danger eminent danger at such a time they were nigh to death and what great promises and what great purposes came into their hearts and mouths and yet notwithstanding all that God hath done for them they have turned again to folly nay sometime they have seen and tasted as it were of the power of the world to come that God hath convinced them many times of the excellency of the way and the necessity of walking with him and the happy condition of the Saints they it may be have had some tasts some drops to cool their tongue and though they have had that Miracle of Mercy yet notwithstanding their hearts have gone back again and they have not bin converted and perswaded to come to Christ after a hearty draught of his love and good ness which might abundantly satisfie them others that have seen even Miracles of judgment God many many times hath wrought strong conviction in their conscience they have been as it were for the present hung over the flames of Hell and great thoughts have been darted into their spirits convincing thoughts of the necessity of seeking after faith they have seen as it were the mighty consequence of the soul the mighty consequence of the things of Eternity and yet have worn out all hints that have been made upon conscience and soon returned to their former ways of folly to folly desperate madnes others taken up in vanity taken up in the world others taken up in their own righteousness and think themselves whole and need no Physician notwithstanding all these Miracles of judgment how many are there that have seen them and have felt them and have not been brought home savingly by them But you will say how come this to pass what cannot miracles of works bring home a soul to God what then what miracles I answer first of all God would have it so that he might put a great glory upon his word he will Reason 1 have it known what the word of the Lord is he will make known the power and efficacy of it his word is more dear to him then his work more then all his works of Creation of Providence or Miracles though all perish yet the word of the Lord that endures that abides God will put a great deal of glory upon his word and therefore he hath chosen his word rather then Miracles though men think Oh Miracles are glorious and surely if God shew miracles that will convert that will bring home the soul to God but Gods thoughts are not our thoughts his waies are not our waies he knows that miracles cannot do it therefore he hath chosen his word he will make that glorious in the Conversion of sinners for the most part God works by his word it is true the word it self neither cannot do it the word without the Spirit is a dead letter but God is pleased to send his spirit along with his word when hee intends this work the spirit of the Lord shall come with some word from heaven that shall be effectual to turn the heart of a sinner when Miracles of judgment or mercy cannot do it it seems a weak thing to men but the word of the Lord is mighty and powerful When God is intended to catch any soul to bring it home commonly this is his Net he takes his word and throws that over them and that shall catch them When he is intended to beat down strong holds mighty Towers of lusts sinful imaginations that do exalt themselves against Himself and his Son and his Gospel why God is pleased to use his word as the battery which will do this great and glorious work Secondly It comes to pass from the desperate Reason 2 hardness that is in mans heart that aversness that is in the soul naturally to God it is the hardest matter in the world to bring God and the soul together Oh what striving is there in the gracious heart before it is brought to God it flies off from God and the soul is forced to put Arguments upon himself it may be again and again Why art thou cast down Oh my soul why art thou disquieted why trust in God Why trust in God He repeets it again and again and all too little to trust in God and to have confidence in God but there is much more aversness in a natural mans heart to God there is an infinite distance there is a contrariety and 't is a hard matter to bring off a soul to close with God to submit to him the greatest Miracle in the world cannot do it why when there is much peace in Gods heart there is war in the sinners heart yea when there is peace in Gods mouth too there is war in the sinners mouth when God doth call upon them come and behold the face of my Son and behold the face of my righteousnes I give thee leave to look to either me so thou look to me through my Son yet still he will have his heart draw back and he wil look to God through his own righteousness that of a creature or else run away from God hide himself in his own shame and confusion and dare not come to God And truly 't is a very hard thing to overcome the heart in this cause to trust God to rely upon him the heart is fille'd with slâ—very and 't is a very hard matter to overcome that slavery that is in the heart I tell you Miracles will not do it though it should see never so many Miracles when it is in that condition Miracles would not overcome the heart to trust in God to beleeve in God Miracles they declare tâ—e power of God and the glory of God hold forth the beams of his Majesty ay but there must be a declaration of the love of God and the mercy or God in Christ there must be a discovery of this to the soul before he can come in and submit to God and trust in him before the slavery can be overcome that is in the heart I tell you you must have a word a sure word to go upon for the soul dare not go to God he looking upon himself as stubble and upon God as a consuming fire and still he keeps off from God and therefore nothing but the word of the Lord can perswade the heart to come in and to trust and Application of the Point rely upon God Now let us make some Application Is it so that the greatest Miracle cannot convert a soul to God Why then First of all take notice what a Miracle of iniquity Vse 1 of sin is in every mans heart a stâ—aâ—ge thing that the heart of a man should be so haâ—dned against God and his own good who would think it that there should be so much stoutness in such a poor thing as the heart of man so small a pâ—ece of flesh to be so stout and so hard against God that no sword should be able to pierce it it
in himself at that very time to look upon him in Christ and behold him as righteous as if he had no spot no defilement in him Brethren all these are Miâ—acles of mercy Again that God should pour out his spirit upon a poor lump of flesh that his spirit should work upon a poor creature and take a poor creature into union with himself and communion with himself that he should be working in the heart and cleanse a poor creature from pollution both of flesh and spirit all these are Miracles Miraracles of Wisdom Miracles of Power and Miracles of Mercy that doth shine in the bringing home of a soul to God And therefore to conclude all in the last place Let us bless God for his Word and look more Vse 3 to the word of God then to Miracles seeing what power God hath put into his word and how he â—s pleased to accompany his word with his spirit and do great things and now why should we look to Miracles and why should we stand upon miracles truly if you will not beleeve the Word of the Lord without Miracles neither would you beleeve though God should work Miracles why there is more power in the word to perswade the heart that it is indeed the word of God and so to overcome the soul to beleeve to rest on it then there is in all Miracles that can be shewed and therefore in this case if any look for a Miracle they may hear Christ say no Miracle shall be given to such a generation He that beleeves nâ—t the word he will not beleeve though one rose from the dead Nebuchadnezzar he saw three men that had a resurrection from the dead they were dead in all their accounts they â—hought that they had been all consumed they have an unexpected life they are all loose walkâ—ng in the midst of the fire and yet I say Nebuâ—hadnezzars heart was not firmly wrought upon by this Miracle but he returned again to hiâ— own folly And therefore Oh praise the Lord for his word bless the Lord for his word if it had not been for the word of his grace how should a poor creature have been brought in and what should poor creatures have relyed upon what foundation to build upon what can give boldness and confidence to a poor soul to draw nigh to God truly it could not be it is impossible that the heart should be overcome to submit to God without the word of his grace Oh bless the Lord for his Word we are more beholden to the Lord for his Word then for all Miracles that possibly can be shewed THE Fifth Sermon On DAN III. XXV He answered and said Lo I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and they have no hurt and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God THere is witness given to a Miraculous deliverance that God wrought for his three Servants who through their faith overcame the violence of the fire Nebuchadnezzar makes a large confession here I propounded this question the last time Whether Nebucadnezzar was truly brought home to God or no he did a great deal he spake a great deal there was a great work of conviction past upon his spirit he doth acknowledge his Error and sin he doth rejoyce in his own disappointment that God did not suffer him to have his will he doth reâ—oyce in the goodness of God that was shewed to his Servants he rejoyces in their constancy that they did not obey the Kings command worship his Gods he did rejoyce in their deliverances he doth acknowledge that it was God that delivered them he takes care of the worship of God to promote it he makes a penal Statute That whosoever did profane the name of God should be cut in pieces and yet notwithstanding for all this we concluded probably That Nebuchadnezzar was not converted for in the next Chapter he â—eturned to his old way of sin of superstition he dreams a dream and he sends for the Sorcerers to tell â—im his dream which belongs to God to reveal secrets as Daniel told him So then we observed that It is not in the poâ—er of the greatest Miracle to convert Observat a soul to God Nebuchadnezzar saw great Miracles Miracles of mercy and Miracles of judgment We told you Pâ—araoh saw Miracles and Israel saw Miracles in Aegypt and at the red Sea in the Wilderness Miracles of mercy and Miracles of judgment sometimes their plagues were wonderfull stung with fiery Serpents and Miracles of mercy God he fed them with Man a and water out of the Rock and notwithstanding for all this they were a stubborn Generation and dwelt in unbelief our Saviour tells us in that Parable in the 16. of Luke but they are the words of Abraham They have Moses and the Prophets and if they will not hear them and bâ—leeve neithâ—r would â—hey beleeve though one rose from the dead Though God should shew the greatest Miracle yet that would not convince them that would not bring off their hearts to believe in the Son of God 't is the hardest matter in the world to bring God and the heart together they are at such a great dâ—stance Infinite distance and the heart of the creature is filled with such slavery and lay under bondage that it dares not go to God when God calls to behold his face in his Son but run to the bush as Adam did but though Miracles will not do it it hath a word of grace a sure word of grace to draw nigh to God and therefore we should look upon that Miracle of iniquity that is in the heart of all the sons of Adam it is a strange thing that the heart of man should out-stand so many blows that so small a piece of flesh as the heart of man is should withstand those great batteries that God many times is pleased to make by judgments wonderful judgments when he declares his wrath from Heaven to sinners and consider what a Miracle of mercy it is that any soul should be converted and brought home to God seeing Conversion is so hard a thing and Miracles will not do it What a Miracle it is for a soul to be brought home to God! I shew how many Miracles were in this work Miracles of wisdom Miracles of power Miracles of mercy Oh we should bless the Lord that hath given us his word we should prefer the word before Miracles we should not look to Miracles but we should look to the word of the Lord God hath made that to bring home souls and therefore we are infinitely beholden to the Lord for the word of his grace that we have the word of his grace to trust in We proceed Consider who it is that bare witness to the Miracle 'T is Nebuchadnezzar that was an enemy to the Saints a persecutor a scorner a contemner of God Who is that God that shall deliver out of my hand and yet the Lord makes him
and do them good First of all they cannot hurt The water of the Red Sea it could not destroy the Israelites The Lyons though fierce creatures yet they could not open their mouths against Daniel The most violent men of the world cannot hurt when God lays a restraint upon them you know Laban was not able to speak so much as a hurtful word to Jacob because God met him and layd a restraint upon him Take heed that thou speak to Jacob neitâ—er good nor evil God would perswade his people of this in that 54. of Isaiah verse 15 16. God would let them know that they were not able to lift up a weapon without him nay they could not so much as make a weapon without him the Smith could not so much as blow the fire to form a weapon without the Lord Thus saith God I have power over all creatures and over all the actions of creatures a weapon cannot be lifted up for the workman cannot so much as lift up his hand to blow the fire unless God permit him â— Dog cannot bark against a man unless God give leave the barking of a Dog will do little â—urt yet a Dog could not so much as bark against Israel when the Lord lay a restraint upon them God would carry them quite out of the land of Aegypt and not one Dog should move his Tongue at them as you may see in the 11. of Exodus vers 7. you see the creature cannot do the least hurt for a Dog cannot do so much as bark he cannot do so much as move his Tongue when God lays a restraint upon them Secondly The creature cannot hurt but they must do good to Gods people at his command if the Lord will make choice of any creature to do his people good he will effect his own design it cannot be hindered he will do them good by any thing he will do them good by any creature by the most violent creature Who would have thought that the fire should have done these three children good that the fire should take their part and yet the fire at the command of the Lord does loose their bonds and sets them at liberty Who would have thought that the waters at the red Sea should have done the Israelites good and yet they were abundantly useful to them in their passage through the red Sea you shall read in the 14 of Exodus vers 22. that the children of Israel walked through the Sea and the waters were a wall to them on the right hand and on the left the creature that might have been their destruction became security to them their way was made strait to them they could not go out of their way for the Sea was a wall to them on the right hand and on the left Who would have thought that the Ravens should have done Eliaâ— so much good that the hungry Ravens creaturâ— that are of so greedy an appetite should sparâ— meat out of their own bodies to feed the Prophet yet so it was as you may read in the first book of Kings 17. vers 6. God makes the very Ravens to be careful Nurses to Elias when he was in the Wilderness they brought him his meat in the morning and in the evening Who would have bin thought that the belly of the Whale should have a protecting place to Johah that it should save him from destruction yet God he made use of it and he made the belly of the Whale to be a place of safety to Jonah the Whale kept him safe till she carryed him and set him on shore So that you see God can do his people good by any creature he can make them all to be useful Sometimes he works by improbable means and sometimes by impossible means I say sometimes God doth his people good by improbable means to have Honey out of the Rock and Oyl out of the Rock you will say this is improbable and yet this is his promise that is made to Israel in the 32. of Deuteronomy vers 13. And he made him to suck Honey out of the Rock and Oyl out of the flinty Rock He speaks of the fruitfulness of the Land of Canaan God made the barren places fruitful and he made the very Rocks to bring forth yea the very flinty Rocks to be fruitful the Rocks gave them Honey and the Rocks gave them Oyl That is as I conceive God made the very Rocks to bring forth trees and trees brought forth pleasant fruit the Rocks brought forth the Olive Trees and the Date Trees and so they had Honey out of the Rock and Oyl out of the Rock You know that it was impossible that Israel being carryed into Babylon they should be carryed again into their own Country and while they were in Babylon they seem to be in the grave What a mercy was it that God should stir up their enemies to be a defence to them and to have them to be assisting of them and to stir them up to the work of the Lord to work in the Temple you know God wrought by that means And so how improbable was it that Josephs accusation by his Mistress that his fetters his chains should be his advancement and you know God wrought that way and he made Joseph to be lift up and made the second man of Pharaohs Kingdom Yea God works sometimes by Impossible means you see it was impossible that the fire should have been a protection to these three Children to loose their bands and set them at liberty and be a place to walk in and yet it was at the command of the Lord. He can turn the very stones into bread He can send bread out of Heaven as to Israel and give water out of the Rock as to them in the Wilderness He cannot only work without means but by impossible means And thus you see at the command of the Lord all creatures must obey He can do his people good by Improbable means and by Impossible means For the Grounds of the Point Why creatures The Grounds of the Point cannot hurt but they must do good to the people of God First of all Because they must all go along with God and where God is a friend they must be a freind where God will not hurt they will not hurt for they all go along with him Balaam could not go against the word of the Lord If Balack would have given him his house full of Gold and Silver he could not go against the word of the Lord and therefore when he would have had him cursed the people Oh says Balaam How should I curse when God hath not cursed and defie whâ—n God hath not defied This is the voice of all Creatures how shall we curse when God hath not cursed and how shall we hurt when God hath not hurt they are all obedient to the word of the Lord to the command of the Lord all creatures obey that word of the Lord that he gave them
