will still reign in us though we cannot actually commit sin So likewise if we do spiritually feed upon the body and blood of Christ at the Lords Table we do then seal this Covenant of grace to our souls and we shall finde the comfort of all those promises that are contained in it This spiritual food was the fruit that the Spouse did feed upon h Cant. 2. 3. which was so sweet to her taste and we shall also finde the same sweetnesse in that blessed fruit But if we come to that holy Supper with mindes full of worldly cares or sinfull lusts and with hearts full of hypocrisie and unbelief we do eat and drink damnation to our selves We need not now envy at the prosperity of ungodly men their wealth is their snare to bring them into the paths of perdition their gain is their losse their pleasure will be their pain and their sweetnesse will be bitterness to them in the end so that what gain soever they make of this world if they do not also gain Christ with it they will finde no Advantage nor true comfort by it It is a shame for rich men and a dishonour for such as are in eminent places of authority if they are not truly vertuous and religious This heavenly gain is peculiar onely to the Children of God which they have onely by Christ and they seek it no where but of him Our Advantage and Gain by CHRIST in Death AS Christ is our spirituall gain in this life so he is no lesse our advantage and Gain in our death for he hath so conquered death that it shall neither sting us nor hurt us though we must at Gods appointed time yield and submit unto it Death of it self is a terrible enemy and destructive to our whole nature and it is the greatest part of the curse for the breach of the Law but Christ hath made it our friend and hath taken the curse from it so that if we live an holy and pious life in Christ we shall also dye a comfortable and a Christian death in him a Rom. 5. 12 By the fall of Adam sin entered into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned b Heb. 9. 2â— Therefore it is appointed unto all men once to dye and after this is the judgement Thus saith the Psalmist c Psal 89. 48 What man is be that liveth and shall not see death Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave Paul saith d 2 Cor. 4. 7 that our bodies are but earthen vessels which are soon broken or e 2 Cor. 5. 1. earthly houses which are soon dissolved The wise man hath no priviledge from death more than the fool one event happeneth to them both f Eccl. 2. 14 16 How dyeth the wise man As the fool saith the Preacher g Eccl. 3. 20 All go unto one place both high and low rich and poor all are of the dust and all turn to dust again For we must be conformed to Christ in his death if we desire to be conformed to him in his resurrection This is the way that every man must go before he can h Rom. 3. 23. come to eternall life for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God i Rom 6. 23 and the wages of sin is death If it be so that none can escape the stroke of death but that it will seize upon all flesh with an unresistible power we ought then to be alwayes well prepared that death may not come suddenly upon us to take us away in our sins before we have made our peace with God by faith in Christ and before we have got a modest and sober assurance of the pardon of our sins by true repentance that we may willingly part with this world and comfortably resign up our souls to God in full hope that we shall injoy a better life hereafters for evermore and this preparation for Death is onely by Christ Consider now that Christ will fit and prepare us for Death and will also fit a Death for us which shall make most for the glory of God and be most advantagious to us and he will so sanctifie it to us that our gain thereby shall be far greater than our loss If we dye in the Lord or for the Lord death may part our souls from our bodies but it cannot part our souls from Christ the soul may be parted for a time from a crazy diseased and corruptible body which is but an earthly Tabernacle but we shall receive the same bodies again in full strength in perfect beauty and incorruptible free from aches or diseases from decay or corruption Death may take our souls out of a world of miseries and calamities of sorrowes troubles and vexations but it will presently convey them into an haven of rest and into an heaven of happinesse where there is no labour nor toil no troubles nor sorrow but perfect peace and fulnesse of joy for ever and our bodies shall be raised up to injoy the same blessednesse with our souls k 2 Cor. 5. 1. Death may dissolve the earthly house of our tabernacle but we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternall in the heavens What if we lose our lands and possessions wherunto we are but tenants at will l â— Pet. 1. 3 4 We have a lively hope by Christ to injoy an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for us Death may take us from our earthly friends but it will bring us into the society of the glorious Angels and blessed Saints in heaven and to be wedded to Christ our Beloved for ever to whom in this life we are but espoused Consider in the next place for our further comfort that we have this Advantage by Christ above other men when we are to dye m 1 Cor. 15. 55 56. that death hath nothing to hurt us sin hath no power to condemn us and therefore death cannot binde us over unto judgement Thus saith the Lord by his Prophet n Isa 42 â—5 I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins How can death then be any way hurtful to us As Christ hath taken away the guilt of our sins so he will also fasten all our good works and pious duties to our souls which will go with us to the grave o Rev. 14. 13 and will follow us to the day of judgement to be had in remembrance then before God This is a blessed Advantage that we have by Christ in death above other men that have no interest in Christ For their evil works cleave so close to their souls that they will follow them unto judgement to increase their torments in their condemnation Thus saith Paul p 1 Tim. 5. 24. Some mens sins are open before hand
them z Psal 68. 5 A father of the fatherlesse and a judge of the widowes is God in his holy habitation Also God will blesse the children if their fathers have lived in the true fear of God and he will provide for them if death takes away their parents and they are left destitute of food and rayment But this may be an advantage even to such children because then they are immediatly commended to the care and providence of God who best knoweth how to make provision for them and he will neither be wanting in the trust that is committed to him neither wil he frustrate the hope of those that rest and depend upon him for succour in time of need Consider in the last place what the Son of Sirach saith a Eccl. 41. 1 2. That as the remembrance of death is bitter to a man that liveth at rest in his possessions unto the man that hath nothing to vex him and that hath prosperity in all things yea unto him that is yet able to receive meat so the sentence of death is acceptable unto the needy and unto him whose strength faileth that is now in the last age and is vexed with all things and to him that despaireth and hath lost patience But none can be truly willing to dye but onely a true Christian that is ingrafted into Christ and hath an holy assurance that he dyeth in the love and favour of God and doth faithfully hope for that Crown of righteousness and that heavenly Inheritance which the righteous Judge hath reserved for him If we have this assurance by our union with Christ and also a stedfast hope of salvation well grounded upon the promises of God we shall not be afraid to look death in the face nor unwilling to resign up our souls unto God before death doth violently or suddenly take them from us For Christ hath taken away the evill that is in death and hath so weakened the power of it that it cannot bereave our souls of that spiritual comfort and gain which we have by him though sometimes we cannot feel it in a sudden or violent death neither can it binde us over unto judgement For nothing can dissolve the union that is between Christ and our souls by faith Though God should take us away when we are young or in our middle age as he did that good King Josiah yet it shall be for our great Advantage that we should not see the evill that is to come and the sooner to injoy our eternall rest and happinesse with Christ Our Advantage and gain by CHRIST after death BUt the chiefest gain that a true Believer hath by Christ is after death for whatsoever he gained by him in life or in death was to fit him for the injoyment of this great gain and to give him some assurance of it and some taste how great and how comfortable it is We have this heavenly advantage by Christ in this life but in hope and we cannot come to the full fruition of it until after death and then we shall find it to be so great that no tongue can expresse it and no heart can conceive it but if we duly consider from what evils and miseries we shall be then freed and what glory and blessedness we shall then injoy we may conceive something of this unspeakable gain First we shall be freed from all the temptations and suggestions of the devil a Rev. 12. 9. for he is cast out into the earth and all his wicked Angels are cast out with him They never had any place in heaven since their fall though they flie in the air or mount up to the first or second region of heaven yet they cannot come into the heaven of happinesse where the Saints and Angels of God have their habitation for heaven is not a place for such unclean spirits Also in heaven we shall be freed from all worldly temptations from all carnal delights and earthly vanities that may intice us to sin b Rev. 21. 27 For there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth nor whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lie for as the place is most pure so they that come there must be pure and holy Secondly in heaven we shall be freed from the issues of temptation and that is sin for thus saith the Prophet c Jer. 3. 17. When the Nations shall be gathered unto the Throne of the Lord they shall walk no more after the imaginations of their evill heart In this life the soul is purged and purified from the guilt of sin by the bloud of Christ and all the spots and staines of sin are taken away by the laver of regeneration the body also is purified and refined in the grave by the vertue of Christs death and burial and therefore d 1 Cor. 15. 41. though it be sown in corruption in dishonour and in weaknesse yet it is raised in incorruption in glory and in power it is sowen a naturall body but it is raised a spirituall body which is subject to no sin corruption or infirmity which are the fruits of sin and it is endowed with perfect abilities to glorifie God together with the Saints and Angels in heaven So long as we live in the flesh we cannot but sin against God but when this mortal shall put on immortality there will be then no more place for sin but our whole nature shall be made spiritural and heavenly This consideration should make us desire with Paul e Phil. 1. 23. To be dissolved and to be with Christ that we might no more sin against our God nor offend him with our pollutions but alwayes to sing praises and Hallelujahs unto him as the Saints and Angels do in heaven Thirdly we shall then be freed from all troubles and sorrowes from all pain and diseases of body from all anguish of spirit and grief of hears f Rev. 25. 4. For God will wipe away all tears from our eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away Thus are the servants of God freed from all temptations unto sin from all sin and from all misery and sorrow after death by the merit of Christs death and passion but carnal and unregenerate men carry their sins with them to the grave and death opens the gate to their eternal torments in hell for it bindeth them over to the great and terrible day of judgement when the fiercenesse of Gods wrath shall be poured out upon them to their utter confusion We come now to consider what great honour and what joy and comfort the servants of God shall have by Christ after death for though their life here be full of sorrowes yet after death they shall be freed from them all and they shall also have the fulnesse of all true comfort and consolation First we shall injoy God himself g 2
iniquity of our sinnes unto Christ our Saviour and of his free grace to account us just by the imputation of his righteousnesse to us through faith So likewise hereby we have the adoption of sonnes and all the priviledges that do belong unto sonnes These are such benefits and such comforts as none can conceive but such as doe injoy them and none can injoy them but by Christ and there is no way to have them by Christ but onely by a true and a lively faith in him Secondly by faith we are invested into the Covenant of grace and all the gracious promises that are contained in it doe belong unto us also by faith we have great comfort and hope in all other the promises of God whether they concern this life or the life to come for we believe the truth of his word and his ready will to perform what he hath promised and though his promises are sometimes impossible to nature and above humane reason yet faith gives us ability to rest upon them because we believe that he is faithful that hath promised and able to perform his word Thus saith Solomon Blessed â— 1 Kings â— 50. be the Lord that hath given rest unto his people Israel according to all that he hath promised there hath not failed one word of all his good promises which he promised by the hand of Moses his Servant The promises of God are limited to the condition of faith and obedience and though they are above our capacity yet we may confide in them for he will perform them in his due time b Rom. 4 18 19 20. God made a promise to Abraham that his seed should be as numerous as the starres in the firmament when he was about an hundred yeares old and yet betâ—g not weak in faith he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief but against hope he believed in hope that he might become the father of many Nations and he was fully perswaded that what God had promised he was able also to perform c Heb. 11. 11 Sarah through faith received strength to conceive seed though she were barren and past age and she was delivered of a child because she judged him faithful who had promised If we do thus rest upon the promises God in all conditions of life and in all the chances and changes that can happen to us it will fit and prepare us to receive them contentedly at Gods hands But the special servants of God may be so over-pressed with the extremity of afflictions that they are ready to distrust the truth of Gods Word and to waver in their assiance and confidence in him if he delayeth to perform his promise and to help them This was Asaphs case who thus complained d Psal 74. 8 10. Is his mercy clean gone for ever doth his promise fail for evermore But he doth presently check himself and acknowledge that it was his infirmity thus to distrust the goodnesse of God Thus saith Peter e 2 Pet. 3. 9. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise for he will remember to perform it when his time is come that it will make most for his glory and for our good Wherefore f Heb. 6. 12. we must wait patiently upon God and then we shall inherit the promises g Eph. 1. 13. for by faith we are sealed with that holy Spirit of promise that we may confidently rest upon God and upon the truth of his Word Wherefore if we are well acquainted with the Scriptures we shall find many promises of grace to strengthen our faith when we are under any temptation to comfort our soules when we are in any anguish of spirit or under the pressure of any crosse or calamity And when we have found a promise that will suit with our present condition then to make use of our faith to lay hold upon it to apply it to our selves and to rest firmly upon it though it be above hope for God can and will assuredly perform it to our great consolation If God doth deferre the performance of it longer than we expect yet we must patiently wait upon him for when he hath wrought his own work in us for his own glory and our good he will not then delay to perform it a moment longer Thirdly by faith we shall receive much profit and comfort by Gods holy Ordinances without which our services to God cannot be performed according to his will The preparation of the heart to the profitable â—earing of the sacred Word of God is by faith h Act. 15. 9. because hereby our hearts are purified and cleansed from all sin in the bloud of Christ that no guilt of sin may cleave to our soules and consciences to stop the current of grace to our hearts and to hinder the free working of the Spirit of God upon our affections by the ministry of his word that it cannot take root in us for our edification and instruction to convince us of our errours to reprove us for our sinnes and to comfort us in all sorrows and sadnesse of heart It is faith that makes our hearts good ground fit to receive the seed of Gods Word that it may take deep root in us to fructifie and bring forth much fruit to the glory of God What comfort can we have by the Word of God if we doe not hear it with hearts purified from our corruptions by faith how can it profit us if there be not an holy preparation to receive it that the holy Ghost may imprint it in our hearts to be a word of power in us unto salvation and to be the Savour of life unto eternal life and how can it be fruitful in us to the reformation of our lives if our hearts are not seasoned with faith i Rom. 10. 17. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God and then it is a special meanes which the spirit of God useth to convey spiritual knowledge to the understanding holy desires to the will to study and endeavour to a godly life and also true consolation to the soul So likewise our hearts are prepared by faith to the worthy receiving of the Lords Supper for as we doe refresh our bodies with the Bread and Wine so our soules are refreshed and comforted by our spiritual feeding on the body and blood of Christ by faith Also faith will put an holy zeal into our prayers to make them fervent and effectual to prevail with God to send us a gracious answer in his good time Thus saith our Saviour Christ k Mar. 11. 24. What things soever yee desire when yee pray believe that ye receive them and yee shall have them O what comfort might we find in our prayers when we are in want sorrow or in any necessity if we did pray with zealous affections and did faithfully believe that our petitions are granted before we receive them then we would wait upon God until he is
Davids delight to Meditate on the Law of God because he found great sweetnesse in it f Psal 119. 163. How sweet saith he are thy words unto my taste Yea sweeter than hony to my mouth If we had Davids spiritual palate g Isa 58. 13. we should delight in the Lords Sabbath as he saith by his Prophet we should delight to hear his Word to come to his holy Table to meditate on his Law and to practise all holy duties to the honour and glory of his Name Also if we do set our selves to Meditate on the strength and power of his grace we shall finde that Faith will give us sufficient power against all our spiritual enemies hope will uphold our Faith in the promises of God when it is weak patience will make us bear our afflictions and tryalls with a willing minde holy zeal will make our Prayers effectual to prevail with God to grant what we desire or what is better for us and constancy will make us continue in well-doing unto the end that we may receive that recompence of reward which God of his infinite goodnesse hath promised As Faith is the Mother of all other spiritual graces so it will alwayes go along with every particular grace to make it the more effectual and powerful to help us in time of need Now we know the quicknesse of our spirituall taste by our delight in holy duties and in the Ordinances of God and we may know the strength of grace by the fruits and effects of it according to the nature of every particular grace also the truth of every grace that is in us will appear and that it is a fruit of Faith if the power of Faith goeth along with it How to increase Faith EVery man hath not alike measure of Faith he that iâ— weakest in Faith may be made stronger and he that is strong in Faith may yet have more for it is a spiritual and heavenly grace which will grow and increase if it be spiritually watered by the holy Ghost Christ did find a great Faith in the Woman of Canaan and in some others a Mat. 15. 28. O woman saith he to her great is thy faith but he did often reprove his Disciples for the weaknesse of their Faith and thus he said in particular unto Peter b Mat. 14. 31 O thou of little faith wherefoer didst thou doubt Peters doubting made him ready to sink as he walked upon the waters unto Christ and it did discover the weaknesse of his Faith and confidence in Christ as if he could not give him power to walk upon the waters as he did This is the condition of many of Gods dear servants that when they see perills and dangers ready to fall upon them and no means either to escape them or to be delivered from them then fears and doubtings will rise in their mindes to discover the weaknesse of their Faith and to make them distrust the providence of God to doubt of his Fatherly care of them and of his Almighty Power to save them For sometimes their Faith may be so weak that it cannot mount above their humane capacity they cannot see the wisdom and power of God to be far above the reach of their reason and understanding When God seeth such weaknesse in our Faith he will tenderly visite us and will give us hope by some manifest signes to strengthen our faith against all our fears and doubtings Though our faith be weak yet if it be true it is saving it is growing and it is lasting Faith is saving because it doth unite us unto Christ with an unseparable union who is the rock of our salvation and by whom onely we must be saved c Act. 4. 11 12. Christ is that stone which was set at nought of the builders which is becâ—me the head of the corner Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved Also we may grow in faith First d 1 Pet. 2. 2. if we desire the sincere milk of the Word as new born babes desire the milk of the breast that we may thereby grow in the knowledge of God and of his Son Jesus Christ If the word of God be purely Preached without the mixture of erroneous doctrine it is the seed of grace which God soweth in our hearts by his Ministers and he will water it with his Spirit to make it increase and fructifie that we may grow in grace until we come to a full stature in Christ if we do hear iâ— with sanctified hearts and pure affections Secondly we may greatly increase our faith in Christ if we do spiritually feed upon his body and blood when we come to the Lords Table which is the true food of our souls and the heavenly nourishment of that spirituall life which we have in Christ by Faith and the oftner we do thus feed at the Lords Table the more we cherish this spiritual life and the more we increase our Faith and make all other saving graces the stronger in us Thirdly prayer is a speciall meanes for the increase of our Faith for we have the beginnings of Faith from God the increase of it also and the stablishment of it is from God and we must beg it of him by our Prayers and supplications or else we cannot obtain it Thus said the Apostles unto Christ e Lu. 17. 5. Lord increase our Faith Also thus said the Father of the dumb childe unto Christ f Mar. 9. 24 Lord I believe help thou my unbelief God is ready to hear the Prayers of his servants but specially when they make such petitions as he is willing to grant which are such as do make most for his own glory and nothing can advance the glory of God more than when they crave the increase of their Faith without which they can glorifie God in no services which they perform unto him for without faith it is impossible to please God and so consequently to honour him in any holy duty which he commandeth Fourthly Faith will grow and increase by our dayly Meditation on the Truth of Gods Word how faithfully he hath performed all his Promises how ready and how able he is still to perform them if we can rest and depend upon them by Faith If we consider that God is immutable and omnipotent in his own Essence that he is Truth it self that he will not alter whatsoever he hath decreed in his secret Counsel and that he will perform all that he hath promised in his Word it will greatly strengthen our Faith and uphold our trust and confidence in God when any difficulties or dangers presse hard upon us which otherwise would shake the foundation of our faith Fifthly the dayly experience which we have of the power of God and of his goodnesse to us in all conditions of life whether we be in prosperity or in adversity in health or in
