to come and partake of the Lords-Table then we must have some grounds to hope and perswade our selves that we have some right to it or else we cannot partake in Faith Object But you will say This may be a ground of discouragement to many a gracious heart Many a gracious Soul is exercised with scruples of Conscience and may Question whether they have a right or no and such by this Direction must be forced to with-hold from it Answ For Answer briefly we are to know that every doubt and scruple and Question that Christians may have about their coming to this Ordinance is not sufficient for them to withdraw from it or to withhold their presence in it no they are not presently therefore to withdraw and withhold from the participation of it What shall they do then You will say Answ Briefly I pray mind it because it may concern some that are scrupulous and to be exercised with Questions and doubts whether they have right to it or no therefore such are seriously to consider what the ground of their doubt and scruple is whether it be sufficient and warrantable to cause a withdrawment from this Ordinance amongst others the grounds of scruple in this case may be reduced to three heads First Possibly some do Question and scruple their coming to this Ordinance for fear they should eat and drink unworthily and so eat and drink their own damnation that is my fear saies one and therefore I dare not come I fear I may not come I pray now therefore consider this briefly for I may not inlarge but consider this whether a mans Questioning whether he shall eat and drink unworthily be a sufficient ground and warrant for him to withhold from the Lords-Table I pray mind and consider what the Apostle saies 1 Cor. 11.27 28. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this Cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself and so let him eat Mark doth the Apostle say that he that fears that he shall eat and drink unworthily shall therefore withhold no but let him be the more solicitous and careful to examine himself and prepare himself that he may not partake unworthily of it that the Apostle doth intimate The Apostle doth not give a liberty upon it to withhold Therefore I say that is not a sufficient ground because we fear we shall partake unworthily but therefore we should be the more Solicitous and careful to examine our selves and to be preparing our selves the more to partake of this Ordinance Secondly Ordinarily some do fear and doubt whether they may partake of this Ordinance or no by reason they find themselves so weak in Grace Oh! saies one my Faith is so weak and my other graces so weak that I fear I shall but sin if I should come to the Lords-Table Now I pray Consider whether this be a sufficient scruple or no for I pray mark Consider the end of this Ordinance and for whom it is appointed what is it appointed for those that are perfect in grace for those that are perfect in Faith and other graces Is it not appointed rather to be a means to perfect and strengthen our graces therefore the weaker we apprehend our graces to be the more need we have to draw near to Christ in this Ordinance for the further Communication of the Spirit and grace to us that we may be strengthened in our inward man and have our grace increased That is the second scruple Thirdly The third scruple may be this which commonly is the greatest of all but suppose that I have no grace at all as I question whether I have any grace in truth or no upon examination of my self I cannot find that I have any Faith is it for me to come to this Ordinance Mark I pray in a word briefly A Soul sometimes under Temptation may be ready to conclude it hath no grace at all but I pray consider thus much though a Soul cannot say that it doth truly believe on Christ yet if so be there be a real hungering and thirsting after Christ a real desire after Christ in such a case a Soul is to come and partake of this Ordinance Blessed are they that Hunger and Thirst after Righteousness for they shall be filled Therefore though you cannot say certainly that you have Faith really wrought in you yet notwithstanding if there be a real hunger and desire and thirst after the enjoyment of Christ and communion with Christ in such a case a Soul may may come to partake of this Ordinance and such a Soul hath a right to it This is now a third direction how we may come in Faith to this Ordinance Namely to have some grounds to perswade us to hope that we have a right to it otherwise we cannot come in Faith Fourthly Take a fourth Direction which is this Namely if we would act and exercise Faith in this Ordinance then we must be careful to be found diligent in those things that are required towards our preparation to it I pray mind it it is the proper nature of Faith to put a Soul upon diligence in applying its self to the means for the obtaining of any end it is the proper nature of Faith to put a Soul upon the diligent use of means tending thereunto this is the proper nature of Faith indeed presumption if it have any hope of any Blessing or Mercy presumption leads a man to neglect the means but the proper work and nature of Faith is to lead a Soul to the diligent use of the means to obtain the Mercy or Blessing it hopes for I could give you divers instances in Scripture for this how Faith doth put a Soul upon the diligent use of means that are required for such an end I remember 't is said in 2 Chron. 20. concerning Jehoshaphat he was invaded by a foreignâ— enemy and thereupon he set himself to seek the Lord in wrestling by Prayer well the Lord is pleased to give him a gracious answer by the Prophet in the midst of the Congregation vers 14 15. And he said Hearken ye Judah and ye Inhabitants of Jerusalem thus saith the Lord be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude for the Battel is not yours but the Lords Vers 17. Ye shall not need to fight in the Battel set your selves stand ye still and see the salvation of the Lord with you O Judah and Jerusalem fear not be not dismayed to morrow go out against them the Lord will be with you Now Jehoshaphat having this promise his Faith did carry him out to set himself in Battel-aray as if they were to fight for it he would not neglect the means that God had appointed So you read of Paul in Acts 27. Paul was in danger by Sea in a great Storm in danger to be wrecked and it is said the Angel of the Lord came to him vers 23 24. For