when he first created them see the 148. Psalm what is spoken there of all the Creatures of God they obey that Law he gave them Verse 6. Who hath also estdblished them for ever and ever he hath made a Decree which shall not pass Verse 7. Praise the Lord from the earth you Dragons and deâ—p waters And so in the 8. verse Fire and Hail Snow and Vapours stormy winds fulfilling hâ—s word They all obey that Law of God that God gave them they all keep their bounds they willingly obey the Word the Command of their Creator and therefore it is that the Sun does rise and set that so might fulfil the word of the Lord the Sea that ebbs and flows and so all creatures they keek their Motion and their Station that so they may fulfil the word of the Lord and keep that Law that God gave them at the first Creation when he put them in order and set them in their bounds Yea sometime God doth give another word to them he doth alter the Law that he made at their Creation and he gives a new word of command which is contrary to nature and then also the creatures they obey that word of the Lord See what God commanded in the second Book of Kings 20. 9. 10. verses Verse 9 And Isaiah said this signe shalt thou havâ— of the Lord that the Lord will do the thing that he hath spoken shall the shadow go forward ten degrees or go backward ten degrees Vers 10. And Hezekiah answered it is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees nay but let the shadow return backward ten degrees Vers 11. And Isaiah cryed unto the Lord and he broughe the shadow tne degrees backward by which it had gone down in the Dial of Ahaz See God he can alter the Law of nature and at his command the Sun shall not only go forward but it shall go backward if God say Sun stand still it shall not move and if God say Sun go back it goeâ—h back ten degrees Thus you see that all the creatures they obey the word of the Lord they fulfill every command of God if he say to the winde winde arise arise and blow it presently fulfills his word if he send them about any work and he say go and carry destruction upon your wings to such a party to such an enemy they presently fulfill the word of the Lord and then if he say go and blow such a man profit carry blessings in your wings the winde that presently fulfills the word of the Lord they are all his creatures therefore they must go along with the Lord they are all his servants and therefore they attend him they are all the Army of the Lord and all the Host in Heaven and earth are his Army and therefore they must obey the word of their General they must obey his word of Command they are all at his Command And therefore I say where God is a freind the creatures they must needs be freinds they cannot do hurt for they all go along with God Secondly The creatures they cannot hurt but they must do good to the people of God for God hath made a Covenant with all the creatures for his people There is a League made with all the creatures even with the meanest of creatures God hath not left one out of the League See the 5. of Job verse 23. For thou shalt be in league with the stones in the field and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee Now because God hath made a league with them therefore of necessity Fiâ—st of all they must do no hurt for that is one end of their League and Covenant When there was a League made between Laban and Jacob see what is the end of it Gen. 32. 52. and that thou shalt nâ—t pass over this heap and this pillar unto me for harm that 's the end of the League and Covenant that so they that are in League and Covenant may not harm one another Now God hath made a Covenant for his people with all the Creatures that is God he hath layd an Injunction upon them that they shall not do the least harm to his Servants Object But you will say may not Creatures be hurtful to the Servants of God May they not perish by fire and water and have their lives taken away by Creatures Was not Stephens life taken away by stones how then does God make a League with the stonâ—s in the field Answ I Answer 'T is true they may when God commands them to take away the life of his own people but still I say they cannot do them hurt they do but take away their lives if they could send them to the torments of Hell send them to the pit of destruction that would hurt them indeed but they cannot hurt them though they be instruments to take away the lives of the Saints yet they do them no hurt for they do but send tâ—em to their Fathers house they help them the sooner to God to rest in the Arms of Jesus Christ where they shall rest for evermore Secondly Because there is a League with the Creatures they shal do them good When Jehosaphat entred into Covenant with Ahab there was an ingaging to do all the good he could my men are as thy men my horses as thy horses and all that 's mine as thine And so saith God to the Creatures I have put so many particular good things good qualities into your nature that so you may convey them to my servants and therefore I charge you be serviceable to them give out all the good you can let them enjoy all the good that I have given to you for I made you for their sakes and therefore of necessity they must give out the good that God hath given them they must do the people of God all the good they can because God hath made a Covenant with the Creature And this Covenant that God hath made with the creature is grounded upon the great Covenant the everlasting Covenant that he hath made with his people in Jesus Christ there comes in all the good that we receive by creatures God hath made an everlasting Covenant with his Son in which he hath promised to be their God to take them into Union and Communion with himself to be their portion and to give himself to them And therefore because God hath given himself to them all creatures also are given to be useful and beneficial to them Thirdly The Third Ground of the Point The Creatures must needs do good they cannot hurt but they must do good to the people of God because of Gods watchful eye over them the more hurtful and violent any creature is the more doth the Lord set a watch over them his providential eye is over his people I say the Lord doth watch over them with a special providential eye See what is said in the Prophesie of Isaiah concerning his
you will seek salvation by works you rest upon your works and if you rest upon your works you break your works and both you and your works are like to be lost for ever and therefore know my Brethren you are to do your utmost for God if you could do ten thousand times more all is too little for God But know that life and salvation is not purchased by your doing work as much and do as much for God be as diligent in doing the work of God as if life were to be purchased by works but when you have done your utmost renounce all and know that by your own works you are no more nigh to Heaven then the very Publicans and Harlots It is by the door of grace only that you must enter into life That is the third Fourthly When God calls you to work with your might he does not call you to work with your own strength I beseech you take this Caution along with you that poor Creatures may not think that they are able to do that which they are called upon to do I say the Lord does not call you to work in your own strength And therefore know that without Christ you can do nothing you are not fit for the least work for the least duty All your sufficiency must come down from Heaven you cannot beleeve you cannot repent you cannot obey you cannot give glory to God unless this power be given you from on high you cannot move towards God in any gracious action unless the Lord comes in with strength O therefore when ever you are to work for God go and set your selves under the promise the promise of strength and assistance Go and look for strength to Christ do not act in your own strength Oh let your souls open to the breathings of the Spirit of Jesus Christ The soul never acts graciously but when it is acted by the Spirit of Christ Oh know that you are as a Ship becalmed upon the Sea and you cannot sayl till the spirit breath upon you and fill the sayle of your affections and carry you God-ward and Heaven-ward and therefore let Christ be your strength wait for his strength that you may say Now I live and yet not I but it is Christ that liveth in me I act and yet not I it is the Spirit of Christ that acts in me I pray and yet not I I beleeve and yet not I I obey and yet not I it is the Spirit of Christ that acts in me it is his strength that helps me This is the fourth Caution I beseech you take heed you do not work in your own strength you will spoil your works Fiftly Take this Caution do not present your works your selves to God When you have done your work go to Jesus Christ and desire him to carry your works home Christians know it is not for you to carry your work home it is the Office of Christ and therefore make use of Christ and say Lord present this Sacrifice this Duty do thou wash it with thine own blood and cover it with thine own righteousness I tell you your works are not pleasing unless they come out of the hands of Jesus Christ Christ must wash your works and perfume your works and sweeten your works and present your works with acceptation to the Father and therefore when you have wrought with all your might let Jesus Christ present it to God your Father and his Father Sixtly Take heed that when you work with all your might you work not for your own end I tell you good works may be spoiled if you work for your own end if self come in a man may work the work of a Magistrate or the work of a Minister but if self come in if vain glory be his end if the praise of men if his own profit If the glory of God be not the end he propounds to himself that man will be called by Christ another day a worker of iniquity We have cast out Devils in thy name and yet saith Christ to them I know you not depart from me ye workers of iniquity Oh this is the dead fly that spoils the Box of Ointment when a man does it for vain glory to be seen of men to get a name in the world and to raise their estates in the world when they do publique works for private ends how ever it seems to be glorious it is abhominable and therefore when ever you work for God make God your principal Begin in his strength and end for his glory The second word is a word of Exhortation and I will conclude with that let me speak in my former order first to Sinners and then to Beleevers and I will be but short First to Sinners You that have not yet wrought the work of God you that have not given up your names to Christ in whose heart the great work of faith is not yet wrought You that are found this day working the works of darkness the works of iniquity Let me speak a word to you let me reason with you thus in the name of the Lord Jesus my Master and yours What do you think of it my dear friends does it not concern you Is not this a work put into your hands to seek after an interest in Jesus Christ to beleeve in his name to give up your selves unto him is not this work that is put into your hands that God hath given you to do in this moment of your life Doth it not concern you to beleeve in the name of Christ think you Without faith it is not possible to please God If you be found in a way of unbelief you are found in the way of wrath It is said the wrath of the Lord does hang over the heads of unbeleevers If in a state of unbelief you are in an estate of wrath if in an estate of unbelief you are lost and your works are lost whatsoever you do without faith your works cannot be accepted without faith you cannot please God without faith you cannot enter into life And now what think you my dear friends is it not a work that concerns you to seek after faith in Jesus Christ If you grant it let me further urge it upon you Oh if this be your work then do it with your might Oh that the Lord would stir up your hearts to do it with your might There is but a moment to seek faith in there is but a moment to seek after an interest in Christ and if this be not done now O when shal it be done If it be not done now it is like to be undone for ever there is no work in this kind in the grave there is no repenting in the grave no beleeving in the grave there is no turning to God in the grave Oh that the Lord would perswade your hearts of a necessity of seeking after Christ and getting an interest in him and do it I beseech you speedily and diligently the
Lord hath put it into your hand and therefore now seek after an interest in Christ with all your might To you that have an interest in Christ I shall say no more but what I said before I laid you your work before you get more acquaintance with God get your hearts established upon the truth of the promises that you may not be left at uncertainties and lift up God in your generations and get your hearts made sensible of your frailty to dye daily to wait upon God with all your might in Ordinances to get your hearts subdued and your corruptions mortified This is your work and Oh that the Lord would help you to do it with all your might To you that are the Fathers of the City I have one word to you from the Father of Heaven Oh that the Lord would make you willing to receive it and to do it with all your might There is something that is your work that the Lord requires you should do with all your might I shall but briefly give you a few hints and shal leave it to the blessing of the Lord. First of all There is a work of Judgment and Justice that the Lord hath put into your hands I say the first work that God hath put into your hands it is a work of Justice to punish sin to punish sin is the work that is in your hand to do to puâ—ish the breaches of the moral Law and the contempts thereof that Law of nature which is written in the heart of all men the Lord hath put it into your hand to punish the breach of this Law What ever your hand finds to do in this case I beseech you do it faithfully do it with your might God requires it of you that you should do it with your might yea let your hand find out sinners let your hand do this work of the Lord to punish the drunkards and the swearers and the prophane persons the deceiver the lyar and the stealer and all other workers of iniquity here is no fear of smiting Christ smite here and spare not where there is no danger of smiting Christ smite on and spare not do it with all your might the Lord lays it before you as your duty Secondly There is a work of Righteousness and Equity that the Lord puts into your hands to do and Oh that you would do this also with all your might to judge betwixt man and man do it faithfully to accept no mans person to know no friend in the matter of Justice but to decide every mans cause with wisedom and with faithfulnesse and with sincerity not to know Father nor Brother nor Son nor Daughter as Levi did not in the cause of God That so Justice and Righteousness may run down as a mighty stream That there may be no oppression that there may be no complaining in our streets This is the second work that the Lord puts into your hand And Oh that you would do it with your might The third work is a work of Mercy There is a work of mercy the Lord puts into your hands to relieve the poor and the needy and the fatherless to take care that the poor be provided for that they may have work that they may have employment and that they may have maintenance this is a work of mercy that the Lord puts into your hands to do Oh it is one of the crying sins of England it is the sin of the whole Land and Oh that it were not the sin of this City that the poor are not yet imployed and provided for that God would put it into your hearts to do it Oh that some blessed hand might find out this way to employ the poor this would be an acceptable work of mercy Know that the Lord hath given you something for the poor though I think every man hath a propriety in his estate yet I also think that God hath given every man something for the poor and truly before God the poor hath a right in it though not to take yet it is your duty to give and to provide for them And I fear if this work do not go through the whole land that there be not some provision made for the work of the poor and for the relief of the poor That God will level this Land and that God will bring down all the pomp and pride and stain the glory of all flesh in it this is a work of mercy There is a fourth work and that is a work of Piety that God puts into your hand to seek the good of poor souls to provide that all that are under your power in this City may be instructed in the knowledg of the Lord Jesus to send into the dark corners the Suburbs of this City and not only to confine men to the heart of the City but send to them that will not come out for it The Lord Jesus came to seek as well as to save and therefore send forth to seek them they know not what they do in rejecting the means of life But Oh send to seek them and instruct them in the knowledge of the Lord that they may not perish for want of provision And what though my Fathers and Brethren every man cannot see his way clear to take a Pastoral charge of such a people where he knows there is but little of Christ yet if he do the work what though he do it not under that notion If he preach Christ to them if he bleed for them If his desires be to instruct them and be willing to instruct them in publique and private and to pray for them that the Lord would give them repentance and bring them into the number of Christs Sheep-fold I say if this work be done what though it be not done under that notion why should the work of the Gospel be hindred If in all other things men be conscientious and able and fit to teach and instruct the people in the knowledg of Jesus Christ this will be a work of Piety to send into the dark corners of the City that there may be no place in which the word of the Lord shall not be heard There is a work of Love to Christ and of wisedome to your selves and I will name no more I commend this to you as the last And Oh that your hand would finde to do it a work of love to Christ and of wisedom to your selves And that is to protect the Saints and those that have an interest in Christ and desire to walk unblamably before you if they be such as walk according to the Law of God and not disobey the Law of Magistracy it is the work of the Magistrates to protect them The Magistrate is set up to be a praise to them that do well What though they may differ from you in particular opinions I am pâ—rswaded it will not excuse before Christ not to have protected them If you be convinced that they are
