to the glorious Fathers and Because he pâ—ured out his soul as an offring for sin his Father gave him a portion with the great and mighty so that the number of Beleevers were increased and not diminished by this mischievous device against â—im The Primitive Churches persecution that was raised in Jerusalem it did help to the increase of the Gospel and number of Believers The Apostles and Brethren were scattered in the eighth of the Acts so they carryed the word up and down and by their means many were brought in to God Samaria a great City many in it were converted They with one accord gave heed to what Philip spake and there was great joy in that City I shewed you out of Ecclesiastical story that all the persecutions those bloody persecutions the Church meâ— with did not diminish but did increase the number of Believers The Lord delights to walk contrary to wicked men to cross the corrupt imaginations of the men of the world In those things wherein their deal proudly he will be above them he will let them know that his thoughts are above thy thoughts and his ways above thâ—ir wayâ— When they say concerning Sion Let her be defiled and let our eyes â—ook upoâ— her let us see her desolation They know noâ— the thoughts of the Lord nor understand his Counsel for the event shall be quite contrary their expectations The Lord Jesus is a great King and therefore it shall be so All power is given into his hand in Heaven and in Earth and he will order all for the advancement of his own Kingdom all is his and he hath given all to the Saints All is yours all shall do them good all shall further and increase their graces and the increase of his Kindom There is none can hinder the Lord from pouring out of his spirit there is none can hinder the Spirit from working and therfore all opposition cannot hinder the increase of Believers The wind blows where it lists and so the Spirit of the Lord breaths where it it pleaseth Man may as well stop the Sun in the Firmament or hinder the Sun from shining and the winde from blowing as the Spirit of the Lord from working grace he darts in beams of light beams of conviction to the hearts of Creatures and his work is an irresistable work all the powers of Hell and darkness shall not be able to hinder his work Therefore I conclude this Point with an Item to the men of the world To take heed how they seek to oppose the truth of Christ and the people of Christ this is not the way to diminish their number no the Lord he will out reach them in all their designâ— of persecution the hottest peâ—secution shall but increase the â—umber of the Saints they shall but sow the blood of Christ and their ashes the thicker and if one fall to the ground a hundred shall rise up in their stead But I entred into a second Point in which I shall proceed After we considered who this fourth man was Nebâ—chadnezzâ—r saw four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and tâ—ey have no hurt and the form of the foâ—rth is like thâ— Son of God it was indeed the Son of God It was the Angel of the Covenant the Lord Jesus who did assume a body at this time and came down to refresh his Servants in the fire It holds forth this That he would in time come to deliver poor servants from the flame of his Fathers wrath That he would be present with his people in all afflictions in the midst of all their fiery tryals The Proposition then entred into is this That the people of God never enjoy more of the presence of Christ then in their lowest conditions When they are in great afflictions and fiery tryals the Son of God is with them Here you see it in this fiery tryal Israel never saw more of God then when they were in the barren Wilderness Jacob never had such glorious visions as when he was driven from his house and home when he was separated from all creature comforts had not so much as a Bed to ly on nor a Pillow to lay his head upon but layd him down upon a heap of stones then had he those glorious Visions of the Ladder set up to Heaven and of the Angels ascending and descending Stephen never saw such glorious Visions of Jesus Christ but when he was vnder a showre of stones that took away his life He looked up then and he saw the Heavens opened and the Son of God at the right hand of the Father ready to recieve him The Apostle John never had so glorious Visions as when he was bâ—nished to the Isle of Paâ—mos then did Christ reveal those glorious Mysteries written in the Book of Revelations concerning the Churches to the end of the world The Primitive Churches enjoyed most of Christ in the times of persecution they enjoyed most of the presence of Christ and most of the mind of Christ most purity and most holiness they had most of the supporting presence of Christ then his left hand is put under to support a poor Creature when it is in a low condition in a sinking condition in an afflicted condition He supports the inward man and he supports the outward man he makes a little strength to go a great way as the Oyl in the widows cruse till such time as he sends deliverance unto his people They have never more of the enlightening presence of the teaching presence of Christ then in such conditions Affliction is Christs School in which he teaches his people many precious Lessons they have never more of the quickening presence of Christ then in such conditions never more of the Sanctifying presence of Christ he is pleased to make use of affliction to knock off that unevenness many times that is upon their Spirits and make them partake â—â— of his own nature They have never more of the comforting presence than in such conditions he brings his people into the Wilderness there he allures them and there he speaks to them then he puts under his left hand to support them and then his right hand embraces them But What are the grounds of the Point Why doth Jesus Christ manifest most of himself to his people in their afflicted conditions The Grounds of the Point First of all he knows that then they have most need of his presence If ever they have need of comfort if ever they have need of strength of teaching quickening guiding 't is then when they are in afflicted and low conditions then is a mercy sweet when 't is in seaâ—on and then 't is seasonable when a poor creature stands in need of it The Lord Jesus knows that they have need of his presence in low conditions First because of the weakness of the flesh And Secondly Because of the strength of temptation 1. Because of the weakness of the flesh He knows his peopâ—es framâ—
care of me he delivered me when I was in such straits when I was almost dead strugling to get into this world the hand of the Lord was helping of me The hand of the Lord was more to me then all creatures he helped me See at the beginning from first to last God takes a special care of the lives of his Saints Fourthly It will further appear this great love of God this great care of God will further appear if we consider what a rate he makes men pay for the lives of his Saints when they take their lives away by violence He will make them know they have stolen precious Jewels from him and he will make them pay dear for it you know what it cost Jerusalem there was found the blood of the Prophets slain there was a great deal of blood lay upon them the blood of Abel and the blood of Zacharias and they shed the blood of the Prophets and Servants of God and that blood became their overthrow the blood of them did throw down the Walls and Temple of the City the streams of blood did sweep away all the Inhabitants thereof whensoever the life of a Saint is stolen and taken away God presently sends Hue and Cry after it and wheresoever God hath found the blood of his people he hath declared his wrath against them he hath prosecuted the Law to the uâ—most against them See what is prophesied of Babylon how doth the Lord deal with her in the 18. of Revelation when God came to make inquisition after the blood of the Saints 't is said And in her was found the blood of the Saints There God found his stolen Jewels the blood of his Saints See how God doth prosecute the Law against her in thaâ— 18. Chapter you read of most fearful judgments that came upon Babylon God seizes upon all her Riches all her Glory and they were all brought down in a day she her self was brought to execution she was cast down as a Milstone cast down into the bottom of the Sea never to to rise again what was the cause of all this wrath and diâ—pleasure and fearful judgements that was to come upon Babylon Why this was given as the reason In her was found the blood of the Prophets So then still you see and I beseech you beleeve it there is nothing in all the world more precious to the Lord then the lives of his Servants Well 2ly If the lives of the Servants of God Use 2 be so precious how precious are the souls of his Servants the life is more then rayment saith Christ the life is more then all creatures and the soul is more then life the life of Christ in the soul it must needs be a hundred times more precious a thousand times more precious Oh what a high account hath God of the souls of his people what will not God part with rather then he will loose the souls of his people he will part with the Jewel of Heaven the great Jewel of Heaven to ransome the souls of his people he was content that his Son should come out of his bosome rather then he would loose one of the souls of his people the Son was infinitely dear to the Father more dear to him then all the world yea ten thousand worlds and yet he will part with his son that he may rescue the souls of his people from destruction Oh how precious was the soul in the eye of Christ what did he do what did he suffer to redeem the precious soul how far did he come to fetch them a mighty journey the Lord Christ took from Heaven to Earth that he might bring back poor souls that were taken captive by the Divel and rescue them from death and destruction what great hazard did the Lord Christ run when he was upon Earth Oh what mighty Armies what Troops did Jesus Christ break through Armies of sins and Armies of Divels that was in his way and yet he brake through them all to rescue the souls of his Servants when he had broke through those Troops what depths did he descend into that he might fetch up the souls of his Servants He was content to go into the depths of the Sea the red Sea the Sea of blood yea into the depths of the Sea of his Fathers wrath and indignation that so he might fetch up the souls of his Servants the depth of the wrath of God the depth of the infinite wrath of God it is a Sea that hath no bottom a Sea of wrath that men and Angels should never have found the bottom they shall be descending lower and lower still and never find the bottom and yet the Son of God was content to go to the bottome of wrath of all the billows of his Fathers wrath and displeasure that so be might fetch up the souls of his servants that lay under wrath they could never have lift up their heads above the billows of the displâ—aâ—ure of the Almighty if Christ had not fetcht them up if he had not upon his own back carryed them over Oh how precious were the souls of his Saints in the eye of God! The life of the Son of God was precious to him and yet his life was nothing to him in comparison that he might save the souls of his people if he had a thousand lives he would have layd them all down Now I beseech you think of this you that have a mean account of your souls O how precious is the soul in the account of the Son of God how great was the price that Christ paid for thy soul and why dost thou undervalue thy soul and art willing to part with this most precious treasure in the world it cost the life of the Son of God to purchase thy soul and wouldst thou be content to sell thy soul for a trifle and yet how many thousands in the world do value a thousand things in the world above their souls and many they will part with their souls for a lust for vanity for nothing for a bag of earth for an empty cloud of honour for a little pleasure Oh what undervaluing is this of thy poor soul I beseech you remember the worth of the soul do but consider how precious it was in the eye of God you that do slight your precious souls If 〈◊〉 â—â—ed your body you care not if the soul starve Oh that you would remember you wiâ—l make a hard bargain though you win all tâ—e world and loose your own soul what shall a man gâ—â—e in exchange for his soul I beseech you for the Lords sake have more care of your souls let your souls be precious in your eyes 't is more worth then all the world if you loose the things of the world you may find them again you may gain them again if you loose all the friends in the world you may finde them all in the Son of God he stands in all relations to his people nay
Jonathans son took him and set him at his Table so doth Jesus Christ deal he remembers the kindness of his Father the kindness the Father shewed him in his low condition says he is there none of the seed of God are there none of the children of the most high that I may shew kindness to for the fathers sake Because he shewed kindness to me in my low condition and though he can hear of none but poor lame Mephibosheth yet he shews kindness to them takes them into communion with himself sets them at Table with him and in the midst of their low conditions will afford his presence because his Father their Father did not leave him alone when he was in low conditions Again The Lord Jesus he is bound unto this by many ingagements I say he is bound to be present with his people in low conditions He is bound by his Word by his Promise by the Law of love that is in his heart All my delight is in the Saints and those that be excellent it is a second Heaven to him next to the presence of the Father he delights to be in the presence of his Saints and therefore because he delights in them he will be present with them though they be in the prison in chains and fetters though they be in the fiery Furnace yet it is a Heaven unto Christ to be with them for all his delight is in his Saints He is bound also by the Law of friendship to be with them in low conditions a friend is tryed in adversity it was a reproof to Hushai when he left David in straits and therefore says Absolom is this thy kindness to thy friend that thou wouldst not go along with thy friend It shall never be said so of the Lord Jesus it shall never be said of him Why didst thou not go along with thy friend for he will go along with his friend in the greatest adversity he will not leave them but afford them his presence Again He is bound because his work is in hand A Physician is bound to look after his Patient because he hath given him a Purge And so the The Lord Jesus is bound to look after his Patient when he hath given him a Purge Gold-Smith is bound to look after his Gold when he hath put it into the Furnace And so the Lord Jesus is bound to look after his Gold when 't is in the Furnace of affliction But I come to the Application First of all for Instruction This lets us see the wonderful unparalel love of Jâ—sus Christ I beseech Vse you take notice of it and get your hearts affected with it here is such love as creatures cannot shew a friend that will never leave one a friend that will always afford his presence in the greatest straits afford his presence that 's a friend indeed a man may be brought into such conditions as all his friends may forsake him all men upon earth may leave him David was left of his best friends Father and Mother forsook him and Jesus Christ was left of his best frsends they all forsook him and fled and truly this may be the condition of any man upon earth cast out and forsaken of friends of most friends of best friends will a friend venture his own life for a friend will a man keep his friend when some deadly infectious disease is upon him when he hath a plagâ—e sore upon him will he â—hen lye down in the bosome of his friend when a man is condemned to the flames of fire when a man is cast into the fire will a friend follow him into that condition Truly such friends you will hardly finde upon earth but this is the friendship of Jesus Christ to his people when he first lookt upon them he saw how many plague sores infectious diseases were upon them and yet that could not hinder him from drawing nigh and affording his presence and from working mightily by his spirit upon their hearts Nay when they are brought to fiery tryals to great afflictions yet even then he will not leave them and he will not forsake them and this makes the love of Christ the more remarkable that he should thus condescend when he was at the highest for he is now advanced above the Heavens he sits down at the right hand of the Father he is at the highest condition and yet he is pleased to condescend to the lowest condition he is pleased to come down when they are in the depths in the greatest straits that possibly can be what love was that the Spouse speaks of in the 5. of Canticles and the last verse she speaks a great deal of the beauty of Christ and in the last words she makes her boast of her Beloved This is my Beloved and this is my Friend Oh Daughters of Jerusalem I will compare with you all I will compare my friend to all the friends in the world This is my Belovâ—d and this is my friend she compares him for for his beauty and so you may compare him for his love you may make your boast of the Lord Jesus you may say This is my Beloved and this is my friend Secondly What a strong Motive may this Doctrine be unto such as are strangers unto Jesus Vse Christ to come in and submit unto him What glorious Benefits may you be partakers of What a desireable thing is it to have such a friend as Christ is which will be present with his friends in their lowest conditions Oh that every man would set down and consider that which Solomon speaks of to remember the days of darknesse which will be many many days of darknesse may come upon the earth what a favour will it be to have a friend in the darknesse a friend that will stick by thee when thou art in the dark a friend that thou mayst take hold of his skirts when thou art in the dark Entry a friend that will hold thee fast when thou art in the dark such a friend is Jesus Christ to all that do embrace him Oh what a favour what a mercy will it be to have a friend stand by thee that is both able and willing to help thee when all Creature-comforts shall fail when the very strength of body shall fail to have a friend stand by to help and succour and truly such a friend is the Lord Jesus what saith the Psalmist in the 73. Psalm vers 26. My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever heart and flesh fail and then there is a strength above nature the Lord then is the strength of my heart and of my flesh and blood What a mercy will it be to have one stand by you when you go through the valley of the shadow of death a friend then to comfort a friend then to uphold such a friend is the Lord to his people David was confident of this therefore you see how his
go forth to seek and save them That is the first thing that doth concern them to know seek after this knowledg and that speedily with all your might Secondly to know the Lord Jesus it concerns the sinner to search after the knowledg of Christ to know that he is the only Mediator between God and man to know that all pardon all peace and all grace and all strength and all holinesse it must come in through the blood of Jesus Christ that this Lord Jesus is freely held forth to lost sinners he is tendred by free promise or Covenant of grace and that men are invited every where to return to the Lord to deny themselves their own works their own righteousness their own worthinesse and to submit to the righteousnesse of the Son of God that everlasting righteousness that Jesus Christ hath brought in by his blood To seek after this knowledg of Jesus Christ is the second great work that sinners have to do Thirdly To beleeve in Jesus Christ this is an other work To believe in the name of Jesus Christ Oh this is the great work when poor sinners came to Christ and askt him what work they should do How they should work the works of God he tells them that this is the work of God To beleeve in the Name of Jesus Christ Joh. 6. 29. this is the work of God this is the great work the first work all other works are not accepted till this be done This is the first born of graces this is the beginning of the souls strength and till this be done all other works are lost because without faith it is not possible to please God All the time of their continuance in unbelief in the wildernesse it was a time of temptation and provocation this is the great work the work of God which meets with most opposition all within a man and all the powers of darknesse do make against it and therefore it concerns poor sinners to seek after this great work of God with all their might they can never begin too soon never begin too speedily it is a mighty work if you had hundreds of years to live you would finde time little enough to beleeve in to exercise faith in I shall go no further with sinners for till this work is done nothing is accepted And therefore Oh that God would perswade the hearts of poor sinners to know that this is their work To know themselves and to know Christ and to beleeve in his Name Oh that the Lord would stir them up to seek after it with their might But what is the work of Beleevers What must What Beleevers must do with their might they do with their might First of all To seek after further knowledge of their God and Communion with him acquaintance with him fellowship with him to know more of him in his Attributes in his Son in his Word the mysteries of his Kingdome to know the truth of the Times the will of God concerning you Oh this is a great work it concerns you to seek after this with all your might to wait upon God in all means for it To wait at wisdoms Posts to climbe upon every Sycamore Tree where Jesus Christ is wont to pass by to set your souls under every Golden-Pipe where there is saving knowledge of Christ to be Communicated to you or further acquaintance with God Breath more after him thus did David in Psal 63. O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty Land where no water is He doth not only thirst but he longs Now longing is a mighty strong desire How dangerous is it to the Creature if longing be not satisfied With this desire of longing was Davids soul carried after further acquaintance with God further enjoyment of him That 's the first Secondly The second work that you have to do with your might you that have interest in Christ is to get your hearts fully rooted and fully established upon the promises that you may not be left at uncertainties in the great matters of your everlasting welfares to get your hearts built I say establiâ—hed upon the Promises rooted in Christ to get your Acquittance cleered up to you cleerly written and wait till the Lord shall teach you to read it that you may be able to say as the Apostle in Rom. 8. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth it is Christ that dyed and is risen again and sits at the right hand of God and makes intercession for us I say you had need be perfect in your evidence for Heaven there may come a time of darkness black clouds may come over all your comforts and present enjoyments a black night of temptation may be upon you the Divel may cast a mist before your eyes and therefore you had need be perfect to read your evidence for Heaven that you may be able to read and to know your interest in Christ in such a condition as that is Oh do this make hast to do this do it with your might Third To serve God in your generation is another work you have to do with your might to serve God in your generation is that you have to do and Oh that you would do it with all your might to honour and lift up God upon earth to make him glorious to lift him up by your praises to lift him up by your conversations by your obedience by your shining in the midst of a crooked and sinful generation The Lord he hath put his Name upon you Christians for this end he put his Spirit into you to inable you to this He expects more from you then from others the eyes of the world are upon you and God shall either reap honour or dishonour by you therefore it concerns you I say to do the work of your generation with all your might to seek wherein you may be serviceable to the Lord how you may advance his Name That is the third work to lift up God by the service of your Generation Fourthly It concerns you to get your hearts made sensible of the perishing condition of the Creature of the fading condition of all things under the Sun that you are fading Creatures your life fades and comforts fade The Lord would have you seek with all your might to have such impressions as these made upon your spirits 't is a hard matter to receive them and therefore God bids the Prophet cry in Isa 40. The voice says cry What shall I cry all flesh is grass and the glory of it as the flower in the field the grass withereth and the flower fadeth The Prophet must cry and cry again before men will hear this before this impression will be made upon the spirits of men That they are fading men and their comforts are fading That they are as grass and their comforts
