because as the things are great so they require a sutable carrage not a common carriage We prophane the Sacrament if we take the Bread and Wine as a common Feast as S. Paul saith You discerne not the Lords Body We prophane Mysteries when we discerne not Beasts and beast-like men discerne not the relation of things that these outward elements have reference to great matters to the Body and bloud of Christ they doe not discerne them from common Bread and Wine though they be used to rayse up our soules to the Bread of Life So likewise when we come to the Word of God and looke not to our feet but come to the Church as if we went to a Play or some common place without prayer without preparation when wee come with common affections this is to come prophanely Here we come to Mysteries to high things to great matters Therefore when wee come to converse with God we must not come with common affections wee must carry our selves holily in holy businesse or else we offer to God strange fire God was in this place sayth Iacob and I was not aware of it So when we come to heare the Word when we goe to pray when we receive the Sacrament God is herâ— and Mysteries are here and we are not aware of it It is a shame for us not to labour to bring sutable dispositions It is a matter of that consequent life or death depends upon it You know what S. Paul sayth 1 Cor. 11. For this very cause some are sick and some weake and some sleep some die Why For comming with common affection for not discerning the Lords Body for not examining our selves for not having answerable dispositions to the greatnesse of the Mysteries we goe about Let us not thinke it enough to come to the Sacrament and then to let the reines loose to all kind of vanitie the very Heathens would be ashamed of that It is the bane and blemish of Religion and such a thing for which wee may feare that God will give whole Christendome a purge I meane for our excesse There is a lawfull use of Feasting and comely Recreations but to come with unjustifiable Vanities that are not fit at any time when wee should honour God for the greatest Gift that ever was for the Incarnation of his Sonne to be more prophanely disposed then and to give our selves to more loose courses then at other times how can it but provoke the Justice of God especially it being common Amongst other things we may justly looke for the Vengeance of God for this not onely upon this or that place for it is the fault of Christendome Shall we carry our selves thus prophanely at these times when we should walke in a holy disposition Is this the way to be thankefull to God Let us labour to entertaine and embrace these Mysteries of the Gospel as wee should with a sutable carriage to them for the Gospel will no longer tarry then it hath sutable love and affections to the greatnesse of the thing The Gospel may leave us we know not how soone and goe to people that are as barbarous as we were before the Gospel came to us The Romans thought they had Victory tyed to them but we have not these Mysteries of the Gospel tyed to us If we labour not for an answerable carriage as God hath removed the Gospel from the Easterne Churches of Asia that are under the tyrannie of the Turks now so he may and we know not how soone take away these blessed and glorious Mysteries Let us reverence these Mysteries and blesse God for them and labour to expresse our thankfulnesse in our lives and conversations that God may delight to continue with us and continue his blessed Truth among us Doe but conceive in your owne selves what equity is it that Truths should be obtruded to men that care not for them That live under the mysteries of the Gospell with as much liberty to the flesh as if they had never heard of it that their lives are not better then Pagans perhaps worse When these things grow generall will God continue these Mysteries to us when there is such a disproportion of affection and carriage Judge of these things God should deale justly with us if he should leave us to the darknesse of Gentilisme and Poperie and confusion and carry the Gospel further West still to a people that never heard of it where it should have better entertainment then it hath had of us I beseech you let us labour to carry our selves answerable to this blessed and great Mysterie if wee would have it continued longer among us Againe are these things Mysteries great Mysteries Let us blesse God that hath revealed them to us for the glorious Gospel Oh how doth S. Paul in every Epistle stirre up people to be thankfull for revealing these Mysteries What cause have the Gentiles that were in the shaddow of death before to be thankfull to God What kind of Nation were we in Iulius Caesars time As barbarous as the West Indians the Canibals were as good as we We that were so before not onely to be civillized by the Gospel but to have the meanes of salvation discovered what cause have we to be enlarged to thankfulnesse And shall we shew our thankefulnesse in provoking his Majestie There is nothing in the world that is a ground of that thankfulnesse as the glorious Gospel that brings such glorious things as it doth Men are thankfull to men for teaching and discovering the Mysteries of their Trades and shall God discover the great Mysteries of the Gospell of Christ and shall not we be thankfull Are there not thousands that sit in darknesse The Romish Church is it not under the Mysterie of Iniquitie And that we should have the glorious Mysteries of the Gospel revealed to us that the Veile should be taken off and we should see the face of God in Christ what a matter of thankfulnesse is it to all gracious hearts that ever felt comfort by it Againe it is a Mysterie Therefore it should teach us likewise not to set upon the knowledge of it with any wits or parts of our owne to thinke to search into it meerely by strength of wit and study of Bookes and all humane helpes that can be it is a Mysterie and it must be unveiled by God himselfe by his Spirit If we set upon this Mysterie onely with wits and parts of our owne then what our wits cannot pierce into we will judge it not to be true as if our wits were the measure of Divine Truth so much as we conceive is true and so much as we cannot conceive is not true What a pride is this in flesh in wormes of the Earth that will make their owne apprehensions and conceits of things the measure of Divine Truth as Heretikes heretofore have done It was the fault of the Schoolemen in later times they would come with their Logick
are Angels even of children of little ones Nay let a man be never so poore even as Lazarus he shall have the attendance of Angels in life and death There is no Christian of low degree of the lowest degree that shall thinke himselfe neglected of God for the very Angels attend him as we see in Lazarus there is a generall commission for the least the little ones Likewise it may comfort us in all our extremities whatsoever in all our desertions the time may come beloved that we may be deserted of the world and deserted of our friends we may be in such straits as we may have no body in the world neere us Oh but if a man be a true Christian he hath God and Angels about him alway A Christian is a King he is never without his Guard that invisible Guard of Angels What if a man have no body by him when he dies but God and his good Angels to carry his soule to Heaven is he neglected Every Christian if he hath none else with him he hath God the whole Trinitie and the Guard of Angels to helpe and comfort him and to convey his soule to the place of happinesse Therefore let us never despaire let us never be disconsolate whatsoever our condition be we shall have God and good Angels with us in all our straits and extremities Goe thorow all the passages of our life we see how readie we are to fall into dangers In our infancie in our tender yeeres we are committed to their custodie after in our dangers they pitch their Tents about us as it is Psal. 34. The Angels of the Lord pitch their Tents about those that feare the Lord. In our conversion they rejoyce There is joy in Heaven at the conversion of a sinner At the houre of death as we see in Lazarus they are readie to convey our soules to the place of happinesse Lazarus soule was carryed by Angels into Abrahams bosome At the Resurrection they shall gather our dead bodies together it is the office of the Angels In Heaven they shall prayse and glorifie God together with us forever for Christ shall come with a multitude of heavenly Angels at the Day of Judgement when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints then we shall for ever glorifie God Saints and Angels together in Heaven Therefore in Heb. 12.22 it is said We are come to the innumerable multitude of Angels What is the meaning of that That is now in the New Testament by our communion with Christ we have association with the blessed Angels innumerable companie of Angels sayth the Holy-Ghost there we have association with them even from our infancie till we be in glory Indeed they are as Nurses They shall carry thee that thou dash not thy foot against a stone as it is Psal. 91. they keepe us from many inconveniencies But you will say Gods children fall into inconveniencies how then are they attended by Angels I answere First of all Gods Angels preserve those that are his from many inconveniencies that they know not of And certainely we have Devils about us continually and there is a conflict betwixt good Angels and Devils about us continually And when we doe fall into any inconvenience it is because we are not in our way if we goe out of our way they have not the charge over us they are to keepe us in our wayes And if they keepe us not from dashing our foot against a stone if they keepe us not from ill yet they keepe us in ill and deliver us out of ill at length for they deliver us not onely from evill that we fall not into it but they keepe us in ill and deliver us out of ill nay and by ill if we suffer in the custodie of Angels any inconveniencie it is that we may be tryed by it that we may be exercised and bettered by it There is nothing that falls out to Gods children in the world but they gaine by it whatsoever it is This therefore doth not prejudice the attendance of Angels Therefore let us comfort our selves in all conditions for our selves and for the State put ease it be brought to a very small number that the enemies were