evils of their lives 53 3. For the prolonging of their lives amplified in three particulars 54 55 4. For spiritual Mercies 57 Quest When mercies received may be helps to trust God for the future shewed in six particulars 58 Quest How to improve mercies so as to strengthen faith for the future in two particulars 62 Two things premised and two Cautions how to rest on former experiences 63 The fourth Sermon Wherein is shewed who it was that bare witness to this Miracle viz. Nebuchadnezar And a Question propounded whether he was hereby truly converted Arguments for the Affirmative given by some p. 73. And determined in the Negative 74 Doct. 2. That it is not in the power of greatest Miracles to convert a soul to God unless the spirit of Christ step in 75 This is cleered by Scripture-examples ibid. By Scripture testimony 76 And by experiences in our own times 78 First Ground of the Point To put the greater glory on the word 80 2. From the desperate hardness of mans heart 81 Use 1. Take notice what a Miracle of iniquity there is in mans nature 82 Use 2. What a Miracle it is that any soul is converted 83 A three-fold Miracle is shewed in the conversion of every sinner Of Wisedom Of Power Of Mercy 84 Use 3. Bless God for his word and look to it more then to Miracles 87 The fift Sermon Doct. 3. God many times makes his peoples enemies to acknowledg and confess that the Lord is with them and that he hath dealt graciously with them 92 The Point cleared by five Demonstrations 1. Christ put up a petition to his father for it 94 2. Christ hath promised it to his people 95 3. God hath put a power into his Word to convince enemies though it convert them not 96 4. God makes enemies oft to be the eye and ear witnesses of his peoples mercies and Agents therein 97 5. God works for his people in such away that enemies are forced to acknowledg the same so freely unexpectedly suddenly solitarily 98 Two Reasons why God will make enemies to acknowledg this truth 101 Use 1. A ground of Patience and encouragement to the Saints in tribulation 103 Use 2. Let not wicked men look with delight on the miseries of the Saints 104 Use 3. Let the people of God acknowledg this as a very great mercy ib. Use 4. Let the people of God much more acknowledg the gracious dealing of God toward them 105 The sixt Sermon Doct. 4. That all the persecutions which the Devil or his Instruments raise against the Saints shall not diminish their number but rather increase them 111 The point evidenced by manifold examples out of the history of the Church in all ages 112 The first Reason God delights to walk contrary unto men 115 2. Reason The Lord Jesus is a mighty King and will improve his power for the Saints ibid. 3. Reason From the impotency of enemies to hinder Christs Kingdom 116 Use 1. To let us see the vanity of all attempts of men against the truth and people of Christ with an item to the Powers of the world concerning it ibid Use 2. To give a ground of patience and comfort to the Saints against opposition of men 119 Doct. 5. That the Lord Jesus Christ is never nigher to his people then when they are in great afflictions in fiery tryals 121 Some instances given to prove it ibid Quest What presence of Christ the Saints may expect in their tryals 121 1. His supporting presence 2. His enlightening and teaching presence 3. His sanctifying presence 4. His quickning presence 5. His comforting presence A warning to the Saints to improve this Doctrine they not knowing what tryals the Lord may ere long bring them into 126 The further handling of this Point is in the eighth Sermon The seventh Sermon Wherein is considered the restraint the Lord layd upon the fire it could not hurt them only loosed their bonds whence note Doct. 6. At the command of the Lord the fiercest of Creatures shall not only not hurt his people but shall take part with them and do them good 130 Two Branches of the Point 1. They shall not hurt them 2. They must do them good both illustrated from Scripture instances 131 132 1. Reason The Creatures are Gods Host they go along with him where he is a friend they are friends 134 2. Reas From the Covenant and League made with the Creatures which hath two Branches 1. To do no hurt 2. To take part and do good 137 3. Reas God hath a special providence over his people 139 4. Reas The Creatures are all reconciled in Jesus Christ 140 Use 1. Take notice of the mighty power of the Lord what a great King he is that hath all Creatures at his command ibid. Use 2. What a shame to man that he should not be at the command of God 141 Vse 3. A strong Motive to those that be strangers to God to come in and submit to him till then they are lyable to be harmed by the Creatures 142 Use 4. It is not in tho Creatures power to do good without God 143 Use 5. Comfort to the people of God and encouragement to their faith 145 The eighth Sermon Wherein the fifth Doctrine is further handled Concerning the presence of the Lord Jesus with his people in afflictions 150 1 Reason The Lord Jesus knows they have most need of his presence then 1. Because of the weakness of the flesh 152 2. Because of the strength of Temptations 154 2. Reason The Lord Jesus remembers his Fathers kindness to him in being near to him in his afflictions 155 3. Reas Christ remembers his engagement to his people 158 1. By promise 2. By a Law of Love written within him 3. By the Law of friendship 4. That he may see to his work he is doing upon his people by afflictions Quest By what way doth Christ communicate so much of himself to his people in affliction 161 c. Answ 1. He raises up his peoples faith to an high pitch 2. He pours upon them the Spirit of Supplication 3. He draws the hearts of his people nigher to him 4. He manifests much of himself by his word which he sends with affliction Objections Answered of such as complain they have found little of Christ in their Afflictions 164. The ninth Sermon Use 1. To shew the unparrallell'd love of Jesus Christ who will never forsake his in afflictions no friend on earth like him 173 Use 2. To draw in those that be strangers to Christ to submit to him and get interest in him that they may have a friend in an evil day 174 Use 3. There is not so much evil in affliction then as men apprehend 176 Two things may make the people of God not to fear afflictions 176 1. Because they shall certainly injoy the presence of Christ in affliction 177 2. The presence of Christ will countervail the bitterness of affliction 180 Use 4. Let
by some fresh gale but the Text saith they were in the midst of the fire now here is the wonder that it should be fire and yet not burn the heat of the fire was not absent from the fire at this time for the fire did burn their bonds after they were in the midst of the fire after they were fallen down So then it was fire and when they were in the midst of the fire it burnt their bonds and they had no hurt so that the burning faculty of the fire was not taken away but only the art of it was suspended for the present by the Mighty Power of God Sixtly Here was another Miracle that they The Sixth Miracle should be in the midst of the fire and have not the least hurt that the fire should not reach to the hair of their head or that the smell of the burning should not be upon their clothes I see them walking in the midst of the fire and they have no hurt that fire that burnt the men that cast them into the fire did not them the least hurt Seventhly and Lastly That one was among The Seventh Miracle them that was like the Son of God Now what doth Nebuchadnezzar mean by thsee words Had this King any knowledge of the Son of God of the Incarnation of Christ it was likely he had not he was still an Heaâ—hen and still he worshipped his Idols but only he was convinced thus far that the fourth man that was among them was was more then a man there was some extraordinary glory and splendor some Divine Majesty did appear in his countenance which did convince him that he was more than a man and so he calls him the Son of God but yet without all doubt this was the Son of God that was among them it was none other but Jesuâ— Christ â—he came down to rescue he came down to deliver he came down to walk with his Servants in the Furnace here he fulfilled his promise When thou goest through the fire I will be with thee Object But you will saâ— Jesus Christ â—as not yet come in the flâ—sh Câ—rist had not yet taken the nature of â—an upon him and therâ—fore how could this be the Son oâ— God Answ I Answer 'T is true Christ was not then come in the flesh he had not taken a body that body that he did appear in it was not the body Jesus Christ hath now in Hâ—aven it was not united Hypostatically unto his Person it was not that flesh he took afterward and in which he now appears before his Father for us But yet the Son of God did sometime take up a body yea many a time in which he appeared oftentimes to the Patriarks in the old Testament as to Abraham and Jâ—cob and to Moses and many others Object But you will say What bodies were these thâ—t tâ—e Son oâ— God did assume and takâ— up Whether were they the bodies of men or no Answ I Answer It is most probable they were bodies that were created The Son of God when he appeared to the Patriarks when he appeared to any of his Servants he had power to create himself a body at any time to make a body of nothing and so to dissolve it in a moment to nothing as to make it in a moment so to dissolve it in a moment and thus did the Son of God appear in the midst of these three Children that it might be a sign unto them and to the Church First That the Son of God should afterward come and take the nature of man That he should come in the flesh to rescue the souls of his people from the flames of the wrath of God that he should come to deliver them from Hel destruction Secondly That he would be with his people in all Furnaces of Tribulations that when they walk through the fire and through the water he will be in the midst of them And thus you see a great deal of Mercy and a great deal of Miracle is in this Deliverance which God wrought for these his Sons There are very many Observations that the words will afford us but I shall not stand to name them least the time prevent me but shall close with one Point And that is this That the Lord doth oftentimes in a wonderfull Observ ¶ What restraints God lays upon the creatures that be might rescue the lives of his Servants manner rescue the lives of his Servants from death and destruction I say the Lord doth oftentimes in a wonderful manner rescue the lives of his Servants from death and destruction 'T is very evident in the Text I shall point you to some Instances out of the word of the Lord that shall clear up this truth to you and confirm it Therefore it is that the Lord shews his wonders in the deep that he might rescue the lives of his Servants from destruction he hath discovered the foundations of the great Waters and made a path in the midst First Water of them for the ransomed of the Lord to go thorow Thus did the Lord rescue the lives of the Isralites when the Egyptiaens pursued them as you read in the fourth of Exod. latter end Secondly Sometimes God hath laid a restraint Secondly Fire upon â—â—re as well as upon the water He hath given commandâ—ent to the flames not to harm his Servants For this you see it cleer in the Text they waâ—ked in the midst of the fire and they had no hurt they were neither choaked with the smoak nor their bodies confimed by the fire for the Lord had laid a restraint upon the fire Thirdly Sometimes God hath given command Thirdly Bruit beasts to the verâ— brâ—it â—eâ—sts not to hurt his people He hath reâ—cued the lives of his â—ervants from the paw of the Bear and the mouth of the Lyon you read in this Book of Daniel the sixt of Dan. what Commaâ—d God gâ—ve there concerning Daniel when he was cast into the Lyons Den in Dan 6. 22. My God saith he hath sent his Angel and hâ—â—h shâ—t up thâ— Lyons mouths thâ—t they havâ— not â—urt me what a wonderiuâ— woâ—k was this that the ravenous Lyons should not eat the flesh that was set before them Again sometime â—e finde That God hath Fourthly Sea laid a restraint upon the devouring Sâ—a-Monsâ—er upon the great Leviaâ—han and God hath given commandment to that not to hurt his Seâ—vants This you have cleer in Jâ—nâ—h you read in Jonah that the Lord prepared a Whale to swallow him up God delivered him from two deaths at once from the Sea and fâ—om he Wâ—ale and in the second of Jonah the last verse God gave commandement to set the Prisoner at libertâ— God spake to the Whale and the Whale set Jonah on dry land Again You shall finde that Goâ— hath laid restraint upon viâ—lent men that theâ— have not been Fiftly violent men able to take away their lives He rebuked even
God Improve it for God and be willing to suffer for God Again Fiftly in the fift place We should be willing to lay down our lives when God calls for them again Thus should we express our thankfulness for life given us I say be willing to lay down life freely and voluntarily the next time when God calls When God hath rescued any of our lives from the grave why all those days that are added are freely given and 't is an addition of free grace more then we thought of more then was expected And therefore we should freely be willing to lay it down when God calls for it we should be willing to lay down our own lives and let them depart and so friends should be freely willing to let that life go that was so freely redeemed Thus we should be Volunteers to death we should freely and willingly submit to God as well as dye in obedience as in faith and let it be our wisdom often to look to what Christ hath done for his people in matter of death and the grave and set faith on work every day to see how the sting is taken out by Christ and the grave is made a sweet resting place 't is sanctified 't is perfumed 't is sanctified that it may be a sweet resting place to the Saints Again in the Sixt place When God hath wonderfully saved our lives we should seek to do something extraordinary for God we should not content our selves with ordinary service saith Christ What do you more then others in the 5. of Mat. and the latter end if you onely love those that love you what do you more then others or what singular thing do you he would have his people do some singular thing for him and especially when God hath done some singular thing for them and what says Hezekiah when God had restored his life from the grave in Isa 31. v. 19. The living the living he shall praise thee as I do this day The living the living he shall praise thee he that hath life once given and he that hath life restored to him again he that hath life given from the grave The living the living he shall praise thee he shall speak of thy glory and testifie oâ— thy wonders something more then ordinary is implyed there That the living he should live to God Seventhly In the last place to conclude Look upon all outward Mercies in reference to some spiritual Mercy and never take up in the outward Mercy but let it lead you to the spiritual mercy Alas what is life if it be not in reference to spiritual Mercies if it be not in reference to get more of God to get more glory to God Life what is it a poor empty thing 't is true life it self is a mercy a great Mercy but yet though life be a blessing a man may dye betimes and be blessed Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord And on the contrary though life be a blessing a man may live long and be a cursed creature â—or all this See what is said in the Prophesie of Isaiah the 65 ch 20. v. 't is spoken of the days of the Gospel There shall be no more thence an Infant of days nor an old man that hath not filled his days For the child shall dye a hundred years old but the sinner being a hundred years old shall be accursed T is a prophecy of Gospel blessings shewing how it should be in the latter days a child dye a hundred years old That is the young men shall have abundance of the glory of God those that are children in years shall be old in grace they shall have as much grace as those that were a hundred years old and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed a curse though he live a hundred years See then life is not desireable but in reference to spiritual Mercies Oh then rest not in outward Mercies if God at any time hath give any of your lives for a prey resâ— not in outwâ—rd Mercies but labour to see further Mercie in it that mercy is given in reference to further Mercy and waite for the Communication of it It was well when Heâ—ekiah could say that God had done it in love to hiâ— soul in Isa 38. 17. Thâ—u hast in love to my soul delivered it from the Pit of corruption for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy bâ—ck He looked more to the spiritual Mercy then to the outward Mercy Alas it had been a poor small thing for life to be given and my sins not pardoned if God had given me life and not given it out of love Oh it had been a curse to my soul and tâ—is doth David blesse the Lord for in Psal 23. 3. He restoreth my soul he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name sake It was after God delivered him from sickness he blesse God he restored my soul and my life he doth not take up there but he leads me in the patheâ— of righteousnes for his name sake I have further mercy my life is given for further Mercy God he will not restore that mercy of life only but he will convey me to further Mercy seeing he hath given me life he will lead me in the paths of righteousness that I may life to the praise of his name And this should all our desires be when God doth such great things for us THE Second Sermon On DAN III. XXV He answered and said Lo I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and they have no hurt and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God I Made entrance into the words the last Lords day There is witness and testimony given of a glorious Miracle and Wonderful Deliverance that was wrought for three servants of God God had brought them forth to exercise their faith And to suffer To suffer the wrath of the King but yet the Lord delivered them he delivered them from the wrath of the King he wa a violent King from the flames of the Furnace and the Furnace was heated seven times hotter then ordinary they were bound hand and foot and cast into the midst of the fire and yet they became Conquerors The very enemies do witness as much The King Answered and said lo I see fouâ— men loose walking in the midst of the fire Here are many Miracles in one here is heat and light separated one from the other sight remains and yet the heat is taken away and it burned not here is the wonder of mercy it shall be a miracle of judgment in Hell there is fire that hath heat but no light the hotter the flames are it shall be the darker it shall be dark that day but here when God will shew a Miracle of mercy he takes away the heat and the light remains Lo says the King I sâ—e four men c. Imagine their number is increased as another Miracle Whereas they thought that
