dayes work And it is that work that is consistent with every business and condition First I say 'T is every mans work it is the work of the wicked and it is the work of the Godly 'T is the woâ—k of the wicked for it is their first step unto Conversion The Prodigal bethought himself and returned unto his Fathers house The Prophet Haggai calling upon the Jews to repent saith Consider your wayes I considered my wayes and turned my feet unto thy Testimonies saith David Consider your wayes or as in the Hebrew set your heart upon your wayes And when doth a man set his heart upon his wayes but when he doth seriously ponder and meditate on his wayes Thâ—s work of Meditation therefore I say it is the work of the wicked It is their first step unto Coversion And 't is the work of the godly Meditation-work is a godly mans work For either he is weak or strong If he be weak he hath need of it that he may be strengthened If he be strong he hath need of it that he may be quickned There is no man but hath need of Meditation If a man be a Beginner he ought to meditate that he may proceed If he be a Proficient he ought to meditate that he may be perfect If he be Perfect with Gospel-perfection he ought to meditate that he may hold on his perfection Psal 1. It 's made the general description of a good man He delighteth in the Law of the Lord and in that Law doth he meditate And Secondly As it is every mans work so 't is every dayes work There are some special times as you will hear which are more fit for meditation But this work of meditation is every dayes work When I awake saith the Psalmist I am ever with thee How By prayer and meditation I have set the Lord alwayes before me How but by meditation and prayer What time is there that is not fit for this work of Meditation Is the Sabbath day unfit for it No There is a Prayer for the Sabbath Psal 92. to meditate on the works of God Is the week-day unfit for this work of Meditation No the Sabbath day is our market day and then after we have bought our maâ—ket on the Sabbath we should Rost it by meditation on the week We don't go to the Market on the market day to buy meat into the house onely for the market day but for all the time till the market day comes about again Indeed Solomon saith of the Sluggard that he is so sluggish and slothful That he doth not roast what he hâ—th taken in hunting The Sabbath day is the hunting day for souls wherein the Venison is taken On the week day we are to roast it and to live upon it by meditation and otherwise And what 's the reason that many don't live upon their Venison that they have taken on the Lords day but because they don't roast it by meditation on the week day and so are in the number of Solomen's sluggards the sluggard roasteth not the Venison that he hath taken in huntinâ— I am sure that David in the 119. Psal saith that his meditation was at work all the day long It is my meditation all the Day not a piece on 't 't is every dayes work 't is all the dayes work Yea in the first Psaâ— he takes in the Night too He delighteth in the Law of the Lord and therein doth he meditate Day and Night So that that 's the Second thing Meditation work is every days work As 't is every mans work so 't is every dayes work And 3. As it is every dayes work so it is that work that is consistent with every business and with every condition A Garment that will fit the back of every condition What dunghil-condition but this flower of Meditation may grow thereupon In Judg. the 5th 't is said there v. 11. They that are delivered from the noise of Archers in the places of drawing water There shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the Lord. There where why in the places of drawing Water When they are in the field drawing waer And if that be a fit place be rehearse the righteous acts of the Lord certainly then it is a place fit for meditation And if that the place of the Drawing Water then the very place of scraping Trenchers and sweeping the kennel may be a place fit for meditation If that the place of drawing Water be a place fit for rehearsing the Acts of the Lord what place what condition what business but Meditation may accompany it Possibly a man may be sick and he may be kept from Books or he may be kept from hearing but yet he may meditate on God and the things of God Possibly he may be thrown into Prison and he may be kept from Books and Bible yet he cannot be kept from Meditation It 's said of Mr. Glover that Great Martyr in Queen Maryes time that lying in Prison a Coventry it was told him he should be remooved to a close Prison at Litchfield and all Books taken away from him At that he was much troubled but saith he I sat down and considered and meditated with my self Is God the God of Coventry and not of Litchfield Is not God the God of Litchfield as well as of Coventry And when I had thought on this thing and meditated thus my heart was quiet within me Surely there is no condition so sower but Sweet Meditation may grow thereon Now if this work of Meditation be a work that is Consistent with every business and every condition every dayes work and every mans work why should we not be found in the practice of it 3. But you will say 3dly What help or what means to this work of Meditation What shall I do how and by what means should this work of Meditation be performed First If you would Meditate on God rightly and duly to speak first by way of means and then for the rules of direction afterwards be very sensible of your want and of your neglect herein A man is never more fit for a duty then when he is very sensible of his neglect therein sensibleness of neglect of former duty fitts one for future duty If a man have very great possessions and he lose them he is very sensible of the loss thereof why now look into the 17th Job and you shall find there are Thought-possessions saith he My dayes are past my purposes are broken off even the thoughts of my heart In the Heb. even the possessiâ—ns of my heart As if he should say thus Time was that I had very great Thought-possessions I thought on God I enjoyed God I possessed God but now I have lost these my possessions of God and the thoughts of my heart the possessions of my heart are broken off Thus sensible Jâ—be was of the loss of his Thought-possessions And the more rich our Thought-possessions are the greater is our loss
more fit for Meditation Shall I name Four or Five 1. Look when the Lord hath made any deep Impression upon your soul by word or work then is a time for your meditation for Impression calls for meditation 2. The Morning is a fit time for Meditation before the World come in What more fit for God than the best of time the Morning is the best of time therefore a fit time for Meditation on God 3. The Sabbath Day is a fit time also for Meditation therefore the 92th Psal is appointed for the Sabbath A Psalm for the Sabbath Day saith the Title to the Psalm 4. The time of Gods special dispensations is a fit time for it Look when there is a special dispensation of God abroad either of Mercy or Judgment then is a fit time for Meditation In the 9th Psal The Lord is known by the Judgement which he executeth the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands Higgaion Selah what 's that it comes from the Heb. Hagah which signifies to Meditate When the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands here 's woâ—k for meditation Look I say when there is a special dispensation of God either in Mercy or Judgment that 's a fit time for meditation 5. Look what time that is that lies next or near or close to any great work or service that 's a fit time for meditation As for example Suppose we be to receive the Lord's Supper The time that lies next before it is a fit time for meditation Suppose a man be to be call'd out for some great service or Imployment The time that goes close before it is a fit time for him to sit down and meditate with himself upon the work For the more a man doth prepare for a work the more likely he is in reason to perform it well Now Meditation is a good preparation Look therefore what that time is that immediately before or close to the work of the Lord that 's a fit time for Meditation Thus now you see what the special times are for the work of Meditation The time of Impressions The morning time The Sabbath day The time of special dispensations either of Mercy or Judgment And the time tha goes Immediately or next or close before the great work and service of the Lord. And If you would meditate rightly observe what the fit times for Meditation are and be sure you lay hold thereon 7. I 'le name but one more Though there is a great deal of profit and sweetness to be found in this work of meditation and it 's every dayes work yet take heed that you don't so meditate on one of Gods excellencies as to neglect another nor don 't so spend your whole time in the work of meditation that this work of meditation should eat up other dutyes God would have us rise from this work of meditation as from any other duty with an hungry appetite Friends God would have us rise hungry from every duty and not glutted variety is refreshing he hath given many duties that we may not pore upon one In case therefore you have bin at the work of meditation either God hath come in upon you with his speciall Influence or not if he hath praise the Lord for his AYtance it 's mercy that you have had one good thought of God but Meditation is more than a thought meditation is thought upon thought praise God that 's the way to have more And In case that God hath not come in upon you in the work of meditation then yet be not discouraged for God would not have you glutted and God would lead you to some other work and one duty one work is not to eat up and devour another I say with one Let not your time be the measure or rule of your Meditation but your Meditation the rule of your time Yet take heed that you don't spend so much time in musing and considering and meditating as that this work of Meditation should eat up any other Duty but quicken thereunto And thus you see some means some helps to this work of Meditation Some Rules and Directions for the right carrying it on sweetly What now remains but that you up and be doing turn your hand to it You have heard the duty proved You have heard the sweetness and profitableness thereof cleared You have heard what Objects we are to lay our Thoughts out upon And you have heard some means as helps unto the Work And some Rules and Directions for the carrying of it on O then you that never spent hour in meditation all your dayes if there be any such here Now bethink your selves and now give up your Thoughts to God You that have gone one year after another and one week after another and never spent any time in meditating on God or the things of God O now bethink your selves And that you may do so and be provoked hereunto give me leave to lay down some Arguments and Motives to press both your souls and mine unto this great work of Meditation The Arguments are divers Thus First Friends The more acquaintance you have with this work of Meditation the more time you will get and the lesse you will lose A man that hath the skill on 't need never lose an hour Who knows the worth of time This little spot of time doth our Eternity depend upon Yet Lord how many are there that lose their precious hours and time But what 's the reason They have no hand at this work of Meditation When their business is over they might otherwise turn their hand to this work and lose no time The more acquaintance you have with this work of Meditation the more time you will get and the lesse you will lose 2. Hereby even by this work of Meditation you shall get into the Secrets of divine things There is a Secret and a Mystery in ever Trade A man don't know the Trade till he knows the Secret and the Mystery of it It 's said The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him Knowledge brings us to the door of Truth But Meditation hath us into the House and into all the Rooms thereof Thereby I say you shall get into the Inwards and the Secrets of the things of God 3. Thereby also you shall suck out the sweetnesse of all those divine and precious things that you know As a man by musing on his Sins sucks out the sweetness thereof so by meditating on the things of God you suck out the sweetness of the things of God into your own souls 4. By this work of Meditation you shall have a Testimony in your own Souls that you are truly godly Every man is what he is most in private A good mans work lies most under-ground lies most out of sight In the time of Moses the beasts were clean that chewed the Cud and unclean that did not chew the Cud. In the time of David 't is made