son commit iniquity I will chastise him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the children of men but my mercy shall not depart away from him But God punisheth the sins of the wicked in anger and with much severity for their destruction his own children are reformed by their corrections but the wicked are more hardned in their sins by their punishments This of the Prophet is verified in them n Jer. 5. 3. O Lord thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive correction they have made their faces harder than a rock they have refused to return God doth also bestow his mercies and blessings upon them both he doth commonly give more of his temporall blessings to the wicked than he doth to the godly to leave them without excuse and to give them means and ability to glorifie God but they abuse them to sin and uncleannesse to excesse and riot o Eccl. 5. 13 This is that evill which the Preacher did see under the sun namely riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt But God hath speciall gifts and blessings which he bestoweth onely upon the godly and these are the saving and sanctifying graces of his Spirit which are peculiar onely to them and reserved for them Wherefore now if we seriously ruminate upon the Works of God we shall finde much matter for our instruction and for our spirituall consolation The knowledge of the creature is a ready way to bring us to the knowledge of the Creator and the due observation of the Works of God will bring us to the love of him to the fear and dread of him and to the obedience of his commands We have dayly experience of the Works of Gods Providence and of his goodnesse to us in Christ which should strengthen our faith hope and confidence in him though he doth sometimes bring us into great straits and layeth great tryalls upon us and it should keep us from murmuring and repining though he doth long delay to send us help and comfort in time of need Also it should keep us from carking care and from immoderate seeking of earthly things because God will provide for us and will not suffer us to lack any thing that is good We should therefore wait upon him and wait patiently for his salvation in all our wants and necessities in all our troubles and tribulations and in all straits and distresses which the malice of the devill or wicked men can bring upon us for God can and will by his wise Providence turn that to our good which they intend and purpose for our hurt How should we then delight to meditate on God in all his Works seing p Psal 145. 17. the Lord is righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his works What comfort can we want in the saddest times seeing God watcheth over us by his Divine Providence for our good what need we fear the malice or power of our spirituall enemies seing we have Gods Protection to keep and defend us from them If we â—ay up these things in our hearts our souls will have the comfort of them in all the sadnesse and sorrowes that we shall meet with in this life Concerning the Creation of Man NOw we come to the Principall piece of Gods Workmanship which he wrought here upon earth and that is the Creation of man in which great Work the three Persons in the sacred Trinity did agree with one consent and gave him such a body as should be capable of immortality and such a soul as should receive the impression of the image of God for thus saith the Lord a Gen. 1. 26 Let us make man in our image after our likenesse Man must needs then be created in innocency in righteousness and true holiness without spot and blemish or any imperfection either in his soul or body There was no perversnes in his wil no folly in his understanding no corruption in his heart for God gave him ability and a willing minde to obey him and a wise and an understanding heart able rightly to know God his Creator and to worship and serve him as he ought to be served Also he did know the nature of all the beasts in the field of all the fowles in the air and the vertue of all herbs and Plants and God made him presently fit for that rule and soveraignty which he gave him over the creatures God did also set his love upon him and crowned him with glory and honour according to the words of the Prophet David b Psal 8. 4 5 6. What is man that thou art mindfull of him or the son of man that thou visitest him For thou hast made him a little lower than the Angels and hast crowned him with glory and honour Thou maâ—est him to have dominion over the work of thy hands thou hast put all things undâ—r his feet For he was created in his full perfection fit to rule and govern the creatures whom God had made for his use and service As God did shew his wonderfull wisedome and power in the creation of Man because he made him such an excellent creature of the dust of the earth so he now sheweth no lesse power and wisdome in fashioning him in the womb for thus saith holy David c Psal 1 39. 1â— 15. I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made marvelous are thy Works and that my soul knoweth right well my substance was not hid from thee when I was made in secret and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth The Preacher also saith d Eccl. 11. 5 That we know not how the bones do grow in the wombe of her that is with child There are more wonders in man than there are parts and members of his body and every one of them calls for due consideration The eye is but a little member and yet the best oculist cannot finde out all the wonders that are contained in it Who can discover the windings and turnings of the brain how it worketh upon whatsoever it apprehendeth It is troubled with visions and dreams in the night it is at no quiet all the day man hath no command over his own thoughts but they flie swiftly from the East to the West and they bring back to remembrance things that were long past and gone So likewise there are such secret corners in the heart that no man is able to discover what is hidden there God only that formed it knoweth the breadth and deepth of it his all-seeing eye can search into it and nothing that lurketh there can be hid from him Who can declare the wisedome of God in the Creation of man in the faculties and endowments of his soul in the structure of his body and how he is fashioned in the womb we may admire at these things but we cannot comprehend them Now let us bring down our thoughts
he smote him with his sword and he died n 2 Sam. 13. 28 29. Thus treacherously did Absalom kill his brother Amnon when he invited him to a feast in his own house The Disciples did little think that Judas betrayed his Master when he came and saluted him with a kiss but Christ knew it who is the searcher of all hearts and none but he could know it for he knew what he had done with the Rulers what compact and bargain he had made with them and what he did further purpose and intend to doe and therefore he said unto him o Luke 22. 4◠Judas betrayest thou the Son of man with a kisse Thus saith a reverent Divine It is a special cunning of the devill and it is full of danger to put a smiling and an alluring countenance upon his baits as he doth by his temptations of profit and gain which like unseen bullets wound and kill before they are discerned or like the viper that putting us to no pain brings us into a pleasing slumber of security which endeth in the dead sleep of death and condemnation For prosperity and worldly allurements hide hostility under the pretence of friendship and makes us love the weapons that hurt us and to refuse the meanes whereby we may be cured and these make conquest not onely of our power and strength but also of our hearts wills and affections and they retain us in a voluntary servitude having no desire to come out of this pleasing bondage or to recover our liberty though the meanes be offered to us This is the policy and subtle cunning of the devil to beguile poor soules with such fair pretences for in their smiles and fawnings he doth secretly attempt their ruine and destruction Consider further p Mat. 10. 1 8. that when Jesus sent forth his twelve Disciples to preach he gave unto them all power against unclean spirits to cast them out to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease to cleanse the lepers and to raise the dead they had freely received these gifts of him and therefore they should freely dispense them Judas had the same power and received the same gifts with the rest of the Disciples but because his heart was not seasoned with sanctifying grace though he did cure others yet he could not cure himself and though q 1 Cor. 9. 29. he did preach to others yet he himself was a cast-away he had the gift of preaching but not the grace of preaching he had faith to work miracles but not the grace of faith unto justification and to rest and confide in Christ for his salvation These gifts of the holy Ghost are sometimes given to unregenerate men and yet they are no whit neerer to the Kingdome of Heaven Wherefore let no man rest secure of his salvation because he hath such excellent gifts for except the holy Ghost doth conferre sanctifying grace with his gifts they will not be effectuall to salvation We may have the gift of prayer of temperance of continency of patience and of all morall vertues and yet if we have not the grace of prayer that we can pray in faith and the grace of all other vertues as being the fruits of faith they will not be acceptable to God nor profitable to us for the salvation of our soules Wherefore if God hath given us the gifts of his Spirit and the meanes of grace we ought to use his gifts to his glory and to improve the meanes of grace for the sanctifying of his gifts unto us that we may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to eternal life Let this be our dayly study and constant care to inrich our soules with true saving grace and then the devill cannot so easily undermine us and we shall be so watchful over our wayes that no iniquity shall cleave to our souls For if the devill can fasten any one sin upon us he will soon link another sin to that and will draw us on from sin to sin untill they make a strong chain which will pull us down into the pit of destruction unlesse we break every link of this chain with true repentance Also if we be thus watchful it will keep us from security and from presuming upon our own strength in times or places of danger r Psa 119. 37. and we shall turn our eyes from beholding vanity and refuse the false favours which the world doth promise us for the fear of God will be alwayes before our eyes and then we may be confident ſ Psa 91. 11 that God will give his Angels charge over us to keep us in all our wayes lest at any time we dash our feet against a stone or least we stumble at those blocks which the devill layeth in our way t Mat. 26. 41. Christ hath commanded us to watch and pray that we enter not into temptation u Eph. 6. 13. and he hath given us spiritual armour and weapons of defence which we must take unto our selves that we may be able to resist in the evill day Let us learn u Psa 58. 5. the wisdome of the Serpent by stopping our eares against their charming perswasions and by suspecting most their malicious attempts when with greatest shew of love they smile and fawn upon us We must now consider by the example of Judas that unlesse the Spirit of God doth accompany the use of all his holy Ordinances we may outwardly partake of them but we shall not inwardly be edified by them neither shall we find any spiritual consolation in the use of them because there is no efficacious working of the holy Ghost in our hearts the outward man may be affected for the present but the inward man cannot be edified for there will be no illumination wrought in the understāding to conceive rightly of heavenly things no true conformity in the will to the will of God no holy zeal in the heart and affections and no pious Reformation will be wrought in the life and conversation x 2 The 〈◊〉 2. All men have not faith as saith the Appostle all men do not profit by the meanes of salvation and all men are not edified by the preaching of the Word of God We may joyn with the Congregation in hearing in praying in singing of Psalmes some shall receive comfort and instruction others shall receive no benefit thereby we may also partake with them in the Lords Supper and we may feed our bodies with the outward Elements in that Sacrament but we shall never feed and nourish our souls to eternal life with that spirituall Grace which is signified by them except our hearts are prepared to receive it through the sanctification of the Spirit we may eat and drink the Bread and Wine but we cannot eat and drink the Body and Blood of Christ but onely by faith our souls may languish and starve for want of heavenly food and nourishment if the milk of Gods word and this spirituall food
life Though the soul be thus highly to be prized and far excelleth the body in worth and dignity yet naturall men will pamper and garnish out the body which is every day subject to corruption and change but they suffer their souls to starve for want of spirituall food and to go naked for want of spirituall cloathing whereby they are exposed to the venomous darts of the Divell and to the scorching heat of their sinfull lusts Their souls have no spirituall light to foresee dangers and to shun them they have no heavenly grace to resist the temptations and allurements of the world the flesh and the Divell but what the eye or the eare lets in is willingly received Thus their souls are polluted and unclean and death doth snatch them away because they cannot willingly deliver them up for they have no faith to believe and no assurance to perswade them that God will receive their souls when they are parted from their bodies This is the condition of our souls by nature and so long as they are in this condition God will not receive them and then they must needs be a prey to the Divell u Psal 103 4. But Christ hath redeemed our souls from destruction u 1 Cor. 6. 20. he hath bought us with a great price he hath shed his most precious blood upon the crosse to take away the guilt and filth of our sins Wherefore God may justly claim our whole man both soul and body as his due by a treble right by the right of creation of donation and of purchase x Act. 17. 28 for in him we live and move and have our being y 1 Cor. 4. 7 What have we that we did not receive from God What shall we bequeath unto him in thankfulnesse for all his benefits to us We can do no lesse than devote our selves souls and bodies to him and to his service while we live here and when this life shall be ended to bequeath our precious souls unto him purified and cleansed from all sin in the blood of Christ by faith for nothing can be too pure that is presented to him and nothing can be too dear and precious for him If we bequeath this precious legacy to God in our life-time then he will require it as of right belonging unto him and he will receive it from us at our death This will sweeten the bitternesse of death to us which will put an end to all our sorrowes and this will make us willing to leave this world and desire with Paul to be dissolved because we do stedfastly believe that we shall be with Christ But if we give our selves to worldly vanities to lewd and licencious living and not to the true worship and service of God we shall then be unwilling to part with this life or to look upon death when it comes because we know not to whom it will deliver our poor souls for we cannot comfortably commend them to God when we dye with any hope or good assurance that he will receive them seing they did God no service while we lived What thankfulnesse is it then to commend our souls unto God when we can keep them no longer for the world or for our sinfull delights And what comfort can we have at our death if we have no faith to believe that we shall injoy all happinesse with Christ but rather just cause to fear that the sinfulnesse of our life will bring us to everlasting torments after death It may sometimes fall out that we shall neither have time nor ability to dispose of our souls when we dye as we desire and as we ought for if death comes suddenly upon us by any casualty or otherwise we have then no time to commit our souls unto Gods protection or if we are taken away by some violent or malignant disease which doth distemper our senses and weaken our understanding and reason that we are unfit for this great work we have then no ability to resign up our spirits unto God in an holy way What shall we do then Where is our comfort in death This need not trouble our thoughts if we have formerly in our life had any holy assurance of our union with Christ of our justification by his righteousnesse of our redemption by the merit of his blood and of his death and of his sanctification by the holy Ghost and that we have lived vertuously and piously in the fear of God and have served the Lord our God with a perfect and upright heart in the time of our life for then death cannot come suddenly upon us and no extremity of sicknesse or pain can separate us from Christ nor take away our comfort from our souls at our death because God will receive them up into his holy habitation to abide and dwell with Christ for ever though we have neither time nor ability to commend them unto him Lastly let us zealously meditate for our great comfort upon the bloud and water that gushed out from our Saviours heart after he was dead when his side was pierced with the spear There was bloud to take away the guilt of sin for our justification and there was water to wash away the stains of sin for our sanctification For as our sins were imputed to him as our surety so by faith his righteousnesse is imputed to us and God doth account us just and righteous in his sight for the sake of Christ so likewise by grace we are renewed dayly and sanctified in our lives and conversations Wherefore we should raise up our thoughts and the affections of our hearts to this sanctifying water when we think upon our Baptisme or see that Sacrament celebrated that our hearts may be sprinkled with it by faith to purifie our souls from the leprosie and spots of our sins Also we must set the cogitations of our hearts upon this sacred blood when we feed at the Lords Table that by faith we may be perswaded that Christ did shed his blood and was crucified for us Consider also that though the body of our blessed Redeemer was miserably rent and torn by the cruelty of his enemies yet God would not suffer them to break a bone of him according to this of David z Psal 34. 20 He keepeth all his bones not one of them is broken and though they brake the bones of the two malefactors that were crucified with him yet they brake not a bone of him that the Scripture might be fulfilled a Num. 9. 12. that not a bone of him should be broken God so restrained his bloody enemies that they could do no more than what was decreed and what Christ was willing to suffer for he did not yield to their malice and cruelty but onely in obedience to his Fathers will for a word of his mouth had been sufficient to confound all his tormentours but how then should our redemption be wrought How should the will of God be fulfilled And how