if you loose this life it self yet thou maist finde life in Christ thou mayst finde thy life again in the Son of God but if thou loosest thy soul thou art lost for ever and thou art undone for ever and thy soul once lost cannot be found again Oh that men would account of their souls to be as precious as Christ accounts of them do not prefer the body do not prefer the things of this world before thy soul and the glorious things that are concerning Eternity thy soul is more precious then thy life would'st thou not put off thy life for a trifle and would'st thou put off thy soul for a trifle life is precious but the soul is more precious Thirdly If life be so precious to God the life Use 3 of his Saints Then this should teach us to prize our lives I say It should teach us to prize our lives to look upon them as precious to look upon them as the most precious Jewel of nature for 't is the will of God that we should so look upon them remember there is nothing in the world that God takes more care of next to the soul then he doth of the lives of his Saints and so there is nothing that God is more careful to preserve so there is nothing that the Devil is more diligent to seek after then life next to the soul he seeks the life the precious life I say life 't is the most precious thing in nature See what Solomon says in that 9. of Eccles v. 4. For to him that is joyned to all the liâ—ing thereis hope for a living dog is better then dead Lyon He knew there was nohing more excellent then life speaking of natural life there iâ— nothing more excellent then life A living dog iâ— better tâ—en a dead Lyâ—n a living dog that is â— man in a vile condition a living dog a man though he lives and be in a vile condition in a bad condition in a most desperate condition looked upon from God as a dead creature that man because he lives is better then a dead Lion better then Princes and Potentates of the earth though they did live never so gloriously Indeed if you look beyond nature if you look to that condition that is after life why then their condition is noâ— precious to the Saints for their condition is better then the condition of the greatest worldly men in the world and one that dies in the Lord Christ were he a dog yet he is better then the greatest Lion on the earth but in naturall things the wise mâ—n would have you to know that life is the greatest treasure in nature and therefore when as the greatest love is expressed 't is expressed by laying down of life Here is love indeed that a man lay down hâ—â— life When Christ did express his greatest love that possibly he could unto his Saints he expressed it by laying down of his life I lay down my life for my sheâ—p saith Christ and Here is love iâ—deed here God commendeth his love to us that whilst we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us Here is the commendation of love to lay down life nothing better then life to be given and therefore you shal find that God hath given it as the greatest outward mercy he reckons it as the greatest outward mercy in times of distress God sometime hath promised to do this to his Servants that their lives shal be given for a prey that was promised to Baruck Jer. 45. vers 4 5. God tells him the whole land shal be layd waste and evil shal come upon all flesh yet this was the mercy promised the greatest outward mercy He should havâ— hâ—â— life for a prey but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey as the greatest mercy that God could give him for his faithfulness his life should be given him for a prey God would rescue his life from danger when it should seem to be taken away God would rescue it as a prey out of the hand of danger out of the hand of enemies he would give Baruck the greatest outward blessing that can be bestowed and therefore I beseech you prize your lives I wil tel you briefly how you should prize your lives First Take heed that you speak nothing against your lives Oh that men and women would remember Rules how to prize our lives what a precious thing life is speak nothing against thy life how common a thing is this in the world if a man meet with matter of discontentment presently they cast sad thoughts against their lives and oh that God would take me away and oh that there were an end of my life that I were in the grave and such kind of expressions Poor creatures do you know what you say is life so precious and is it such a precious treasure and does God make such an account of it and do you undervalue it wil you throw away your lives upon every discontentment wil you part with such a Jewel Oh the folly and the madness of mens hearts suppose that God should take you at your word you say Oh that the Lord would take away my life suppose now that God should come and say Oh thou vile creature have I given thee such a precious Jewel as life is that thou may'st improve it for precious ends for glorious ends that thou may'st gain a portion in my self and son which should make thee happy for ever have I trusted thee with sucha Jewel as life is and dost thou upon every discontentment throw life at thy foot dost thou come and throw it into my hand before I call for it Well I wil tâ—ke thee at thy word this night shall thy life be taken from thee if God should be in good earnest I doubt you would call your words back again Elijah he spoke in a passionate way against his life in the first of Kings and v. 19. but when God would have taken him at his word he went back again See how he desires God to take away his life at the fourth verse and He requested for himselâ— that he might die and sâ—id it is enough now Oh Lord take away my life for I am not better tâ—â—n my fathers for a little affliction he is persecuted and driven into the wilderness in discontentment he sits down and speaks words against his life take away my life why should I live why God he takes him at his word and Jezebel shal take away his life from him but at the tenth verse the Propâ—et goes back again and there 't is his greatest complaint that he makes and they seek to take aâ—ay wy life and yet before in his passion he would needs dye Lord take away my life I am â—o bâ—ttâ—r tâ—en my Fathers Now 't is a most grievous sin thus to slâ—ght that which God hath set such a â—igh prâ—â—e upon O what care hath God of life and what charge hath God given all
labour to be for God every one of you in your places Oh lay out your selves with all your might to do something for God though the service you are to perform in your generation may be tedious may be laborious and toilesome to the flesh yet be willing to lay out your selves for God lay down strength for God and lay down life for God Why consider there is a long rest that is prepared for the people of God this is the day time and here you must work for God there shall come a time of rest yeâ— they shall rest in their grave there is sleeping time enough and they shall rest in Heaven and there they shall rest enough they shall rest for ever and for ever and therefore be content to do for God and lay down all your strength for God Oh there is a resting time a long resting time that is prepared for you I have glorifiâ—d thee on earth saith Christ to his Father and now Oh Father glorifie me in Hâ—aven labour every one of you in your places in your callings to exalt the name of God to glorifie God on earth I would not have you glorifie God that God may glorifie you that is not the end of your work but glorifie God because he will glorifie you because he hath declared that there is rest for you that are his people and there is an eternal rest in which he will glorifie you with himself Oh glorifie him therefore with your lives with your strength with your abilities with your parts with your riches with all you have glorifie God in your lives I shall conclude all with one word of Exhortation doth God rescue the lives of his servants in such a wonderful manner why let his servants for ever trust him as great mercies do call for great thankfulnes so they call for great faith in the Lord expect a great deal of future confidence in him when he hath declared his name to his people when he hath once made his goodness and mercy and power and faithfulness and truth to pass by before them in some special providence he expects then that they should trust him in the lowest condition in the faddest condition that you should take hold of him and live upon him he expects that you should reason upon former experiences and remember the years of the right hand of the most high remember such and such yeers when the right hand of the most High was declared when God wrought such works of deliverance such and such wonderful mercies the Lord expects that such kind of deliverances should be ingagements to trust in him to trust in him at all times Many times we will not beleeve unless we see signes and wonders and the Lord he is pleased to condescend to our weakness and Christ he shews us a Miracle yea he shews many wonderful works mercies and deliverances that he works for his people and now God he may wonder at the weakness of our faith if after all these wonders we shall distrust him See what the Psalmist saith in Psalm 96. 10. Be still and know that I am God why in all your afflictions in all your temptations in all your crosses in all sad conditions God would have you to be still and know that he is God and when ever we have received any special mercy from God we should urge this upon our owâ— souls if at any time we are ready to distrust God and repine at any of the dealings of God Oh my soul be still and know that God is Jehovah remember the years of his right hand remember what he did for such and such of his servants and for thee in such a condition how he made his power and mercy and truth and faithfulness to pass before thee and wilt thou again murmur and repine and distrust him Oh my soul be still and know that he is God know that he is Jehovah and that he gives existence to his promises know that he is as good as his word know that he is better then his word when ever any rebellious lust doth rise up in thy heart after we have received mercies which is a great ingagement yet still beat it back with this know that the Lord is Jehovah the Lord hath a mighty Arm and as he hath done so he will do and he will not leave his people the power and the goodness of the Lord it should sound in our ears when ever we are in any strait this is a glorifying of God for mercies received And Brethren upon all occasions Remember the years of the mercy of the most High See what the Psalmist saith with which I will conclude all Psal 62. 11. God hath spoken once twice have I heard this that power belongeth unto God God hath spoken how hath he spoken in some glorious deliverance he hath spoken in some great mercy for God speaks in his providence as well as in his words and when God speaks in his mercy he expects that we should hear him nay that we should not only hear him but that we should hear him often he expects that we should hear what should we hear we should hear this That power belongeth to God * When ever God worketh any glorious deliverance this should sound in our ears That power belongeth to God and mercy belongeth to God and loving kindness and free grace belong to God and so loving kindness it belongs to God The Attributes of God that do found in evâ—ry mercy in every deliverance and in some special mercies we should not hear it once but twice God spoke once and I heard it twice that is often 't is an allusion to an Eccho a man speaks sometime that it raises an Eccho and the words will be repeated again he shall hear it round about him the words sound again he speaks once and it sounds twice often so there is such a voice in many mercies many deliverances and many special providences they sound lovd as the Eccho of a man doth The Lord speaks once we should hear twice that power belongs to God Well remember that the Lord expects that thou should'st hear it often and when ever thou art brought into a low condition remember this what thou hearest in thy former low condition that power belongs to God and mercy belongs to God And thus should we trust the Lord in straites former mercies are ingagements for the future and this is part of the glory the Lord expects this is part of the In-come that he desires for mercy for deliverance poor creatures that have seen much in it they should never forget the loving kindness of God when they are in straits in great straits still to make use of former experiences and to remember the years of the right hand of the most High Thus you hear what improvement there should be of our afflictions THE Third Sermon On DAN III. XXV He answered and said Lo I see four men loose walking in the midst
God before the soul hath tryed him before he hath had experience this is an honour a great honour that is done to God and this is the faith that wil hold out this wil last this kinde of faith it will uphold the soul in the greatest straits in the lowest condition when sense fails and when experiences are gone out of sight why then this kinde of Faith wil hold up the soul when the soul can trust the Lord though he had not tryed him trust him though God had not given experience trust him first of all because of his word because of the word of his grace that is given forth to the soul as a foundation to build upon this is an honour Indeed to God Secondly Be careful throughout all your Caution 2. whole course of life that you rely more upon the word of the Lord then upon your experiences throughout the whole course of your life you will find this more beneficial to rely upon the word of the Lord and here I beseech you to remember that this life it is the life of Faith it is the life of Faith and not the life of sense in Heâ—ven the Saints shall live by sence they shall have no need of Faith the life of Faith is not proper for them but the life of Faith is proper to Gods people on earth to beleeve and not see Faith is the evidence of things nâ—t seen it is taken up with things not seen I say this life it should be a life of Faith unto the Saints 't is not a life of sence And consider moreover if God do give any spiritual sence or if he do give any experiences of his love it is given for this end that so he might help the Faith of his people that he might help their Faith and strengthen their Faith that so he might encourage them for the future to trust in him to trust in him when they see him not when all is dark and sad when God seems to be out of sight I say God gives incouragements for this end that so he might incourage them to beleeve and therefore it is that oftentimes he trains up his people in this way he will strike the Crutches out of their hands he will put them to it they shall walk alone by Faith that all the sence of Gods dealings with them shall be out of sight they shall have nothing to rely upon God will put them to it to rely upon him alone upon a naked word of promise upon the word of grace to rely upon him though they have nothing in the world to rely upon 2. Consider though it be great mercy that the Lord is pleased to condescend so far to the Creature to give spiritual sence and many times experiences by which he will seal up his word and his grace to them yet it is a greater mercy that God hath given a word of promise to rely upon that is the greatest mercy in the world asurer foundation of hope and that which will stand a poor creature in stead when 't is in the dark when all the sence will be in the dark and experiences out of sight but then the word oâ— the Lord wil endure for ever and so then to have a word of grace to rely upon a word of promise this is the greatest mercy that God can shew to poor Creatures My Brethren if it were not for this it were not possible that the soul should be at any certainty though God had given never so many experiences of his love though the soul had seen and though it had felt and tasted of love and though it had layen in the bosome of Jesus Christ and been refresht with his â—ove yet if the Lord had not given a word of grace to rely upon aword of promise to rely upon It would be impossible but that â—t some time or other they would call all in question for 't is not possible that otherwise the soul should be supported in dark conditions for why when the soul begins to look towards God why it is fill'd with the sense of his own vileness with the sence of his own unworthiness Oh that â—s one of the greatest discoveries that the Lord makes shew the soul how vile it is in it self and therefore I say the soul is ready to question all all that God hath done for it though it hath seen God walk in a way of love to him yet still Oh 't is too good for me too good for such a â—ile Creature as I am Again The desire of the soul is carryed mighâ—ily after God when God comes once to set his Face towards Heaven it is fill'd with vast desires to God that it can never have enough never be satisfied and though God do come and manifest himselfe by gracious Experiences yet still it desires more of God It is apt to question Have I any thing of God or no Have I seen God or no it is very solicitous when it is once set towards Heaven God makes it very solicitous concerning the great matters of Eternity 't is fill'd with the weighty thingsof Eternity and the weighty business of Eternity so though God hath come and hath spoke and the soul hath seen God and experiences of God yet because it apprehends such great weighty matters concerning the soul for eternity all experiences are called in question of Gods love and his favour to him A man is so careful in this case that he will scarce beleeve himself nay though he have seen Christ and though he have felt him and seen his goings still he will hardly beleeve himself whether he hath seen him or no you know Mary Magdalâ—u she was very solicitous she stood weeping she saw him and she would not beleeve her own sence and so 't is with a poor Child of God Oh 't is so solicitous that though it have seen Christ and experiences of his goodnesse and his favour and love yet it will scarcely beleeve his own sence and he is apt to call all in question whether he hath seen the Lord or no So that still I say after all experiences and the manifestations of love the soul would call all in question many and many a time if iâ— had not a word of Grace to trust to and therefore the Saints are more beholden to the Lord for his Word of Gruce to them then for all experiences And remember this That though God hath done uever so much for you and you have seen hiâ— goings in your hearts yet doe not you make your experience the first Ground oâ— your trust and do not trust to your experiences so but look to the Promises as thâ— Promises as the onely Foundation that will â—ear up your heart for ever through all dark conditions And so for Experiences look upon them as Crutches to lead you to the word of his Grace but they are not to be rested in THE Fourth Sermon On DAN III. XXV He answered and said Lo