there stood by me this night the Angel of the Lord whose I am and whom I serve saying Fear not Paul thou must be brought before Cesar and Lo God hath given thee all them that sail with thee Wherefore sirs saies Paul be of good cheer for I believe God that it shall he even as he told me Paul had a promise that none that were in the Ship should be drowned but that all should come safe to shore now did Pauls Faith make him careless in looking after the means for his preservation no for mark now the Mariners and Seamen they thought their case was desperate and they under pretence to make use of the Boat did intend to have gotten away Now Paul knew that the ordinary means for their preservation was to have the Mariners to stay to look after the Ship and when they under colour as though they would have cast Anchors out of the foreship let down the Boat into the Sea and were about to flee out saies Paul to the Centurion and to the Soldiers vers 31. Except these abide in the Ship ye cannot be saved What! had he not a promise that they should be all saved Yes but yet saies Paul if you do not use the means dilligently and carefully you cannot look to have the Mercy Faith puts us upon diligence in the use of means whereas presumption doth take a man off from the use of means and make him careless and slothful about the means but Faith doth make a man diligent in the use of the means to attain the end which is the blessing that God hath promised So in this case God doth require in order to our right participation of this Ordinance that we should prepare our selves before hand for this Ordinance now it is the proper work of Faith to set us to work to be diligent in our preparation for it in those ways and means which God hath appointed and what are those Briefly amongst others this is one Namely self-examination saies the Apostle Let a man examine himself and so let him eat c. Examine himself about what Briefly let a man examine himself if he will partake worthily especially about three or four things First What are the special ends of this Ordinance and this indeed is to discern the Lords Body for if so be we do not understand wherefore we come to this Ordinance we do no discern the Lords Body that is we do put no great difference between the Bread and Wine in this Ordinance and common Bread and Wine and so we do not discern the Lords Body therefore I say this is one thing in the examination of our selves consider and examine what are the special ends for which Christ hath appointed this Ordinance And amongst the rest they are these 1st Christ hath appointed this great Ordinance to have us to keep in remembrance his Death his laying down of his life for us his shedding his Blood for us we are very apt to forget this great kindness of Christ and therefore Christ hath appointed this Ordinance for this great end amongst others that we may remember his death 1 Cor. 11.26 As often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ye do shew forth the Lords death till he come It is a memorial of the Death of Jesus Christ 2dly Another end of it is this namely that we might have Communion with Jesus Christ in his Death and in the merits of his righteousness It is appointed for that end The Bread which we break saies the Apostle is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ and the cup of Blessing which we bless is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ Hereby now we profess that we have Communion with Christ and it is appointed for this end we must understand this or else we do not discern the Lords Body we must examine wherefore we come to partake of this Ordinance 3dly Another end is for the sealing up of the Covenant of grace to us it is a Seal of the righteousness of Faith as Baptisme and Circumcision was and it seals up that righteousness to our Faith that is held forth through Christ 4thly Another special end of this Ordinance is to profess our near union with all Believers our love to and our union with all Believers Saies the Apostle We are all but one Bread 1 Cor. 10.17 All moulded up into one Body and Christians should be of one heart and one Soul when they come to partake of this Ordinance Now I say if we would come in Faith we are to prepare for it by examining our selves concerning the ends for which Christ hath appointed this Ordinance 2ly We are to examine our selves not only about the ends of this Ordinance but also concerning our Faith whether we do truly believe in Christ or no or what grounds we have to hope that we do truly believe in Christ or that we have an interest in Christ we are to examine our selves concerning that and also about our acting and exercising Faith on Christ and if so be we find our Faith weak as I said it may be so weak as that there may be nothing sometimes but hungerings and thirstings and desires after Christ therefore we should search and examine what our Faith is the weakness of it and thereby be the more desirous to come to this Ordinance that our weak Faith and weak Graces might be strengthened and confirmed And so 3dly Again We are to examine our selves concerning our repentance Namely concerning our judging of our selves for former failings and miscarriages we should be mourning and humbling of our selves for our turnings aside and warping from the Rule and Law of God and so we should desire and endeavour and resolve through the strength of Christ to walk more closely with God and uprightly for the time to come this is the nature of true repentance as to be humbled for sins past so to resolve through the strength of Christ against sin for the time to come And then 4thly Again We are to examine our selves concerning our charity and love to all to consider wherein our love is defective and whether we can be truly reconciled and at peace with all whether we have no grudgings nor no envyings for private and particular offences against one or another and that we are ready to go and seek peace and reconciliation with them that have offended us we are to consider our Love with the weakness of it wherein we are defective in it these things are required of us before our coming to the Lords Table in a way of preparation Now therefore if you would act and exercise Faith remember this Direction which Faith will put us upon namely to be diligent in the use of those means that are required of us in order to the right participation of it And if we be not diligent to prepare according as the Rule doth require we do not act in a way of Faith in it 5thly and