pleased to satisfie our desires for our faith will give us as certain assurance to obtain what we pray for as if we did already injoy it We have no hope of succour in our distresses but by prayer and no prayer is prevailing with God but that which comes from a believing heart The gift of prayer may move the affections for the present but it is the grace of prayer that is powerful with God the gift of prayer is but a common gift of the holy Ghost which may be without faith and consequently without any acceptance l Heb. 11. 6. For without faith it is impossible to please God but faith doth alwayes goe along with the grace of prayer and God will not deny such a prayer though it be made in weak expressions for the heart may sigh out a faithful prayer and grone out our desires which the tongue cannot utter nor expresse Now then look well to the purity of thine affections and to the faithfulnesse of thy heart when thou art in the presence of God to hear his word that thy mind be not then about thy worldly affaires or thy thoughts set upon vain things if thou desirest to receive good thereby For if thou doest hear it with an unbelieving heart or full of worldly cares then thy heart is like barren ground where bryars and thornes grow which cannot receive such spiritual seed to bring forth fruit unto salvation Also in thy holy meditations on spiritual things thy heart must be first purified by faith or else thy meditations will not be comfortable to thy soul because thou hast not faith which is the instrument to draw true consolation from Christ So likewise when thou comest to the Lords Table see there be faith in thine eyes to discern the Lords body in those outward elements that thou mayest spiritually feed on him to nourish thy soul to eternal life When thou makest thy supplications to God believe faithfully that thou shalt receive what thou beggest and then thy prayers will not return empty without a blessing In like manner if thy humiliation for thy sinnes be not a fruit of faith but onely in outward shew and not in the sincerity of thy heart with true contrition and godly sorrow for them thy humiliation is no better m 1 Kin. 21. 27. than that of Ahab which produced no reformation of life Also if thou doest confesse thy sinnes when any sore affliction is upon thee and doest not faithfully purpose to forsake them and turn to the Lord thou doest dissemble with God in thy heart and canst not believe that God will forgive them for thy confession is no better n Exod. 9. 27 28. then that of Pharaoh and thou canst have no comfort in such repentance because it is not a fruit of faith for it is onely faith that doth perfect all thy services to God in their righteousnesse of Christ Fourthly we have no defence against the temptations and wicked suggestions of the devill and against the rage of our spiritual enemies but the shield of faith his fiery darts will wound our soules even to the death o Eph. 6. 16. if we doe not quench them in the bloud of Christ by faith his temptations will pierce us to the heart if we doe not beat them back with this impenitrable shield Also he layeth his snares every where so cunningly in our way that we can hardly take a step but we shall step into a snare p Psal 26. 11 12. if we doe not walk in our integriy by faith that our feet may stand in an even place There is no place secure and no condition of life is free from the snares of the devill he layeth them in our calling upon our table in our chambers and closets and under our feet so that every step we take out of the way of godlinesse is an occasion to bring us into his snares and we have no meanes to escape them but to walk in the light of the Spirit of God which we cannot have but by faith in Christ If we walk thus by the direction of his Spirit then as the wise man saith q Prov. 28. 18 26. we walk uprightly and we shall be saved we walk wisely and we shall be delivered But if we have not this spiritual light to guide us we walk in darknesse r Job 18. 8 9 10. we are cast into a net by our own feet and we walk upon a snare The grin shall take us by the heel and the robber shall prevail against us The snare is laid for us in the ground and a trap for us in the way Now then Å¿ Isa 50. 11. if we walk in the light of our own fire and in the sparkes that we have kindled this we shall have of Gods hand we shall lye down in sorrow Thus do spirituall dangers continually attend us which of our selves we cannot escape but if we trust in the Name of the Lord and rest our selves upon God by faith t Psal 91. 3 he will deliver us from the snare of the fowler he will direct us in all our wayes and will guide our feet into the way of peace u Jer 10. 23 For the way of man is not in himself as saith the Prophet it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps If we are taken in any of these snares that the devil layeth for us we have no meanes of recovery but by faith and true repentance for faith in Christ will break the snare and repentance will draw us out of the pit which did threaten our destruction Consider again that the devil laboureth to insnare us with the alluring baits of pleasure and profit thereby to draw away our hearts and affections from God this is a cunning way to deceive us for we suspect no danger and no evill in those things unto which we are naturally inclined so that we may easily be deceived with these guilded baits for without a spiritual light we cannot see the hook that is in them which will pull us into the pit of perdition n 2 Cor. 11. 14. Thus the devil can transform himself into an Angel of light x Mat. 24. 24. to deceive if it were possible the very elect The devil hath so many wayes to intrap us that we cannot passe thorough this dangerous ocean without shipwrack except Christ be our Pilot by faith to steer our hearts and affections and all the faculties of our soules with his Spirit and then we shall escape all these rocks and quicksands which doe continually threaten the ruine and destruction of our poor soules We cannot mount above this black cloud of deadly snares and dangers without the wings of faith and we cannot break the cords of sin without the strength of faith in the death of Christ neither can we get out of the dominion of sin without the power of the same faith in Christ Such is the goodnesse of our
THE COMFORT OF THE SOUL Laid down by way of Meditation upon some heads of Christian Religion very profitable for every true Christian Composed and writen by Iohn Anthony of London Doctor of Physick Psal 19. ver 14. Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be alwayes acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my Redeemer LONDON Printed for G. Dawson and are to be sold by John Mountague at the Sign of the White-Dragon in Duck-Lane 1654. I have perused these Divine Meditations Intituled the Comfort of the Soul and do find them to be so Orthodox and solide pious and profitable that I do approve them well worthy to be Printed and Published JOHN DOVVNAME To the Right Honourable Dame Elizabeth Dygby Baronesse of Geshal in the Kingdom of Ireland Grace Mercy and Peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ HAving nothing of mine own that is worthy your Acceptance to express my Cordiall respects and thankfulnesse for those many favours which I have received from you I have taken some spirituall Receipts out of Gods sacred Dispensatory which I am bold to present or Dedicate to your Honour because they are speciall Cordialls for the spirits and precious Antidotes against the evill of sad times Wherein also you will finde some Balm of Gilead for the cure of all spirituall diseases if it be applyed close to the part that is ill affected with the hand of Faith If these things do relish well with your spirituall Palate then I am confident you will take sometime to ruminate hereupon for I know it hath been your constant course to Meditate something dayly of Divine and heavenly things which did strongly induce me to present these unripe fruits of my labours to you which I gathered in mine old age for mine own use according to my first Intention Though I have thus laboured out of my Calling as I am a Physician yet I am not out of my profession as I am a Christian Now seing this Work is come to Publick view I do humbly desire your favourable construction of the frailties that are in it and that you will be pleased to vindicate it from carping spirits for I did not write it to please their curiosity but to refresh and comfort those that do any way stand in need of spirituall consolation If any thing herein can give you any reasonable satisfaction let God have the honour and glory of his own Work and I shall greatly rejoice therein and shall still remain your much obliged Servant JOHN ANTHONY To the READER COurteous Reader if thou dost live under the Crosse and art sensible of these sad times or if Gods visitation be upon thee which makes thee to sigh and groan under the burden and pressure of thy sorrowes so that thy soul desireth comfort and thy spirits want spirituall refreshing and heavenly consolation then I have written this Treatise for thee which I present to thy view wherein thou shalt finde the true way how to demean thy self under Gods visitation how to bear thy crosse with a contented patience how to make the burden of thy sorrowes more easie or how to be delivered out of them if God seeth it to be most for his glory and best for thy good also how to refresh thy spirits and comfort thy soul in what kinde soever it is afflicted Here also thou shalt finde that many of Gods dear servants have suffered as great afflictions as thou canst and yet God did send them comfort and deliverance but specially what Christ thy Saviour hath suffered for thee and what benefit and comfort thou maist have by it if thou canst draw it to thy self and make a particular application of it to thine own sorrowful condition without which it will yeeld thee but small consolation in thy miseries If thou dost meet with any thing here that will fit thy present condition either for edification or for comfort thou must ruminate well upon it to suck out the spirituall juiâ—e to imprint it in thy minde and to bring it close home to thy heart that it may comfort thy soul and cure thy wounded Spirit David found great comfort when he did Meditate on the Word of God My soul saith he shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatnesse and my mouth shall praise thee with joyfull Psal 63. 5 6 lips when I remember thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the night watches And it must needs be so for this is a duty which God requireth and he takes speciall notice of those that do practice it to pour down his blessings upon them as he did upon Isaack who went out dayly into the field to Meditate Gen. 24. 63 64. upon the wonderfull Works of God and then at that very time God sent him a vertuous Wife If the Spirit of God goeth along with thee in thy holy Meditations they cannot but be comfortable to thy soul thou wilt then conceive aright of the secret and hidden things of God and thou wilt see the infinite wisdom ond power of God in all the Creatures his goodnesse and bounty to thee in them and a glympse of the Majesty and glory of the great Creator God Almighty His holy Spirit will also open thy heart to let in whatsoever spirituall good thou reapest by thy pious Meditations For if thou lookest upon the creature and doest not Meditate something of God in it thou dost look upon it in vain and if thou readest or hearest his Word Preached and dost not settle it upon thy affections by ruminating upon it thou canst not edifie thy heart nor comfort thy soul thereby So likewise if thou doest read any thing in this Treatise that is comfortable to poor dejected Spirits it will not comfort thee if it be not well digested in thy heart and applyed to thine own soul If thou art not acquainted with this holy Duty I have given thee some directions how to perform it and if thou doest first practise it upon thy self to meditate upon thine own condition what thou art by nature and what by grace and considerest seriously in thy thoughts what way thou walkest what steps thou treadest and to what end thy wayes do tend thou wilt not onely come to the knowledge of thy self but thou wilt also learn how to Meditate profitably and comfortably upon God thy Creator upon Jesus Christ thy Redeemer and upon the Holy Ghost thy Sanctifier and Comforter I conclude with this saying of an ancient Father Nothing is found more sweet in this life nothing is conceived more comfortable nothing doth so separate the affections from the love of this world nothing doth so fortifie the minde against temptations nothing doth so stir up man and further him to every good work and duty as the grace and benefit of Divine Meditation and heavenly contemplation Thine in the Lord Christ JOHN ANTHONY A Table of these severall Heads contained in this Book MEditation is a Duty
as rebels to him but he takes us for his own people and as his servants d Ier. 31. 33. according to his promise in the new Covenant and also as his children by adoption in Christ which makes the Meditations of our hearts sweet and comfortable to our souls It is a great honour to be servants to an earthly Prince but it is a far higher title of honour to be servants to the King of heaven The holy Patriarchs and Prophets all the Apostles and Saints of God did account it their highest honour to be the servants of God and they did much glory in this honourable title Thus saith that Kingly Prophet David e Psal 116. 16. O Lord truely I am thy servant and the son of thy handmaid thou hast loosed my bonds David useth this as a strong motive to God to hear his prayers and to grant his requests f Psal 86. 2 4 16. O thou my God save thy servant that trusteth in thee Rejoyce the soul of thy servant fâ—r unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul O turn unto me and have mercy upon me give thy strength unto thy servant and save the son of thine handmaid God gave this title of honour to his choisest servants as to Abraham to Jacob to Moses to David Job Zorâ—babâ—l and to CHRIST himself as he was man For thus he saith by his Prophet g Zech. 3. 8. Behold I will bring forth my servant the Branch This honour have all they that truly believe in Christ because he hath reconciled them to God his Father and hath made them his servants by grace Wherefore now if we have any clear evidence to our consciences that we are the servants of God by vertue of this atonement if we do serve and obey him with faithfull hearts in sincerity and in truth we may then cheerfully fix our Meditations upon God which will be acceptable in his sight and comfortable to our own souls For by this sweet relation that we have unto God through faith in Christ our duties and services to him will be accepted though they be imperfectly performed by us if we shew our best care to please him from an upright heart as his faithfull servants ought to do Also we may apply our selves by holy supplications to our heavenly Lord as being his servants to protect us from our enemies to provide for us in our necessities to succour us in our tribulations and to countenance us as his servants in all our temptations that our faith may not fail us and that our spirits may not sink under the burden of them Whatsoever we want we may have it of God and whatsoever we fear may come upon us he will prevent it or fit us for it or else he will sanctifie it for our good that we may find comfort in it Wherefore we need not be afraid to contemplate his greatnesse for his goodnesse will sweeten that fear we need not fear death in a servile way for it hath no sting to hurt us and we need not be terrified at the Majesty of the great Judge of quick and dead nor at the rigour and severity of his justice at the day of judgement for Christ Jesus shall be then our Judge who is now our Saviour and Redeemer We cannot then but shew our duty to God and our love to Christ by our willing and ready obedience to the commands of God and by our thankfull remembrance of our Redemption wrought by Christ by ruminating on his Word and by contemplating his wonderfull works our thoughts will be continually upon him our delight will be to Meditate on him and the affections of our hearts will be alwayes towards him Consider further what Christ hath done for us that we may the more comfortably Meditate on God he hath not onely redeemed us out of the servitude of sin and Satan and made us the servants of God by grace but also h Iohn 1. 12 he hath given power to as many as believe on his Name to become the sons of God which priviledge and honour we have onely by faith i Gal. 4. 5 6. who hath redeemed us that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sons And because we are sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his son into our hearts crying Abba Ftther How comfortable then will our Meditations be to our souls when we ruminate upon God as he is our Father what can deject our spirits or make us afraid if we have a sure confidence that God is our Father Can we be brought to a lower degree of misery than k Luk. 15. 18 19. the poor prodigall in the Gospel was and yet when he remembred his Father he was comforted and refreshed Can any poor soul be deeper plunged in sin or lead a more vicious life than this prodigall did and yet his Father did not cast him off but upon his true submission he received him again as his son Why then should we despair of mercy though our sins are many and very great Why should we fear the terrours of death if we be well perswaded of our adoption for l Gal. 4. 7. we are heirs of God through Christ and we go to possesse that inheritance which belongeth to us as sons and why should the thought of the day of judgement be terrible to us seeing Christ our Redeemer will make up our accounts for us and will perfect with his own righteousnesse whatsoever is wanting on our parts Do we think that Christ will redeem us out of the bondage of Satan and will free us from the strictnesse of the Law the dominion of sin from the sting of death and at last will leave us to our selves to answer the rigour of Gods justice for whatsoever we have done here in the flesh Surely no for then the Work of our Redemption had not been perfectly finished but Christ will be then our hiding place he will cover all our sins under the Robe of his own Righteousnesse and will shelter us from the fierceness of Gods wrath and from the severity of Gods justice We have now much matter for Divine and Heavenly Meditations to comfort and refresh our languishing souls when they are any way perplexed with sorrowes feares or doubtings if we ruminate upon our happy condition by being in grace and favour with God for we have the honour and dignity to be the servants of the great King of heaven and earth by the right of purchase and so are none but such onely whom Christ hath bought with his own blood Also if we Meditate upon our Adoption it wil be very comfortable to us and exceeding sweet to our spirituall taste for Christ hath given us hereby all the priviledges of sons both in what we are freed from and in what we have right unto for we are freed from all evill of sin and from all evill of punishment sin hath no power to condemn us though it
10. then they were sore afraid and cryed out to the Lord. And Moses said unto the people Fear ye not stand still and see the salvation of the Lord which he will shew to you to day Then the Lord made a way for them through the sea and saved them from their enemies but the sea drowned all the host of the Egyptians that pursued after them The Prophet Gad came to David and told him the Word of the Lord b Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land or wilt thou flee three moneths before thine enemies while they pursue thee or that there be three dayes pestilence in thy land This put David into a great strait but he cast himself upon the mercies of God and did choose to fall into the hand of the Lord and not into the hand of man for he knew that his mercies were great c â—hil 1. 23 24. Paul was in the like strait for he knew not whether to choose to live which was more needfull to the Philippians or to dye which was far better for himself Sometimes God suffers the devill and wicked men to lay their traps to ensnare his own servants if he seeth them secure and carelesse of their wayes and though they do maliciously intend and purpose their hurt and d 1 Cor. 10. 10 13. destruction yet God by his wise providence will make a way for them to escape the danger of them all that he may magnifie his own glory thereby Sometimes also God doth suffer his servants to be pinched with want and scarcity to be long under afflictions and under the crosse and for some ends best known to his Divine wisdome he doth long defer to manifest his Providence to them for their succour and comfort which is a very great tryall of their faith hope and dependence upon God and many of Gods dear children have complained that he did not help and relieve them and that he suffered his enemies so long to triumph over them Thus saith the Psalmist e Psal 94. 3 Lord how long shall the wicked how long shall the wicked triumph Thus David complaineth f Psal 42. 9 I will say unto God my rock Why hast thou forsaken me Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy Also thus Asaph complained when he was in great distresse g Psal 77. 7 7 8 9 10. Will the Lord cast off for ever And will he be favourable no more Is his mercy clean gone for ever ever doth his promise fail for evermore hath God forgotten to be gracious hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies And then he doth confesse that it was his infirmity to question the good Providence of God But some do repine and murmur against God and against his wise Providence through unbelief if they have not their wants necessities supplied at their pleasure and if they have not deliverance out of their troubles and tribulations when they expect it These are ready to say with Jehoram that wicked king h 2 Kin. 6. 33. Behold this evill is of the Lord what should I wait on him any longer Holy David doth expresse in diverse of his Psalmes how he waited for the Lord from day to day how he rested on the Lord and how patiently his soul waited for him If we thus wait upon God i Isa 30. 18 then the Lord will wait that he may be gracious unto us and therefore we ought to wait for him But if our Faith in God can reach no further than humane sense or reason can carry it we dishonour God by our unbelief though we have formerly had great experience of his good Providence to us and we shall provoke him to wrath as the Israelites did in the wildernesse when they said k Psal 78. 19 20. Can God furnish a Table in the wildernesse Behold he smote the rock that the waters gushed out and the streams over flowed can he give bread also can he provide flesh for his people Thus they believed not in God and rested not upon his Providence though they had seen so many of his great wonders which he had wrought for them Wherefore now let this be the desire of our hearts and souls l Eph. 3. 17 that our faith may be rooted and grounded in the love of God to us in Christ who with him hath given us all things The glorious creatures in heaven are comfortable to us by our interest in Christ and all creatures here below are for our use and at our command and service because we have right to them by faith in Christ without which we can have no comfort in them and no assurance that they belong unto us If our faith be well rooted it will then be fruitfull in all good works and it will never decay because it doth spring from a Divine Principle and is continually watered with a spirituall dew from heaven Also there is great need that it be well grounded and built upon a sure rock because we shall meet with strong assaults and temptations which like boysterous windes and billowes will seek to overturn it and we cannot comfortably injoy the good creatures of God if we do not injoy them in Christ our Saviour which must be onely by faith in him God himself will sometimes try our faith to the utmost by afflictions and crosses by suffering our enemies and wicked men to vex our very souls or by withdrawing his assisting grace from us by clouding the light of his countenance or by deferring the manifestation of his Divine Providence when we are in any strait or in any necessity which we could not shun and cannot tell which way to turn our selves because we have no means of help comfort and salvation but onely to cast our selves upon the Providence of God which we cannot comfortably do if our faith be not well grounded in Christ the rock of our salvation For if it be grounded upon any sandy foundation as upon our naturall endowments upon common grace or upon any earthly thing it will fall at every gust of temptation at every wave of affliction and it will not endure the fiery tryall it doth rest more upon the arm of flesh than it doth upon God and it seeks rather to secondary means for help and succour than it doth unto God and in the end it will deceive us In the last place God is wonderfull in his works of justice and in his Works of mercy both to the just and and to the unjust but in a farre differing manner to them both and to a farre-differing end For God will not suffer sin to be unpunished wheresoever he findeth it If his own children offend he will chastise them with a fatherly correction in much love and tender compassion and to bring them to better obedience but his loving kindnesse he will not take from them according as he said to David m 2 Sam. 7. 14 15. If thy