I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and they have no hurt and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God I Have spoken out of these words We have finished one Proposition Namely That God doth oftentimes in a wonderful manner rescue the lives of his servants from death and destruction I prest you the last day that Christians should therefore trust in God such as have seen his goings should trust him for the future upon former experiences when God speaks once in a remarkable providence he expects we should hear twice again and again In every low condition we should hear That power belongs to God Trust him for the comforts of life and trust him for the preventing the evil of life trust him for the upholding of you in life till his time be come and your work be filled only be not you negligent make hast in your work work the works of God while the day lasts but yet you may be confident the Lord he will not suffer the Candle to be blown out till your work be filled The righteous shall come to his grave as a shock of Corn that commeth in in his season I shewed how far we may make use of former mercies for the future to become great helps of Faith when the soul is careful to lay up the remembrance of them when the soul can eye the love of God special love when the soul is once convinced of that truth of the unchangeableness of the love of God when the soul keeps up the wing of Faith and holds up its communion with God can go and lay before God former mercies and use them as Arguments to plead with God for the future as Gods people have done then do mercies become helpful for the future But how far should we trust Experinces Why look upon them as Earnests of that which God doth intend to give and look upon them as Crutches as helps in the way so though all the experiences of God may be out of fight for God may bring his people into some condition that may be above Experience Experience cannot reach them And therefore do not make your own Experience the first ground of your trust but trust first in the Lord and the word of his grace trust them more then all your experiences the life of a Christian 't is the life of Faith and not of sence the life of sence is in Heaven but the life of Faith is most proper here Blessed are they that beleeve and have not seen and if God do give Experience and manifest his love and goodness to thee it is for this end that he might strengthen Faith he will learn his children to go alone and therefore God many times hath struck the Crutches out of their hands and all sights of God shall be gone and God will make them to trust in his naked word Great use may be made of Experience but yet I say lay the word of the Lord as your foundation and trust that for that will hold in all conditions in the greatest darkness when Experience may be out of sight and you can see nothing We proceed He answerâ—d and said Lo I see four â—en looâ—e c. Who is it here that bears witness of this Miracle of deliverance 'T is Nebuchadnezzer the King it was one that was a proud insolent Monarch one that scorned God and defied the most High in the 15. verse of this 3. Chap. that commanded the people to fall down and worship his Image that he had set up and in the latteâ— end Who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hand a persecutor of the Saints one that was filled with wrath against them The King was â—xceeding wrath and commâ—nded the Furnace to be heated seven times hâ—ttâ—r then ordinary Yet here Nebu-Nebuchadnezzer himself is forced to bear witness A Question propounded by Inteapreters of the goodness of God to his people He confesses it before all men Did we not cast in three and loe I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and they have no hurt There is a question propounded by Interâ—â—eters neither Nebuchadnezzer was truely converted or no It seems there is much does make for his conversion First of all Here was a strong work of conviction that past upon him he was convinced of his sin he was convinced of the glorious Majesty of God to shine in this Miracle His conviction makes him cry out before all the world before all that were about him 2. There is Secondly A confession of his Error and an acknowledgment of his sin Now he knows there is no God but the true God There was also in the 3. Third place A rejoycing in his own disappointment he rejoyced in that the Lord had prevented him in the evil that he intended that he was not able to bring it to pass his mischievous device against the Saints as you may see in vers 28 Then Nebuchadnezzer spake and said blessed be the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego who hath sent his Angels and delivered his servants that trusted in him c. There is a rejoycing here that they were delivered and that he was disapointed that he did not succeed according to his will Now this seems to be a great measure of self-denial What did not Nebucadnezzar do as much in this as David did when he was disappointed in the first book of Samuel 25. when David had an intention to cut off Nabal Abigal she comes to pâ—rswade him and in the 32 v. David said to Abigail blessed be the Lord God of Israel which sent thee this day to me Nebuchadnezzar did seem to do as much as David did here he blesseth God for his own disappointment Fourthly this seems to make for him that he did rejoyce in the goodnesse of God to his people he does rejoyce in their grace as you may see in the 28. verse Blessed be the God of Shadrach who sendeth his Angels and delivereth his servants that trust in him He seems to rejoyce here in their grace in that constancy of theirs that they did not yeild to his command and serve no God but their own God and he rejoiceth in the deliverance of the Saints Blessed be the Lord that delivereth his servants yea further he seems to give the glory to God He does eye God in the deliverance he takes notice of it as from God and blessed the Lord Blessed be the Lord that sendeth his Angell and delivereth his servants Nay further he takes care of true Religion and of Gods Name to be exalted he makes Decrees and sends it to all people and whosoever does act any thing against God shall be cut in pieces and their houses thrown down and made a jakes Thus you see what a great way he went and what a great deal Nebuchadnezzer did seemingly for God upon this his conviction and yet it may be it was but a conviction and that
thee I will make them to come and fall down and worship thee I will make them to acknowledge that God is with thee this is a promise that Christ hath given out and he will fulfil it to his Churches those that have kept the word of Christ those that are faithful to the truth of Christ to the ways of Christ in the worst times though they may suffer reproach for a time yet at last he wil make the very enemies to confess that he was with them That 's the second Demonstration Thirdly Therfore it is that God hath put so much power into his word to convince the men of the Demonst 3. world and to force them to make them acknowledge that the Lord is with his people and that he hath loved them and that he deals graciously with them I say for this end the Lord hath made his word powerful he hath made it sharper then a two edged sword that it shall serve not only for the conversion of some but for the conviction of many that are not really brought home to God The Gospel where it comes it shall lay chains upon men it shall lay a restraint upon men See what is spoken of the power of the word of God in the first Epistle of the Corinthians and the 14. 24. 25. verses But if all Prophecie and there come in one that beleeveth not or one unlearned he is convinced of all he is judged of all Verse 25. And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest and so falling down on his face he will he will worship God and report that God is in you of a truth See the power that God hath put into his word for the convincing of the hearts of wicked men that God is in his word and that God is with his people the secrets of his heart shall be made manifest when he comes in he shall fall down on his face and say God is in you of a truth It may be before he came he had hard thoughts of the people of God it may be he was ready to say that folly was in them and madness was in them nay they were ready to say that the Devil was in them Ay but when his conscience lay before the word when he comes and sees your way when he hears that God speak in you such a power shall go along with the word that it shall lay chains upon him and it shall make him to fall down and say I was deceived I was wrong in that I did judge amiss of the people of God Now I see that God is in you of a truth Fourthly Therefore it is that when God hath dealt graciously with his people when he hath given out great mercies or great deliverances he hath ordered it so that their greatest enemies should be eye witnesses and sometimes Agents against their will in doing good to his servants you shall finde it so that when God hath so ordered to do great things for his people he hath made his peoples enemies to be great eye witnesses and ear witnesses You see here in the Text how God doth order the King Nebuchadnezzar that he should be present to see this Miracle that so a work of conviction should pass upon his conscience it is a wonder that the King should be present and would have thought it should not have stood with the State of the King to be with three poor Captives he might â—ave left them to his Officers but God did â—o order it that he should see that he should be present and therefore in the 6. of Dan. There you may see the Lord made him to be an eye-witness After Daniâ—l was câ—st into the Lions Den he could not sleep nor râ—st that night and he rose betimes in the morning to see the Miracle to see the wondrous deliverance that God wroâ—ght for his Servants Yea God makes his peoples enemies to be Agents sometimes in doing good to his Servants though agaiâ—st their wills that so he might convince them and exâ—ort confession from them that he is with his people In the promotion of Mordecai which you read in the 6 oâ— â—stâ—er God did order it so that the King did command that Haman Mordecais great enemy should be an Agent in his promotion He was Arrayed by Haman with Royal Apparrel Hâ—man was one that sought Mordicais life and God orders it that this man Haman should be an Agent in his promotion that hâ— should Array him that he should lead his Horse and he should cry Thus shaâ—l it bâ— done to the man whom the Kâ—ng will dâ—light to honour Fiftly Therefore it is that God many times Demonst 5 works deliverance for his peoâ—le because he God works for his people in such away that Enemies mustt needs confes that Goâ— is with his people works it in such a manner and in such a way as must needs leave convâ—ction upon the hearts of the men of the world if they be not given up to that fearful judgment of hardness of heart I say if they be not given up to hardness of heart God works in such a way that they must needs confess â—hat God is with his people First The Lord he works freely for his people he works freely for his name sake when there is nothing at all in them that might deserve the least mercy God many times gives out great mercies when they can apprehend nothing in themselves Nay when the men of the world of look upon them and see nothing in them they themselves through their grace and humility see nothing in themselves and the men of the world see nothing in them why God should do them good yet the Lord then many times he gives out great mercies and works great deliverances for his people Secondly As God works freely so he works unrxâ—ectedly and this helps to work conviction in mens hearts when God works unexpectedly for his servants when he gives out mercies contrary to expectation when enemies conclude Oh they are brought down into such a condition that it is impossible that ever they should be brought up yet the Lord he works unexpectedly that so he might work conviction in mens hearts See that fourth of Micah you shall see how God works contrary to mens thoughts Verse 11. Now also many Nations are gathered against thee that say let her be defiled and let our eye look upon Sion Vers 12. But they know not the thoughts of the Lord neither understand they ais Counsel for he shall gather them as the sheaves into his floor And v. 13. Arise c. When they say let her be defiled and let our eyes look upon Sion Why she is utterly undone she is brought down she is destroyed she lay in her blood she lay in her heaps she lay in her ruins why you are deceived say's God I will work unexpectedly above your thoughts you know not the thoughts of the Lord you say let your eye look upon Sion
shall say in â—hâ—ir hearts the Inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of Hosts their God I will put glory upon my people saith God and I will maâ—e their Governours to acknowledge it and they shall say The Inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength they are the Pillars they are those that bear up the Land they are our Chariots they are our Bulwarks the Lord Jehozah is with them they shall be my strength Secondly Let it be an Item to the men of the world Oh take heed how you look with delight upon the miseries of the Saints upon the afflictions of the Saints I tell you God will not bear with it he will punish you for it how did God threaten Edom because he stood and looked upon his brother in the day of adversity he stood in the high-way gazeing upon his brothers misery and delighted in it I tell you you that laugh at the misery of the Saints God he will make you lament and they shall not only rejoyce but they shall shout for joy the time is a coming that he will make you to see the mercy and that he is with them and deals graciously with them Thirdly Let Gods people acknowledge this as a great mercy that God should work conviction many times in the hearts of the wicked that he should deal in such a way with them that might convince the hardest heart that God is with his people I tell you 't is a great mercy 't is no ordinary mercy admire God in it bless God for it that God should thus reprove men and convince men for your sakes The Jews did look upon it as a great mercy in the 126. Psalm When God turned again our Captivity our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with singing Then said they among the Heathen the Lord hath done great things for them They looked upon it as a great mercy that the Lord should thus convince the Heathen 't is a mercy for they writ it they pen'd it as a great mercy worth the singing worth the glorifying of God for that God should work so powerfully upon the hearts of men and make the Heathen say The Lord hath done great things for them In the last place to conclude all Doth God make enemies confess that he hath done great things for his people why then the people of God should much more confess that the Lord hath done great things for them if enemies say it you may well say it you have more cause to say it that 126. Psalm verse 2. They say among the Heathen the Lord hath done great things for them and what say the people of God will not they say so yes in the very next words The Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad shall the Heathen say it and shall not we say it yes we are bound to say it and to acknowledge The Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad Remember I beseech you remember God cannot endure his mercies