old Testament we shall find That when Moses did bless the people he blest them much in Temporal blessings in the 28. of Deuteronomy and the 2. verse All these things shall come upon thee and overtake thee if thou shalt hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God What blessings are those Blessed shalt thou be in the city and blessed shalt thou be in the field blessed shall be the fruit of thy body and the fruit of thy ground and the fruit of thy cattel the increase of thy kine and the flocks of thy sheep blessed shall be thy basket and thy store Thus he goes on in outward blessings But now if we look into the Gospel and consider the blessings of Jesus Christ and lay them together with Moses we shall find them to be Spiritual blessings In the 5. of Matthew and the 3. verse c. Blessed are the poor in spirit for their's is the Kingdom of Heaven Blessed are those that mourn for they sall be comforted Indeed the promise of the earth comes is at the 5. vers but he returns again to Spiritual blessings Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after rightousness for they shall be filled Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Here are Spiritual blessings this is the stream of the Gospel it runs this way When the Lord blesseth a man he gives him that which is sutable to him In the times of the Gospel men are more Spiritual than they were in the times of the Law therefore Gospel-blessings they are Spiritual blessings Every thing gives and communicates to another according to what it hath it self The Sun communicates light unto the world because it hath light it self And man communicates the nature of man unto his child because he hath the nature of man himself So our Lord Christ when he Blesses he communicates according unto what he hath himself and his blessings especially consisting in spiritual things so he doth blesse Indeed as in the times of the Old Testament there were Spiritual blessings that were mixt with Temporal by vertue of the Covenant that was made with Abraham So now Outward blessings are thrown in as an overplus but yet notwithstanding though they be not spiritual in their nature they are spiritual in their end and so it is true to say That the blessing of the Gospel and of Christ is a spiritual blessing But more particularly if yet ask me wherein this consisteth I shall name but Two things First This Blessing of the Gospel or of Christ it consists in a supernatural and spiritual injoyment of God in Christ the love and favour of God in Christ When the Priests blest in the time of the old Testament in that 6. of Numbers they said The Lord cause his face for to shine upon you The Lord make his face for to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee the Lord blesse thee and keepe thee Verse 24 25 26. Which the Spostle Paul expounding in the 2 Cor. the 13. Chapter and the 14. verse renders it thus The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the holy Ghost be with you all Amen The Lord blesse thee the Lord cause his face to shine upon you the Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon you Three times the Lord the Lord the Lord noting the Trinity which the Apostle here explains by the Father the Son and the holy Spirit Blessed are the pure in heart Mat. 5.8 for they shall see God Seeing of God is a blessing out of the mouth of Christ a Gospel-blessign And what is it for a man to see God In the phrase of the old Testament the Hebrew to See it is ordinarily used for to Injoy In the 4. Psalme Who will shew us any good The word in the Hebrew is Who will make us to See any good that is t Injoy good So then to see God it is to injoy him When Jacob injoyed God he saw him and the place it was called Peniel for he had seen the Lord and there the Lord blest him There 's no seeing of God but in Christ And therefore I say that herein confists the blessing of the Gospel in a supernatural and spiritual in joyment of God in Christ the favour and love of God in Christ Again It consists also in the Inhabitation of the holy Ghost in our hearts the giving out of the holy Ghost unto the hearts of men And therefore it is added in that place of the Corinthians And the Communion of the holy Ghost be with you all Amen That must needs be the great blessing of the Gospel and so of Christ that is the thing promised in the Gospel What is that If we look into the 1. Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles and the 4. verse It is said
there of the Disciples That they should wait for the promise of the Father Christ commaded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem but wait for the promise of the Father What is that We know what it was and is that which befel afterward it was the giving out of the holy Ghost the holy Ghost fell upon them this is called THE promise of the Father That as in the times of the Old Testament the promise was the giving of the Son and coming of the Second Person So after Christ came the great promise was the coming of the Third Person and the giving of the holy Ghost When I am gone saith Christ I 'le send ye another Comforter He that beleeveth out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water This he spake concerning the Spirit which was not yet given in those extraordinary emanations of gists and graces because he was not yet glorisied So then the great Blessing that was to be given unto the children of men the great Gospel-blessing was the giving out of the holy Ghost this is a Gospel-blessing indeed Well Ques But what doth Christ do when he doth Bless It 's observable Answ 1 that when any Superiour did Blesse a father did blesse his child or the like he did observe what was the choice mercy and good in those times and he did wish that unto his child or unto his inferiour And so in Isaac and Jacobs time the choice good it was The dew of Heaven and when they did blesse their children they wish't unto them the dew of Heaven So now when our Iord Jesus our great High-Priest doth blesse any man observing that the choice mercy of the Gospel is the injoyment of God in Christ the favour and love of God and the giving out of the holy Ghost into a mans heart he doth wis all this good unto him and he saies unto God the Father Lord let this poor soul have thy favour Oh! cause thy face to shine upon this poor soul and give out the holy Ghost unto it that it may walk after the spirit In the Second place It 's observable That when the Priests did Blesse the people they did not barely wish good unto them but they did Authoratatively pronounce them blessed Numb 6.27 They shall put my name upon them saith the Lord when they bless So when the Lord Christ our great High-Priest doth Blesse a man he does not barely wish him good The Lord cause his face for to shine upon that soul in a way of wishing but the Lord Christ being a High-Priest when he blesseth he doth authoratatively pronounce such a soul to be Blessed Thirdly When the Priest Blessed he did not only pronounce the people Blessed but in the Blessing of the Priest there was a kind of Binding-power it had the power force and efficacy of an Absolution And therefore as Christ saies unto his Disciples Go and whosoever sins ye remit they shall be remitted I 'le stand by you in it So saith the Lord in that same place the 6. of Numbers On this wise shall ye bless the children of Israel saying unto them The Lord blesse thee and keep thee and at the 27. verse They shall put my Name upon the children of Israel and I will blessethem I 'le stand by them in this So when the Lord Jesus Christ our great High-Priest doth Blesse he doth not only pronounce a man to be Blessed but he doth Absolve him from all his sins saith he by authority that is given to me from my father the Keyes that are put into my hand I do Bind this blessing upon this poor soul Further The Priest when he blessed indeed he could wish well and he could pronounce a man blessed and he might Absolve but he could go no further he could not confer the Blessing he could not bestow the Blessing But our Lord Christ being an High-Priest beyond all the High-Priests that ever were before him in this respect too where he doth Blesse he bestoweth the Blessing being God and man he bestoweth the Blessing In the Fifth place This our great High-Priest being God and Man look how God Blesseth so doth he Blesse In the Scripture ye shall find That when God the Father Blessed he said unto those things that he blest Increase and Multiply still when he blest Increase and Multiply So the Lord Jesus Christ our High-Preist when he comes to blesse he doth not barely wish good unto a poor soul or pronounce him blessed or beslow