Adam and how rebelliously we have sinned against God in the whole course of our lives If this be our condition which is most true as we are in the Staâ—â— of nature what comfort can we then take in all worldly pomp and dignities what contentment is there in all earthly pleasures and delight they are all nothing else but vanity and vexation of spirit We may injoy more of this world than our hearts can desire and yet our soules may starve for want of spiritual food and comfort d Gen. 4. 12 Cain was heir apparent to the whole world and yet he was driven out from the presence of God and became a vagabond upon earth So we may injoy whatsoever the world can afford us and yet God will not look upon us with a gracious aspect and then our condition will be no better than that of Cain We may injoy health wealth peace liberty and all manner of prosperity and yet our souls may be sick they may languish with sadnesse of heart they may be much perplexed and shut up as it were in a dungeon because they are so restrained by the corruptions of our nature that they have no freedome to mount upwards towards heaven It is nothing so uncomfortable to live in perpetuall darknesse and never to see the light of the Sun as it is to have our understandings spiritually darkened and to live without the light of the e Mal. 4. 2 Sun of righteousnesse to have no appearance from him to open the eyes of our understandings to be a guide to our reason to season our hearts with grace and to shew us the way that will bring us to heavenly happinesse This is our condition by nature we are out of the favour of God our life is void of all true comfort and consolation we walk in darknesse f Isa 53. 6 we go astray like silly sheep and follow our own inventions and we have no ability in our selves to return again into the right way Wherefore let our hearts be throughly affected with this our sad condition let our Meditations hereupon draw us to a godly sorrow for our sins which may bring us to true repentance and newnesse of life let this be our chief care and the desire of our soules to regain the grace and favour of God and to be reconciled unto him Let our souls bewail our sins with hearty contrition and true compunction let our teares manifest the grief of our hearts and the truth of our repentance for our transgressions and let us cast our selves down at Gods footstool and humbly acknowledge our offences to him suing earnestly to God by prayer for the pardon and forgivenesse of them through Faith in Christ Also we ought to be humble petitioners to God for a supply of such graces as we want to strengthen â—s against the corruptions of our nature and against all the enemies of our salvation This should be our constant practise every night before we sleep to make our peace with God for the sins of the day past wherein we have failed of our duty and wherein we have dishonoured God that our souls may rest in peace as well as our bodies do rest in quiet So likewise every morning we should acknowledge our thankfulnesse to God for the comforts of the night past and to crave his blessing upon our labours the day following If we continually practise this duty it will keep us from grosse sins and great offences and it will make us take all occasions to renew our Repentance with God for our sins Every fit of pain or of sicknesse that we feel and every crosse or affliction that we suffer calls loud for repentance because it is a fruit of our sins also every blessing and every good thing that God is pleased to bestow upon us cryeth loud for our thankfulnesse because it is bestowed of his own free bounty and goodnesse and not for any merit or desert of ours Though we are miserable vile and wretched in our selves yet God is gracious and mercifull and doth dayly give us occasions to glorifie him and he doth use all means to bring us home again unto himself for he doth not delight in the death of a sinner but rather that he should repent and turn unto him neither doth he deal with us according to our sins nor reward us according to our deservings but hath paid a great prize for our redemption out of this miserable condition Concerning the Redemption of Man VVHen God saw man in this sad condition a lamentable spectacle of wofull misery then he took pity upon him a Ezek. 16. 8 and this time of his wretched estate was the time of Gods love to him for soon after his fall God made a gracious promise of Redemption to him b Gen. 3. 15 that the seed of the woman should break the serpents head This promise God did afterwards renew to the Patriarks which was concerning Christ the Lord that should come in his appointed time whom God did plainly reveal to some of the Prophets c Gal. 4 4 5 VVhen the fulnesse of the time was come God sent forth his son made of a woman made under the Law to redeem them that are under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sons d 1 John 4 9 10 In this was manifested the love of God toward us because that God sent his onely begotten Son into the world that we might live through him Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his son to be the Propitiation for our sins e John â— 18 The onely begotten son of God who is in the bosome of his Father came down from heaven and assumed our nature and took upon himself the guilt of our sins to Redeem us from the curse of the Law from the dominion of sin and Satan and from the power of death f 1 Cor. 7. 23 Christ hath also paid an infinite price for our Redemption even his own most precious blood and the full vialls of Gods wrath were poured out upon him because he did undertake to satisfie the justice of God for our sins for thus saith the Prophet g Isa 53. 6. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all h Acts 12. 7 8 Now let us gird up our loines with Peter and binde on our sandals i Eph. 6. 15 and let our feet be shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace to be fitted and prepared for our deliverance out of prison for the chains of our sins are taken off and the prison doores are opened to set us at liberty and to redeem our souls from destruction This Work of our Redemption is so great a mystery that the blessed Angels do adore it with much admiration but they cannot comprehend it it was decreed in heaven before the world was and all the three Persons in the holy Trinity had their severall operations
shall see d Gen. 47 9 that our dayes are few and evill as Jacob said unto Pharaoh and holy David will tell us e Psa 144. 4. that man is like to vanity his dayes are as a shadow that passeth away also f Psal 39. 5. that our dayes are as an hand-breadth and our age is as nothing before God And in another Psalm he saith thus g Psal 103. 15 16. As for man his dayes are as grasse as a flower of the field so he flowrisheth for the winde passeth over it and it is gone and the place thereof shall know it no more Thus saith holy Job h Job 7. 6. 7 My dayes are swifter than a weavers shuttle and are spent without hope O remember that my life is winde If our life be winde how soon then is it gone how little then is the time of grace and yet upon this little moment dependeth our eternall happiness for when this life is ended there is no more time for grace or to seek the favour of God Wherefore it is extream folly to lose any part of this precious time without some gain of grace or to spend it to any other end than to the glory of God then much more to waste it in sinfull pleasures to the great dishonour of his Name and to the destruction and losse of our own souls Though we be in the State of Grace yet through the corruption of our nature and the frailty of our unregenerate part we are subject to many slips and failings and sometimes we do so dangerously fall that God will hide his face from us and eclipse the bright beames of his gracious countenance for a time so that we shall have no sense nor apprehension of his Grace and favour to us and the fruits of his Spirit will seem to us to be withered and dryed up But God hath his speciall times of grace when he will be found of us and when he will graciously accept us and will manifest again the fruits of his holy Spirit and his sanctifying graces shall again shine forth in us when God hath wrought his own work in our hearts and hath humbled us for our sins with his rod he will then call to us saying i Psal 27. 8. Seek ye my face and our hearts must presently answer with David Thy face Lord will we seek for to answer presently to Gods call is the time of gracious acceptation thus saith David I acknowledged my sin unto thee and mine iniquity have I not hid I said k Ps 32. 5 6. I will confesse my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found Also when we seek with all faithfull diligence unto the Lord in our tribulations and sue unto him with all our hearts we shall find him gracious and propitious to us as the Lord himself saith by his Prophet l Jer. 29. 12 13 14. Then shall ye call upon me and ye shall go and pray unto me and I will hearken unto you And ye shall seek me and finde me when ye shall search for me with all your heart and I will be found of you saith the Lord. But the holy Ghost sets down a more particular time of grace m Heb. 3. 7 13. To day if ye will hear his voice harden not â—our hearts and he giveth this reason lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sin for God doth call to us every day by some meanes or other to seek his face and his favour Wherefore we must not put off the time of grace untill the morrow for as James saith n Jam. 4. 14 Wâ— know not what shall be on thâ— morrow For what is our life It is even a vapâ—r that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away It is now plain and evident that the principall time of grace is when God is pleased to offer it and when he doth give us the means to attain unto it for God keeps the gift of grace in his own power to give it to whom and when he pleaseth and except God doth offer it we cannot receive it The very first desires of seeking grace is Gods free offer of it to us for he doth incline the will and works those holy desires in our hearts by the operation of his own Spirit Sometimes the holy Ghost doth work them in us upon the true sight and sense of our sins and thereby moves us to make our peace with God by true repentance according to this of the Prophet o Isa 55. 6 7 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found call ye upon him while he is near Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon The holy Ghost doth also work thus in our hearts upon the sense of our wants and necessities and upon the sense of our afflictions and tribulations to humble our souls before God that our hearts may be prepared to seek his love and favour by fervent prayer Thus saith the Prophet p Isa 26. 16. Lord in trouble have they visited thee they powred out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them If we do duly consider these thiogs and ponder well upon them in our hearts it will teach us highly to prize that time which God doth lend us here in this life for the gain of Grace that hereafter we may attain to eternall happinesse in the kingdom of heaven also not to refuse any offer of Grace that God shall make unto us First because oâ—r time is short and momentany and we know not how long we shall enjoy it Secondly because our little time is transitory and passeth swiftly away and we cannot recall one moment that is gone Thirdly because it is the time which God hath appointed for Grace and the time of his gracious acceptation Fourthly because the eternall salvation both of our souls and bodies dependeth upon this short time of our life Lastly if we lose any opportunity of grace that God doth give us we shew great unthankfulnesse to God and we know not whether he will give us another opportunity for it Wherefore we should not spend our time idly or unprofitably but we must with all care and diligence improve it to those ends for which God hath given it to make our calling and election sure by faith in Christ to make our peace with God whom we have offended and to regain his love and favour when we have lost the apprehension of it by our sins Many heavenly comforts we shall finde if we listen to Gods call and receive Grace when he doth offer it First God will be found of us if we seek him with pure affections and in the uprightnesse of our hearts Secondly he
be not conveyed to our hearts by faith as it iâ— to the ear and to the hand by the Minister also if the holy Ghost doth not give us a spirituall appetite to it that our heartâ— may spiritually feed upon it it will not be the sweet savour of life unto life unto us but rather the savour of death unto death If the devill can bereave us of the benefites that come by the meanes of Grace and make us lose the opportunity of it and can keep us from the true knowledge of God and of his Son Jesus Christ as he did Judas he will then lead us on in a sinful and wicked course of life until he doth bring us to eternal perdition Thus by degrees he brought Judas from infidelitie to hardness of heart after he had taken possession of him until at last he fell into despair and became his own executioner for his damnable treason against his Lord and Master for presentlie after he hanged himself y Act. 1. 8. he burst asunder in the midst and all his bowels gushed out Thus did God give him his just reward for his horrible sin and impiety against Christ and yet he was one of his Disciples and had as much means of grace as the rest had and also as many common and external gifts of the Spirit as they had and did see the great works that Christ had done And thus will God shew his justice and judgements upon impenitent and notorious offenders that are so hardned in their sins that no meanes of Grace can bring them to Repentance Now examine thy self thou that dailie seest the wonderful works of God if thou canst look beyond nature and see his power and wise providence in them if thou canst discern the finger of God when great men are brought down and men of low degree are exalted also if thou canst see how God will bring to pass his own designs against all opposition of wicked men and that he can discover the hellish plots and maginations of the Devil and his instruments z Plal. 7. 15. and will make them fall into the same pit which they have digged for others a Esth 1. 10. as he did unto wicked Haman If thou seest these and the like things come to pass thou must believe that it is the work of God for his own glory and the good of his Church Peter did see the great works of Christ he did believe that they were wrought by the power of his divine nature Judas did also see the same works but he could not discern the divinity of Christ in them If thy condition be like unto that of Peter that thou canst see a divine power in the great works that are wrought here upon earth and that God by his wisdom and providence can dispose of all the troublesome chances and changes that happen here either in Church or State to his own glory to the good of his people and to the confusion of his and their enemies then thou doest rightlie understand the waies of God by a spiritual illumination that is in thy heart But if with Judas thou canst no discern Gods divine power in his works on earth to over-rule all adversarie power b Psal 2. 2. though they rage in fury and take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed then thine understanding is blinded and thou liest open to all kind of dangers and distractions of mind Search again into thine own heart thou that livest where the Gospel of Christ is sincerely preached and his holie Sacraments rightlie and duly administered and examine thy self with what affections thou doest come to those holie Ordinances of God what grace is wrought in thee and how thy faith is strengthened by them how much sin is weakned and how thy life is reformed Also examine what spiritual life thou hast what fruits it doth bring forth what care thou hast to nourish it by thy profitable hearing of the Word of God and by thy worthy receiving of the Lords Supper if thou canst give a good account that thou hast spent thy time profitably and hast improved the means of grace to the best advantage then thou art a faithful servant to thy Lord and Master Jesus Christ as Peter was But if this heavenlie food will not please thy palate it cannot nourish and comfort thy soul because thou hast some secret corruptions or some beloved sin that keeps the sweet influence of grace from thy heart and then thou wilt reap as little benefit by the Word of God and by his holie Ordinances as wretched Judas did though he heard Christ himself preach to him Surely God doth still send down this heavenlie Manna blessed be his holie name for it and thou maiest gather it for the nourishment and comfort of thy soul if thou wilt but if thou canst find no spiritual sweetness in it thy taste is not then spiritual but it is dulled with worldly cares or sinful pleasures which must be purged out of thy heart by the blood of Christ before thou canst with Peter take pleasure and delight to hear the words of Christ c John 6. 68 which are the words of eternall life and before thou canst make it the joy of thy heart to meditate on the Statutes of God How canst thou hazard thy life for Christ as Peter did and for the truth of his Gospel if thou art not well instructed and a good proficient in his School And how canst thou live a spirituall life to God if thy heart hath not sucked vertue and power from Christ by faith who is the fountain of this water of life and of this coelestial food to nourish thee up to everlasting life Look now a little upon Peters zeal for his Masters safety he resisted those that came to apprehend him d John 18. 10 11. and smote the high Priests servant but Christ cured the wound and rebuked Peter for it because his zeal was not well grounded for he did endeavour to hinder him in the work which God had appointed him to do concerning mans redemption and therefore Christ said unto him The cup which my father hath given me shall I not drink it This may teach us to drink willingly any cup of affliction that our heavenly Father shall give us for it must needs be good and profitable to us if we receive it from God as from the hand of our Father Also that holy zeal or fervency of spirit in Gods Cause is a duty which he requireth and his servants do practise it yet it must be regulated according to knowledge and to the glory of God for blind zeal will lead us into many errours Davids zeal was rightly regulated e Psal 119. 139. My zeal saith he hath consumed me because thine enemies have forgotten thy words f Num. 25. 11 12. Such was the zeal of Phinehas in the matter of Zimri and Cozby which turned away the wrath of God from the
children of Israel And therefore God gave to him and to his seed after him his covenant of peace even the covenant of an everlasting Priesthood If we have this holy zeal and fervency of spirit in our Prayers and in all other services that we perform unto God he will hear them and will graciously accept them and return us a blessed answer in due time g Rev. 3. 19. When Christ had rebuked the Laodiceans for their lukewarmnesse he doth counsell them to be zealous and to amend for this fire of holy zeal will take away the coldnesse of our affections in our Prayers Meditations Thanksgivings and in all other our holy duties to God This is one end of our Redemption by Christ for Paul saith h Tit. 2. 14 That Christ gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works But there is a zeal that comes from a blinde devotion which will easily mislead us i Rom. 10. 2 3. Paul did confesse that the Jews had a zeal of God but it was not according to knowledge for they went about to establish their own righteousnesse by the Law because they were ignorant of the righteousnesse of God which was by Christ Wherefore study and labour for heavenly wisedome and spirituall understanding to carry thy zeal the right way and to regulate it with an holy discretion that it may not exceed the bounds of Christian moderation but that it may be steered according to the will of God and to his glory and not according to thy passions or to a wrong end If there be an holy zeal in thy prayers they will speedily mount up to God and be quick messengers to return thee a gracious answer from him whereas cold and dull prayers ascend up heavily to God and they will as slowly return with a blessing So likewise this holy zeal will put life into all thy devotions and duties to God to make thee perform them with a willing minde and a chearfull heart Now look once more upon the treason of Judas and see if ever there was the like treachery plotted or the like horrible fact committed upon earth and all for base gain it was plotted by the devill against the eternall son of God and acted by Judas his accursed instrument against his most gracious Lord and Master his heart was so set upon covetousnesse that he lost his soul for the gain of a little mony What did Judas now gâ— by his bargain What gain did he make by exchanging his soul with the devill for money this was his gain the horrour of a guilty conscience because he betrayed innocent bloud a reprobate minde that could not repent and the fearfull terrours of desperation which made him hang himself Consider therefore how far earthly minded men will indanger their souls for the wealth of this world It is true which Paul saith k 1 Tim. 6. 10. that covetousnesse is the root of all evill not in regard of the things coveted for in themselves they are the blessings of God which he hath given us and hath appointed them to be used to his glory but in regard of the immoderate desire of them the unlawfull meanes that is commonly used to get them and the wrong end for which they are so eagerly desired but chiefly because they steal away their hearts from God for they set their hearts upon them and prize them above heavenly riches they stick not to get them by oppression or fraud and they covet them to satisfie their own lusts and not to honour God with them they do not think that the guilt of their covetousnesse cleaveth close to their souls and that there is a sting in their gettings which will sting their souls to death as it did Judas God doth allow us to get gain by honest meanes in our lawfull callings that he may be honoured thereby that we may live comfortably to do him service and maintain in the charge that God hath given us and also to be able to succour and relieve the poor But if we covet riches for any end that is dishonourable to God or get them by any unlawfull meanes l 1 Tim. 1. 19. we do then make shipwrack of faith and a good conscience we trust in our wealth and not in God and thus we do voluntarily suffer our covetous desires to tyrannize over us untill they bring us to perdition How happy then is that heart which is not affected to it how peaceable is that conscience which is not infected with it and how comfortable will our lives be to us if we can rest content with that portion which God hath given us by our industry in our honest callings we shall live without carking care which otherwise in time will eat out our spirits and consume our bodies we shall sleep without trouble of minde and though we possesse but little yet we shall injoy the blessing of God with it which will make that little far better to us than to possesse much and not to have his blessing therewith Also many rich men have great store of wealth and yet they injoy but litle of it because they have not an heart to use it but they hide it as in a napkin like that unprofitable servant in the Gospel so that God hath no glory themselves have no content and others have no good by their great wealth If we bring Peter and Judas face to face the one will appear more beautifull and the other more deformed and we shall the better discern the faithfulnesse and piety of the one and the infidelity and wickednesse of the other the zeal of Peter to his beloved Lord and Master and the damnable treachery of Judas against him the one sought to save his Masters life the other to destroy it though both of them were brought up in the same school When vertue is set opposite to vice vertue will shine forth the more clearly and vice will be the more ugly Pilate gave the Jewes their choice of Jesus or of Barrabas but they chose Barrabas the murtherer and rejected JESUS whom they could no way convince of any crime which made their hatred and malice against Christ the more odious and detestable to all posterity Look now with the eye of admiration upon thy gracious and blessed Saviour how willing he was to drink that cup of trembling which his Father gave him whereof he had a taste immediatly before which put him into such an Agony that his soul was heavy even to the death and his sweat was like drops of blood but now he must drink the dregs of it for us and in our stead for he knew that we were not able to bear it Christ knew that Judas would seek him that night in the garden to betray him and that he would bring a band of souldiers to apprehend him and yet Christ would not absent himself to avoid it neither would he