thousands more then wee many thousands and millions yet if we be in the Covenant of Grace and in good tearmes with God we have more for us then against us we shall have Angels fight for us You know Elisha's servant when he saw a multitude of enemies his eyes were opened to see a companie of Angels and sayth the Prophet there are more for us then against us So let us be to the eye of the world never so few and never so weake let us but have Elisha's eye the eye of Faith and we shall have his Guard about us alway and about the Common-wealth this should comfort us But then we must learne this dutie not to grieve these good Spirits As it is wondrous humilitie that they will stoupe to be servants to us that are of a weaker baser nature then they so it is wondrous patience that they will continue still to guard us notwithstanding we doe that that grieves those good spirits one motive to keepe us in the way of obedience that we doe not grieve those blessed spirits that are our Guard and attendance Let us consider when we are alone it would keepe us from many sinnes no eye of man seeth I but God seeth and conscience within seeth and Angels without are witnesses they grieve at it and the Devils about us rejoyce at it These meditations when we are sollicited to sinne would withdraw our minds and take up our hearts if we had a spirit of faith to beleeve these things Let us learne to make this use likewise to magnifie God that hath thus honoured us not onely to take our nature upon him to be manifest in the flesh but also to give us his owne attendance his owne Guard a Guard of Angeâ—s Indeed we are in Christ above Angels advanced higher then Angels what cause have we to prayse God How are we advanced above them We are the Spouse of Christ and so are not Angels they are under Christ as a Head of government and a Head of Influence they have strength and confirmation from Christ he is not a Head of redemption but of confirmation to them Saint Paul calls them elect Angels that stand they stand by Christ they have good by him but they are not the Spouse of Christ we are the Spouse and members of Christ He hath honoured our nature more then the Angelicall he did not take upon him the nature of Angels but of men and as he hath advanced us above Angels so his dispensation is that those glorious creatures should be our attendants for our good and they distaste not this attendance And this is that we should know what care God hath over us and
then any other Truth as the worke in Redemption is more glorious so the Divine grace and vertue in the soule that makes use of this which is Faith it must be more excellent then all other Graces whatsoever And as it must be God that must save and redeeme us so it must be God that must peswade the heart of this as Christ who is God must performe the worke of Redemption so it must be God the Holy-Ghost that must perswade the heart that God loves it so much and raise the heart to apprehend it and make use of it no lesse power will doe it Let us I say have great conceits of this excellent grace of Faith All men have not Faith it is a rare grace a rare jewell When Christ comes shall he find Faith in the world Certainely it is a Mysterie for a man to beleeve in Christ for a naturall man to be brought to rely upon Christ To you it is given to beleeve sayth the Apostle he might well say it is given it is no ordinarie gift neyther Therefore let us pray with the Disciples Lord increase our Faith and with the poore man in the Gospel Lord I beleeve helpe my unbeleefe The next thing I will touch shall be this That Faith is put here for all graces Here in these six Clauses of this great Mysterie of Godlinesse there is onely this one that is within us God manifest in the flesh justified in the Spirit seene of Angels preached to the Gentiles received up in glory these are all without us but this one beleeved on in the world that is onely within us and it is set downe in stead of all and indeed so it is for it drawes all other graces after it it enlivens and quickens the soule it is the spriâ—g of spirituall life in us it is the first grace of all There are some degrees of the Spirit perhaps before it but all graces have their quickening from Faith it infuseth supernaturall vigour into all the parts and powers of the soule and into all graces whatsoever Where Christ is beleeved on in the world all followes love and patience and courage and fortitude whatsoever as we see in Heb. 11. By Faith they had a good report they had a good report for patience and for courage and other good workes but all these came from Faith therefore by Faith they had a good report Therefore the acting of all other Graces it comes from Faith By Faith Enoch walked with God by Faâ—th Noah and Moses did so and so signifying that Faith is the ground of all Faith it fetcheth spirituall life from Christ for all whatsoever is good it knits us to the spring of life Christ it is the grace of union Even as Satan by unbeleefe did infuse all his poyson at the first for by making our first Parents stagger in the Word of God came sinne so by Faith all obedience comes all have their rising and beginning from Faith As it drawes spirituall life from Christ so the encouragements are by Faith to all other graces whatsoever for patience and love c. Faith must set before them the object and the reasons from the glory to come from the love of God in Christ when Faith propounds all this then it stirres and quickens all graces Faith yeelds strong reasons and discourse to stirre us up to whatsoever is necessarie Why do I hope for the glory to come I beleeve it first Why doe I love God I beleeve he is my Father in Christ all have strength from Love and that from Faith unlesse I beleeve that God loves me in Christ I cannot love him unlesse I love him I can expresse no vertue for him no patience no good worke so it puts life into all therefore it is here put for all beleeved on in the World It should stirre us up to make much of this Faith above all graces to desire it And being a Mystery and so excellent a grace we had need to discerne whether we have it or no therefore I will touch a few evidences some of them out of the Text. First if you beleeve it comes usually after Preaching We see here Preached to the Gentiles and then Beleeved on in the World Whence came thy Faith If not by the Ordinance of God thou mayest expect it to be a bastard Faith it hath not a right beginning especially if it be joyned with contempt of Gods Ordinance it is no Faith but a presumptuous conceit Preaching and Beleeving here goe one after another Therefore examine how thy Faith was wrought in thy heart Againe as I sayd Faith being a Mysterie in regard of such a world of opposition betweene the heart of man and Christ Satan helping the unbeleeving heart here must needs be a strife and conflict with Faith Therefore those men that never had conflict with their owne unbeleeving heart that never had conflict with Satans temptations they never had Faith for it is a Mystery to have Faith it is with opposition and conflict no grace hath the like conflict and opposition from Satan for Satan aymes in all sinnes to shake our Faith and affiance in Gods love As God aymes at the strengthening of Faith above all so the Devill hates it above all and in all temptations whatsoever he aymes to shake our Faith at the last Therefore there must needs be opposition to our selves and our owne doubting nature and to Satans temptations and to the course of things that sometimes are cleane opposite to a man for a sinner to beleeve the forgivenesse of sinnes for a miserable man to beleeve glory in the world to come for a dying man to beleeve life eternall for a man tumbled into the Grave to beleeve that he shall rise from the dead if there be no conflict with these things so opposite to Faith there is no Faith Then againe in the third place it is the spring of all obedience the Apostle calls it the obedience of Faith Rom. 1. All preaching is for the obedience of Faith obedience of Faith brings obedience of life and conversation Examine thy selfe therefore by the course of thy obedience by that that comes from Faith see what it workes in thy soule in thy life and conversation And here I might be very large for where Faith is First of all after it hath beene a meanes to justifie to lay hold upon the all-sufficient righteousnesse of Christ to stand betweene God and us to cloath and cover our soules then it pacifieth the conscience Being justified by Faith we have peace with God through Iesus Christ our Lord. Faith hath a quieting power it quiets the soule because it propounds to the soule a sufficient satisfaction in God-man it propounds to the soule Christ sealed by God the Father having done all that is necessary to salvation it sets downe the soule for he was God and therefore able and man and therefore willing to save Faith