as the grass You had need live in a continual converse with your fading condition dye daily see death at a distance and grapple with death at a distance Put your selves into a dying condition and say often Oh! what if this were my last What if I were now to breath forth my soul What if now to shoot the Gulf of Eternity What have I now to rely upon What have I to carry me through How shall death be conquered How shall the sting be taken out for me You had need I say converse with death at a distance and live continually in the sence of your dying condition that so death may not be terrible when it comes that you may know before hand how to conquer it and that it is conquered by the blood of the Lamb. Fiftly Another work that you have to do with your might is to do good to your friends and to your Relations Christians give out the good things to your Relations and do it speedily do it with all your might Impart the knowledge of God to your Relations Christ finds Andrew and Andrew finds Simon Peter Christ finds Philip and Philip finds Nathaniel Oh come saith he we have found the Saviour the Messias 1 Joh. 41. 45. You have but a little while to be with your Relations and they are gone they are taken from you and you from them and therefore with all your might work this work and do them good and give out good to your Relations That is the fifth work that you have to do with all your might Sixthly In all your waitings upon God see that you do there with your might I say when ever you wait upon God in every Duty in every Ordinance whensoever you draw nigh to God the Lord requires you should do it with your might In the second of Samuel the 13. it is said there that David when he danced before the Ark he did it with all his might And so in the second of Chron. 28. It is said there that David when he offered unto the Lord he offered with all his might And so that place in 2 King 23. and 25. It is said that King Josiah turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his might what ever you do in the matters of God do it not lazily If you pray do it with your might and if you hear let it not be done but with all your might and if you speak do with your might because these are mighty things and they have relation to the business of Eternity Seventhly and Lastly To mortifie your corruptions to get your lusts mortified subdued cast out your souls more conformable to Christ this is an other work and the last work that I shall name that you Christians and Beleevers have to do and that with your might To get your lusts mortified and subdued Do it with your might do not look upon it as an easie matter as a frivolous business Do not go out against such Giants with straw and Bulrush But Oh! get the compleat Armour of God go forth in the name of Christ in the strength of Christ with the blood of Christ with with the promises of Christ it is a work of great concernment and therefore I beseech you do it in good earnest go out in the Name of the Lord and do this great work in good earnest that your corruptions may be mortified and more of the Image and likenesse of Christ may be imprinted upon your Spirits And thus have I shewed you my Brethren what it is for a man to do with his might and what are those works the Lord puts into your hands to do with all your might You have heard what works are put into the hands of sinners and what works are put into the hands of Beleevers And now I shall make some short Application and I have two words to speak First The one a word of Caution and Direction The other a word of Exhortation First in the first place a word of Caution and Direction is needful and let this be the first Caution That though God call upon you to work with your might yet he doth not put you upon it to work to pay your debt To discharge that great debt of ten thousand Talents of transgressions My Brethren if you had a thousand hands to work with if you could work as much as the very Angels it is not possible you should work so much as should discharge the debt for you could not pay the least farthing of that which is owing to God No know my Brethren the Father of mercies hath pittyed poor Creatures he sent his Son the Lord Jesus Christ for this end to marry poor Widdow-souls that were left in an infinite debt and could not discharge it he hath sent his Son to to pay the debt of every widdow-soul that is content to be espoused to Christ he came from Heaven for this end he wrought with his hands he had no other way to pay the debt he left himself poor The Lâ—rd Jesus was rich but for your sakes he became poor he had no way to pay the debt but by working with his hands he wrought hard he wrought till he sweat he wrought till he sweat drops of water and blood he wrought three and thirty years together that he might pay this great debt that was owing that his people did owe to the Father And therefore take heed you do not go about to work to discharge your own debt do not work to pay your debt but work because your debt is paid and discharged by Jesus Christ Secondly Take heed you do not work for your living God calls upon you to work with your might but he does not put you upon it to work for your living Life is not from your works neither should Christians live upon their works The life of your joy and the life of your peace the life of your comforts the life of your righteousness it is not from your works the Lord never put you upon it to work for this end no Christ hath wrought enough for his people that they might live as his people he hath provided for their maintenance to fill their cup he hath provided for their cloathing he put mighty righteousness everlasting righteousness upon you It is not now to do and live this is not the Covenant But the Covenant of grace is live and do fetch life from Christ and then do and do with all your might because life is given freely by Christ Thirdly God doth not put you upon it to work to purchase love to purchase favour or to purchase Heaven I say you are not to work to purchase the favour of God by your works to purchase Heaven by the works of your hands Alas Adam in innocency could not do it he could not yearn life by working And how shall poor Creatures in a fallen estate be able to purchase and yearn life by their own works No if
evils of their lives 53 3. For the prolonging of their lives amplified in three particulars 54 55 4. For spiritual Mercies 57 Quest When mercies received may be helps to trust God for the future shewed in six particulars 58 Quest How to improve mercies so as to strengthen faith for the future in two particulars 62 Two things premised and two Cautions how to rest on former experiences 63 The fourth Sermon Wherein is shewed who it was that bare witness to this Miracle viz. Nebuchadnezar And a Question propounded whether he was hereby truly converted Arguments for the Affirmative given by some p. 73. And determined in the Negative 74 Doct. 2. That it is not in the power of greatest Miracles to convert a soul to God unless the spirit of Christ step in 75 This is cleered by Scripture-examples ibid. By Scripture testimony 76 And by experiences in our own times 78 First Ground of the Point To put the greater glory on the word 80 2. From the desperate hardness of mans heart 81 Use 1. Take notice what a Miracle of iniquity there is in mans nature 82 Use 2. What a Miracle it is that any soul is converted 83 A three-fold Miracle is shewed in the conversion of every sinner Of Wisedom Of Power Of Mercy 84 Use 3. Bless God for his word and look to it more then to Miracles 87 The fift Sermon Doct. 3. God many times makes his peoples enemies to acknowledg and confess that the Lord is with them and that he hath dealt graciously with them 92 The Point cleared by five Demonstrations 1. Christ put up a petition to his father for it 94 2. Christ hath promised it to his people 95 3. God hath put a power into his Word to convince enemies though it convert them not 96 4. God makes enemies oft to be the eye and ear witnesses of his peoples mercies and Agents therein 97 5. God works for his people in such away that enemies are forced to acknowledg the same so freely unexpectedly suddenly solitarily 98 Two Reasons why God will make enemies to acknowledg this truth 101 Use 1. A ground of Patience and encouragement to the Saints in tribulation 103 Use 2. Let not wicked men look with delight on the miseries of the Saints 104 Use 3. Let the people of God acknowledg this as a very great mercy ib. Use 4. Let the people of God much more acknowledg the gracious dealing of God toward them 105 The sixt Sermon Doct. 4. That all the persecutions which the Devil or his Instruments raise against the Saints shall not diminish their number but rather increase them 111 The point evidenced by manifold examples out of the history of the Church in all ages 112 The first Reason God delights to walk contrary unto men 115 2. Reason The Lord Jesus is a mighty King and will improve his power for the Saints ibid. 3. Reason From the impotency of enemies to hinder Christs Kingdom 116 Use 1. To let us see the vanity of all attempts of men against the truth and people of Christ with an item to the Powers of the world concerning it ibid Use 2. To give a ground of patience and comfort to the Saints against opposition of men 119 Doct. 5. That the Lord Jesus Christ is never nigher to his people then when they are in great afflictions in fiery tryals 121 Some instances given to prove it ibid Quest What presence of Christ the Saints may expect in their tryals 121 1. His supporting presence 2. His enlightening and teaching presence 3. His sanctifying presence 4. His quickning presence 5. His comforting presence A warning to the Saints to improve this Doctrine they not knowing what tryals the Lord may ere long bring them into 126 The further handling of this Point is in the eighth Sermon The seventh Sermon Wherein is considered the restraint the Lord layd upon the fire it could not hurt them only loosed their bonds whence note Doct. 6. At the command of the Lord the fiercest of Creatures shall not only not hurt his people but shall take part with them and do them good 130 Two Branches of the Point 1. They shall not hurt them 2. They must do them good both illustrated from Scripture instances 131 132 1. Reason The Creatures are Gods Host they go along with him where he is a friend they are friends 134 2. Reas From the Covenant and League made with the Creatures which hath two Branches 1. To do no hurt 2. To take part and do good 137 3. Reas God hath a special providence over his people 139 4. Reas The Creatures are all reconciled in Jesus Christ 140 Use 1. Take notice of the mighty power of the Lord what a great King he is that hath all Creatures at his command ibid. Use 2. What a shame to man that he should not be at the command of God 141 Vse 3. A strong Motive to those that be strangers to God to come in and submit to him till then they are lyable to be harmed by the Creatures 142 Use 4. It is not in tho Creatures power to do good without God 143 Use 5. Comfort to the people of God and encouragement to their faith 145 The eighth Sermon Wherein the fifth Doctrine is further handled Concerning the presence of the Lord Jesus with his people in afflictions 150 1 Reason The Lord Jesus knows they have most need of his presence then 1. Because of the weakness of the flesh 152 2. Because of the strength of Temptations 154 2. Reason The Lord Jesus remembers his Fathers kindness to him in being near to him in his afflictions 155 3. Reas Christ remembers his engagement to his people 158 1. By promise 2. By a Law of Love written within him 3. By the Law of friendship 4. That he may see to his work he is doing upon his people by afflictions Quest By what way doth Christ communicate so much of himself to his people in affliction 161 c. Answ 1. He raises up his peoples faith to an high pitch 2. He pours upon them the Spirit of Supplication 3. He draws the hearts of his people nigher to him 4. He manifests much of himself by his word which he sends with affliction Objections Answered of such as complain they have found little of Christ in their Afflictions 164. The ninth Sermon Use 1. To shew the unparrallell'd love of Jesus Christ who will never forsake his in afflictions no friend on earth like him 173 Use 2. To draw in those that be strangers to Christ to submit to him and get interest in him that they may have a friend in an evil day 174 Use 3. There is not so much evil in affliction then as men apprehend 176 Two things may make the people of God not to fear afflictions 176 1. Because they shall certainly injoy the presence of Christ in affliction 177 2. The presence of Christ will countervail the bitterness of affliction 180 Use 4. Let
the people of Christ expect the presence of Christ in their afflictions 183 Object But we have no promise of it now as the Saints had formerly 84. Answ 1. Though God speaks not now from Heaven yet we have a larger word written 2. We have the spirit given more abundantly then at that time to particularize the Promises to us Where is shewed how we may know it is the Spirit that brings the Promises to us 185 186 Object But sure Christ is not with one in affliction Why is it so and so with me then Answered in three particulars Use 5. To teach the people of God thankfulness 1. Because God leaves them not alone in their low conditions 2. Because he affords them his presence therein 187 Objections of such as say they finde not Christs presence with them in afflictions answered and directions given in such a case 190 c. THE First Sermon On DAN III. XXV He answered and said Lo I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and they have no hurt and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God THe School of Discipline which God trains up his Children in teemeth to have very severe Staâ—utes and strict Orders that are not joyous to the flesh but they are exceeding profitable for the Spirit there is no School in the world in which there is more to be learned the Lord Jesus himself is the head Master in this School who learned obedience perfectly by the things that he sufferd and so he knew how to teach his School â—s I may say the Lord Jesus will teach his Scholars all kind of weapons that they may be fit for all assaults he will make them good at any exercise before he leave them In the 11. of Hebrews you have a Role of the several exercises they were put upon beginning at the 36. verse Others had tryals of cruâ—l mockings and scourâ—ings yea moreover of bonds and imprisonments thâ—y were stoned they wâ—re sawn asunder were tempted were slain with the sword they wandred about in sheeps skins and goats skins being destitute afflâ—cted tormented and he teaches them how to conquer all these The Apostle here doth speak of these as Conquerors through faith in the verses foregoing see what gloâ—ious Conquests they had In the 33 34. verses Who through faith subdued Kingdomes wrought Rigâ—teousness obâ—ained promises stopped the mouths of Lyons quenchâ—d the violence of fire escaped the â—dge of the sword out of weakness were made strong wâ—xed valiant in fight turned to flight the Armies of the Aliâ—ns Here are glorious victories that the Saints had through faith over all the evil that they met with in the world you have an instance of this in the Text. In the Chapter where the Text is you shall read there of three Schollars of Jesus Chrisâ— â—hat were put to hard exeâ—cises they were put to it to grapple with he flames of fire and they had all manner of disadvantage and yet they went on Coâ—querors they had to deal with the wrath of the King He was exceeding wrath and his countâ—â—â—â—câ— câ—â—nged Tâ—ey had to deal with the flames of fâ—re and flames tâ—at were made seven times hotter than ordinary So the King gave commandmâ—nt as you read in the 19. verse thâ—t they should heat the Furnace seven times hotter than ordinary Again they wâ—re bound hand and foot for so the King gave commandment in the 20 21 vers And they took them and bound them and cast them bound into the Furnace yet the Lord he made his servants Conquerors notwithstanding all their disadvantages You have in the Text the confession of the very enemies themselves tâ—e King said Did I not cast three men bâ—â—â—nd into the Furnace and Lo I see your men walking I see four men walking in the midâ—â— of the fire and they have no hurt So then in the Text you have witness given by the mouth of an enemy unto that great deliverance that God wrought for his three Servants Lo said the King himself I see four men loose c. where take notice of the several wonderful things that God wrought for these three children See how many wonders there were in this deliverance of theirs First of all there was this wonder That the The first Wonder iâ— the delivering of the three Children light of the fire continued and not the heat â—iz so as to work upon them this seems to be a great Miracle that light and heat should be seperated from the fire there was light the King saw them walking in the midst of the fire and yet that fire did not burn I say this could not be done without a great Miracle 'T is true they shall be separated in Hell light shall be separated from the flames of Hell When God will shew and testifie the greatness the fierceness of his wrath upon the disobedient there will be heat but no light â— flames there shall be burning and yet there shall be nothing but utter darkness Now when God will shew a Miracle of Mercy to his Servants here upon earth God so disposeth and orders it that there shall be light and no heat Secondly There was this Miracle that their number was not diminished but increased Lo I The Second Miracle see four men saith the King Did we not cast in three and lo I see four They had thought to cut off at once all that were disobedient to the sinful command of the King they had thought that the flames would have consumed them all three that there should not have been one left behoâ—d their number is increased since they begun to suffer their number is increased they have a fellow Martyr a fellow sufferer that is in the midst of them Again Thirdly Here was this Wonder this Miracle That the fire did burn their bones asunder â—he Third Miraâ—le but did not burt them I see four men loose say's the King â—id we not cast three men bound into the furnace and lo I see four men loose And what a wonderful work of God was this that the flames that were prepared to devour them should help them that the flames should burn their bonds and not hurt them Again Fourthly Here was yet another Miracle The Fourth Mirâ—cle that these men were seen walking in the midst of the fire The fire was prepared to be a Torment to them but the Lord made it a sweet walking fire that which was pretended to torment them it becomes a blessing to them they were walking each with other and lifting up the Name of the Lord â—n the midst of the fire Fiftly Here was this Miracle That the fire should remain fire and yet it should not burn tâ—em The Fifth Miracle I fee four men loose walking in the midst of the fire say's the King So that the fire was still fire it was not quenched some conceive that the Angel did quench the heat of the fire with some sweet dew or
enemies though I shall bring glory to thee another way yet I shall not bring glory to thee in this world And therefore Oh Lord do this for thy servant remember me for thine own name and for thine own glory and so the Psalmist David did use the same Argument with God in Psal 30. when he there was sick and ready to go down to the grave he pleads with God in the 8. and 9. vers What profit is there in my blood when I go down to the pit as much as to say Oh Lord what wilt thou not look to thine own glory What shall become of thy gain of thy Rent that should be brought in here in the land of the living if I go down to the pit I cannot lift thee up here in this world there is a long time indeed even for eternity when thou shalt be lift up by the Saints in Heaven but it is but a short time that thou shalt be glorified in the land of the living and thou hadst need spare the life of thy servant to lift up thy name in the land of the living What profit is there in my blood if I go down to the pit So that still you see the lives of the Saints are very precious in the eye of God Oh that you that are the people of God that you would believe this it is worth the pressing it upon you that you would fix this truth upon your heart that your lives are very precious in Gods sight if you be Some particulars to make out to the Saints that their lives are precious in Gods sight not perswaded of it I beseech you consider these particulars First of all consider What a charge God hath given to all his Creatures concerning the lives of his Saints do but remember their former charge He hath given charge to the water and charge to the fire and charge to the beasts in the earth and fishes in the sea he hath given charge to the earth he hath given a charge to violent men he hath given a charge to the Devil to Diseases and Sicknesses surely doth God take such pains and give such charges surely the lives of his Saints must needs be precious to him did a man go up and down in his family and give charge to every one from the greatest to the least Take heed you do not meddle with such a Box take heed that none of you touch it why then certainly 't is precious there is som precious thing in it such a charge haâ—h God given concerning the lives oâ— the Saints he hath taken pains to go up and down in all his family even the whole world Heaven and Earth is his Family and he hath spoken to every one of his Creatures to the highest and to the lowest Take heed you do nothing against the lives oâ— my servants the very meanest of all the Creatures in the whole family shall not say but that they were warned he commands the very stones in the field as it is in Iob making a League with the stones in the field not to hurt his servants doth God take such pains and give such charges you must needs conclude that your lives are precious in his sight Again Secondly Consider what a guard God hath set about the lives of his Servants He hath set a guard of Angels about them He shall give his Angels charge over thâ—e that they shall keep thee in all thy ways See what the Apostle saith in the first of the Hebrews he speaks of the great priviledge of the Saints in the last verse Are they not all Ministring spirits sent forth to Minister to them There is not one of the Angels in Heaven but hath a charge to guard the lives of his Saints are they not all Ministring Spirits Why brethren the best of them have a charge given them from the highest to the lowest they have all a charge given them concerning the lives of his Saints and they are as watchful as may be what says our Saviour Christ in Mat. 26. 53. do you think says he that man can take my life from me whether I will or no I go according as it is written of me I go because my father â—ath decreed it no man can take my life from me if I would rescue my self I could pray to my father and he should send a Legion of Angels to rescue me rather then my life should be taken away from me before my time be come And so the like may be said of all the Saints God would send more then twelve Legions of Angels to rescue the lives of his servants out of every danger and out of the hand of every enemy rather then their lives should be taken from them before it was determined of God certainly the lives of his servants are precious to him he hath set such a guard about them a guard of Angels that God should be pleased rather to want attendance in Heaven then hiâ— Sainâ—s lives on earth should be in jeopardy God he will spare them all out of Heaven for to rescue the lives of his Saints before they shall be cut off before his time appointed â—e come Yea further in the third place Consider that the Lord himself takes a special care of the lives of his children he will not trust the lives of the Saints with the Angels though the Angels be watchful and as faithful as can be desired in creatures yet God himself he will have to do with the lives of his Servants his eye shall be upon them and his hand under them there is never a moment in which God doth not watch over them and himself take a special care of them what he says of his Vineyard in Isa 27. 3. may be said of every particular Saint I the Lord will kâ—ep it I will water it every momâ—â—t least any hurt it I will kâ—ep it night and day See here is a gracious promise I will keep it and I will water it and this shall be every moment this shall be night and day there is not a moment in the night nor a moment in the day in which God hath not special care of his people from first to last from the womb he hath a care of them and so the Psalmist doth confess in Psalm 22. speaking of the watchful care of the Lord of the goodness of the Lord Ps 22. 9 10. Thou art he that took me out of the womb thou didst make me hope when upon my Mothers breasts I was cast upon thee from the wombe thou art my God from my mothers belly See here from the very womb from the very beginning God begins to take the care of his people he brings this to strengthen his faith on God for the future to uphold his soul now in his suffering 't is spoken of Christ surely the Lord he can do it he hath not left me he took care of me when I was in the womb he began then to take the