to an outward holy Conversation Now then As ever you desire that the holiness of your Conversation may be advanced That you may be as godly now in your thoughts as ever you have been ungodly That God may take nothing unkindly from you That you may have a constant relief against all afflictions both inward and outward That you may live on God That your hearts may be subdued into God That God may give out his Loves unto you That you may be very godly That you may have a Testimony in your own souls that you are truly godly That you may suck out the sweetness of all the things you know That you may be let into the secret of Godliness and not stand at the door of Knowledg onely That you may never lose a pretious hour but redeem your time Now to the work of Meditation And you that have neglected it so long be not ashamed to begin it at last Gods Return to the Soul or Nation SERM. IX Psal 90.13 Return O Lord how long and let it repent thee Concerning thy Servants This Psalm is a Psalm of Moses the man of God Saith the title Wherein he doth strengthen his Faith and the Israelites Faith in God And shews the misery and frailty of mans life petitions God for his mercy He sets down the misery and frailty of mans life in the body of the Psalm But before in the beginning of the Psalm he doth strengthen his own and others Faith in God A man is never fit to look upon the troubles of this World and the miseries thereof till his heart be establisht in God by beleeving This therefore he doth in the first place by several Arguments of Comfort First drawn from their interest in God v. 1. Lord thou hast been our dwelling place in all Generations As if he should say We are now in the Wilderness and so no abiding place well Thou hast bin our dwelling place in all Generations Faith finds that in God which we want here below and that 's the way to true Comfort The Second is drawn from the eternity of Gods essence and beeing v. 2. Before the Mountains were brought forth or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the World even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God The Third is drawn from our Resurrection Though now we die and are destroyed yet at the 3. v. Thou turnest man to destruction and sayâ—st Return ye Children of men Our Resurrection is an easy work with God it is but saying Thou sayest Return ye Children of men The Fourth is drawn from the shortness of the time that lies between our Death and the Resurrection for it will be said There 's a great deal of time between our Death and the Resurrection But saith he you must account as God accounts for at the 4th v. A Thousand yeers in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past And as a watch in the night These things being thus premised Now you may read over the miseries and troubles of this World Which you have at large from the 5. v. unto the 12. v. But what then what is the work and Duty of the Psalmist then Why then he Petitions God He petitions first for Wisdome That by all the troubles and miseries of this life he may provide and lay in for eternity So teach us to number our Daies that we may apply our hearts unto Wisdom v. 12. And then he petitions for the return of Gods love Returne O Lord how long and let it repent thee concerning thy Servants Where you have the matter of the Petition The explication And the reason thereof The Matter of the Petition in those words Return O Lord. The Explication thereof And let it repent thee concerning thy Servants And the Reason How long Thou hast been long absent O Lord how long wilt thou be absent how long wilt thou be angry Return O Lord how long And let it repent thee concerning thy Servants God is said To return when after some Judgments for sin he doth shew forth some fresh tokens of his love and favour God is said To Repent when he doth change his dispensations of Anger into Love And this is that which the Psalmist doth here most desire From whence I take up this Doctrine or Observation Obs When God is in any measure departed from his people it is their great desire that God would return unto them and repent him concerning his Servants For the clearing and prosecuting of which First I shall labour to shew you that God doth sometimes forsake desert and depart from his own people for a time 2. That they are very sensible of such departures and think it long 3. That then in the time of those departures their great desire is that God would return and 4. That when God doth return unto his people then he doth repent him concerning his Servants and 5. What we should do in case God should be in any measure departed from us that he may return again unto us First As for the first God doth sometimes desert and forsake and depart from his people for a time Not in regard of their Union so he never departs But in regard of Communion and manifestation so sometimes he doth Though nothing is hid from the heat of this Sun yet our souls may be hid from the light of this Sun God doth sometimes depart from his own people For first He is the Sovereign Lord over all And what if God will to make his power and sovereignty known among his own people sometimes withdraw forsake and depart from them Two times you read in the Book of the Canticles that Christ withdraws from the Spouse Once upon occasion of her sin and security And then she meets with blows Cant. 5. Once upon an account of his meer pleasure Cant. 3. As whom God will he shews mercy to and whom he will he hardens So whom God will he is present with and whom he will he is absent from He is the Sovereign Lord over all But Secondly What if God will that his people should have a taste of hell in this life that so they may be sensible of and very thankful for their deliverance from hell and the wrath to come There are three things in hell Torment of Body Horror of Conscience Loss of God By our Pains and Torments Gouts and Stone we think of the Torments of Hell or may think By the horror of Conscience that we meet withall we may think of the horror of Conscience there And by Gods withdrawing and Gods departing from us here we may think of the losse of God for ever there These things are not in perfection here In heaven there is nothing but the presence of God and all the comforts there flow from that Fountain In hell there 's nothing but the absence of God and all the miseries there flow from that Fountain This life lyes between both And what if God will that we may be sensible
carried it â—to the holy of holyest the typicall satisfaction and reâ—emption had not been obtained And so here though â—e blood of Jesus had been shed and poured out upâ—n the Crosse if he had not gone unto the Father and â—rried his blood into heaven into the holy of holyest his â—tisfaction for our sin had not been accepted and ouâ—â—edemption had not been perfected Secondly If Christ had not gone unto the Father he had not made the application of his Death and Blood and Merits unto our Souls He came into the world that we should have Repentance and Remission both were purchased by his Death But now if he had not gone unto the Father there had not been an application Both were purchased by his Death on earth But was the businesse so left at a loose no but by his going to the Father what he purchased by his Death he doth apply In Acts 5. it 's said Him hath God exalteâ— with his Right hand to be a Prince and Saviour for to givâ— Repentance unto Israel and forgivenesse of sins So that haâ— he not gone unto the Father there had not been aâ— application of his Blood and Death and Merit untâ— our souls Thirdly If Christ had not gone unto the Fatheâ— the Holy Ghost the Comforter had not come If go not away the Comforter will not come But whâ— might not the Comforter or the Holy Ghost come though Christ had been here on earth if he had nâ— gone unto the Father I answer The gifts graces and comforts of thâ— Holy Ghost were the Dona Regia which were giveâ— out upon the Coronation of Christ for by this goinâ— to the Father he was crowned with glory and honour 〈◊〉 in Heb. 2. When the Holy Ghost comes he do bear witnesse to our spirits that we are the childreâ— of God and God reconciled to us But how shouâ— God give such a testimony of his Reconciliation unâ— us if Christ had not first gone into heaven and give up his accounts of what he had done here on earth 〈◊〉 is said expresly in John 7. This spake he of the spirâ— which they that believe on him should receive for the Hâ— Gh st was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet gloâ—fied And if Jesus Christ had not gone unto the Fâ—ther and so sent the Spirit how should we haâ— known that he had so much care for us and love to us when he was in heaven as by the sending of the Holy Ghost We are never more fit for the Holy Ghost than when we are weaned from the carnall presence of Christ And therefore if Christ had not gone unto the Father the Spirit the Holy Ghost had not come Fourthly If our Lord and Saviour Christ had not gone unto the Father we should have had no Advocate in heaven to plead our Cause in heaven upon all occasions 'T is a great matter we say to have a Friend at Court an Agent there that may plead for us What a mercy is it to have an Agent in heaven to negotiate our businesse there why now saith the Apostle If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous If Christ had not gone unto the Father we had not had this Advocate in heaven to plead for us upon all occasions And Fifthly If Christ had not gone unto the Father we should have no entrance into heaven heaven was locked up the Gates of Paradise were shut and kept by an Angel with a a flaming sword This Paradise was opened upon the Crosse This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise and we enter into it by Christ's going into heaven by his going into the holy of holiâ—est I go to prepare a place for you not as sent before to take up your Lodgings but as one Friend goes before another to make a great entertainment for his Friends But I say if Christ had not gone unto the Father we had had no entrance into heaven Why now is it not a matter of Joy and of great Comfort that we have entrance into heaven That the Comforter is come That we have always one in heaven to plead our Cause upon all occasions These and many other things we obtain by Christ's going to the Father This for our own concernment And Secondly As for the concernment of Christ By his going to the Father he was exalted and glorified as Mediatour I speak And if you ask what was the Glory and greatnesse that was put upon Christ as Mediatour by his going to the Father It consists in two things The Royalty of his entertainment when he came unto his Father And the greatnesse of his advancement And if yoâ— ask yet what was the Entertainment that he had when he came unto the Father Why it was an Entertainment suitable to such a Father and to such a Son When that great Sinner the Prodigall returned unto his Father his Father fell upon his neck and kissed him Bring out the Robes kill the Fatted Calf bring out the Ring And if such an entertainment for a Prodigall Son what entertainment then for the Naturall Son of God the obedient Son of God that had been upon his Father's great concernment in the world Great was this Entertainment surely beyond all my expression But now more particularly 1. No sooner did he come into heaven unto his Father but he was Justified in all that which he did and suffered for us as you have it in the 1 Tim. 3.16 God was manifest in the flesh Justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world received up into glory 2. No sooner did he come unto the Father but he was mightily declared to be the Son of God as you have it in Rom. 1. Thou art my Son this day that is upon the Resurrection this day have I begotten thee The Apostle explains it concerning the Resurrection in Acts 13. 3. No sooner did he come unto the Father but he was annointed with a new and fresh Annointing with the oyle of gladnesse above all his fellows For as David the Type had a double Annointing one by the hand of Samuel after which he was thrust out into the Wildernesse and another at the day of his Coronation so Christ Typified had a double Annointing one upon his Incarnation in which respects he saith The Spirit of the Lord is upon me and he hath annointed me to preach and another upon his Coronation when he was crowned with Glory and honour And therefore in Heb. 1. he is annointed twith the oyle of gladnesse above his fellows comes in upon his exaltation And 4. No sooner did he come into the presence of his Father but his Father said unto him Sit thou down at my Right hand the most honourable place in heaven sit thou at my Right hand my Son Why now is it not a matter of great rejoycing to us that Christ going to heaven with our names upon his shoulder and heart
the more yoâ— love it If you have a good Friend the more you uâ—â— him the more you prize him and the more yoâ— prize him the more you love him If you have good Horse the more you use him the more yoâ— prize him and the more you prize him the moâ—â— you love him If you have but a good Knife the moâ— you use it the more you will prize it and the moâ— you prize it the more you will love it Would yoâ— love Christ use him much and then the more yoâ— will prize him and the more you will love him Indeed we don't use Christ enough and what 's the reâ—son we don't love him but because we don't uâ—â— him Either your sins be great or else they be smalâ— â—f your sins be great you are afraid to use Christ for â—hem If your sins be small you think you need not â—se Christ for them Either your wants be great or else they be small If they be great you dare not â—se Christ for them and if your wants be small you will not you think it not worth your time to use Christ for them Indeed we don't use Christ enough Use Christ much and then you will prize him much and if you prize him much you will love him much 5. If you would have your hearts drawn out in love to the very Person of Christ go then to God and beseech the Lord to circumcise your hearts for to love him Mark how the promise runs The Lord hath promised to unite our hearts to fear him and he hath promised to circumcise our hearts to love him why then would you fear the Lord go to God to unite your hearts unto him to fear him would you love him go to God and beseech him to circumcise your hearts to love the Lord and to love himself And oh that the Love that now I have been speaking of unto the very Person of Christ might this day be begotten in any one heart or encreased where it is wanting I fear we are wanting in our love to Christs Person wherefore think on these things and the Lord blesse them to you Christ Crucified the object of our Faith SERMON II. 1 Cor. 2.2 For I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified HAving spoken of the Personall Excellencies of Christ the object of your Love there is a necessity upon me of speaking something concerning Christ crucified the object of your Faith that your Love and Faith may go together and therefore have made choice of these words onely for this time Wherein the Apostle Paul doth give an account of the reason of the plainnesse of his Preaching And I Brethren when I came to you came not with excellency of speech or of wisdome for saith he I am to Preach Christ crucified A gallant eloquent speech excellency of words and pleated sentences don't become a crucified Christ If I should speak at that rate my speech would not be suited unto the subject that I have in hand for I Preach Christ crucified saith he For I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and hâ—m crucified Some Books read it I desire not to know any thing among you but rather I judge it I decreed I determined not to know any thing among you Not to know any thing among you Not to make any think known unto you I would Preach as if I knew nothing else but Christ and him crucified Christ and him crucified is the great thing I desire to make known and that ye should know So