a good thing upon him but saith he O soul Multiply in this good the Lord increase thy Graces and thy Gifts and thy Comforts poor soul Increase and Multiply herein This the Lord Christ our great High-Priest doth Thus it 's cleer what the Blssing of the Gospel is wherein it consists and what our High-Priest doth when he doth blesse the people But Secondly Quest 2 Does this Blessing properly or specially belong unto Jesus Christ Yes Answ For he was made a curse for sin he and none else made a curse for sin and therefore it belongs unto him above all the world for to blesse For look what evil Jesus Christ endured the contrary good he merited for the children of men a power to bestow that good Now he above all was cursed hung upon the Crosse and died a cursed death he was made a curse therefore it belongs unto him above all for to give the blessing for to blesse poor sinners Primum in quolibet genere c. The first in every kind is the cause of the rest The Sun is the cause of all the light we have here below and 't is the first light body And the Lord Jesus Christ he is the first blessing Therefore hath they God blest thee for ever There are Three that we reade of in Scripture especially that did blesse The Father the King and the Priest The Father did blesse his Children the King blest his Subjects and the Priest blest the People Now the Lord Jesus Christ He is our Father The Everlasting Father He is our King I will set my King upon my holy hill And he is our great High-Priest and therefore all these relations meeting in him it belongs unto him above all for to blesse the people But is the Lord Jesus Christ Willing for to Blesse poor sinners Quest 3 and inclin'd unto it Yes Answ He is very Willing this blessing of the people it is a work whereunto he is much inclin'd and wherein he is most delighted Ye shall observe therefore what abundance of blessings Christ scattered among the people when he was here upon the earth Ye don't reade that ever he cursed any man formally cursed him Once indeed he pronounced a Curse but it fell upon a barren fig-tree not upon a man But take your Bibles and turne over from leaf to leaf and see how frequent he was in blessing and consider whether you do reade in al the Bible of any Preacher or Prophet
that ever in the way of their preaching pronounced so many Blessings as Christ did He begins blessing Blessed are the poor and Blessed are those that mourn and Blessed are those that hunger and thirst and Blessed are those that are persecuted for my Names sake Blessed are those that hear the Word of God and keep it He took little children into his arms and Blest them Do but mark in all the Gospel how frequent Christ was in Blessing never in Cursing more frequent in blessing than ever any Preacher was in all his Sermons What 's the reason of this Because this work of Blessing the people is a work wherein the Lord Jesus Christ our High-Priest is much delighted a work whereunto he is most in clined Well But doth he do it Quest 4 Yes He doth do it and doth it fully Answ The same place that I named will prove it the 1. of the Ephesians and the 3. verse Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in beavenly places IN Christ Nor only meritoriously but by the hand of Christ And saith he He hath done it with all spiritual blessings and he hath done it by Jesus Christ You will say We don't see that men are thus blest by Christ Oject for where Christ blesseth he doth not only wish well and good unto a wan but he bestoweth it yea he doth not only bestow good but he doth increase and multiply But upon this account how few are there in the world that are blest by Christ For Answer Answ 1 It is a hard thing sometimes unto a Christian for to discern-this Blessing of Christ Ye can see the Boughs Fruit Body Bark of the Tree but if ye will see the Root ye must dig and take pains for to see it it 's an easie thing to see the Leaves c. but if you would see the Root ye must dig and take pains for it This Blessing of Jesus Christ it is the Root of all and if you will see this you must dig and take pains to see it it does not lie open to every ones view The Lord Jesus Christ our High-Priest does not Blesse as man blesses and so his Blessing is very much hidden from our eyes he does not blesse as we do he does not bless as the world does if the world sees a Rich man it pronounces him blessed Oh! there 's a blessed man and there 's a happy man what an excellent Dwelling hath he how healthful his Table is spread c. The world blesses Rich men pronounces them Happy and blessed But our Lord Jesus Christ he does as Jacob did when Joseph brought his two Sons to Jacob to be blest by him he set Ephraim the younger at the left hand of Jacob and he set Manasses the elder at the right hand of Jacob that Jacob might give the right-hand blessing to the Elder and the left-hand blessing to the Younger but when Joseph had set them thus before Jacob Jacob crosses hands and he turns the right-hand blessing to the Younger So two men are brought before Christ a Rich man it may be and a Poor man and in the eye of the world the Rich man must carry the blessing Oh! but our Lord Christ he crosses hands and he laies the blessing upon the younger brother many times And so in regard of Ordinances Two sorts of Ordinances are brought before Christ Gods Ordinance and Mans Ordinance and Mans Ordinance in the eye of the world is the Elder brother and Gods Ordinance the Younger brother and both these are brought before Christ for a blessing and the Ordinance of Man is set at the right hand of Christ by the world but the Lord Christ he crosses hands and he laies the blessing upon the younger brother in this respect And so two men are brought before him a proud Pharisee and a poor broken-hearted sinner the Pharisee comes unto the right-hand of Christ thinks for to carry the blessing but the Lord Christ crosses hands laies the right-hand blessing upon the poor broken-hearted sinner and passes by the proud Pharisee The Lord Christ doth not blesse as the world blesseth Again As he doth not Bless as the World Blesseth Answ 2 so he doth not Bless alwaies as Professors Bless Professors they do ordinarily Blesse men according unto their outward Priviledges Gospel and Church-Priviledges Oh! saies the woman unto Christ Blessed is the womb that bare thee and blessed are the paps that gave thee suck Christ crosses hands Nay but saies Christ Blessed are those that hear the word of God and keep it and do my Commandements You blesse according to Outward Priviledges I don't go that way of blessing saies Christ He does not blesse as Professors blesse alwaies Thirdly He does not blesse as Godly men do blesse alwaies Answ 3 as Gracious men blesse not alwaies For you that are Godly you pronounce such a man blessed as hath much Grace and hath Assurance of the love of God in Christ and one that hath strong and great Parts and able to carry away whole Sermons word for word and of strong Memory and large Gifts that are head and shoulders above their fellows But the Lord Jesus Christ does not alwaies blesse thus Blessed are the poor in spirit saies he Blessed are those that mourn He don't say Blessed are those that rejoyce or Blessed are those that have the Assurance of Gods love or Blessed are those that are strong in grace No but doest thou know a poor weak Christian a mourning soul like a dove of the vallies saies the Lord I blesse him Thus I say the Lord Jesus Christ our great High-Priest he does not Blesse as We blesse he does not blesse as the World blesses he does not blesse alwaies as Professors blesse he does not blesse alwaies as Godly men Blesse and therefore no wonder that his Blessing is hidden Children when they are very young are often blest by their Parents and they don't mind it or take notice of it children of two or three year old And so it is with many a gracious soul blessed by Jesus Christ and don 't take notice of their fathers blessing But the Lord Christ doth alwaies blesse his people only there are several times speciall seasons that he gives out his blessing let me tell ye of those times a little that so ye may come for his blessing while his hand is in as it were so that you may be crowned with spiritual blessings in and from Jesus Christ First When Christ our High-Priest doth see that a man is weak in Grace or weak in Gifts and hath some work or service for him to do some imployment to call him forth unto then the Lord Christ doth Blesse him There are Two times especially as I remember that the Lord speaks those words concerning man Increase and Multiply Once in the beginning when he had made man and woman And once in the 9.