should not be only Musquet proof but Cannon proof stand out not only agaiâ—st afflictions lesser judgments but stands out against great judgments many times against miraculous judgments why here is a strange stoutness and hardness in every mans heart Oh what a dead sleep is every man by nature cast into you will say that man is in a dead sleep that though he be shot at it cannot wake him that he should sleep secure when the house is on fire about his ears truly this is the condition of every man by nature though God do lay Cannon shot against him and though God set on fire the world about his ears yet still he sleeps what a strange condition is the state of nature Let us all take notice of it and set us all bewail it in the presence of God seeing how woful it is and what we are like Secondly If Miracles cannot convert a soul Vse 2 then what a Miracle is it that any soul is converted truly we may stand and wonder that any soul should be brought home to God how many Mâ—racles is in this work of conveâ—sion to convert a soul to God 't is a greater Miracle then to open the eyes of the blind to give strength to lame to give life to the dead a greater Miracle then to turn darkness into light a greater Miracle then to beat down strong Cities with seven Râ—ms horns 't is a greater Miracle then to make the world he spake and it was done it was made he spake his word and the world was created but God speaks again and again once and twice and often before the new creature is formed before Many Miracles in the conversion of a soul to God faith is created in the heart of man and truly Brethren you need not wonder that so few are brought home to God that 's not the Miracle but stand and wonder that any should be brought home to God there are many Miracles in the conversion of the soul to God I beseech you take notice of them there is a Miracle of First Miraclâ— of wisâ—dâ—m of wisdome there is a Miracle of wisdom I say in the conversion of a soul that God should find out a way to reconcile himself to a sinner and then reâ—oncile the sinner to himself here is infinite wisdom to finde out a way to reconcile himself to the sinner to find out a way to satisfie both justice and mercy that they should meet each other and kiss each other and both be satisfied that justice should say I have enough and Mercy should say I am well pleased and both be glorified in Christ Brethren here is a way that men and Angels could never have found out here is a Miracle of wisdome to reconcile the sinner to God also here is abundance of the wisdom of God that God should finde out a way to make a rebellious sinner come in and submit when he had stood out long and stood many batteries that God had layd against him that the Lord should bring him in by a word of his grace that God should come and catch a poor soul and take him before the soul be aware here is abundance of holy wisdom truly none could do this but only God And as there is a Miracle of wisdom so there Secondly Therâ— is a Mirâ—â—le of Power is a Miracle of power in every souls conversion Oh wonderful power hath God put forth to overâ—ome the creature and to overcome himselâ— To overcome the creature to make a stubborn stout hearted sinner relent to shake the Oaks of Bashan and make the Cedars of Lebanon to stoop Yet truly this is the work of God he put abundance of power into a word of his and when an obstinate sinner hath stood out boâ—h the allurements of Mercy and hath out stood all the batteries of Judgment that God hath laid against him God hath sent out many Armies of judgments to bring him in and they have returned back again and have not done their work and that yet the Lord at last should be pleased to arme a word of his a poor naked word of his with so much power â—o give such authority and to give such commission as to go and bring in the stout hearted sinner and make him fall down at the footstole of Jesus Christ here is a Miracle of power and then that God should overcome all his wrath and all his fury and indignation and say it is not in me I give thee leave to draw nigh to me in my Son fury is not in me that God should overcome himself to stoop to the creature that the Majesty of Heaven should first stoop to the creature that the Prince should come and beseech the Rebel to accept of mercy offer the first tearms of peace and not looking to the infinite distance that is between him and the creature but lay that aside and beseech a poor creature to accept of mercy here is a Miracle of power And then there is a Miracle of goodness a Miracle of mercy in every souls conversion a Miracle of mercy that God should pardon the sin of his people from Eternity Oh the Miracles of mercy writes the pardon gives the pardon into the Sons hand that he should work it over by Covenant and make all sure for his people in Christ even from Eternity even to give Christ a pardon for his peoples sins many thousand years before the sins are committed I do not say the pardon is given out to them before they are brought in to submit to Christ but it is given out into the hand of Christ that if they come and submit to Christ 't is in his hand to give it out 't is already written and Sealed here is a Miracle of Mercy Again that the Lord should so freely and so fully bâ—ot out transgressions that he should make the sins committed to be as if they had not been committed there shall no more remain of them as if they had never been acted to bury them to cast them behind his behind his back to throw them into the depth of the Sea to carry them into the wilderness into a land of forgetfulness that when they are sought for they shaâ—l not be found they shall be as if they had never been what a Miracle of mercy is this that God should bear no old grudge to a poor sinner a Rebel one that have stood out against him and yet that God should retain no grudge in his heart but receive a poor soul into his Bosom as if he had never been defiled to receive him into his own boâ—els into intimate communion and acquaintance with himself in love as if he had never bin a Râ—bel to bear no old grudg here 's wonderful rich mercy Again for God to account the soul righteous to look upon him as righteous when he is unrighteous to look upon him as righteous in Christ when he is full of spots and polutions and deâ—ormity
to bear witness of that good he did his people We shall observe then this Proposition God many times makes his peoples Enemies to acknowledge and confess that the Lord is with them Observat 3. and that he hath dealt graciously with them God makes very enemies to confess oftentimes that he deals wonderfully and graciously with his people The Church was confident of this in her affliction therefore she was supported See that 7 of Mich. 9. 10. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned againsâ— him until he plead my cause and execute judgment for me he will bring me forth to the light and I shall behold his righteousness verse 10. Then she that is my Enemy shall see it and shame shall cover her which said unto me where is the Lord thy God mine eyes shall behold her now shall she be troden down as the mire in the streets Then she that is my enemy shall see it and shame shall cover her which saith where is the Lord thy God The Church was confident that she should not only see the footsteps of mercy but that God would make the very enemies to see it She that sayd where is the Lord your God! she that sometimes insulted over me and blasphemed the name of my God that said where is your God time is coming when she shall see it and I shall say Loe here is my God I waited for him and he will save me and she shall see the deliverance so as shame shall cover her she shall be ashamed that ever she opened her mouth against God And the Church did not loose her expectation this was fulfilled to the Church in the 126. Psalm you shall see the fulfilling there of this promise that she took hold of the 126. 1. When the Lord turned again the captivity of Sion then was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with singing then said they among the Heathen the Lord hath done great things for them When God turned again Sions Captivity when he brought them out of the grave Babylon the work was so wonderful that enemies could not but see that the hand of the Lord was in it to give poor Captives so much favour in the eye of Princes that they should release them send them home countenance them help them in all they could help them to build the Temple of the Lord this could not be if the Lord had not wrought wonderfully for them The Heathen were convinced They said amongst the Heathen the Lord hath dous great things for them God makes the very enemies to acknowledge his power and glory and that he was with his people in the 8. Chapter of Exodus verse 19. God wrought a Miracle by Moses and the Aegyptians stood out long but they say in the 19. verse Sure this is the finger of God Lo they had hardened their hearts and would not be converted at last God works a Miracle and makes them to cry out sure this is the finger of God look into the new Testament and you shall finde that the Lord Jesus Christ did extort confession from the mouths of his enemies he made them to acknowledge that he was the Son of God and that God was with him in those mighty works that he wrought See the 6. of John and the 14. verse There the multitude followed Christ when as they had seen the Miracles Christ wrought then they said This is of a truth that Prophet that should com into the world and so in the 7 of John verse 47. When the Officers were to bring Christ to the chief Priests they returned with their conviction and they answered never man spake like this man yea when he was upon the Cross in his greatest Eclipse seemed to be forsaken of all men even his very friends forsook him they all forsook him and fled and he was lookt upon as a scorn to all the people yet even then did the Lord Jesus extort confession from their mouths See the 27. of Matth. and the 54. For the further cleering of the Point by Demonstration The Point â—leared by Demâ—nstrations God makes sometimes the very enemies to confess that he is with his people and that he hath dealt wonderously graciously with them First of all you shall finde for this that Jesus Christ hath put up a Petition to his Father he hath Demonst 1 made it his request to his Father that his Father would manifest so much of himself to his people that the very men of the world might be convinced that hiâ— Father did love him that the world might be convinced that they were one with God and one with the Father and one with the Son for this Christ prays in the 17. of John and the 21 v. That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us that thâ— world may bâ—leeve that thou hast sent me vers 22. And the glory which thâ—u gavest me I have given thâ—m that they may be one even as we are one vers 23. I in them and thou in me that they may bâ— made pâ—rfâ—ct in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thoâ— hast loved me that the world may know that tâ—ou hast sent me and hâ—st loved them as thou haâ—t lovâ—d me Christ he would manifest so much of himself and of his goodness unto his people that not only they may see it but that the very world may be convinced when they see what God hath done for his people and what excellent Spirit God hath put upon them that they may be convinced that God loves them as he loves the Son that they are one with the Father as the Son is made one with the Father Secondly The Lord Jesus Christ hath promised this to his people hâ— was confident that because Demonst 2 he prayed for it it should be given out he was never denyed any of his requests and therefore he hath made a promise to hâ—â— Churcheâ— â—hat he wiâ— do such great things for theâ— that the world shall be convinced that God is with them See the 3. of the Revâ—lations and the 9. verse Behold I will make them of the Synâ—gogu of Satan which say they are Jews and are not but do lye behold I will make them to come and worship before tâ—y feet and to â—now that I have loved thee He makes this promise to them as a recompence to them for their faithfulness because they had kept close to the word in time of persecution now as a recompence of their faithfulness and love Christ makes this promise to them Well because thou hast ventured all for me because thou hast ventured thy name for me thou hast suffered reproach for me I will give thee a name thou shalt have a name in all places where thou hast been put to shame those enemies that hated thee that made a scorn of
thee I will make them to come and fall down and worship thee I will make them to acknowledge that God is with thee this is a promise that Christ hath given out and he will fulfil it to his Churches those that have kept the word of Christ those that are faithful to the truth of Christ to the ways of Christ in the worst times though they may suffer reproach for a time yet at last he wil make the very enemies to confess that he was with them That 's the second Demonstration Thirdly Therfore it is that God hath put so much power into his word to convince the men of the Demonst 3. world and to force them to make them acknowledge that the Lord is with his people and that he hath loved them and that he deals graciously with them I say for this end the Lord hath made his word powerful he hath made it sharper then a two edged sword that it shall serve not only for the conversion of some but for the conviction of many that are not really brought home to God The Gospel where it comes it shall lay chains upon men it shall lay a restraint upon men See what is spoken of the power of the word of God in the first Epistle of the Corinthians and the 14. 24. 25. verses But if all Prophecie and there come in one that beleeveth not or one unlearned he is convinced of all he is judged of all Verse 25. And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest and so falling down on his face he will he will worship God and report that God is in you of a truth See the power that God hath put into his word for the convincing of the hearts of wicked men that God is in his word and that God is with his people the secrets of his heart shall be made manifest when he comes in he shall fall down on his face and say God is in you of a truth It may be before he came he had hard thoughts of the people of God it may be he was ready to say that folly was in them and madness was in them nay they were ready to say that the Devil was in them Ay but when his conscience lay before the word when he comes and sees your way when he hears that God speak in you such a power shall go along with the word that it shall lay chains upon him and it shall make him to fall down and say I was deceived I was wrong in that I did judge amiss of the people of God Now I see that God is in you of a truth Fourthly Therefore it is that when God hath dealt graciously with his people when he hath given out great mercies or great deliverances he hath ordered it so that their greatest enemies should be eye witnesses and sometimes Agents against their will in doing good to his servants you shall finde it so that when God hath so ordered to do great things for his people he hath made his peoples enemies to be great eye witnesses and ear witnesses You see here in the Text how God doth order the King Nebuchadnezzar that he should be present to see this Miracle that so a work of conviction should pass upon his conscience it is a wonder that the King should be present and would have thought it should not have stood with the State of the King to be with three poor Captives he might â—ave left them to his Officers but God did â—o order it that he should see that he should be present and therefore in the 6. of Dan. There you may see the Lord made him to be an eye-witness After Daniâ—l was câ—st into the Lions Den he could not sleep nor râ—st that night and he rose betimes in the morning to see the Miracle to see the wondrous deliverance that God wroâ—ght for his Servants Yea God makes his peoples enemies to be Agents sometimes in doing good to his Servants though agaiâ—st their wills that so he might convince them and exâ—ort confession from them that he is with his people In the promotion of Mordecai which you read in the 6 oâ— â—stâ—er God did order it so that the King did command that Haman Mordecais great enemy should be an Agent in his promotion He was Arrayed by Haman with Royal Apparrel Hâ—man was one that sought Mordicais life and God orders it that this man Haman should be an Agent in his promotion that hâ— should Array him that he should lead his Horse and he should cry Thus shaâ—l it bâ— done to the man whom the Kâ—ng will dâ—light to honour Fiftly Therefore it is that God many times Demonst 5 works deliverance for his peoâ—le because he God works for his people in such away that Enemies mustt needs confes that Goâ— is with his people works it in such a manner and in such a way as must needs leave convâ—ction upon the hearts of the men of the world if they be not given up to that fearful judgment of hardness of heart I say if they be not given up to hardness of heart God works in such a way that they must needs confess â—hat God is with his people First The Lord he works freely for his people he works freely for his name sake when there is nothing at all in them that might deserve the least mercy God many times gives out great mercies when they can apprehend nothing in themselves Nay when the men of the world of look upon them and see nothing in them they themselves through their grace and humility see nothing in themselves and the men of the world see nothing in them why God should do them good yet the Lord then many times he gives out great mercies and works great deliverances for his people Secondly As God works freely so he works unrxâ—ectedly and this helps to work conviction in mens hearts when God works unexpectedly for his servants when he gives out mercies contrary to expectation when enemies conclude Oh they are brought down into such a condition that it is impossible that ever they should be brought up yet the Lord he works unexpectedly that so he might work conviction in mens hearts See that fourth of Micah you shall see how God works contrary to mens thoughts Verse 11. Now also many Nations are gathered against thee that say let her be defiled and let our eye look upon Sion Vers 12. But they know not the thoughts of the Lord neither understand they ais Counsel for he shall gather them as the sheaves into his floor And v. 13. Arise c. When they say let her be defiled and let our eyes look upon Sion Why she is utterly undone she is brought down she is destroyed she lay in her blood she lay in her heaps she lay in her ruins why you are deceived say's God I will work unexpectedly above your thoughts you know not the thoughts of the Lord you say let your eye look upon Sion