that plainly then the Observation is this Obs The knowledge of Christ crucified is the most desirable thing in the world The knowledge of Christ crucified is the most desirable knowledge and the most desirable thing in the world That which the Apostles taught and the Churches learned must needs be the most desirable Now this is that the Apostles taught and this is that the Churches learned and therefore this knowledge of Christ crucified is the most desirable But for the opening and prosecuting hereof 1. We must a little enquire what it is to know Christ crucified and when a man may be said to know Christ crucified 2. That it is our great work and businesse in the world to know Christ crucified 3. What there is in Christ crucified that is so desirable to be known 4 Whether a man may live under the Gospel and not know Christ crucified 5. What are the benefits that we do get or gain by the knowledge of Christ crucified And then 6. What we should do that we may know Christ crucified in a right manner And 7. In case we do know him what is our duty that flowes from hence First of all If you ask what it is to know Chrisâ— crucified or when a man may be said to know Christ crucified I answer shortly A man is said to know a thing nakedly and barely or else effectually and truly Barely and nakedly a man knowes God and Christ when he doth understand that there is a God and Christ a Saviour of the world so the Devil said I know theâ— whom thou art the holy one of Israel But truly and effectually a man is said to know Christ crucified when he doth know the mind and will of God the Father in Christ crucified having a disposition and affections suitable thereunto Words of knowledge note an affection and words of affection in Scripture note an effect accordingly therefore in Scripture phrase a man is said to know when he doth go round about a businesse doth consider of it and look well into it and so Christ saith Behold me behold me and saith the Apostle Consider the High Priest of your profession This knowledge of Christ crucified is not a bare knowledge of Christ crucified in the history but it is a serious looking into the mystery thereof In Scripture phrase a man is said to know when he doth approve approbation is put for knowledge so at the last Christ shall say Depart from me for I never knew you that is I never approved of you knowledge being put for approbation And so a man is said to know Christ crucified when he doth understand and know the mind and will of God the Father in that great mystery and doth approve thereof In Scripture phrase again a man is said to know God or know Christ when he doth believe or repose in Christ so This is life eternall to know thee and him whom thou hast sent that is to believe knowing being put for believing And in Scripture phrase a man is said to know and to know Christ when the power and the efficacy of the Death of Christ is shed abroad into his heart and upon his life and so Paul speaking to the Philippians saith I account all things drosse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ that I may be conformed to his sufferings So that I say look when a man doth not onely understand
Christ then though in heaven hath a body still and this we are still to know And in this Verse he saith Henceforth know we no man after the flesh are we therefore to think that men have no bodies of flesh here on earth the same is said of Christ that therefore cannot be the meaning of these words but we are not to know Christ after the flesh that is say some upon any fleshly or carnall account or in any fleshly or carnall manner but I rather think that the Apostle here speaketh in reference to the Jews times were when we thought that the Messiah and salvation by him did belong to the Jews onely but now saith he we know that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself not the Jews onely but the Gentiles also ver 19. and that Christ did not die onely for the Jews but for the Gentiles and he died for all that they which live should not live unto themselves but unto him that died for them and rose again wherefore see how it comes in henceforth know we no man after the flesh though we have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature whether he be a Jew or a Gentile 't is all one to us whatsoever he be if he be in Christ he is a new creature wherefore now know we no man after the flesh no not Christ himself upon any such Jewish and restrained account for he died for all one as well as another wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh no not Christ himself And thus this Scripture being opened the one place is not contrary but a light to the other And so much in answer to that objection and for the second thing namely that it is our great work and businesse to know Christ crucified 3. The third thing is what is there in Christ crucified that is so desirable to be known I answer There is the Conjunction of all the Attributes of God The Power the Wisdome the Justice the Mercy and Righteousnesse of God In the day that you know Christ crucified that day doth all the Attributes of God passe before you which is the Glory of God 2. There also in Christ crucified you may seâ— the wealth and riches not onely of the Saints buâ— of the World Christs Sepulchre is our Treasury 〈◊〉 And have made his Grave with the Rich Isa 53. Glassiâ— reads it He hath placed Riches in his Grave For thâ— wealth and riches of the Saints lie in the grave anâ— sufferings of Christ 2. There in Christ crucified you see the condescending love of God in the heighth thereof the greatest condescension of divine love There are two Travells of Christ that we read of Christ once travelling in the greatnesse of his strength in the 63. oâ— Isaiah and that is for the destruction of his Enemies and the deliverance of the Churches Another travell which you read of in the 53. of Isaiah He shalâ— see the travell of his soul and be satisfied and that is Christ travelling in the greatnesse of his affections in the day of his sufferings so that when you know Christ crucified then you see him and know the greatest condescension of Divine love that ever was 4. There also you may see the greatnesse and the vilenesse and the misery of sin for which Christ the Lord of Life and Glory died 5. There you may see the greatest Sacrifice for sin that ever the world did see Four things saith Aâ—stin concurre to a Sacrifice The thing sacrificed the Sacrificer the person sacrificed unto and those that he sacrifices for I will adde a fifth the Altar And all these meet in one in Christ upon the Crosse He himself the Sacrifice the Sacrificer the Person sacrificed to as God and as Man the Person for whom was the Sacrifice and the Altar so that here 's the greatest Sacrifice that ever the world saw 6. There you may see our great High-Priest in all his Robes and Garments rol'd in blood 7. Therein Christ Crucified you may behold and see the Covenant sealed and all the Promises confirmed all the Promises being Yea and Amen in Christ 8. There you may see your Reconciliation with God begun and the day-break of your eternal happiness This is eternall Life to know thee and him whom thou hast sent 9. There you may see your Right and Title unto all your Priviledges and the root of all your Injoyments As the man being shown a Table full of Silver still had his eye under the Table to see the root of it and being led to another Table of Gold still he lookt under the Table to see the root of it So here see but Christ crucified and you see your Title to all the Ordinances and the â—oot of all your Enjoyments 10. There you may see all your Afflictions sanâ—ified all your Curses turned into Blessings upon he Cross of Christ 11. There you may see the gates of Paradise â—pened afresh This day shalt thou be with me in â—aradise said Christ upon the Cross 12. There you may see the Ladder that the Anâ—els ascend and descend upon for your ministry as â—n the first of John and the last 13. There you may see your desire upon all your â—piritual Enemies Law Sin and Satan It is not â—ely a promise that you shall have your desire â—on your Enemies but you shall see your desire â—on your Enemies look upon Christ crucified â—d you see your desire upon all these Enemies 14. There you may see the foundation of youâ— Union and Communion with God the Father 15. There you may see again the accomplishment of that great contrivance between God thâ— Father and Christ in reference to our Salvation What shall I say there in Christ crucified yoâ— may see a full answer to all your wants to all you fears to all your doubts What do you wanâ— but you may see it in Christ crucified Do yoâ— complaine of your own unworthiness Oh! I aâ— a poor unworthy Creature Do but look on Chrâ—â— crucified you see him suffering without the Gatâ— Why saith Austin did he suffer without tâ—â— Gates not onely to fulfill the Scripture He wâ— numbred among transgressors But he suffered witâ—out the Gates not in the Holy City because 〈◊〉 suffered for the Gentiles as well as the Jews 〈◊〉 suffered for the ungodly for the unworthy Noâ— look upon Christ crucified and there you see hâ— suffering without the Gates for the most unworthy Or will you instance in your own sin and guiâ— why do but look upon Christ crucified and yâ— see that sacrifice for sin that the world never sâ— the like and that before your sin was committed Will you instance in the dominion of sin aâ— your bondage under it look but upon Christ câ—cified and there you see your Ransome Who gâ— himself a ransome for many in whom we have â—â—demption through his blood Will
I shall not run through all these differences priviledges only fall in with this 24 verse And to Jesus that is ye are come to Jesus tâ— Mediator of the New Covenant and to the bloâ— of sprinkling that is ye are come to the blood sprinkling that speaketh better things then that Abel From which two Priviledges with the connection I take up these Observations Observ 1. That there is a New Covenant strickâ— with the children of men 2. That Jesus is the Mediator of this New Câ—venant 3. That now in these Gospel times we are 〈◊〉 come to Moses the Mediator of the Old but unâ—â— Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant And 4. That thus coming unto Jesus the Mediatâ— of the New Covenant we are also come unto tâ—â— blood of sprinkling that speaketh better thing then that of Abel Doct. I shall begin with the first There is new Covenant stricken with the children of meâ— It was alwayes Gods way to deal with man iâ— the way of a Covenant that is the most suitablâ— to man the most honourable for man and the moâ— amicable and friendly from the beginning therefore so it was no sooner was man made but Goâ— entred into Covenant with him In the day thâ—â— thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death And then a Covenant he made with the World by Noah And then a Covenant he made with Abraham And then a Covenant he made with the Jews at Mount Sinai It hath alwayes been Gods way to deal with man in the way of a Covenant but now in these latter dayes he hath stricken a New Covenant with the children of men A New Covenant will I make with the house of Israel saith the Lord by way of promise Jer. 31. A New Covenant hath the Lord made with the house of Israel by way of fullfilment and accomplishment Heb. 8. So that there is a New Covenant stricken with the children of men For the opening of which Argument 1. We must enquire what this Covenant is 2. Why and upon what account it is called a New Covenant And 3. What are the wayes and properties of this New Covenant 4. Who are the Subjects of this Covenant and persons that God doth strike this Covenant with 5. We will a little inquire into the benefits thereof 6. Labour to shew you what a man should do to get into Covenant with God and in case he be in Covenant with God how he should walk as becometh one that is in Covenant with the great God Here is matter enough to discourse on many exercises but though with difficulty I shall dispatch all in this one 1. And first of all if you aske me what this Covenant is take this description of the Covenant that now we are in It is that mutual agreement between God and Man whereby God the Father doth ingage himself to shew mercy love and kindness to Christ anâ— to his Seed Christ ingaging both for himself anâ— for his Seed to be obedient unto God the Father First I say it is a mutual agreement and herein a Covenant differs from a Law A Law properly is a commandment with penalty No sooner waâ— man made but he was under a Law to be obedient unto God his Maker and in case he broke it God by the Law of Nature might punish him But then when God said unto him In the day thaâ— thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death then God entered into Covenant man accepting thereof Thâ— Child is obliged by the Law of Nature to obey hiâ— Parents yet this is no Covenant but a law of Nature for here is no agreement But the Wife is obliged to obey her Husband and this is a Covenant why because it is by mutual agreement So that I say this Covenant First is a mutual agreement between God and Man But 2. It is that agreement whereby God the Father doth ingage himself to shew kindness grace and mercy to Christ and to his Seed Unto Christ himself he doth ingage Isa 42. 〈◊〉 the Lord have called thee in Righteousness and will bold thine hand and will keep thee and give thee for a Covenant of the people for a light of the Gentiles If thou wilt undertake the work of the Mediator I do ingage and promise to thee I the Lord have called thee in Righteousness and I will hold thine hand and I will keep thee And the Father doth ingage unto Christ and his Seed too for saith he unto Christ If thy children forsake my Law and walk not in my Judgements If they break my Statutes and keep not my Commandments then will I visit their transgression with the Rod and their iniquity with stripes nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take away which is plainly spoken unto Christ as you read in the 89 Psalm from the 26. v. unto the 30. So that I say it is that agreement whereby God the Father doth ingage himself to shew kindness grace and mercy unto Christ and his Seed On the other side Christ ingages both for himself and for his Seed to be obedient unto God the Father Christ ingages for himself and therefore saith he in the 40. Psalm verse 6. Sacrifice and Offering thou didst not desire c. Then said I Lo I come in the Volume of the Book it is written of me I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy Law is within my heart They are the words of Christ Then said I that is then promised I. Paulus Fagius observes that the Hebrew hath no one proper word for Promise but where God is said to Promise the word in the Hebrew is onely so God said God spake And indeed if any man will take the pains to consult the Hebrew and our English Translation together he shall find it true I 'le give you some instances and so pass over Deut. 1.11 The Lord God of your Fathers make you a thousand times so many more as ye are and bless you as he hath promised you Heb. as he hath said So in the 1 Kings 8.56 Blessed be the Lord that hath given rest unto his people Israel according to all that he promised Heb. according to all that he hath said So in the 2 Chron. 6.10 The Lord therefore hath performed his word that he hath spoken for I am risen up in the room of David my Father anâ— am set on the Throne of Israel as the Lord hatâ— promised Heb. as the Lord hath said So aâ— the 16. verse Now therefore O Lord God of Israel keep with thy Servant David my Father thaâ— which thou hast promised him Hebr. that whicâ— thou hast said to him So here in the 40. Psalm Then said I that is then promised I then ingageâ— I unto God the Father saying Lo I come in thâ— the Volume of the Book it is written of me herâ— Christ ingages for himself And he ingaged also for his Seed therefore Psâ— 16. O my Soul thou hast said unto the Lord saiâ— by way