then he could doe if he were on the Earth if the Sun were lower what wouâ—d become of the Earth But being so remote and so farre above he hath opportunity to shine over the greatest part of the Earth at once being greater then the Earth he shineth over more then halfe the Earth at once Christ being in Heaven as the Sunne of Righteousnesse he shines more gloriously over all and we have more comfort and benefit and influence from Christ now in Heaven then we could if he were on Earth Must we needs make him bodily present every where as the Papists doe and other Heterodox strange conceited men in Germanie What need we doe thus when there may be influence from Christ now in Heaven to us on Earth as we see in other things without confusion of his Divine properties to his Body or making his Body as his God-head is Therefore seeke him not bodily any where but in Heaven Those Opinions overthrow three Articles of our Faith at once He ascâ—nded into Heaven He sitteth at the right hand of God and He shall come to judge the quicke and the dead And where is his Body in the meane time in the Sacrament No he is received up in glory Therefore we must have our thoughts in heaven when we are about that businesse we must lift up our hearts as it is in our Liturgie which is taken out of the ancient Liturgie We lift them up unto the Lord we must have holy thoughts raysed up to Christ in Heaven Againe is Christ received up to glory Here is singular comfort considering what I said before that he is ascended as a publike person in our behalfe in our nature for our good Therefore when we thinke of Christ in Heaven think of our Husband in Heaven thinke of our selves in Heaven We are set together in heavenly places with Christ as the Apostle saith Ephes. 2. We have a glorious life but it is hid with Christ in Heaven When Christ himselfe shall be revealed our life shall be revealed though we creepe upon the Earth as wormes yet notwithstanding we have communion and fellowship with Christ who is joyned with us in the same Mysticall Body who is now at the right hand of God in Heaven and he that hath glorified his naturall Body in Heaven that he tooke upon him he will glorifie his Mysticall Body for he tooke flesh and blood his naturall Body for the glory of his Mysticall Body that he might bring his Church to glory Therefore we ought as verily to beleeve that he will take his Mysticall Body and every particular member of it to Heaven as he hath taken his naturall Body and hath set it there in glory It is a comfort in the houre of death that we yeeld up our soules to Christ who is gone before to provide a place for us this was one end of his taking up to Heaven to provide a place for us Therefore when we die we have not a place to seeke our house is provided before hand Christ was taken up to glory to provide glory for us Even as Paradise was provided for Adam before he was made so we have a heavenly Paradise provided for us we had a place in Heaven before we were borne What a comfort is this at the houre of death and at the death of our friends that they are gone to Christ and to glory We are shut out of the first Paradise by the first Adam our comfort is that now the heavenly Paradise in Christ is open This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise sayth Christ to the good Theefe There was an Angell to keepe Paradise when Adam was shut out but there is none to keepe us out of Heaven nay the Angels are ready to convey our soules to Heaven as they did Lazarus and as they accompanied Christ in his Ascension to Heaven so they doe the soules of his children Likewise in our sinnes and infirmities when we have to deale with God the Father whom we have offended with 〈◊〉 sinnes let he 〈…〉 comfort from hence Christ is ascended into Heaven to appeare before his Father 〈◊〉 a Mediator for us and therefore God turnes 〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉 from us we have a friend a favorite in the Court of Heaven the Sonne of God himselfe at his Fathers right hand he makes inteâ—â—â—ssioâ— for us As Ionathan appeareth in 〈◊〉 Court to speake a good word and to plead for David so our Ionathan Iesus Christ but with farre better successe appeares in the Court of Heaven for us continuing our peace with God in our daily breaches perfuming our prayers And there is no danger of his death for He is a Priest for ever at the right hand of God to make intercession for us his very presenting himselfe in Heaven speaks for us As if he should say These persons that aske in my Name they are such persons as I was borne for such as I obeyed for such as I dyed for such as I was sent into the world to work the great wolke of Redemption for for he wrought our Redemption in his abased estate but he applyes it as he is exalted application is as necessary as merit we have no good by the worke of Redemption without application and for that end he appeares in heaven for us and pleads for us For even as there is speech attributed to Abels blood it cryed Vengeance Vengeance so Christ appearing now in heaven for us his blood cryes Mercie Mercie these are those I shed my blood for Mercie Lord The very appearing of him that shed his blood it cryes for mercy at the Throne of Mercie which is therefore a Throne of Mercie because he is there he shed his blood to satisfie Justice to make way for Mercie In the Law the High-Priest after he had offered a Sacrifice of blood he was to goe into the Holy of Holies so Christ after he had offered himself for a Sacrifice he went into the Holy of Holies into heaven to appeare before God And as the High-Priest when he went into the Holy of Holies he had the names of the twelve Tribes on his brest to shew that he appeared before God for them all so Christ being gone into the Holy of Holies into heaven he hath all our names upon his brest that is in his heart the name of every particular beleever to the end of the world to present them before God Therefore when we have to deale with God thinke of Christ now glorious in heaven appearing for us God can denie him nothing nor denie us any thing that we aske in his Name we have his Promise for it It is a ground likewise of contentment in all conditions whatsoever our wants be What if we want comfort houses c. on Earth when we have Heaven provided for us and Glory provided for us when we are already so glorious in our Head Shall not any condition content a man in this world
thoughts of that will be a good meanes for we must empty our selves of that we are that we may be filled with that we are not and we must daily consider the emptinesse of the creature wherewith we labour to support our selves For when men have no goodnesse in themselves they will have an excellency in the creature therefore when wee see our selves out of Christ to be nothing but fuell for Gods vengeance and see that the creature can afford us nothing but vexation these thoughts that these things are so and out of experience will make us draw neere to God upon all occasions it will make us glorifie him and abase our selves what made Iob abase himselfe and glorifie God when he drew neere to God and God drew neere to him I abhorre my selfe and so we see in Abraham Let us draw neere to God upon all occasions in the Word and Prayer and in the Sacrament and this will make us see our owne nothingnesse and Gods greatnesse for that is the way to honour him to see his greatnesse and a nothingnesse in the creature that all things in him are so excellent and out of him nothing and worse then nothing Now wee are to draw neere to God in the Sacrament and the neerer to God the more we honour him who honours God most surely Christ because he is so neere him being God and man in one Person and next to him the blessed Angels glorifie God they are neere him therefore in Isay 6. they cover their faces it being impossible for the creature to comprehend the great Majestie of God and they cover their feet in modesty the neerer we draw to God in the meditation and consideration of his excellencie in the ordinances the more humble and abased wee shall be in our selves and the more we shall honour God seeing his excellency especially of his love So next to the Angels the Saints All thy workes praise thee Psal. 145. They give matter and occasion but Thy Saints blesse thee If it were not for a few Saints on earth though all the workes of God are matter of praise they could not praise God Thy Saints blesse thee and the neerer we come to God the fitter we are for this Now there is a wondrous neere comming to God in the Sacrament if we come prepared we come to have communion and strengthening in Christ he is both the Inviter and the Feast it selfe we come to be made one with him bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh therefore if wee come prepared this is the way to bring us to a disposition to glorifie God you see here the wondrous infinite love of God in the Sacrament to stoupe so low to his creature to strengthen our faith by giving us these things God had beene good to us whether he had given us his Oath and his Seale or no but he knowes we are weake and unbeleeving and doubting therefore to helpe us he hath given us not onely his promise but his Oath and besides his Oath hee hath given us signes and Seales here is wondrous mercy Let us be encouraged to come in and admire the love of God not onely in giving his Sonne Christ for us but in affording us other meanes to strengthen our faith Let none be discouraged in the sight and sense of their owne sinnes but let them come in and they shall glorifie God the more where sinne hath abounded in their sence and feeling there grace shall more abound And those that have beene good and have slipped any way let them consider Gods infinite love in Christ it is not a Cisterne but a Spring Gods mercy in Christ and the blood of Christ is a Fountaine opened for Iudah c. that is it serves not for our first conversion onely but every day upon every occasion when we have made any breach with God we may come and wash in that Bath Christs blood The blood of Christ purgeth it is in the present tense it runnes continually in the vigour of it There is a spring of corruption in us there is a Spring of mercy in God there is a Spring of Christs blood that hath a perfect efficacy to wash our soules Therefore if we have not yet beene converted and humbled and cast downe â—or our sinnes let us now come in and give God the glory of his mercy and if we have fallen againe consider there is a Fountaine opened for Iudah and Ierusalem to wash in and let us come and renew our repentance and faith at this time Peace on Earth The same holy affection in the Angels that moved them to wish God to have his due of glory from the creature it moves them to wish peace to men likewise to shew this by the way that There can be no true zeale of Gods glory but with love to man-kind They were not so ravished with the glory of God as to forget poore man on earth oh no they have sweet pure affections to man a poorer creature then themselves Therfore let them that are injurious and violent in their dispositions and insolent in their carriage never talke of glorifying God when they despise and wrong men there are some that overthrow all peace in the earth for their owne glory but he that seekes Gods glory will procure peace what he can for they goe both together as we see here Glory to God in the highest peace on earth Now their end of wishing peace upon earth it is that men might thereby glorifie God that God being reconciled and peace being stablished in mens consciences they might glorifie God hence observe this likewise that We cannot glorifie God till we have some knowledge of our peace with him in Christ. We must have the first act to cast our selves upon Gods mercy in Christ and adhere and cleave to that mercy and then we shall feele so much comfort as shall make us glorifie God though we may question it in desertion sometimes here the Angels intending that God should have glory of all they wish peace on earth in the consciences of men especially The reason is peace comes from righteousnesse Christ is first the King of righteousnesse and then King of peace righteousnesse causeth peace now unlesse the soule be assured of righteousnesse in Christ it can have no peace what saith the Virgin Mary My soule doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit rejoyceth in God my Saviour she begins with magnifying the Lord but what was the ground she rejoyced in God as a Saviour therefore she magnified him so in the Lords Prayer wee say Our Father which is a word of the Covenant of grace when the soule conceives of God as a gracious Father reconciled in Christ and then comes Hallowed be thy Name insinuating that till we know in some measure God to be our Father we cannot with a gracious spirit say Hallowed be thy Name for can we heartily wish for the manifestation of the glory of
