Christ doth hide himselfe under the person of the poore the poore man reacheth out his hand indeed but Christ receives that that we give and â—hey are Christs exchangers for they take from us and Christ rewards us with grace and increase of our substance here with glory hereafter they receive it instead of Christ and Christ begs in the person of the poore in all joyntly and in every one particularly Think of the grace of Christ to us and then think Christ comes to me in the person of this or that poore man and it will stir us up to this duty But some will say if Christ were on Earth himselfe I should be ready to doe it to him Certainly thou wouldst not you know the place Matth. 25. In as much as you have not relieved these you have denied it to me saith Christ let us not deceive our selves for even as we would do â—o Christ if he were on earth we will doe to his poore members he hath made them his receivers But I shall want my selfe I have a family and children It is the best way to provide for thy children Psalme 112. God provides for the posterity of the righteous bounteous man A man is not the poorer for discreet mercy It is seed as I said before a poore man labours to have his seed sowne because it returnes plentifully Let us be sober and abate of our superfluous expences pride is an expender and superfluous lusts let us cut off from them that we may have somewhat for seed let us labour in an honest calling that we may have somewhat to give Oh it is a blessed thing to give It is a thing that must be gotten by use our soules must be exercised to it and when we have gotten it learne an art of giving we must exercise faith in it And when we come to dye it will make us dye wondrous sweetly for when a man hath depended by faith and trust upon Gods promise that He that gives to the poore lends to the Lord and other like promises I have exercised liberality and now I come to give up my soule to God I beleeve that God will make good the promise of life everlasting I have beleeved his other promises before and though I have cast my seed into the ground that I saw it not yet I have found that God hath blessed me the better in a way that I know not and now I depend upon the same gracious God in the promise of life everlasting We should labour to doe this that we may die with comfort What is it that troubles many when they come to dye Oh they have not wrought out their salvation with feare and trembling they have neglected this duty and that duty they have bene carelesse in the workes of mercy c. The time will come that that which wee have given will comfort us more then that we have we shall alway have that which we give for that goes in bâ—nck many prayers are made for us we have the comfort of it here and when we dye what we leave we know not what becomes of it Therefore let us labour to be discreetly large and bountifull as we desire to dye with comfort as we would make it good that we know The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ with interest in it and as we would make it good to our soules that the example of Christ is a thing that hath any efficacy with us or else wee shew that wee have no interrest in the grace of Christ and then how miserable are we We shall wish ere long that wee had part in this grace and love of Christ that he would speak comfortably to us at the latter day Come ye blessed of my Father inherit a kingdome Our life is short and uncertaine as we shall desire it then so labour to be assured of it now and let us bee stirred up from this Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ who though he were rich became poore for our sakes that we through his poverty might be made rich FINIS THE RICH POVERTY OR THE POORE MANS RICHES By the late Learned and Reverend Divine RICHARD SIBBS Dr. in Divinity Master of Katharine-Hall in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher at GRAIES-INNE Matth. 5.3 Blessed are the poore in spirit Iames 2.5 Hath not God chosen the poore of this world rich in faith LONDON Printed by R. Badger for N. Bourne at the Royall Exchange and R. Harford at the gilt Bible in Queenes-head Alley in Pater-Noster Row 1638. THE RICH POVERTY OR The Poore-mans Riches ZEPH. 3.12 â— will also leave in the middest of thee an afflicted and poore people and they shaâ—â— trust in the name of the LORD BEfore the Captivity in Babylon God sent Prophets to his people as Ieremiah and among the rest Zephaniah likewise who lived in the time of Iosias to forewarne and fore-arme them against worse times And as the Contents of all other Prophesies are for the most part these three so of this They are either such expressions and prophesies as set forth the sins of the people or secondly the judgments of God thirdly comfort to the remnant to Gods people so these be the parts of this prophesie A laying open of the sins of the time under so good a Prince as Iosias was and likewise the jâ—dgments of God denounced and then in this third Chapter especially here is comfort set downe for the good people that then lived the comfort begins at the ninth verse This particular verse is a branch of the comfort that how ever God dealt with the world he would be sure to have a care of his owne I will leave in the middest of thee an afflicted and poore people and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. The whole Scripture is for consolation and comfort when God pulls downe it is that he may build up when he purgeth it is that he may cure and heale he is the father of comfort whatsoever he doth it is for comfort therefore he hath a speciall care in his Prophets and Ministers and Ambassadours that those that belong to him may be raised up with comfort and not be overmuch dejected and cast downe but to come to the words I will also leave in the middest of thâ—e c. In the words these three generall heads First Gods dealing with his poore Church when he comes to visit the world I will leave in the middest of thee Secondly their condition and 〈…〉 they are an afflicted and poore people Thirdly their practise and carriage towards God they shall trust in the name of the Lord. From the first Gods dealing with his people in the worst times we may observe first that There is a difference of the people both in regard of providence in this world and in regard of that love that tends to the world to come for God hath a more speciall care as we