of Genesis when he had brought Noah out of the Ark Why does he rather choose for to speak those words Increase and Multiply at these Two times especially rather than at any other time In the beginning there was but a little stook of man-kind and the Lord had a design upon man to make use of him in the world and therefore in the beginning saies he Increase and Multiply but afterward that the floud had swept away man Noah and his family being preserved when he came out of the Ark the Lord having yet a further design upon man to use him he reneweth those words again Increase and Multiply So when the Lord Christ sees that a mans heart is upright and sincere with him and he hath some work and service for him to do then the Lord comes forth and blesses him O soul Increase and Multiply increase in thy Gifts and Graces and Multiply That is one Again As the Lord doth blesse weak Gifts and Graces when he intends to use them so also when as he hath made use of a man when a man hath done the work of God and done it to purpose then the Lord blesses that man Melchisedec a great Type of Christ here when Abraham had been upon a great service slaying Kings and resoued Lot then Melchisedec the High-Priest comes forth and blesses him So when the Lord Jesus Christ our great High-Priest sees that a poor soul hath been upon his work upon his service and hath done his work faithfully then he comes forth and blesses that soul O soul live for ever Again As he does blesse at this time when a man hath done his work so also when a man is willing for to leave all his Relations and natural ingagements for to follow him to cleave close unto him and to his waies and ordinances The Lord blessed Abraham Thou shalt be blessed In Blessing I will Blesse thee and thou shalt be blessed Upon what occasion Abraham saies he get thee out of thy Country and go to a land and place that I will shew thee and Abraham did so Abraham puld up his Tent and went after the Lord and left his own Relations and thereupon the Lord fell upon him and blest him So when the Lord Christ our High-Priest sees a soul willing even to trample upon his Relations for to follow him willing to leave all natural ingagements for to be his servant then the Lord Christ comes out and saies he This soul do I blesse In blessing I will blesse thee and I will blesse thee exceedingly That is a Third time Fourthly The Lord Christ our High-Priest does blesse when the world Curses a speciall time of Christs blessing is when the world Curses When Rabshekah reviled blasphemed and Cursed then God blest When Balak hired Balaam for to Curse the people of Israel then the Lord blest them by the mouth of Balaam himself And ye see what Christ saies to this purpose in that same 5. chapter of Matthew at the 10. verse Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousnesse sake But when are they blessed Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake Blessed are ye when men shall persecute you I but suppose it don't come to a bodily persecution men may not be thrown in prison or brought to the stake Saies he Blessed are ye when men shall Revile persecute you with the tongue and say all manner of evil against you for my sake When the world saies of such a poor soul That he is an Hypocrite a dissembler and speaks all manner of evil that can be divised against a poore soule for the Name of Christ that is the very time that Christ comes for to bless that soule then doth Christ blesse it 's a blessed season In the Fift place The Lord Christ does also Bless when as People do graciously injoy the Ordinances purely and Evangelically administred It is said concerning Zion There commanded he his blessing for ever Psa 89.15 Blessed are the people that hear the joyful sound they shall walk in the light of his countenance It is written of the Priests in the times of the Old-Testament that when the people the Congregation were come together they blest them when the People were come together for the injoyment of Ordinances according to Gods own appointment then the Priests blest them And did their High-Priest blesse them then and shall not our High Priest do it now Did their High-Priest blesse them when they sate under Mosaical Ordinances and shall not our High-Priest blesse the people that sit under Evangelical and Gospel-Ordinances purely Evangelically administred The people then might make account of the greatest blessing and so may you do also of the blessing of Jesus Christ when thus you do enjoy Ordinances Only there is this difference other differences there are but this only I shall speak of Then the Priest did blesse the people when the Congregation was dismist but now the Lord Jesus Christ our great High-Priest he is blessing of the Congregation all the while he is going up and down in the Congregation all the while that the Word is preached and Ordinances administred and he is blessing poor souls as they sit longing after him and sighing towards him he is blessing of them all the while Thus he does blesse and though you don 't alwaies perceive it yet he doth blesse his people Quest 5 And that 's the Fourth thing But yet you will say How does all this conduce unto our Comfort Answ and unto our Holiness Much every way First for Comfort Beloved Is it not a Comfortable thing to be blessed by Jesus Christ Children counted it a great matter to be blest by their parents when as Jacob had gotten the Blessing from Esau Esau goes and fits down and mourns he could not be comforted because the blessing was gone and Jacob though he were thrust out of doors yet because he had gotten the Blessing he went away cheerfull and it was but an Isaac's Blessing But behold a greater then Isaac is here Oh! was it such a matter to have an Isaac's Blessing what is it then to be Blessed by Jesus Christ Beloved when as Christ doth bless he turns all our Curses into Blessings and our Miseries into Mercies When God Curses he turns our Table into a Snare and when Christ Blesseth he turnes our snare into a Table quite contrary Jacob pronounced a Curse upon his two sons Simeon and Levi you know upon what occasion They should be divided and scattered in Israel afterward the Tribe of Levi stands up at the cōmandement of God to execute Justice Judgment the Lord blest them And how did he bless them They were to be the Preachers unto all the Tribes and so that they might be Preachers unto all the Tribes they were to be scattered into all the tribes so Jacobs curse was turned into a
blessing to them Is it not a Comfortable thing for a man to have all his Cursers to be Blessers It 's a Comfortable thing for all a mans Curses to become Blessings But now I say it 's a Comfortable thing for al a mans Cursers to be Blesters to him Whē the Lord Christ Blesses he will make mens Cursers whether they wil or no in the day of their visitation at least for to Bless Ye know that Balaam would have Cursed Israel but the Lord had blest them Balaam got upō a high mountain and from thence he would have Cursed Israel but it would not be Then he gets upon another high Mountain from thence he would have Cursed Israel but it would not be Then he gets upon another high Mountain thinking that would have done it and from thence he would have Cursed Israel but that would not do it Oh! saies he The Lord hath seene no iniquity in Israel and therefore he Blesses them the Curse is turned into a Blessing So there are many that deale thus by the people of God in these daies They get upon such a high Mountain such a great and high means and they think to Curse the people of God from thence but it won't be Then they get upon another Mountain another means thinking from thence to Curse the people of God but it will not be Then they get upon another high Mountain or hill and think then to Curse the people of God and do them mischief but it will not do it Why for the Lord Christ sees no iniquity the Lord Christ hath blest them and so at last in the day of wicked mens visitation they are forced to say These are the people of God and these are Blessed and shall be blessed We know what is said in the Scripture The blessing of the Lord maketh rich and he addeth no sorrow therewithal Is it not a good thing then to be blest by Christ If a man be blessed by Jesus Christ he may blesse himself in the Lord and he may comfort himself in every Condition and he may say thus Well though I be a Poor man yet I am blest by Christ And though my Estate be sunk and decaied yet I am blest by Christ And though I be reproached and hated by men yet I am blessed by Jesus Christ a man may comfort himself in every condition But you will say Object Indeed if a man be assured that Christ hath blest him he may do thus but I am afraid that Christ hath not blest me or that he is not willing to bless me if I could be assured that this great High-Priest had once laid his hand his blessinghand upon me I should have comfort in all conditions Give me leave to lay Two or Three things before you concerning this Answ First When the Lord blest Abraham he said unto him In thee and thy seed shall all Nations be Blest It 's a sign unto Abraham that he was blest because others were blessed by him So now when a mans Parts Gifts Graces and Comforts are blessings to others it is an argument that that man is blest himself Further When a man is blessed by God or Christ he is drawn nearer to God by all outward things by all things Come ye Blessed Go ye Cursed Blessing hath an attractive Nature Come ye Blessed when the Lord Christ does bless a man he does draw him Come ye Blessed When a man is brought nearer to God by Affliction he is blessed when a man is brought nearer to God by his Estate by any Comfort by any Sorrow here is blessing Come ye Blessed Blessing draws one nearer to God with a cord of love Thirdly Where the Lord does Bless he does cause a man to Increase and Multiply in that thing wherein he is Blest Increasing and Multiplying is so natural unto Blessing that in the Original tongues of the old and new Testament Plenty is put for Blessing I will give you but one clear place for it in the new Testament the 2 Cor. 9. Chapter 5. verse Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren that they would go before unto ye and make up before hand your Bounty The word is your Blessing Whereof you had notice before that the same might be ready as a matter of Bounty The word is as a matter of Blessing But especially in the next verse But this I say he which soweth sparingly shal reap sparingly and he which soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully And he which soweth with Blessing as it is in the Original shall reap with Blessing And here 't is opposed to Sparingly