ready to serve the Lord of Hosts against his enemies as hee saith Isay 1. Ah I will be avenged on mine enemies Indeed here God shewes his patience and our long life that we thinke a great favour It is a treasuring up of wrath against the day of wrath and then when Gods wrath comes at the day of Judgement when God hath forsaken sinfull men when God the Judge of all hath said depart ye cursed no creature shall minister them the least comfort the Sunne shall shine upon them no more the earth shall beare them no longer as wee see Dives hee had not a drop of water to comfort him in those flames therefore if wee be not at peace with the Lord of Hosts every creature is ready to be in armes against us As for the Devils they will be ready to be tormentors they that are incentives to sinne will be tormentors for sinne afterwards As for the Church what comfort can a wicked man looke for from the Church whom he hath despised and whose Ministery he hath rejected And for the damned spirits they are all in that cursed condition with himselfe therefore Where shall the ungodly appeare ere long whence shall hee hope for comfort neither from God nor Angels nor Devils nor wicked men nor good men none of them all will yeeld him a dram of comfort Let us not therefore delude our selves but get into Christ get into the Arke in time that when any publike calamity shall come wee may be safe in Christ if wee be at peace with God by repentance of sinnes and by faith in Christ every thing will minister thoughts of comfort to us we cannot thinke of God but as our Father of Christ as our Redeemer and reconciler that hath brought God and us together the Holy-Ghost takes upon him the terme of a comforter for such Angels they are ministring Spirits as for the Church it selfe Gods people they all have a common stocke of prayers for us every one that saith Our Father thinks of us and all other things they are at peace with us as Iob saithâ— The stones in the street nay the stone in a mans body the terrible pangs that comes from that disease they have a blessing upon them in the greatest extremities a soule that is at peace with God however God doe not deliver him from the trouble yet he delivers and supports him in the trouble and as the troubles increase so his comforts increase and the very troubles themselves are peace with him all worke for the best to them that love God And in the greatest confusions and tumults of States yet the righteous is affraid of no ill tydings Psal. 112. Because his heart is fixed upon Gods love in Christ. The wicked when warre and desolation and signes of Gods anger appeare from heaven they shake as the trees of the Forrest as a wicked Ahaz Isay 7. as Belshazzer when there is but a feare of trouble how did he know that the hand-writing was against him it was nothing but this naughty conscience hee knew not what it was till it was expounded so when any troubles comes upon wicked men their consciences upbraâ—d them with their former life their knees knocke together and they grow pale as Belshazzar oh the misery of a man that hath not made his peace with God in the evill day and the comfort of a man that hath there is the difference betweene godly and ungodly man consider them in calamities the one is at peace with God in the middest of all calamities and troubles nay as I said even troubles themselves are peaceable to him Yea when death comes which is the upshot of all the sting of it is taken away and it is for our greatest good he that hath made his peace with God hee can say with old Simeon Lord now let thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seene thy salvation mine eyes have seene Christ with the eye of â—aith he is willing to yeeld his soule to God because he is at peace with God their graves are their beds and their soules rest with God they dye in peace and commend their soules to God as to a faithfull Creator with a great deale of confidence as Saint Paul saith I have fought the good fight I have kept the faith I have runne my race henceforth is reserved for me a Crowne of righteousnesse and not for me onely but for all those that love the blessed and glorious appearing of Christ oh the comsort of a gracious soule in the houre of death that hath made its peace with God when the King of feares death shall looke with a gastly terrible looke upon men that have not made their peaâ—e but to the other it is the end of misery the in let to eternall happinesse Blessed are those that dye in the Lord in the peace of the Lord They rest from their labours from the labour of sinne of callings of afflictions there is no resting till then Saint Paul himselfe was troubled with the remainders of sinne with afflictions and troubles of his calling but blessed are they that dye in the peace of God in Christ they rest from their labours And after death what comfort are those in that have made their peace with God in Christ then their Saviour is to be their Judge hee that makes intercession for them in heaven will be their Judge and will the head give sentence against the members the Husband against the Wife and Spouse oh no therefore the godly have comfortable and sweet thoughts of those blessed times that astonisheth wicked men they have a glorious expectation of the times to come they cannot thinke of death and judgement when their soules are in a good frame without much comfort Lift up your heads for your redemption drawes neere Therefore let us not conceive sleightly of this peace it is not a freedome from petty ills and an advancement to a little good but it is a freedome from ills that are above nature from the wrath of God before which no creature can stand no not the Angels themselves from hell and damnation the curse of God from the Kingdome of Satan it is a freedome from that condition that all the powers of the world shall tremble at how can they stand before the Anger of God and it is an advancement to the greatest good a freedome from bondage an advancement to Son-â—hip therefore let us have high thoughts of this peace as the Angels had when they sang Glory to God on high on earth peace Good will towards men Divers Copies have it otherwise On Earth peace to men of good will some have it Good will towards men the sence is not much different Peace on earth To men of Gods good will of Gods good pleasure that God hath a pleasure to save or good will towards men of Gods good pleasure Peace on earth to men of Gods good will
Christ doth hide himselfe under the person of the poore the poore man reacheth out his hand indeed but Christ receives that that we give and â—hey are Christs exchangers for they take from us and Christ rewards us with grace and increase of our substance here with glory hereafter they receive it instead of Christ and Christ begs in the person of the poore in all joyntly and in every one particularly Think of the grace of Christ to us and then think Christ comes to me in the person of this or that poore man and it will stir us up to this duty But some will say if Christ were on Earth himselfe I should be ready to doe it to him Certainly thou wouldst not you know the place Matth. 25. In as much as you have not relieved these you have denied it to me saith Christ let us not deceive our selves for even as we would do â—o Christ if he were on earth we will doe to his poore members he hath made them his receivers But I shall want my selfe I have a family and children It is the best way to provide for thy children Psalme 112. God provides for the posterity of the righteous bounteous man A man is not the poorer for discreet mercy It is seed as I said before a poore man labours to have his seed sowne because it returnes plentifully Let us be sober and abate of our superfluous expences pride is an expender and superfluous lusts let us cut off from them that we may have somewhat for seed let us labour in an honest calling that we may have somewhat to give Oh it is a blessed thing to give It is a thing that must be gotten by use our soules must be exercised to it and when we have gotten it learne an art of giving we must exercise faith in it And when we come to dye it will make us dye wondrous sweetly for when a man hath depended by faith and trust upon Gods promise that He that gives to the poore lends to the Lord and other like promises I have exercised liberality and now I come to give up my soule to God I beleeve that God will make good the promise of life everlasting I have beleeved his other promises before and though I have cast my seed into the ground that I saw it not yet I have found that God hath blessed me the better in a way that I know not and now I depend upon the same gracious God in the promise of life everlasting We should labour to doe this that we may die with comfort What is it that troubles many when they come to dye Oh they have not wrought out their salvation with feare and trembling they have neglected this duty and that duty they have bene carelesse in the workes of mercy c. The time will come that that which wee have given will comfort us more then that we have we shall alway have that which we give for that goes in bâ—nck many prayers are made for us we have the comfort of it here and when we dye what we leave we know not what becomes of it Therefore let us labour to be discreetly large and bountifull as we desire to dye with comfort as we would make it good that we know The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ with interest in it and as we would make it good to our soules that the example of Christ is a thing that hath any efficacy with us or else wee shew that wee have no interrest in the grace of Christ and then how miserable are we We shall wish ere long that wee had part in this grace and love of Christ that he would speak comfortably to us at the latter day Come ye blessed of my Father inherit a kingdome Our life is short and uncertaine as we shall desire it then so labour to be assured of it now and let us bee stirred up from this Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ who though he were rich became poore for our sakes that we through his poverty might be made rich FINIS THE RICH POVERTY OR THE POORE MANS RICHES By the late Learned and Reverend Divine RICHARD SIBBS Dr. in Divinity Master of Katharine-Hall in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher at GRAIES-INNE Matth. 