shall say in â—hâ—ir hearts the Inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of Hosts their God I will put glory upon my people saith God and I will maâ—e their Governours to acknowledge it and they shall say The Inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength they are the Pillars they are those that bear up the Land they are our Chariots they are our Bulwarks the Lord Jehozah is with them they shall be my strength Secondly Let it be an Item to the men of the world Oh take heed how you look with delight upon the miseries of the Saints upon the afflictions of the Saints I tell you God will not bear with it he will punish you for it how did God threaten Edom because he stood and looked upon his brother in the day of adversity he stood in the high-way gazeing upon his brothers misery and delighted in it I tell you you that laugh at the misery of the Saints God he will make you lament and they shall not only rejoyce but they shall shout for joy the time is a coming that he will make you to see the mercy and that he is with them and deals graciously with them Thirdly Let Gods people acknowledge this as a great mercy that God should work conviction many times in the hearts of the wicked that he should deal in such a way with them that might convince the hardest heart that God is with his people I tell you 't is a great mercy 't is no ordinary mercy admire God in it bless God for it that God should thus reprove men and convince men for your sakes The Jews did look upon it as a great mercy in the 126. Psalm When God turned again our Captivity our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with singing Then said they among the Heathen the Lord hath done great things for them They looked upon it as a great mercy that the Lord should thus convince the Heathen 't is a mercy for they writ it they pen'd it as a great mercy worth the singing worth the glorifying of God for that God should work so powerfully upon the hearts of men and make the Heathen say The Lord hath done great things for them In the last place to conclude all Doth God make enemies confess that he hath done great things for his people why then the people of God should much more confess that the Lord hath done great things for them if enemies say it you may well say it you have more cause to say it that 126. Psalm verse 2. They say among the Heathen the Lord hath done great things for them and what say the people of God will not they say so yes in the very next words The Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad shall the Heathen say it and shall not we say it yes we are bound to say it and to acknowledge The Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad Remember I beseech you remember God cannot endure his mercies should be slighted he loves that you should have great thoughts of him and of his mercies that you should say he hath done great things When God works deliverance for you he will make the very Heathen to say so he will make by standers to say so and shall not we honour him for the mercy who are the receivers of the mercy shall not we say so The Lord hath donâ— great things for us shall Nebuchadnâ—zzar say The Lord haâ—h donâ— great things for thâ—m and shall not the three children say so yes sure they will lift up the name of God in their song And therefore I beseech you all you that have received mercy from God you should aggravate the mercy as much as you can though not compulsively you should freely say The Loâ—d hath done great things for us you shall find this always hath been the frame of Gods people to aggravate the mercy to aggravate the deliverance that God hath wrought for them See the 40. Psalm and tâ—e 5. verse Many O Lord my God are thy wonderful works which tâ—ou hast done anâ— thy thoughts which are to us ward they cannot bâ— reckoned up in order unto the if I would declare and speak of them they are more then can be numbered See what an aggravation there is of the mercy received they are many and they are wonderâ—ul and very many more then can be numbred they cannot be reckoned up in order and so Ezra when he and the people received mercies see how they do aggâ—avate it how they do acknowledge it in the 9. Chap. verse 13. And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great trespass seeing thou â—ur God hast punished us lâ—ss thâ—n our iniquities deserve and hast given us such deliverance as this should we again break thy Commandmeâ—t He knows not how to speak it Oh 't is a great mercy he stands and wonders at such a deliverance such a mercy and so aggravate all our mercies we should say with Ezra seeing thou hast wrought such deliverance such salvation seeing thou hast wrought in such and such a way this is a great ingagement to God when mercies are thus eyed and reviewed when a man looks into the depth of them and eye the mercies seeing thou hast given such deliverance should we again sin against thee he looks upon it as an ingagement to stand close seeing it was great mercy And Oh so should we in all our mercies as Ezra saith so we should say Seeing thou hast wrought such deliverance for us should we again sin against thee Oh no let thine mercies be an ingagement us to to love thee and serve thee and for ever to cleave to thee THE Sixth Sermon on DAN III. XXV He answered and said Lo I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and they have no hurt and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God I Have made some further progress in the words We considered who it was that gave testimony unto this miraculous Deliverance that God wrought for his servants It was Nebuchadnezzar a proud and an insolent man an enemy to God and his people and so he continues still in his heart for 't is probable he was not converted not really brought home to God for in the next Chapter you may sâ—e he did return to his very old ways of Idolatry he sent for the Magicians to interpret his dream and yet God makes him here bear witness what he hath done for his people So then we observed this Proposition That God sometimes works such deliverances for his people as he makes his very enemies and their very enemies to acknowledge that God hath done great things for them It was â—aid among the Heathen in the 126. Psalm Whâ—n God turned again the Captivity of Sion They saâ—d amongst the Heathen the Lord hath done great things for them The Lord Jesus many times did
with garments of blood that so by that means he became a reconciler Without shedding of blood there is no remâ—ssion Here is encouragement given to poor guilty sinners that apprehend nothing due unto them but wrath yet by the blood of Jesus Christ by that new and living way they come in and then God the Father too he made a promise to the Son that because he laid down his life he should have a multitudinous off-spring in that 53. of Isaiah In the day that he pours out his soul to death he should see the travel of his soul and he should have a large portion because he poured out his soul to death for transgressors so you see that the killing of Jesus Christ and putting him to death is so far from lessening believers that this is the way to draw in all those multitudes of souls that were gâ—ven to Christ of his Father Secondly Again If you look upon the primitive Churches you shall finde that the worlds persecution had the same effect upon them there waâ— a great persecution a mighty storm which you reaâ— of in the 8. of Acts persecution begun fiâ—st aâ— Jâ—rusalem and by that means the Churches were scattered Well did this tend to the hindrance of the Gospel and lessen the number of Beleevers No you shall read in that Chapter thaâ— God made this a means to carry the Gospel to many other Countries were brought in to bebeleeve in Christ the great City of Samaria you read in the 6. vers Pâ—ilip went down and Preached to Samaria and this did tend to the furtherance oâ— the Gospel in the 8. verse They gave all heed aâ—d there wâ—s great joy in that City If you look upon tâ—e Churches in those Ages for the first thâ—ee hundred years after Christ there was a most â—errible persecution there were ten persecuâ—oâ—s ten bloody Emperours that sought to root out the Name or Châ—ist and to destâ—oy the Saint and therefore those that write of Ecclesiastical History they tell us they devised all manner of torments some speak of about twenty seven deaths they devised to torment the poor Christianâ— Many thouâ—ands many millions suffered in the time of thoâ—e persecutions and yet this was so far from â—iminishâ—ng the number of Bâ—leevers tâ—at they were encreaâ—ed the more they were oppressed and persecuted the more they encreased and thereâ—ore sâ—me of them did observe that Juliâ—n he used all means to â—uppresse them shut up all their Schools that they might not have learning aâ—d yet never had they more learning then then He devised all manner of torments to terrifiâ— them and yet he saw they encreased and multiplied so fast that he thought at last his best course was to give over his persecution not out of love but out of envy because that through his persecution they encreased And thus you see the Point cleared That the persecution of the Saints shall not diminish the number of them but shall encrease them For the Grounds of it Bâ—iefly Fiâ—st of all God delights to walk contrary to The Grounds of the Point men therefore he will have it thus He loves to cross the imaginations of the hearts of men of the world and to set his ways against their tâ—oughts and their ways in the fourth of Micah the latter end they say Let our eye look upon Siâ—n but what saith God in the next verse They know not thâ— thoughts of the Lord neither understand â—â— counsel When men dream that such a way it shall be the utter rooting out of the Gospel they aâ—e might ly mistaken saith God my thoughes are abâ—ve yours my ways above yours You know not the thoughts of the Lord for this very way shall encrease multitudes God delights to walk contrary to men and to oppose his gracious thoughts to their cursed imaginations Secondly The Lord Jesus is a mighty King all 2. Ground power is given into his hand both in Heaven and earth and all this power he will improve for the Kingdom of Saints all is given to him and â—e will give all to them Neither life nor death things present nor things to come they are all yours He hath given all to them and all shall make for their advantage In this the power of the Lord Jesus King of Saints is mightily seen that he can turn aâ—l opposition to advantage the greatest persecution that the Devils can raise shall all turn to the advantage of Christs Kingdom It is so with particular souls all is yours all is yours to do you good life and death is yours all given you to serve you and they shall work together for your good for your best good for your eternal good the Lord makes an advantage of all unto his people the Devil casts blocks in their way to hinder them he turns it to their advantage and so they are helped nigher to himself all the evil of the world yea all the evil of sin and the Devil himself shall though against their wills help forward the salvation of Gods people and so Christ cause all to be for the good of his Church for the good of his Kingdom all opposition and persecutions which are raised to blow down the Kingdom of Jesus Christ shall but establish it for 't is rooted 't is a Kingdom that cannot be shaken And then Thirdly Men cannot hinder the increase of Christs Kingdom for there is no man able to hinder the work of the Spirit of Christ from working 3. Ground The wind blows where it lists and so the Spirit of God that breaths where it lists and where ever he please to breath It is not possible for man to resist his work The work of Christ by his Spirit upon mens hearts is a mighty work an irresistable work and all the powers of Hell shall not be able to hinder the work 't is a mighty work and none shall let it To apply this briefly First of all It lets us see the vanity of all the Application attempts of men against the truth of Christ and the people of Christ they are but vain imaginations Vse 1 men do but imagine a mischiefous device that they shall never be able to bring to pass it is a vain thing for a man to go about to silence the truth of Christ or to destroy the Saints of Christ I tell you the more the truth is troden on the more it shall shine and as it goes with truth so it goes with Saints the more troden on in the world the more loved of God all the winde of opposition that the Devils can raise from the world it shall never be able to shake them though it may shake some particular grains and ears that they may fall to the earth but yet they shall rise again every grain that falls shall bring forth fruit some thirty and some a hundred fold the more thy are opposed the more they encrease persecution shall but sow the blood of Christ the
thicker and sow the ashes of the Saints the thicker and out of their very ashes shall new converts arise And therefore Oh that this might be an Item to An Item to the Powers of the world the Powers of the world to the men of the world that they seek not to suppress either the truth or the people of Jesus Christ For truly the more they endeavour it the more they shall encrease if they cast three of them into the Furnace a fourth shall be presently added to them Object But you will say God forbid any should suppress truth there is none goes about such a work but only to suppress error and you will not say that that is persecution but that it is rather zeal for God My Brethren To suppress error 't is a good work 't is a blessed work but men must be careful to do it in Gods way Error in judgment wil a great deal sooner be suppressed by the sword of the spirit then by any sword of man I tell you God hath appointed a means for the suppressing of error and men that stray in their judgments and that is to be convinced by the word of God in matters of faith men must be convinced by Gods word Our weapons saith Paul are not carnal but they are mighty through God to câ—st down strong holds and sinful imaginations Paul did not use carnal weapons to bring down sinfuâ— imaginations in the hearts of men he had used those weapons before he was brought home to God you know he went for power from the High Priests to persecute all those that beleeued in Christ he went to authority to silence them to stop their mouths and all that he could do because they pleaded error contrary to the Law of Moses but you do not read that Paul after his conversion did use such weapons he does not call the help of Men no says he the Lord he hath given us weapons Our weapons they â—re not câ—rnal but spiritual and so they are mighty through God Brethren I am perswaded it glads the Devil much when he sees men so violent against error by drawing the sword against them I say it glads the Devil to see men seek this way to suppress them not that the Devil hates error or that he loves the truth for he hates the truth and loves error but he knows God will hardly bless that way of men when men shall neglect Gods Institution and shall cleave to their own wayes and to their own inventions God will hardly blesse that way of men when his own way is neglected Besides Let men consider that 't is possible that while men go about to suppress error they may suppress the truth for error unless you will say any man hath an infallible spirit or that any company of men hath an infallible spirit if they have not an infallible spirit then with what right can they force anothers judgment anothers conscience men may and do many times suppress truth under the notion of error we know in the times of Popery that truth was persecuted that we now see to be truth out great tâ—uth our main truth of justification by the free grace of God and the blood of Jesus Christ without work without merits I say how was this truth persecuted and how did men seek to persecute this truth as error many things have been persecuted as error which now we see to be truth and why may it not be so now does all truth come into the world at once and may not we persecute that which afterwards may appear to be a truth Well let it be an Item to men and let them not suppress the truth of Christ it is a vain imagination and men shall not be able to bring it to pass but the more it is supprest the more it shall shine and the more the people of God are opposed the more they shall multiply Secondly Here is a ground of Patience and strong consolation to the Saints in the midst of all opposition and persecution that they meet with and may meet with for the name and truth and way of Jesus Christ Hear what Christ saith to you fear not little flock you think you are but a small number there is but a few that profess the name of Christ and Oh if persecution arise it will lessen the number I tell you fear not that persecution shall not lessen the number but â— shall increase the number though the men of thâ— world may strike at the Tree and they may beat off many of the branches yet the Lord Jesus he will make use of every branch that is broke off he will slift it and ingraft it and so all shall tend to the furtherance of the Gospel and of the truth and of the way of God But to Proceed I shall make some entrance into the main Doctrine Here you see three cast into the fiery Furnace and Nebuchadnezzar saw four Let us consider then who this fourth man was Nebuchadnezzar could not tell who it was but he perceived some glorious majesty and therefore though he was ignorant of Christ Yet saith he The fourth is like the Son of God the form of the fourth is like the Son of God that 's sure he is more then a man God hath sent his Angel and delivered them but this was in truth the Son of God This Companion that is added to the Saints in Tribulation it was Jesus Christ who did at this time create himself a body and came down visibly amongst men that so he might support them and comfort them and deliver them that it might hold forth this unto us that he would come in his appointed time to rescue his poor people that lay under wrath from all the flames of his fathers indignation and that he would be present with his people in every condition when they went through fire and water in the midst of every Tribulation they should enjoy him so then here is another main Proposition offers it self and I shall but bring you unto it and leave the further prosecution of it The Proposition is this Observat 5. That the Lord Jesus is never nigher to his people then when they are in great affliction in fiery tryals I say Christ is never nigher to his people then when they are in the greatest affliction they never in joy more of the presence of Christ then in sad conditions The three Children they never saw Christ so visibly as here they did when as they lay in the flames The children of Israel they never saw so much of God among them as when they were in the Wilderness in the barren Wilderness where there was neither meat nor drink nor clothing for they had a great deal of the special presence of God and abundance of the power and goodness and faithfulness of God was manifested to them in a special manner while they were in that condition Jacob he never saw such vision of God as at
that time when he was driven from his fathers House when he was forced to fly to save his life he was in a sad conditihn he had not a bed to lye on he had not a pillow to lay his head upon but took a heap of stones to lay his head upon and yet in that condition did God come and manifest himself most gloriously to him he dreamed a Dream and saw a Vision of the Ladder set up to Heaven and of the Angel Ascending and Descending God was there in a special manner so he saith The Lord was there and he was not aware never did he enjoy more of God then in that condition Stephen the first Martyr never enjoyed more of God he never enjoyed more glorious Visions of Jesus Christ then when he looked through a showr of stones that came about his ears and took away his life he saw the arme of the Lord Jesus ready to receive him to embrace him in the everlasting armes of his love he had heard much of Christ in his everlasting Gospel but he never saw him before with his eye John the Evangelist there is another instance if you look into the first Chapter of the Revelation of John about the 9. vers you shall see there where he was and in what condition he was in when he received those gloriouâ— Revelations he said he was banisht into the Isle of Patmos for bearing witness to the Name of Christ and the truth of Christ he was a Martyr and fellow sufferer and when he was banished from all friends and comforts and left naked and destitute of all comforts the Lord Jesus doth draw nigh and doth reveal the most glorious Mysteries concerning his Churches to John The primitive Churches never enjoyed more of God then at that time when they were most persecuted by men in the times of those 10. bloody pâ—rsecution the Churches had abundance of the presence of Christ abundance of the Spirit of Christ and abundance of the grace of Christ abundance of holy zeal and abundance of activity for God it was poured out upon them the Lord Jesus never took so much delight to walk among them as when they were in the midst of the fiery persecution What presence of Christ the people of God enjoy in pâ—rsecution Quest If you ask me But what presence of Christ is it that the people of God do enjoy in their great afflictions and in the midst of their fiery tryals Answ 1. First of all they have most of the supporting presence of Christ never more of the supporting presence of Christ then in sad conditions he supports the inward man and he supports the outward man he upholds the spirits of his people in sad conditions and he makes their spirits able to bear their infirmity Now here is a wonderful work of the Lord that he should strengthen the spirit of a poor creature with such mighty power as to resist and to keep out the violence of such mighty tryals such great afflictions There is nothing that the Devil seeks more then to drive affliction home to the spirit that so he might crush the spirit and conquer the spirit when he can get in and ceaze upon the spirit then he becomes master and creats a deal of smâ—rt and vexation Now the power of the Lord Jesus is seen in that he doth support and strengthen the spirits of his people that when they have but a little strength no strength and yet are able to hold out notwithstanding they are so strongly besieged and so straitly girt many times round about with afflictions yet he makes that little strength to hold out at that time that so he is pleased to renew their strength to give fresh supplies and to remove the disease and so the power of Christ is seen in supporting the outward man many times in the midst of great afflictions when the Saints meet with great afflictions afflictions of the body crosses such afflictions as might even overwhelm the outward man and they have but little strength many times yet the Lord doth so blesse that little strength that though they meet with crosses that little strength shall not fail till such time as the Lord do bring deliverance to them Secondly As they have the supporting presence of Christ in the affliction so they have the inlightening presence of Christ and that 's a great mercy commonly the Lord never teaches his people more then in affliction when Christ gets them into the School of affliction then he instructs them there he doth open mens ears and he doth seal up mens instruction to them when Christ draws nigh in affliction I know afflictions in themselves cannot teach but when Christ draws nigh they learn a great deal in affliction they never see more of God and of themselves never more of their corruptions and vileness that is within them never see more of the power and way of God and the mysteries of Christ at that time when Jesus Christ draws nigh with his enlightening presence Thirdly Jesus Christ draws nigh with his sanctifying presence his people have more of his sanctifying presence in their greatest tryals when Christ draws nigh to sanctifie their afflictions to subdue their corruptions and to strengthen their graces the fruit of their affliction shall be to purge them from sin afflictions themselves cannot do it afflictions themselves harden but when the Lord Jesus Christ draws nigh in affliction the Saints do enjoy abundance of the sanctifying presence and through their afflictions they are made partakers of the Divine Nature their corruptions are subdued and mortified Again fourthly They never injoy more of the quickening presence of Christ then in affliction I say the quickening presence of Christ many times dead hearts how are they raised up when Christ draws nigh to them how are they elevated above themselves and their own strength because they are mightily acted by the Spirit of Christ in the fifth of Hosea you may see there how God doth promise his quickening presence in the time of their affliction Hosea 5 last verse I will go and return to my place till they acknowledge their offence and seek my face in their afflictions they will seek me early They were dead-hearted people and they had lost all activity for God they were not carryed out with desire after God they would not stir up themselves to take hold of him Well says God I will make them prize me I will fling them into affliction and then in their affliction I will draw nigh to them with my quickening presence and in their afflictions they will seek me early Again fiftly and lastly The Saints never injoy more of the comftoring presence of Christ then they do in the time of their great affliction in the 2. of the Song of Solomon vers 6. what says the Spouse there in her greatest afflictions His left hand is under my head and his right hand doth embrace me As Christ doth support in