should be slighted he loves that you should have great thoughts of him and of his mercies that you should say he hath done great things When God works deliverance for you he will make the very Heathen to say so he will make by standers to say so and shall not we honour him for the mercy who are the receivers of the mercy shall not we say so The Lord hath donâ— great things for us shall Nebuchadnâ—zzar say The Lord haâ—h donâ— great things for thâ—m and shall not the three children say so yes sure they will lift up the name of God in their song And therefore I beseech you all you that have received mercy from God you should aggravate the mercy as much as you can though not compulsively you should freely say The Loâ—d hath done great things for us you shall find this always hath been the frame of Gods people to aggravate the mercy to aggravate the deliverance that God hath wrought for them See the 40. Psalm and tâ—e 5. verse Many O Lord my God are thy wonderful works which tâ—ou hast done anâ— thy thoughts which are to us ward they cannot bâ— reckoned up in order unto the if I would declare and speak of them they are more then can be numbered See what an aggravation there is of the mercy received they are many and they are wonderâ—ul and very many more then can be numbred they cannot be reckoned up in order and so Ezra when he and the people received mercies see how they do aggâ—avate it how they do acknowledge it in the 9. Chap. verse 13. And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great trespass seeing thou â—ur God hast punished us lâ—ss thâ—n our iniquities deserve and hast given us such deliverance as this should we again break thy Commandmeâ—t He knows not how to speak it Oh 't is a great mercy he stands and wonders at such a deliverance such a mercy and so aggravate all our mercies we should say with Ezra seeing thou hast wrought such deliverance such salvation seeing thou hast wrought in such and such a way this is a great ingagement to God when mercies are thus eyed and reviewed when a man looks into the depth of them and eye the mercies seeing thou hast given such deliverance should we again sin against thee he looks upon it as an ingagement to stand close seeing it was great mercy And Oh so should we in all our mercies as Ezra saith so we should say Seeing thou hast wrought such deliverance for us should we again sin against thee Oh no let thine mercies be an ingagement us to to love thee and serve thee and for ever to cleave to thee THE Sixth Sermon on DAN III. XXV He answered and said Lo I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and they have no hurt and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God I Have made some further progress in the words We considered who it was that gave testimony unto this miraculous Deliverance that God wrought for his servants It was Nebuchadnezzar a proud and an insolent man an enemy to God and his people and so he continues still in his heart for 't is probable he was not converted not really brought home to God for in the next Chapter you may sâ—e he did return to his very old ways of Idolatry he sent for the Magicians to interpret his dream and yet God makes him here bear witness what he hath done for his people So then we observed this Proposition That God sometimes works such deliverances for his people as he makes his very enemies and their very enemies to acknowledge that God hath done great things for them It was â—aid among the Heathen in the 126. Psalm Whâ—n God turned again the Captivity of Sion They saâ—d amongst the Heathen the Lord hath done great things for them The Lord Jesus many times did
affliction so he doth embrace in affliction he commonly never reveaâ—s more of himself never gives out more glorious manifestations of himself then in the time of affliction I will bring her into the Wilderness see that place Hosea 2. 14. I will bring her into the wilderness and speak comfortably to her she shall have my comfortable presence in the Wilderness I will speak comfortably to her and so David he had experience of it in Psalm 23. Thou art with me and I will fear none ill though I walk in the midst of the shadow of death I will fear none ill thy rod thy staffâ— doth comfort me never more consolations of Christ are given out to poor creatures then when the Lord brings theâ— into great tryals he deals as an indulgent Mother with her child never manifests more love then when the child is sick though a Parent does restrain love before yet then she maniâ—ests her love the child shall know that the Parents love it and then she shall bring out all her sweet meats in the time of sickness and so doth the Lord bring out a great deal of sweet meats they have more sweet meats and sweet drinks that the world knows not of then in the day of tribulation in the day of affliction when it is sad and dark with the outward man they have meat to eat that the world knows not of they have the comfortable presence of Christ that the world knows not of they have never more of the comfoâ—table pâ—eâ—ence of Christ then when they are brought into great straits and low conditions I shall have no time to come to the Application but only let me say this to you You kâ—ow not what use you may have of this before another Sabbath the Lord may bring you into afflictions and therefore remember this truth hide it in your heart that so upon all occasions you may make use of it and if God do bring you into afflictions submit willingly and readily to him submit to low conditions submit to tryals submit to persecutions know this that Jesus Christ manifests his presence and this is the way to manifest his presence I will abundantly comfort you in all your afflictions you lay under and that you meet with for his names sake and let it help to strengthen your faith and truly you had need to streagthen your faith in times of affliction there is no time in which the heart of men good men are more ready to faint and give over then in times of tryal how did David cry out and how did Christ cry out in his great aâ—fliction Oh my God my God why hast thou forsaken me In affliction we are apt to think that God hath forsaken us Sion sâ—id in her affliction the Lord hath forsaken me in her affliction she said the Lord hath forsaken me and thus an unbeleiving heart is apt to question in times of affliction Oh is God amongst us as Israel said when they were in wants and great straits Oh then their unbelieving hearts were discovered though they had seen his Miracles they tempted God and said is God amongst us And the best of Gods people in time of temptation and affliction may be apt to question is the Lord with us Now therefore strengthen your faith in the day of adversity that so you may not faint and dishonour God and look unto the Lord Jesus Christ that beholding the Lord Jesus Christ your faith may be strengthened remember that it is his way to give out much of himself to his people in times of affliction and therefore never say is the Lord wiâ—h us but expect to meet with God conclude the Lord is with you and he will be with you in the time of affliction and remember you shall never have more of his supporting presence of his enlightening presence his comforting presence his sanctifying presence and of his quickening presence I say you shall never have more of the presence of Christ then in such sad conditions strengthen the feeble hands and knees and look to the Lord that your faith may be strengthened THE Seventh Sermon On DAN III. XXV He answered and said Lo I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and they have no hurt and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God The handling of the Doctrine lastly named is put off to the next Sermon this not being preached in the same place with it FRom Nebuchadnezzars Testimony of this Miraculous Deliverance that God wrought for his Servants This Proposition was handled the last day God often times works such deliverance for his people as he makes their very enemies to confess that he hath done great things for them He made the very Heathen to confess that God hath done great things for his people When God did turn again our Captivity in the 126. Psalm They said among the Heathen the Lord hath done great things for them I will make them oâ— the Synagogue oâ— Satan saith Christ which say they are Jews and are not but do lie I will make them to come and worship before thy feet and to know that I have loved thee but this Pâ—â—nt is concluded and therefore I shall proceed For I desire to keep time and to be short in these morning Exercises Well then let us go on and look upon the Restraint that God layd upon the fire Consider the effect of Gods command and the effect of his prohibition God had given command that the fire should not burn them that the fire shoulâ— burn and dissolve their chains and their fetters that were upon them they were cast in bound bound hand and foot but God had commanded and the fire obeys it takes part with the three Children to loose their fetters and set them at liberty they were cast in bound And low now says Nebuchadnezzar I see four men loose God had layd a prohibition upon the fire and it obeys the commandment that it should not burn them that it should not touch their bodies it should not stop their breath that it should not so much as singe one hair of their head or scorch their garments and the fire is obedient to the word of the Lord they were walking in the midst of the fire and they had no hurt I shall put the particulars together because I would make hast they hold forth this Proposition Observat 6. That at the Commandment of the Lord the fierceest of Creatures shall not only not hurt his people but shall take part with them and do them good I say At the command of the Lord the fiercest of Creatures shall not only not hurt them but shall side with his people to take their part and do them good The fire cannot hurt nay the fire takes part with them nay the fire sets them at liberty First of all I shall shew you that the Creatures cannot hurt And then secondly That they must of necessity take part with the Saints
Vineyard I the Lord will keep it I will watch over it every moment least any hurt it I will keep it night and day least any hurt it I will keep it night and day See then there is a special eye of providence over the Saints that are the Lords Vineyard and therefore 't is not possible the Creatures should hurt it God he watches over his Vineyard for this end least any hurt should befall it I will watch over it every moment 't is true other wicked men they are kept from harm by a common providence of God they have rheir lives preserved but still 't is but a common providence But there is a special eye and a special providence of God over his people least any hurt should befall them there is no time no moment that God doth lay aside his watchful eye and not watch over his people And therefore there is no time that any harmful creature can step in to his people to do them hurt they all come under the providence of God every creature comes under the providence of God and therefore the Lord he is able to prevent the harm Fourthly The Creatures they are all given to Jesus Christ as he is King as he is the great King All power is given to him in Heaven and earth Now Christ he hath reconciled the Creatures and therefore the creaâ—ures cannot be hurtful to the Saints the Lord Jesus Christ hath reconciled the creature He hath reconciled all things in Heaven and Earth and made them all friends and therefore the creature shall not do harm to the people of God See the Promise that is made to the Church in a special manner it shall be fulfilled in the latter Ages Hosea 2. 18. And in that day will I make a Covenant for â—hem with the beasts of the field aâ—d with the fouls of Heaven and with the creeping things of the ground and I will break the Bow and the Sword and the Battle cut of the â—arth and I will make them to lye doâ—n safely This Promise is made to the Churches in the latter days When they shall enjoy abundance of Jesus Christ when they shall shall enjoy abundance of Jesus Christ when they shall have abundance of the Spirit of Christ why then shall those promises be fulfilled in a great measure they shall enjoy peace with the Creatures In that day I will make a Covenant with them in a special manner with the beasts of the field and with the fouls of Heaven and with the creeping things of the ground and I will break the bow and sword and there shall be no hurt in all my holy Mountain we are all reconciled to God by the blood of Jesus Christ And therefore they cannot hurt the Saints but do them good Briefly to make Application and so conclude If the fiercest of Creatures you see cannot hurt Application The fire it cannot hurt but it must do good when God commands take notice then of the mighty power of the Lord Oh know that he is a great King and his name is dreadful over all the world do but look upon the powerful command of God what effect it hath upon the Creatures 'T is impossible they should transgress he hath set them bounds that they cannot pass they are all ready to obey his Command if he say go they go and if he say come they come why this will make it evident That God is a God of infinite power to command so many Creatures so many thousand thousand Creatures as God doth order every day and that God should make them obedient to every command of his that none can transgress the least command but they must fulfill his word when he sets them about it Oh this declares that God is a God of infinite power and doth what he pleaseth Secondly What a shame is it to the sons of men that they will not submit to the Lord Will not the Creatures rise up in judgment against men When the Creatures fulfil the word of the Lord and you disobey the word of the Lord shall God have more service from senceless Creatures then from the sons of men that was made Lord over them Certainly this will be their iniquity another day and the very creatures will condemn them See what God says to that fire fire burn not it cannot so much as touch the hair of the head If God say to the fire fire burn their bands asunder set my children at liberty the fire it burns their bands and fetters and sets them loose that they were able to walk in the midst of the fire And so all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth and the Sea they all keep their bounds Hitherto shalt thou go and no further the Sea a raging Element it obeys the word of the Lord The Lord says to the Sun Sun run thy race it obeys stand still it stands still and is obedient Now shall all Creatures in their places obey the word of the Lord and shall not man Oh what a shame is this to the sons of men that they should disobey the word of the Lord That God should speak but one word to the Creatures and they should obey and that he should speak so many to the sons of men and they not obey That God comes again and again and speaks in his Ordinances and still man walks contrary to God when he lays a command upon them this is the command That you beleeve in Jesus Christ and renounce all your own righteousness and rely upon the Righteousness of the Son of God and still men disobey What a shame is it for man to disobey and all the Creatures that the Lord hath given to him to obey Thirdly Here is a great Incouragement and strong Motive to those that are strangers to God to come in and submit to him Oh that the Lord would perswade your hearts to come in and submit to him So long as you are strangers to God see the danger you are in you are liable to be harmed by all Creatures in Heaven and Earth they are all at the command of the Lord they all obey his word If God say to the least of Creatures go and take away the life of man avenge my quarrel upon such a Rebel the Creatures obey The Lord can arm the least of his Creatures a fly he can make that take way the life of man And therefore 't is a miserable condition to be a stranger to God and Christ to be out of Covenant with God you have no Covenant made for you and therefore you are left to harm of the Creatures every day Oh that the Lord would perswade you to come in to cast away your own righteousness and to submit to the righteousness of the Son of God and to make a close with him and with his Son and then all Creatures will take his part and if God be your freind they will be your freind and if God will not curse they