and translated Bountifully Where the Lord does blesse he does alwaies cause a man to Increase and Multiply Now beloved in the Lord I appeal unto all your souls you that make this Objection that are afraid the Lord Christ hath not blest you as your High-Priest hath not laid his hand upon you and blest you yet don 't ye know more of Christ than ye have known before hath not the hidden truths of the Gospel been increased and multiplied upon your hearts hath not your hearts been brought neerer to God by Affliction hath not your souls been drawn neerer to God by his outward dealings with you And as Abraham was therefore blest because he was made a blessing to others So I appeal to ye have not your Parts Gifts and Graces in some measure been blessings unto others even unto your poor Family and unto others also Then be of good Comfort man or woman where ever thou stand'st the Lord Christ hath blest thee and thou shalt be blessed hold up thy head poor blessed soul the Lord Jesus hath blest thee when the Lord did lay this blessing upon thee I cannot till thee but I find thee a blessed man stay thy self upon the Lord cheer up thy drooping heart thou art a blessed soul But you will say Quest How does this make unto our Holiness I confess this is a very Comfortable Cordial That the Lord Jesus Christ is in office to bless poor sinners but how does this conduce unto our Holinesse Very much Answ This holds forth great incouragement unto all poor sinners for to come to Christ and to come without delay Why Once come to Christ and blessed but without Christ and Cursed an enemy to Jesus Christ and a Cursed man Cursed in thy store-house Cursed in thy basket and Cursed in all things that thou puttest thine hand unto Oh! then will you not come to Christ that you may be Blessed That day that a poor soul comes unto Christ whatever he hath been he is blessed that day may be called Gilgal for then the Curse is rouled away from him Blessed is the man whose iniquity is forgiven and whose sin is pardoned The first day the first minute that he comes to Christ his sin is pardoned and he is blessed Who would not then come unto Christ presently that he may be blest for ever When as Esan had
our Prayers and Gifts vnto God the Father And to Bless poor souls Now then beloved according to all your Wants and according to all your Temptations I do beseech you in the Lord Go to Jesus Christ unto this High-Priest try and see if you don't find it true That the Lord does make good all this unto you In case that you be under any spiritual Want or Temptation put your souls unto this Disjunction Come O my soule Either the Lord Jesus Christ is our great High-Friest or else he is not If he be not what means this and that Scripture And if the Lord Jesus Christ be our great High-Priest then surely he being faithful will do all the work of the High-Priest for my soul Indeed I have sinned and sinned greatly but O Lord it is the work of our High-Priest to Satisfie Now Lord Jesus I come to thee as mine High-Priest Oh! Satisfie for me Indeed I confesse mine own Conscience does Accuse me Satan does Accuse me Moses does Accuse me but it is the work of our great High-Priest to take off all Accusations brought against poor beleevers Now Lord I do come unto thee as to my great High-Priest Oh! take off this Accusation that any poor soul does labour under Indeed when I look upon mine own Duties there is so much deadness so much hardness of heart and so many distractions that do accompany them that I am afraid they will never be accepted but O Lord it is the work of our great High-Priest to take away the weeds of the Duty and to present the Duty now O Lord I come unto thee as mine High-Priest Oh! carry my Prayers into the bosom of God the Father Yea when I look upon my former life Lord I cannot but conclude my self a poor cursed finner but yet notwithstanding it is the work of our great High-Priest for to blesse the people O Lord I do therefore now come unto thee as mine High-Priest Oh! blesse me and say unto all my graces Increase and Multiply FINIS SATANS Power to tempt AND CHRISTS love to and care of his people under temptation HEBREWES 2.18 For in that He himself hath suffered being tempted Preached at Margrets New-fish street Octob. 5. 1646. he is able to succour them that are tempted THE Scope and Drift of this Epistle is to raise and strengthen the faith of the Hebrewes and so the faith of those that are weak in grace Our Apostle Paul therefore whom I take to be the Pen-man labours to discover the transcendent Excellency of Jesus Christ with his love and good-will to the Children of men And because his Excellencies were either such as relate his Person or such as relate his Offices of King Priest Prophet He tels us in the first Chapter that for the Personal Excellencies of Jesus Christ He is the Son of God Heire of all things by whom were the World 's made being the brightness of his Fathers glory and the express Image of his Person in the 2 3. verses of that Chapters That he is far above the Angels at the 4. verse That he is God himself at the 6. verse And as for those excellencies that relate his Offices He tels us at the 1. verse That he is the Prophet of Prophets That he is the great King at the 8. verse That he is an High-Priest in the 2. Chap. and the 17. verse and therefore who would not trust unto him and take heed unto such things are he shall speak unto them And as for the love and good-will that he bears unto the Children of men the Apostle speaks it out in all this Second Chapter The greater Condeseention in the person loving to the person loved the greater is the love Now though Jesus Christ be Heir of all things and had all things put under his feet far above all Angels yet notwithstanding at the 7. verse He is made a little lower than the Angels takes our nature upon him c. The more Profitable any love is to the person loved the greater is the love Such is the love of Christ for his love is such That by him many sons are brought to glory at the 10. verse Sanctified while they live at the 11. verse Satan their deadly enemy subdued for them at the 14 15 verses The more Distinguishing any love is the greater is that love Now Jesus Christ as the great Load-stone passes by the golden mettel of Angels and draws unto himself the Iron-mettal of man kind at the 16. verse For verily he took not on him the nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham Again The more the person loving does Suffer for the person loved the more and the greater is the love Christ suffered death and he was while he lived subject to our infirmities and unto our temptations He was in all thing made like unto us at the 17. verse And he was tempted as we are tempted that he might succour those that are tempted at the 18. verse And would you have an Account or a Reason of all this it is that he might shew mercy unto the children of men verse the 17. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High-Priest in things partaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people If he were not made like unto us in regard of our infirmities he could not so experimentally pity us under our infirmities If he were not tempted like unto us he could not so feelingly succour us under our temptation and so he had not been so fit to have benn our High-Priest but our High-Priest he is gone into the holy of holiest to make reconciliation for the sins of the people Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto us that he might be a merciful and faithful High-Priest For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted be is able to succour them that are tempted I will not hold you longer in the Coherence or Division of the words or further Explication I shall open the words God willing more particularly and distinctly as I shall come to the Observations that shall be raised from them And I begin with the last being made the reason of the former For in that he him self hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted Tempted twice He tempted and They tempted This word Tempted or Tempt it is given in Scripture phrase sometimes to God sometimes to Man and sometimes to the Devil and accordingly it is used Three waies Sometimes it is used for to Prove and so God is said for to Tempt in the 13. of Deuteronomy Sometimes it is used for to Try to make experiment of a Thing or a Person whom or which we did not know before and so it is given to Man as I take it in the 6. of Judges Sometimes it is used for a Solicitation and Drawing unto
to winnow me and now the word of the Lord is fulfilled Satan hath tempted me and I am thus fallen But not a word of Satan but he goes out and weeps bitterly as if it were all his own work And let me tell you for your comfort When as you can mourn over your temptations as if they were all your own and nothing of Satans the Lord will pardon them to you as if they were all Satans and nothing of your own In the Fourth place Answ 4 to speak a little of the difference between these that ye may know the difference between the temptations of Satan and the corruptions of your own heart When as your heart and your flesh trembles and quakes under the first rising and motion of a sin this is not your own corruption alone but there is a temptation with it When the corruptions of ones own heart does work up evil a mans heart is rather pleased and tickled with it and consents to it then any way ones flesh lie trembling and quaking under it That temptation is not much to be feared when a man fears himself for his temptation He is to be feared most that does fear least and he is to be feared least that does fear most A godly gracious man or woman is humbled under nothing more than under his temptations he looks upon his temptations as the greatest afflictions in all the world As now take that of Blasphemous Thoughts Suppose a poor soul troubled with such evill thoughts such a poor soul saies I do professe it in the sight of God I never met with such an affliction since I was born I have lost Children Oh! but that affliction is not like to this I have lost friends Oh! but that affliction is not like to this I have lost my Estate Oh! but that affliction is not like to this Man or woman if it be thy affliction 't is not thy sin And I appeal to you now you that say ye don't doubt of Gods love ye don't fear your own condition because of temptations only but because ye are afraid they are the corruptions of your own heart and not the temptations of Satan I appeal to you that say so Are ye not afraid in your selves because of your temptations Don't ye look upon your temptations as your greatest afflictions Nay does not thy flesh