Thess. 2. 18. Everlasting consolation Joh. 16. 22. Your joy no man taketh from you It is as a fixed Star But the delight of a wicked man in the Word is as the crackling of thorns upon the fire and as the Corn that grew on the stony ground which quickly sprung up and as quickly withered Iob 27. 8. Therefore it is said of the Jews Ioh. 5. 3. They rejoyced in his light for a season In the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for an hour A wicked mans delight in the Word is but as a blazing Star which is quickly extinguished Hee may rejoyce in the word while hee is hearing of it but it quickly vanisheth away Hee is like to a man that comes into a pleasant Garden and is delighted with the smell of it while hee is there But a childe of God makes a Posie of these Flowers to refresh him when hee is out Hee delights to read and to keep the Law of God continually for ever and ever Psal. 119. 45. Let us I beseech you labour with all labour for this superlative well-rooted powerful spiritual sin-excluding grace-increasing and abiding delight in the whole word of God Quest. VVhat must wee do that wee may bee inabled thus to make the Law of God our Delights Answ. 1. You must seriously study the excellency of Gods word this made David prize it so much and love it so much Psal. 19. 7 8 9 10 11. The Word of God hath God for its Author and therefore must needs bee full of infinite wisdome and eloquence even the wisdome and eloquence of God There is not a word in it but breathes out God and is breathed out by God It is as Ireneus saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an invariable rule of faith an unerring and infallible guide to Heaven It contains glorious revelations and discoveries no where else to bee found It hath a manifesting convincing soul-humbling soul-directing soul-converting and soul-comforting power and efficacy in it as appears by these Scriptures Heb. 4. 12. 1 Cor. 14. 24 25. 1 King 21. 29. Psalm 119. 105. 2 Cor. 3. 6. Psalm 119. 50. And therefore to delight in the Word and the God that made it is not only our duty Psa. 37. 4. But it is recorded in Scripture as our priviledge and as the great reward that God would bestow upon those that keep holy the sabbath-Sabbath-day Isa. 58. 13 14. Then thou shalt delight thy self in the Lord. This shall bee thy great reward 2 You must fixedly ponder the necessity of practising this duty For if you delight in Gods Law God will delight in you If the Law bee your beloved you are Gods beloved If you take no pleasure in his word his soul will take no pleasure in you 3 You must pray for the grace of Illumination Whensoever you take the Bible in your hand to read in it pray Davids prayer Psal. 119. 18. Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy Law Philosophers observe that Lumen est vehiculum influentiae Light is the Chariot of influence as it begets the flower in the field the gold in the Mineral so the foundation of all regeneration is illumination Pray that God would open your eyes that you may understand the Scriptures as hee did to his Apostles Luke 24. 45. That hee would take away the vail that is upon your hearts 4 Pray that he that made you creatures would make you new creatures that as new-born Babes you may desire the sincere milk of the word 5 Pray that God would fulfill that excellent promise Ier. 31. 33. That hee would put his Law in your inward parts and write it in your hearts and then you cannot but heartily delight in it 6 Pray to God to give you the same Spirit that wrote the word to inable you to delight in it 7 Pray for a spiritual palate that you may not only delight in spiritual things but have a spiritual delight in spiritual things It is said of the Lioness that when shee hath once tasted of the sweetness of mans flesh shee is never satisfied till shee hath more of it Hee that hath tasted of the good Word of God and not onely tasted but eaten it and digested it into good nourishment hee will not onely delight in it but hee will delight in it above gold yea above fine gold and hee will never bee satisfied till hee bee filled with the fulness of that God that made it The End of the second Sermon THE Excellency and Usefulness OF THE WORD SERMON III. PSAL. 119. 92. Unless thy Law had been my Delights I should then have perished in mine Afflictions NOw I come to speak of the Proposition that is clearly held forth in the Text. Doct. 3. That the VVord of God delighted in is the Afflicted Saints Antidote against ruine and destruction Unless thy Law had been my delights I should c. The Word of God is the sick Saints salve the dying Saints cordial a most precious medicine to keep Gods people from perishing in time of affliction This upheld Iacob from sinking when his brother Esau came furiously marching to destroy him Gen. 32. 12. And thou saidst I will surely do thee good c. The promise of God supported him This also upheld Ioshua and inabled him couragiously to fight the Lords battels because God had said Hee would never leave him nor for sake him Josh. 1. 5. Melancthon saith that the Lantgrave of Hessen told him at Dresda that it had been impossible for him to have born up under the manifold miseries of so long an imprisonment Nisi habuisset consolationem ex Verbo divino in sua corde but for the comforts of the Scriptures in his heart There are eight things may bee said amongst many other in commendation of the Word of God 1 It is the Magazin and Store-house of all comfort and consolation There is no condition but one that a man can be in but hee may finde soul-supporting comfort for it out of the Word Indeed if thou resolvest to go on in sin the Word cannot comfort thee it threatneth Hell and Damnation to all such If the God of Heaven can make such miserable they shall be miserable But excepting this one there is no condition so miserable but a man may fetch a Cordial out of the Word to support him under it Art thou as empty of riches and as full of Diseases as Iob under the Old Testament and Lazarus under the New Testament are the sins-with which thou art willing to part many and great Is thy Conscience exceedingly wounded and disquieted Doth the Devil roar upon thee with hideous temptations let thy condition be never so sad the Word of God is able to afford thee comfort under it For it is the Word of that God who is the God of all consolation There is no kinde of true comfort but here it is to bee had here are Cordials of all sorts Comforts under bodily troubles
saith of the Jews 2 Cor. 3. 14 15 16. That to this day there is a vail over their hearts when Moses is read and when they shall turn to the Lord this vail shall bee removed So it is with Christians when a wicked man reads the word there is a vail over his eyes and over his heart and over the Scriptures The god of this world hath so blinded his eyes that hee cannot behold the beauty and glory of them but the true Saint hath this vail removed Christ hath anointed his eyes with his spiritual eye-salve hee seeth a surpassing excellency in the Word of God and therefore cannot but delight in it 2 Because they are not onely illightned but regenerated And as children new born by the instinct of nature have a natural appetite to milk for conservation of their life so the new born Saint by the instinct of grace hath a spiritual appetite to the Word of God according to that of Saint Peter 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new borne babes desire the sincere Milk of the VVord that you may grâ—w thereby The Word of God is the Saints food and as it is impossible for a childe unborn to desire food so for a man unregenerated to hunger after and take true pleasure in the Word and as it is impossible for a new born child not to delight in Milk so it is as impossible for a regenerate Christian not to delight in the Law of God 3 Because a true Saint hath the Law of God written in his heart according to that precious promise of the Covenant of grace Ier. 31. 33. I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts A Saints heart is the counterpane to Gods Law The Law is within his heart Psal. 40. 8. and as it is in the Hebrew in the midst of his bowels in medio viscerum God hath infused a principle of grace into his inward parts whereby hee is not onely inclined but inabled to walk in all the Commandements of the Law blameless A true Saint hides the Law in his heart as a choice Iewel in a most precious Cabinet as David saith vers 9. I have hid thy Law in my heart Hid it as a rare treasure So doth every Saint and therefore cannot but delight in it 4 Because the same holy Spirit that wrote the word dwelleth in every true Saint It is certain that all Scripture is of Divine Inspiration and that the holy men of God spake as they were guided by the Holy Ghost And it is as certain That the same Holy Ghost dwelleth in every Saint Rom. 8. 