5.3 Blessed are the poore in spirit Iames 2.5 Hath not God chosen the poore of this world rich in faith LONDON Printed by R. Badger for N. Bourne at the Royall Exchange and R. Harford at the gilt Bible in Queenes-head Alley in Pater-Noster Row 1638. THE RICH POVERTY OR The Poore-mans Riches ZEPH. 3.12 â— will also leave in the middest of thee an afflicted and poore people and they shaâ—â— trust in the name of the LORD BEfore the Captivity in Babylon God sent Prophets to his people as Ieremiah and among the rest Zephaniah likewise who lived in the time of Iosias to forewarne and fore-arme them against worse times And as the Contents of all other Prophesies are for the most part these three so of this They are either such expressions and prophesies as set forth the sins of the people or secondly the judgments of God thirdly comfort to the remnant to Gods people so these be the parts of this prophesie A laying open of the sins of the time under so good a Prince as Iosias was and likewise the jâ—dgments of God denounced and then in this third Chapter especially here is comfort set downe for the good people that then lived the comfort begins at the ninth verse This particular verse is a branch of the comfort that how ever God dealt with the world he would be sure to have a care of his owne I will leave in the middest of thee an afflicted and poore people and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. The whole Scripture is for consolation and comfort when God pulls downe it is that he may build up when he purgeth it is that he may cure and heale he is the father of comfort whatsoever he doth it is for comfort therefore he hath a speciall care in his Prophets and Ministers and Ambassadours that those that belong to him may be raised up with comfort and not be overmuch dejected and cast downe but to come to the words I will also leave in the middest of thâ—e c. In the words these three generall heads First Gods dealing with his poore Church when he comes to visit the world I will leave in the middest of thee Secondly their condition and 〈…〉 they are an afflicted and poore people Thirdly their practise and carriage towards God they shall trust in the name of the Lord. From the first Gods dealing with his people in the worst times we may observe first that There is a difference of the people both in regard of providence in this world and in regard of that love that tends to the world to come for God hath a more speciall care as we
in themselves want of grace and comfort surely they will goe out of themselves they will goe to Gods market they will attend upon the meanes He that is like to be arrested for debt and hath nothing at home it is time for him to seeke abroad for supply so when a man is poore spiritually ready to bee snared and catched in every thing for want of spirituall grace he will labour for strength in the use of all means Therefore those that are of a Laodicean stamp that thinke there is too much preaching and too much hearing and too much reading and what need all this adoe Alas they were never humbled they were never sensible of their state by nature nor are not yet in the state of grace for the soule of a true Christian is alway in the state of spirituall poverty as that it relisheth spirituall meanes and is not fed with husks A soule that is spiritually poore will dâ—scerne in the use of means this is flourishing this is for the eare this is conceits alas it comes for food for supply A poore soule that findes the want of grace and strength and comfort it judgeth of the meanes by what it findes there will be a use of all meanes and likewise some ability to taste where there is true poverty of spirit Againe where this inward poverty of spirit is it will make Gods children wondrous thankfull and thankful for a little grace A poore man that is sensible of his poverty will be more thankfull for a penny then another man for a pound that hath money of his owne A soule that sees the want of grace and withall sees the excellency of grace is thankfull to God that hee will worke any thing in such a poore defiled soule as hee is that hee will worke any good motions any good affections any degree of faith that he will give him any assurance of salvation Oh hee thinkes what a good God is this Hee breakes out with the Apostles Peter and Paul that had both beene sinners themselves and found grace oh they were much in thankefulnesse Blessed be God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ c. A thankfull soule is a poore soule and a poore soule is alway a thankfull soule Hee that is poore hee knowes hee hath little and deserves little therefore knowing that hee deserves nothing he is thankfull for and content with any thing a humble man is alway thankfull and that is the reason that GOD may have his glory from him hee is forced sometimes to humble and abase him hee should have no sacrifice from him else A proud man a conceited man so dotes upon his owne worth hee forgets the giver he makes himselfe an idoll to him therefore such they are usurpers of what they have they enter upon GODS blessings not considering from whom they have them nor for what end they have them They deny God his tribute of thankfulnesse because they are proud but a man that is poore in spirit he enters upon all by title of gift and receives all from God in the forme of a poore man therefore whatsoever hee hath hee returnes thankes for it againe An unthankfull soule therefore is a proud soule a thankfull soule is an humble abased soule alway and the more humble and empty the soule is the more thankfull it is for every degree of grace and comfort Againe a soule that is thus disposed that is poore in spirit it is willing to resigne it selfe to Christs governement with selfe-denyall of any thing it is able to doe of it selfe it is ready to say Lord I have neither wit of mine owne to governe my selfe nor any strength and ability of mine own therefore I put my selfe upon thy government I desire to follow thy light and to goe on in thy strength There is alway a resignation to Christs government and that in feare and trembling for whom we resigne our selves unto surely wee will have a care not to displease them A dependant life is alway an awfull life for when a man hath resigned himselfe to the governement of another and knowes hee must depend upon him hee will have a care not to displease such an one for hee thinkes if I displease him hee will withdraw his maintenance and countenance from me and then what am I so the soule that thinkes it hath all from God and from the spirit of Christ it resignes it selfe to the spirit of Christ and withall it is wondrous fearefull not to grieve and displease the Spirit for hee thinkes with himselfe my life is but a dependant life my graces are but dependant let God but withdraw the beames of his Spirit and I sinke let him withdraw his comfort and his strength what am I nothing but darkenesse and deadnesse and confusion Those therefore that give not themselves up to Christs governement but are governed by rules of policy by the example of others and have base dependance upon others they know not what spirituall poverty is they see there is a sufficiency in themselves to rule and governe themselves as if Christs wisedome were not sufficient they are not so disposed as the Apostle requires they worke not out their salvation with feare and trembling because God gives the will and the deed The meaning is this wee should worke out our salvation with a holy feare and trembling a jealous feare a sonne-like feare lest we displease God why he gives both the will and the deed hee gives both the will to doe good and when he hath done that he gives the ability of the deed it selfe We cannot doe any thing therefore we had need to walke in an awfull condition and not displease him in any thing lest he withdraw the assistance of his Spirit and leave us to our selves and then we shall fall to his dishonour to the discredit of religion to the wasting of our own comfort and the advantage of Sathan This is the temper of a man that is poore in spirit he gives himselfe up to Christs government and depends upon it and thereupon he is wondrous fearefull to displease him in any thing There are a company that know not what belong to this that hope to be saved by Christ and yet they will grieve the Spirit they will venture into any place upon any sight into any company but if ever they had beene acquainted with the government of Christs Spirit they would know what it was to grieve the Spirit and the Spirit would grieve them too it is a signe they have not the Spirit of God because he doth not check them when they have done Therefore your adventurous carelesse persons that are indifferent for all things for all companies and places that do not watch over themselves and over their words and carriages they have not this poverty of spirit for then they would know what it were to displease God in any thing to walke and to speak loosely because hereby they grieve the spirit and