Lastly If we would exercise Faith in our participation of this Ordinance then our Faith should be imployed about the Sacramental objects and actions before us for this is the nature of Faith to make a particular application of such things to our selves Now then in the things about the Sacraâ—ent and the actions in the Sacrament in this Ordinance Faith is to be found acting and making a particular application as for example to help you a little when we see the Bread and Wine set in order and readiness for the administration now Faith should act this way namely that God the Father hath prepared a spiritual feast for me and God hath invited me now to this marriage feast as you know we read in Matthew 22.4 He sent out his servants saying tell them which are bidden I have prepared my Dinner my Oxen and my â—atlings c. Thus a Soul should act in a way of Faith now God the Father hath called me to this great feast I am unworthy that ever I should partake of it and yet God the Father hath invited me and called me and hath shown me the preparation that he hath made and these things God hath called me to and invited me 〈◊〉 and hath prepared them for me and Oh the wonderful rich Grace of God towards me And then again when you see the elements prepared the Bread and Wine before you here now is occasion for your Faith to consider of the Love of God the Father and the love of the Lord Jesus Christ that God the Father should prepare Jesus Christ his own Son for me set out by these elements here is the infinite love of the Father to me and here is the wonderful love of the Lord Jesus Christ to me that hath prepared these things for me that Jesus Christ should set out himself as Bread for me Oh! the Love of the Father and the Love of the Son that is held forth to me And again when we see how the Bread is sanctified blessed and broken by him whom Christ doth appoint to do it according to his own Institution saying Take eat this is my Body which was broken for you now Faith should act as if Jesus Christ himself did speak to you from Heaven saying take eat this is my Body broken for thee For Christ hath appointed and Ordained him to do it in his Name and doing it in his Name and according to his Institution it is all one as if Christ himself did it Now then Faith should act as if I did hear Christ speaking from Heaven to me This is my Body broken for you so also when we see the Cup or the element of Wine and hear those words also pronounced This Cup is the New-Testament in my Blood which was shed for many for the remission of Sins truly now we should take these words as spoken from the Lord Jesus Christ himself to us this is my Blood shed for you for the remission of your Sins as if Christ himself did speak from Heaven to us And so again when we do eat the Bread and drink the Wine take them down into our bodies according to Christs Institution now our Faith should act particularly Namely thus in resting and leaning and relying upon Jesus Christ for acceptance in the sight of God and for remission of Sins and for Salvation this acting of Faith is eating and drinking Saies Christ in John 6.56 He that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood dwelleth in me and I in him And what is this eating the Flesh of Christ and drinking the Blood of Christ but acting and exercising of Faith in our eating and drinking the outward elements So that when we eat and drink with our Bodies we should act Faith with our Souls and eat with our Souls leaning and resting upon Jesus Christ for acceptance in the sight of God for remission of Sins and for peace with God and for everlasting Life and Salvation this is eating and drinking by Faith this is that which Faith doth Now if you would partake of this Ordinance in Faith then Brethren particularly apply the Objects and actions of this Ordinance to your own Souls and thus now I have given you some few Directions about exercising of Faith in this Ordinance of the Lords Supper without which not only without the habit and grace of Faith but without the exercise of Faith you cannot partake worthily you cannot partake so as to please God for without Faith it is impossible to please God even in this Ordinance I thought to have spent some time in speaking to another head namely how we should exercise Faith in our particular Callings and occasions and matters that concern this life for we must act and exercise Faith in all or else we do not please God in what we do even in our very outward occasions and business I am unwilling to make another discourse upon this subject and therefore I shall if you please to give me leave only give you four or five heads of things that might have been further inlarged upon by way of Direction How to exercise Faith in our particular callings and several conditions that we may be in in this life I will but name them you may enlarge upon them in your own private Meditations Briefly then 1st In the first place Would we exercise Faith in our particular Callings and Stations and Relations and condition that we are in then be careful to eye the hand of God leading and bringing of you into this or that calling condition and course of Life that we may be able to say as Paul did 1 Cor. 1.1 Paul called to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ through the Will of God It was the Will of God that brought him into that state and course of life so must we be able to say or else we cannot act and exercise Faith in our particular Callings Stations and Relations we must be able to say that God hath led me into this or that or the other course of life or into this and that change of Condition Faith doth not lead a man to make haste to be over hasty for any thing I have a mind to such a thing I have a strong fancy to it and and therefore I must enter into such a Calling or enter into such a change of Condition but Faith doth put a Soul upon this Namely to be solicitous to understand the Mind of God and therefore observe it Faith will put a Soul upon earnestness and frequency in Prayer to seek counsel of the Lord whether this or that be according to his Will or no and also to advise with Christians about it that so he may understand the Mind and Will and Counsel of God about it That is the first Rule Secondly Another Rule is this we should be careful to walk with God in that particular place and station and relation wherein God hath set us according to his Will for otherwise we do not exercise Faith in it and therefore when a man is led into such a Calling such a way and course of life it is not for him to act and walk according to the example of others to make the practices of others his rule No but we must look what the Will of God is and make that our Rule As now if a man or woman be brought into a change of condition into a Married condition it is not for that man to say Well I will carry it towards my Wife as she carry it to me or for the woman to say I will carry it to my Husband as he carry it to me no this is not a rule to walk by the examples of others but let us look to our own duty what the Will of God is concerning a