11. And by vertue of the in-dwelling of the Spirit they are sweetly and powerfully drawn to make the Law of God their chiefest delight 5 Because it is Gods inditement and invention This reason is brought in the Text Unless thy Law c. It is the Law of that God in whom they delight It transcribes the minde and heart of God A true Saint seeth the Name Authority Power Wisdome and Goodness of God in every lettâ— of it and therefore cannot but take pleasure in it It is an Epistle sent down to him from the God of heaven It is one of the greatest Love-tokenâ— that ever God gave to his Church There are two great Gifts that God hath given to his people The Word Christ and the Word of Christ. Both are unspeakably great But the first will do us no good without the second 6 A true Saint cannot but delight in the word of God because it is his inheritance vers 111. Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for â—ver for they are the rejoycing of my heart Therefore they were the rejoycing of his heart because they were his everlasting Inheritance 7 Because hee findes a sweetness in iâ— Delight is nothing else but a passiâ—n of the soul arising from thâ— sweetness of the object that wee enjoy Things that are good present suitable and sweet are the object of our delights such is the word of God to every true Saint It is sweeter than the hâ—ny and the hony-comb Psal. 19. 10. So also Psal. 119. 103. How sweet are thy words unto my taste yea sweeter than â—ony to my mouth A Saint must needs delight in it it is so suitable and so sweet 8 Because he loves the Law Now that which wee love wee cannot but delight in when wee come to enjoy it A true Saint doth not onely love the Law but hee loves it exceedingly Psal. 119. 167. My soul hath kept thy testimonies and I love them exceedingly A true Saint can say with David Psal. 119. 97. Oh how do I love thy Law and vers 127. I love thy Commandements above gold yea above fine gold And vers 72. The Law of thy mouth is better to mee than thousands of gold and silver Now because the Saints of God are so inamoured with the Law of God therefore it is that they cannot but delight in it as David saith Psal. 119. 47. I will delight my self in thy Commandements which I have loved Hee that loves the Commandements as all Saints do cannot but delight in them Use. This shews that there are but few true Saints amongst us There are many bastard Saints and nominâ—l Saints but few true and real Saints Wee live in an age wherein there were never more Saints and never fewer never more by outward Profession and never fewer by a holy Conversation It is the property of a true Saint to make the word of God his darling and delights But where shall wee finde such Saints It is easie to finde out men that can say Eating and drinking is my delight carding and dicing is my delight reading of vain and trifling books is my delight to satisfie the lusts of the flesh is my delight But where is the man that can truly say as David doth The Law of God is my delights and the joy and rejoycing of my heart for ever Austin professeth of himselfe that before his Conversion hee took no pleasure in the Word of God His proud heart as hee saith would not stoop to the humble expressions of it After his Conversion hee was ravished with the beauty and excellency of the Scriptures but before his Conversion hee saw no excellency in them Politian though a great Schollar yet a notorious Atheist professeth most blasphemously that hee never lost more time than in reading the Scripture And it is reported of Plato that when hee had read the first Chapter of Genesis hee said Hic vir multa dicit sed nihil probat This man saith many things but proveth nothing Where shall wee finde the man that puts a due estimation upon the word of God That prizeth it above gold yea above much fine gold That rejoyceth in thy word as much as in all riches verse 14. That can appeal to God and say as David vers 159. Consider Oh Lord how I love thy Precepts and vers 97. Oh how do I love thy Law There
in the Word is a powerless dead fruitless and strengthless delight It is as a paper Helmet and a painted fire it will not support him in the hour of adversity The persons represented by the stony ground fell away notwithstanding their joy as soon as ever persecution arose for the Gospel But the joy of a true Saint is soul-supporting and soul-upholding The joy in the Lord is their strength Neh. 8. 10. 5 The delight that a godly man hath in the Word is sin-excluding It cannot consist with a delight in any sin therefore David saith Psal. 119. 11. Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sinne against thee Sinne is as a wooden window to shut out the true joyes of the Spirit But now a wicked man though hee may delight in the Word yet hee also delights in sinning against the Word Although Herod heard Iohn Baptist gladly yet hee kept his Herodias and though the Israelites delighted to know Gods wayes yet they did not delight to walk in his wayes They were as a Nation that did righteousness hee doth not say they were such but quasi gens c. as a Nation that did righteousness And though they delighted to approach to God yet they did not delight to obey that God before whom they approached they took pleasure in sinning against God as well as in serving of God Isa. 58. It was not a sin-excluding joy and therefore it was false and counterfeit 6 It is grace-increasing The more a Saint delights in the Word of God the more careful hee will bee to obey the Will of God and to grow and increase in the grace of God therefore David saith Psal. 119. 167. My soul hath kept thy testimonies for I love them exceedingly And Psal. 40. 8. I delight to doe thy Will O my God yea thy Law is within my heart because the Law was written in his heart therefore hee delighted to doe it Hee that delights to keep Gods Law God will give him more grace to keep it according to that remarkable text Psal. 119. 55 56. I have remembred thy Name O Lord and have kept thy Law this I had because I have kept thy Precepts What had David for keeping Gods Precepts Hee had power to keep his Law that is to grow and increase in keeping of it As the Prophet Hos. 6. 3. speaks of the knowledge of God Then shall wee know if wee follow on to know the Lord that is if wee industriously labour to know God wee shall have this reward to bee made able to know him more So may I say of the grace of God Hee that delights to keep Gods Law shall have this reward to bee inabled to keep it more perfectly A true delight in Gods Word is Grace increasing Grace is the Mother of all true joy Isa. 32. 17. and joy is as the Daughter and the Mother and Daughter live and dye together True spiritual delight ebbs and flows as grace ebbs and flows As the wood is to the fire oyl to the flame the shadow to the body so is joy to grace Quantum cresâ—is in gratiâ tantum dilatâr is in fiduciâ But now a wicked man though hee may have a kinde of delight in Gods word yet it is not a delight of the right kinde It doth not argue that hee hath true grace in him An hypocrite is all joy and no grace a Giant in joy and not so much as a dwarf in grace like a green bough tyed to a dead tree Hee is in the highest form of joy and not so much as in the lowest form of grace 7 The delight that a godly man hath in the word is not onely a delight in spiritual things but a spiritual delight grounded upon spiritual aimes and reasons But the delight of a wicked man though it bee in spiritual things yet it is but a natural delight As a godly man spiritualizeth carnal things so an ungodly man carnalizeth spiritual things Austin before his conversion rejoyced much to hear Ambrose preach but it was because of his eloquence as hee saith not upon a spiritual account A wicked man may follow a Preacher and delight in his preaching because of his elegant words and Rhetorical expressions because hee is unto him as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voyce c. as it is Ezek. 33. 32. Or out of novelty because newly come as the Israelites delighted in Manna at first but afterwards loathed it or because hee loves his person or out of a desire to obtain a form of knowledge in heavenly things The Pharisâ—es delighted to do many spiritual things out of vain-glory Iehu delighted to do the will of God but it was for his owne ends Pauci quaerunt Iesum propter Iesum Stella is of opinion that the Devil perswaded Herod to hear Iohn Baptist gladly and to reverence him and to do many things that so hee might hold him the faster in his possession The Devil had him sure by one sin and therefore hee provoked him to do some good things that so hee might rock him asleep in presumption and by his good things hee might quiet his conscience and put a fair gloss upon his incestuous practices A man may rejoyce in spiritual things upon sinful grounds and reasons But now a true Saint delights in the word upon a spiritual account because it is Gods word and God would have him delight in it because it is his guide to glory the way by which he is sanctified It is both concha canalis A Cistern to contain the glorious mysteries of salvation and a Conduit to convey God and grace into his soul. In a word hee delights in it because it is holy and pure hee can say with David Psal. 119. 