quake and tremble sometimes when a temptation dashes and beats in upon thy soul does not thy very outward man sometimes lie quaking and trembling before a temptation Certainly this is not all the corruption of thine own heart here 's the Devils hand here 's a temptation in it and poor soul thou maiest have some comfort yet notwithstanding the oppression is so great yet here is comfort 't is no other but what may stand with grace Oh! but you will say Object Suppose it be all the temptation of Satan and not the corruption of mine own heart yet 't is a great affliction and what comfort can I have in this condition What comfort Is it not much comfort to know Answ that there is nothing does befal you but what may befall a true child of God Sometimes ye say thus No mans condition is like to mine did I but know that it is so with other of Gods children then I should be satisfied This Doctrine tels thee That Christs own best Disciples sometimes are exposed to Satans temptings to Satans winnowings Is it not a great comfort for a man to know that while he is tempted Christ is at prayer for him But I have prayed for thee In time of temptation you cannot pray I but Christ can pray and he is then at prayer for you as he said to Peter so he saies to every Disciple of his now But I have prayed for thee poor soul though thou canst not pray thy self yet I have prayed for thee Is it not a sweet comfort for a man to know that the Enemy is overcome before he strikes Satans temptation is overcome by Christs Intercession and Christ prayes before Satan tempts But I have prayed for thee before the temptation came Is it not a choice comfort for a man to know that Satan the great tempter hath no more power than my father gives him leave Thus it is Satan hath desired c. Is it not wonderful comfort for a man to know that there is something that he can never be robbed of When a man is travelling in his journey if he meet with theeves they take away the money that he hath about him but when they have taken away all his money that he hath about him well saies he though they have taken away my spending-money and that which I did wear about me yet I have land at home that they cannot rob me of And so saies a child of God or at least he may say so when Satan comes and tempts him and robs him of some comfort yet blessed be the Lord I have Union with Christ that I can never be robbed of and I have an inheritance in Heaven that theeves cannot break through and steal away Satan may take away my spending-money my spending comforts that I have here in this world but Oh! blessed be God I have such comforts and such an Estate such durable riches that I can never be robbed of Oh! you that are the Saints and people of God lift up your heads you that have been bowed under temptation these things have I spoken to you that you may not be overwhelmed with temptation you that are tempted but that in the midst of all you may breath out your souls in the bosome of Jesus Christ Well Object but yet you will say It is not comfort that I look for or that I follow after but the truth is I am sorely tempted and Satan lies heavy on me following and dogging me at the heels to yeeld unto his temptations what shall I say or what shall I do that I may not yeeld unto his temptations What shalt thou say Answ If it be possible don't stand to treat with Satan don't stand to parley with him he will dispute you out of all your comfort if you stand and parley with him You have half lost the field when ye honour Satan and you honour him when you follow him into his disputes if it be possible therefore don't stand and parley or dispute with Satan but if you must say something to him and ye must treat ye must speak Tell Satan then That therefore you beleeve it because he denies it therefore you do not beleeve it because he affirms it that you beleeve the contrary because he speaks thus When ye are to deal with a great lyar one that is your Enemy he comes and tels you very ill news you will say He is a lyar and he is my Enemy and he does it to scare me and therefore I beleeve the contrary Satan is a great lyar and he is your Enemy and therefore when he saies unto thee There
more then flesh and blood with you And therefore have you overcome temptation go away and be very thankful and say Oh! though flesh and blood be against me yet I have more than flesh and blood with me praise the Lord much And if you have been overcome with temptation yet be not discouraged for ye hear the Doctrine God doth suffer his own dear children to be tempted to be buffeted to be exposed to Satans temptings and to Satans winnowings But though ye be tempted and it be a temptation of Satan yet ye hear withall That 't is the property and disposition of Gods own people to grieve and mourn under their temptation as if it were all their own and nothing of Satans Wherefore now my beloved having heard these things think on them and the Lord blesse them to you every day more and more SERMON IV. Of TEMPTATION LUKE 22.31 32. And the Lord said Simon Simon behold Preached at Stepney Oct. 17 1647. Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not YE find that these words hold forth the relation of a great storme of temptation coming down upon Christ's Disciples The Danger of it And the Remedy against it Of the Danger somewhat ye heard from the 31. verse And now I am to speak unto the 32. verse But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not Here is somewhat Implied and somwhat Exprest Implied Satans Design and his great Design upon their faith Exprest Christs love and care his special love and care over them and towards them in this temptation As if he should say thus Simon Simon Satan hath desired to tempt you not only thee but all my Disciples the temptation is great and in this temptation his great design is upon your faith but I have spoken unto my Father and your Father that your faith may not fail So that hence you may observe thus much That in the time of temptation Doct. Satans great Design is upon the faith of the Saints to make their faith fail He doth not say But I have prayed for thee that thy Prayer faile not or that thy Patience fail not or that thy Love fail not but I have prayed that thy Faith fail not So that Satans great design in all his temptations is upon the faith of the Saints that he may make their faith to faile them For the further clearing and opening of these words and of this Truth I shall labour to shew you First What it is for to fail in our faith and how far the Saints may fail in their faith in time of temptation Secondly What an evilthing it is for the Saints to faile in their faith in time of temptation Thirdly That Satans great design in all his temptations is upon our faith Fourthly How Satan labours to weaken our faith in the time of temptation what strokes he gives unto our faith and how we shall be able to bare off those blows in the time of temptation that so our faith fail not If ye aske me Quest 1 What it is for to fail in faith here The word in the Original signifies Answ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Eclipse as the Eclipse of the Sun or of the Moon and the words may be so translated But I have prayed for thee that thy faith be not Eclipsed But according to the ordinary acception of that word Eclipse Peters faith did fail for it was much Eclipsed The word signifies also a total defect such as Judas made who of a Disciple became an Enemy a Traitour and in stead of beleeving fell to despair and so Peters faith did not faile A mans faith is said to faile Either when it fals short of what it hath been or what it should be and in both these respects Peters faith did fail It fell short of what it had been it fell short of what it should be But there is a Two fold failing in faith One in regard of the Acting and Exercise of faith and another in regard of the grace of faith it self In regard of the Acting Working and Exercise of faith Peters faith did fail but in regard of the grace it self so it failed not The Lutherans they say and contend much for it That a regenerate mans faith may fail totally and finally in time of temptation and so they say that Peters faith failed here when he denied his Lord and Master because it is said in the next words When thou art converted strengthen thy brethren As if his faith had failed so far as he should need a new conversion But that word translated When thou art converted as divers of the learned do well observe may be translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Again thus I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not and do thou strengthen thy brethren again do thou return to that work again And so you have the same word used in the Septuagint translated in the 58. Psalm at the 6. verse Wilt thou not revive us again The word in the Hebrew is thus Wilt thou not convert or turn unto us and revive us which we translate Wilt thou not revive us again And so the words here may be translated being an Hebraisme But do thou strengthen thy brethren again But suppose that the words stand according to their present translation it does not argue that Peter did fail totally in this temptation for the whole life of a Christian here is a continual converting and turning to God We repent and repent again turn and we turn again Every day we turn unto God yet more and more every day brings forth another conversion yet not so as if the former conversion were made void And if the faith of a beleever would fail totally in the time of a temptation what should be the meaning of those words in the 1. of Joh. 5. Chapter and the 18. verse We know that whosoever is born of God sins not but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself and that wicked one toucheth him not The wicked one that is Satan he toucheth him not But now if Satan could tempt a godly man and prevail so far in his temptation as to make his faith fail totally then he would touch him to the purpose but saies the text he keeps himself and the wicked one toucheth him not and therefore his faith cannot fail totally a regenerate mans faith cannot fail totally And ye know what is said in that 7. of Matthew at the 24. and 25. verses Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doth them I will liken him unto a wise man which hath built his house upon a rock and the rain descended and the flouds came and the winds blew and beat upon that house and it fell not because it was founded upon a rock Now every Beleever is founded upon a rock Christ and therefore though the rain descend and the flouds come and the winds blow and