affliction so he doth embrace in affliction he commonly never reveaâ—s more of himself never gives out more glorious manifestations of himself then in the time of affliction I will bring her into the Wilderness see that place Hosea 2. 14. I will bring her into the wilderness and speak comfortably to her she shall have my comfortable presence in the Wilderness I will speak comfortably to her and so David he had experience of it in Psalm 23. Thou art with me and I will fear none ill though I walk in the midst of the shadow of death I will fear none ill thy rod thy staffâ— doth comfort me never more consolations of Christ are given out to poor creatures then when the Lord brings theâ— into great tryals he deals as an indulgent Mother with her child never manifests more love then when the child is sick though a Parent does restrain love before yet then she maniâ—ests her love the child shall know that the Parents love it and then she shall bring out all her sweet meats in the time of sickness and so doth the Lord bring out a great deal of sweet meats they have more sweet meats and sweet drinks that the world knows not of then in the day of tribulation in the day of affliction when it is sad and dark with the outward man they have meat to eat that the world knows not of they have the comfortable presence of Christ that the world knows not of they have never more of the comfoâ—table pâ—eâ—ence of Christ then when they are brought into great straits and low conditions I shall have no time to come to the Application but only let me say this to you You kâ—ow not what use you may have of this before another Sabbath the Lord may bring you into afflictions and therefore remember this truth hide it in your heart that so upon all occasions you may make use of it and if God do bring you into afflictions submit willingly and readily to him submit to low conditions submit to tryals submit to persecutions know this that Jesus Christ manifests his presence and this is the way to manifest his presence I will abundantly comfort you in all your afflictions you lay under and that you meet with for his names sake and let it help to strengthen your faith and truly you had need to streagthen your faith in times of affliction there is no time in which the heart of men good men are more ready to faint and give over then in times of tryal how did David cry out and how did Christ cry out in his great aâ—fliction Oh my God my God why hast thou forsaken me In affliction we are apt to think that God hath forsaken us Sion sâ—id in her affliction the Lord hath forsaken me in her affliction she said the Lord hath forsaken me and thus an unbeleiving heart is apt to question in times of affliction Oh is God amongst us as Israel said when they were in wants and great straits Oh then their unbelieving hearts were discovered though they had seen his Miracles they tempted God and said is God amongst us And the best of Gods people in time of temptation and affliction may be apt to question is the Lord with us Now therefore strengthen your faith in the day of adversity that so you may not faint and dishonour God and look unto the Lord Jesus Christ that beholding the Lord Jesus Christ your faith may be strengthened remember that it is his way to give out much of himself to his people in times of affliction and therefore never say is the Lord wiâ—h us but expect to meet with God conclude the Lord is with you and he will be with you in the time of affliction and remember you shall never have more of his supporting presence of his enlightening presence his comforting presence his sanctifying presence and of his quickening presence I say you shall never have more of the presence of Christ then in such sad conditions strengthen the feeble hands and knees and look to the Lord that your faith may be strengthened THE Seventh Sermon On DAN III. XXV He answered and said Lo I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and they have no hurt and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God The handling of the Doctrine lastly named is put off to the next Sermon this not being preached in the same place with it FRom Nebuchadnezzars Testimony of this Miraculous Deliverance that God wrought for his Servants This Proposition was handled the last day God often times works such deliverance for his people as he makes their very enemies to confess that he hath done great things for them He made the very Heathen to confess that God hath done great things for his people When God did turn again our Captivity in the 126. Psalm They said among the Heathen the Lord hath done great things for them I will make them oâ— the Synagogue oâ— Satan saith Christ which say they are Jews and are not but do lie I will make them to come and worship before thy feet and to know that I have loved thee but this Pâ—â—nt is concluded and therefore I shall proceed For I desire to keep time and to be short in these morning Exercises Well then let us go on and look upon the Restraint that God layd upon the fire Consider the effect of Gods command and the effect of his prohibition God had given command that the fire should not burn them that the fire shoulâ— burn and dissolve their chains and their fetters that were upon them they were cast in bound bound hand and foot but God had commanded and the fire obeys it takes part with the three Children to loose their fetters and set them at liberty they were cast in bound And low now says Nebuchadnezzar I see four men loose God had layd a prohibition upon the fire and it obeys the commandment that it should not burn them that it should not touch their bodies it should not stop their breath that it should not so much as singe one hair of their head or scorch their garments and the fire is obedient to the word of the Lord they were walking in the midst of the fire and they had no hurt I shall put the particulars together because I would make hast they hold forth this Proposition Observat 6. That at the Commandment of the Lord the fierceest of Creatures shall not only not hurt his people but shall take part with them and do them good I say At the command of the Lord the fiercest of Creatures shall not only not hurt them but shall side with his people to take their part and do them good The fire cannot hurt nay the fire takes part with them nay the fire sets them at liberty First of all I shall shew you that the Creatures cannot hurt And then secondly That they must of necessity take part with the Saints
Vineyard I the Lord will keep it I will watch over it every moment least any hurt it I will keep it night and day least any hurt it I will keep it night and day See then there is a special eye of providence over the Saints that are the Lords Vineyard and therefore 't is not possible the Creatures should hurt it God he watches over his Vineyard for this end least any hurt should befall it I will watch over it every moment 't is true other wicked men they are kept from harm by a common providence of God they have rheir lives preserved but still 't is but a common providence But there is a special eye and a special providence of God over his people least any hurt should befall them there is no time no moment that God doth lay aside his watchful eye and not watch over his people And therefore there is no time that any harmful creature can step in to his people to do them hurt they all come under the providence of God every creature comes under the providence of God and therefore the Lord he is able to prevent the harm Fourthly The Creatures they are all given to Jesus Christ as he is King as he is the great King All power is given to him in Heaven and earth Now Christ he hath reconciled the Creatures and therefore the creaâ—ures cannot be hurtful to the Saints the Lord Jesus Christ hath reconciled the creature He hath reconciled all things in Heaven and Earth and made them all friends and therefore the creature shall not do harm to the people of God See the Promise that is made to the Church in a special manner it shall be fulfilled in the latter Ages Hosea 2. 18. And in that day will I make a Covenant for â—hem with the beasts of the field aâ—d with the fouls of Heaven and with the creeping things of the ground and I will break the Bow and the Sword and the Battle cut of the â—arth and I will make them to lye doâ—n safely This Promise is made to the Churches in the latter days When they shall enjoy abundance of Jesus Christ when they shall shall enjoy abundance of Jesus Christ when they shall have abundance of the Spirit of Christ why then shall those promises be fulfilled in a great measure they shall enjoy peace with the Creatures In that day I will make a Covenant with them in a special manner with the beasts of the field and with the fouls of Heaven and with the creeping things of the ground and I will break the bow and sword and there shall be no hurt in all my holy Mountain we are all reconciled to God by the blood of Jesus Christ And therefore they cannot hurt the Saints but do them good Briefly to make Application and so conclude If the fiercest of Creatures you see cannot hurt Application The fire it cannot hurt but it must do good when God commands take notice then of the mighty power of the Lord Oh know that he is a great King and his name is dreadful over all the world do but look upon the powerful command of God what effect it hath upon the Creatures 'T is impossible they should transgress he hath set them bounds that they cannot pass they are all ready to obey his Command if he say go they go and if he say come they come why this will make it evident That God is a God of infinite power to command so many Creatures so many thousand thousand Creatures as God doth order every day and that God should make them obedient to every command of his that none can transgress the least command but they must fulfill his word when he sets them about it Oh this declares that God is a God of infinite power and doth what he pleaseth Secondly What a shame is it to the sons of men that they will not submit to the Lord Will not the Creatures rise up in judgment against men When the Creatures fulfil the word of the Lord and you disobey the word of the Lord shall God have more service from senceless Creatures then from the sons of men that was made Lord over them Certainly this will be their iniquity another day and the very creatures will condemn them See what God says to that fire fire burn not it cannot so much as touch the hair of the head If God say to the fire fire burn their bands asunder set my children at liberty the fire it burns their bands and fetters and sets them loose that they were able to walk in the midst of the fire And so all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth and the Sea they all keep their bounds Hitherto shalt thou go and no further the Sea a raging Element it obeys the word of the Lord The Lord says to the Sun Sun run thy race it obeys stand still it stands still and is obedient Now shall all Creatures in their places obey the word of the Lord and shall not man Oh what a shame is this to the sons of men that they should disobey the word of the Lord That God should speak but one word to the Creatures and they should obey and that he should speak so many to the sons of men and they not obey That God comes again and again and speaks in his Ordinances and still man walks contrary to God when he lays a command upon them this is the command That you beleeve in Jesus Christ and renounce all your own righteousness and rely upon the Righteousness of the Son of God and still men disobey What a shame is it for man to disobey and all the Creatures that the Lord hath given to him to obey Thirdly Here is a great Incouragement and strong Motive to those that are strangers to God to come in and submit to him Oh that the Lord would perswade your hearts to come in and submit to him So long as you are strangers to God see the danger you are in you are liable to be harmed by all Creatures in Heaven and Earth they are all at the command of the Lord they all obey his word If God say to the least of Creatures go and take away the life of man avenge my quarrel upon such a Rebel the Creatures obey The Lord can arm the least of his Creatures a fly he can make that take way the life of man And therefore 't is a miserable condition to be a stranger to God and Christ to be out of Covenant with God you have no Covenant made for you and therefore you are left to harm of the Creatures every day Oh that the Lord would perswade you to come in to cast away your own righteousness and to submit to the righteousness of the Son of God and to make a close with him and with his Son and then all Creatures will take his part and if God be your freind they will be your freind and if God will not curse they
will not curse and if God will not hurt you they will not hurt you for they are all obedient to the command of their Maker Again in the fourth place To make haste This may let us see that it is not in Creatures to do us good without I say 't is not in the power of Creatures to us the least good without God We are apt to look too much upon Creatures you expect too much from Creatures and too little from God and therefore it is that oftentimes we are disappointed I tell you they cannot do us the least good without the command of God the very meat you eat it cannot refresh you unless it have a command from God and a blessing from God and the very clothes that you wear cannot warm you unless they have a command from God there is no creature can do you good unless it have a command from God and a blessing fâ—om God I beseech you take notice of it Oh we are apt to propound such and such things to our selves if we had such a portion of the creature men think Oh if they had such an Estate so much riches and if they were in such places of honour and if they had so much wealth and such and such a creature such and such freinds and relations such meat to eat and such drink to drink and such clothing to put on then they should be satisfied and their lives made comfortable I tell you my Brethren 't is a great mistake if you had those very creatures you would have still they could not satisfie you nor make your lives comfortable If God do not come along with the Creature the Creature cannot satisfie you God he can make your lives comfortable in the want of Creatures 't is as God will come in and 't is as God will bless See what Job propounded to himself in that 7. of Job vers 1â— When I said my bed shall comfort me my Couch shall ease my complaint Though Creatures be never so likely of themselves to comfort a man if God will not make use of them they cannot comfort What more likely to give Job ease then his Couch then his Bed he had wearied his body and his Bed and his Couch is a place of ease but I cannot finde it so saith Job I expected that it should ease me I will lay my head upon my Pillow and take my rest but I could not finde it no it terrified my thoughts and truly freinds you may think of all the Creatures you enjoy you may think that the Creatures will comfort but if God doth not make use of it it cannot comfort you and if God will make use of any Creature it shall comfort you If God make use of imprisonments bonds and fetters they shall be ingagements to you and make you sing in the Stocks at midnight God can say to the Creatures go and comfort You know when God commanded the heaps of stones that Jacob layd his head upon to give him comfortable sleep he slept well that night he slept better upon his heap of stones then he did upon his pillow when God makes use of the Creature to comfort and therefore do not think you have comfort from Creatures as Creatures 't is God that must come in and bring comfort to you for God can make every Creature comfortable and the best of Creatures cannot comfort if God do not come in To Conclude all Fiftly Here is matter of great comfort to the people of God it may be a Prop to their faith to their confidence if they consider this that all the Creatures are at Gods command and God can make use of any Creature to do them good he â—an make use of their Bonds it is a mighty comfort to you that are the people of God to remember this upon all occasions where ever you arâ— in your way in your journey in your voyages whether you be at Sea or Land still remember that all the Creatures they are your Fathers Host they all fulfil his Command they cannot disobey his Law they cannot hurt you without commission Nay though they be hurtful yet he can do you good by them Oh how quietly may Gods people walk in the midst of all Creatures when they are at Sea and when they are on land in the midst of dreadful Creatures they may wall safely for why they are at your Fathers command and they cannot do you the least hurt though they be hurtful in themselves in their own nature and therefore upon all occasions strengthen your faith in the Lord What shall we say to these things saith the Apostle in the 8. of the Romans the latter end If God be for us who can be against us I tell you you may challenge all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth if God be with you if he be your portion if he hath received you into Covenant and you have made a close with God And therefore in all places and dangers walk by faith strengthen your faith in the mighty power and goodness of God that hath the Command and Rule over all Creatures THE Eighth Sermon On DAN III. XXV He answered and said Lo I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and they have no hurt and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God I Have handled many Propositions out of these words The last day we considered that Addition that God made unto these Martyrs while they were suffering for his Name sake There were but three cast into the fire where as their enemies looked that they should have been all consumed and none left to bear witness any longer against their Idolatrous ways the Lord makes an addition to them there is a fourth that joyns himself to them to bear witness with them unto the truth of God which they suffered for Hence we raised this Proposition That all the opposition persecution that the peopl of God meet with for the Name and Truâ—h of Christ shall not diminish thâ—ir number but shal increase them I shewed how the children of Israâ—l were multiply'd by those oppressions and heavy burdens â—hat wer layd upon them in Aegypt the more they oppressed them the more they encreased saith the Text I gave you an instance in Christ what counsel did the Scribes and Pharasees use in the 11. of John to hinder the number of beleevers If we let him alone all men will beleeve in him Now they thought they would take a sure course that none should beleeve in Christ They put the Lord of life to death smite the Shepheard and the sheep will soon be scattered but this did not diminish the number of Believers no God did out reach them and made this the way to bring in men to believe in Christ If I be lifted up saith Christ I will draw all men to me The Lord Jesus by dying becomes a suitable Object to poor guilty unclean sinners which durst not else have drawn nigh
and remembers that they are but dust and therefore he pities them He knows how unable they are to bear and how little time they are able to hold out and therefore somtimes the Lord Jesus hath spoken comfortable words to his people when they have expressed a great deal of weakness in them See in Mat. 26. when the Disciples could not watch with him at the 41 verse they could not watch with him one houre though he was in great extremity and they might have expected a sharp reproof from him the Lord Jesus he looks upon them and he pities them he rather excuses them and comforts them Oh The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak He knows what the weakness of flesh is for he was partaker of our flesh and blood he remembers it since he was in the days of his flesh how weak the flesh is he is partaker of our flesh and blâ—od saith the Apostle he knows what it is for a poor creature to grapple with fears with inward fears ever since he poured out his strong cries unto his Father with tears none in the world are so sensible of afflâ—ction as they that have gone under the same affliction themselves the Lord Jesus he is sensible of all the weakness of all the sorrow of his people he knows by experience what they mean he knows what it is to be weak and he knows what it is to be in fear he knows what it is to grapple with the wrath of his Father he knows what it is to want his Fathers Countenance he knows what it is to be acquainted with sorrow with grief there was none so acquainted with them as he See what the Prophet Isaiah says of him in Isaiah 53. vers 3. He was despised and rejected of men a man of sorrow and acquainted with grief and we hid as it were our face from him A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief grief and sorrow were his greatest acquaintance when he was upon earth they were his acquaintance from the beginning of his life and they were his companions from first to last from the wombe to the Cross they were the acquaintance that Christ could never shake off his old acquaintance when all his friends lest him when his Disciples leâ—t him in affliction did they leave him but his grief did not leave him he was always acquainted with it and he was acquainted with all sorrows with all grief grief of all sorts he knows what spiritual sorrows are and therfore he wil pity people his under them a natural man cannot pity a poor creature that groans under spiritual sorrow he knows not what they mean what it is for a poor creature to groan under corruption and cry out of the want of a believing heart and of the want of Gods presence but now the Lord Jesus is acquainted with these sorrows also he had experience of them in his own person The woman that hath been in Travel pities another that is in the same case the Lord Jesus he newly come out of Travel he remembers his pangs still and therefore he pities door creatures when they groan under grief and sorrows for he was acquainted with them himself 2. Again secondly He knows they have most need of his presence in afflicted conditions because they are most nigh to temptations and he knows what temptations are he knows the strength of Tempâ—â—tions he knows that it is the Divils policy to drive home temptation to the spirit of a poor creature at that time when it groans under affliction and therefore he knows that then a poor creature if ever stands in need of the presence of the Lord Jesus when Satâ—â— stands at the left hand to resist Christ had need to stand at the right hand to comfort and support and strengthen and therefore the Apostle saith that he was tempted in the days of his flesh in that 2 of Hebrews vers 18. Being tempted he â—â— able to succour those that are tempted he knows by experience what it is for a poor creature to bâ— tempted he knows that temptations are most grievous to a gracious heart Temptations are worse then afflictions and therefore though a poor creature stands in need of succour in affliction yet much more in temptation When temptation goes along with affliction Oh then the Lord Jesus knows that there is need of his prâ—sence When a City is besieged and the Inhabitants within it be disquieted and the enemie hath raised their Batteries and makes breat â—s upon the Walls and their Provision grows low Then if ever they have need of relief Truly so it is with a pour tempted soul when it is afflicted Batteries are made against the Spirit provision strength is little knows not how to hold out then the Lord Jesus he is their friend and therefore in such conditions he usually makes hast to afford his presence That the first Groâ—nd of the Point The Lord Jesus knows if ever then they have need of his presence when they are in low conditions for then the flesh is weak and then temptations are strong Again secondly The Lord Jesus manifests most of himself to his people in low conditions because he remembers the kindness of his Father when he was in the same condition I say he remembers the kindness of his Father unto him when he was in low conditions now he will requite this kindness upon them that kindness that God the Father did shew to Jesus Christ when he was in affliction and in low conditions I say be will requite it upon his people it makes deep impressions upon the heart of Christ the love that his Father shewed him when he was here in the days of his flesh when he was in weakness and was in perplexity and was in distress he can not forget it You know what impression Jonanathans kindnesse made upon David because Jonathan shewed him kindnesse when he was in distress his kindness made impression upon his heart thaâ— he could not forget it he inquired for some of his children that he might requite the love of their Father which he shewed to him when he was in low conditions Jonathan shewed him kindness when Saul persecuted David Jonathan stept between David and him and was as a faithful friend to David and therefore saith David I will requite his kindnesse if I can finde but one poor Mephibosheth that calls himself a dead Dog yet David shews a great deal of kindnesse to him to requite the kindnesse of Jonathan And so doth Jesus Christ he goes up and down to inquire in the world where is the Seed of God the Sons and Daughters of the most High that I might shew them kindness for my Fathers sake Oh he shew'd me kindnesse when I was in distress and therefore I will do the like to them when they ere in affliction and low conditions Oh saith the Lord Jesus I remember since your Father and my Father took care of me when I was helpless he