140. Thy word is very pure therefore thy servant loveth it This no wicked man can truly say 8 The delight that a godly man takes in the word is without any reservation or distinction Hee delights in the whole word of God in the commanding and threatning word as well as in the promising word he beholds God and his wisdome and goodness in every verse and therefore hee can say with Hezekiah Isa. 39. 8. Good is the Word of the Lord. Hee hath the whole Law written in his heart and rejoyceth in every tittle of it But a wicked man hath his reservations and distinctions hee may delight in the promising word but hee undervalues the commanding word and turneth a deaf ear to the threatning word It is said of the Iews that they rejoyced in the light of John Baptist but it is not said They rejoyced in his heat Hee was a burning and a shining Light they rejoyced in his shining but not in his burning It is hardly possible for a wicked man remaining wicked to rejoyce in the burning zeal holiness and strictness of a Iohn Baptist. But a godly man delighteth both in the light and heat of the word 9 It is an abiding delight 2
Legacies left them by Christ in his last Will and Testament The Saints are called the Heires of the Promises Heb. 6. 17. And if they would bee filled full of joy in the day of their distresse they must bee frequent in reading these Legacies The Promises are as it were the breasts of God full of the Milk of grace and comfort And it is our duty to bee sucking out by meditation the milke of grace and comfort contained in them That which the Prophet saith of the Church of Christ may as truly bee said of the Promises of Christ. Rejoyce O yee people of God and bee glad all yee that have an interest in the Promises Rejoyce for joy all yee that are mourners in Sion that yee may sacke and bee satisfied with the â—easts of their consolations that yee may milke out and bee delighted with the abundance of joy and comfort contained in them The Promises are the Saints Aqua-vitae as one calls them the Saints Cordials the Saints Planke to swim to Heaven upon the Saints Fiery Chariot to carry them up to Heaven And the great reason why they walke so uncomfortably so disconsolately and so unbeleevingly in the time of their tribulation is because they do not smell of these 〈◊〉 they do not chew these Cordials they do not read over these spiritual Legacies they doe not by serious meditation and consideration sucke out the comfort comprehended in them For as fire will not warme us unlesse wee tarry at it and a Bee cannot sucke out the hoâ—y that is in a flower unless shee abide upon it no more can any Childe of God receive supportation and consolation from the Promises in the houre of temptation unless hee seriously and solemnly ponder and meditate on them There is a double difference between a presumptuous sinner and a poor humble distressed Childe of God 1 A presumptuous sinner studieth nothing but the promising Word Hee sleights the commanding and the threatning Word The Word commands him to keep holy the Sabbath day not to love the world not to lust but hee turnes a deaf ear to it The Word threatneth to wound the hairy scalp of every one that goeth on in his wickednesse but because God is patient and long-suffering therefore hee regards it not But as for the Promising word hee snatcheth at it hee doth not truly lay hold on it but snatcheth at it before it belongs to him and Spider-like sucks the poyson of sin out of it and makes of it a Cradle to rock himself asleep in sinful courses Because God hath promised That whensoever a Sinner turnes from his sins which hee hath committed hee shall surely live and not dye therefore hee delayes and prorogues his turning from sin But now a poor distressed humble Christian fails on the contrary part hee pores upon the commanding and threatning Word but never ponders the promising Word God saith hee commands mee to love him with all my heart and soule to wash my heart from iniquity to love my enemies to cut off my right hand and to plucke out my right eye c. But I cannot performe these commands therefore surely shall never bee saved God saith hee hath threatned to curse every one that continueth not in every thing that is written in his Law to do it and therefore surely I am accursed But hee never studies nor ponders the promising Word for if hee did hee would quickly know three things for his everlasting comfort 1 That there is nothing required by God in his Word as our duty but God hath either promised to bestow it upon us as his gift or the Saints have prayed to God for it as his gift God commands us to love him but hee hath promised to circumcise our hearts to love him c. Deut. 30. 6. God commands us to fear him to turn our selves from our transgressions and to make our selves a new heart and a new spirit But hee hath promised to give us a new heart and a new spirit to put his fear in our hearts that wee shall never depart from him and to turn us from our evill wayes The Saints of God also have prayed unto God for this as the fruit of his free mercy Ier. 31. 18. Lam 5. 21. There is nothing commanded in the Covenant of works but God hath promised in the Covenant of grace in some measure to work it in us for hee hath promised to work all our works in us and to write his Law not one Commandement of it only but the whole Law in our hearts and to put it in our inward parts and to cause us to walk in his wayes 2 That God under the Covenant of grace will for Christs sake accept of less than hee requires in the Covenant of works Hee requires perfection of degrees but hee will accept of perfection of parts hee requires us to live without sin but hee will accept of our sincere endeavours to doe it If there bee a willing minde it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that hee hath not 2 Cor. 8. 12. 3 That though hee cannot in his owne person perform all that God commands yet Iesus Christ as his Surety and in his stead hath fulfilled the Law for him and that God will accept of Christs perfect as a cover for his imperfect righteousnesse That Christ hath redeemed him from the curse of the Law being made a curse for him That the Threatnings of the Law are Serpents without a sting and that Christ hath taken away the power and force of them Did a broken-hearted and wounded sinner ponder and meditate on these things they would fill him full of joy and comfort Hee would flye from the Covenant of Works to the Covenant of Grace from his owne unrighteousnesse unto the righteousnesse of Christ and from the commanding and threatning word unto the promising word hee would say Lord Thou commandest mee to walke in thy Statutes and to keep thy Lawes This I cannot do of my selfe but thou hast promised to cause me to walke in thy ways and to write thy Law in my heart Lord give me power to doe what thou commandest and then command what thou wilt 2 A presumptuous Sinner is alwayes studying the promising Word to bolster up himself in sin but hee never studies his sins and iniquities to repent for them and from them Hee meditates on the Promises to harden his heart in sin but not at all on his sins to humble himself for them and to turne from them But now on the contrary A poore distressed Christian pores upon his iniquities and corruptions but never mindes himself of the Promises and this makes him live so dejectedly and disconsolately A wicked man studieth his Corruptions too little A distressed Christian too much If hee did study the Promises as much as he doth his corruptions hee would not walk so uncomfortably Wherefore if ever you would