hath made his will knowne It is presumptuous boldnesse to challenge any thing of God that we have not a promise for or to attribute that to him that he is not God is therefore trusted as he hath made himselfe by some name knowne to us He hath made himselfe knowne by his attributes by his nature and essence Iehovah and by his word and the promises in his word for his word is one of the best sweetest names whereby he hath made himselfe knowne The name of God is glorious in all the world in the creation and every creature hath a tongue to shew forth the power and wisdome and goodnesse of God but what is this to us if we know not the will of God toward us There is the name of God discovered what he is in himselfe somthing of his power and wisdome c. But what he is to us gracious and mercifull and sweet that we must gather out of the discovery of his owne breast He must come out of that light that none can attaine unto and discover himselfe as he hath done in his word and by this name of God his word we come to make use of his other names The next thing I will speake of is the improovement of God when he is knowne to trust in him to pitch our trust and confidence upon him They shall trust in the name of the Lord. For there must be an application of the soule to God we must lay our soules upon God though hee be a Rock yet wee must lay our soules upon him and though he be a foundation yet we must build upon him and his truth revealed There is an adaequate comfort in God and in the Scriptures and superabundant too to all our necessities whatsoever it transcends them all there is more in the spring then we want ourselves yet notwithstanding there must bee grace in the soule to repaire to God there must be an hand an empty beggers hand such as faith is to reach that helpe that God yeeldes there must bee a wing to flye to our Tower the wing of the soule is this trust and faith and when these two meet faith or trust and GOD What a sweet meeting is there For emptinesse and fulnesse poverty and riches weaknesse and strength â—o meet together these will graspe sweetly for the excellency and al sufficiency of the one and the necessity of the other meeting together breeds a sweet correspondency Wee must trust therefore in the Name of the LORD that is the way to improve whatsoever is in God for our good Faith the nature of it is after it hath applied it selfe to the grounds of comfort to draw vertue and strength from God Of it selfe it is the most beggerly grace of all Love is a rich grace but yet notwithstanding in the covenant of grace wherein grace and mercy must have the glory God hath stablished such a grace to rule there as ascribes all out of it selfe and is an empty grace of it selfe to make use of the riches that is ouâ— of it selfe therefore God hath made choice of this trusting instead of all other graces as indeed leading to all other graces whatsoever God brings us home by a contrary way to that we fell from him How did we fall from God at the first that was our Rock our defence and trust We fell from him by distrust by having him in a jealousie as if he aimed more at himselfe then at our good so the Devill perswaded our first parents the next way therefore to come back againe to God it must be to have a good conceit of God not to have him in jealousie but to be convinced in our soules that he loves us better then we can love our selves in spight of the Devill and all his temptations so to trust God is to relye upon him in life and death therefore God hath appointed this grace as he saith here They shall trust in the name of the Lord. Now because we all pretend that we trust in the name of the Lord. We will first examine our trust let us try our trust a little that wee may see whether it be true trust or no. And then upon that we will give some directions how to come to this blessed condition to trust in the name of the Lord. For the first I doe not take trust here for the first faith which is the grace of union to receive Christ but for the exercise of faith afterwards in a Christians life so we speak of it as a fruit rather that comes from faith And wee may know our trust in the name of the Lord being now conceived as a gracious Father in Christ clothed with the relation of a father for so we must trust him not God â—â—solutely for there is no comfort in an absolute God distinct from his relations but when we apprehend him in relation as a sweet Father in Christ in that name then the nature of God is lovely to us betweene whom and us there was an infinite distance before Now Christ being Emanuel God with us hath brought God and us together intermes of league Now our nature is lovely to God in Christ because it is taken to the unity of his person and Gods nature is lovely to us having made himselfe a father in Christ his beloved Sonne Therefore when we speak of God our thoughts must runne upon God as thus conceived as clothing himselfe with the sweet terme of Father our God in covenant we must so apprehend him Now one evidence of this trust in this our God is a care to please him in all things When we depend upon any men wee have a care to please them A tenant that feares to be thrust our will strive to please his Landlord We that hold all upon this tenure upon faith and trust in God we should feare to displease him And there will be likewise an use of all meanes to serve Gods providence and care of us if wee trust in him or else it is a tempting and not a trusting There are no men more carefull of the use of meanes then those that are surest of a good issue and conclusion for the one stirs up diligence in the other assurance of the end stirs up diligence in the meanes For the soule of a beleeving Christian knowes that God hath decreed both both fall under the same decree when God purâ—â—â—ed to doe sâ—ch a thing he purposed to do it by such and such meanes Trust therefore is with diligence in the use of all meanes that God hath ordained He that trusts a Physicians skill will be very carefull to observe what was prescribed and will omit nothing It is but presumption it is not trust where there is not a care in the use of meanes as wee see many pretend to trust in God and sever the means from the end they are regardlesse of the meanes of salvation Againe those that trust in God
they are quiet when they have used the meanes Faith hath a quieting power it hath a power to still the soule and to take up the quarrels and murmuring and grudgings that are there and to set the soule down quiet because it proposeth to the soule greater grounds of comfort then the soule can see any cause of dâ—scomfort the soule being reasonable yeelds to the strengâ—h of the reason Now when faith propounds grand comforts against all discouragements whatsoever that overcomes them that is gâ—eater in the way of comfort then other things in the way of discouragement the soule is quiet it hopes comfort will be had the soule is silent and at rest We see in Psal. 43. when there was a muâ—iny in Davids soule by reason of the perplexed state he was in he fals a chiding downright with his soule Why art thou disquieted O my soule and why art thou troubled But how doth he take up the contention Trust in God he is thy God So that wheresoever there is faith there is a quiet soul first or last there wil be stirring at the first the waters of the soule will not be quiet presently As in a paire of ballance there will be a little stirring when the weight is puâ— in â—ill there will be poise so in the soule there will be some stirring and moving it comes not to a quiet consistance till there be some victory of faith with some conflict till at length it rest and stay the soule for this power faith hath to quiet the soule because it bottomes the soule so strongly there is reason for it it sets the soule upon God and upon his promises Therfore he that trusts in God is as mount Sion you may stir him sometime and move him but you cannot remove him the soule is quiet because it is pitched upon a quiet object Therefore where there is cherishing of disturbance in the soule and cherishing of doubts there is no faith or very little faith because it is the property of faith to silence the soule and to make quiet where it comes This is one evidence and signe of true faith And this is discerned especially in times of great trouble for then the soule of the righteous is not disquieted as you have it in Psal. 112. His heart is fixed therefore he is not afraid of ill tydings And therefore this evidence to the â—est that faith as it hath a quieting power so it hath a power to free the soule from all base feares from the tyranny of base feare There will some fearâ— arise we carry flesh about us and flesh will alway be full of objections and trouble our peace but notwithstanding it will free the soule this trusting in God from the tyranny and dominion of base feares If any newes or tydings be of any great hard matter I beseech you who hath his soule best composed at that time A sound Christian that hath made his peace with God that hath hiâ— trust in God that knowes what it is to make usâ— of God to repaire to him But for another man 〈◊〉 the time of extremity and trouble he runâ—â—â—â—â—ther and thither he hath not a tower to go unto he hath no place of refuge to repaire to Therefore hee is worse then the poore silly creatures there is not a creature but hath a retyring place The poore Conies have the Rocks to go unto and the Birds have their Nests and every creature when night or danger approacheth they have their hiding places only a wicked carelesse man that hath not acquainted himself with God when troubles come he hath no hiding nor no abiding place but lyes open to the storme of Gods displeasure therefore he is surprized with feares and cares and pulled in peeces with distractions he is as a Meteor that hangs in the cloudes he cannot tell which way to fall But a Christian is not such a Meteor he fals square which way soever he fals cast him which way you will for his soule is fixed he hath laid his soule upon his God We see the difference in this betweene Saul and David when David was in trouble he trâ—sted in the Lord his God when he was ready to be stoned what doth Saul when he was in trouble he goes to the Witch and from thence to the swords point Againe where there is this excellent grace of trusting in God and the soule is calmed by the Spirit of God to relye upon God in covenant as a Father in Chirst it will relye upon God without meanes and when all things seeme contrary So the Spirit of God will difference a Christian from a naturall man that will goe so farre as his braine can reach if he can see how things can be compassed he will trust God as if God had not a larger comprehension then hee Where hee sees no way or meanes to contrive a deliverance nor no meanes to satisfie his desire there the soule of a naturall