beset of Devils then he triumphed when he was visibly overcome then invisibly he overcame he was an invisible Conqueror when he was visibly subdued For did he not on the Crosse satisfie the wrath of God and by enduring the wrath of God free us from it and from Satan Gods Gaoler and reconcile us by his bloud The chiefe workes of all were wrought in his chiefe abasement At length he died and was buried I but he that died rose againe gloriously therefore he was mightily declared to be the Sonne of God by raysing himselfe from the dead That was the greatest abasement when he lay in the Grave and especially then he was justified by his Resurrection from the dead and his Ascension in his state of Glorification especially So if we goe from Christs birth to his lowest degree of abasement there was alway some manifestation of his justification by the Spirit He was justified in a double regard In regard of God he was justified and cleared from our sinnes that he tooke upon him He bore our sinnes upon the Tree and bore them away that they should never appeare againe to our discomfort He was made a Curse for us How came Christ to be cleared of our sinnes that lay upon him When by the Spirit by his Divine Nature he raysed himselfe from the dead so he was justified from that that God layd upon him for he was our Suretie Now the Spirit raysing him from the dead shewed that the Debt was fully discharged because our Suretie was out of Prison All things are first in Christ and then in us he was acquitted and justified from our sinnes and then we And then he was justified by the Spirit from all imputations of men from the mis-conceits that the World had of him they thought him to be a meere man or a sinfull man No he was more then a meere man nay more then a holy man he was God-man Whence were his Miracles Were they not from his Divine Power He overcame the Devill in his temptations Who can overcome the Devill but he that is the Sonne of God He cast out the Devils and dispossest them with his Word All the enemies of Christ that ever were at length he conquered them and so declared himselfe mightily to be as he was the Sonne of God He healed the outward man and the inward man by his Divine Power he caused the spirituall as well as the bodily eyes to see the dead to live and the lame to goe c. Whatsoever he did in the bodie he did in the soule likewise in those excellent Miracles he was justified and declared to be the Sonne of God especially in his Resurrection and Ascension and daily converting of soules by his Ministerie all being done by his Spirit which is his Vicar in the World ruling his Church and subduing his enemies so that he was every way justified in the Spirit to be God to be the true Messias prophesied of and promised to the Church Therefore he was justified in his Truth that all the Promises were true of him and in his faithfulnesse that he was faithfull in performing the Promises he made he was justified in his goodnesse and mercy and all those attributes he was justified in the Spirit But you will say it seemes he was not justified in the Spirit There are many Heretikes that thinke not Christ to be God that take not Christ to be so glorious as he is I answer when we speake of the justifying of Christ it is meant to those that have eyes to see him to those that shut not their eyes hee was justified to be so great as he was to those whose eyes the god of the world had not blinded to all that were his as it is excellently set downe Iohn 1.14 The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glorie as the glorie of the onely begotten Sonne of the Father full of Grace and Truth We beheld his glorie we did others did not take notice but they were those whose eyes the god of this world hath blinded the malicious Scribes and Pharises that sinned against the Holy-Ghost and would never acknowledge Christ an ignorant people that had not Faith nor the Spirit of God He was justified by the Spirit of God to all that had spirituall eyes to see and take notice of his course as S. Iohn sayth in one of his Epistles What we have seene and heard and our hands have handled the Word of Life that we declare to you So that he was God manifest in the flesh and he shewed himselfe to be the Word of Life to those that were his Apostles and Disciples and those that were converted by him As we see S. Peter when he had felt his Divine Power upon his heart by his Preaching Lord sayth he thou hast the words of eternall life whither shall we goe He felt the Spirit in his preaching And so another time S. Peter in Matth. 16. he confessed him to be the Sonne of the living God You see to whom he was justified and declared to be the true Messias to be God as well as man by his Spirit The reason why he justified himselfe to be so it was the more to strengthen our Faith all his Miracles were but so many sparkles of his Divine Nature so many expressions of his Divine Power And after he was raysed from the dead at his Ascension and sending of the Holy-Ghost he shewed his Divine Power more gloriously and all to strengthen the Faith of the Elect and to stop the mouthes of all impudent rebellious persons For considering that he wrought such Miracles that he raysed men from the dead and raysed himselfe considering that he called the Gentiles and converted the World by the Ministerie of weake men he shewed that hee was more then a man Well to make some use of this that Christ was Iustified in the Spirit Then first of all Christ will at length justifie himselfe this is a ground of Faith How-ever he be now as a Signe set up that many speake against and contradict yet the time will come when he will gloriously justifie himselfe to all the World Now some shut their eyes willingly and the opposites of Christ seeme to flourish yet Christ will be justified by his Spirit to all his Elect in every Age especially in the Resurrection For when he shall come and appeare to be glorious in his Saints it will appeare who he is indeed Now he suffers many to tread upon his Church and he suffers many Heretikes to denie him sometimes in one nature sometimes in another and so to offend against him but the time will come that he will trample all his enemies under his feet he will be justified by his Spirit that is our comfort There are many Schismatikes and Heretikes and Persecutors but Christ will be justified at length the Kingdomes of the Earth