made It is said of Iob James 5. 11. Yee have heard of the patience of Iob and have seen the end of the Lord c. This our Christian Sister did in a great measure partake both of Iobs pains and Iobs patience and made as happy an end as hee did though in another kinde In the morning of that day in which shee dyed shee fell into a slumber in which shee heard as shee thought one saying to her This day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise Immediately shee awaked full of joy and though hardly able to speak yet shee uttered it to those who stood by and was much comforted with it Now though I am far from putting any confidence in dreams and doubt not that a man may dream hee shall go to Heaven and yet bee cast into Hell Though I do not think that comfortable dreams are sufficient evidences of salvation Nay when they are brought as proofs of erronious opinions I account them Diabolical delusions and when wicked men have them pleasant presumptions Yet notwithstanding when a woman who hath spent many years in the service of God and is visited by God for above a year with great and most grievous pains shall at the close of her life when shee is upon the very brink of eternity have such a sweet refreshing and heart-chearing impression upon her spirit when heart fails and flesh fails When shee can hardly speak to express the greatnesse of her joy then to hear a voice as it were saying to her This day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise This in all probability was the voice of God and not of man This was the Lords doing and it is marveilous in our eyes I forbear saying any more Shee is gone from a Prison to a Palace from a Purgatory to a Paradise Shee is at rest with God where all tears are wiped away from her eyes The Lord fit us by his grace to follow her in due time into the Kingdome of glory Amen Mrs. Elizabeth Moores EVIDENCES FOR HEAVEN Collected by her self in the time of her health in such manner and method as they are here presented to Publick view 1 Her Design in this Collection IN the Examination of my self I finde that my Aims and Ends why I desire to gather together and clear up my Evidences for heaven if my deceitful heart doth not deceive mee are these following 1 THat hereby as a means I may bee inabled to glorifie God in the great work of beleeving that hereby with Gods blessing the dimme eye of my Faith may more clearly see the Lord Jesus Christ to bee a Peace-maker and Reconciler and Surety for mee even for mee who am by nature a fire-brand of Hell The time was I am sure when I was the Devils picture and had the black brand of Reprobation upon mee and therefore it doth neerly concern mee to search and trye what Evidences I have to prove that God fetching Arguments out of his own bowels and the riches of his free grace hath redeemed mee out of this lost estate 2 MY Aime is to strengthen that longed for grace of Assurance A grace which though it bee not of absolute necessity for the being and salvation yet it is of absolute necessity for the well being and consolation of a Christian without this grace I can neither live nor dye comfortably and I have been often exhorted by Gods faithful Ambassadors to gather together my Scripture Evidences and to have the approbation of some godly and experienced Minister or Christian and this by Gods blessing may bee a means to strengthen Assurance Yea I finde in Scripture that the Lord saith that the Priests lips shall preserve knowledge and thou shalt seek the Law at his mouth for hee is the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts 3 MY Aime is to obey God in his Word who hath commanded mee by his Apostle to work out my own salvation with fear and trembling and to give all diligence to make my calling and election sure And I am exhorted to examine my self and prove my self whether I bee in the faith or no Know yee not saith the Apostle that Christ is in you except you bee reprobates And if any man bee in Christ hee is a new Creature old things are passed away and all things are become new Now then to prove whether I bee indeed and in truth born again is my desire at this time the Lord help mee and give mee a sincere and upright heart and guide mee herein by his holy Spirit for the honour of his holy Name 2 A brief Collection of her Evidences for Heaven Blessed bee God who hath through his free mercy begotten mee to a hope that I am regenerated and born from above and converted unto God Reason Because the Lord hath gone the same usual way with mee as with those heâ— pleaseth to convert to himself and this I shall make to appear in five or six particulars 1 The Lord by his Spirit accompanying the preaching of his Word caused the scales to fall from my eyes and opened them and set up a clear light in my understanding and made mee to see sin to bee exceeding sinful out of measure sinful and to look on it as the loathsomest thing in the world and on my self as a loathsome creature in Gods sight and in my own sight by reason of the Leprosie of sin wherewith I was over-run 2 The Lord brought mee to see the misery that I was in by reason of my sins I thought I was utterly forsaken of God and I thought that God would never accept of such a wretch as I saw my self to bee I could not think otherwise but that hell was my portion and that I by reason of my sins must go thither expecting every day when the Lord would glorifie himself in my damnation I saw my self in more misery because of my sins than I could then or now expresse to any body I looked upon God as a consuming fire and on my self as stubble ready to bee consumed by him c. 3 The Lord brought mee to a spiritual astonishment that I cried out What shall I do to bee saved and said with Paul Lord what wouldest thou have mee to do Do but make known to thy poor creature what thy will is and I thought I could do any thing or suffer any thing for the Lord. But since I have had some more knowledge of the holy Will of God woe is mee what a barren and unfruitful heart have I a heart that can neither do nor suffer any thing for the Lord as I ought to do But this I can say that the astonishment I was in by the sight of my sins and the misery I was plunged into put mee on the performance of holy duties especially prayer 4 The Lord took mee off my own bottome off my own righteousness and made mee to see that that was but a sandy foundation and would not
beloved and it is my highest priviledge that hee will give mee leave to love him who only can satisfie my soul and redeâ—m it from death eternal who hath justified mee by his blood and sanctified mee by his Spirit whom therefore I love with all my heart and all my soul and all my might and all my strength Finding therefore that God hath drawn out my heart to love him and make choice of him alone I from hence gather and ground my hope that God loveth mee according to that Scripture 1 Ioh. 4. 19. Wee love him because hee first loved us I finde my heart much inflamed with love to all the children of God because they are Gods children and the more I see or finde or hear of God in them the more I finde my heart cleaving to them and I thinke I can truly say with David That my delight is in the Saints and those that excel in grace not because they are friends to mee or I have relation to them in regard of outward obligations but because they bear the Image of God upon them and manifest it in their holy conversation I love them whether rich or poor And though I did never know some of them but onely hear of their holiness and piety yet I could not but exceedingly love such Therefore I hope that I am passed from death to life because I love the Brethren 1 Ioh. 3. 14. I do not only love God and the children of God but I labour to keep his Commandements and they are not grievous to mee But I pray with David O that my waies were directed to keep thy statutes Lord inlarge my heart and I will run the waies of thy Commandements Give mee understanding and I shall keep thy Law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart for therein do I delight I finde I am one that is very thirsty after Jesus Christ and the grace of Christ and I thirst to have his image more and more stamped upon mee and I would fain bee assured by Gods Spirit that I am transplanted into Christ and therefore I long and indeavour after a true and lively Faith because that Grace is a soul-transplanting and uniting grace Now Christ hath promised to satisfie the thirsty Matth. 5. 6. and such Christ hath earnestly invited to come though they have nothing to bring but what may make against themselves yet to come empty and hee hath promised to fill them Isa. 55. 1 2. I am willing to confess and with all my heart to forsake all my sins I am willing to give glory to God in taking shame unto my self I acknowledge my self a guilty malefactor and judge my self worthy of the just condemnation of the righteous Judge of all the earth And I do not only confess my sins but with all my heart I desire to forsake them and to turn to the Lord Now hee hath said hee will have mercy on such and will abundantly pardon them For his thoughts are not as our thoughts nor his waies as our waies Isa. 55. 7 8. It is my constant indeavour to dye to sin to live to newness of life And this is my comfort and hope that hee who hath begun a good work in mee will perfect it For it is hee that worketh all our works in us and for us Isa. 26. 