Wife or a Husband Remember this is a Second rule To walk in our particular calling and station and relation according to the Will of God Thirdly Another rule and direction is this if you would act and exercise Faith in your particular callings then be frequently looking up unto the Lord for his guidance and help and assistance in your occasions and business Let us look up frequently to the Lord that he would guide us and assist us and help us for we must have Strength and Wisdom and Spirit and Grace from God day by day to walk with God in our places and stations we had need therefore be frequent in looking up unto the Lord for guidance and assistance and help in the places and stations wherein he hath set us And Fourthly Look up to the Lord for pardon through the righteousness of Christ and the merrits of his Death for the pardon of our failings and miscarriages in our callings and places and stations we had need to be frequently looking up for pardon that God would pardon our miscarriages and sailings and weaknesses in our places and stations that we do not walk so according to the Will of God as we ought to do we had need look to the Grace and Blood of Christ to be pardoned And then Fifthly and Lastly This might also have been further spoken to namely to leave the Issue and event and success of our endeavours with the Lord to leave all wholly with him all our burthens and cares leave them all with the Lord Let us be careful to do our Duty and to walk with God according to his Will in our places and relations and leave the event with the Lord. Cast your burthen upon the Lord Psalm 55.22 and he shall sustain you And so the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 5.7 Casting all your care upon the Lord for he careeth for you So should you do and thus walking in our particular Callings and stations and places and relations we shall come to exercise Faith and thereby so walk as to please God O! that now you have heard this point and truth opened that for the future the Lord would help us to be careful to exercise Faith in all our Duties in our praying in our hearing and in our partaking of the Lords Table and in our particular Callings and relations otherwise we cannot please God for the Apostle says here Without Faith it is impossible to please Him Thus much for this Text and this Time FINIS
have dominion over the works of thy hand thou hast put all things under his feet all sheep and oxen yea and the beasts of the field the fowl of the air and the fish of the Sea 4. All things that do concern the ordering of the Churches here in this world are given and committed to Christ as Mediator What Officers shall be in his Churches what Discipline Government Censures Ordinances and Worship these things are not left to mens Inventions but all must be ordered as Christ hath appointed in the Word Mat. 28.18 19 20. And Jesus came and spake unto them saying All Power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded The very Apostles were limited that they should teach nothing to be observed in Spiritual matters but what Christ commanded and then much more all Church-Guides in these days for the Father hath given the Power of making Laws and Orders for his Church into Christs hand only No Power on Earth can add or take away from the Sacraments Censures Officers and Ordinances that Christ hath appointed for the Father hath given all things into his hand 5. All Providential Dispensations in this world are given into the hand of Christ all publick and private concernments Thou hast given him Power over all flesh Joh. 17.2 For the Father judgeth no man but hath committed all Judgment unto the Son Joh. 5.22 We must not understand these things as if God the Father had so put things into the hand of Christ as if he had not Power and Authority still over all but the meaning is that he hath given the management of all into Christ's hand as Mediator by way of Honour and Trust to order all for the Glory of God and for the Eternal Salvation of those whom he hath given him to be his Mystical Body And so I come to the Second thing to shew you Why or to what end the Father hath given all things into Christ's hands as Mediator 1. The Father hath done this for his own Glory Phil. 2.11 12. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a Name above every name That every tongue should confess that Christ is Lord to the Glory of God the Father 'T is for the Glory of God the Father that he hath laid help upon such a mighty One and set such a King upon his holy Hill of Sion 2. The Father hath done this for the Glory of Christ too That all men should honour the Son as they honour the Father Joh. 5.32 Wherefore when he brings in the first begotten into the world he saith Let all the Angels of God worship him Heb. 1.6 3. The Father hath done it for the Churches sake too for the Elects sake he hath given him to be the head over all things to the Church Ephes 1.22 to order all things for the accomplishing and perfecting their Salvation and to that end he hath the heart of man amongst other things given into his hand that Christ hath power as Mediator to make his people willing to close with him Psal 110.3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power Joh. 6.37 All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me Joh. 12.32 And I if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto me Application Use 1. Seeing the Father hath given all things into Christ's hand then let us all come to Christ receive him believe in him And this is the very Use that Christ himself makes of this point Mat. 11.27 28. All things are delivered unto me of my Father And no man knoweth the Son but the Father Neither knoweth any man the Father but the Son and he to whomsoever he will reveal him Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Seeing the Father hath given all into Christ's hand come unto him for whatsoever you want come to him for Pardon for Righteousness for peace of Conscience for Knowledg for Sanctification for all Joh. 6.27 Labour not for the meat that perishes but for that meat which endureth to everlasting Life which the Son of man shall give unto you for him hath God the Father sealed He hath Authority and Commission from the Father all things are given into his hand Him hath God the Father sealed therefore come unto him that you may have the meat that endureth to everlasting Life He hath the keys of Hell and of Death He is able to save to the uttermost He is able to rescue you from the very jaws of Hell therefore I say venture your Souls upon him The Father hath appointed him to be Prophet Priest and King come therefore unto him for all that you stand