though he hath spoken many years ago yet the Lord he cannot forget his promise he is always mindful of his promise See in the first of Chron. and the 16. Chapter and the 15. verse He is mindful always of his Covenant the word which he commanded to a thousand generations though the promise be given out never so long ago suppose it be a thousand generations yet the Lord he is always mindful of his promise always mindful of his Covenant to a thousand generations a man may promise his friend to meet with him but it is possible a man may forget his promise but so cannot God he is ever mindful of his promise Again He cannot mistake the time happily a man though he hath promised yet he may mistake the time he knows not how the time passes and so may be deceived but it cannot be so with God he knows all times all creatures Foreknowâ— unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world Acts 15. 18. Nay he cannot be hindred by any impediment his Father will not hinder him he was willing to spare him out of Heaven for many years together that so he might be present with his people and all creatures cannot hinder him from performing his promise see the 27. of Isaiah verse 4. Fury is not in me who would set the Bryars and Thornes against me in battel I would go through them I would â—urn them together The greatest opposition was bryars and thorns to Jesus Christ bryars and thorns before devouring fire will soon be burnt and therefore upon this you may be confident seeing the Lord Jesus hath given out his word he will keep time and place with you Again Secondly You may be confident of his presence in affliction because affliction is for this end it is the main end that Christ in affliction may meet with his people that he may draw them into â—igher communion with himself that they may see more of him that they may enjoy more of him and he enjoy more of them that he may make use of affliction to remove that which is in the way between him and the soul to subdue corruption and to strengthen faith and to draw forth grace to heighten the holiness and the grace of the soul and to comfort the heart and all that the soul may enjoy more communion with Christ he doth take his people into a by-Lane as I may say in every affliction that he may speak unto them he took the Spouse into the wilderness that he might speak to her and so doth Jesus Christ when he takes his people into a by-way it is that he may speak something more to them that he may speak freely and speak something that may be for their good he doth not speak in affliction because he delights in affliction he doth not delight in their afflictions he doth not afflict that he may be satisfied no afflictions they are not their punishments for God hath satisfaction at the hand of Jesus Christ and therefore it relates to something to come that he may with this Chastisement draw the soul more nigh and see more of him and enjoy more of him more of his presence of his love more communion with him that he may comfort strengthen and support and sanctifie and therefore seeing it is the end the main end of affliction that Jesus Christ and his people may meet and converse together certainly Gods people must not slight this his afflicting them must not slight this main end of God Object But if Christ do meet with his people in affliction the presence of Christ cannot countervail the bitterness of the affliction Answ But it will to the full for there is that in the presence of Christ which may supply the wants of all creatures I say there is all goodnesse all sweetnesse gathered together in the Son of God which is scattered up and down in Creatures and therefore in Heaven the Saints need no creature comforts they need not the light of the Sun nor the light of the Moon and there all recomfortable relations are broken a pieces there is no husband nor wife nor child Master nor servant why because the good of â—ll these lations do meet in Christ and the good of all these relations shall be supplied by the presence of Christ and therefore Christ tells his Disciples in Mat 22. 30. In the Resurrection saith he they neither marry nor are given in Marriage but are as the Angels of God in Heaven they neither marry nor are given in Marriage that which is the most comfortable relation in earth there is no need of in Heaven 't is too poor too needy for Heaven there shall be no marrying nor giving in Marriage and â—o the comfort of all other relations shall be found in Christ In him there is a perfection of all goodnesse of all sweetnesse now you cannot meet with the fulnesse of these in any condition there is a fulnesse of joy in Christ a fulnesse of good in Christ what says the Psalmist in Psalm 16. v. last In thy presence is fulnesse of joy at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore there is a fulnesse of joy in the presence of Christ there is not a fulnesse of sorrow in any condition no there is a mixture of Mercy in every condition the evil that a Soul meets with is not infinite there is not a fulnesse of sorrow but in the presence of Christ there is a fulnesse of joy there is that which can abundantly countervail the evil that is met with in any condition if all the evil under the Sun were met together in one condition and a Soul brought into it yet it might find in the presence of Christ that which may answer that condition the presence of Christ will comfort and support and raise up a Soul in that evil condition and therefore you shall find that the presence of Christ hath made the Saints to rejoyce in Tribulations to joy abundantly The Apostles rejoyced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the Name of the Lord Christ it doth fill the Soul with holy joy heavenly Raptures yea the presence of Christ hath been astonishment to the Soul many times when it hath been in a sad condition see what Paul saith of himself in 2 Cor. 12. 2. I knew a man in Christ about 14 years ago whether in the Boâ—y I cannoâ— tâ—ll or whether out of the Body I cannot tell God knows such a man whether in the Body or out of the Body was caught up into the third Heaven some think this vision of Paul was when he was in a sad condition it was immediately after his conversion when the light of his Body was taken away by blindnesse Now it is supposed when Paul was blind in hiâ— Body he had this Vision of Christ you may see what abundance of sweetnesse he found in Christ it carried him beyond himself he wâ—s carrâ—ed out with holy Raptures I knew not
where I was saith he whether I was in the body or was taken out of the body I cannot test the Lord he knows and therefore still I say there is no cause why any of Gods people should inordinately fear affliction seeing you may meet with the presence of Christ in that condition and the presence of Jesus Christ will countervail the loss of all Creature comforts and the sweetness of it will be equivalent to the bitterness of it let thy condition be never so low That 's the third Use Fourthly Let the people of God expect the presence of Christ in their affliction in their low condition seeing Christ hath promised his presence do you expect his presence look for his presence Oh that we might labour to improve our affliction for this end that we may meet with more of Christ that we may enjoy more of the presence of Christ in our affliction truly there is a great deal lost Gods people loose abundance of sweetness which they might enjoy both in Ordinances and in afflâ—ction if their hearts were raised up to look for the performance of that which Christ hath promised if we would believe that Jesus Christ will be as good as his word did our souls expect the fuâ—lfilling of this word that â—e shall see the presence of Christ in affliction why then should we be so loth to suffer for Christ and be unwilling to submit to low conditâ—ons seeing it is the will of God that we should suffer Therefore I beseech you you that are the people of God get your hearts enlarged in affliction that so you may get above your â—ffliction if that you shall certainly meet with the presence of Jesus Christ in your afflicted conditions he hath spoken it he hath given out the word and therefore he will fulfill it what confidence had the people of God in their affliction when they remembred this I will fear none ill though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death And see what David saith in the 27. Psalm the beginning of it The Lord is my light and my salvation whom should I fear the Lord is the strength of my liâ—e of whom should I be afraid I cannot tell who the enemy is who is it he looks and he fiâ—des none in all the world whom should I fear and be afraid of so long as the Lord is with me I see no such enemy and therefore I beseech you that you would look after the presence of Christ expect the presence of Christ in all your afflictions that you meet with Object But you will say I have no such word as David had David might well belâ—eve that the Lord would uphold him for David had a particular word God spake to David he â—ware to David He swore by his Holiness that he would not fail David and so others of the Sainâ—s they had a particular word the Lord spake to Joshua Fear not I will not leave thee be couragious but we have no such word and therefore how should we expect to meet with Christ in afflicted conditions Answ I Answer first of all Though God does not speak now from Heaven by Visions he doth not reveal himself by Vrim and Thuâ—mim as unto David yet we have a larger word then David had and Joshuah had the Scripture is larger now we have abundance of the word there was but little of the Scripture writ in Daâ—ids time and less in Joshuahs time there was none of the written word but only the Book of Moses but now we have the word of God compleat we have a sure word a large word and 't is full of gracious invitations and incouragements and therefore the Saints now may be incouraged as well as they to whom God spake Secondly Yea Secondly I say God hath sent forth more of his spirit now in a Gospel way in a way of Gospel dispensation there is a great deal more of the Spirit of Christ poured out Now 't is the work of the Spirit the Office of the Spirit to particularize those promises to the soul to take thâ— promises and bring them home to this and that particular soul Now where the Spirit of God comes â—â— comes with evidence and he brings home the word of grace to thâ— soul that the soul cannot gainsay it nor resist it Object But you will say How shall I know 't is the Spirit of God that doth speak to me Answ I Answer The Spirit of God always speaks according to the word of God I say it speaks according to the written word that is given to us it speaks according to the word of grace for the spirit and the word do bear mutual testimony one of another But I Answer 'T is in the power of the Spirit to resolve the soul the Lord Jesus sends forth the Spirit with so much evidence â—s to convince the heart that it is the spirit that speaks the Lord Jesus he is able to perswade the soul that it is not a delusion but speaking according to the word of grace it is indeed the voice of the Father the voice of the Spirit that speaks Objct. But you will object further If the Lord Jesus be present with mâ— according to his promise if the Lord were present with me in affliction why how is it possible that it should be thus with me as it is How is it possible that there should be so much deadness and so much of the world and unbelief Surèly the presence of Christ is not with me in my affliction Answ I Answer to such a poor soul that looks after the presence of Christ and fain would enjoy the presence of Christ but cannot see him in affliction I say first of all Undoubtedly there is the presence of Christ with thee and thou canst not but thou mayst see something if unthankfulnesse doth not lye before thine eyes he is there the Lord Jesus is there and he will make good his word certainly if he hath promised to be with his people in afflicted conditions he will make good his word anâ— he is with thee at the door though he may be behind the Curtain and undoubtedly he is not far as I said before Joseph was with his Brethren when they did not know him and so the Lord Jesus is present with his people and they do not see him he doth feed them support them and maintain their lives and they not know it Secondly Yea I say secondly That if thou dost not see more of the presence of Christ the fault is in thee 't is not in the Lord not in the word of the Lord he is present according to the word that he hath spoke and therefore Christ may be present and thou seest him not because through negligence thou dost not stir up thy self to take hold of him thou givest way to a slothful spirit and so thou dost not stir up thy self to take hold of him or else thou dost not exercise faith in thy afflicted
condition and then no wonder though Christ be with thee and thou seest him not Faith is the eye of the soul and if that be shut Christ may stand at the right hand and the soul not discern him and therefore I say stir up thy faith go to the Lord to strengthen thy faith and stir up thy faith Faith shews Christ represents Christ to the soul Faith takes hold of Christ and brings the sweetness and the comfort of his presence to your souls Or it may may be 't is through unthankfulnesse that thou dost not see the presence of Christ thank thine unthankful heart I tell thee thou hâ—st a great deal of thanks to give and thou sayst Châ—ist iâ— not with thee who is it that supported thee who is it that put under his hand was there more strâ—ngth in thee then in others Surely there was an everlasting Arm put under to support thee in thine affliction and is not here matter of thankfulnesse And this you may be sure all yee people of God the heart of God is always towards you though his face is not towards you his hand may seem to be against you yet his heart is always towards you and therefore still I say the people of God ought to expect that they shall see and enjoy the presence of Christ and shall meet with him in every affliction Fiftly and Lastly What cause of thankfulnesâ— is here What cause hath the people of God to be thankful to Christ that hath made this comfortable provision for them as this that he is pleased to walk in such a gracious way and to afford them most of his presence at that time that they stand most in need of it Here is matter of thankfulnâ—â—â— that the Lord should not leave you alone but aâ—â—ord you his presence Here is matter of double thankfulness that the Lord Jesus should not leave you alone in your afflicted conditionâ— Oh 't is â—n uncomfortable condition to be left alone Wo to him â—hat is alone saith the wise man if a man fall and be alone who shall help him up and how miserable had it been if we had been left alone in such conditions in afflicted conditions when we were fallen low but the Lord hath not left his people alone Nay here is further matter of Thankfulness that he should afford his own presence to his people If the Lord had sent a Messenger to comfort a poor afflicted Creature we should have thought it a great mercy but that he should afford his own presence in affliction that he should come himself to support and strengthen what a double mercy is this This is more then if he had sent twelve Legions of Angels to comfort in afflicted conditions Oh what is the presence of Christ 't is the greatest good in the world 't is life eternal 't is the beginning of Heaven and shall be the fulness of Heaven hereafter the fulness of joy is the presence of Christ it shall be the greatest misery to loose the presence of Christ and therefore that is a most dreadful threatning when God doth threaten to depart from a people see how God doth threaten Jerusalem in Jeremiah 6. 8. Be thou instructed Oh Jerusalem least my soul depart from thee least I make thee a desolate land not inhâ—bited Least my soul depart fâ—om thee Now when God departs what follows nothing but desolation So in the Prophet Hosea see there what a dreadful threatning 't is for God to depart in Hosea 9. 12. Though they bring up their children yet well I bereave them that there shall not be a man left yea wâ— also to them when I depart from them There is all threatnings summâ—d up in this and more cannot be said wâ— unto them when I depart from them You see it will be the greatest evil in the world to be shut out from the presence of God it shall be the Torment in Hell so depart from Christ Why then 't is the greatest mercy to enjoy the presence of Christ if God go away all blessings go away with him Wo to them if I depart now on the contrary when the Lord Jesus comes unto a soul all blessings come along with him when Christ comes to a poor afflicted creature Oh what sweetness comes along with Christ there is comfort and there is refreshment there is grace and there is holiness and there is support there is life and light all come along with the presence of Christ Object Ay but if I could finde the effects of these may some soul say I shall labour to thirst after Christ if I could finde these effects of Christs presence why then I may be comforted but alass I finde not the effect of his presence and how then should I think it to be his presence that is with me Answ I say Believe Believe that Christ is present with thee I speak to every soul that hath made a close with Jesus Christ in the tenders of grace I say 't is thy duty to believe that he is with thee in thy afflicted condition Believe it though thou seest not the effects of his presence and that is the way to see believe that he is present according to his word and through the grace of God thou shalt see the effect of his presence only Christ would have us to believe his word Christ would have thee believe that he keeps time and place with them and that he is with them in afflicted conditions yea he deals with his people as Jobs friends dealt with him they came to visit Job in his affliction but sate them down seven days and spake not a word unto Job and at last they found an oportunity to speak even so doth Jesus Christ it may be he may sit seven days and not speak a word to his people he may come to the soul and not speak a word to the foul in an afflicted condition all the time he sits by them and looks on them and his heart is toward them and his bowels relent and he will break out at last and he will speak unto them it was long ere Joseph did reveal himself to his brethren when they were in straits but at last he breaks out and says he I am your brother and so the Lord Jesus he may sit long before he speaks a word Oâ— but at last he will break out and then shalt thou see that Christ was present with thee and therefore 't is thy duty to believe that the Lord Christ is with thee in thy affliction though thou seest him not though he be behind the Curtain and believe that thou shalt see the effect of his presence he will not go away and leave no blessing behind him surely where he comes he brings a gift with him he does not come empty and therefore believe that thou shalt see a blessing left behind it may be thou mayst not see â—â—e gracious effects of the presence of Christ in thee but believe the time is