12. and hee that hath wrought in mee to will to do that which is pleasing in his sight will work in mee to do also and that of his good pleasure Phil 2. 13. I hope I am one whom God hath taken into Covenant with himself because hee hath bestowed upon mee the fruits of the Covenant because hee hath circumcised my heart to love him and hath put his fear into mee and hath wrought an universal change in mee and hath given mee a new heart and a new spirit yea his own spirit which hee hath put within mee even the Spirit of Truth which will guide mee into all Truth It is his own promise to give his holy Spirit to them that aske it of him as I have done often Luke 11. 13. and I hope that God will make it in his due time a witnessing and a comforting Spirit I will wait upon him for the accomplishment of all his promises both of grace and to grace Hee hath said hee will bee a Sun and a Shield he will give grace and glory and no good thing will hee with-hold from them that walke uprightly And hee hath promised to subdue our sins for us and hath said That sin shall not have Dominion over us Rom. 6. 14. That hee will bee our God and wee shall bee his children and hee will save us from all our uncleannesses I hope I have a share in this blessed Covenant of Free Grace As for my Affliction that lyeth upon mee though it bee in it self very heavy I much more desire the sanctification of it than the removal I earnestly labour to learn all those lessons which God teacheth mee by Affliction I know I should not bee scourged nor bee in tribulation but that I have need of it it is for my profit to make mee partaker of his holiness Afflictions are an evidence of Sonship Heb. 12. 6 7 8. God hath promised that all things shall work together for good to them that love and fear him And I have had much experience of his faithfulness who hath not suffered mee to bee tempted above what hee hath inabled mee to bear therefore I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him Hee hath chastized mee less than mine iniquities deserve Hee chastizeth mee here that hee may not condemn mee hereafter Faith is the condition of salvation Beleeve in the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt bee saved And this is his Commandement that wee should beleeve in his Son Iesus Christ Now I find nothing so hard to mee as to beleeve aright to cast away all my own Righteousness as dung in point of justification and to cast away all my unrighteousness so as that bee no bar to mee and to role and cast and venter my immortal soul upon Jesus Christ and his Righteousness for life and salvation by him alone and to see my self compleat in him this is supernatural Yet I must and will give glory to God and say Lord I beleeve help thou my unbeleef And by this I prove that this precious grace of faith is wrought in mee because Jesus Christ is to mee very precious and I finde in the Word that to them that beleeve hee is precious and I am willing to take Christ upon his own termes as hee is tendred in the Gospel and am willing to give up my self soul and body wholly to him and my love to God and to the children of God is a fruit of my Faith as also my desire to bee made like unto him For hee that hath this hope in him purifieth himself
For sin is alwayes causa sine qua non the cause without which God would never chastise us and for the most part it is the cause for which 2 Wee have a gracious promise Then I will visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes 3 Wee have a merciful qualification Nevertheless my loving kindnesse will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulness to fail my Covenant will I not break c. Afflictions are not only mercies but Covenant-mercies Therefore David saith Psal. 119. 75. and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted mee God would bee unfaithful if hee did not afflict his children 5 Consider that afflictions are part of the Saints blessedness Job 5. 17. Behold happy is the man whom God correcteth c. Behold saith Eliphaz and wee had need behold and consider it for there are few that beleeve it and yet it is most true That afflictions when sanctified when they are not only corrections but instructions then they are evidences that wee are in a blessed condition Eliphaz his saying must bee interpreted by what David saith Psal. 94. 12. Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and teachest out of thy Law It is not correction simply but correction joyned with instruction which intitles us to happiness Iob even while hee was upon the dung-hill wonders that God should set his heart so much upon him as to visit him every morning and try him every moment Job 7. 17 18. Iob upon the Dung-hill was happier than Adam in Paradise Adam in Paradise was conquered by the Devil but Iob upon the Dung-hill overcame the Devil Lazarus in his Rags was happier than Dives in his Robes Philpot in his Cole-house than Bonner in his Palace and godly Mr Whitaker upon his bed of pain than a wicked man upon his bed of Down There were many in Christs time who would never have known him or come to him had it not been for their bodily diseases 6 Consider the gracious and merciful ends aims and designes that God hath in afflicting his people what these are ye have heard already 7 The sweet and precious promises which hee hath made to his children in the day of their adversity to comfort them and support them what these are you shall hear afterwards 8 Consider that all afflictions shall work at last for the good of Gods children Rom. 8. 28. Though they are not bonae yet they shall bee in bonum Though they are not good in themselves yet they shall turn to their good God beats his children as wee do our cloaths in the Sun onely to beat â—ut the Moths God puts them into the fiery furnace not to hurt them but onely to untie the bonds of their sins as hee dealâ— with the three children Dan. 3. 25. God will either deliver them out of their afflictions or send them to Heaven by them Wherefore comfort one another with these words Use 3. If the best of Saints are subject in this life unto many great and tedious afflictions then let us Afflictions 1 Expect 2 Prepare for 3 Improve 1 Let us expect Afflictions for Christ hath said expresly Ioh. 16. 33. In the world yee shall have tribulation There is in every childe of God 1 Sufficiens Fundamentum a sufficient Foundation for God to build a house of Correction upon There is sin enough to deserve affliction 2 There is sufficiens Motivum Motives sufficient to prevail with God to chastize them when they sin against him some of these you have heard already let mee adde one more Because hee is more dishonoured by the sins of his own children than by the sins of wicked men As it is a greater discredit to an earthly Father when his own children than when other mens children live wickedly so it is a greater disparagement to our heavenly Father when his own Sons and Daughters than when the Devils children transgress his Law And therefore God will chastize them sooner surer and more than others 1 Sooner Rom. 2. 9. Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil of the Iew first and also of the Gentile First the Jew and then the Gentile 2 Surer than others Amoâ— 3. 2. You onely have I known of all the Families of the earth therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities 3 More than others â—am 4. 6 The punishment of the iniquity of the Daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodome c. Dan. 9. 12. under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Ierusalem 3 There is sufficiens necessitas sufficient necessity to provoke God to afflict them It is needful that the Wheat bee winnowed that so the chaffe may bee separated from it It is needful that the Wind blow upon the Wheat to cleanse it and that Gold bee put into the furnace to purge and purifie it When the Sheep of Christ are divided one from the other in judgement and affections when separated in Doctrine Worship and Discipline It is very needful that God should send afflictions and distresses which may bee as the Shepherds Dog very serviceable and instrumental to unite them together and to gather them into one Sheepfold And therefore let the Saints of God expect afflictions 2 Let us prepare and provide against the day of tribulation Let us provide 1 A stock of graces For sickness is a time to spend grace but not to get grace A Christian in sickness without grace is like a Souldier in war without Armour like a house in stormy weather without a foundation and like the men of the old world when ready to bee drowned without an Ark. Woe bee to that person that hath his graces to get wheâ—â— hee should use them And therefore if wee would bee comforted in the day of tribulation wee must provide aforehand a furniture of graces 1 A true Faith for a painted Faith will avail no more than a painted helmet or a painted ship and not only a True but also a strong Faith A little faith will faint under great afflictions when the winds began to blow fiercely Peters little Faith began to fail Mat. 14. 30. 2 A great measure of patience to inable us to wait quietly and contentedly till God come in with help for many times hee tarrieth till the fourth watch of the night as hee did Matth. 14. 25. And therefore wee have need of patience to keep us from murmuring or repining 3 A great stock of Self-denial humility repentance contempt of the world and heavenly-mindedness Hee that is furnished with grace in an evill hour will bee as safe and secure as Noah was in the Ark in the time of the Deluge or as those were who had sufficiency of corn in the time of the seven years dearth in Aegypt 2 A stock of assurance of Salvation For though a man hath never so much grace yet if hee wants the assurance of it hee