made with Christ and his Seed and if you be Abrahams Seed then are you the Seed of Christ for you may see how they go together in the third Chapter of the Galathians Now to Abraham and his Seed were the Promises made he saith not unto Seeds as of many but as of one and to thy Seed which is Christ And if you do believe as Abraham did then are you Abrahams Seed So that thus briefly you see who this Covenant is stricken with and who are the subjects of it 5. But then fifthly suppose I be in Covenant with the Lord or suppose I be not if I be not is there any great hurt suppose I be is there any great good Much every way give me leave to give you a little tast of it First If you be not in Covenant with God how can you expect any blessing mercy or deliverance from God for do but look into the Scripture and you shall find that all blessings mercies and deliverances come to the people of God by vertue of the Covenant and according to the Covenant Will you instance in outward deliverancâ—s the World is not drowned again Why but because of the Covenant Will you instance in spiritual deliverances saith the Psalmist He commandeth redemption he remembreth the Covenant He maketh Redemption effectual by remembring the Covenant Or will you instance in both together see what is said in the 9th of Zech. 11. As for thee also by the blood of thy Covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water It includes both outward and spiritual deliverances So that now if you be not in Covenant with God what deliverance can you expect or what mercy seeing they all come by vertue of the Covenant and according to the Covenant But on the other side if you be in Covenant with the Lord then are you exalted and honoured yea greatly honoured For if it be an honour to be in League and Covenant with a great Prince What an honour is it to be in Covenant with the great God When God did speak to Abraham of striking a Covenant with him he falls down upon his face as if he should say Who am I that the great God should be in Covenant with me Again If God be in Covenant with you look whatever excellency there is in God that is made over to you for your use And as that King said to him that was in League with him My Horse is thine and my Men are thine and my Money is thine so when God enters into Covenant with a poor Soul he saith My Wisdome is thine and my Power is thine and my Love and Mercy is thine Whatever excellency there is in God is made over to you being in Covenant with him And if that you be in Covenant with the Lord then all his Retinue his Creatures and his Servants also are in Covenant with you in the 2d of Hos 21. It shall come to pass in that day I will hear saith the Lord I will hear the Heavens and they shall hear the Earth and the Earth shall hear the Corn and the Wine and the Oyl and they shall hear Jezreel Why vers 19. I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will betroth thee unto me in Righteousness and in Judgement and in loving Kindness and in Mercies And then it shall come to pass that I will hear the Heavens and they shall hear the Earth c. So that if you be in Covenant with God then all his Retinue all his Creatures and all his Servants are in Covenant with you too And if you be in Covenant with the Lord then he is in Covenant with you and your Soul and your Body both not onâ—ly with your Body but with your Soul and not onely with your Soul but with your Body with your whole man and therefore if you dye the Covenant is not dissolved between God and you The Covenant may be dissolved between a Man and his Wife at Death but this Covenant can never be dissolved and though you sin and break with God God will not break with you I hate putting away saith he And then you may go to God as upon a Throne of Grace and look upon God as sitting in a Rainbow Oh what a mercy what a blessing is it to be in Covenant with the Lord But in case I be not in Covenant with God what shall I do to get into Covenant with him And in case I be in Covenant with God how shall I walk so as becometh one that is in Covenant with the great God Here are two Questions I shall speak briefly to them and conclude First Do you ask what you shall do to get into Covenant Are you affraid any of you that you are not yet in Covenant with the Lord and would you be in Covenant with the Lord Why then be sure of this that upon a right and good understanding of the nature of this Covenant you go to God and make your choise of this Covenant of Grace to stand and fall by The word Berith in the Hebrew for Covenant some think comes from a root that signifies to choose a man is in the Covenant that he chooses and every man is indeed as his choise is But then go and renounce the other Covenant of Works c. As the way to have a part in Christs Righteousness is to renounce all your own Righteousness so the way to have a share in this Covenant of Grace is to renounce the Covenant oâ— Works Then go to Christ as the Mediator of the Covenant and desire him to put you into this Covenant He struck the Covenant with God the Father at the first and he must put you into this Covenant for he is the Mediator of the Covenant go then to him as to the Mediator of the Covenant to put you into Covenant Then leave the weight and stress of your Guilty Soul upon this Covenant of Grace bear upon this stream of Grace here lay the weight of all for thâ— Promise is made ours by resting on it And what is this Covenant but an absolute Promise there then rest and leave the weight of your Souls And to say no more but this Then go unto the Lord and give your hand unto God and your self up to God as one willing to be led by him into all the things that the Covenant shall require In the times of the Old Testament when they made a Covenant they struck hands together In Ezra 10.19 it is said they gave their hands to put away their Wives and in the former verse they made a Covenant to do it They rose and made a Covenant to put away their Wives And we find in the 1 of Chronicles that when David was dead that all the people came together Chap. 24.24 And all the Princes and the Mighty Men and all the Sons likewise of King David submitted themselves unto Solomon the King the word in the
saith Moses now And therefore saith Christ If thy Brother offend thee tell him of it and if he hear not call two or three and if he mind not then tell it to the Church and if he hear not the Church let him be as a Heathen or Publican to you for when two or three are gathered together in my Name I am in the midst of them Matth. 18. We are to hear what Jesus saith in this matter and not what Moses And as then in the times of the Old Testament they had recourse to Moses under God for their Ministry and Moses did direct them unto Priests and Levites for their Ministers So now in the times of the New Testament we are to have recourse to Jesus for our Ministry and therefore saith the Apostle He hath set in the Church Pastors and Teachers And in Ephes 4. He hath ascended up on high and he hath given gifts unto Men Pastors aâ—d Teachers and the like We are to hear what Jesus saith now and not what Moses for our Ministry And as in the times of the Old Testament they had then recourse unto Moses for the Ordinances for their Sabbaths for their Sacraments and for their Worship So now in the times of the New Testament we are to hear what Jesus saith and to have recourse to him for these things Go saith our Saviour Christ and teach all Nations baptizing them and teaching them to observe and do what I command you Matth. 28. And for the Lords Supper What I received of the Lord that delivered we unto you saith the Apostle And for the Sabbath The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath Go to him for your Sabbath not to Moses but unto him And for Worship saith our Saviour Christ unto the Woman of Samaria John 4.23 The hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him You that are Samaritans you have worshipt God but you have not worshipt God according to his own appointment you have not worshipt him in Truth The Jews they have worshipt God according to Gods appointment but not with the Spirit But now the hour cometh when men shall worshâ—p the Father in Spirit and in Truth In Truth in opposition to Samaritans that did not worship according to appointment And in Spirit in opposition to the Jews that worshipt God Legally and without the Spirit Thus we must hear what Jesus saith And as then in the times of the Old Testament they had recourse to Moses still when they wanted Bread he under God gave them Manna and he gave them water out of the Rock So now in the times of the New Testament we are to have recourse to Jesus for our Bread In John 6. saith Christ Labour not for the meat which perisheth but for the meaâ— that indureth to everlasting life which the Son of man shall give unto you for him hath God the Father sealed And as in the times of the Old Testament they had much recourse to Moses for their Faith If they could not believe Moses wrought miracles before them and they believed Insomuch as it s said in the 14. of Exod. last And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians and the people feared the Lord and believed the Lord and his Servant Moses But now what saith Jesus Let not your heart be troubled ye believe in God believe also in me Not in God and in Moses but ye believe in God believe also in me And to say no more in it but this In the times of the Old Testament they had recourse to Moses for their Rest Mâ—ses was to lead them up to Canaan and the Land of Rest And so now in the times of the New Testament we are to have recourse to Jesus for our Rest for saith he himself Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest Thus as in the times of the Old Testament they were upon all occasions to have recourse to Moses So now in the times of the New Testament upon all occasions we are to have recourse to Jesus the Mediator of the New Testament for saith the Lord by Moses in the 18. of Deut. 18. v. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their Brethren like unto thee rather as thee that is as I raised up thee and will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him Which the Apostle applies unto Christ Acts 3.22 For Moses truly said unto the Fathers a Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your Brethren like unto me rather as me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as me that is as he raised up me not like unto me as the Socinians would argue from hence That Chriâ— must be but Man like to Moses For Moses truly saiâ— unto the Fathers a Prophet shall the Lord your Goâ— raise up unto you of your Brethren like unto me rather as me That is as he raised up me Him shalâ— ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unâ— you So that thus As they had recourse to Moseâ— upon all occasions in the time of the Old Testament so now we are to have recourse unto Jesus And thuâ— we see what it is to come unto Jesus the Mediator oâ— the New Covenant in opposition unto Moses the Mediator of the Old Covenant 2. But then secondly Whether is it possible for a man that doth profess to come unto Jesus the Mediaator of the New Covenant still to have recourse to Moses that is Whether is it possible for a man to be Legal and Mosaical in these Gospel times Without all doubt it is and I wish if it were the will of the Lord that too many were not found upon Legal ground among Prâ—fâ—ssors What think you of the Galatians Did not they live in Gospel Times Did not they profess to come unto Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant Yet see how the Apostle treats them and reproves them again and again for their being too Legal too Mosaical Ye are fallen from Grace saith he My little children of whom I travâ—â— in birth again till Christ be formed in you Ye are so much for Moses and the Law that I travel in birth again till Christ be formed in you As there was a mixture of the Gospel in the time of the Law so there may be too great a mixture of the Law in the times of the Gospel And I pray what think you Are there not very many that live under the Gospel in whom sin reigns Yes many live under the Gospel in whom sin reigns And saith the Apostle Let not sin reign in your mortal bodies for ye are not under the Law but under Grace If you be under the Law then sin will reign in you And what 's the reason that sin reigns in many that live under the Gospel