man sinkes and fals downe a polititian will go as far as reason can carry him But a Christian when he sees no meanes he knowes God can make meanes now when all things are opposite if he hath a word of God he will trust God even against the present state and face of things as Iob saith Though he kill me yet will I trust in him Therefore in the sense of sin because there is a promise to sinners that if they confesse their sinnes God will pardon them he will beleeve the foâ—givenesse of sins though he feele the guilt of sinne And in misery he will beleeve an evasion and escape and that God will support him in it because God hath so promised And in darknesse when he sees no light as it is Esay 50.10 in such a state hee will trust in God As a childe in the darke claspes about his faâ—ther so a childe of God in darknesse when he sees no light he will claspe about his God and breake thorow the clouds that are between God and his soule as indeed faith hath a piercing eye it pulls off the vizard of Gods face though he seeme angry yet he will beleeve he is in covenant and he is a Father Therefore though God shew himselfe in his dealing as offended yet he argues God may be offended with me but he cannot hate me there is hope Faith where it is in any strength it will beleeve in contraries In death when a man is turned to rottennesse and dust faith apprehends life and resurrection and glory to come it will trust in Gods meanes or no meanes if it hath a promise Againe he that trusts in God truly will trust him for all things and at all times For all things for faith never chooseth and singleth out its object to beleeve this and not that for all comes from the same God therefore he that trusts God for one thing will trust him for all things If I will trust a man for many pounds surely
I will trust him for a shilling He that pretends he will trust God God will save me God is mercifull and yet notwithstanding will not trust him for common things it is an abusive delusion and flatering of his owne soule in vaine there is no such trust in him because he that trusts God for the maine will trust him for the lesse Therefore true trust is for all things he that trusts God for forgivenesse of sinnes which is the maine and hath wrestled with God for the forgivenesse of sinnes and found peace with God there he will easily wrestle in other baser and lesse temptations As God saith to Iacob Thou art Israel thou hast prevailed with God and shalt prevaile over men so a true Christian that in the grand point of forgivenesse of sinnes when his conscience is surprized with the feare of Gods wrath hath gotten assurance of the pardon of his sinnes when hee is to set upon other lesser temptations he overcomes them easily Therefore a Christian will trust God as for forgivenesse of sins and life everlasting so with his good name Oh will some say you will be reported of thus thus he cares not he knowes the cause is just he will trust his good name with God Who will bring a mans righteousnesse forth cleare as the noone day as David speakes He that will not trust God with his good name is of a base spirit and feare of disgrace keepes many men from many just actions He that truly trusts God will trust him with the righting of his cause hee will not pull Gods office out of his hands he will not revenge himselfe but he will trust God God certainly will right me first or last he will only use the legall meanes and that quietly But a man that is not acquainted with the Spirit of God is presently moved with revenge and hath not learned to overcome himselfe in this conflict A man hath gone indeed very far in religion that can conquer himselfe in this conflict that can trust his cause with God when he is wronged and overcome by might c. So our Saviour Christ committed his cause to him that was able to judge righteously Every true Christian hath the Spirit of Christ hee when hee was reviled retorted not againe but committed the cause to him that was able to judge righteously Shall I be able to commit my soule to God in the houre of death and shall I not in case of revenge be able to commit my case to God when I have done that that peaceably I may doe I may suspect that I am but yet an hypocrite I have not true trust in God Againe he that hath learned truly to trust God for the grand maine matters he will trust him likewise with his posterity with his children without using indirect meanes to make them rich as if they could not be blessed unlesse they have such a portion put into their hand when we dye as 〈◊〉 God had not stock enough for them for the Earth is thâ— Lords and the fulnesse therof And he is the God of the faithfull and of their seed Is he so Then let us labour to leave our children in covenant leave them in a gracious frame and state of soule that they may be Gods children and then wee leave them rich for we leave them God alsufficient to be their portion Therefore those that pretend I do this but for my posterity and children when they are unjust and unconscionable in their getting they make this defence for their unbeliefe if they had true faith as they trust God with their soules as they pretend at least so they would with their children and posterity Againe he that trusts God truly will trust God with his gifts with the distribution of his almes with parting with that hee hath for the present when hee sees it like seed cast upon the water When seed is cast upon the water we are like never to se ti againe Oh but saith the Wise man Cast thy bread upon the water and thou shall see it after a certaine time He that hath learned to trust God will beleeve this though he cast away his bounty yet he hath cast it upon God and Christ that will returne it againe he knowes he doth but lend to the Lord. Therefore those that thinke their bounty and almes and good deeds to bee lost because they see not a present returne a present crop of that seed they have not a Spirit of trust in God for he that hath will endeavour to be rich in good workes nay he will account it a spâ—ciall favour a grâ—ater favour to have a heart to doe good then to have meanes A reprobate may have meanes abundance to doe good but only a childe of God hath a heart to doe good and when he hath gotten a large and gracious heart to doe good it pleaseâ—h him then he sees he hath an evidence that he is the childe of God he knowes he shall not lose a cup of cold water not the least thing that he doth in the name of Christ The apprehension of this should make us more fruitfull and abound in the worke of the Lord. It is for want of trust and faith that we are so barren as we are in good workes Againe he that will trust God with the greatest matters will trust God with his wayes for direction he will not trust his owne wit and wisdome but God God shall be wise for him â—e will fâ—llow Gods directions and whatsoever â—s contrary to Gods direction hee will not doe hee will acknowledge God in all his wayes Prov. 3.5 Acknowledge God in all thy wayes acknowledge him to be thy guide thy defender thy light to direct thee acknowledge him to be able and willing to give thee successe acknowledge God in all thy wayes and consultations and when we have especially any great matters in hand Oh I beseech you let us learne to acknowledge God What is it to acknowledge him To go to him for direction and protection in doing our duty that we seeke to him for strength and for successe this is to acknowledge God in our wayes What makes men so unfortunate and successelesse in their consultations Because they are so faithlesse they doe not acknowledge God in their wayes but trust too much to seeming things and appearance of things they are carried too much with that Though things seeme to go never so well yet let nothing make us give over to acknowledge God nay when things are never so ill let us acknowledge God for God can set all streight and at rights again Alas what a small matter is it for him that rules Heaven and Earth and turnes this great wheele of all things to turne the lesser wheeles to order lesser businesses and bring them to a happy issue and conclusion It is but a little matter with his command seeing he rules all things it is but trusting in him
and praying to him and then using the meanes with dependance upon him Let us therefore acknowledge God this way by committing our wayes and affaires to him Wee need knowledge and strength and a comfortable issue for all that is necessay in our affaires let us acknowledge God and fetch all these from him Well the last thing that wee have any use of trusting God withall is when we are dying to trust our soules to commit them to God and yeeld them up to him our depositum to lay it with him He that hath inured himselfe to trust God all his life and to live by faith he will be able at length with some comfort to dye by faith Hee that hath trusted God all his life with all things that God hath trusted him he can easily trust God with his soule and he that hath not inured himselfe to trust God in this life undoubtedly he will never trust God with his soule when he dies it is but a forced trust Thus you see in all the passages of our lives we must learne to trust God and to make use of God for God is so abundant that hee is never drawne dry he joyes when he is made use of it is an honour to him Let us try our selves by that I have said whether we truly trust God or no let us not deceive our owne soules but labour to trust God for all things Let it be our daily practise in the use of meanes look to the course that he prescribes us and then looke up to him for strength and blessing and successe This ought to be the life of a Christian Oculus ad Coelum as they say of the Governour of a Ship he hath his hâ—nd to the Sterne and his eye to the Pole-star to be directed by that so the life of a Christian he must have his hand to the sterne he must be doing that that God prescribes him and hee must have his eye to the Starre to be guided in his course by Gods direction he that doth not this knowes not what it is to trust in God How shall we bring our soules to this so necessary a duty Indeed it is a very hard matter we know what it is to live by our wits by our wealth by our lands but what it is to live by faith in depending upon God few soules are acquainted with that Therefore in the first place learne to know God you see here we must trust in his name We know men by their names God