suppresse the violence of our passions though we be naturally inclined thereunto Lastly Faith will strengthen us against all doubtings and distrust when Gods corrections are upon us b Heb. 12. 6 7. for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and he scourgeth every son whom he receiveth If we endure chastening God dealeth with us as with sons Thus saith Eliphaz to Job c Job 5. 17. Behold happy is the man whom God correcteth therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty Why then should we mistrust the love and favour of God when we are under his visitation Why do we not put more confidence in his power to defend us more trust in his care to preserve us and more hope in his promises to save and deliver us from our enemies and out of troubles and dangers Wherefore if we do piously meditate upon these things it will be a great strengthening to our Faith and exceeding comfortable to our souls in all our temptations sorrows and sufferings Consider in the next place that as Christ appointed the crowing of the Cock to be Peters remembrancer of his sin so likewise God in much mercy hath many waies to put us also in minde of our sins and to call us to speedy repentance for them which we ought with all care and diligence to mark and observe If God doth forbear and suffer us to go long unpunished for our offences d Rom. 2. 4. his goodnesse herein should lead us to repentance But if he doth give us any check of conscience or layeth any affliction upon us they are as so many warnings to make us remember our sins with grief of heart and to bring us to repent of them that we may escape the evill which otherwise our sins would bring upon us But when the holy Ghost doth touch our hearts as he did Peters he will work with unresistible power to make us think upon our sins with godly sorrow with true contrition and compunction of spirit with hatred and detestation of them he will make us confesse and acknowledge them before God and earnestly to crave the forgivenesse of them by Faith in Christ and to have an holy assurance of it by our true and sound repentance But if we remember our former sins with delight and approbation we sin them over again and this remembrance is sinfull and it proceedeth from our corrupted nature and not from grace which will never bring us to forsake them or to repent of them When Peter came to himself and remembred his unthankfulnesse to his Lord and Master and did see from whence he was fallen he was wounded to the very soul and presently went out to seek a place where he might ease the grief of his heart with his bitter teares Consider now with all pious devotion how dangerous it is and what advantage we give the divell if we reiterate any sins as namely swearing lying uncleanness drunkennesse Sabbath-breaking or the like for it will fasten the guilt of that sin closer to our souls which will not be removed without bitter teares but will press us down to the pit of destruction Consider also that great and crying sins require loud cryes deep sighs and grones and many teares which we cannot pour forth untill we do abandone all our wicked and lewd companions and all former occasions that did intise or provoke us thereunto and untill Christ doth look upon us and touch our hearts with his Spirit to let us know that he doth take notice of them e 1 Cor. 16. 13. We should therefore watch and stand fast in the faith that we depart not from Christ but support our faith with stedfast hope and assurance that he will stablish us with his free Spirit never to fall away from him totally and finally But thou wilt say as sometimes Peter did that though thou shouldst dye with Christ yet thou wilt never deny him nor forsake him but do not trust too much to thine own strength though thou art in the State of grace for if Christ doth not uphold thy faith the power of Satans temptations will prevail against thee thine own heart will deceive thee and the devill will be too cunning for thee f Ezech. 33. 31. Thou maist honour Christ with thy lips and yet in heart thou maist deny him for if the power of a Christian life goeth not along with thy outward profession thou dost then dishonour his holy Name dost forsake Him in thy heart If there be such unfaithfulnesse in thee to Christ thy Saviour and if there be such hypocrisie hidden under a fair profession then every rumour of trouble or danger for Christ every alluring vanity and every delightfull sin will make thee turn aside from him g Psal 78. 57. like a deceitfull bow because thy heart is not well seasoned with grace to make thee stand firm and stedfast unto Christ and to his truth against all opposition If this be thy fidelity to thy Saviour and if thou dost repose so little confidence in him then surely he will not regard thee though thou dost howle and call unto him day and night when thou art in any distresse or misery The Lord complaineth of his own people h Hos 7. 14 that they had not cryed unto him with their heart when they howled upon their beds for they did still rebell against him Wherefore let there be truth and sincerity in thy heart that thy heart and thy tongue may go together in thy Prayers in thy vowes and in all thy services to God and man let thy heart and thy hand go together in thy almes to the poor and in all thy works of charity for if thy heart be not faithfull to God thy best services and duties cannot be accepted Also keep thy heart closely knit to Christ by faith and then he will cast an eye of mercy upon thee as he did upon Peter if at any time through humane weaknesse or upon the violence of any passion or strong temptation thou shalt fall away from him Thy heart is that which Christ requireth for thus he saith by Solomon My son give me thy heart i Prov. 23. 26. give not thy heart therefore to the pleasures and vanities of the world nor to carnall lusts and delights but onely unto God Now Meditate seriously upon all the circumstances of Peters fall and thou wilt find thy self likewise subject to the like provocations and to the like frailties and failings and learn instruction thereby not to be secure because dangers and temptations do every where attend thee and not to presume upon thine own strength for that will not preserve thee but labour to be well rooted in the truth and well grounded in the faith and love of Christ and then no spirituall enemy shall prevail against thee and the cunning stratagems of the divell shall not hurt thee no fear of perills and dangers shall make thy faith in Christ to fail and no afflictions or troubles shall
though the guilt of all our sins was imputed unto Christ yet he was not defiled therewith and though he suffered for sin yet it was not for his own but for the sins of all the Elect of God which he took upon himself for the perfection of his purity and of his righteousnesse did still remain unspotted and undefiled that we might be cloathed therewith by faith to hide our nakednesse and the shame of our sins when we come into the presence of God to perform any holy service unto him but specially when we shall appear before his dreadfull Tribunal at the last day From hence also we may draw much consolation when we are falsely accused spitefully used or cruelly persecuted for the Profession of the truth and for a good conscience for our dear Saviour hath suffered the like in our Nature and for our sakes that these and the like sufferings might be sanctified to us and that we should follow Christs example of patience and meekness when we are under them We need not therefore be dismaid when we are thus unjustly dealt with for Christ hath taken away the evill of these sufferings and hath taught us how to demean our selves under them and if we wait patiently upon God he will in due time make our innocency break forth like the Sun out of a cloud to his own glory and to our great comfort Consider now and admire to see how the malice and cruelty of the chief Priests and Scribes did increase against Christ for when they perceived that Pilate had cleered his innocency and was willing to release him their rage and fury was the more inflamed k Mat. 27. 20. insomuch as they moved the people to desire that Barrabas might be released to them who raised sedition in the City and was also a Murtherer and that JESUS might be crucified which kinde of death was most ignominious most shamefull and accursed Though they knew by their own Law what a crying sin in the eares of God the shedding of innocent blood was yet no blood could satisfie them but innocent blood Pilate offered them the blood of Barrabas but that would not content them for they thirsted after the purest blood that ever was spilt even the most precious blood of the eternall Son of God because he laid open their corrupt doctrines and discovered their hypocrisie to all the people The cruell Jews did shed the blood of the Prophets that were sent to them and now they do eagerly hunt after the blood of Christ whom they could no way convince of any sin Thus doth their divelish envy and malice carry on to the highest degree of rebellion against God and against his Anointed Now let us meditate with an holy zeal and pious devotion upon the price of our Redemption l 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. for we were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from our vain conversation but with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot who was both God and Man so that the Jews crucified him that was m 1 Cor. 2. 8. the Lord of glory and the blood which they spilt was the blood of that Person who was God as well as Man according to this of Paul n Act. 20. 28 That God hath purchased to himself a Church with his own blood Wherefore o 1 Cor. 6. 20 seeing we are bought with such a price we ought to glorifie God in our bodies and in our spirits which are Gods p Heb. 6. 5 6. and not to fall away when we have tasted of the good Word of God and of the powers of the world to come seeing thereby we crucifie to our selves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame by our new committed sins after repentance Also we must ruminate upon the transcendent worth of the blood of our crucified Redeemer with pure affections for it was an infinite price to satisfie the justice of an infinite God We cannot conceive much lesse expresse the incomprehensible goodnesse of Christ who of his meer love hath given up himself and his whole nature both Divine and Humane to purchase our redemption with his own blood His Deity of it self could not suffer either hunger or thirst pain or torment for these and all other his sufferings did properly belong to his humane nature but by the personall union of his humanity with his Deity the Divine nature of Christ did suffer together with his humanity by a nearer simpathy than is between the members of the naturall body and the head or between the members of the mysticall body of Christ and himself who is their Head for these members both naturall and spirituall are but knit and united to the head by firm ligaments but the humanity of Christ was taken up into his Deity and so made one Christ Saul persecuted Christ when he did persecute his Church for thus saith Christ unto him q Act. 9. 4 5 Saul Saul why persecutest thou me And he said Who art thou Lord And the Lord said I am Jesus whom thou persecutest for he persecuted him in his members he being their Head How much more then did the Deity of Christ suffer throughout his whole passion by simpathizing with his humane nature not onely as r Cor. 11. 3 God is the Head of Christ but chiefly because his humane nature was personally united to his Deity this is the cause why the blood of Christ his sufferings and his death is of so great merit and of such an infinite price If it be so that Christ did give himself in his whole nature for us that his blood should be spilt his body mangled and tortured his soul tormented his Glory clouded with ignominy and shame and that his Deity should be blasphemed and spitefully dishonoured for our redemption and if we were bought with so great a price we have then as great cause as ever David had Å¿ Psal 103 1 2 3 4. to blesse the Lord and to stirre up all that is within us to praise his holy Name for all the benefits of our redemption for he forgiveth all our iniquities he healeth all our diseases he redeemeth our lives from destruction and he crowneth us with loving kindnesse and tender mercies For if we can apply to our selves by a true faith Jesus Christ and him crucified for us t Gal. 2. 20 as Paul did he will fasten the guilt of our sins to his own crosse that it shall not cleave to our souls and he will remit the punishment that is due to us for them also he will heal and cure all the spirituall diseases of our souls by powring clean water upon us and by sanctifying us with his grace and holy Spirit unto newnesse of life which is a sure evidence of the pardon of our sins and then he will imbrace us with the armes of his love and will crown us with everlasting peace Consider yet
and sought opportunitie to betray him unto them Then he stirred up the chief Preists and Elders against him who out of malice and envie did persecute him and falslie accuse him before Herod and Pilate because the people did so much resort unto him Pilate condemned him out of fear and flattery to keep his grace and favour with Caesar and to please the people for he thought he did it for Caesars honour The Souldiers crucified him for a reward and to make a spoil of his garments Thus they are all the devils instruments to put the immaculate Lamb of God to a most shameful and cruel death for their own wicked ends But God did over-rule them all by his gracious and wise providence and made all their purposes and actions to serve for the furthering of his most loving and merciful end which was decreed from eternitie From hence we may draw sweet meditations for our comfort upon the power and goodness of God who can and will over-rule the power of the devil and of all wicked men and will so dispose of all their plots and devices which they intend for the hurt of his servants that they shall all serve for his own glorie and for their good he can frustrate their wicked intentions and can bring about his own end to effect his own work by them God hath this provident care of his people that whatsoever their enemies do maliciously intend or devise against them shall be brought to nought or else he will make it serve for their advantage and gain Though our enemies be as strong as c 1 Sam. â—â— Goliah was and though we are as unfit to encounter with them as David was to fight with that great Gyant yet if we put our confidence in God as David did and keep close unto him by faith in Christ he will direct a stone to beat out their brains And though they be as cunning and as subtile d 2 Sam 17 as Achitophel was yet God can confound them in their own craft and policy Mark now and consider it well how God in justice did revenge the treachery and cruelty that was used in betraying and in murthering of his dear and onely Son and how he brought their wickednesse upon their own heads for Judas was given up to a reprobate minde e Mat. 27 5 and immediatly after he hanged himself God did severely punish the whole nation of the Jews for this most horrible fact and laid the innocent blood of his Son upon them and upon their posterity which doth stil rest upon them because they did wilfully without cause and out of malice shed it Pilate also was soon after cast out of Caesar's favour and banished into France and the Devil was hereby quite vanquished and overcome so that now he hath no power to hurt the meanest of Gods Saints Thus will the Lord deal with all those that have their hands stained with the blood of his Anointed ones and with all such as are Actors in any wicked Design They may hide their counsels in the dark yet nothing can be hidden from God for he hath an All-seeing eye to discover what they go about and he will bring the evill of their doings upon themselves or upon their children Wherefore have thou no hand in the blood of Gods servants and partake not with the wicked in their evill designes for the guilt of their sins will cleave to thee and God will not suffer it to go unpunished for if thou art partaker of other mens sins thou shalt also partake with them in their punishment Therefore f Eph. 5. 6 7. Paul adviseth the Ephesians not to be partakers with wicked men because the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience for their sins God calleth his people out of Babylon saying g 1 Rev. 18. 4 Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues But it is a blessed thing to partake with the children of God in his holy Ordinances in all holy duties h 2 Cor. 1. 5 7. and in the sufferings of Christ Because we shall also partake with them in the consolation that is by Christ Thus the servants of God should mutually joyn together in the worship and service of God that they may also mutually have the benefit and comfort of those services here and also partake together with them of the glory that afterwards shall be revealed Of the penitent Thief NOw we come to consider that Christ was crucified between two thieves according to this of the Prophet a Isa 53. 12 He was numbered with the transgressors one of them had no remorse of conscience nor grief of heart for his offences but began to rail upon Christ to revile him and blasphemously to taunt him saying b Luk. 23. 39. If thou art Christ save thy self and us But the other was touched by the holy Ghost with a godly sorrow and a relenting heart for his sins and did freely confesse that they two did justly and deservedly suffer death for their offences but he did justifie our beloved Saviour for his blameless innocency and he rebuked his fellow saying Fearest thou not God seeing thou art in the same condemnation Then he turned to Christ to implore his mercy and made this short and sweet Prayer to him Lord remember me when thou shalt come into thy Kingdom To whom Christ immediatly gave this gracious Answer Verily I say unto thee This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Surely these gracious words of Christ did much mitigate and asswage the sorrowes of his perplexed minde and much eased the bitternesse of his torments and this blessed Promise gave him good assurance that after his present sufferings and pains he should injoy rhe blessed society of Christ in the heavenly paradise For as Faith wrought in his heart a true contrition to Repentance and opened his mouth to make a good confession of his sins and to vindicate the innocency of Christ from the aspersions of his fellow Malefactour and also to present his humble request unto Christ his Lord for some gracious rememberance of him so no doubt it sealed such an holy assurance of future happinesse to his sorrowfull soul and wounded conscience that he did stedfastly believe the promise and faithfully lookt for the performance of it whereby his fainting Spirits were much comforted and the cruell torturings of his body which he suffered were sanctified and sweetned to him Here set the Meditations of thy heart upon the free love and mercy of Christ to poor sinners he choseth whom he will and whom he will he refuseth his gifts of grace are free his love and favour is not necessitated to any c Gen. 25. 2â— There were twinnes in Rebâ—ccas wombe d Rom. 9. 13. God loved the one and he hated the other Two men may be in one bed God may take the one and he may leave the