Reward Christ himself had All love of reward is not Mercenary But for a man to serve God mostly chiefly onely upon the account of wages and for reward this is plainly Legal A man of a Gospel spirit knows that he lives upon a better Purse than all his own earnings can amount unto But 2. A legal Spirit also is a fearing Spirit put on rather by the Threatning than by the Promise a Gospel spirit rather by the promise than the threatning In the times of the Old Testament the Threatning reigned And if you look into Deuteronomy you shall find that when Moses the Mediator of the Old Covenant preached and declared the mind of God unto the people he begins with Curses and Threatnings Deut. 27. They were upon two Hills and v. 14. The Levites shall speak and say unto all the men of Israel with a loud voice Cursed be the man that maketh any Graven or Molten Image an abomination unto the Lord. Cursed be he that setteth â—eight by his Father or his Mother And Cursed be he that removeth his Neighbours Land-mark and so he goes on with Curses In the 28. Chap. then comes the blessings It shall come to pass if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice â—f the Lord thy God to observe and do to all his Commandments which I command thee this day That the Lord thy God will set thee on High above all Nations of the Earth and all these blessings shall come on thee and overtake thee Blessed shalt thou be in the City and blessed shalt thou be in the Field blessed shall be the fruit of thy body and the fruit of thy ground and the fruit of thy Cattel the increase of thy Kine and the flocks of thy Sheep Mark how the Blessing comes after First comes the Curse when Moses the Mediator of the Old Covenant preached But now look into the 5th of Matth. and ye find that when Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant comes to preach that he begins with Blessing Blessed are the poor in spirit and blâ—ssed are the meek and blessed are those that hunger and thirst after Righteousness and blessed and blessed First comes the blessing and then afterwards in the following part of the Chapter comes the Law and the curse And if you look into this Scripture you find the difference also for saith the Apostle here We are not come unto the Mount that might be touched that burned with fire nor unto blackness and darkness and tempest and the sound of a Trumpet and the voice of words which they could not endure so terrible was the sight thereof But ye are come to mount Sion Would you know the difference between the dispensations the one is terrible the other comfortable The one is fearing and the other comforting Look in the 10th of Rom. The Apostle there also makes the difference between the Spirit of the Law and the Gospel Moses saith he v. 5. describeth the Righteousness which is of the Law that the man which doth those things shall live by them Do and live but at the 6. verse The Righteousness which is of Faith speaketh on this wise Say not in thine heart who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the deep But what saith it The Word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart The Righteousness which is of Faith speaketh on this wise say not in thine heart who shall ascend into Heaven It don't hold the soul in suspence and anxiety and fear and trouble Christ hath ascended and Christ hath descended Quest But you will say May not a man that is of a Gospel spirit and that is come to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant be full of fears May not a good and gratious soul be full of fears about his condition Answ I answer He may but his fears do arise from the weakness of his Adherence and Faith The other's fears do rather arise from the weakness of the ground he stands upon As for example Two men are affraid of drowning one stands upon a Rock and he is affraid of being drown'd the other stands upon a Quick-sand and he 's affraid of being drown'd both are affraid He that stands upon a Rock is affraid of drowning why because he is affraid he shall be washt off His fear arises from the weakness of his Adherence But the other's fear arises from the unsoundness of the ground he stands upon for it is upon a Quick-sand So here are two fears a gracious Gospel-heart fears and a Legalist fears One fears from the weakness of his Adherence I am upon the Rock but I am affraid I shall be washt off But the other's fears arise from the weakness of the ground he stands upon he stands upon the Quick-sand upon his own duties and his own works so that a legal Spirit is a fearing Spirit He is put on rather by the Threatnings than the Promise The other by the Promise rather than the Threatning The one is kept from evil by his delight in good and the other is put on to good by his fear of evil That 's the second 3. In the times of the Old Testament they did very much measure the love of God by outward things For the Promises as you know then were mostly concerning Temporal things and so they measured the love of God much by those outward things But now in the times of the New Testament our Promises are mostly spiritual and therefore a New Testament spirit measures the love of God most by Spiritual things and not by these outward things 4. A legal Old Testament spirit trades much or most or altogether with conditional Promises for the Old Covenant Promises were most conditional and ran conditionally But now when God promises the New Covenant he gives out an absolute Promise and therefore a New Testament spirit trades much with absolute promises For he knows and you may know that though a promise be conditional the Lord hath promised the very condition in another Scripture and that without a condition And he knows and you may know that when God gives a promise with an Oath though the promise do run conditionally it shall be fulfilled absolutely 5. In the time of the Old Testament they came unto Christ by the promise for Christ was not yet come but promised But now in the times of the New Testament we come first to Christ and so unto the Promise for all the Promises are Yea and Amen in Christ 6. In the time of the Old Testament they came unto Christ by the Law and without the Law they might not come to Christ For the Law was a School-master for to bring to Christ But now in the time of the New Testament The Law is not our School-master for to bring to Christ And though seldome any go to Heaven but come by the gates of Hell And seldome men do come to Christ now but they have some
Angels another Quire praising God v. 11. And I beheld and I heard the Voice of many Angels round about the Throne and the Beasts and the Elders and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands saying with a loud voices Worthy is the Lamb that was slain see the foot of the song still Worthy is the Lamb that was slain Men praise upon this account Angels praise upon this account also There 's a third Quire and those are other Creatures vers 13. And every Creature which is in Heaven and on the Earth and under the Earth and such as are in the Sea and all that are in them heard I saying Blessing Honour Glory and Power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb The word slain is not there but to the Lamb that 's all one Now shall there be such praising God upon that account for the Lambs being slain And are you indeed most concerned and sprinkled with this blood of Jesus this Lamb and will not you praise God O! Go away and be for ever thankful 5. Go away and sin no more Be not defiled with sin for you see it cost dear to cleanse you The bloud of Sprinkling the bloud of Jesus 6. And go away and honour God yet more in believing It may be there are some here that never honoured God to this day with a believing smile Man Woman art thou sprinkled indeed sprinkled with the bloud of Jesus Go away then and honour the Lord with one smile of Faith this day 7. And to conclude all Art thou indeed sprinkled with the bloud of Jesus then go away and be sure that you never sell your Birth-right for a mess of Pottage Mark how this Text comes in In this 12 of the Heb. the Apostle speaking of prophane Esau Take heed saith he lest there be any Fornicator or Prophane person as Esau who for one morsel of meat sold his Birth-right For ye know how that afterwards when he would have inherited the blessing he was rejected for he found no place of Repentance though he sought it carefully with tears for ye are not come to Mount Sinai but ye are come to Mount Sion and ye are come to Jesus the Mediator of the Covenant and to the bloud of Sprinkling What then O! Take heed you do not sell your Birth-right for a mess of Pottage What is your Birth-right The Gospel is your Birth-right you are born there-to through Grace And What is your little estate but a mess of Pottage and what is your great estate but a great boul of Pottage O! Do not sell your birth-right for a mess of Pottage You are sprinkled and the bloud of sprinkling is upon you Then hold fast keep your birth right and never sell it for a mess of Pottage for ye are come unto Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant and to the Blood of Sprinkling That speaketh better things than the bloud of Abel And thus now I have done with the fourth Argument and with this Text. Think on these things and the Lord bless them to you The Sweetness and Profitableness of Divine Meditation SERM. VII Psalm 164.34 My Meditation of him shall be sweet THe Psalm is a Psalm of Thanskiving wherein the Psalmist doth call upon and provoke himself to praise the Lord upon the account of his Greatness vers â— Bless the Lord O my soul O Lord my God thou art very great thou art clothed with Honour and Majesty Which greatness of God is Illustrated by the work of Creation and Preservation By the work of Creation from the 2. vers unto the 25. By the work of Preservation from the 25. unto the 33 Having called upon himself thus to praise the Lord he resolves to do it I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live I will sing praise unto my God while I have my beeing And saith he My Meditations of him shall be sweet I will be glad in the Lord. My Meditation of him shall be sweet Take the words as they lie in themselves and you have this Doctrine presently Doct. That 't is a sweet thing for a gracious soul to meditate on God Meditation work is sweet work A gracious soul doth find sweetness in meditating on God David was a gracious man and he found sweetness in this work of Meditation on God 'T is the property then of a gracious soul to find sweetness in meditating on God For the opening and prosecuting of which Argument First We will inquire what this Meditation is what is the true Nature and Notion of Meditation 2. How and in what respects a man may be said to meditate on God 3. How it may appear that it is a sweet thing to meditate on God and the things of God 4. I shall answer unto some Objections And then shew how the work of Meditation is to be carried on with sweetness Which is my designe in the choice of these words I. As for the first What the work of Meditation is what 's the true Notion of it 'T is several wayes expressed in Scripture Sometimes it 's call'd a Remembring of God in the 63 Psalm When I remember thee upon my Bed which is explained by that which follows And meditate on thee in the night watches Some times it 's called a Thinking on God so in Psalm 48.9 We have thought of thy loving kindness O God And sometimes it is called a Musing on God and so in the 143 Psalm I remember the dayes of old I meditate on all thy works I muse on the work of thy hands Thus it is severally exprest in Scripture Great Authors do describe it several wayes It is a vehement application of the soul unto a thing for the Investigation and Experimental knowledge thereof So Gerson and others It is a studious action of the mind whereby a man labours to find out some hidden truth so Austine It is the exercise of a mans soul whereby calling to Remembrance what he doth know already he doth further think on 't and debate on 't within himself for his own profit and benefit so Mr. Greenham But plainly and briefly thus It is the vehement or intense application of the soul unto some thing whereby a mans mind doth ponder dwell and fix upon it for his own profit and benefit First There must be the application of the soul to some thing and therefore sometimes it is expressed by laying of a thing to heart The Righteous are taken away and no man layes it to heart no man considers on 't If ye will not lay these things to heart Mal. 2.2 c. And as there must be an Application so there must be a vehement and intense Application of the soul unto a thing For every Consideration don't make Meditation Consideration heightned makes Meditation Meditation is the work of the whole soul The Mind acts and the Memory acts and the Affections act Let the Words of my mouth and the