coming when thou shalt see a friend may come with a Present to a friend but noâ— presently give it him it may be he will sit with him a long time and when he is ready to go away he will give the gift to him and so the Lord Jesus Christ he never comes empty and he comes and sits long before he gives out that grace that strength that comfort that is in his hand ready to give but undoubtedly Christ will give it before he goes away and therefore 't is the duty of all his people to wait upon him for the giving of that grace that he hath promised to their â—ouls and therefore when Christ comes to a soul manifesting of himself is expressed to the soul by his supping with the soul see Revel 20. Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man hear my voice and open the door I will comâ— in to him and will sup with him and he with me If any man open the door I will come in and sup with him he doth not say I will come in and break-fast with him or Dine with him no he shall have my comforts before I go away though I be at the last Meal I will be sure to sup with him though he break his fast with sowre herbs and dine with sowre herbs yet I will be sure to sup with him and he with me before I go away I will open my Bottels and pour out my Flagons of Wine and he shall taste of my Dâ—â—ties before I go and therefore the Martyrs cryed out He is come he is come meaning the gracioâ—â— presence of Christ to their souls the Lord Jesus will at last manifest himself to his people and will be present with them in their afflicted conditions according to his word and 't is the Lord Jesus his will that his people should expect his presence though he do not give it out to them presently yet wait for it and he will abundantly satisfie your souls before he goâ—â— away FINIS A SERMON Preached in Norwich upon the day of the Mayors entring into his Office ECCLES 9. 10. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with thy might for there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdome in the grave whither thou goest WE shall not seek far for the sence of the words we shall finde the sence in themselves Some conceive that Solomon spake in the person of the natural man or the Atheist who keep this Counsel Follow after the world enjoy thy pleasure and thy profit and do it with all thy might for thou hast no long time to enjoy them in there is nothing in the grave and therefore now take thy fill But I rather conceive that Solomon spake here as a Prophet in the person of a Prophet and spiritual man and gives better Counsel then this from the seventh verse unto the end of the Chapter He gives advice in the seventh verse to take the comforts of those things that God hath given And upon this Account Because the Lord accepts thy works Goe thy way eat thy Bread with joy and drink thy Wine with a merry heart for God now accepts thy works And so in the ninth verse Live joyfully with thy Wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity not with the Harlot as the Atheist would have spoken but with the wife whom thou lovest And so also this Counsel in the Text seems to be given by Solomon in the person of a spiritual man Whatsoever thy hand finds to do do it with all thy might for there is no working in the Grave c. The wise man here gives counsel unto all men to improve the time of life he calls all men to activity in the time of life And first he declares wherein men ought to be active Whatsoever thy hand findes to do Whatsoever is in thine hand to do as some read it Whatsoever God puts into thy hand to do in thy general or particular Calling more especially in the great Affairs that do concern the world to come whatsoever thy hand finde to do in relation unto the state of Eternity whatsoever thy hand finde to do a man finds that sometime which he seeketh and sometimes that which he seeketh not After thou hast sought out the mind of God and dost know what is his will concerning thee when thy hand hath found out what to do then do it with thy might or if the Lord shall prevent thee with his goodnesse and shall discover his will to thee when thou soughtest not after it Oh then give up thy self to work the work of God and do it with all thy might And then he shews in the second place how men must work these works of God do it with all thy might with all diligence with all faithfulness lay forth thy self to the very utmost for God do it with thy might This he presseth with two Arguments First There is no work in the grave there is no work to be done there that is the place of rest tâ—ere is no possibility of working if thou wouldst work afterward thou canst not thou shalt not be able to work there is no possibility of working for God and for thy soul when once in the grave there is no beleeving there is no repenting there is no turning to God when once in the grave if it be not done before thou comest there it is like to be undone for ever There is no work in the Grave And secondly as there is no work in the grave so there is no device nor knowledge nor wisdome there is no means to accomplish work if there were any work to be done in the grave there is no means to accomplish this work there is no knowledge in the grave This Argument is further backed by the consideration of the hastening of that estate of death where there shall be no possibility of working there is no work in the grave whither thou goest He doth not say there is no work in the in the grave whither thou shalt go but whither thou goest thou hadst need make hast for thou art going Thou and Thou and every one thou goest to the grave thou art making post hast thither thou art going every moment thou art every moment stepping over the Threshold of Eternity And therefore the Result of all is this Whatsoever God shall lay before thee to be thy work whatsoever thou hast to do for God or for thy soul in the great business of Eternity do not dally with it do not defer it do not put it off there is no work in the grave there is no possibility of working there If thou wouldst there is no means to accomplish work there And this condition is hastning upon thee thou art stepping into the grave every moment thither thou goest therefore he saith what thou doest do it with thy might I shall fasten upon this one consideration to prosecute at this time Observat That
you say her destruction is come already but you know not the thought of the thoughts of the Lord I will work unexpectâ—dly Thirdly God he works sometimes suddenly that he might give convâ—ction to men when God gives mercies he doeâ— it sudâ—â—nly when God brings judgements upon the wicked oâ— the world he doth it suddenly their destâ—uction is liâ—e wâ—arlewâ—nde it shall not come like oâ—her windes that â—o rise by degrees but as a whirlewind it shall come suddainly and carry them away before they think of it aâ—d so sometime he compares the judgments that he brings upon wicked men as the bâ—â—ach or a wall that cometh suddainly See the 30 of â—aiâ—h and the 13. verse Therâ—fore this iâ—iquity shall be to you as a breach â—eâ—dy â—o fâ—ll sweâ—ling oâ—t in a high wali whose breaking comâ—th sâ—â—daâ—nly at an instant And so when God works deâ—iverance for his people many times God works it in a sudden way look into the 1 6. Psâ—lm you shall see how suddainlâ— God wrought for his people how suddainly he brought them forth from Bâ—bâ—lon Verse 1. Wâ—â—n the Lâ—rd turâ—ed again our Captivity we were like to them tâ—aâ— dreamed Verse 2. Thâ—n was our mouth filled with lâ—ughter and our â—â—ngue with singing then said they among the Heathen the Lorâ— hath done great thâ—ngs for them Verse 4. Turn again our Captivity O Lord as the streams in the south He prays and beâ—eeves that God would turn again their Captivity as the streams in the souâ—h the streams of the South they come suddenly the streams there they do not arise as other Rivers they come from several Heads and so they increase aâ—d come broader and broader that when the rain falls mightily then the land floods come down suddainly Why in such a way doth God work for his people their deliverances shall be as the Rivers in the South as streams in the south that shall come suddainly in a moment before enemies are aware And thus doth God many times work conviction Fourthly God he works soliâ—arily he doth it by his own Arme when eâ—emies can see none to roule away the stone none to open a door of deliverance why then God himself he stretches out his Aâ—me when there is none to bring salvation his own Aâ—m shall bring salvâ—tion he will role away the stone he will open a door of deliverance and when God doth thus work this tends mightily to the conviction of those that are by-standers Quest If you ask but wherefore doth God thus work Wherefore doth God make very enemies to confess that he deals graciously with his people Why should they be eye-witnesses oâ— it Answ First of all because their eye looks upon the afflictions of the Servants of God and therefore God he will make them to look upon their mercies they look upon the mâ—sery of the Saints and they look upon them with delight and therefore God he will 〈◊〉 them to look upon their mercies and see theâ—â—â—eliverances They say â—et â—ur eye look upon Sion and let her he defâ—led Let our eye look upon her that is let us behold her ruin-in let us glut our sense and say thus we would have it Let our eye look upon Sion so in the 22. Psalm you shall finde how the wicked do look upon the affliction of Jesus Christ for 't is spoken of Christ Psalm 22. vers 17. I may tâ—ll all my bones they stare upon me they look and stare upon me When Christ was upon the Cross they stood looking upon him and did stare upon him the word signifies they looked with delight to stand gazeing insatiably When a man looks upon an object that pleaseth him he thinks he never looks enough he doth enlarge his sense to take in the speciousness of the thing and he thinks he never sees enough the same word is used by the Propet Isaiah 53. verse 11. He shall see the travel of â—is soul and be satisfied He shall see the travel of his soul he shall look upon it with delight he shall gaze greedily upon it it shews his wonderful affection that Chriâ—t looks upon his Spouse with wonderful desire that he looks upon the travel of his soul to see the fruit of his righteousness to see the benefit of his death he shall look upon the travel of his soul he shall gaze upon it with delight and so do enemies they look upon the affliction of his people and gaze upon it with delight and therefore God makes them to look upon the mercies of his people the deliverances of his people they shall see their glory God will make them eye-witnesses God will make them to confess that he hath dealt graciously with his people Secondly God doth 〈◊〉 mercy to the sons of men God would do even wicked men good and doth them good even by this while he works such conviction upon their heart by eyeing the mercies and deliverances that he doth give out to his people God by this he would allure them he would make them to stand and wonder while God not only in word but in his providence doth proclaim before them Thus shall bâ— done to the man whom the King delighteth to honour At least God doth this out of pitty to men that they might not go on to contemn the Gospel God he will give a check for this and therefore he works glorious deliverances that he might restrain them in the ways of persecution and thus doth the Lord pitty his very enemies he is better to them then they are to themselves God he would lay rubs in their way that they might not go leaping and jumping to Hell God he will not let wicked men dâ—â—â—ne themselves as they would if God should leave them to themselves And thus doth the Lord pitty his enemies A word for Application And so I conclude First of all Here is ground of patience and incouragement to the Saints in all tribulations in all adversities in the midst of your greatest afflictions in the midst of all the persecution you meet with for Christs sake for his Gospel sake for his truths sake though the world cast shame upon you timâ— is a coming that the Lord will roul away reproach and he will make your very enemies to see it and they that have stood looking upon your misery with delight they shall be forced to look upon your mercy and therefore here is a ground of patience to you in al daversity what ever you suffer from the world for Christs sake time is coming that God will make them to condemn themselves and to acquit you they shall see your mercy and they shall say of a truth God is with his people 'T is a ground of great comfort to the Churches of Christ in the midst of all the opposition that they meet with for the keeping of the word of his patience Oh see the promise that is made to the Churches in tâ—â— 12. of Zachariah verse 5. And the Gouernours of Judah
faith triumpheth in the consideration of it in Psal 23 vers 4. Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear none ill Why For thou art with me see what a mighty confidence was raised up in Davids heart and what was the ground of it The presence of the Lord Though I walk in the vally of the shadow of death I will fear none ill why For thou art with me he doth put cases of the most uncomfortablest condition that may befall him valley of the shadow of death though I be brought down from the Mountain and walk in the valley and though this valley be a dark way though it be a shadow of death that is though it be never so dreadful and though it be so nigh that all the world cannot save you even then when I am in such a condition and walk in the valley of death I will fear none ill for thou art with me so long as I have thy presence my soul is upholden you read in the 4. of Revelations at the 6. verse that the world is like a sea of Glass I saw before the Throne a sea of glass there the world is shadowed out unto you and the condition of men that are in the world the world is like to a sea of glass and Oh that men would remember this if it be a Sea of Glass what need have you of a friend to stand by you you that are Travelers in the world you walk upon a Sea of Glass Oh what need have you of a friend to take you by the right hand to uphold you there is none but Jesus Christ none but his presence can uphold you in this Sea of Glass and if this world be a Sea of Glass Oh what need have we to take Jesus Christ into the Ship into the heart that so he may be our Pilot and he may guide you safe Oh do but think in what steed Jesus Christ will stand you when the storms arise and the waves shall beat when it may be the body of the Ship shall be split in pieces Oh what will it be then for a Saviour to uphold the Spirit to bear up the spirit and take the soul upon his own shoulder to bear it above wrath and amazement Now do you apprehend this to be desireable Oh that the Lord would make your hearts to close with Christ to accept of Christ and the tenders of mercy now held forth in these days of grace I tell you the time is coming when you shall see weaknesse written upon the tops of the Mountains they will say look to your selves for we cannot help you now will not the presence of Jesus Christ be desireable to you in such a condition Oh then I say accept of him he freely tenders himself to you now in this day of grace and Oh that the day of grace might not be slighted his presence is desireable in such a strait and is he not now desireable that so you may have him in such a time of need But Thirdly This let 's us see that there is not such great evil in affliction as men apprehend men fear affliction and flee from affliction as from Toads and Serpents and connot endure to think of affliction cannot endure to think of the day of darknesse I say there is not so great an evil in affliction as men apprehend for the Lord Jesus is present with his people in affliction and there is no reason why you that are the people of God should inordinately fear affliction and why you should inordinately seek to be delivered from affliction seeing you may possibly enjoy more of the presence of Jesus Christ in affliction then ever you did in other conditions would â— loving wife be afraid to go into a dark place when she shall meet with her Beloved Why should you be afraid to go into a dark place when you shall meet with the presence of Christ Remember that Expression of tâ—e Martyr when he was ready to suffer death he breaks forth into this expression Come fire and come wild beasts Come rack of the body Come breaking of the bones Come all the torments in Hell that all the Divels in Hell can afflict with I care not so I can meet with the presence of Jâ—sus Christ Remember how many of the Martyrs have ventured into the flames to meet with Christ they have willingly sacrificed their lives that they might meet with Christ shall Peter venture into the water and shall the Martyrs venture into the fire and shall you be afraid to enter into an afflicted condition where you may meet with the presence of Jesus Christ There are two things that make the people of 2 Things that make the people of God to fear affliction God to fear affliction inordinately 1. First of all Either they do not beleeve that they shall meet with the presence of Christ in an afflicted condition Or 2. Secondly They do not beleeve that the presence of Christ will countervail the bitterness of affliction Now I shall endeavour to clear both these and to perswade you that are the people of God First of all that you shall certainly meet with Christ in affliction And then that his presence will countervail the bitterness of affliction First I say You shall certainly meet with Christ in your affliction for first of all he hath spoke it he hath promised it he hath set a part the time and place of his own appointment he hath given out the word the word is out of his mouth and 't is under his own hand written 't is under his hand and seal that he will meet with his people in afflicted conditions he hath said in the 5. of Job vers 19. that he will deliver thee in six troubles and in seven and every Promise is under the Hand and Seal of Christ and so in the 43. of Isaiah God promiseth there to be with his people in all their afflicted conditions in their greatest afflictions In the 43. of Isaiah and the second verse When thou passest through the water I will be with thee and through the Râ—vers they shall not overflow thee when thou passest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee the fire that is in the greatest straits in thy greatest affliction when the waters are ready to overwhelm thee I will be with thee and lift up thy head I will be with thee in fiery tryals when flames are ready to consume thee I will be with thee I say you may be confident of it because the Lord Christ hath given it under his hand and seal that he will give your souls a meeting in such a condition is there any thing that can hinder Christ from performing this his promise he cannot forget his word he cannot mistake the time and place he cannot be hindred by any outward impediment I say 1. First of all He cannot forget his Promise