other so likewise there were two thieves crucified with e Luk. 1â— 34. Christ and he had compassion on the one but he rejected the other for he bestowes his grace upon whom he will and when he pleaseth There is no person so vile no condition so base and no time so late as to hinder Christ from shewing mercy to a poor sinner that is truly sensible of his misery and feels the burden of his sinâ— and doth humbly acknowledge his miserable condition and his unworthinesse to him and doth earnestly sue for his grace and favour with a broken and a contrite heart as this Malefactor did Also Christ will not refuse those that renounce themselves and their own merits and rest onely upon his righteousnesse by faith for their justification also upon the merite of his death for the pardon of their sins and for the salvation of their souls for his promises of grace and mercy are made to such as sigh and mourn for their transgressions Now examine thy condition with a faithfull heart art thou a malefactour and a grievous sinner against God Doth the guilt of thy sins presse heavy upon thee Dost desire from thy heart to be eased of that burden Is the remembrance of them bitter unto thee though it be when thou art weak and faint and ready to give up the ghost Then look up to Christ with the eye of Faith confesse thy sins unto him with a penitent heart and if thine ear be spiritually opened thou wilt then hear a gracious and mercifull answer from him to thy Petitions and if thou wilt diligently search the Scriptures thou wilt find some promises of grace which will sute with thy condition that Christ hath made to such as thou art which thou must apply to thy fainting soul by true faith and stedfast hope that it belongeth unto thee then rest upon it with a firm confidence to comfort thee in the assurance of thy reconciliation unto God which will take away the evill of all thy sorrowes and the terrour of death it self which to a naturall man is most uncomfortable and death is most fearfull and terrible to such as see the hand-writing of God against them for as they have lived in sin without repentance so they dye with the guilt of sin upon their souls without forgivenesse This Act of Christ in the conversion of this poor sinner was extraordinary and it was a speciall work of mercy to manifest his power and goodnesse to him even at the last hour when he had no hope and no meanes of his salvation and when he was upon the Crosse expecting death every moment and also it was to shew that he is no respecter of persons and that he is not limited to time or meanes when or how to work repentance in the heart of a dejected sinner or to save any that come unto him with an upright heart and sincere affections though it be immediatly before they go hence and shall be seen no more For it doth not appear that this man had ever any knowledge of Christ or any opportunity to come unto him or any means of grace before this time or that he did wittingly and wilfully defer the time of his salvation or neglect the means of grace to the last hour or desperately reserve the hope of his Redemption to the time of his death But though it were late before this Malefactor was converted or had any true saving grace wrought in him or before he did believe in Christ yet his faith was true f Luk. 23. 41. and he made a good confession of his sins and did justifie the innocency of Christ in that instant of time when none of his friends durst speak in his cause and his Apostles either doubted or seemed to stagger in their faith of his Divinity Also this mans conversion was at such a time as that he could neither be baptized nor have further time for the amendment of his sinfull life Here is much matter of Spirituall comfort if we duly consider how powerfull true faith is to prevail with Christ in all our troubles sorrowes and necessities for if we rest and depend upon him and if our hope and confidence be onely in him let our condition of life be what it will he will not deceive us in our hope nor leave us without support and comfort also if he findeth faith and truth in our hearts he will deny us no good thing that we crave of him be it never so great or begged never so late for this poor sinner begged heavenly happinesse at the very last hour of his life when he had no time to expresse any thankfulness for so great a blessing and yet he had his request granted But this particular Act of Christs mercy makes no generall rule for remission of sins to those that do wilfully defer their repentance and turning to God to the last and worst part of their lives not that Christ is not alwayes ready to receive the truly humbled and repenting sinner but because late repentance is seldome sound God will not bestow this heavenly grace at their pleasure who do willingly neglect the meanes of grace and lose the opportunity that God hath given them for it and do rather choose to continue still in their sins than to leave and forsake them and to turn to the Lord with all their heart and with all their soul We cannot but dayly see what meanes the Lord useth to bring us unto Christ and to make us get an holy assurance of the pardon of our sins through him by true repentance his Law doth shew us the deformity of our sins and what we have justly deserved thereby which is a forcible means to drive us unto Christ by him to have Redemption from the curse of the Law the sense of our sins and the anguish of our Spirits for them are strong motives to make us seek to our crucified Redeemer that they may be washt away in his blood which he shed upon the crosse Also the smart of his rod in our troubles sorrowes and afflictions are speciall means which God is pleased to use to bring us to repentance but specially if we finde by the manner of his visitation that it is for some particular sins which we have committed we ought then speedily to repent of them and to seek after the blood of Christ to apply it to our selves by faith that the guilt of such sins may not cleave to our souls and consciences but that those spiritual wounds which they have made in us may be quickly healed before they come to putrid sores and ulcers and we may have a true assurance hereof by our repentance If repentance be truly wrought in us there will be such an holy change in all the faculties of our souls in all the affections of our hearts and in all the parts of our bodies that the corruptions of our Nature and the sinfull lusts of our flesh will be mortified and
what a great punishment it is when the Ministers of God are removed from their places and the people fit in darknesse and left to ignorance and spirituall blindnesse or else to such teachers as cannot shew them the right way to heavenly happinesse But it is a punishment above all other when God will take away his Word and Gospel from a Nation or people because they despise it and will not learn instruction by it Christ thus threatneth the Church of Ephesus p Rev. 2. 5. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and do the first works or else I will come unto thee quickly and I will remove thy candlestick out of his place except thou repent Darknesse of understanding was one of the curses which God threatned to bring upon his people if they would not obey his Law q Deut. 28. 28 26. The Lord shall smite thee with blindnesse and thou shalt grope at noon-dayes as the blinde gropeth in darknesse and thou shalt not prosper in thy wayes Among the sins of the Jews which the Prophet reckoneth up this was one r Isa 59. 7 9 10. that they made haste to shed innocent blood Therefore saith he is judgement far from us neither doth justice overtake us We wait for light but behold obscurity for brightnesse but we walk in darknesse We grope for the wall like the blinde and we grope as if we had no eyes We stumble at noonday as in the night we are in desolate places as dead men All this was truly verified in the Jews at this time when they shed the innocent blood of our Saviour Christ upon the Crosse It is therefore a fearfull judgement when God doth bereave us of the means of knowledge and understanding of his will Hear what the Lord threatneth by his Prophet Å¿ Amos 11 12. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord God that I will send a famine in the land not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water but of hearing the words of the Lord. And they shall wander from sea to sea and from the North even to the East they shall run to and fro to seek the Word of the Lord and shall not find it Miserable are the people that are in such a case for they have no means to come to the knowledge of God and of his Son Jesus Christ by whom they must be saved Now let us Meditate with faithfull hearts on the wonderfull goodnesse of God who hath continued still unto us the light of his Gospel and his Word of truth to be a Lanthorn to our feet and a light unto our paths and to guide us into the way of true peace and heavenly felicity whereas our sins have justly deserved that he should remove our Candlestick from us Let us also study all thankfulnesse to him for so great a blessing and labour to improve it to the glory of God and to the edification of our souls to eternall life t 1 Sam. 3. 1 In the dayes of the Judges untill Samuels time the Word of the Lord was precious there was no open vision Wherefore while we do injoy it we should highly prize it and imbrace it with pure affections as the means which God hath appointed for our salvation In the last place consider that as it was the good pleasure of God to humble his onely Son so low before he had finished the work of our redemption as that the Sun seemed to mourn at the sight of it so likewise God is sometimes pleased to bring his dearest servants from the highest degree of honour to the lowest condition of men for some end and purpose which he in his secret wisdom doth intend either for his own glory or for their good It may be our case to be brought from plenty to penury from pleasure to pain from health to sicknesse from credit and honour to shame and disgrace but we need not repine at Gods Providence herein for as he can advance his own glory by our condition how mean soever it be so he can and will sanctifie our condition to our comfort and for our good though it be among the lowest degrees of men if we do meekly submit to his will and pleasure We cannot be brought so low as our gracious Saviour was we cannot suffer so much of Gods fury as he did for he drank a full draught and the very dregs of the cup of trembling at Gods hand but we have a very small portion measured out to us and the bitternesse of it will soon be out of our tasté u Psal 30. 5. for the anger of Godendureth but a moment in his favour is life wéâ—ping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning Our cup of affliction is tempered and measured out by Christ according to our strength and it is sweetned with many comforts that we may willingly take it and be able to bear it Christ hath had full experience of our sorrowes and he will compassionate us in our miseries If we are oppressed under the crosse he will ease it in his good time if we are perplexed for our sins he will present our condition to his Father and the merit of his blood to procure our atonement with God that the bright beams of his grace and favour may again shine upon us If we do seriously meditate on these things we may faithfully believe that Christ the Sun of righteousness will at length come with healing in his wings and dispell the black cloud of afflictions which hath long overshadowed us Of the Death of our SAVIOUR CHRIST COnsider now with all pious devotion to what weaknesse both of spirit and body our dear and precious Saviour was brought when he was upon the Crosse for his blood was wasted his Spirits were spent the moisture of his body was dryed up and the time of his dissolution was now at hand Now was fulfilled that of the Prophet a Zech. 13. 7 Awake O sword against my shepherd and against the man that is my fellow saith the Lord of hosts smite the shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered When Christ was in this extremity of weaknesse a little before his death b Joh. 19. 28. he said I thirst by all which he did shew the truth of his humanity This thirst was not so much for wine or water to refresh his fainting spirits as it was to have our redemption finished that God might be glorified in the salvation of mankinde Then the barbarous people that had no humanity in them gave him Vinegar in a spunge to drink which they did out of malice to increase his pain and misery but the Lord did so order it that it was to fulfill this saying of the Psalmist c Psal 69. 21. They gave me also gall for my meat and in my thirst they gave me Vinegar to d Joh. 19. 30 drink When Christ had tasted it he said It is finished because all the
Prophesies were then fulfilled that were spoken of him in his life e Luk. 23. 46. Then he commended his Spirit into the hands of his Father and gave up the Ghost As this Lamb of God lived in perfect innocency so he dyed in perfect meeknesse Then presently after f Joh. 19. 34 one of the souldiers pierced his side with a spear to his very heart and forthwith câ—me thereout bloud and water that the Scripture might be fulfilled g Zech. 12 10. They shal look on him whom they pierced This was also done that we might faithfully believe the truth of his death This is a speciall Article of our Faith which we must stedfastly believe if we will have comfort in the assurance of our redemption for if Christ had not truly dyed the justice of God had not been fully satisfied for our sins we could have had no power to dye unto sin or to mortifie our corruptions and sinfull lusts and death would be most bitter fearfull and terrible to us If Christ had not dyed and rose again how could death have been destroyed How could the sting of death be taken out Who should have sanctified death unto us And how could we be willing to imbrace it Wherefore if we do truly believe the death of Christ and that he dyed for us it will minister much matter of exceeding great consolation to our souls at the hour of our dissolution From the former considerations we may draw much comfortable matter for our hearts to meditate upon First it doth evidently appear that our Saviour Christ did assume to his Deity our whole nature soul and body which did still retain all the properties of humane nature unconfounded with his Deity h Heb. 2. 17 He was like unto us in all things i Heb 4. 25. sin onely excepted His soul was sensible of grief and sorrow his body did feel the smart of pain he was subject to all our naturall passions and infirmities which may be without sin he was sensible of hunger thirst wearinesse and the like he was also subject to mortality though not to corruption for k Psal 16. 10 God would not suffer his holy One to see corruption because he had no spot or stain of sin in him and there was a true dissolution of his soul from his body when he dyed If Christ had not assumed our whole nature he could not have perfectly saved and redeemed us soul and body and then the work which God sent him to do had not been finished but we had still remained in our sins Heb. 10. 10 But the whole work of our Redemption was fully wrought by that which he suffered both in his soul and in his body to give us an holy assurance that we are freed from the guilt of sin here and saved from the condemning power of sin hereafter Secondly we may learn from thence this instruction so to regulate our thirsty desires that they may be for the glory of God and not for own sinfull ends If we thirst after the things of this world for any other end than for the honour of God our thirst is sinful and it will be satisfied with vinegar or gal and if we thirst after blood rapine or revenge the end of these and the like thirsty desires will be the death of our souls But if our thirst be holy and heavenly we shall then have thirsty desires and holy endeavours m Isal 613. how to injoy God and to do his will how to preserve our neighbours safety and how to keep our selves undefiled and if we can say as David did n Psal 143. 6. My soul thirsteth after thee O Lord as a thirsty land then our thirst shall be quenched and our souls shall be refreshed with the sweet comforts of God Also if we thirst after Christ Jesus who is the chief honour of a Christian and after grace and godlinesse which are the true riches of the soul then Christ will be a fountain of living water to us which onely can quench our spirituall o Joh. 4. 10. thirst and refresh our panting souls and it shall spring up in us to everlasting life Christ calleth every one to drink of this water p John 7. 37 Is any man thirst let him come unto me and drink Thus saith the Prophet q Isa 55. 1. Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and ye that have no silver come buy and eat come I say buy wine and milk without silver and without money Here Christ offereth himself and his graces freely But to whom It is onely to such as have a spiritual thirst after him Wherefore if this be the thirst of our souls to injoy Christ and him crucified we shall see such a Fountain of water of life flow out of his blessed fide as will purifie our hearts from all sin and cleanse our consciences from all iniquity whereby our thirsty souls will be more comforted and refreshed than our bodies can be by any Fountain of Water in our naturall thirst r Psal 42. This holy thirst made Davids soul pant more after God than the Hart panteth after the water-brooks Thirdly from this consideration that Christ had vinegar given him in a spunge we may learn this profitable Doctrine that there is no content nor stability in any earthly thing for though we should injoy all the contentment that the world can give us yet it will not satisfie our desires something will be wanting and we shall still thirst after more and we shall finde soureness and bitternesse in the best of earthly things Also that which we do possesse we have it but in a spunge a sudden casualty by fire or water a word spoken against King or State will wring it out a little pain or sickness a little trouble or sorrow will soon blaste the comfort of of it and make it like vinegar to our taste If we should meet with nothing to imbitter or blast our earthly joyes yet in their own nature they are transitory and unstable Å¿ Eccl. 12. 1. and when old age cometh we shall take no pleasure in them and death will quite bereave us of them all Now then if we put our trust in these vain things they will deceive and will give us no solide comfort except we do injoy them in Christ for without him the best of all earthly blessings are but vanity and vexation of Spirit Wherefore let this be our greatest care our chiefest joy and the desire of our souls to injoy Christ to be joyned unto him with the bond of faith and love and then whatsoever our estate or condition be we shall finde comfort in it we shall injoy it with a good conscience we shall glorifie God with it and if we do casually lose it we shall lose nothing by it for we shall still injoy Christ who will abundantly recompense our earthly losses with spirituall comforts here and with an eternall
going before to judgement and some mens follow after Zophar also saith thus of the wicked q Job 20. 11 His bones are full of the sin of his youth which shall lye down with him in the dust Consider also that Christ through his own death hath destroyed the Divell r Heb. 2. 14 that had the power of death so that now the Divel is most weak against the servants of God at the time of their death whereas to the wicked he is a strong enemy and will not be beaten from their beds-feet until he hath gotten their souls which are given him for a prey Å¿ Luk. 10. 22 But God hath appointed his holy Angels to attend upon his children when they depart out of this life and to receive their souls from the hand of death to carry them up into Abraham's bosome This is a great comfort and benefit to them when they are to leave this world and it is such a Gain as no naturall and unregenerate man can expect Wherefore t 2 Pet. 1. 10 we ought to use all care and diligence to make our calling and election sure and to make sure our union with Christ by faith that so we may live a sanctified life to the Lord and then let Death come how or when it will we shall undoubtedly dye in the Lord for death may come in an hour or in a moment when we look not for it it may break in upon us like a theefe in the night and take away our souls at unawares but this need not trouble us for if our life hath been holy and upright towards God our death cannot be but sanctified to us in Christ who wil keep our souls out of the power of the divel For if we have no other power to preserve them from destruction but what nature or common grace can afford us we are not able to encounter with death to make any advantage by it for the strength of nature will decay in us and common grace can give us no antidote against the sting of death it is onely faith in Christ which is the true Antidote against the terrours of death and against the power of the Divell nature can give us no balm to heal the wounds and putrid sores that sin hath made in our souls which must be cured before we go hence or else death will deliver them up in such a loathsome condition as that God will not accept them u Jer. 46. 11 But if we go up to Mount Gilead we shall finde balme there which will cure us of all our spiritual diseases For in vain we shall use many medicines if we neglect this balm which is the blood of Christ Jer. â— 22. There is balm in Gilead there is a Physician even Jesus Christ our blessed Redeemer that can recover the health of our souls and can rescue them out of the jawes of death and from the power of the Divel Now let the Meditations of thy heart be continually how to injoy Christ in thy life that thy soul may injoy him at thy death and how to make the true gain of thy time here that when death shall bereave thee of all time Christ may be then thy gain for ever If thou wilt have any hope of a comfortable death thou must labour to live an holy life unto God for a vicious and sinfull life can give thee no assurance of a blessed death and if Christ be not thy Redeemer in thy life he will not be thy Saviour at thy death to save thy soul from destruction and to bring it to eternall blisse Also if thou desirest to injoy heavenly felicity with the Saints of God thou must so live in the true fear of God that thou mayest dye in his favour and then death will open the door and give thy soul free passage to injoy it All the good that Christ hath procured for us by his death cannot be fully injoyed in this life but is reserved for us in heaven which we must come to possesse by death and therefore Christ will so prepare us for it with his sanctifying grace and will also prepare death for us that it shall not hinder us of these great benefits but be a speciall means to bring us to the full possession of them If we do well consider and faithfully believe that we shall have this gain by Christ in our death how will it strengthen us against the fears and terrours of death How will it confirm us in a stedfast hope of a joyful resurrection How will it stir up our hearts and affections to live as becometh the children of God that death may deliver up our souls unto him and how willingly shall we part with this world if we have an holy assurance to injoy a far better Inheritance in the world to come But Christ is no gain to unregenerate men in their death for as they would not know him in their life so he will not know them when they dye but will leave them to the power of death to binde them over unto judgement Death will bereave them of all their wealth and possessions it will strip them of all their rich jewels and precious ornaments it will lay their honours in the dust it will take away all their beauty strength and comelinesse which was their pride and it will leave them nothing but their winding-sheet neither will it give them any recompence for all their losses but shame and confusion pain and torment which never shall have end x Luk. 16. Thus it was with the rich man in the Gospel for death took him away from all that he had and left him not so much as a little water to cool his tongue when he was in the tormenting flames and thus it is with all rich men if they are not rich in faith and in grace But some are not willing to dye through humane frailty and weaknesse though they be in the state of grace y Mat. 26. 41. for the spirit may be ready though the flesh be weak Others have no assurance of a better life and therefore they would willingly keep this which they now injoy Some again have their hearts and affections so glewed to earthly things that the very thoughts of death is bitter to them Others also are loath to dye because they cannot provide for wife and children and they have none to take care of them Though God requires this Christian care of them yet we must not distrust the goodnesse of God whose eye of providence is upon all his creatures then much more upon those that belong unto him But when we have done our best endeavor in an honest calling to provide for them yet must leave them scant of means for their subsistance then God will have a special care of such Widows fatherles children therefore he hath given many strict commands concerning them and he hath made many promises of protection help and comfort to