more they are stricken the harder they are Such a one was King Ahaz 2 Chron. 28. 22. In the time of his distress hee did trespass yet more against the Lord There is a brand put upon him This is that King Ahaz that wicked King Ahaz that reprobate King Ahaz As Pearls put in Vinegar lose their colour and beauty so many when under Gods hand lose all their glory and excellency and begin to distrust Gods Providence to call his justice into question to murmure and repine against Gods dealings and to use unlawful means for their deliverance Of these the Prophet Isaiah complains Isa. 1. 5. Why should you bee stricken any more Yee will revolt more and more Such was Ahaziah 2 King 1 2. that sought for help from Baalzebub the god of Ekron and such was Saul who sought to the Witch of Endor for health in the day of his distress Both of these sorts are in a sad and miserable condition For God hath two Furnaces the Furnace of Affliction and the Furnace of Hell-fire If the first Furnace will not purge us the second will everlastingly consume us As the Roman Consuls had a man appointed to go before them carrying a Rod and an Axe a Rod for the punishing of corrigible offenders an Axe for the destruction of incorrigible So God hath his Rod and his Axe his Pruning knife and his Chopping-knife his Warning-peeces and his Murdering-peeces Afflictions are his Rods to correct us for our sin his Pruning-knife to pare off our luxuriant branches his Warning-peeces to call upon us to repent But if his Warning-peeces will do us no good wee must expect his Murdering-peeces If his Pruning-knife will not amend us his Chopping-knife will confound us If his Rods will not reclaim us then his Axe will hew us down and cast us into everlasting fire God hath three houses the house of Instruction of Correction and of Destruction The place where Gods people meet to hear his word is his house of Instruction And if wee profit in this house hee will never carry us unto the house of Correction But if wee bee stubborn and rebellious in the house of Instruction then hee will send us to the house of Correction And if wee profit in this house hee will never send us into the house of Destruction But if wee continue incorrigible in the house of Correction hee will inevitably send us to the house of Destruction that is unto hell fire And therefore whensoever God brings us into the School of Affliction let us labour to bee good Schollars in it and to answer all those ends aimes and designes which God hath in afflicting of us Let us pray to God that our afflictions may bee Divine Hammers to break our hearts for sin and from sin may make the world bitter and Christ more precious may prove and improve our graces and may put an edge upon all holy duties There are two things I would have you in an especial manner to labour after 1 Labour when afflicted to know the meaning of Gods Rod. 2 That the good you get by afflictions may abide upon you after your recovery from them 1 You must labour to know the meaning of Gods Rod and what the particular arrant is which hee hath to you in the day of your distresses you must do as David did 2 Sam. 21. 1. hee inquired of the Lord to know the reason why hee sent a Famine amongst them So must you you must pray as Iob doth Iob 10. 2. Shew mee O Lord wherefore thou contendest with mee When the cause of a disease is found out it is half cured Your great care therefore must bee to study to know the particular cause and reason why God turns your prosperity into adversity The Prophet Micah tells us Micah 6. 9. That the Rod hath a voyce and that the man of wisdome shall see Gods Name upon it There is a great measure of spiritual Art and Wisdome required to inable a man to hear this voyce and to understand the language of it A spiritual Fool cannot do it Quest. What must wee do that wee may understand the voyce of the Rod Ans. You must know that the Rod of God ordinarily speaks three languages it is sent for correction for sin for the trial and exercise of Grace and for instruction in holiness Sometimes indeed it is sent only for trial and instruction and not at all for sin Upon this account was Iob afflicted and the blinde man Ioh. 9. 3. But for the most part it hath a threefold voyce it is appointed for instruction probation and also for correction Lam. 3. 39. Isa. 42. 24. Luke 1. 20. 1 Cor. 11. 30. Quest. How shall a man know whether his afflictions bee only for trial and instruction and not at all for sin Answ. The safest and best way for a Christian in this case is to beleeve that all his afflictions are both for trial and instruction and also for sin Indeed when hee seeth another man who is very godly grievously diseased hee may charitably beleeve that this is for his trial and not for his sin but when it is his own case then as D. Ames saith most excellently Aequissimum tutissimum Deo gratissimum est ut in afflictionibus omnibus peccata nostra intueamur quae illas vel directe procurarunt vel saltem promeruerunt Quamvis enim omnes afflictiones non immittantur semper directè precipuè propter peccatum peccatum tamen est omnium afflictionum fons fundamentum Rom. 5. 12. It is most equal most safe and most acceptable to God to have an eye upon our sins which have either directly procured them or at least deserved them For though afflictions are not alwayes sent directly and especially for sin yet sin is the original and foundation of all afflictions Quest. VVhat course must wee take to finde out what that sin is in particular for which God corrects us Answ. 1. Sometimes wee may read our sin in our punishment Adonibezek though a Heathen King did this Iudg. 1. 7. Threescore and ten Kings having their Thumbs and their great Toes cut off gathered their meat under my table as I have done so God hath requited mee I read of holy Ephrem that hee was converted by the suitableness of his affliction unto the sin hee had committed for hee saw clearly that his misery came not by chance but from God immediately and for sin As a man may sometime gather the disease of the Patient by observing the Physitians Bill so hee may guess at his sin by considering his punishment 2 Consider what that sin is for which they conscience doth most of all accuse thee Conscience is Gods Vicegerent his bosome Preacher And when wee sleight the voyce of Conscience God seconds it with the voyce of his Rod which speaks the very same language that Conscience doth 3 Consider what is the sin of thy Complexion and Constitution what is thy