with God Surely therefore this work of Meditation is sweet for 't is profitable as you have heard in these ten particulars 4. Again As the work of Meditation is very profitable natural suitable so it is very contentful and satisfying to a gracious Soul What person in Love is not satisfied in thinking and meditating on the person loved What gracious loving Child is not satisfied in thinking on his Father that 's absent in an other Country So what David saith in the 63d Psalm My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness When When I remember thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the night watches I shall not only be contented but my Soul shall be satisfied how In a way of Meditation 'T is Meditation-work that is soul-satisfying work 5. And as it is soul-satisfying work so this work of Meditation to a gracious soul is a most delightful work What greater delight than to think on that God in whom he doth most delight Is it delightful to a wicked man to sit and muse and meditate on his sinful wayes and will it not be delightful to a gracious soul to sit and think and muse and meditate on the Lord Certainly it is a work that is most delightful to a gracious soul Object But how can it be so delightful 't is a hard work Meditation work is hard work and therefore how can it be so delightful to a gracious soul Yes very well for though it be hard in regard of its practice yet it may be sweet and delightful in regard of its profit Is it not a hard work to the Husbandman to plow to sow to reap and yet delightful in regard of its profit Is it not a hard woâ—k for a man to be digging in the Mines digging up of Silver and yet delightful in regard of the profit Is it not a hard work for a man to make such ventures at Sea through all storms and yet it is delightful in regard of its profit the profit of the Voiage makes it delightful Why you have heard now the profitableness of the work of Meditation It is an help to Knowledge thereby your knowledge is raised Thereby your Memory is strengthened Thereby your Hearts are warmed Thereby you will be freed from sinful thoughts Thereby your hearts will be tuned to every duty Thereby you will grow in grace Thereby you will fill up all the chinks and crevices of your lives And know how to spend your spare time and impâ—ove that for God Thereby you will draw good out of evil And thereby you will converse with God have communion with God and enjoy God And I pray is not here profit enough to sweeten the voiage of your thoughts in Meditation But Secondly Hard work you say and therefore how can it be delightful Friends The harder the work is the sweeter it is being overcome 'T is a sweet thing to overcome 'T is hard thing to fight but 't is a sweet thing to overcome The harder the Nutt is to crack the sweeter is the meat when it is crackt the harder the Scripture is that is to be opened the sweeter is the kernel the truth when it is opened When God opened the Rock the Waters that flowed out were as sweet as honey Now meditation makes a Conquest of the work 3. Though it be a hard thing to meditate on God and the things of God yet notwithstanding do but consider why the woâ—k is hard and you will say that the difficulty of the work is no Impeachment to the suavity or the sweetness thereof There are two things that make meditation hard The one is because men are not used thereunto men are not exercised therein And another is because they don't love God enough Every thing is hard at the first Writing is hard at the First Painting hard at the first and the getting Languages hard at the first A Trade is hard at the First So certainly the work of meditation will be hard at the first There is nothing not hard to those that are unwilling There is nothing hard to those that Love Love makes all things easie Is it an hard thing for a Lover to think or meditate on the Person loved Is it a hard thing for a Child at a distance from his Father to think or meditate on his Father and his Father's love and kindness is this hard Indeed to a Rebellious Child 't is hard to a Child that 's run away from his Father 't is hard but for a loving and an obedient Child it is not hard And what 's the reason that the work of meditation is so hard to many of us but because in truth we are not used thereunto or because we are rebellious Children and don 't love the Lord as we ought to do Quest But you will say May not a wicked man meditate on God and find sweetness in the Work Answ I answer that 't is possible that a wicked man may separate and sequester himself unto this work of reading studying and thinking on the word and Law of God 1 Sam. 21.7 Now a certaine man of the servants of Saul was there that day deteyned before the Lord and his Name was Doeg He was there separated cloystered for the studying of the Law and yet a Doeg a great persecuter And who doth not see it Fryers and Monks separate and Cloyster up themselves at this very day and spend much time in that which they call Meditation Yea possible it is that a wicked man may not onely think and meditate on the Law of God but he may find some sweetness therein for if wicked men do delight in their approach unto God as in the 58. of Isaiah Why may they not delight also and find a sweetness in their meditation concerning God But 3dly Though a wicked man may meditate on God and the things of God and find some sweetness in the work of meditation yet with this difference There is a great deal of difference between the sweetness that a wicked man finds in the work of meditation and the sweetness that a good man finds in the work of meditation For though a wicked man may meditate and find some sweetness in the work yet not withstanding the sweetness doth rather arise from the satisfaction of his natural Conscience than from the Connaturalness and suitableness that is between his heart and the work Possibly a Doeg a wicked man may be Convinced that he ought to read the scriptures and to meditate theâ—ein and having don so his Conscience is satisfied and he finds sweetness therein But â—his sweetness doth rather arise from the satisfying of his nâ—tural Conscience than from any Connaturalnesse and suitablenesse that there is between his heart and the work 2. It is one thing for a man to find a sweetness in this work of meditation in reference to his own imployment Calling or livelyhood another thing for to find a sweetness in it in reference unto God to his
some taste But how this work of Meditation is to be carried on with sweetness I reserve for the next Exercise only for the present you have heard what a profitable thing it is to meditate on the things of God What now remains but to get up and be thinking and meditating on God and the things of God The Work and Way of Meditation SERM. VIII HAving show'd how sweet and profitable the work of Meditation is to meditate on God and the things of God we came the last day to this Question or Objection But if the work of Meditation be so sweet and profitable What shall we do that this work of Meditaon may be carried on with sweetness and profit I am a stranger to this work of Meditation I have often read the Scriptures and not meditated on them I have often heard the Word and not meditated thereon I have sometimes begun to meditate but finding it a hard work I have left it off again And sometimes I have thought that this work is incumbent onely upon Students and Preachers But if it be our duty to meditate on God and the things of God what shall we do that the work of holy Meditation may be carried on with profit and with sweetness For answer hereunto four or five things I shall speak unto First I shall labour to shew you that it is our duty to meditate on God and the things of God 2. That this work of Meditation is every Mans work and every Dayes work And such a work as is Consistent wiâ—h evâ—ry busiâ—â—ss and condition 3. I shall lay down some means for the right performance of this work 4. Give you some Rules and Directions how this work of Meditation should be carried on with sweetness and profit in a right manner And then draw forth some Arguments or Motives to press you all hereunto I. First It is our work and duty to meditate on God and the things of God Will you instance according to our Explication at the first Will you instance in the Nature Titles and Attributes of God Why it is our work and duty so to meditate on God For wicked men are blamed that God is not in all their thoughts If they be blamed for this that God is not in all their thoughts then surely God is to be in all our thoughts Good and holy men are commended and rewarded for this They that feared the Lord spake often one to another and a book of Remembrance was written for them that feared the Lord and that Thought on his Name They are commended and they are rewarded In the day when God makes up his Jewels they shall be found among them Mal. 3. And who doth not know that it is our duty to praise the Lord not onely to be thankful to God upon the account of benefits received but to praâ—se the Lord upon the account of his own Excellencies and how should the heart be tun'd and framed unto this praising of God but by meditation on the Name and Nature and Titles of God Psal 48. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised v â— How doth he tune his heart to this praise We have thâ—ught of thy loving kindness O God The more that the heart of any man is laid in with meditation the more pregnant will his words be in the praises of God So that thus then it is our duty for to meditate upon this account But Secondly Will you instance in Christ the Son of God As it is our work and duty to meditate on the Nature Titles and Attributes of God so to spend and to lay out our thoughts upon Christ the Son of God You may observe therefore that this word Behold is oftener prefixed and set before the Mystery of Christ than before any other Depth or Mystery in Scripture And why so But to shew that this Depth and this Mystery is that especially that calls forth our Consideration and our Meditation There are four things concerning Christ which do call for our meditation The Personal excellency of Christ The Offices of Christ The Life and The Death of Christ As for the Personal excellencies of Christ you read what the Apostle saith in the 7. c. of the Heb. v. 4. Now consider how great this man was Mechisedec the Type of Christ And if the Type were so great Christ is greater And if we are to consider the greatness of the Type much more to consider and meditate on the Greatness and Personal excellencies of Christ typified And as for the Offices of Christ you read what the Apostle saith in the 3. chap. 1. v. Wherefore holy Brethren partakers of the heavenly calling consider the Apostle and High Priest of our Profession Christ Jesus And as for the Life of Christ you know what the Apostle saith in the 12. chap. 2. v. Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith And for the Sufferings of Christ you read what follows Who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross despising the shame for consider him v. 3. that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself c. So that thus then we are to meditate on God upon this account laying out and spending our thoughts and meditations upon Christ the Son of God But Thirdly Will you instance in the Word of God Why as we are to meditate on Christ the Son of God so we are to meditate on the Word of God Psal 119.15 I will meditate on thy Precepts v. 23. Thy Servant did meditate on thy Statutes v. 48. And I will meditate on thy Statutes at the 93. v. O how I love thy Law it is my meditation all the day The Word of God we are to meditate on to meditate on God and the things of God upon this account Now here are four things that will lead you out to meditation The exactness of the Commandment The faithfulness of the Promise The terrour of the Threatning And the weightiness of the Examples all which meet in the Scriptures and in the Word of God And accordingly we are to meditate on the Word of God upon this account Fourthly Will you instance in the Works of God VVhy as we are to meditate on the Word so we are also to meditate on the VVorks of God The work of Creation the work of Providence and the work of Redemption The works of God are sought out of all those that have pleasure in them Psal 143. I remember the dayes of old I meditate on all thy Works I muse on the work of thy hands Thus David did and thus should we also do so that thus then you see that it is our work and our duty to meditate on God and the things of God in reference to his Nature Name and Attributes In reference to his Son In reference to his VVord and in reference to the works of God And that 's the first General II. Now secondly This work of Meditation is every mans work It is every
of his Love held in his Smiles this is the thing that they do most desire And therefore in the very beginning of the Cant. Kiss me with the kisses of thy Mouth This therefore being the thing that they do most desire the contrary must be the most afflictive 4. That must needs be most afflictive which hinders them in all their Injoyments Without the presence of God they have no injoyment their injoyments are as no injoyments the presence of God with them is the top of all their injoyments If the Sun be down 't is not all the Torches and Candles lighted up that will give you a day and if God be gone 't is not all your Creature-comforts will give you joy Take away the word MY and take away the word GOD you take away the comfort of the word GOD if you take away the word MY And therefore Whereas the Lord had used to call the Israelites his people and God had a little forsaken them he saith to Moses Thy people and the people but not my people But then 5. Thereby the Saints and people of God are exposed to great temptations When God goes the Devil comes And so far as God doth go so much the Devil comes if God do forsake and depart from a man as to final rejection then the Devil comes in a way of possession If God departs from a man in a way of desertion then the Devil comes in a way of temptation as God goes so the Devil comes Now Is it not a grievous thing for the Saints and People of God to be exposed to Temptations Thus they are by the departure of God and by the absence of God by the withdrawments of God No wonder therefore that Gods departure is the most afflictive to them And that 's the second 3. But then thirdly As the departings of God are the most afflictive to a gracious soul so when the Lord is in any measure departed it is the great desire of the Saints and people of God that God would return Not that God would take away his hand the Psalmist doth not say so We are afflicted Lord take away our affliction no but return O Lord how long They do not say We are in this or that distress Take away this distress and misery from us No But return O Lord. This is the great thing that they do most desire When God is gone in any measure or departed from them their great desire is that God would return unto them and it must needs be so For First What is the presence of God but the most desirable thing in the world When the dayes of refreshing shall come from his presence 'T is the presence of Christ that will make the Day of Judgment a Day of refreshing God's presence is the Saints pleasure In it there is a filling up of our indigent Nature In it there is the obtainment of our last end with the knowledge thereof In it there is an universal good Gods presence is the most desirable thing in all the world No wonder then that when God is departed in any measure the Saints should above all things in the world desire that God would return again But Secondly God never returns empty handed to his people If a Husband be long absent from his Wife he will not return empty handed I am sure God will not return empty handed unto his people When he hath stricken them he will let out more love unto them then ever before It was a sad and a sharp dispensation that the Basket of good Figgs should be carried away Captive with the Basket of bad Figgs but see how God returns unto them not empty handed Jer. 24. The word of the Lord came