ye aske me Wherein the love and care of Christ is expressed unto his people under their temptations I answer Answ 1 First In the ordering of their temptations For there is no temptation befalls any of His but he measures out the temptation according to their abilities As a wise Phifitian does not give the same Physick unto every person but considers every ones ability that which he gives to one is too strong for another he considers first the ability of his patient and prescribes accordingly Now though our Saviour Christ don't direct Satan for to tempt yet he does order him in tempting and Satan cannot put the least dram into any temptation but as it is measured out by the hand of Christ And this is that which the Apostle speaks plainly in the 1. Cor. 10. Chapter and the 13. verse But God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able c. that ye may be able to bear it Psal 139 The Psalmist David saies Search me O Lord and prove me That is saies Gregory First O Lord look upon my strength and then if I must be tempted suffer me to be tempted according to mine ability Christ does measure out all the temptations of his people according to their abilities Secondly As he does measure out their temptations according to their abilities So he does also mortifie their temptations and weaken them as they come through his hand Mortifie them before they do come at his Disciples and people before they do come at you And upon this account partly it is said That we are more than conquerers through Christ that giveth victory Because our enemy is overcome before he strikes and his blow is broken as he strikes And therefore saies the Apostle concerning our Saviour That he hath spoil'd principalities and powers and made a shew of them openly upon the crosse All your temptations the power and strength of them were spoil'd upon the crosse There 's no temptation befals any of Gods people but it is mortified and weakned before it does come it them the sting teeth and the poison being taken out Thirdly He does not only thus mortifie and weaken a temptation before it does come at us But he does cause Satan so to lay his temptations as that he may be discerned and so overcome Satan tempted Adam and Eve but he tempted in a serpent and so Adam might easily have discerned the hand of Satan in it for Adam knew all the creatures he gave them their Names he knew their Natures and he knew well enough the serpent could not speak to him he might easily have known that the hand of Satan was in the business And so now though God does suffer Satan to tempt his people yet he does cause Satan so to lay his temptations as that the black feet of the tempter may be discovered and when a temptation is discovered 't is half overcome Fourthly He doth not only thus But the Lord Jesus Christ hath the Timeing of all our temptationps Time is a great matter in the point of temptation Should a temptation come at such or such a time possibly Gods child might be overwhelmed I praise the Lord saies one I did resist such a temptation but had it fallen out at such a time I should never have been able to have stood under it Satan observes his tempting times he knowes that great advantage may be made unto him by his time And therefore when Christ was an hungry he tempted him to turn stones into bread observed his time And as Satan does observe his time to tempt So our Lord and Saviour Christ does set him his time the time of his temptations are in the hand of Christ And therefore if ye look into the 20. chapter of the Revelation the 1. 2. and 3. verses ye shall find to this purpose thus I saw an Angel come down from Heaven having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand And he laid hold on the dragon the old serpent which is the Devil and Satan and bound him a thousand years and cast him into the bottomless pit and shut him up and set a seal upon him that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years should be fulfilled and after that he must be loosed a little season Mark The Lord Jesus Christ hath not only the tempter in a chain that he can go no further than he gives him leave to go but his hand also is in the hand of Christ and Christ hath an eye to the Time of his temptation a special eye upon the time of our temptation and this argues much of his care and love Fiftly He hath not only the Timeing of our temptations But he does also Sanctifie our temptations and does make them blessed means of our Sanctification And therefore saies Paul I received the messenger Satan for to buffet me that I might not be exalted Twice he hath that That he might not be exalted out of measure But for this I need go no further than the instance of Peter before Peter was tempted what abundance of carnal confidence was there in Peter Lord saies he though all men for sake thee yet will not I. But now I pray look upon him after his temptation and you shall see how this carnall confidence was laid down for our Saviour saies unto him Peter lovest thou me more than these Lord saies he thou knowest I love thee but not a word of the comparative More than these he had left comparing now having been under temptation and having fallen his carnal confidence was gone and he don't say now Lord though all men forsake thee yet will not I the comparison is left out now he answers to the other part but not a word to that So that I say If the Lord Jesus Christ do measure out all our temptation for us And mortifie them before they come at us And does cause Satan to lay them as we may most easily discover them And if the Lord Christ does Time our temptations for us And sanctifie them unto us Then certainly there is much of Oh rists love and mercy at work for his people under their temptations Secondly If you ask me yet further Quest 2 Wherein is the love of Christ exprest or drawn out unto his people under their temptations I answer It is seen and exprest in this In teaching of them Answ in and by their temptations Tempting times are teaching times unto Gods people the school of temptation is a great school Luther said that the temptations of Satan were the imbracings of Christ meaning that then Christ did imbrace his people most and discover most of his love unto them Three things he said there were that made a Preacher Meditation Prayer and Temptation And indeed when or where does God or Christ reveal himselfe more fully unto his people than in the times of their temptations 'T is said that at
Massab and Meribah the waters of strife and of temptation there the Lord gave Israel his statutes How many experiences do Gods people get in and by their temptations tempting times are teaching and Christ teaches his people by their temptations Satans Buffetings are the Saints schoolings Yea Thirdly He does not only teach his people But he does also bear up and uphold their hearts with new supplies of his grace and Spirit in the times of their temptations Christ does not suffer his people to go into new temptations with old strength but as a new temptation does come from Satan so new supply of grace and strength does come from Christ Saies David in the 94. Psalm and the 18. verse When I said my foot slippeth thy mercy O Lord held me up He does not say thus when my foot slippeth thy mercy O Lord held me up but when I said my foot slippeth when I thought I was quite rejected cast off and forsaken when I said my foot slippeth then thy mercy O Lord held me up As new temptations do come in so new strength comes in Yea and supplies of greace in Proportion to our temptations My grace is sufficient for thee saies the Lord to Paul my grace is Fit for thee Yea he does not only give out Proportionable strength but an Cverplus of sirength As the woman that had oyle given her not enough barely to pay her debt but an Overplus to live on the rest So Gods people in the time of their temptations have not only strength given them to stand out against their temptations but an Cverplus to live on the rest Yea and they have not only in-comes of Assisting grace but of Accepting grace too more Accepting grace God doth and will then Accept lesser than at another time Though the prayer be weak and the faith low yet saies the Lord it is the time of temptation with this my poor servant and therefore I will take the Duty though it be never so little because it is the time of temptation it 's a time of darkness and a time of sadness Ye know what our saviour said unto Thomas Reach hither thine hand and put it into my side Come Thomas if thou wilt not beleeve without it I 'le take thy faith even upon these termes for I know it is a time of temptation with thee What grace what love and mercy is here Yea Fourthly The Lord Jesus Christ does not only come in thus with supplies of grace strength in the times of temptation But he does give his people an Ease and a Remedy a breathing time under their temptations though they be never so sad and never so great Indeed Job said That God was his enemy and would not suffer him to swallow his spittle he followed him so close but the good man was mistaken much for at the same time the time of his temptation he could say I know that my Redeemer liveth and he could blesse the Lord he had his breathing time in the midst of all When David was persecuted by Saul he was under temptation for as the Devil casts some men into prison so the Devil persecutes in wicked men yet David had his breathing time now and then Saul given into his hands as a pledge of that ful deliverance that David should have afterwards And this is no other than that which the Apostle speaks of in that same 1 of the Corinthians the 10. Chap. at the 13. verse Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape Make an Out-let so the word is He will make an Out-let Though the smoke be very offensive yet there shall alwaies be some window open for to let it out or some door open for a poor tempted soul to go out at stil an out-let some breathing time in the midst of these temptations Fiftly and lastly As the Lord Jesus Christ liveth for ever to make intercession for us So he doth it especially when his people are under temptation then he prayes for them and then especially I will not determine whether Christ now in Heaven does intercede Vocally or Really but when Satan lies hard upon a poor tempted soul and fetches blood from it then does the Lord Jesus step in unto his Father and present his wounds and his blood and saies unto his Father O Father I have prayed unto thee that this poor man or woman may not fail in the time of temptation Thus it was with Peter here I have prayed for thee and yet this was not the time of his full intercession when he was here on earth There are two parts of Christs Priestly Office Satisfaction and Intercession The proper place