are some men that can delight in any thing but in God and his Word and his Ordinances They can delight in the creatures of God but cannot delight in the Ordinances of God They can delight in the gifts of God in riches and health and honours But they cannot delight in the God of these gifts They can delight in books of Philosophy and Humanity but they cannot delight in the word of God Mark the sad condition that these are in It is a certain sign that there is a vail over their eyes and hearts that they are not yet anointed with Christs eye-salve that the God of the world hath blinded their eyes that they cannot see the glorious excellencies of the Law of God It is certain that they are not born anew for if they were new born babes they would desire the sincere milk of the word It is certain that the Law of God is not yet written in their hearts and that the Spirit of God doth not dwell in them It is certain that they have no part nor portion in the word of God that they never tasted the sweetness that is in it and that they have no true love to God nor to his word It is a true saying Qui regem amat legem amat hee that loves a King will love his Law And I may say Qui Deum amat legem Dei amat Hee that loves God will love the Law of God which is nothing else but his Image and his Picture his last Will and Testament his blessed Love-token And therefore if you delight not in the Law of God it is evident you do not delight in the God of this Law And if you delight not in God hee will not delight in you unless it bee to laugh at your destruction as it is Prov. 1. 26. Q. But how shall I know whether I do delight in the Word of God or no Answ. You shall know it by these notes 1 Hee that delights in Gods Law will bee very frequent in meditating and reading of it and very often in speaking of it Thus saith David Psal. 1. 2. His delight is in the Law of the Lord and therein hee will meditate day and night And Psalm 119. 97. Oh how do I love thy Law it is my meditation all the day So also vers 15 16. 23. Hee that takes pleasure in the Law hee will bee often thinking of it as Christ saith Matth. 6. 21. Where the treasure is there the heart will bee also If the word of God bee thy treasure thou wilt meditate on it Cogitatione crebrâ longâ profundâ Thou wilt frequently think of it and when thou beginnest to think of it thou wilt dwell upon the thought of it as a Bee dwells as it were upon the flower to suck out the sweetness that is in it and thou wilt think of it with deep and serious meditations and contemplations thou wilt dive into the unsearchable riches and treasures that are in the Word And as thou wilt meditate on it so thou wilt bee often and unwearisome in reading and perusing of it and discoursing about it A man that delights in hunting is never weary of talking of hunting and hee that delights in the world of speaking about the world and if you did delight in Gods word you would bee very frequent and indefatigable in discoursing of it 2 If you delight in the Word of God you would delight in the Ministers and Ambassadors of the Word lawfully commissionated by Christ For the great work of the Ministry is to expound and apply the Word and therefore if you dis-respect the godly learned lawful Ministry of the Word you take no delight in the Word 3 They that delight in the Word will bee at any cost to bring the Word to their Congregations they will part with thousands of gold and silver rather than with the word He that esteems the Word above thousands will bee willing to part with hundreds for the Words sake Hee will account a famine of the Word more bitter than a famine of bread by how much the soul is better than the body by so much will hee bee more troubled for a soul-famine than a bodily 4 Hee that delights truely in the Law will sincerely labour to obey it and bee mâ—ch grieved when it is disobeyed 1 Hee will sincerely labour to obey it hee will make the Word of God the man of his counsel vers â—4 Thy testimonies are my delight but how doth hee prove that in the following words and my counsellors Hee will make the Word a Lamp to his feet and a light to his paths vers 105. In all his undertakings hee will inquire what God would have him to do and hee will make Gods Word his Compass to sail by and pray with David vers 35. Make mee to go in the path of thy Commandements for therein do I delight 2 Hee will bee much grieved when others transgress the Law of God Thus David vers 53. Horror hath taken hold upon mee because of the wicked that forsake thy Law and vers 136. Rivers of waters run down mine eyes because they keep not thy Law And therefore you that delight in sin you cannot bee said to delight in the Word and you that are not pained and grieved when others sin you are not amongst the number of those that take pleasure in Gods Law or in whom God takes pleasure Use 2. Let us make it appear that wee are Saints in deed and in truth not only Saints in Mans but in Gods Calender by following the example of holy David set down in the Text. Let us make the Law of God our joyes and our delights Let mee speak to you in the words of the Apostle Col. 3. 16. Let the Word of God dwell richly in you c. not onely with you but in you And in the Words of Christ Ioh. 5. 39. Search the Scriptures for therein you hope to finde eternal life The Greek word signifieth to search as men do under ground for treasures or to search as men who dive under water for something that is at the bottome Let us with Iob 23. 12. Esteem the ward of God above our necessary food Let us love it above gold yea above fine gold Let it bee dearer to us than thousands of gold and silver sweeter than the hony and the honey-comb You that are Gentlemen remember what Hierom reports of Nepotianus a young Gentleman of Rome Qui longa assidua meditatione scripturarum pectus suum fecerat bibliothecam Christi who by often and assiduous meditation of the Scriptures made his breast the Library of Christ. Remember what is said of King Alphonsus that he read over the Bible fourteen times together with such Commentaries as those times afforded You that are Schollars remember Cranmer and Ridley the former learnt the New Testament by heart in his journey to Rome the latter in Pembrook-hall Walks in Cambridge Remember what is said of Thomas a Kempis
by participation of Divine Graces Not in a Familistical sense as if wee were Godded into God and Christed into Christ but in a spiritual sense wee are by the Promises made partakers of the Divine Nature that is of the Divine Graces by which wee are made like to God in holinesse The Apostle tells us that they have a power to cleanse us from all filthinesse both of flesh and spirit and to inable us to perfect holiness in his fear 2 Cor. 7. 1. 2 A Comforting Power They are able to comfort us in the worst of dayes and dangers O how precious is a Promise to a distressed Christian in the hour of extreamity The Sun is not more comfortable to a man in a dark dungeon or food to a man ready to starve or water to a man ready to dye for thirst The Promises of God are alwayes precious but never more precious than in times of misery and calamity and therefore let us in such times especially meditate upon the preciousness of them 3. You must meditate upon the freenesse of the Promises The Promises are the outward discoveries of Gods eternal love to his people Now nothing moved God to enter into Covenant with them and to ingage himself to them by Promise and thereby to become their debtor but his free love and mercy and therefore they are said to bee given us of God 2 Pet. 1. 4. whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises God promiseth in his Word not only to love us but to love us freely Hos. 14. 4. I will heal their back-sliding and love them freely The reason why God makes us his people is not from any worth in us but only because it pleaseth him so to do 1 Sam. 12. 22. The Lord will not forsake his people for his great names sake because it pleased the Lord to make you his people The Lord Jesus Christ who is the great and fundamental Promise the root of the other Promises is freely tendred in the Gospel and freely given Ioh. 3. 16. God so loved the World that hee gave his only begotten Son c Revel 22. 17. Whosoever will let him take the water of life freely 4 You must meditate on the firmnesse faithfulnesse unchangeableness and immutability of the Promises they are the Promises of that God who cannot deny himself Promissae haec tua sunt Domine saith Austin quis falli timet cum promittit ipsa veritas Heaven and earth shall passe away but one jot or tittle of the VVord shall not passe There is no Promise which God hath made though never so improbable and impossible to flesh and bloud but it shall come to passe in due time whatsoever hee hath promised in his goodnesse hee will perform by his power God is not a man that hee should lye neither the Son of man that hee should repent Hath hee said and shall hee not doe it or hath hee spoken and shall hee not make it good Numb 23. 19. God hath promised that the same Bodies that dye shall rise againe at the last day This is incredible to Natural reason The Stoicks and Epicures derided it when it was preached by Paul Acts 17. 32. But hath God said it and shall he not doe it Is the Lords hand shortned Therefore Christ tells the Sadduces Matth. 22. 27. You erre not knowing the Scriptures and the power of God God is omnipotent and therefore able to doe above what wee can ask or think God hath promised at the Resurrection to make our vile bodies like unto the glorious Body of Christ. This is impossible to Natural reason but mark what the Apostle saith Phil. 3. 21. Who shall change our vile bodies and fashion them like unto his glorious Body according to the working whereby hee is able even to subdue all things unto himself God hath promised that before the end of the World there shall be a National conversion of the Iewes that the Kingdomes of the world shall become the Kingdomes of our Lord and Saviour And that Babylon shall fall These are the Promises of God who cannot lye Faithful is hee who hath said it who also will doe it 1 Thes. 5. 