formed me in the womb and he took me out of the womb he guarded me all my life loâ—g Thirty years and upward when I was in the midst of the world with Bears and Tygers I remember how he sent his Angels to comfort me when I was wearied out by Satans temptations Nay I remember when he stood by me when all left me and fled when all left me that I had none in the world to stand by me the Fatheâ— stood by me and therefore I will lay all this kindness upon you his seed The last kindnesâ— that the Father shewed to the Son it took mighty impression upon him that his Father did not leâ—ve him alone but was always with him And therefore Christ he often makes mention of it iâ— that 16 of John vers 32. The Father hath not lefâ— me alone but he is with me all my life long he never left him alone yea when he was in his affliction and low conditions the Father did not leave him alone See that 16. of John vers 32. Bâ—hold the hour comes yea is now come that ye shaâ—â— be scattered every man to his own and shall leave me alone and yet I am not alone because the Father is with me This made deep impression upon the heart of Christ that the Father did not leave him alone when he was in his affliction when he was persecuted when all his freinds upon earth fled from him then the Father did not leave him And therefore the Lord Jesus Christ he did often retain this Kindnesse and he will not leâ—â—â— thâ— Sons and Daughters of God alone in low conditions but he will be present with them though they be in the fire and water he will be sure to comfort them with the same consolation wherewith his Father comforted hâ—m when he was in the same distress That 's the second Ground of the Point Thirdly Christ will shew most of his presence iâ— afflicted conditions because he remembers his Ingagement he is ingaged then to manifest most of himself First of all He is ingaged by his Promise and Câ—venant He hath promised to be with them always he hath promised never to leave them nor forsake them as the Father promised to be with him in trouble so he hath promised to be with them You may see his Fathers promise to him in Psalm 91. 15. He shall call upon me and I will answer him I will be with him in trouble I will deliver him and honour him Now as the Father made a promise to be with the Son in trouble so hath he made a promise to be with his people in trouble See that promise in the 43. of Isaiah vers 1. 2. how he hath promised to be with his people in all Tribulations in the midst of the fire and water and fiery try al 's nothing shall separate betwixt him and them he is always making good his Promise and therefore he will fulfill it to them Secondly He is ingaged by a Law of Love There is a Law of Love written in the heart of Christ he takes delight in his people they are â—â—e joy of his soul in the 16. Psalm at the bâ—ginning of it it is spoken there of Christ All my delight is in the Saints saith Jesus Christ and these that are excellent upon Earth All my delight is in them next to the delight that Christ hath in his Father to that Infinite Incomprehensible Light his delight is in his Saints in his people and therefore because he loves them because he delights in them he will be present with them he loves their presence whereever they are he loves to be with them though their condition be never so sad though they be in prison it shall be a Heaven to Christ because he bears dear love to them he loves to see their face he loves to hear their voice he loves to injoy Communion with them he loves to be giving out of himself to them and therefore be made it his great request before he went to Heaven that his Father would make room for his people as you may see in John 14. beginning of the third verse And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto my self that where I am there you may be also he tells them he would have them with him in the same place they shall enjoy the same glory and they shal have no worse room then he And he besought his Father John 17. 24. That those who were given him of his Father might be with him Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me for thou â—o â—eâ—st me before the foundations of the world Father I desire that they may be with me I desire thou shouldst bid them as welcome to Heaven as thou bidst me and that they may pâ—â—take of the same glory as I do that they may â—e in the same place that they may always see â—y 〈◊〉 and I may see their faces for my delight is in them Heaven could not content Christ withâ—â—â— the presence of his Saints and it is a second Heaven unto Christ to be present with them here upon earth wherever they are or whatever their condition though be never so low though they be in prison in chains in the stocks the Lord Jesus loves to be with them he carries them about in his heart and therefore he cannot be absent from them Again Thirdly He is ingaged by a Law of Friendship to be most of all present with them in their low conditions the Law of friendship binds him to it Affliction is a Touch-stone it discovers fained friends and real friends it shews whether a friend be Cordial or no By the Law of Friendship a man is bound to stick to a friend in the midst of all his adversity and then there is most need of a friend It was a reproof unto Hushai that Absalom gave him in that second of Samuel 16. 17. Is this thy kindness to thy friend why went you not along with your friend David was a friend to Hushai and saith Absolom to Hushai Is this thy kindness to thy friend why wentest thou not along with thy friend This shall never be said of the Lord Jesus Christ that he broke the Law of friendship It shall never be said of Christ is this thy kindness to thy friend Why wentest thou not along with thy friend Thov wentest not along with thy friend but thou forsookest thy friend when thy friend had most need of thee no the Law of Friendship is iâ— Christs heart and he will keep it and therefore he will stick close and most close to his people when they are in low conditions Again Fourthly There is a fourth ingagement He is present with his people most of all in low conditions in afflicted conditions because he is ingaged to lâ—ok after hâ—s work 't is the
work of Christs own hand he sends afflictions for that end to work something in the heart of his people and therefore he is ingaged to see what becomes of his labour and pains that he may not loose his cost and labour When a Physician gives a Purge to a Pâ—tient he is ingaged to see what becomes of his Physick how it works So the Lord Jesus Christ the great Physician he never gives any bitter Purge any bitter Pill of affliction to his servants but he looks upon himself as ingaged to look after it that he may look after his Physick and see how it works the very presence of Jesus Christ will help the Physick if it work too much or too little if the soul dispise the chastening of the Lord or faint under the chastening of the Lord the Lord Jesus can by his presence heâ—p When the Gold Smith puâ—s his Gold into the Furnace then he is ingaged to be present to look after his Gold and so is Jesus Christ when he duts his people into the Furnace of affliction he is ingaged to look after his precious Gold that so none may be lost and consumed in the fire You see the Grounds of the Point Quest If you ask me how doth Christ give out much of himself in affliction By what way or means doth Christ communicate much of himself in affliction Briefly for answer Answ First of all he doth raise up his peoples faith unto a high pitch many times I say he raiseth up their faith to a more then ordinary pitch he clears the eye of faith and strengthens the eye of faith Now the more the eye of faith is cleared and strengthened the more it sees of Jesus Christ Now the Lore he doth mightily strengthen faith many times in affliction faith is strengthened for faith is left alone many times and then it works best all props are taken away God takes away all sence many times and leaves faith to work alone now faith never works better then when 't is alone it meets with a great deal of opposition and faith is strengthened by opposition the nature of faith doth take his rise by opposition the more opposition it meets with the higher it rises The woman of Canaan what opposition did her faith meet with that wâ—ich was a discouragement to her yet from that discouragement her faith takes a rise and because Christ says she is a dog therefore she is confident that she shall have Crumbs of mercy before she goes away When faith is put to extremity then it becomes strong When faith is exercised in extremity I having wavered a long time at last it sees that it must either beleeve or perish beleeve or sink it fares in such a condition as with a man that is to pass over a River he being afraid that the Bridge should not bear him stays long before he dare venture at last he sees the River swell higher and higher he goes to make an offer and puls back his foot he dare not venture at last the water swels up to the neck of the Bridge and he sees there is no way but one with him either he must venture upon the Bridge or else perish in the water and then he considers that many have gone over that way and many have been saved that way and it hath born up many thousands have gone over before well he ventures and so doth many a poor soul waver many times draw back his foot dares not venture upon Christ can he bare me up and will he bear me up may I venture God he puts faith many times to it puts it to such a strait that the soul must venture or perish believe in Christ alone or perish faith here many times takes a rise that 's the first way whereby Christ doth coummunicate much of himself in affliction he many times lifts up faith and strengthens faith Now the more strong faith is the more it sees the more it apprehends of God Secondly He pours out the Spirit of Supplication many times upon his people when they are in low conditions he makes them to cry out to cry a main to him as he cryed to his Father in his distress he puts up his cries He puts up his requâ—sts with strong cries and tears and he was heard of his fathâ—r And so the Lord Jesus he doth pour out of his spirit upon his people that he may stir up their souls in such a way as Christ is taken with Lâ—t me see thy face and let me hear thy voice saith he for sweet is shy voice and thy countenance is comely 't is melody to Christ Christ draws nigh to hear the melody and the nigher Christ draws the more evidently the soul sees him Thirdly The Lord Jesus by affliction or in affliction he draws the hearts of his people nigher Then he doth bring them back many times from their wandrings from their straglings Before I was afflicted I went astray saith David The Lord Jesus by affliction he brings them nigher to himself he causes them to wait more upon him to eye him more to keep closer unto him and to take heed of stragling Now the nigher the soul is brought to Christ the more it sees of him though it be not for our waiting not for our beleeving our walking that Christ doth manifests himself Commonly when Jesus Christ manifests much of himself he will draw his peoples heart to look towards him and wait upon him Fourthly He manifests most of himself in affliction by his word which be sâ—nds along with affliction Commonly I say when Christ doth afflict his people he sends his word along with affliction some word of instruction or some word of promise or some word of Counsel there is some word or other that goes along with affliction that so Christ may teach them before they go out of that stiâ—g Now the word of grace the word of Promise it is the Chariot on which Christ rides he doth by them draw nigh by his word he draws nigh to the soul and therefore when the word comes with evidence Christ comes along with the word and then the soul sees most of Christ because Christ sends such a word to the soul in affliction which word he comes along with in which word he conveys himself to them Quest It may be some of God people will say Alas if this be true that Christ manifests most of himself in affliction what shall become of me I have had no such experience I cannot say that I have had most of God in affliction I have not enjoyed the presence of Christ in many afflictions Answ Why art thou one that hast closed with Christ and received the mercy of the Gospel Why then certainly it cannot be but that thou hast seen something or thou mightest have seen something of Christ in affliction do not say thou seest nothing of Christ in affliction do not say thou hast not enjoyed any of the presence of Christ
in affliction hast not been supported by Christ in affliction and is that nothing saist thou to support a poor creature under affliction Hast thou not been suppâ—â—â—ed by the strength of Christ or by some word â—â— Christ in affliction And hast thou not said as David said I had perished in my affliction if thy word had not been my stay hath not Christ given thee some secret Refreshment in affliction surely he hath been nigh to thee and thou wett not aware he hath fed thee in affliction and thou didst not take notice of it Joseph he sed his Brethren and they did not know it was Joseph And so Christ he doth give sweet refreshments to his people and they do not take notice of it they do not consider that it is Christ that supports them Oh thy Spirit had sunk under affliction if it had not been Christ that had upheld thee Object Ay But if it had been Christ that had supported me in my affliction I should hâ—ve gained by my affliction I should have seen the benefit of my affliction but I see nothing at all affliction is come and gone and left nothing behind Answ Hast thou seen nothing no benefit Why resolve again to walk through though thou hast not seen thou maist see and these afflictions that have been layd upon thee though they be gone the fruit of them may be to come When man takes Physick you cannot expect that he should have health the same day strength the same day he must wait some days after and see how his strength comes in and then afterward he perceives the benefit of his Physick and so it is with affliction God may and doth do his people good by affliction though they saw little benefit while they were under affliction The rain doth make the earth fruitâ—â—l but the growth of the corn 't is not seen presently wait a while stay a Week or a Fortnight and then look into the Field and you shall see the rain was beneficial to the Field and so 't is with afflictions they are as rain when the Lord Jesus comes along with them he makes them very beneficial to his people Ay but the growth is not discerned presently No stay a while But do not thou say in unbelief I shall get no good by my affliction no thou hast got good by thy affliction The Lord hath said it he hath said That All things shall work together for their good he hath said that He will purge away their sins he hath said that We are made partakers of his Divine Nature by affliction and therefore give not way to unbelief do not by unbeâ—ief shut out the blessing but beleeve that it shall be as God hath spoken and though thou hast not seen the accomplishment of the promise go and wait upon God watch over thine own heart look to thy self the Weeds grow as well as the Corn you know how it was with Hezekiah and therefore we had to need watch over our own hearts and know thou shalt get good by affliction for God hath spoken it and it shall be accomplished unto thee in the Lords due time for the Lord wll fulfill his word THE Ninth Sermon On DAN III. XXV He answered and said Lo I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and they have no hurt and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God YOu may remember the Proposition in hand Namely That Christ is never rigler his people thâ—n when they are in great afflictions in fiâ—ry tryals He entred into the Furnace here into the fiery Furnace that he might save his people harmless I gave you the Grounds the last day why Christ draws nigh to his people and why he doth communicate most of himself in their afflicted lowconditions First of all he knows that they have most need of him they have most need of him because of the weakness of the flesh and because of the strength of temptation he knows the flesh is weak and therefore he expresseth pity and compassion to his Disciples when they could expect nothing but fury from him they could not watch one hour when he stood in need of them and yet the Lord Jesus pities them The flesh is weak but the Spirit is strong he knows what the weakness of the flesh is and he himself was partaker of our flesh that he might know experimentally what the weakness of the flesh is and therefore well might Isaiah say He was a man of sorrow a man of sorrow and acquaâ—nted with grief he was a man of sorrow all his days and he had no other acquaiâ—tance almost but grief and sorrow when all his acquaintance left him his grief and sorrow followed him even to the very grave and therefore there is no grief no sorrow but the Lord Jesus had experience of it that he might know how to pity his people in their weakness and when they lye under their burdens Again He knows the strength of temptation he knows what it is for a poor creature to be tempred for he was in all things tempted like unto us saith the Apostle He had experience of all manner of temptations he knows how to releeve his people under temptation he knows their straits when they are besieged he knows how the force of Satans Batteries are he knows that in their weaknesses the Devil takes advantage against them and then above all other times indeavour to drive home the darts of his temptation into their Spirits and therefore the Lord Jesus because they have most need of him he pities them and relieves them at that time Again He remembers the kindness of his Father to him in his low condition and therefore will shew the like kindness to his people in their low conditions he remembers that his Father did not leave him in his straits and therefore he will not leave them in their straits The kindness that God the Father shewed to his Son when he was upon earth took such an impression made such an impression upon the heart of Christ that he can never forget it but he will always labour to requite it by shewing the like kindness to the people of God in their distress Oh how was he taken with that kindness that The Father would not leave him alone how often doth he make mention of it I am not alone but the Father is with me and therefore he enquires for some of the Saints of God that he may shew the like kindness unto them David remembers the kindness that Jonathan shewed him when he was in his low condition and therefore David enquires for some of his children Is there none left of the house of Soul that I may shew kindness to for Jonathans sake though there be but one poor lame Mephibosheth one that is lame of his feet that is no fit companion for a King yet for Jonathans sake and for the kindness Jonathan shewed to David David shews great kindness to