in need of Use 2. Seeing the Father hath given all into Christs hand let all submit to Jesus Christ Psal 2.12 Kiss the Son lest he be Angry and ye perish from the way We are all to do Homage to Christ to be subject to Christ and this is called a Kissing of the Son You read of those that did not bow the knee to Baal nor kissed him It is spoken of the People of God that would not owne Baal and the Idolaters that worshiped the Sun and the Moon because they could not reach them to kiss them therefore they kissed their hand in token of Homage and Subjection to them as is implyed in Job's words Chap. 31.26 27. So that this is one thing that is intended by this Phrase of Kissing the Son that we should do Homage unto him and be Subject unto him Therefore seeing all is given into Christs hand and he shall Judge the Quick and the Dead at his appearing and his Kingdom give dilligence that you may be found of him in Peace that you may be accepted in him as a Saviour and accepted of him as a Judge for we must all appear before the Judgment-Seat of Christ But may some say When we consider what a great Lord Jesus Christ is and that the Father hath made him the Judge of all and that he shall come in all the Glory of the Father with all his holy Angels and all must appear before his Judgment-Seat to give an account the thoughts of Christ begin to be terrible to us sinful guilty creatures we begin to say in our hearts How shall we be able to stand before this great Lord and Judge Answer Christ is a Priest as well as a King a Saviour as well as a Judge So that if you put your trust in him as a Mediator and be found in his Righteousness then you may be able to stand before him else not Therefore labour to know Christ in his Priestly Office and believe in him that you may be washed and made white in his Blood and that he may be the Lord your Righteousness then
and now there comes a powerful Light into the heart to reveal Christ so as to enable the Soul to see Christ held forth in the Promises and to receive him The Apostle saith 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners Now the Soul saith It is so indeed 't is worthy of all acceptation the Soul now is wrought by the Spirit to approve and like this way of Salvation and heartily close with it Now the Understanding is enlightned and the Will rectified and brought to embrace Christ It is the Lord that makes this change He worketh in us to will and to do Phil. 2.13 Every one that is converted receives Christ Joh. 1.12 But to as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believed on his Name Though it may be that the Souls receiving Christ at first is scarce discerned but afterwards by renewing acts of Faith upon Christ and by the effects of Union with Christ we may come to see that we have received Christ and are made partakers of Spiritual Life There is a certain moment of time when a man hath Spiritual Life put into him he heareth the voice of the Son of God and liveth But the work is so secret and mysterious that it is hard for us to say that just such a day such an hour we heard the voice of the Son of God and lived Though some may be able to know the time yet not all that are made alive by Christ But we find by degrees the acts and effects of Spiritual Life whereby we may know that we have heard the voice of the Son of God and live When we receive Christ then we are made alive indeed for wheras we were under the sentence of death by the Law now we are forgiven all trespasses and have the Righteousness of Christ imputed to us And those that receive this gift of Righteousness are not only freed from Hell but shall reign in life by Jesus Christ Rom. 5.17 When we truly receive Christ we are sanctified also Together with the Faith that the Lord gives us to receive Christ for our Justification he also gives his Spirit to work in us a Principle of Holiness and new obedience that we may be both in repect of Justification and Sanctification alive from the Dead Application Use 1. Here we may see the miserable estate that every man and woman is in that hath not heard the voice of Christ. Brethren and beloved do you believe this that dead sinners are made alive by hearing the voice of the Son of God Then those that never yet heard the voice of the Son of God they are yet dead in Trespasses and Sins If you never yet heard the voice of Christ then you are dead men all your sins are upon you you are under the sentence of death by the Law and if you never come to hear the voice of the Son of God this sentence of Death will be upon you for ever And if you never yet heard the voice of Christ to put spiritual life into you then you are dead also as to any Life of Grace and Holiness Those works that you are ready to be proud of and glory in they are all but dead works and you do not truly serve the living God But you will say we hope we have heard the voice of Christ we have heard many able Ministers many good Sermons we have had the Word opened to us Answer This is a Priviledg indeed to have the Word Preached to you but it is not the voice of a man no nor of the Angels of Heaven if they should speak to you that can put Spiritual Life into you except withal you hear the voice of the Son of God Therefore If you never yet heard the voice of Christ to make the Preaching of the Gospel effectual to your Souls I say unto every such person as God said to Abimilech Gen. 20.3 Thou art but a dead man thou art a Sinner and the wages of Sin is Death thou art a condemned man and thou hast no Life of Holiness neither Therefore consider your case and condition Examine your selves Whether the Word Preached hath had that power upon your hearts to draw you to Christ and to turn you from your Iniquities Objection If that we hear the Word Preached by men yet you say that except we hear the voice of the Son of God we cannot live then to what purpose should we attend upon the Preaching of the Gospel Answer It is your Duty to hear what God the Lord speaketh by his Servants and Ministers and though the Word Preached cannot Convert you without the Voice and Power of Christ yet it may please the Lord at one time or other to make the Preaching of the Word effectual upon your hearts as he hath done to others Use 2. See the exceeding greatness of Christ's Power He is able to make dead Souls to live he is able to quicken those who are dead in Trespasses and Sins a work which neither Men nor Angels can do Yea know and take notice That it is no labour no difficulty to Christ to make dead Souls live He can do it easily and suddenly He can do it with a word He can do it as easily as you or I can speak a word The Text saith That