for him to make satisfaction for sin was here on earth and in Heaven the holy of holiest he does make intercession there he does do it fully but he could not for bear while he was here on earth but he saies unto Peter I have prayed for thee Though my great work in Heaven be to intercede and my special work here on earth be to satisfie yet notwithstanding I have prayed for thee already Peter And the Lord Jesus Christ was heard in all that he prayed for Now then if the Lord Christ doth intercede here on earth for his poor tempted servants and was heard here how much more when his Disciples are tempted does he intercede and pray for them in Heaven and is heard there Satan may come running in upon you with his temptation but when Satan runs in upon you with his temptation Christ runs into the presence of God the Father and spreads his blood and his satisfaction for you and there he saies unto the Father Father I have prayed that this man or womans faith may not fail Oh! what grace and mercy and love is here Thus in all these respects and many others that I might mention is the love of Christ and his mercy drawn out unto his people in the time of their temptation Well Quest 2 But how may it appear that Christs mercy is most at work when his people are most assaulted by Satan Christ deals by His Answ as God the Father did deal by Him Now ye shall find that Gods love was never more towards Christ than when Christ was under temptation When Christ came to die Satan was very busie it 's called The hour of darkness so busie was Satan with all his malice against him yet then was the Fathers love towards Christ then especially for saies Christ Therefore does the Father love me because I lay down my life If the Father did therefore love him because he laid down his life then his love was most at work towards Christ when this hour of darkness was And so I say when you hour of darknese is the hour of temptation Christs love is then most at work because he deals by His as the Father did deal by Him The truth is Christs dealing with his Disciples
is never more at work for thee than when thou art most tempted and assaulted by Satan What a mighty incouragement is here to al that hear the word of the Lord to get into Jesus Christ But if I be godly and al this be true Why should I question the love of God towards me in the time of my temptation Beloved ye know it in your Experience ye are never more apt for to question the love of Christ than in temptation and yet Christs love is never more at work for you than in temptation Oh! what an unworthy answering of Christs love is here Again If I be Godly Why should I not be contented and quiet under all my temptations though they be never so great Christ prayeth for me Christs love is most at work now I am most assaulted his bowels then yern towards me Yea If I be Godly Why should I not with Paul Triumph over all temptations and make my boast of Christ and say as he did Now know I that nothing shall separate me from the love of God in Christ not Principalities nor Powers nor Devils nor Temptations for when I am most tempted Christ is most at work in love for me Yea beloved in the Lord why should we not all warm our hearts with this love of Jesus Christ it's a mercy that the Lord Christ will cast but an eye or a look upon a poor soul under temptation that is a mercy I but I tell ye more than so Christ does not only cast an eye and a look upon a poor tempted soul but his love and mercy is never more at work than when you are most assaulted and tempted by Satan Ah what grace and heart-warming love is here If I be Godly again upon this account why should I give over so soon and lay down my weapon in time of temptation If a City be beleaguer'd besieged and know that help will come they will not give over And though I am thus besieged and thus tempted help will certainly come for Christ hath prayed why should I give over then in time of temptation And if these things be so if there be so much love in the heart of Christ towards poor tempted souls then beloved should we not all run to Christ in the time and hour of our temptation run unto him by prayer It may be there are some that will say Quest If Christ pray for us in time of temptation what need we pray But I pray look into this chapter Answ and you will find our Saviour carries it otherwise In the text saies he But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fall not At the 46. verse Why sleep ye saies he rise and pray lest ye enter into temptation So that though he had said That he prayed for them yet he cals upon them also to pray It 's good praying my beloved when mercy is coming and mercy is then coming when Christ is praying and when you are most tempted then Christ is at prayer But to end all What ever your temptations therefore be you that are the servants of God still think ye hear Christ saying to ye Man Woman be of good comfort I have prayed for you though thy temptations be very great I have prayed for thee thought thou canst not pray for thy self as thou wouldst I have prayed for thee when flesh fails and eyes fail and heart fails and all fails yet remember this Christ prayeth for you in the time of your temptation Christ prayeth for you think that ye hear Christ speaking to ye in the time of your temptation for certainly he does it as well to his Disciples now as he did to his Disciples then he does speak and say Be of good comfort man or woman though thy temptations be great yet I have prayed for thee and thy faith shall not fail FINIS THANKFVLNES Required in every CONDITION 1 THESSALONIANS 5.18 In every thing give thanks Preached at Margrets New-fish street March 23. 1645 for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you WHAT is written to the Thessalonians is written for our instruction What they are commanded as Christians we are commanded as Christians In the latter part of this Chapter several Exhortations were given to them among the rest this is one In which ye have The Exhortation it self In every thing give thanks And the Reason in forcing that Exhortation for this is the wil of God in Christ Tesus conerning you In every thing give thanks In Prosperity and in Adversity whether things go well or whether they go ill In every thing give thanks He had said before verse 16 17. Rejoyce evermore Pray continually Unto those Exhortations he adds no such Reason as here Because it may seem strange that a man should give thanks in every thing he adds also for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you So that plainly here lies this Observation or Truth upon the words It is the will of God Doct. even our father that we should be thankfull to him in every thing When we are Full it will be granted that then we are to give thanks to God Deuteronomy the 8. and the 10. But ye are not only to give thanks when ye are Full but when ye are Empty not only when ye are strong but when ye are weak not only when you are delivered from the hands of your Enemy but when you are delivered into the hands of your Enemy Job 1.21 Therefore Job saies The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away blessed be his Name Job was plundered by the Enemy and yet he does blesse the Lord Job was emptied of a full Estate and yet he does blesse the Lord Job had lost his dear Children and yet he does blesse the Lord Job in a great measure given up into the hands of Satan and yet he blesses the Lord for which he is commended So then It is our duty and the will of God our Father that we should not only be thankful but we should be thankful in every thing For Reas 1 there is alwaies excellency enough in God and Christ to entertain your Thankfulnesse to draw out your Thankfulnesse and Praises Indeed there is a formal or notional difference between Praising God and giving thanks to God Praises respect the excellencies of God himself Thankfulness respect the benefits we receive from God I praise God when I honour him for the Excellency that is in him I am thankful to God when I blesse him for those benefits I receive from him But now in Scripture these are put one for the other ordinarily and whatsoever our condition be whether high or low rich or poor full or empty there is enough Excellency in Christ for to draw out our Praises and therefore in every thing we are to be Thankful There is no condition so sad Reas 2 but somewhat is good that is mingled with it No darknesse so dark but-some light withal No misery so miserable
whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy See who are to say so Let the Redeemed of the Lord say so whom he hath Redeemed from the hand of the enemy Beloved ye know that not long since we were in Captivity I mean a Spriitual Captivity we sate down by the waters side and said How shall we do to sing a Christian song The Lord hath Redeemed us he hath Redeemed us out of the hand of our Enemies And if the Lord hath not Redeem'd you out of the hand of your Enemy don't say so but if he have Let the Redeemed of the Lord say so Pesides Is it not worth our Thankfulness that we have had so many daies of Thanksgiving together A day of Fasting and Prayer is a sweet day a Thanksgiving-day sweeter if I may make compate For in a day of Fasting and Prayer we deal with the anger and wrath and displeasure of God In a day of Thanksgiving with the love of God and the mercy of God In a day of Fasting and Prayer we exercise Grief But in a day of Thanksgiving we exercise Joy and love In a day of Fasting and Prayer your eye is upon your sins In a day of Thanksgiving upon your graces to be Thankful for them As the fish swims upon the top of the water when the Sun shines which in a storm lay at the bottom and wood and sticks tumbled up and down and those were seen So in a day of Thanksgiving there ye see and take notice of your own graces to be thankful for them In a day of Fasting and Prayer sometimes ye are so humbled for sin committed as the sence of your Justification is quite shattered But in the day of Thanksgiving your assurance for heaven is sealed they are sweet daies And beloved you have had many of them of late and surely this is worth our Praise But give me leave a little to Enumerate for Enumeration is one kind of Argument Hath not the Lord from heaven owned his own Cause in the hands of his servants our brethren in the field Hath not the Lord heard your Prayers Hath not the Lord opened many Mines of precious Truths that ye never knew before Hath not the Lord delivered you from the hand of a savadge Enemy Those that lay among the pots brought forth with doves-wings Victory after Victory one treading upon the heel of another overtaking another Does he not daily load you with