with Christ and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus that he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindnesse toward us through Christ Jesus b Eph. 4. 23 This renovation in the spirit of our minde is wrought in us by the holy Ghost through Christ for he was anointed with the holy Ghost for this end and purpose that by him we might be raised up from the death of sin to a spirituall life of grace according to the signification of his Name for as he is Christ he is Anointed of God and as he is Jesus he is the Saviour of the world to save us from our sins and to work salvation for us whereof we are not capable untill we have a spiritual life wrought in us Thus saith the Spouse of Christ c Cant. 1. 3. Thy Name is as oyntment poâ—red forth A precious Oyntment hath many excellent vertues d Psal 104. 15. for it maketh a chearful countenance it comforteth and strengtheneth all the parts of the body it healeth all diseases and it sendeth forth a sweet savour when it is poured out which refresheth and comforteth all the senses Thus is Christ to every true believers soul he is the Anointed of God as saith the Psalmist of him e Psal 45. 7. Thou lovest righteousnesse and hatest wickednesse therefore God thy God hath anointed thee with the oyl of gladnesse above thy fellowes f Act. 10. 38 for he was anointed with the holy Ghost and with power First by the power of his holy unction Christ doth put a spiritual light into our understanding by his Spirit that we may see how to walk in the paths of godlinesse and truth according to this of old Simeon g Lu. 2. 31 32. that God had prepared him to be a light to lighten the Gentiles and to be the glory of his people Israel h Psal 97. 11 Light is sown for the righteous and the comfort and gladnesse of it for the upright in heart This Prophesie was fulfilled in Christ i Isa 2. 9. The people that walked in darknesse have seen a great light they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death upon them hath the light shined k Eph. 5. 14 Wherefore awake thou that sleepest in fin and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light If we want this heavenly light we must needs wander and go astray from God and we have no means to obtain such a light but by Christ It is sin that hath brought this darknesse and this spiritual death upon our souls and none but Christ can take it away This is the beginning of our spiritual life when we have some light to discern the spirituall things of God for the good of our souls Secondly Christ is the food and nourishment of our souls to preserve this spirituall life in us whose flesh we must spiritually eat and whose blood we must spiritually drink by faith in the hearing of his Word preached and Sacramentally when we come to his holy Table or else we have not this spirituall life in us l John 6. 48 53. I am that bread of life saith Christ which came down from heaven who so eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternall life and I will raise him up at the last day for my flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed Wherefore if our souls do hunger and thirst after this heavenly food and do earnestly desire to be refreshed and fully satisfied therewith it is an evident sign that there is a spiritual life in us for Christ doth freely offer himself to every empty soul that can feed upon him by Faith in his Word or in his Sacraments But if our desires and the affections of our hearts are taken up with the love of this world and of earthly vanities it s no marvell if we have no hunger nor thirst after Christ and that we feel so little want and need of him Thirdly the blood of Christ is the true balm to heal and cure all the diseases and wounds that sin hath made in our souls it is like m Lu 10. 34 the good Samaritans wine and oyl for it hath a cleansing and an healing vertue There can be no wound so deep in the soul and no ulcer so festered but this precious Oyntment will cleanse and heal it if it be rightly applyed by faith and true repentance for repentance layeth open the wound by true confession and faith applyeth the remedy to it and then repentance giveth us an holy assurance that we shall be cured This is the way and the means of recovery when our souls are sick of any spirituall disease and also to preserve that spirituall life which is in us Lastly when the heavenly graces that flow from Christ are poured out upon our soules they will greatly refresh and comfort our spirits in all sadnesse of heart and they will so persume all our actions and services which we perform unto God that their sweet savour shall ascend up unto him that he may smell it and graciously accept of us and of our offerings n Gen. 8. 21. When Noah offered burnt offerings to the Lord after the floud the Lord smelled a sweet savour and accepted his sacrifice and blessed him exceedingly Wherefore if our souls are perfumed with grace they will so perfume all our holy oblations which we offer up to God that he will in mercie accept them for his Sonnes sake o I rev 5. 8. But the sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord and they stink in his nostrils because they proceed from a corrupt and unclean heart which is not perfumed with grace how much â— Eccl. 10. 1 more when he bringeth them with a wicked mind â—o 21. 27 Sin is like dead flies in the ointment of the Apothecary which causeth it to stink for sin maketh us odious in the sight of God Wherefore take heed with what heart thou comest into the presence of God and that thou bringest no oblation to him with a wicked mind but first purifie thy heart from sinne by faith in the bloud of Christ and see that thy soul be perfumed with sanctifying grace and then come and offer thy gift and God will accept it But if there be any sin in thy bosome unrepented of or any iniquity in thy heart which thou seekest to hide from God then he cannot smell a sweet savour of thy prayers of thy praises and thanksgivings or of any duty which thou performest to him to make it accepted because thy heart is not upright before God Now we must examine our selves what spiritual life we have by Christ and we must know how he is our spiritual life if we will have any comfort thereby First q 1 Joh. 2. 20 If we have this holy unction from Christ which was poured upon him above measure that
blessed Saviour to us that he hath not onely given us the shield of faith for our defence against these spiritual enemies y Eph. 6. but hath also furnished us with the whole armour of God which we must put on and buckle close to us with the girdle of verity apprehended by faith that we may be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might and be able to stand against the wiles of the devill For we wrestle not against flesh and bloud but against principalities and powers against the rulers of the darknesse of this world and against spiritual wickedness in high places Also Christ hath given us the wisdom of his Spirit so to use every piece of this spiritual armour that neither by force nor by fraud the devill shall be able to hurt us or to hinder the salvation of our soules For Christ knew how violently we should be assaulted and the weaknesse of our own strength to resist and how cunningly our enemies would plot to undermine us and therefore we should need this spiritual armour to defend our selves and to offend our adversaries and likewise his Spirit of wisdome and his almighty power to use that armour as we ought Fifthly Faith doth much support and comfort us in all the sorrows and troubles of this life for so long as we live in the flesh we are subject to many tribulations and extremities which we cannot patiently bear without the help of faith Princes have their cares the great men of the world are not free from troubles there is no condition of life that can challenge a priviledge from worldly incumbrances and miseries against all which faith doth comfort the servants of God in his promises to uphold them from sinking under their afflictions by that vertue and power which they draw thereby from the sufferings of Christ Wherefore if we doe confide in the promises of God and rest upom them by faith as made unto us so that we can wait without murmuring Gods own time for the performance of them they will then sweeten our sorrows ease us in our troubles comfort us in the afflictions of our soules and give us an assured hope of deliverance out of our distresses The good Kings of Juda and the valient men of Israel obtained many great victories beyond humane expectation because they believed and rested upon the word of promise which they had from the Lord. z Josh 11. 6 8. When Joshua saw divers Kings come against him he was afraid but God did strengthen him with the promise of victory which he rested upon and God made his word good unto him a Judg. 4. 7. Baruch had the like promise against Sisera which the Lord did faithfully perform b 1 King 20 Ahab had two great victories over the Syrians though he were a wicked King because he rested upon the promise of God c 1 Chron. 14. 10. David overcame the Philistims because he believed the word of God d 1 Sam. 30. 8. Also he recovered all the spoil that the Amalekites had taken out of Ziglag because he trusted to the word of promise which he had from God David did find by manifold experience how faithful God was in the performance of his promises which made him so much delight in the Word of God and so often to meditate on his promises which did exceedingly strengthen him in all his afflictions and troubles e Psa 34. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of them all f Psa 50. 15 Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me g Psa 42. 11 Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God Thus may a poor soul cheer up his drouping spirits when his mind is perplexed or when troubles and sorrows compasse him about on every side if he hath a word of promise from God to rest upon When God doth visit us with afflictions he hath then some work to doe in us for his own glory and for our good and we must then make use of our faith which will help us much to joyn with him in his own work because he intendeth our good thereby and then he will the sooner remove his rod of correction from us We may understand what Gods purpose is when his rod is upon us if we mark and observe in what manner he doth visit us and also if we doe truly examine our steps how we walk before God from day to day for then we shall discover what good we have omitted and what evill we have committed and we shall find some sweet motions of his Sprit to direct us what we ought to doe for the more speedy effecting of his work in us If our conscience doth tell us of some particular sinnes that have provoked God against us then he will punish us according to the nature of those sins If we are too much addicted to the world he will visit us with crosses losses and troubles in our estate if we are in danger of spiritual pride he will pull us down with a thorn in the flesh or send a Messenger of Satan to buffet us h 2 Cor. 1â— 7. as he did Paul If we are too fond and indulgent to our children he will either take them away or visit us with sorrowes and grief of heart in them as it was with David If we have any darling sin as Sampson had his Dalilah God will make that very sin to be bitternesse to us in the end if by faith in Christ we have not a sweeter taste of the love and goodnesse of God to us If God seeth us secure or presuming upon our own strength he will withdraw his assisting grace and suffer us to fall into many temptations and into grosse sins as he did Peter to make us more watchful over our wayes and to depend more upon him Thus we may find what God intendeth when we are under his visitation for then God calls for true humiliation and repentance for that very sin which he hath discovered to us and a true turning from it unto God with a faithful indeavour to better obedience and then he will forgive our sin and heal our disease by faith in the bloud of Christ But if our conscience doth clear us and yet Gods visitation is upon us it is then to exercise us under the crosse to be made conformable unto Christ our head in his sufferings or to try our faith our patience our hope and affiance in God and what constancy we have to continue faithful to the end though God should delay to remove the crosse from us all which do tend to the glory of God and to our own good i John 9. 3 The man in the Gospel was blind from his birth and yet neither he
duty or fall through frailty and infirmity u Hos 14. 4. God in mercy will heal our backslidings and will accept of our imperfect performances because we have relation un to Christ by Faith Now then if we will strictly examine the actions of our lives by those former directions we shall easily find whether our works and services to God have been such as he requireth and performed according to his will that we may have peace of conscience in them here and eternal comfort by them hereafter If we can find by this inquiry that our works have been the fruits of Faith and that we have done our duty to the best of our power with a faithful heart to the honour of God and not out of pride or vain-glory to get the praise of men as the hypocrites do or to any other by-end then our Faith will shine forth in our works and God will graciously accept them But if the actions of our life have been evill they will follow us for evill when we lye down and when we rise up and whithersoever we go If we sleep or wake they will molest and trouble us they will aggravate our sorrowes in our afflictions and our pains in sicknesse they will imbitter all the comforts of our life and increase the fear and terrour of death for they will come into our remembrance when we ly upon our death-beds to vex and terrifie our very souls and to make us uncapable of any heavenly consolation untill the guilt of sin that cleaveth to them be taken away by Faith in the blood of Christ Also u Rev. 14. 13 our evill works will follow us unto judgement to accuse us before the great and dreadful Judge x Rev. 20. 13 and then God will judge us according to them if they be found wicked and sinful we cannot but expect the dreadful sentence of condemnation to be pronounced against us Also after judgement they will increase our torments in hell if we do not prevent it in time by our true repentance while we live here in this life Lastly Faith will fit and prepare us for a blessed and a comfortable death for by it we shall steer the whole course of our lives to the honour of y Col. 1. 10. God it will make us fruitfull in every good work that they may be rightly done both for the matter and for the manner and also to the right end as God hath appointed them we cannot then but live vertuously and piously in the true fear of God and he will reward us of his free bounty and goodnesse though not of merit God will remember our works if they are done in sincerity and in truth to comfort us in the sadnesse of our hearts to ease us in the extremity of pain and sicknesse and to give us a peaceable and a quiet conscience in the assurance of the pardon of our sins and of his grace and favour before the hour of our dissolution shall come upon us Such good works will adorn our profession and make our lives comfortable to us and our conversation sutable to our profession and they will follow us for our good whithersoever we go for there is no guilt of sin that cleaves to them because Christ hath taken it a way whereof we are fully perswaded by Faith z Neh. 13. 14. If we can with good Nehemiah put God in remembrance of our good deeds how will it strengthen our hope and trust in God for his protection in all dangers for his help and succour in all our distresses and for his assistance when we undertake any speciall businesse what sweet consolation will it be to us when we are upon our death-beds if with a clear conscience we can put God in minde a Isa 38. 3. as King Hezekiah did that we have walked before him in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which was good in his sight If we thus live and thus dye we may then say with Paul b Rom. 14 8. Whether we live we live unto the Lord and whether we dye we dye unto the Lord whether we live therefore or dye we are the Lords c Rev. 14. 13. John heard a voice from heaven saying unto him Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their works do follow them We may confidently believe that their condition is most blessed because it is the voice of the spirit of truth that doth affirm it We have also great encouragement to be fruitfull in good works because they will go with us even to the Tribunall seat of God for Christ hath fastned them to our souls that God may then look upon them and remember them for the increase of our joy and happinesse hereafter If we do now ruminate well upon all these several excellent benefits and comforts that come by a true and lively faith in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ we may draw sweet and heavenly Meditations from thence for the comfort of our souls against the power of the devill the rigour of the Law the dominion of sin the fear of death and against eternal condemnation For we shall finde that hereby we are ingrafted into Christ who hath redeemed us from all iniquity and from whatsoever our sins have made us lyable unto and hath cleansed us from all the pollutions and defilements of sin he hath made us the adopted sons of God and hath given us all the priviledges that do belong unto Sons Also we shall finde that by Christ we are invested into the Covenant of grace and have right to all the gracious promises of God which will sweetly refresh our souls in all fears and doubtings in all difficulties and dangers in all extremities and distresses if we can apply them to our souls by Faith and rest upon them with stedfast hope Wherefore let this be the Meditation of our hearts and the desire of our souls to have a near communion with Christ that we may say with the Spouse d Cant. 2. 16 My beloved is mine and I am his or to say thus with Paul e Gal. 2. 20. I am crucified with Christ Neverthelesse I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me This particular application of Christ to our selves will draw from him the richest Jewels that are in his Treasury the richest robe and the best garments that are in his Wardrope and his very heart-blood for our redemption If we look a little lower and fix our Meditations upon the holy Ordinances of God we shall finde that which will sweetly comfort and delight our hearts if we have Faith to understand and believe what the holy Ghost saith to us in them for our instruction and consolation It was