the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live Use 3. Of Direction to those that have heard the voice of the Son of God and are now quickned and are made alive 1. Bless and praise the Lord stand and wonder at what the Lord hath done for you If any of you had been dead and in the Grave and Christ had said to you as he did to Lazarus come forth and so you had been raised but from a bodily death to live again this had been a great wonder But this is a far greater wonder O! therefore bless the Lord say this my Soul was Dead and is alive I was under the Sentence of Death for the Breach of the Law and now I am pardoned I was without any life of holiness and now the Lord hath given me a new Heart a new Spirit Thus when I lay in my Blood the Lord said unto me Live 2. Love the Lord Jesus who hath delivered your Soul from Death Love him because he first loved you and said to you when you lay in your Blood Live Love him and love the word of his Grace by which he quickened you Never forget his Word the Word of his Grace by which he hath quickned your Souls Love his Word and Ordinances wherein he hath put forth the Power of his Grace to youâ— Souls 3. Trust in the Lord to perform all things for you If you have heard the voice of the Son of God and Live then you have had experience of the Power of Christ indeed
perform those very duties that God requires and yet God may not smell a sweet savour in them take no delight nor complacency in them nor have no respect to them As now for example you know the Lord anointed Jehu to be King over Israel 2 Kings 9. You shall find when the Lord anointed him by his Prophet it was for this very end and purpose that he should go and Destroy all the House of Ahab and cut them all off well Jehu went and performed the work one would think this was pleasing to Godâ— for he did the very thing that God required and yet I pray look into Hosea 1.4 You shall see what a Testimony the Holy Ghost gives of Jehu concerning the Work he did And the Lord said unto the Prophet call his Name Jezreel for yet a little while and I will avenge the Blood of Jezreel upon the House of Jehu c. I will be avenged saies God for that Blood why did not Jehu do that which God did expresly require of him in cutting off the House of Ahab And yet saies the Lord I will be avenged for that Murder that Jehu Committed Why so Truly Jehu did not do it in that manner that was pleasing unto God for Jehu had his own ends in what he did he made account of cutting off the House of Ahab that his own Kingdom might be better established and therefore he still maintained the Calves that Jeroboam had set up and therefore saith the Lord I will avenge the Blood of Jezreel upon the House of Jehu And saies the Lord in Isaiah 1.13 14. When he speaks concerning the Sacrifices Offerings and Services which he himself had apppointed Bring no more vain Oblations Incense is an Abomination to me your new Moâ—â—is and Sabbaths and solemn Assemblies I cannot away with Why had not God expresly appointed these things yes yet saies God Your new Moons and appointed Feasts my Soul hateth they are a trouble to me I am weary to bear them and when you spread forth your hands saies God I will hide my Eyes and when you make many prayers I will not hear you Why were not these the things that God had required and commanded yet you see God was not pleased with them but now when the Lord doth look with a gracious respect upon a mans Services and performances and also doth graciously accept them with complacency and delight this is now to please the Lord by what we do Well this is the first thing you see what is meant by pleasing of God 2. Now then to come to the second That this pleasing of God is a very desirable thing it is of great concernment for a Man or Woman to please God What can a man or woman desire to do more in this World than to please God this indeed is implyed here in the Text he speaks of it as a thing very desirable Without Faith it is impossible to please God To do that which is so desirable if it were not desirable what should a man or woman need to care whether he please God or no but the Apostle speaks of it as a great thing without Faith it is impossible to please God Brethren when a man or woman doth perform a Duty or Service when he hath done it if he do not please God in it this is matter of very great sadness to such a Soul or it should be so you know how Cain took it he brought an Offering Genesis 4. of the fruits of the Ground unto God but God was not pleased with it God had respect to Abel and to his Offering but to Cain and his Offering God had not respect Well how did Cain take it He was not able to bear it his countenance fell Gods accepting of Abels offering and not Cains it went to the Heart of him his Countenance fell and thereupon he grew malicious against his Brother and at last he slew him it was such a dreadful thing to him that God should not accept of his Sacrifice as well as his Brothers And you shall see King Saul though but a wicked man yet when God did refuse to hear his Prayers and was not pleased with them saies he I am sore distressed in 1 Sam. 28.15 And he goes to a Witch who raised up as he thought Samuel to him and Saul answered I am sorely distressed the Philistines make War against me and God is departed from me and he answereth me no more neither by Prophets nor by Dreams c. I am sorely distressed And Brethren what is that which the people of God do so much desire in this world that they are Ambitious of it as the main thing of their desire in the World It is that they may please God see the Apostles expression 2 Cor. 5.9 Wherefore we Labour saies he the word signifies we are Ambitious it is an emphatical word we desire ambitiously we do earnestly endeavour as an ambitious man doth after Honour wherefore we Labour But the word is a stronger word we labour with might and main we make it our very ambition that we may be accepted of him or that we may please God it is the highest degree of the desire of our Souls we are ambitious for that that we may please God and that God may be pleased with us and accept of our services But more particularly to shew you in some particulars what a desirable thing it is to be found pleasing of God and to have our services accepted of him As 1. Is it not a desirable thing for a Man or Woman to be reconciled to God and to have God reconciled to them and so to have peace with God Now when God comes to accept of a mans duties and services it is an Argument that God is reconciled to him and at peace with him for before reconciliation every Man and Woman in the World is an enemy unto God Now if any one should come and offer Service to you and you know he hath enmity in his mind against you you will not accept of any thing he does though he pretend never so fairly Now when God comes really to accept of a Mans services and performances it is an Argument God is at peace with him and is not that a most desirabe thing 2. Is it not a desirable thing for a man or woman to have libetty to make use of the creatures that God gives him with joyfulness of Heart that he may rejoice in what he doth make use of and partake of Now when a Man or Woman comes to know that his Services are accepted of God and that he hath pleased God in what he hath done truly then he may go his way as I remember Solomon speaks to that purpose Eccles 9.7 Go thy way eat thy Bread with joy and Drink thy drink with a merry heart for God now accepteth thy Work God is pleased with what you do Ay now you have cause to go and rejoyce in what you do enjoy now you may