unto me saying Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel like these good Figgs so will I acknowledge them that are carried away Captive of Judah whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good for I will set mine eyes upon them for good and I will bring them again to this Land and I will build them and not pull them down and I will plant them and not pluck them up and I will give them an heart to know me that I am the Lord and they shall be my people and I will be their God For they shall return unto me with their whole heart See how God returns when he returns he doth not return empty handed unto his people When God returns unto you he will not onely pay you the principal of your Injoyment but will pay you all your forbearance-mony too But Thirdly and especially Take the Saints and people of God and where do they live but in the love of Christs Person not of his benefits not of his Comforts but they live in the love of his Person Look into the Book of the Cant. and you shall find how the heart of Christ is drawn out in love to the Person of the Spouse Let me hear thy voice saith he for thy voice is sweet and thy Countenance is comely how fair is thy love my Sister my Spouse thy lipps Oh my Spouse drop as the Hony-Comb and so he goes on insisting in his love upon the Person So doth the Spouse also towards him my beloved is altogether lovely and as you read my beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest among Ten Thousand And so she goes on Thus love is drawn out towards the Person of Christ Now If this be the spirit and if this be the disposition of the Saints and the people of God that they live in love to the Person of Christ then no wonder that when Christ is with-drawn they do above all things desire that he would returne again This must needs be for they live in the love of his Person and not of his benefits not of his Comforts Therefore above all things they say Return O Lord return Fourthly when the Lord doth return unto his people he doth then Repent him concerning his Servants Return O Lord how long and let it repent thee concerning thy Servants For the opening and cleering of this four things briefly First What it is for God to Repent 2. Whether God doth at any time repent or will at any time repent 3. How it may appear that when God returns unto his people that then he will repent him concerning his Servants And 4. How should we know in the Day and time of Gods departure from us that God will again return unto us 1. As for the first If you aske what it is for God to repent I Answer It is to change the dispensation of his anger God don't repent by the changing of his affection but he repents by the changing of his dispensation As when a man is writing and he blotts out what he hath written he repents that he had wrote such a thing So when God is writing hard things against his people in a way of dispensation and he shall blott out that
Children Such plate the Lord hath much of here and he will not lose his plate therefore he will return again Though he may afflict and afflict sorely yet he will return again 2. God will never go while prayer staies If there be a praying spirit and a spirit of prayer be up in this Nation conclude that God is not quite gone but he will return again 3. You may know it by the Providential Pledges that the Lord sends you God was very much displeased with Jonah you know he threw him over-board into the Sea but then he appointed a Whale to receive him to give him entertainment To provide a Chamber of Preservation even in the Belly of destruction What did this signifie It signified thus much that God would deliver him afterwards this Providence was a Pledg for after-deliverance So David was hunted in the Wilderness by Sauâ— but in the Wilderness God gave Saul into his hand What did that signifie That present deliverance did signifie to David an after-deliverance Now though God be gone and greatly departed from us here Have you not many Providential Pledges of his Love What think you of the house that should have been blown up with fire lately What doth it signifie but thus much That God doth mind to restrain the remnant of their rage How many Pledges Providential pledges have we had of Gods return therefore let us say Yet God will return again But 4ly If your estate and condition be such upon which the Lord will deliver for his Names sake and with a Notwithstanding then why should you not conclude that God will return again Friends There is a time when God will deliver his people for his Names sake and with a notwithstanding all their sins and notwithstanding all his own displeasures Nevertheless he saved them for his Names sake Psal 106. And when is that that God will deliver a people for his Names-sake and with a nâ—twithstanding Look into the 44. Psal and you shall see when Look when a people do suffer for his Names-sake then God will deliver for his Name sake Arise for our help and redeem us for thy Mercy sake Why at the 22. v. For thy sake we are killed all the day long and accounted as Sheep for the slaughter Therefore Lord arise for thy Name sake For for thy sake are we killed When a people suffer for God's Names sake then God will deliver for his Names sake then God will deliver with a notwithstanding How is it with you now You are in a suffering day but are not all your sufferings for the Name of Christ Be of good comfort then though God may be departed and your City destroyed yet he is nâ—t quite gone but will return again But then 5ly What shall we do that God may return again Answer Still I will cary it on in answer to both the Cases If this Question do relate unto your own particular souls If you say God is now gone from me what shall I do that God may return to my soul again I answer briefly First Be sure of this that you keep your door open the door of your hearts open for Christ's return When the Master is abroad the servant fits up to keep the door open for his coming in 2. Be sure of this that now in the time of Christs absence you neglect no duty though very unsâ—voury to you The more unsavoury the duty now is unto you through the absence of Christ the more acceptable unto Christ 3. Be sure that you go and stand there where Christ uses to be And let me tell you this If you cannot find him where he uses to be you shall find him where he uses not to be as you read in Cant. 3. 4. Then be sure of this that you be not foolish with other lovers in the time of his absence Lâ—st he bear thereof and come home no more 5. Be sure of this also that you do gather in upon Christ by all those words and by all those things whereby he seems to put you away from him As the Woman of Canaan true Lord but the Dogs eat of the Crumbs which made Christ turn in again Oh Woman great is thy Faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt But then 6. Be sure that you send unto him one way or other and tell him that you are sick of love unto his Person Then he returns And 7. Now say Lord though thou killest me yet will I trust in thee Friends it was Faith that brought Christ and your souls together at the first and it must be Faith that must bring Christ and your souls together after a desertion Whatsoever therefore the displeasure of the Lord be upon you say Lord Though thou killest me I will trust in thee Though I cannot see thee yet I will trust in thee and wait upon thee But then Secondly suppose it be the case of the Nation God is departed in a great measure who doth not see it What shall we therefore now do that God may return unto us again Friends Truly it is not an easie thing to bring God back again when he is in a way of displeasure towards a people The Lord was angry and sorely displeased with Jonah The Mariners prayed Jonah confest his sin and yet the storm ceased not yet God goes on I say 't is not an easie thing to bring God back to a Nation when he is once in a way of displeasure against a people And some times the Lord will never return unto a people again The case of the Gaderens in the matter of their Hogs The whole City came unto Christ and besought him to be gone And away he went and we don't read that ever he came there again Sometimes he will return again but with reserves of after-Judgments In Exod. 32. Moses prayed and the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people v. 14. But saith he v. 34. Nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them Nevertheless For all I thus repent me and for all I do thus return unto them nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them Sometimes I say he doth return with reserves of after-Judgments yet if you look into the 3d. of Deut. the thing is exprest The Lord will judge his people and repent himself for his Servants when he seeth that their power is gone and there is none shut up or left Well but then what shall we do It is too manifest God is in a great measure gone from us and departed from us what shall we do now that God may return again unto this Nation First Be sure that you make your peace with Christ Christ is this day offended his Gospel and Institutions trampled upon A Prophet will the Lord your God raise up among you hear ye him if not he will not pardon you that is Christ He that sins against the great Remedy shall be
Nation but so long as he hath any Agents among you he is not quite gone And 3. If ever God begins to return to us again be thankful for the beginnings of his return He that is thankful for little shall have much and he that is thankful for the beginnings of return shall have a whole return Thus do then and who knows but that the Lord may yet return and leave a blessing behind him That he may do so let us now pray and say with the Psalmist Return O Lord how long and let it repent thee concerning thy Servants Preventing Mercy SERMON X. Psalm 21.3 For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodnesse Thou hast given him his hearts desire and hast not with-holden the request of his lips Selah For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodnesse THis Psalm is a Psalm of Thanksgiving wherein the Psalmist doth profess that he will joy in the Lord vers 1. The King shall joy in thy strength O Lord and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoyce Why so because that the Lord had heard and granted his Petition Thou hast not with-holden the request of his lips vers 2. yea more then so Thou hast given him his hearts desire vers 2. yea more then so thou hast given him more then he asked for he asked life of thee and thou gavest it him even length of dayes for ever and ever vers 4. Yet more then so thou hast not onely given him his hearts desire an answer to his Prayer and more then he prayed for but thou hast prevented him with the blessings of goodness As if he should say Lord I never asked a Kingdome I never thought of a Kingdome but thou hast prevented me with the blessings of thy goodness and thou hast set a Crown of pure Gold on my head blessings of goodness in the Hebrew is put for good blessings wherewith the Lord did anticipate the Psalmist for thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness in the consideration of which preventing Love and Grace his heart was much warmed and affected From whence then I take up this Note or Doctrine Doct. That it is a sweet thing and worthy of all our thankful acknowledgements to be prevented with the blessings of Gods goodness or Gods good blessings Preventing mercy is sweet mercy soul-refreshing mercy which a thankful gracious heart doth well observe and in the observation thereof is much refreshed therewithall For the opening and prosecution of which Argument first I shall labour to shew that it is no new thing for God to walk in the way of preventing mercy with the Children of Men. Secondly How and in what respects God will prevent us with his mercies or his blessings Thirdly What those choise blessings are wherewith God will prevent the Children of Men. Fourthly Why God will carry on the work of his mercy in a way of preventing Love Fifthly What there is in this preventing Love that should be so sweet and soul-refreshing to a thankful gracious heart And Sixthly In case that God hath prevented any of us with his love or mercy what is our duty that doth flow from thence 1. It is no new thing for God to walk in a way of preventing love and mercy with the Children of Men Thus he hath alwayes dealt doth deal and will deal so thus he hath alwayes dealt so with the World so with the Nations of the World so with great Towns and Places so with Families and so with particular Souls 1. As for the World Did not God first come with his mercy to the World before the World made after it God so loved the World that he gave his onely begotten Son But how did he give this gift Did we beg it first did we seek it first or did he first prevent us with it When Adam and all the World in Adam had sinned fallen did Adam and the World first go to God for Christ or for the promise of Christ or did God first give out the promise of Christ before Adam or the World sought it The Seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head God first gave out this promise of Christ before Adam or the World sought it Thus in regard of the World 2. And as he hath dealt thus with the World in regard of preventing mercy so with the Nations of the World with the Nation of the Jews so in the 16 of Ezek. When thou layedst in thy blood and no eye pittied thee I passed by thee and said unto thee live So when the Nation of the Jews shall yet be converted again He is found of those that seek him not it is spoken of the calling of the Jews And as for the Nations of the Gentiles sayes our Saviour Christ to his Disciples go teach all Nations Did the Nations of the Gentiles come to Christ and say Lord the Nation of the Jews have rejected thee now then let the Gospel come to us and we will receive it No but sayes our Saviour Christ Go teach all Nations whatever they be Rich or Poor High or Low whatever they be Go teach all Nations and I will be with you for their Conversion for their Salvation to the end of the World Thus in regard of Nations 3. So also in regard of Towns great Towns Places Corporations What worse Town then that of Capernaum which afterward was exalted to Heaven But did Capernaum first come to Christ or did Christ first go to Capernaum Christ first went to them Mat. 4. Ye read of several Towns in the Acts of the Apostles that did receive the Gospel by the hands of the Apostles Iconium Derbe Lystra but did these Towns first seek to the Apostles and say Pray come and Preach Christ to us or did the Apostles first go to them The Apostles first went with Commission from God to them Thus in regard of Towns 4. And as God dealt thus with Towns preventing Towns and Corporations with the means of Grace when they never thought on it so in regard of Familes Who doth not know how God by his mercy did prevent the Family of the Jaylor converting that Family by his preventing Love Who doth not know how God dealt by Zacheus and his Family Zacheus got up the tree may be in curiosity among the multitude to see Christ go by but Christ seeing him invites himself to his house Come down Zacheus for to day I must abide at thy house Did Zacheus first invite Christ or did Christ first invite himself Christ first invited himself Thus in regard of Families 5. And as for particular souls you know how it was with Mathew the Publican sitting at the receit of Custome Come and follow me says Christ preventing of him And you know how it was with Paul I was a Blasphemer and I was a Persecutor but I obtained Mercy How so Did he seek it first No sayes he I went breathing out threatnings against the people of God and God met me And unhorsed me