can they hate any thing that is wicked and sinfull because it is so agreeable to their nature and they have no grace to check their corrupted nature for loving that which God hateth and hath forbidden whereas a regenerate man will find that the Spirit of grace which is in him will give him a secret check if his unregenerate part doth take pleasure and delight in any thing that is sinfull for he must not conform himself to the fashion of the world The sense of faith may be lost BY faith in Christ we injoy the light of Gods countenance and his assisting Grace which is our greatest comfort in all misery and distresse and so long as we do injoy that we are sensible of our faith and we feel the comfort of it but when God doth hide his face from us and withdraw his assisting grace it is the greatest trouble that can betide us it takes away the comfort of faith from our soules and leaves us in a sad and sorrowfull condition in our apprehension because the support of our Faith is clouded from us God doth sometimes withdraw himself from his dear servants and doth suffer them to loose the sense of their Faith for a time to make them prize it the more and to be the more careful of it this God will also do by laying his rod of correction heavy upon us if he seeth that we watch not carefully over our Faith that we are carelesse in the use and exercise of it that we sleep in security or lye dead in our sins without repentance or if we abuse his love and goodnesse to us for then he will leave us to our selves to let us see our own weaknesse without his assisting grace Upon these and the like occasions the devill will be ready to take his advantage to assault us with his temptations to make us doubt of the love and favour of God when afflictions presse sore upon us also to aggravate our sins or else to hide them out of our sight as he did David's sin of adultery if by any means he can to keep us in unbelief or without repentance that we may not recover the sense and comfort of our Faith for his main drift is at last to drive us into despair It is a cunning policy of the devil and full of danger if he can keep us from the sight and sense of our sins that we should not confesse them and lay them open before God with a truly humbled penitent heart that so by ouâ— repentance we may have an holy assurance of the paâ—don of them For then wil our Faith break forth as thâ— Sun out of a cloud to warm and refresh our souls with spirituall consolation for we cannot lose the habit of Faith though the sense of it may be taken from us for a time Sometimes God himself will sift and winnow us as wheat to cleanse us from our chaffe to keep us from spiritual pride and to humble us for our sins Thus he sifted the house of Israel as he saith by his Prophet a Amâ—s 9 9 For lo I will command and I will sift the house of Israel among the nations like as corn is sifted in a five yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth Though God doth sometimes deal thus rigorously with us and doth leave us no hope to support our Faith yet not the least grain of his corn shall fall upon the earth but our Faith shall recover her strength again It is onely sin that makes a separation between God and us according to this of the Prophet b Isai 59. 2. But your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear c Cant. 5. It was sin that caused Christ withdraw himself from his Spouse because she would not open to him when he knocked but when he was gone and past she was in a wofull and comfortlesse condition Nothing can so much afflict us as the losse of our heavenly Fathers love and nothing can shake our Faith so much as when our souls are perplexed because in our own apprehension God is either become our enemy or else he hath quite forsaken us How did Job complain in his great afflictions d Job 30. 27 28. My bowels boiled and rested not I went mourning without the Sun My skin is black upon me and my bones are burnt with heat my harp also is turned to mourning and my Organ into the voice of them that weep Holy Davids Faith was brought to so low a degree by the sense of the burden of his sin and by the apprehension of the displeasure of God for it that he cryed to the Lord saying e Psal 38. 4 6 21 23. Forsake me not O Lord O my God be not far from me make haste to help me O Lord my salvation And again he thus cryeth unto God in the bitternesse of his soul f Psal 143. Hear me speedily O Lord my spirit faileth hide not thy face from me lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit g Psal 13. â— 2. How long wilt thou forget me O Lord for ever How long wilt thou hide thy face from me How long shall I take counsel in my soul having sorrow in my heart dayly How long shall mine enemies be exalted over me Surely David had at this time little or noâ— sense of Faith to trust and depend upon God These and the like are the dolefull complaints of Gods children when they are overwhelmed with sorrowes or feel any spiritual desertions in so much as they cannot receive comfort until the holy Ghost who is the true Comforter doth give them some assurance of the grace and favour of God Wherefore it is evident that our Faith may be so strongly assaulted with sorrows and grief of heart that we are not able to hold out but are ready to sink under the pressure of our misery because it will take away the sense of our faith which must uphold us but specially when the guilt of sin lyeth upon the conscience for that will bring us to such an apprehension of a spiritual desertion that we can feel no comfort in God for the time for it will stop the current of all true consolation to our afflicted spirits which we cannot have but by Faith in Christ and nothing will take impression in us to comfort us so long as we are under the guilt of sin but these or the like uncomfortable complaints will be ready to be uttered that God hath quite forsaken us that there is no hope for us in Christ and we cannot believe that there is any salvation for us because our sins are so many and so grievous If we are thus afflicted and perplexed in mind that feares and doubtings of salvation trouble us because our Faith is so weak that we cannot discern it this will give us great satisfaction and
comfort if we consider that our salvation dependeth not upon the strength of our Faith but upon the truth of it for the weakest Faith if it be true is effectual to salvation as well as the strongest Also if we consider that faith is a grace which is grounded upon a sure rock even upon Christ Jesus against whom no created power can prevail and that the strength of our Faith doth not consist in our hold upon Christ for then every temptation or gust of affliction would make us let goe our hold and so lose it but it consisteth in that firm and strong hold that Christ hath of us who will not suffer any to pluck us out of his hand according to this of the Psalmist h â—â— 23 23. â—â—â— I am continually with thee thou hast hâ—lden me by my right hand thou shalt guide me with thy counsell and afterward receive me to glory Wherefore though we are brought to so low an â—bb that we have lost the sense of our Faith yet it is a sure evidence that once we did injoy it and that there hath been a spiritual life in us which cannot be but by â—aith and this spiritual life is not quite extinct in us because we have still a spiritual sense though it be of losse The sense of a temporal losse is a manifest sign of a temporal life for a dead man hath no sense either of losse or of gain so likewise the sense of a spiritual losse of that which formerly we did truly injoy is as well an evident sign of a spiritual life as is the sense of a spiritual gain From hence a poor languishing soul may draw much comfort if he doth fear a spiritual desertion because he hath no comfortable sense of his faith for his faith is but clouded the habit of it still remaineth though he cannot discern it As the hearbs in winter are hidden under ground for a time because they are nipt in with the cold frosts and the warmth of the Sun is gone from them but the Sun will return again in his strength and will disperse the cold and bring them again out of the earth by the vertue and strength of his comfortable beames to make them flourish and to be as fruitful as before So it is with Faith it may be kept out of sight for a time if it be nipt with the cold frosts of affliction or if the Sun of righteousnesse hath withdrawn his comfortable beams from it but here is our hope and comfort i Mal 4. 2. that the Sun of righteousnesse will return again with healing in his wings to dispel all afflictions and sorrows to heal all our spiritual wounds and bakslidings from God and to stablish us in the assurance of the love and favour of God The Stability of true Faith VVE are come now in the last place through the assistance of Gods good Spirit to the stability of faith which will satisfie and comfort every distressed soul that is doubtful of his salvation weak in faith and afraid of death and of the last judgement through the wicked suggestions of the devil and by the aggravation of their sinnes Though the apprehension of Gods anger will cloud the sense of our faith though afflictions will sift it and winnow it as wheat though sin will wound it and the devil sometimes foil it yet nothing can kill it and nothing shall be able to overthrow it not the least grain of Gods corn shall fall upon the earth the habit of faith cannot be lost though we may loose the comfort of it for a time for God hath given the gift of perseverance to this faith and to no other So long as we live in the flesh we are subject to many temptations and backslidings from God we are ready to fall into many grosse and dangerous sinnes which will bereave us of all spiritual comfort for the time yet our faith in Christ will appear again and the Sun of righteousnesse will shine upon us for Christ will not suffer us totally and finally to fall away from him for our faith is built upon a sure foundation against which no violence of temptations and no stormes of persecution can prevail a Lu. 6. 48. Christ doth compare a righteous man to him that built an house and digged deep and laid the foundation on a rock and when the floud arose the stream beat vehemently upon that house and could not shake it for it was founded on a rock Christ is the foundation of our faith he is the rock of our salvation b Pro. 10. 30 and therefore as the wise man saith we shall never be removed Thus David sheweth the stability of the faithful c Psal 34. 22 The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate Also thus saith the Psalmist d Psa 125. 1 They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion which cannot be removed but abideth for ever And to make this truth undeniable thus saith Christ himself e John 3. 16 God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Why then should we faint under any temptation Why should we let goe the anchor of our hope If we hold fast to our faith it will not deceive us Christ wll not suffer us to depart from him for ever If we sin God will chastise us and he will hide his face from us but if we repent amend and turn unto him he will have mercy on us he will pity us he will heal the bones which he hath broken and will restore us again to the joy of his salvation There are divers sound reasons to prove the stability of faith in those that belong unto Christ that they shall never totally and finally fall away from grace but they shall be raised up again by repentance though they doe sometimes fall into fearful and dangerous sins The first reason is taken from Gods free election which ever remaineth sure and unchangeable for what he hath decreed in his secret Counsel must stand firm and cannot be altered Thus saith the Apostle f Rom. 8. 29 33 34. God did foreknow some from eternity whom he did elect and predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son whom also he did effectually call and them he justified in the righteousnesse of Christ and those are sure to be glorified for who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect whom he hath justified who is he that condemneth seeing Christ died for us and is risen again and is now at the right hand of God and maketh intercession for us therefore he concludes that nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Also the same Apostle saith in another place g 2 Tim. 2. 19. That the foundation of God standeth sure having this seal
to mortifie and kill the power of sin in us and the vertue of his resurrection will quicken us up to newnesse of life and his righteousnesse will restore us to an higher degree of purity and holinesse than we had in our first creation f Gal. 3. 27. for by faith we are baptized into Christ and have put on Christ g Eph. 5. 30. and we are now members of his body of his flesh and of his bones and we are confirmed in this blessed condition by his free Spirit so that we shall never depart from him If Christ had not been crucified and his bloud poured out upon the crosse and if he had not been made a curse for us by that kinde of death then Gods decree had not been fulfilled the work of our redemption had not been finished we had been still under the curse of the Law the guilt of sin had still rested upon our souls and all the Prophesies of him had not been fulfilled also we could not have had all those great benefits by his death and by the merit of his blood h Phil. 2. 8. But Christ did humble himself to the cursed death of the crosse and there his heart blood was poured out which made his sacrifice compleat and perfect This made the faith of the penitent thief so famous because he did imbrace Christ for his Saviour when he was upon the crosse i 1 Cor. 2 2 4. This made Paul to prefer the knowledge of Jesus Christ and him crucified before all humane wisedome because thereby the Spirit of God did make his preaching powerfull and effectuall k Gal. 6. 14 and this made him glory so much in the Crosse of Christ Wherefore we need not be ashamed of Christ because he was crucified and we need not refuse to bear his Crosse after him because it is the greatest honour of a true Christian and that which bringeth the greatest comfort to our souls to be made conformable to Christ in his sufferings Now we come to consider what admirable gentlenesse what great mercy and goodnesse Christ did shew to his persecutors and tormenters he did practise the same Doctrine which he taught his Disciples in the Mount l Mat. 5. 44. Love your enemies blesse them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you For he gave them not a bitter word but did patiently and meekly suffer all their barbarous usage and cruelty against him and when their hearts were inflamed with malice and their hands laboured to crucifie him and when the pangs of death were upon him his tender heart was moved with compassion toward them and the fountain of his mercy was opened that the sweet streams of his blessing might flow upon them for even then he did pray his heavenly Father to remit and and forgive their great sin m Luk. 23. 34. Father saith he forgive them for they know not what they do For they were spiritually blinde and could not see who he was and their hearts were hardened that they could not understand nor believe from whence he came and wherefore he suffered them to put him to such a shameful and cruel death If our dear Saviour was so mercifull to those that brewed their hands in his blood what heart can then conceive the riches of his mercy and love to his own servants that love serve and obey him in truth and with upright hearts For mercy and tender love are essentially and naturally inherent in him and there is no end of his goodnesse to all those that be long unto him his mercy to them goeth along in all his works for if he doth correct them it is in mercy for their good he will not let the rod go out of his own hand to some he doth but shake the rod others feel but few stripes and though some have many stripes n Jer. 10. 2. yet it shall be with judgment not in his anger he wil not deal with them according to their sins nor reward them according to their iniquities but his mercy will prevail though his justice be provoked Wherefore let no poor afflicted soul that is under his rod forbear coming unto Christ for he can take off his visitation when he pleaseth and he will pity him as a Father pitieth his childe Also let no poor sinner that is truly humbled for his sins be afraid to have recourse unto his Redeemer for he prayed for such to procure their pardon and to bring salvation to their souls All the riches honours and pleasures that the world affords can give a sinfull soul no true consolation if he be troubled and perplexed for his sins they are all miserable comforters when the guilt of sin lieth upon the conscience true comfort and fulnesse of joy is to be found onely in Christ and in him crucified for he will take away the guilt of his sins that they shall not molest or trouble his conscience he will help him bear his sorrowes with a contented patience he will stand by him and intercede for him that in his temptations and trials his faith may not fail him Rev. 7. 17 Isa 25. 8. and at last he will wipe away all teares from his eyes All this and much more Christ will do for us for he will also stand for us against all the accusations of the devil be they true or false if they be true he will present his own merits to his Father in satisfaction for us if they be false he will give the devil a shameful repulse and will curb him that he shall not hurt us p 1 John 2. 12. for Christ Jesus the righteous is our Advocate with the Father and the propitiation for our sins and for the sins of the whole world Consider in the next place that Christ did now put an end to the Ceremonial Law for the types and shadows did cease when he was slain because he was the substance of all those ceremonies and sacrifices This was the last ceremonie which was to be fulfilled q Heb. 13. 11 12. that the bodies of those beasts whose blood was to be brought into the Sanctuary by the High Priest for sin were burnt without the Camp This Ceremony Christ fulfilled when he shed his bloud without the gate that he might sanctifie the people with his own blood For both Jews and Gentiles were now gathered together at Mount Calvary where Christ died that the people of all Nations might be sanctified with his bloud if they come unto him by faith to be cleansed from the guilt of their sinnes and purified from their pollutions with his sanctifying grace Wherefore now though we are aliens and strangers to the house of Israel yet nothing hindereth but that we may go forth boldly unto him who finished our redemption by his death without the gate that thereby he might sanctifie the Gentiles with his blood as he did the
Jewes and therefore he will not refuse us Lastly consider that Pilate did highly honour our Lord and Saviour Christ when he wrote this Title to be set over his head upon the Crosse r Jon 2â— 10. Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jewes which was a title of great honour and not of shame and disgrace unto him Their manner was to set up a superscription to shew the crimes why a malefactor was put to death but Pilate could find no crime and no fault in Christ and therefore he wrote this superscription to clear his innocencie and to brand the Jewes with perpetual ignominie and shame to all generations for their malice and cruelty against him For though Pilate did not believe that Christ was a King and though he was perswaded by the chief Priests and by the people to condemn him and to put him to death yet God would not suffer him to be perswaded by them to alter the Title but to have it written in Hebrew Greek and Latine that all Nations and Languages might know the honour of his Person and the horrible wickedness of the bloudy Jewes in killing their King whom God had appointed and sent to be their Saviour and Redeemer also to make their name odious to all people as a just judgement of God upon them because they refused the sweet tender of his grace and mercy and killed his dear and onely Son Christ was brought to the lowest degree of his humiliation and now God doth begin to glorifie him and to publish his honour and his great Name by the highest authority to all nations and people and to the perpetual infamy and reproach of all his enemies to all posterity This honour was his due and God would not suffer him to loose it and thus God will do for us also If we are made the scorn of men if we suffer persecution fire sword or famine in a good cause and if we die upon this crosse yet God will manifest the integrity of our hearts and will give us that honour which is due to us as his servants and his children for if we drink of Christs bitter cup of sorrows we shall also drink of his pleasant cup of joy and consolation Wherefore if thou wilt have the meditations of thy heart upon the passion of thy dear and gracious Redeemer to be comfortable and profitable to thy soul thou must not look upon him onely in that despicable condition as he is now upon the crosse to the outward eye but with the eye of faith thou must look upon him as he is the eternal Son of God God and man and as he is dignified with all his excellencies and titles of honour for he was a Prophet and such a Prophet as did endow all the former Prophets with the spirit of prophesie whose Prophesies did chiefly concern him Also he was a Priest after the highest order whose Priesthood was eternal according to this of the Psalmist Å¿ Psal 110. 4. The Lord sware and will not repent Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck So likewise he was a spiritual King to rule his Church and in the hearts of all his elect and he did subdue all his enemies under him and he will also subdue all the enemies of his spiritual Kingdom in us If thou canst thus see the excellencies of Christ through his mean and contemptible condition and if thou canst believe that he is thy Redeemer and all-sufficient to be thy Saviour it will inflame the affections of thy heart with intire love to him because he hath humbled himself so low for thy sake it will make thee bend thine ear to his instructions for he will teach thee heavenly wisdom and how to walk in the paths of godlinesse he will also present thy prayers and all thy holy services to God his Father and then they shall be accepted and this will also work a reverential fear in thee to yeild all obedience to his commands If thou doest thus look upon Christ though he be upon the crosse it will give thee abundant comfort in thy sufferings exceeding much joy in the benefits which thou shalt have by his passion and it will stirre thee up to a thankful acknowledgement of his goodness and mercie to thee Now look upon thine own unworthiness and thou wilt admire the moâ—â— that Christ should so much humble himself to exalt thee that he should suffer so much smart pain and torment to free thee from everlasting torments and burnings in hell and that he should loose the comfort of his Deitie and the sense of his Fathers love to reconcile thee unto God and to make an attonement for thy sins Who were the Agents in the Passion of CHRIST VVE come now to consider what Agents there were in this doleful tragedie of our Saviour Christ how every one acted for his own ends how God did make the designes of the devil and of all his wicked instruments to work for his own glorie and how he did afterwards bring their wickedness upon their own heads The whole Passion of Christ and every circumstance of it was decreed from eternitie and the three Persons in the sacred Trinity were the first and principal Agents in this great work of Christs Passion for they decreed that Jesus Christ the second Person in the holy Trinitie should be sacrificed and made a propitiation for the sins of the world which was done at Gods appointed time For God the Father sent him into the world for this end and purpose and God the Son gave himself to be a ransome for us and assumed our nature that he might fulfil all righteousness and suffer the whole penalty of the Law for us also God the holie Ghost did give him all fulness of grace and power to bear the bitterness of his passion and thereby to conquer sin death hell and the devil and to give us power also over all the enemies of our salvation Though God was the principal Agent in the crucifying of Christ yet herein he had no evil intent or purpose and therefore he was without sin for he had a gracious and merciful end in it that his justice might be satisfied for the sin of man and that the redemption and salvation of all his elect might be wrought by the precious bloud and all sufficient sacrifice of his dear Son But the devil was the chief actor in the wickedness and crueltie of this sad tragedie whose end and design was to hinder our salvation by destroying our Saviour and this he did seek to bring to passe by wicked means and of malice to mankind and therefore as soon as he had his permission from God he raised up his wicked instruments for his hellish design First a John 13. 27. he entred into Judas and took possession there b Mat. 26. 25 16. who out of covetousness sold his Lord and Master to the chief Priests and Elders for thirtie pieces of silver