his benefits I cannot say as David in the 9. Psalm and the 1. verse I will praise thee O Lord with my whole heart I will shew forth all thy marveilous works The former part I will praise thee O Lord with my whole heart you will say But the latter part I will shew forth all thy marveilous works Who can say they are beyond us And now Beloved if it be our duty to Praise God to be Thankful to him in every condition when we are low shall we not be thankful to him now that the Lord hath raised us and fill'd us thus You will say Object There 's one thing that hinders us in the work of Praise and Thanksgiving in these times A Reformation is now begun and things do not succeed according to our desires in the matter of Reformation should we can we be Thankful now Yes If the Lord give me a Child Answ should not I be Thankfull for it because it is not borne a man When the Jews built the Temple did not they shout and praise God that the Foundation was laid When the Israelites had overcome their enemies in Samuels time though the Enemies were round about them they set up a stone and called it Eben-ezer 1 Sam. 7.12 Hitherto the Lord hath helped us Beloved in our Thanksgiving we are to be like unto Jesus Christ He did not only praise God when he had the mercy but before he had it in the entrance upon it When he raises up Lazarus from the dead John 11.41 42. Father saies he I Thank thee that thou hearest me alwaies and then he commands Lazarus to come out But first he gives Thanks to God In the Scripture the holy-Ghost hath commmanded us Prov. 3.9 To honour the Lord with our substance and with the first fruits of all our increase Either ye have the first-fruits of Reformation or not If not what mean all those precious Ears and fruits which ye have been gathering in these latter times And if ye have the first fruits though ye have not reap't the harvest yet then honour the Lord with your substance and with your first-fruits So shall your barnes be fill'd with plenty and your presses with the new wine of the Gospel God does give one mercy as a seal unto another a First as a seal to the Second the Second as a seal to the Third the lesser as a pledge of the greater God does give a lesser mercy to try us whether we will be Thankful that he may give a greater Beloved these are trying times God tries us whether we will be Thankful for what we have A Reformation is now on foot what though things don't succeed according to your desire shall we not be Thankful for what we have because we want something of what we would have when then shall we be Thankful I but Quest 't is not only want of Reformation but many Errours that are risen up among us in these times and should we be Thankful now in this condition Yes Answ Shall I not be Thankful for some grace because it is mingled with much Corruption Shall I not be Thankful for my field of Corn because divers weeds are mingled therewith Shall I cast away the kernel because it is compast about with a shell Luther in the beginning of the Reformation met with many Errours and he comforted himself with this When the Corn is grown the weeds will die alone Meaning this When Reformation is come to greater strength Errours would die alone 'T is said of our Lord and Saviour Christ Isa 53.12 He was numbered among transgressors Should not I love Christ or own Christ or be Thankful for Christ because he was numbered among transgressors The Errours of the time you say are the transgressors of the time Shall I not love the Truth and own the Truth and be thankful for the Truth because it is numbered among the transgressors the transgressors of the time Blessed is that man that can see a beauty in Truth when it hath a scratch't face And indeed every Truth hath a beauty the Lord hath given you out many Truths in these times that ye were ignorant of before Beloved I do not say that ye should be thankful for any Errour we ought to be grieved for any Errour But shall we be so mindful against Errour crying out against Errour Errour as not to be thankful for any Truth we have If the whole world were spread with Errour that one Truth living Jesus Christ died for sinners there were
of your Interest in Christ and Union with him Assurance that all comes from love Assurance that all things work together for your good and then if the Tempter come and saies Wilt thou praise the Lord dost thou not see how all thy acquaintance hath left thee and all thy friends left thee you will answer again I but all this is for my good and all this comes out of love and so what ever fals out you will be thankful in every thing Desire not Much he that desires much will expect much and he that expects much he won't be content with little much lesse Thankful for every thing Jacob was a plain-hearted man he desired little he was content with less he was Thankful for every thing So must you be And if you do desire much let your eye be as much upon what ye have as upon what ye want The Covetous rich man having a desire to have more is not Thankful for what he hath if you come to borrow money of him saies he I have need to borrow of you I am a very beggar I have nothing His eye is so much upon what he would have he forgets what he hath So many times it fals out spiritually let your eye therefore be as well upon what you have as upon what you want Lastly Be sure of this that you maintain the sense of your own unworthiness No man more Thankful than David no man more sensible of his unworthiness than David Continually thankful Continually sensible of his unworthines There is a Two-fold unworthines Creature-unworthiness and Sinful-unworthiness Accordingly a Two-fold sence of unworthiness One that arises from the apprehension of creature-unworthines of the emptines that is in us as Creatures And another that arises from sense of guilt of sin See them both in the 8. Psalm The Psalmist there praises the Lord O Lord our God verse the 1. how excellent is thy Name in all the Earth when I consider the heavens the work of thy fingers what is man that thou art mindful of him and the Son of man that thou visitest him He praises the Lord this Thankfulness was raised from the sense of unworthiness it was Creature-unworthiness Lord what is man O Lord our God how excellent is thy Name in all the earth Lord what is man Look into the 116. Psalm and there ye find the Psalmist praising God upon the sence of unworthiness too Gracious is the Lord and righteous yea our God is merciful verse the 12. What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me here 's his Thankfulness it was raised upon sence of unworthiness But what unworthiness Sinful unworthiness verse the 11. I said in my hast all men are lyars what shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me He was sensible of his own unworthiness and it was a sinful unworthiness I said in my hast all men are lyars yet God is gracious to me What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits So now it will be with you if ye can but keep the sense of your own unworthiness you wil say I was a wretched and a great sinner and though I have but little in the world yet any thing is too much for one that was such a great sinner as I was you will be Thankful for every thing in every thing Thankful maintain but this Beloved ye see how in all these troubles of these times God hath given us our lives for a prey As the Lord said concerning Job Only spare his life Job 2.6 So hath the Lord said concerning us spare their lives God did not deal so by our Saviour Christ when our Saviour Christ came into the world he met with hard dealing from wicked men and his life went for it he did not say Only spare his life his life went for it You have more in this respect than our dear Saviour had you have your lives given you for a prey in these evil times our Saviour had not Shall we not then be Thankfull in every thing having more than our Saviour had in this respect shall we not be Thankful for any thing for any thing that God gives us shall we not now be Thankful How many are there that walke directly contrary unto this Truth that I have spread before you In every thing Thankful and they in nothing Thankful in nothing contented Husband godly Children hopeful Estate comfortable and yet never contented Servants cannot please Children cannot please friends cannot please never contented Oh! is this a duty to be in every thing Thankful how do they lie in a sin and the breach of this commandement that are in nothing contented never pleased Beloved I don't now come to call for contentment and patience and quietness under Affliction but for Thankfulness and not for thankfulness only when all goes well with you but for Thankfulness in every thing Oh! therefore let us return unto our own souls consider how it hath been with us If there be ever a discontented man or woman reade this Sermon consider this Scripture The Lord saies be in every thing Thankful and thou hast been in nothing Thankful in nothing contented in thy condition Oh! how will you answer it at the great day Let me leave this Exhortation with you in your bosoms the Lord knows into what condition we may come whether into Affliction or Persecution or Desertion or of Temptation Remember here lies your duty before you lay it up in your hearts 'T is the will of God even our Father that we should be Thankful to him in every thing not in some things not when things go well only when we have Victory but in all things Thankful In every thing give Thanks unto God for this is the will of God our Father concerning you FINIS THE TABLE Of the First VOLVMNE A Absolution ABsolution of sin how obtained by Christ Page 90 Ability Difference between ability of sufficiency and ability of Idoniety Page 119 Acceptance see Duties Affliction Affliction and temptation used promiscuously in the New Testament Page 103 See Temptation Agreement There was an Agreement made between God and Christ before the world was made Page 57 Anointed Christ is anointed to be our High-priest Page 45 Antichrist Antichrist labours to derogate most from the priestly office of Christ Page 5 Argument The greatest argument to make us walk closely with God in Christ Page 50 Attributes Those Attributes of Christ which are most beneficial to the Saints are most opposed by the world Page 4 The same Attributes are given to the Devil for evil that are given to God for good Page 244 Avoid see Temptations B Bless What Christ doth when he blesseth men Page 80 Christ blesseth as God blesseth Page 82 Christs willingness to blesse men Page 83 How Christ blesseth ibid Christ doth not blesse as man blesseth Page 84 Whom Christ blesseth Page 86 Blessing What will make a man to be alwaies blessing