faith triumpheth in the consideration of it in Psal 23 vers 4. Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear none ill Why For thou art with me see what a mighty confidence was raised up in Davids heart and what was the ground of it The presence of the Lord Though I walk in the vally of the shadow of death I will fear none ill why For thou art with me he doth put cases of the most uncomfortablest condition that may befall him valley of the shadow of death though I be brought down from the Mountain and walk in the valley and though this valley be a dark way though it be a shadow of death that is though it be never so dreadful and though it be so nigh that all the world cannot save you even then when I am in such a condition and walk in the valley of death I will fear none ill for thou art with me so long as I have thy presence my soul is upholden you read in the 4. of Revelations at the 6. verse that the world is like a sea of Glass I saw before the Throne a sea of glass there the world is shadowed out unto you and the condition of men that are in the world the world is like to a sea of glass and Oh that men would remember this if it be a Sea of Glass what need have you of a friend to stand by you you that are Travelers in the world you walk upon a Sea of Glass Oh what need have you of a friend to take you by the right hand to uphold you there is none but Jesus Christ none but his presence can uphold you in this Sea of Glass and if this world be a Sea of Glass Oh what need have we to take Jesus Christ into the Ship into the heart that so he may be our Pilot and he may guide you safe Oh do but think in what steed Jesus Christ will stand you when the storms arise and the waves shall beat when it may be the body of the Ship shall be split in pieces Oh what will it be then for a Saviour to uphold the Spirit to bear up the spirit and take the soul upon his own shoulder to bear it above wrath and amazement Now do you apprehend this to be desireable Oh that the Lord would make your hearts to close with Christ to accept of Christ and the tenders of mercy now held forth in these days of grace I tell you the time is coming when you shall see weaknesse written upon the tops of the Mountains they will say look to your selves for we cannot help you now will not the presence of Jesus Christ be desireable to you in such a condition Oh then I say accept of him he freely tenders himself to you now in this day of grace and Oh that the day of grace might not be slighted his presence is desireable in such a strait and is he not now desireable that so you may have him in such a time of need But Thirdly This let 's us see that there is not such great evil in affliction as men apprehend men fear affliction and flee from affliction as from Toads and Serpents and connot endure to think of affliction cannot endure to think of the day of darknesse I say there is not so great an evil in affliction as men apprehend for the Lord Jesus is present with his people in affliction and there is no reason why you that are the people of God should inordinately fear affliction and why you should inordinately seek to be delivered from affliction seeing you may possibly enjoy more of the presence of Jesus Christ in affliction then ever you did in other conditions would â— loving wife be afraid to go into a dark place when she shall meet with her Beloved Why should you be afraid to go into a dark place when you shall meet with the presence of Christ Remember that Expression of tâ—e Martyr when he was ready to suffer death he breaks forth into this expression Come fire and come wild beasts Come rack of the body Come breaking of the bones Come all the torments in Hell that all the Divels in Hell can afflict with I care not so I can meet with the presence of Jâ—sus Christ Remember how many of the Martyrs have ventured into the flames to meet with Christ they have willingly sacrificed their lives that they might meet with Christ shall Peter venture into the water and shall the Martyrs venture into the fire and shall you be afraid to enter into an afflicted condition where you may meet with the presence of Jesus Christ There are two things that make the people of 2 Things that make the people of God to fear affliction God to fear affliction inordinately 1. First of all Either they do not beleeve that they shall meet with the presence of Christ in an afflicted condition Or 2. Secondly They do not beleeve that the presence of Christ will countervail the bitterness of affliction Now I shall endeavour to clear both these and to perswade you that are the people of God First of all that you shall certainly meet with Christ in affliction And then that his presence will countervail the bitterness of affliction First I say You shall certainly meet with Christ in your affliction for first of all he hath spoke it he hath promised it he hath set a part the time and place of his own appointment he hath given out the word the word is out of his mouth and 't is under his own hand written 't is under his hand and seal that he will meet with his people in afflicted conditions he hath said in the 5. of Job vers 19. that he will deliver thee in six troubles and in seven and every Promise is under the Hand and Seal of Christ and so in the 43. of Isaiah God promiseth there to be with his people in all their afflicted conditions in their greatest afflictions In the 43. of Isaiah and the second verse When thou passest through the water I will be with thee and through the Râ—vers they shall not overflow thee when thou passest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee the fire that is in the greatest straits in thy greatest affliction when the waters are ready to overwhelm thee I will be with thee and lift up thy head I will be with thee in fiery tryals when flames are ready to consume thee I will be with thee I say you may be confident of it because the Lord Christ hath given it under his hand and seal that he will give your souls a meeting in such a condition is there any thing that can hinder Christ from performing this his promise he cannot forget his word he cannot mistake the time and place he cannot be hindred by any outward impediment I say 1. First of all He cannot forget his Promise
though he hath spoken many years ago yet the Lord he cannot forget his promise he is always mindful of his promise See in the first of Chron. and the 16. Chapter and the 15. verse He is mindful always of his Covenant the word which he commanded to a thousand generations though the promise be given out never so long ago suppose it be a thousand generations yet the Lord he is always mindful of his promise always mindful of his Covenant to a thousand generations a man may promise his friend to meet with him but it is possible a man may forget his promise but so cannot God he is ever mindful of his promise Again He cannot mistake the time happily a man though he hath promised yet he may mistake the time he knows not how the time passes and so may be deceived but it cannot be so with God he knows all times all creatures Foreknowâ— unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world Acts 15. 18. Nay he cannot be hindred by any impediment his Father will not hinder him he was willing to spare him out of Heaven for many years together that so he might be present with his people and all creatures cannot hinder him from performing his promise see the 27. of Isaiah verse 4. Fury is not in me who would set the Bryars and Thornes against me in battel I would go through them I would â—urn them together The greatest opposition was bryars and thorns to Jesus Christ bryars and thorns before devouring fire will soon be burnt and therefore upon this you may be confident seeing the Lord Jesus hath given out his word he will keep time and place with you Again Secondly You may be confident of his presence in affliction because affliction is for this end it is the main end that Christ in affliction may meet with his people that he may draw them into â—igher communion with himself that they may see more of him that they may enjoy more of him and he enjoy more of them that he may make use of affliction to remove that which is in the way between him and the soul to subdue corruption and to strengthen faith and to draw forth grace to heighten the holiness and the grace of the soul and to comfort the heart and all that the soul may enjoy more communion with Christ he doth take his people into a by-Lane as I may say in every affliction that he may speak unto them he took the Spouse into the wilderness that he might speak to her and so doth Jesus Christ when he takes his people into a by-way it is that he may speak something more to them that he may speak freely and speak something that may be for their good he doth not speak in affliction because he delights in affliction he doth not delight in their afflictions he doth not afflict that he may be satisfied no afflictions they are not their punishments for God hath satisfaction at the hand of Jesus Christ and therefore it relates to something to come that he may with this Chastisement draw the soul more nigh and see more of him and enjoy more of him more of his presence of his love more communion with him that he may comfort strengthen and support and sanctifie and therefore seeing it is the end the main end of affliction that Jesus Christ and his people may meet and converse together certainly Gods people must not slight this his afflicting them must not slight this main end of God Object But if Christ do meet with his people in affliction the presence of Christ cannot countervail the bitterness of the affliction Answ But it will to the full for there is that in the presence of Christ which may supply the wants of all creatures I say there is all goodnesse all sweetnesse gathered together in the Son of God which is scattered up and down in Creatures and therefore in Heaven the Saints need no creature comforts they need not the light of the Sun nor the light of the Moon and there all recomfortable relations are broken a pieces there is no husband nor wife nor child Master nor servant why because the good of â—ll these lations do meet in Christ and the good of all these relations shall be supplied by the presence of Christ and therefore Christ tells his Disciples in Mat 22. 30. In the Resurrection saith he they neither marry nor are given in Marriage but are as the Angels of God in Heaven they neither marry nor are given in Marriage that which is the most comfortable relation in earth there is no need of in Heaven 't is too poor too needy for Heaven there shall be no marrying nor giving in Marriage and â—o the comfort of all other relations shall be found in Christ In him there is a perfection of all goodnesse of all sweetnesse now you cannot meet with the fulnesse of these in any condition there is a fulnesse of joy in Christ a fulnesse of good in Christ what says the Psalmist in Psalm 16. v. last In thy presence is fulnesse of joy at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore there is a fulnesse of joy in the presence of Christ there is not a fulnesse of sorrow in any condition no there is a mixture of Mercy in every condition the evil that a Soul meets with is not infinite there is not a fulnesse of sorrow but in the presence of Christ there is a fulnesse of joy there is that which can abundantly countervail the evil that is met with in any condition if all the evil under the Sun were met together in one condition and a Soul brought into it yet it might find in the presence of Christ that which may answer that condition the presence of Christ will comfort and support and raise up a Soul in that evil condition and therefore you shall find that the presence of Christ hath made the Saints to rejoyce in Tribulations to joy abundantly The Apostles rejoyced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the Name of the Lord Christ it doth fill the Soul with holy joy heavenly Raptures yea the presence of Christ hath been astonishment to the Soul many times when it hath been in a sad condition see what Paul saith of himself in 2 Cor. 12. 2. I knew a man in Christ about 14 years ago whether in the Boâ—y I cannoâ— tâ—ll or whether out of the Body I cannot tell God knows such a man whether in the Body or out of the Body was caught up into the third Heaven some think this vision of Paul was when he was in a sad condition it was immediately after his conversion when the light of his Body was taken away by blindnesse Now it is supposed when Paul was blind in hiâ— Body he had this Vision of Christ you may see what abundance of sweetnesse he found in Christ it carried him beyond himself he wâ—s carrâ—ed out with holy Raptures I knew not
where I was saith he whether I was in the body or was taken out of the body I cannot test the Lord he knows and therefore still I say there is no cause why any of Gods people should inordinately fear affliction seeing you may meet with the presence of Christ in that condition and the presence of Jesus Christ will countervail the loss of all Creature comforts and the sweetness of it will be equivalent to the bitterness of it let thy condition be never so low That 's the third Use Fourthly Let the people of God expect the presence of Christ in their affliction in their low condition seeing Christ hath promised his presence do you expect his presence look for his presence Oh that we might labour to improve our affliction for this end that we may meet with more of Christ that we may enjoy more of the presence of Christ in our affliction truly there is a great deal lost Gods people loose abundance of sweetness which they might enjoy both in Ordinances and in afflâ—ction if their hearts were raised up to look for the performance of that which Christ hath promised if we would believe that Jesus Christ will be as good as his word did our souls expect the fuâ—lfilling of this word that â—e shall see the presence of Christ in affliction why then should we be so loth to suffer for Christ and be unwilling to submit to low conditâ—ons seeing it is the will of God that we should suffer Therefore I beseech you you that are the people of God get your hearts enlarged in affliction that so you may get above your â—ffliction if that you shall certainly meet with the presence of Jesus Christ in your afflicted conditions he hath spoken it he hath given out the word and therefore he will fulfill it what confidence had the people of God in their affliction when they remembred this I will fear none ill though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death And see what David saith in the 27. Psalm the beginning of it The Lord is my light and my salvation whom should I fear the Lord is the strength of my liâ—e of whom should I be afraid I cannot tell who the enemy is who is it he looks and he fiâ—des none in all the world whom should I fear and be afraid of so long as the Lord is with me I see no such enemy and therefore I beseech you that you would look after the presence of Christ expect the presence of Christ in all your afflictions that you meet with Object But you will say I have no such word as David had David might well belâ—eve that the Lord would uphold him for David had a particular word God spake to David he â—ware to David He swore by his Holiness that he would not fail David and so others of the Sainâ—s they had a particular word the Lord spake to Joshua Fear not I will not leave thee be couragious but we have no such word and therefore how should we expect to meet with Christ in afflicted conditions Answ I Answer first of all Though God does not speak now from Heaven by Visions he doth not reveal himself by Vrim and Thuâ—mim as unto David yet we have a larger word then David had and Joshuah had the Scripture is larger now we have abundance of the word there was but little of the Scripture writ in Daâ—ids time and less in Joshuahs time there was none of the written word but only the Book of Moses but now we have the word of God compleat we have a sure word a large word and 't is full of gracious invitations and incouragements and therefore the Saints now may be incouraged as well as they to whom God spake Secondly Yea Secondly I say God hath sent forth more of his spirit now in a Gospel way in a way of Gospel dispensation there is a great deal more of the Spirit of Christ poured out Now 't is the work of the Spirit the Office of the Spirit to particularize those promises to the soul to take thâ— promises and bring them home to this and that particular soul Now where the Spirit of God comes â—â— comes with evidence and he brings home the word of grace to thâ— soul that the soul cannot gainsay it nor resist it Object But you will say How shall I know 't is the Spirit of God that doth speak to me Answ I Answer The Spirit of God always speaks according to the word of God I say it speaks according to the written word that is given to us it speaks according to the word of grace for the spirit and the word do bear mutual testimony one of another But I Answer 'T is in the power of the Spirit to resolve the soul the Lord Jesus sends forth the Spirit with so much evidence â—s to convince the heart that it is the spirit that speaks the Lord Jesus he is able to perswade the soul that it is not a delusion but speaking according to the word of grace it is indeed the voice of the Father the voice of the Spirit that speaks Objct. But you will object further If the Lord Jesus be present with mâ— according to his promise if the Lord were present with me in affliction why how is it possible that it should be thus with me as it is How is it possible that there should be so much deadness and so much of the world and unbelief Surèly the presence of Christ is not with me in my affliction Answ I Answer to such a poor soul that looks after the presence of Christ and fain would enjoy the presence of Christ but cannot see him in affliction I say first of all Undoubtedly there is the presence of Christ with thee and thou canst not but thou mayst see something if unthankfulnesse doth not lye before thine eyes he is there the Lord Jesus is there and he will make good his word certainly if he hath promised to be with his people in afflicted conditions he will make good his word anâ— he is with thee at the door though he may be behind the Curtain and undoubtedly he is not far as I said before Joseph was with his Brethren when they did not know him and so the Lord Jesus is present with his people and they do not see him he doth feed them support them and maintain their lives and they not know it Secondly Yea I say secondly That if thou dost not see more of the presence of Christ the fault is in thee 't is not in the Lord not in the word of the Lord he is present according to the word that he hath spoke and therefore Christ may be present and thou seest him not because through negligence thou dost not stir up thy self to take hold of him thou givest way to a slothful spirit and so thou dost not stir up thy self to take hold of him or else thou dost not exercise faith in thy afflicted
condition and then no wonder though Christ be with thee and thou seest him not Faith is the eye of the soul and if that be shut Christ may stand at the right hand and the soul not discern him and therefore I say stir up thy faith go to the Lord to strengthen thy faith and stir up thy faith Faith shews Christ represents Christ to the soul Faith takes hold of Christ and brings the sweetness and the comfort of his presence to your souls Or it may may be 't is through unthankfulnesse that thou dost not see the presence of Christ thank thine unthankful heart I tell thee thou hâ—st a great deal of thanks to give and thou sayst Châ—ist iâ— not with thee who is it that supported thee who is it that put under his hand was there more strâ—ngth in thee then in others Surely there was an everlasting Arm put under to support thee in thine affliction and is not here matter of thankfulnesse And this you may be sure all yee people of God the heart of God is always towards you though his face is not towards you his hand may seem to be against you yet his heart is always towards you and therefore still I say the people of God ought to expect that they shall see and enjoy the presence of Christ and shall meet with him in every affliction Fiftly and Lastly What cause of thankfulnesâ— is here What cause hath the people of God to be thankful to Christ that hath made this comfortable provision for them as this that he is pleased to walk in such a gracious way and to afford them most of his presence at that time that they stand most in need of it Here is matter of thankfulnâ—â—â— that the Lord should not leave you alone but aâ—â—ord you his presence Here is matter of double thankfulness that the Lord Jesus should not leave you alone in your afflicted conditionâ— Oh 't is â—n uncomfortable condition to be left alone Wo to him â—hat is alone saith the wise man if a man fall and be alone who shall help him up and how miserable had it been if we had been left alone in such conditions in afflicted conditions when we were fallen low but the Lord hath not left his people alone Nay here is further matter of Thankfulness that he should afford his own presence to his people If the Lord had sent a Messenger to comfort a poor afflicted Creature we should have thought it a great mercy but that he should afford his own presence in affliction that he should come himself to support and strengthen what a double mercy is this This is more then if he had sent twelve Legions of Angels to comfort in afflicted conditions Oh what is the presence of Christ 't is the greatest good in the world 't is life eternal 't is the beginning of Heaven and shall be the fulness of Heaven hereafter the fulness of joy is the presence of Christ it shall be the greatest misery to loose the presence of Christ and therefore that is a most dreadful threatning when God doth threaten to depart from a people see how God doth threaten Jerusalem in Jeremiah 6. 8. Be thou instructed Oh Jerusalem least my soul depart from thee least I make thee a desolate land not inhâ—bited Least my soul depart fâ—om thee Now when God departs what follows nothing but desolation So in the Prophet Hosea see there what a dreadful threatning 't is for God to depart in Hosea 9. 12. Though they bring up their children yet well I bereave them that there shall not be a man left yea wâ— also to them when I depart from them There is all threatnings summâ—d up in this and more cannot be said wâ— unto them when I depart from them You see it will be the greatest evil in the world to be shut out from the presence of God it shall be the Torment in Hell so depart from Christ Why then 't is the greatest mercy to enjoy the presence of Christ if God go away all blessings go away with him Wo to them if I depart now on the contrary when the Lord Jesus comes unto a soul all blessings come along with him when Christ comes to a poor afflicted creature Oh what sweetness comes along with Christ there is comfort and there is refreshment there is grace and there is holiness and there is support there is life and light all come along with the presence of Christ Object Ay but if I could finde the effects of these may some soul say I shall labour to thirst after Christ if I could finde these effects of Christs presence why then I may be comforted but alass I finde not the effect of his presence and how then should I think it to be his presence that is with me Answ I say Believe Believe that Christ is present with thee I speak to every soul that hath made a close with Jesus Christ in the tenders of grace I say 't is thy duty to believe that he is with thee in thy afflicted condition Believe it though thou seest not the effects of his presence and that is the way to see believe that he is present according to his word and through the grace of God thou shalt see the effect of his presence only Christ would have us to believe his word Christ would have thee believe that he keeps time and place with them and that he is with them in afflicted conditions yea he deals with his people as Jobs friends dealt with him they came to visit Job in his affliction but sate them down seven days and spake not a word unto Job and at last they found an oportunity to speak even so doth Jesus Christ it may be he may sit seven days and not speak a word to his people he may come to the soul and not speak a word to the foul in an afflicted condition all the time he sits by them and looks on them and his heart is toward them and his bowels relent and he will break out at last and he will speak unto them it was long ere Joseph did reveal himself to his brethren when they were in straits but at last he breaks out and says he I am your brother and so the Lord Jesus he may sit long before he speaks a word Oâ— but at last he will break out and then shalt thou see that Christ was present with thee and therefore 't is thy duty to believe that the Lord Christ is with thee in thy affliction though thou seest him not though he be behind the Curtain and believe that thou shalt see the effect of his presence he will not go away and leave no blessing behind him surely where he comes he brings a gift with him he does not come empty and therefore believe that thou shalt see a blessing left behind it may be thou mayst not see â—â—e gracious effects of the presence of Christ in thee but believe the time is