sense thereof The more necessary and useful any mercy is the more we are engaged to think thereon Some mercies are more necessary and some less necessary Those mercies and blessings we put God upon the giving of with our own desires we may suspect are less necessary but those that God gives us in a way of preventing love we may think them most necessary This is the wâ—y of preventing love surely therefore we are ingaged to think much thereon thus ye become Gods Darlings by his preventing love The World hath its Darlings such a one lyes long in bed takes little pains yet the World flows in upon him the World prevents him he is the Worlds Darling another man is up early and late takes a great deal of pains and yet is Poor but here 's a man do what he will yet he grows Rich for he is the Worlds Darling So now you have blessing upon blessing and in a way of prevention What doth this argue but that you are Gods Darlings And will you not think much of this O think much thereon 2. If you have tasted of this preventing love and mercy go away and be very thankfull to God upon this account Shall David be thankfull to the Lord for preventing him taking him from the Sheep-fold and will not you be thankfull for preventing mercy Shall Ruth be thankfull to Boaz for preventing her with his Kindness spreading his skirt over her and will not you be thankfull to the Lord for his preventing love to you Why should ye not all say with David here He hath prevented me with the blessings of his goodness Indeed I was a great sinner but he hath prevented me with his Justifying Mercy and I was a wandring creature as a lost sheep but he hath prevented me with his Redeeming Mercy Gpd spake once and twice unto me and I heard it not but in the deep sleep of my soul then did he open mine ears and seal instruction on me before I was aware therefore all that is within me blesse the Lord. O you that are thus prevented blesse the Lord for this his preventing mercy his sweet mercy 3. But thirdly If you have tasted of Gods preventing mercy and have indeed been prevented with the blessings of his goodness even your very prayers have been prevented with the blessings of his goodness Why then should ye not be early up and sooner at your prayers that if it may be you may prevent Gods mercy with your prayers as God hath prevented your prayers with his mercy When a Master comes into the Chamber where his Servant lyes and finds him in bed what sayes the Servant if he be ingenious This my Masters coming into my bed-chamber before I was up is a plain rebuke to my sloth I will be up the sooner hereafter So sayes a gracious ingenious soul Gods preventing my prayer with his mercy is a plaine rebuke to my prayer wherefore awake prayer up prayer through the grace of God I will never be so tardy again with my Prayer and Duty but as God hath prevented my prayer with his mercy so through grace I will prevent his mercy with my prayer for the time to come 4. If you have tasted of Gods preventing mercy and God hath indeed prevented you with the blessings of his goodness why then should ye not all labour to be like unto God in your dealings with men preventing them with your loving kindness You think it a great matter to forgive a man that hath injured you upon acknowledging of his fault but God prevents us with his forgiveness before we acknowledge and be humbled therefore why should you not labour to be like to God therein If a man hath done you a wrong or injury do not stand upon it to have his acknowledgement but say I will be like to God God prevents me with his love before my acknowledgement therefore through Grace I will prevent this man with my kindness before his acknowledgement I will forgive him Thus labour to be like unto God in all your dealings with men 5. But Fifthly and Lastly If you have tasted of this preventing love and God hath indeed prevented you with the blessings of his goodness why then why should ye not trust in the Lord for ever Whatsoever your condition be trust in the Lord and believe for ever now for your souls for your bodies Some there are that doubt of their Salvation of the salvation of their Souls Ah sayes one I am afraid I shall not be saved because my prayer cannot be accepted But will the Lord be found of those that seek him not and will he not be found of you that seek him Though your prayers are poor prayers Ah sayes another I am afraid the Lord will not receive me when I come to him he will not receive me No But if the Lord comes to us first and makes a tender and offer of his Grace to us if he seeks us will he not receive them think you that seek him Surely he will Some there are that doubt in reference to their outward condition and say they shall want Provision shall want Estates to maintain them but hath the Lord prevented you with his mercy in the great turns of your life why then should you not trust in the Lord though you see no means at all how you should be supplyed Heretofore God hath prevented you with his mercies and why should you not say God hath prevented me heretofore therefore now I 'le trust in him though I see no means of supply Whatsoever your condition be trust in the Lord now upon this account and believe believe Let me say this to you Would you believe Do you desire to believe Yes I desire to believe do ye Then let your eye be fixed upon Gods preventing love What is the reason that men do not believe but because their eyes are fixed no more stedily upon preventing love The more you know God is willing to help you the more you will believe I believe that you will say Now I pray then tell me Suppose a man comes to a Beggar and before the Beggar asks the man gives him money will not the Beggar conclude that this man was willing to relieve him Yes Thus now it is we beg and we beg but it is as no begging then comes the Lord and prevents us with his mercy will you not say the Lord is willing to shew mercy Surely he is Now therefore seeing God is thus willing to shew mercy O then believe you that have gone doubting and fearing and trembling all your dayes for shame now believe Have you tasted of Gods preventing mercy time after time in the matter of your Justification in the matter of your Sanctification in the matter of your Consolation and in reference to your outward Concernments O trust in the Lord for ever upon this account and magnifie the freeness of his Grace Now go away and say through free Grace I 'le doubt no more Upon all occasions trust in the Lord O you that have been made partakers of preventing mercy FINIS
time and will ask time and I have no time Mark therefore what David saith in the 119. Psalm Lord incline my heart unto thy testimonies how so Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity The way to have ones heart enclined to the Testimonies of God is to turn away ones eyes from these outward vanities Would you therefore meditate on God and the things of God then take heed that your hearts and your hands be not too full of the world and the imployments thereof 8. Lastly If you would meditate on God and the things of God go then to God for this skill of meditation Friends There is an Art and divine Skill of meditation which none can teach but God alone Would you have it go then to God and begg of God these things First Begg of God that he would change your nature For if your soyl be not changed nothing but weeds will grow still not the Flowers of meditation but the weeds of vain thoughts go first to God to change your Nature to change your Soyl. 2. Go to God and beg of him that he would sanctifie and sequester your mind unto himself that your whole mind may be under God's sequestration Every man is as his mind is A mans mind is a profusâ— thing and it is as full of thoughts as the Sun is full oâ— Beams If God don't take it in and bring it undeâ— his sequestration it will be full of evil go then tâ— God and desire him to sanctifie your devising youâ— thinking and your projecting Faculty 3. Go to God and beg of him that he would laâ— out drawing objects before you that may draw oâ— your thoughts and your meditations 'T is God thâ— must present such objects 4. Go and beg of God your Thoughts also anâ— beg of God these thought-possessions that Goâ— would give you thoughts And then 5. Beg of God a fixed heart for fixation of heaâ— is a great friend to meditation And then 6. Beg of God the Spirit for the Spirit is our Remembrancer to bring all things to our remembrance Thus do and you shall in some measure be able to carry on this work of Meditation in a right way with comfort and sweetness These things by way of means By way of means be sensible of your former work of meditation labour to be more serious get a fixed heart and spirit lay out objects that may entertain your thoughts upon all occasions strengthen your love to and delight in God labour to get Impressions deep impressions made upon your souls to the things of God and take heed that your hearts and hands be not too full of the world And then go to God for this skill of Meditation 4. But then fourthly What are those rules and directions that will help therein How and in what way and manner should this work of Meditation be carried on with sweetness and success First of all In all your Retirements for the work of Meditation is a work of Retirement in all your meditations be sure that you retire in to God himself Don't retire into your retirements as the Monks and those do retire into a monkish devotion But in all your Retirements be sure that you retire in to God himself 2. Take heed that you be not Legal in this work of Meditation Legal work is sowre work Meditation work is sweet work A man is legal in this work of Meditation when he doth make it a mere task when he doth in his meditation think on God out of Christ I thought upon God and was troubled to think upon God out of Christ is sowre work I thought upon God and was not comforted but was troubled saith the Psalmist So that to make our meditation work a meer task is a legal work to think upon God out of Christ is a Legal work and to pass through God unto Christ also is Legal For In the times of the Old Testament they câ—me to Christ through God but in the time of the New Testament we go to God through Christ An Old Testament way is a Legal way would you therefore have this work of Meditation carried on with sweetness Take heed of a Legal spirit in this work of Meditation which will sowre all 3. Be sure of this That nothing fall within the compass of your meditation but what falls within the compass of the Scripture It may be you may think of God and you may think what God was doing before the world was made this you have no Scripture for therefore is no work for your meditation It may be you think you are a Reprobate for say you I have the marks of a Reprobate upon me But where doth the Scripture give any marks of a Reprobate The Scripture gives marks of a wickâ—d man that possibly may be converted But now If you would carry on the work of meditation in such a way as it may be done with sweetness be sure that it be bounded with the Scripture and let nothing fall within the compass of your meditation but what falls within the compass of the Scripture 4. In all your settled meditation Begin with Reading or Hearing Go on with meditation End in prayer For as Mr. Greenham saith well Reading without Meditation is unfruitful Medition without Reading is hurtful To meditate and to read without prayer upon both is without blessing If you do read and not meditate then you wilâ— want good affections If you do meditate and not read or hear you will want good Judgment and be apt to fall into some ill Opinions If you do read or hear or meditate and not pray you will want the blessing of the Lord upon both Read or hear first then meditate and then pray upon both I speak of settled meditation and let one be proportioned unto another There must be a proportion between the one and the other in a settled meditation and therefore if that you would meditate rightly I say in all your meditations begin with reading go on with meditation and end with prayer 5. If you would have this work of Meditation carried on with profit and sweetness joyne with your Meditation the examination of your own souls in case you meditate on God and Christ think with your selves by way of examination But have I an Interest in this I have been now thinking and meditating on the excellencies of Christ but have I an Interest in him Come Oh my soul thou hast been meditating on God and on the excellencies of Christ but hast thou any share hast thou any Interest therein Joyne examination with your Meditation then it will be profitable then it will be sweet otherwise it is but Contemplation or but a study but joyne examination with your Meditation so 't is sweet and so 't is profitable Sixthly Observe what those times and seasons are that are most fit for Meditation and be sure you lay hold thereon Though Meditation-work is every dayes work yet there are some times and seasons that are