the Blood of Christ upon us and that by the Eternal Spirit the Spirit of God This is the way and the only way whereby a man or woman comes to be habitually clean and holy by Faith in Christ whereby the Soul is not only justified from the Guilt of sin but there is the Spirit of Christ conveyed and communicated to the soul whereby there is a principle of Holiness of Habitual Holiness put upon the Soul Well this is now the first general Rule and therefore I say Brethren and Friends it is of great concernment to us to look to that if we would act Faith in our Duties so as to please God we must first of all look that there be a work of Faith wrought in our hearts that we do truly believe on Christ and to that end we should be venturing to lean the weight of our Souls upon Christ and upon his Blood and Righteousness as it is tendred and held forth to us in the Gospel and to this end also let us wrastle with the Lord and beg for the Spirit of Faith to be given out to us Christ hath promised that our Heavenly Father will give the Holy Ghost to them that ask him This is the first Rule to look that we be true Believers 2. Secondly As Faith does possess the Soul with Habitual Holiness so it is by Faith also that a Soul comes to be cleansed from actual Guilt Therefore the Second Rule to act in Faith in our Duties and Performances is to put away all Guilt all sinful Uncleanness from us when we come to perform any Service or offer up any Sacrifice to the Lord If a Man or Woman come before the Lord in the guilt of any known sin that he lives in if he do not put that away it makes all his Duties unclean and not pleasing to God A man cannot act in Faith so long as he comes knowingly with any guilt upon his Conscience living in the neglect of any known Duty or living in the commission of any known sin if he live in it he cannot act in Faith Faith will purge and cleanse the Soul from sin that he will put away all guilt when he comes to draw near to God See what is said in Job 11.13 14 15. If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hands towards him If Iniquity be in thine hand put it far away and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacle for then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot c. When you come to stretch out your hands towards God in Prayer or when you come to draw near to him in any Duty Then saies he if there be Iniquity in your hand put it far away Do not come to God in Prayer or in any Ordinance in any known Sin that you do allow your selves in for if you do you cannot perform those Duties in Faith and so they cannot be pleasing unto God Therefore be sure that you put away all evil from you As now for Example to shew you the Application of this Rule that you may know how to make use of it for every Duty suppose now you go to prayer if you would pray in Faith so as to please God you must not allow your selves in any known sin No says David in Psal 66.18 If I regard Iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me I cannot make a Prayer in Faith If you have made a thousand Prayers though you be a Believer in the main yet all those Prayers that you have put up in such a way with the guilt of any known sin upon you that you allow your self in and go on in your Prayers have not been put up in Faith and so God will not regard them Therefore be sure of that when you come to pray see that you do not allow your self in any known sin So if you come to hear the Word if you would hear in Faith so as to please God in it you must put away all evil out of your hands In Jam 1.21 says the Apostle there Lay aside all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness and receive with meekness the ingrafted word which is able to save your souls Do you desire to hear the Word in Faith so as it may be a saving Word to your Souls Then Lay aside all Filthiness and Superfluity of naughtiness Allow your self in no known sin when you come to draw near to God in any Ordinance So the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 2 1 2. saies the Apostle there Laying aside all malice and guile and hypocrisie and envy and evil-speaking as new-born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby Do you desire to hear the Word so as you may please God in your hearing Then let there be no Envy nor Malice nor Hypocrisie allowed in your hearts for else you cannot receive the Word so as to be milk to your Souls so as to grow and profit by it And so also if you come to any other Ordinance as to the Lords-Supper you must come in Faith to it and partake in Faith or else we cannot please God by it Now this is one way whereby we come to partake in Faith namely by cleansing our selves Saies the Apostle 1 Cor. 5.7 8. speaking by way of Allusion to the Passover Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us let us therefore keep the Feast not with the old leaven of malice and wickedness but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth If we draw near to God in this Ordinance we must cleanse our selves in Jam. 4.8 Draw near to God and God will draw near to you And how shall we draw near to God so as God may draw near to us Mark what follows Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purifie your hearts ye double-minded Here is the way for us to draw near to God in a way of Faith for it is properly the work of Faith to purge the Heart and to purge the Hands That is the second Direction that may serve as a General Direction to help us to draw near to God in any Duty or Ordinance so as to please God 3. The Third way to perform Duties so as to please God is this It is the proper work of Faith to empty the Soul of it self Now if you will draw near to God in any Duty or Ordinance so as to please God then come with Self-emptyings for Faith is a self-emptying Grace that is the proper work of Faith to empty the Soul of it self Now there are two things that Faith does empty the Soul of in the performance of holy Duties The one is It empties the Soul of the sense of its own Sufficiency and Ability to perform holy Duties and also it empties the Soul of the sense of its own worthiness to receive any Mercy from the Lord in any Duty or Ordinance These two things Faith doth empty the Soul of and so you shall find it that where Faith hath been acted and