and his name are all one his name is himselfe and himselfe is his name Therefore let us learne to know God as he hath discovered himselfe know him in his workes but especially in his word know him by that worke is he hath discovered himselfe in his word Let us know his promises and have them in store for all assaies whatsoever promises fâ—r grace and for direction in this world God will not faile us nor forsake us he will be in all extremities with us In the fire and in the water and the promises of issue All things shall work for good to them that love God and the promise of his Spirit He will give his holy Spirit to them that ask him Besides particular promises a world of them in Scripture let us know God in these promises they are our inheritance our portion And if we should go to God and not be acquainted with these he will aske us upon what ground How shall wee bee able to go to God But when we have his promise we may say boldly with the Psalmist Lord remember thy promise wherein thou hast caused thy servant to trust We may put God in remembrance not that he forgets but he will have us mindfull of what he promiseth and put him in minde Aâ—d it is an evidence to our soules that he will grant any thing when we have faith to put him in minde of his promise Lord remember thy promise wherin thou hast caused thy servant to trust Lord thou canst not deny thy word and thy truth and thy selfe and they promise and thy name by which thou hast made thy selfe knowne Thus we should know God in his word as it is Psal. 9. They that know thy name will trust in thee oh Lord. We never trust a man till we know him and those that are not good we say they are better knowne then trusted but the more we know God the more we shall trust him And know him in his speciall Attributes that the word sets him out in besides the promises that we may know that he is able to make good all these promises and then wee shall trust him What are those Attributes He hath made himselfe knowne to be All-sufficient what a world of comfort is in that He saith to Abraham I am God All-sufficient walk before me and be perfect take thou no thought for any other thing I am God All-sufficient There is in him whatsoever may be for an object of trust he is All-sufficient he hath power our trust is in the name of the Lord that made Heaven and Earth There is a consideration to strengthen faith there is power enough we beleeve in a God that made Heaven and Earth and there is will to helpe us he is our God and there is skill to helpe us as S. Peter saith he knowes how to deliver it is his practise he hath used it from the beginning of the Chuâ—ch and will to the end hee knowes how to deliver them to protect and stand by them he hath power and will and skill to doe it And then againe he is every wheâ—e he is such a Castle and Tower and defence we have him neere us in all times he is a present helpe in trouble as it is Psal. 46. what an object of trust is here if we had buâ— faith to make use of it Let us therefore know God in his word in his Attributes and this will bee a meanes to strengthen trust as it is Psal. 36. How sweet is thy goodnesse therefore shall the sonnes of men trust under the shaddow of thy wings Why come we under the shaddow of Gods wing Because his goodnesse is sweet he is a fit object for trust The things of this world the more wee know them the lesse we trust them for they are but vaine but there is such infinitenesse in God that the more we know him the more we shall trust him therefore let us grow in the knowledge of Gods word and truth And adde experimentall knowledge it helpes trust marvellously the experience of others and our owne experience when wee see God hath helped his Church in all times especially when they have sought him by fasting and prayer Our Fathers trusted in thee and were not confounded Psalme 22. Therefore if we trust in thee we shall not be confounded So for our owne experience Thou hast beene my God from my mothers wombe I have depended
hee comes to any shift if hee have not grace in him he will disdâ—ine out of pride of spirit as every man naturally is deepely proud to relye upon conscience and upon the truth and promises of the word and upon such termes these be weake things no he will stirâ—e Hell rather and Earth and all meanes he accounts it greatnesse that he can doe so It is only the holy man that will â—leave fast to God and to his truth and word for he relisheth it the Spirit that penned the Scriptures and the promises it rules in his heart and therefore he relisheth them Oh these promises are sweet And as he can trust the promises so he can trust God because as I said before he is acquainted with him Where there is not a gracious heart there will never be a beleeving trusting heart There is in God infinitenesse of wayes of supply let us labour therefore for a prudent heart to learne the skill of fetching out of God for all necessities As our want is so let us fetch supply from some Attribute of God and some promise answerable This is the wisdome of the Saints of God are we in extremity then vvith Iehoshaphat say We know not Lord what to do but our eyes are toward thee Are we perplexed that we want wisdome Then go to God who is infinitely wise consider him so for he is fit for the soule nay he exceeds all the maladies and wâ—â—ts of the soule there is not only abundance in God but redundance and overflowing abâ—ndance therefore there wants but skill to make use of what is in him for our turne Are we wronged go to God that judgeth righteously consider him in that relation as a God to whom vengeance belongeth Are we overpowered Go to God that made Heaven and Earth to the Almighty God Are we troubled with the sense of sin Go to God that is the father of all mercy and God of all comfort Are we cast downe and no man regards us Goe to God that stiles himselfe the comforter of the abject This is the skill that faith learnes not only in grosse to thinke of God but to think of God answerable to all occasions as indeed there is somewhat in God to satisfie the soule in all extremities whatsoever I beseech you let us learne to doe thus What a happy condition is he in that hath learned to inure his soule to trust in God for the removall of all ill and for the obtaining of all good he is sure of all For God is a Sunne and a Shield a Sunne for all that is good and a Shield to defend us from all ill hee is so to all that trust in him he is a buckler and an exceeding great reward he is a Buckler to award and shield ill from us and an exceeding great reward for all that is good therefore in how happy a condition is the soule that is acquainted with this blessed exercise of trusting and beleeving in God It is a state wherein we shall be kept from all ill I meane from the ill of ills not from the ill of sense but from the ill of ills and from the poyson of all ill Whatsoever ill we endure there shall be comfort mixed with it and it is better to have it then the comfort what a comfort is this they that trust in the Lord shall want nothing that is good He that trusts in the Lord is as a Tree planted by the River side Ier. 17. He shall alway have his leafe flourishing and beare fruit because he is at the Well-head He that hath the Spring can never want water and he that is in the Sunne can never want lighâ— he that is at the great feast can never want provision he that hath learned to trust in God and can improve what is in him what can he want Oh it is the scarcenesse of oâ—r faith that we want comfort as our faith is so is our comfort and if we could bring a thousand times larger faith to graspe the promises we should carry away larger comfort and strength FINIS Imprimatur Tho Weekes Ianuary 12. 1637. THE TABLE A Abasement GReatnesse of Christs abasement part 1. pag. 57 His Godhead appeared in it 1 73 203 Abasement sanctified whence 2 101 Considerations to abase us 2 130 Adam Adams sinne what 1 154 Redemption exceeds our estate in Adam 1 223 Adoption Adoption by Christ 2 20 Affections Affections why planted in man 1 49 See mystery and Gospell Affliction afflicted Afflictions conforme us to Christ 1 82 2 95 Christ works in the afflictions of his Church 1 83 How Christ rules in afflictions 1 183 Church afflicted why 1 186 God appeares in the night of afflictions 1 205 To whom afflictions are sanctified 1 276 See Angels All. In necessity we must give to all 2 74 Angels Angels not to enuy them 1 76 Angels knew the incarnation of Christ before hand 1 95 The office of Angels Ibid. Angels attendance whence it is 1 101 Why Angels appeare not now 1 102 Comfort in afflictions from their attendance 1 103 Communion with Angels 1 104 Conflict betweene good and evill Angels Ibid. Not to grieve the Angels 1 105 Wherein wee are advanced above Angels 1 106 Good motions stirred in us by Angels 1 108 Why God useth the ministery of Angels 1 107 208 Angels our enemies when 1 109 Angels description 1 111 Angels office double 1 112 Guard of Angels comfortable 1 207 Christs poverty not for Angels 2 17 See Host Church Application Meanes of Popish application ridiculous 1 141 Application necessary 1 268 See Faith Preaching Apostacie Apostacie the ground of it 2 112 Apostle Apostles their priviledge 1 125 Ascension Circumstances of Christs ascension 1 168 Ascension of Christ a mystery 1 170 Assurance Assurance no enemy to good works 2 58 Attributes Attributes of God in Christ 1 221 B Begger CHrist was no begger when he was on earth 1 15 Beginning Christ a Mediatour from the beginning 2 8 Believed Christ believed on how 1 145 Encouragements to believe from Christ 1 154 Blessings Blessings how to be valued 2 50 We defile our selves in blessings 2 101 Body The same body that suffers shall bee glorified 1 187 Boldnesse Boldnesse to God the ground of it 1 64 Boldnesse of spirit an evidence of peace 1 264 C Care GOd hath a care of his 2 88 Instances of Gods care 2 89 Catholique What to be accounted catholique 1 47 Chearefull We must do good to others chearefully 2 70 Cherubin Cherubins what they signifie 1 99 Christ. Christ the scope of the Scriptures 1 50 Christ when conceived in the heart 1 69 Motives to get into Christ 1 109 No entercourse with God without Christ 1 259 Gods love onely in Christ 1 286 And why 286 Misery of men out of Christ Ibid. How to be thankfull to Christ 2 31 A Christian hath all from Christ 2 129 See Mystery Mercy-seat Preaching Faith Peace