coming when thou shalt see a friend may come with a Present to a friend but noâ— presently give it him it may be he will sit with him a long time and when he is ready to go away he will give the gift to him and so the Lord Jesus Christ he never comes empty and he comes and sits long before he gives out that grace that strength that comfort that is in his hand ready to give but undoubtedly Christ will give it before he goes away and therefore 't is the duty of all his people to wait upon him for the giving of that grace that he hath promised to their â—ouls and therefore when Christ comes to a soul manifesting of himself is expressed to the soul by his supping with the soul see Revel 20. Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man hear my voice and open the door I will comâ— in to him and will sup with him and he with me If any man open the door I will come in and sup with him he doth not say I will come in and break-fast with him or Dine with him no he shall have my comforts before I go away though I be at the last Meal I will be sure to sup with him though he break his fast with sowre herbs and dine with sowre herbs yet I will be sure to sup with him and he with me before I go away I will open my Bottels and pour out my Flagons of Wine and he shall taste of my Dâ—â—ties before I go and therefore the Martyrs cryed out He is come he is come meaning the gracioâ—â— presence of Christ to their souls the Lord Jesus will at last manifest himself to his people and will be present with them in their afflicted conditions according to his word and 't is the Lord Jesus his will that his people should expect his presence though he do not give it out to them presently yet wait for it and he will abundantly satisfie your souls before he goâ—â— away FINIS A SERMON Preached in Norwich upon the day of the Mayors entring into his Office ECCLES 9. 10. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with thy might for there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdome in the grave whither thou goest WE shall not seek far for the sence of the words we shall finde the sence in themselves Some conceive that Solomon spake in the person of the natural man or the Atheist who keep this Counsel Follow after the world enjoy thy pleasure and thy profit and do it with all thy might for thou hast no long time to enjoy them in there is nothing in the grave and therefore now take thy fill But I rather conceive that Solomon spake here as a Prophet in the person of a Prophet and spiritual man and gives better Counsel then this from the seventh verse unto the end of the Chapter He gives advice in the seventh verse to take the comforts of those things that God hath given And upon this Account Because the Lord accepts thy works Goe thy way eat thy Bread with joy and drink thy Wine with a merry heart for God now accepts thy works And so in the ninth verse Live joyfully with thy Wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity not with the Harlot as the Atheist would have spoken but with the wife whom thou lovest And so also this Counsel in the Text seems to be given by Solomon in the person of a spiritual man Whatsoever thy hand finds to do do it with all thy might for there is no working in the Grave c. The wise man here gives counsel unto all men to improve the time of life he calls all men to activity in the time of life And first he declares wherein men ought to be active Whatsoever thy hand findes to do Whatsoever is in thine hand to do as some read it Whatsoever God puts into thy hand to do in thy general or particular Calling more especially in the great Affairs that do concern the world to come whatsoever thy hand finde to do in relation unto the state of Eternity whatsoever thy hand finde to do a man finds that sometime which he seeketh and sometimes that which he seeketh not After thou hast sought out the mind of God and dost know what is his will concerning thee when thy hand hath found out what to do then do it with thy might or if the Lord shall prevent thee with his goodnesse and shall discover his will to thee when thou soughtest not after it Oh then give up thy self to work the work of God and do it with all thy might And then he shews in the second place how men must work these works of God do it with all thy might with all diligence with all faithfulness lay forth thy self to the very utmost for God do it with thy might This he presseth with two Arguments First There is no work in the grave there is no work to be done there that is the place of rest tâ—ere is no possibility of working if thou wouldst work afterward thou canst not thou shalt not be able to work there is no possibility of working for God and for thy soul when once in the grave there is no beleeving there is no repenting there is no turning to God when once in the grave if it be not done before thou comest there it is like to be undone for ever There is no work in the Grave And secondly as there is no work in the grave so there is no device nor knowledge nor wisdome there is no means to accomplish work if there were any work to be done in the grave there is no means to accomplish this work there is no knowledge in the grave This Argument is further backed by the consideration of the hastening of that estate of death where there shall be no possibility of working there is no work in the grave whither thou goest He doth not say there is no work in the in the grave whither thou shalt go but whither thou goest thou hadst need make hast for thou art going Thou and Thou and every one thou goest to the grave thou art making post hast thither thou art going every moment thou art every moment stepping over the Threshold of Eternity And therefore the Result of all is this Whatsoever God shall lay before thee to be thy work whatsoever thou hast to do for God or for thy soul in the great business of Eternity do not dally with it do not defer it do not put it off there is no work in the grave there is no possibility of working there If thou wouldst there is no means to accomplish work there And this condition is hastning upon thee thou art stepping into the grave every moment thither thou goest therefore he saith what thou doest do it with thy might I shall fasten upon this one consideration to prosecute at this time Observat That
it concerns every living man to do with his might whatsoever he hath to do for God or for his own soul in that great business that doth concern Eternity It concernes every living man and woman to do with all their might what ever they have to do with all their might whatever they have to do for God or for their own souls in the great business that doth concern Eternity I shall here shew you First what it is for a man to do with his might Secondly what are those things that God requires of every one of you to be done with your might And that will make way for the Application First of all What is to do with thy might To do with thy might First is to do with diligence to do diligently to take all opportunities of doing for God yea seek opportunities not only embrace opportunities but seek opportunities of doing for God Our Lord Jesus Christ went up and down doing good in the days of his flesh he sought opportunities to serve his Father and to serve the sons of men The Sun carries his light up and down the world and visits poor Creatures that are in darkness when a man is faithful in taking opportunities to do for God in seeking opportunities when a man works with diligence then he works with his might Again secondly To do with thy might to do with a mans might is to do or work resolutely to do with resolution not to be beaten back by discouragements and by opposition that doth lye in the way never did any work meet with so much opposition as the great work of our Redemption by Christ But he brake through Divels and all the powers of darkness that were in his way he did with his might the work of his Father for he did it with resolution To go on notwithstanding all storms all winds that blow though never so many dangers lay in a mans way though there seem to be Lions in the way great enemies great persecutions losse of name losse of estate losse of friends to go through evil report as well as good to break through the strife of Tongues and the strife of hands This is to work Resolutely this is to do with a mans might Again thirdly to do with a mans might is to do faithfully when a man works faithfully and sincerely when he doth not warp nor turn aside when he is not byassed nor drawn by the allurements of the world In the 33. of Deut. it is said that Levi did not know his own Father nor his own Mother nor his children he did the work of God with all his might for he did it faithfully And when the cause of God was in hand he knew no friend he knew not his Father he knew not his children Get thee behind me Satan saith Christ to Peter a dear friend a chosen Disciple yet when Peter will disswade Christ from doing the work of his Father Peter is a Satan he is an adversary get thâ—e behind me Satan And so what do you mean to vex my heart saith Paul when his friends disswaded him I am ready not only to be bound but to dye at Jerusalem for the name of Christ When a man works faithfully then he works with his might Fourthly when a man works spiritually then he works with his might When his heart goes into the work when the spirit goes into the work when a man is content not only to give God the outside but his heart shall be engaged and that shall bow to God and submit to Christ If he do not find that his heart and spirit is engaged in the work he cannot be satisfied It is said of good Josiah in the 2 of Kings 23. vers 25. there was none like to him there was none like before him that turned to the Lord with all his heart with all his soul and with all his might He turned with his heart and soul his heart and Spirit was engaged in it and therefore now he did it with his might Fiftly when a man works with his might he works speedily I say speedily Our Lord Jesus did the work of his Father with his mighâ— and he began betimes in the morning he was called the Hind in the morning he was hunted betimes in the morning He began betimes to work the works of his Father when he was thirteen years of age he was found disputing among the Doctors and saith he Wist you not that I must do the work of my Father To begin betimes in the day of youth to take the best season the fittest opportunity to do for God when a man doth speedily then he doth with his might Sixthly When a man doth strenuously when he doth with all his strength with all those abilities God hath given him when he is content that God should have all that he hath that God should serve himself of the best he hath and rejoyce that he hath any thing for God when a man lays down himself and lays down all at the foot-stool of God saith Lord take me and take mine and improve me to the utmost of thy self it matters not what become of the Creature so God may be glorified when a man works thus he works strenuously and with all his might Seventhly and lastly when a man works constantly When a man holds out unto the end when he is willing to abide with Jesus Christ yea to abide with Christ in his tribulation when he is willing to serve the Lord all the six days of his life when he is content that his works and his life should be finished together and not one before the other Thus it was with our Lord Jesus Christ when he was upon the Cross his work and his life were finished together when a man works thus to the end this man works with his might That is the first Particular we hasten to the second You have heard what it is for a man to work with his might The second follows What those things are that every man ought to do with his might I shall speak first to Sinners and then to Believers and shew both their works Something the Lord requires of both to be done thus with all their might If Sinners ask what is their work I answer What the work of sinners is to be done with their might First their work is to know themselves To know that they are poor and miserable blind and naked that they are lost and undone that they are without light and without life and without strength and without hope for eternity that they have sinned and cannot satisfie that they have lost themselves and cannot return of themselves that they have done evil and cannot do better of themselves If free-grace do not prevent them they are as poor wandring sheep upon the Mountains they are like to wander and wander and wander for ever till they be separated everlastingly from the Lord if the good Shepherd of souls do not
you will seek salvation by works you rest upon your works and if you rest upon your works you break your works and both you and your works are like to be lost for ever and therefore know my Brethren you are to do your utmost for God if you could do ten thousand times more all is too little for God But know that life and salvation is not purchased by your doing work as much and do as much for God be as diligent in doing the work of God as if life were to be purchased by works but when you have done your utmost renounce all and know that by your own works you are no more nigh to Heaven then the very Publicans and Harlots It is by the door of grace only that you must enter into life That is the third Fourthly When God calls you to work with your might he does not call you to work with your own strength I beseech you take this Caution along with you that poor Creatures may not think that they are able to do that which they are called upon to do I say the Lord does not call you to work in your own strength And therefore know that without Christ you can do nothing you are not fit for the least work for the least duty All your sufficiency must come down from Heaven you cannot beleeve you cannot repent you cannot obey you cannot give glory to God unless this power be given you from on high you cannot move towards God in any gracious action unless the Lord comes in with strength O therefore when ever you are to work for God go and set your selves under the promise the promise of strength and assistance Go and look for strength to Christ do not act in your own strength Oh let your souls open to the breathings of the Spirit of Jesus Christ The soul never acts graciously but when it is acted by the Spirit of Christ Oh know that you are as a Ship becalmed upon the Sea and you cannot sayl till the spirit breath upon you and fill the sayle of your affections and carry you God-ward and Heaven-ward and therefore let Christ be your strength wait for his strength that you may say Now I live and yet not I but it is Christ that liveth in me I act and yet not I it is the Spirit of Christ that acts in me I pray and yet not I I beleeve and yet not I I obey and yet not I it is the Spirit of Christ that acts in me it is his strength that helps me This is the fourth Caution I beseech you take heed you do not work in your own strength you will spoil your works Fiftly Take this Caution do not present your works your selves to God When you have done your work go to Jesus Christ and desire him to carry your works home Christians know it is not for you to carry your work home it is the Office of Christ and therefore make use of Christ and say Lord present this Sacrifice this Duty do thou wash it with thine own blood and cover it with thine own righteousness I tell you your works are not pleasing unless they come out of the hands of Jesus Christ Christ must wash your works and perfume your works and sweeten your works and present your works with acceptation to the Father and therefore when you have wrought with all your might let Jesus Christ present it to God your Father and his Father Sixtly Take heed that when you work with all your might you work not for your own end I tell you good works may be spoiled if you work for your own end if self come in a man may work the work of a Magistrate or the work of a Minister but if self come in if vain glory be his end if the praise of men if his own profit If the glory of God be not the end he propounds to himself that man will be called by Christ another day a worker of iniquity We have cast out Devils in thy name and yet saith Christ to them I know you not depart from me ye workers of iniquity Oh this is the dead fly that spoils the Box of Ointment when a man does it for vain glory to be seen of men to get a name in the world and to raise their estates in the world when they do publique works for private ends how ever it seems to be glorious it is abhominable and therefore when ever you work for God make God your principal Begin in his strength and end for his glory The second word is a word of Exhortation and I will conclude with that let me speak in my former order first to Sinners and then to Beleevers and I will be but short First to Sinners You that have not yet wrought the work of God you that have not given up your names to Christ in whose heart the great work of faith is not yet wrought You that are found this day working the works of darkness the works of iniquity Let me speak a word to you let me reason with you thus in the name of the Lord Jesus my Master and yours What do you think of it my dear friends does it not concern you Is not this a work put into your hands to seek after an interest in Jesus Christ to beleeve in his name to give up your selves unto him is not this work that is put into your hands that God hath given you to do in this moment of your life Doth it not concern you to beleeve in the name of Christ think you Without faith it is not possible to please God If you be found in a way of unbelief you are found in the way of wrath It is said the wrath of the Lord does hang over the heads of unbeleevers If in a state of unbelief you are in an estate of wrath if in an estate of unbelief you are lost and your works are lost whatsoever you do without faith your works cannot be accepted without faith you cannot please God without faith you cannot enter into life And now what think you my dear friends is it not a work that concerns you to seek after faith in Jesus Christ If you grant it let me further urge it upon you Oh if this be your work then do it with your might Oh that the Lord would stir up your hearts to do it with your might There is but a moment to seek faith in there is but a moment to seek after an interest in Christ and if this be not done now O when shal it be done If it be not done now it is like to be undone for ever there is no work in this kind in the grave there is no repenting in the grave no beleeving in the grave there is no turning to God in the grave Oh that the Lord would perswade your hearts of a necessity of seeking after Christ and getting an interest in him and do it I beseech you speedily and diligently the
Lord hath put it into your hand and therefore now seek after an interest in Christ with all your might To you that have an interest in Christ I shall say no more but what I said before I laid you your work before you get more acquaintance with God get your hearts established upon the truth of the promises that you may not be left at uncertainties and lift up God in your generations and get your hearts made sensible of your frailty to dye daily to wait upon God with all your might in Ordinances to get your hearts subdued and your corruptions mortified This is your work and Oh that the Lord would help you to do it with all your might To you that are the Fathers of the City I have one word to you from the Father of Heaven Oh that the Lord would make you willing to receive it and to do it with all your might There is something that is your work that the Lord requires you should do with all your might I shall but briefly give you a few hints and shal leave it to the blessing of the Lord. First of all There is a work of Judgment and Justice that the Lord hath put into your hands I say the first work that God hath put into your hands it is a work of Justice to punish sin to punish sin is the work that is in your hand to do to puâ—ish the breaches of the moral Law and the contempts thereof that Law of nature which is written in the heart of all men the Lord hath put it into your hand to punish the breach of this Law What ever your hand finds to do in this case I beseech you do it faithfully do it with your might God requires it of you that you should do it with your might yea let your hand find out sinners let your hand do this work of the Lord to punish the drunkards and the swearers and the prophane persons the deceiver the lyar and the stealer and all other workers of iniquity here is no fear of smiting Christ smite here and spare not where there is no danger of smiting Christ smite on and spare not do it with all your might the Lord lays it before you as your duty Secondly There is a work of Righteousness and Equity that the Lord puts into your hands to do and Oh that you would do this also with all your might to judge betwixt man and man do it faithfully to accept no mans person to know no friend in the matter of Justice but to decide every mans cause with wisedom and with faithfulnesse and with sincerity not to know Father nor Brother nor Son nor Daughter as Levi did not in the cause of God That so Justice and Righteousness may run down as a mighty stream That there may be no oppression that there may be no complaining in our streets This is the second work that the Lord puts into your hand And Oh that you would do it with your might The third work is a work of Mercy There is a work of mercy the Lord puts into your hands to relieve the poor and the needy and the fatherless to take care that the poor be provided for that they may have work that they may have employment and that they may have maintenance this is a work of mercy that the Lord puts into your hands to do Oh it is one of the crying sins of England it is the sin of the whole Land and Oh that it were not the sin of this City that the poor are not yet imployed and provided for that God would put it into your hearts to do it Oh that some blessed hand might find out this way to employ the poor this would be an acceptable work of mercy Know that the Lord hath given you something for the poor though I think every man hath a propriety in his estate yet I also think that God hath given every man something for the poor and truly before God the poor hath a right in it though not to take yet it is your duty to give and to provide for them And I fear if this work do not go through the whole land that there be not some provision made for the work of the poor and for the relief of the poor That God will level this Land and that God will bring down all the pomp and pride and stain the glory of all flesh in it this is a work of mercy There is a fourth work and that is a work of Piety that God puts into your hand to seek the good of poor souls to provide that all that are under your power in this City may be instructed in the knowledg of the Lord Jesus to send into the dark corners the Suburbs of this City and not only to confine men to the heart of the City but send to them that will not come out for it The Lord Jesus came to seek as well as to save and therefore send forth to seek them they know not what they do in rejecting the means of life But Oh send to seek them and instruct them in the knowledge of the Lord that they may not perish for want of provision And what though my Fathers and Brethren every man cannot see his way clear to take a Pastoral charge of such a people where he knows there is but little of Christ yet if he do the work what though he do it not under that notion If he preach Christ to them if he bleed for them If his desires be to instruct them and be willing to instruct them in publique and private and to pray for them that the Lord would give them repentance and bring them into the number of Christs Sheep-fold I say if this work be done what though it be not done under that notion why should the work of the Gospel be hindred If in all other things men be conscientious and able and fit to teach and instruct the people in the knowledg of Jesus Christ this will be a work of Piety to send into the dark corners of the City that there may be no place in which the word of the Lord shall not be heard There is a work of Love to Christ and of wisedome to your selves and I will name no more I commend this to you as the last And Oh that your hand would finde to do it a work of love to Christ and of wisedom to your selves And that is to protect the Saints and those that have an interest in Christ and desire to walk unblamably before you if they be such as walk according to the Law of God and not disobey the Law of Magistracy it is the work of the Magistrates to protect them The Magistrate is set up to be a praise to them that do well What though they may differ from you in particular opinions I am pâ—rswaded it will not excuse before Christ not to have protected them If you be convinced that they are