24. though the things promised seeme impossible to men yet with God all things are possible Therefore the Apostle proves the future conversion of the Jewes by an Argument drawn from the power of God Rom. 11. 23. God is able to graft them in again The like is brought to prove the ruine of Antichrist Rev. 18. 8. Her plagues shall come in one day death and mourning and famine and shee shall bee utterly burnt with fire for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her The Promises are a firme Foundation to build our Salvation upon An Anchor both sure and stedfast When David was taken by the Philistins hee was so supported by the Promise of God that hee did not fear what man could doe against him therefore hee repeats it three times Psal. 56. 3. 10. In God I will praise his VVord in God I will praise his VVord in God I will praise his Word that is his Word of Promise I will not fear what flesh can doe unto mee the Scripture builds all the hope and comfort of a Christian upon the faithfulness of God 1 Corinth 1. 9. God is faithful by whom c. 1 Thes. 5. 23 24. 1 Corinth 10. 13. God is faithful who will not suffer you to bee tempted above that you are able c. 2 Thes. 3. 3. The Lord is faithful who shall stablish you c. Heb. 10. 23. for hee is faithful that promised Memorable is that saying of David Psalm 138. 2. For thou hast magnified thy VVord above all thy name Which words are to bee understood as David Kimhi and our English Annotations say Hysteron proteron that is thou hast by thy Word that is by performing thy Word and Promises Magnified thy name above all things or as Ainsworth Thy word of Promise in Christ and thy faithfulness in performing of it doth more exalt thy Name than any thing by which thou art made known O then let all the Saints of God who are heirs of the Promises meditate frequently upon the preciousness freeness firmness unchangeableness and immutability of them 5 You must meditate upon the fulnesse and richness of the Promises The Promises are the Saints Magazine and spiritual Treasure they are called the unsearchable riches of Christ Ephes. 3. 6 7. It is one of the greatest titles belonging to a Saint to bee stiled an Heir of the Promises That man who hath a right to all the Promises in the Bible is the richest man in the world For God is his and hee that hath him that hath all things hath all things Christ is his and Christ is all in all the Spirit is his and hee who hath the Spirit hath all good things as appears by comparing Mat. 7. 11. with Luke 11. 13. In
for it because it will surely come it will not tarry This did Daniel when hee understood the time approached c. hee prayed Dan. 9. 2 3. Thus did David Psal. 56. 9 10 57. 1 2. Thus must you do These are the three great Duties which the Lord requires of us at all times but more especially in these our dayes wherein the Providences of God seem to run quite cross unto his promises The Lord give us grace to practise them So much for this Text. The End of the Fifth Sermon A Brief Repetition of what was said of Mrs. Elizabeth Moore at her Burial THough I have finished my Text yet I have another Text remaining of which I must speak a few words and that is The Party deceased at whose Funeral wee are here met Shee was a Woman I verily beleeve truly fearing God and yet throughout her whole life loaded with many and great troubles God picked her out to bee a pattern of afflictions as hee had not long before that Reverend and godly Minister Mr. Ieremiah Whitakers This Pattern teacheth us three Lessons 1 That all things come alike to all in this world and that no man knoweth love or hatred by any thing that is before him The best of Saints sometimes are upon the Dunghil when the vilest of men are upon the Throne The best of men are afflicted when the worst of men are in prosperity 2 That there is not so much evil in affliction or so much good in prosperity as the world imagineth For if there were God would not bestow so much prosperity upon the wicked and exercise his dear children with so many afflictions 3 That there will come a rewarding day in which it shall certainly bee well with the Righteous When I see a wicked man prosper I say Surely there will come a punishing day in which the wicked shall be turned into Hell When I see a godly man in adversity I say Verily there is a reward for the Righteous verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth Such examples prove that there is another life besides this And that if the godly had hope onely in this life they were of all people most miserable I will not trouble you with a relation of her Christian carriage in the time of her health because it is sufficiently known to most here present I shall onely take notice of her great care and diligence in making her calling and election sure Shee had not her Ark to build when the flood came nor her Corn to get when the seven years of Famine came Shee had laid up a stock of graces and comforts against the evill hour Shee had not her Evidences for Heaven to get at the houre of death But shee had collected and composed them in the time of her life and when shee came to dye shee â—ad neither her graces nor her comforts nor her Evidences for Heaven to seek shee had nothing to do but to dye Her sickness was very long and very painful concerning which I shall briefly acquaint you with these few particulars 1 God moved the hearts of very many godly people to take compassion of her sad and afflicted condition and to contribute liberally shee being poor towards her relief this merciful providence wonderfully comforted her She saw Gods love in it and was so much affected with it that she was for a little while really and exceedingly afraid notwithstanding her great torments by reason of a cancer in her breast lest she should have her heaven in this life and lest this mercy should bee all her portion The Lord recompence that labour of love and that Christian charity a thousand fold into the bosomes of those who manifested so much kindnesse to her 2 Her Patience was very great As God increased her pains hee increased her patience even to the admiration of such of us as were frequent spectators of it She was brought to such a sweet frame of spirit as to bee willing to live under all her torments as long as God pleased and to dye whensoever he pleased 3 Shee was a woman of a very fearful nature and in the time of her health had many doubts and scruples notwithstanding all her care forementioned about her salvation But in her sickness all her doubts vanished God chained up Satan The Devil had no power to tempt her shee felt a great calmness in her soul and had much inward peace and injoyed more of God and his consolations in the time of her sickness than in the time of her health 4 Shee was very forward in spreading and diffusing those graces which God had bestowed upon her and in giving good counsel to those who visited her I have heard her often and often perswading her friends to prize health and to improve it for the good of their souls to lay up against an evill day and to stock themselves with grace before sickness come Shee would frequently say O the benefit of health O prize health praise God for health and improve health for your eternal good 5 Shee was very well vers't in the Scriptures The Law of God was her delight and this kept her from perishing in her affliction Shee was continually fetching cordials out of the Word to comfort her under her great pains and to preserve her from fainting The twelfth Chapter of the Hebrews was a precious cordial to her so was the eight of the Romans and the 2 of the Corinthians the 4. Chapter and the 17 18. verses For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory While wee look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal 1 Cor. 15 53 54 55 56 57. For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption and this mortal shal have put on immortality then shal be brought to pass the saying that is written Death is swallowed up in victory O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sin is the Law But thanks bee to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Iesus Christ. Phil. 3. 21. Who shall change our vile body that it may bee fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby hee is able even to subdue all things unto himself A little before her death shee said In the Lord Iehovah there is righteousness and strength righteousness for justification and strength for supportation Shee said that the Word of God was the best cordial in the world And that one minutes being in Heaven would make amends for all her pain and misery 6 And lastly I cannot but take special notice of the happy close of her life and of the blessed end shee