my Prayer returned into mine own Bosom There was an answer but not a particular answer to what he Prayed for yet he had an answer so God may answer our Prayer and we should pray hoping and waiting and expecting an answer for Faith doth help us so to act to look up and wait In Psalm 5.3 saies David My voice shalt thou hear in the morning Oh Lord in the Morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up I will look after it says he and wait for some answer or other There are many that commonly put up their Prayers Morning and Evening and turn their Backs and never mind what answer God will give them this is not to pray in Faith Faith doth help a Soul to look up and wait for an answer one way or other at one time or another In Habakkuk 2.1 He had been making his Prayer unto God in the former Chapter and now saies he I will stand upon my watch and set me upon the Tower and will watch to see what he will say unto me and what I shall answer when I be reproved and then verse 3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time but at the end it shall speak and not lye though it tarry wait for it Ah! Brethren there is more in this than we are aware of namely to wait in hope and expectation of an answer of our Prayers one way or other in the Lords time this we may expect God having revealed and made known himself to be a God hearing Prayer and he hath not said to the seed of Jacob seek ye me in vain Now the Soul may draw near to God in Prayer with hopes and expectations that God being a God hearing prayer will one way or other hear and answer my Prayers look for it and expect it And Brethren this waiting and expecting an Audience and answer of our Prayers from God doth as it were lay an ingagement upon God to answer our Prayers As now if a man knows that another trusts in him for a thing it does lay an ingagement upon him to be the more careful to do it So now when a Soul doth trust in the Lord and rely upon him expecting Audience because he hath declared himself to be a God hearing Prayer now God is ingaged as it were to answer thee saies David in Psalm 9 10. Thou Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee The Lord will not forsake them that seek we may forsake our Prayers when we have made them but the Lord will not forsake them that seek him as he saies again in Psalm 34. the last Verse None of them that trust in him shall be desolate God is a God hearing Prayer therefore none that trust in him shall be desolate thus we are to wait for and expect an answer of our Prayers and God will hear us And thus now you have had some few Directions given and laid down to help us to pray in Faith and Brethren by thus Praying in Faith we shall avail much this is the prevailing Prayer and without Faith we cannot expect to prevail Quest But you will say to me The Truth is I hope I have Prayed in Faith I have been perswaded that what I have Prayed for hath been according to the Will of God and I have Prayed out of Obedience to the Command of God and I have had an eye to the promise c. And yet I do not find any answer of my Prayer and therefore I have cause to question whether ever I have Prayed in Faith or no How shall I know whether my Prayer have been a Prayer of Faith or no This question is of very great concernment I shall briefly speak something to it First Negatively To pray in Faith is not for a Soul to be perswaded and assured that the particular thing that I pray for I shall have though many do mis-apprehend it and think this is to pray in Faith to pray with an assurance that I shall have the particular thing I pray for no there may be a great delusion in this as I knew a professor once a Woman and I hope a godly Woman she was carried away with this delusion and conceit I know saies she that I shall have this thing and the other thing I know I shall have my Father and Mother come to me from another Country why said the Party to her why said she the promise is that whatsoever I ask in Prayer believing I shall receive and says she I have Prayed for it and I do believe I shall have it They perswaded her it was but a deceit no no saies she I am confident of it But a short time after she fell into a frenzy and madness but yet she recovered again afterward and I hope she was a godly woman possibly yet living but I speak of it for this to shew you that this is not to pray in Faith to be assured that what I pray for shall be given me a Man or Woman possibly may not have the thing they pray for or may not have a perswasion of the thing to be granted and yet may pray in Faith I pray did not our Lord Christ himself pray that the Cup might pass from him And did not he pray in Faith and was not he heard Father I thank thee saies he that thou hearest me always John 11.46 He prayed that the Cup might pass from him he had not the particular thing that he Prayed for and yet he was heard and did pray in Faith for all that so that I say people may delude themselves and think this is to pray in Faith when we are perswaded that we shall have the paritcular thing granted we pray for no this is not to pray in Faith a man may pray in Faith though the thing be not granted at present nay though it never be granted You will say then How shall I know whether I pray in Faith or no though the thing be never granted that I pray for I shall briefly speak three or four things to this and so wind up all First of all Observe I pray when the Heart is brought to be subject to the Will of God and to submit to his dispose when the Heart is brought after Prayer or upon Prayer to submit to the Will of God possibly the Soul hath met with some great Cross and affliction or some great loss possibly of a near and dear Relation the Soul it may be is mightily troubled about it and now goes to God in Prayer and commits its self and its case to God by Prayer and possibly now the Soul is made to submit to the Will of God the Soul comes to argue and reason thus The Lord is wiser than I and the Lord hath an absolute power over me and he may do every thing and it is fit that his Will should be done and hereby the Heart comes to be quiet and made submissive to the Will of God this argues now that