his sake we have communion with the blessed Angels These things may be of some use but it is not that I mainly intend thus much for the Apparition Now the celebration is a Multitude of the heavenly Host praising God The word signifies singing as well as praise it implies praise expressed in that manner and indeed praising God it is the best expression of the affection of joy The Angels were joyfull at the birth of Christ their Lord. Joy is no way better expressed then in praising God and it is pitty that such a sweet affection as Joy should runne in any other streame if it were possible than the praising of God God hath planted this affect on of joy in the creature and it is fit hee should reape the fruit of his owne garden it is pitty a cleare streame should run into a puddle it should rather runne into a garden and so sweet and excellent affection as Joy it is pitty it should be imployed otherwise then in praising God and doing good to men They expresse their joy in a sutable expression in praising God the sweetest affection in man should have the sweetest imployment the sweetest imployment that joy can have is to be inlarged in love to praise God and for Gods sake to doe good to others See here the pure nature of Angels they praise God for us we have more good by the Incarnation of Christ then they have yet notwithstanding such is their humility that they come downe with great delight from heaven and praise and glorifie God for the birth of Christ who is not theirs but our Redeemer Some strength they have there is no creature but hath some good by the Incarnation of Christ to the Angels themselves yet however they have some strength from Christ in the increase of the number of the Church yet he is not the Redeemer of Angels in some sort he is the head of Angels but he is our Redeemer To us a child is borne to us a Sonne is given And yet see their nature is so pure and so cleare from envie and pride that they even glorifie God for the goodnesse shewed to us meaner creatures then themselves and they envie not us though we be advanced by the Incarnation of Christ to a higher place then they For beloved the very Angels have not such affinity to Christ in this as wee they are not the Spouse of Christ they make not up mysticall Christ the Church doth the Church is the Queene as Christ is the King of all it is married to Christ Angels are not and yet although they see us advanced in diverse respects above them yet they are so pure and free from envie that they joyne in praising God here in love to us Let us labour therefore for dispositions Angelicall that is such as may delight in the good of others and in the good of other meaner then our selves And learne this also from them shall they glorifie God for our good especially and shall we be dull and cold in praising God on our owne behalfe Shall they come suddenly from heaven and cheerefully and willingly and to praise God for his goodnesse to us and shall we be frozen and cold in this duty that is for our good more especially I hasten to that that followes What is the matter of their celebration and gratulation Glory to God in the highest In earth peace Good will towards men There is some difference in the readings some copies have it On earth peace to men of good will to men of Gods good will and so they would have it two branches not three if the word be rightly understood it is no great matter First the Angels begin with the maine and chiefe end of all it is Gods end it was the Angels end and it should be ours too Glory to God on high Then they wish the chiefe good of all that whereby we are fitted for the maine end Peace God cannot be glorified on earth unlesse there be peace wrought for man else conceives God as an enemy by this Peace we are fitted to glorifie God if wee find reconciliation with God through Iesus Christ then the sence of Gods love in the worke of reconciliation will enflame our hearts to glorifie God therefore next to the glory of God they wish Peace on earth Then thirdly here is the ground of all happinesse from whence this peace comes from Gods good will from his good pleasure or free Grace To men of Gods goodwill So if we goe back againe The good will and pleasure of God is the cause and ground of peace in Christ and peace in Christ puts us into a condition and stirs us up to glorifie God so we see there is an order in these three To begin with the first Glory to God in the highest The Angels those blessed and holy Spirits they begin with that which is the end of all It is Gods end in all things his owne glory he hath none above himselfe whose glory to ayme at And they wish Glory to God in the highest Heavens Indeed he is more glorified there then any where in the world it is the place where his Majestie most appeares and the truth is we cannot perfectly glorifie God till we be in heaven there is pure glory given to God in Heaven there is no corruption there in those perfect soules there is perfect glory given to God in heaven Hâ—re upon earth God is not glorified at all by many The whole life of many being nothing but a dishonouring of God by abusing his ordinances trampling upon his Church and children by slighting his word and Sacraments there is little honour given to God in the world but only by a few whom he intends to glorifie for ever and indeed if we will glorifie God here we must raise our thoughts to heaven at that time raise them above the world to heaven where we shall for ever glorifie him where we shall joyne with the blessed Saints and Angels and sing holy holy holy Lord God of Hosts c. In the meane time let me adde this by the way that in some sort we may glorifie God more on earth then in heaven It may seeme a Paradox but it is true that is thus here upon earth we glorifie God in the middest of enemies he hath no enemies in heaven they are all of one spirit here upon earth we live not onely among Devils but among men led with the spirit of the Devill where God is dishonoured and if here we take Gods side and the truth and Gospels side and stand for Gods cause in some sort we honour God more here then we are capable to doe it in heaven where there is no opposition In this respect let us be encouraged to glorifie God what we can here for if we begin to glorifie God here it is a signe we are 〈◊〉 number that he intends to glorifie with him forever
that have dispositions like them will study how this blessed truth may be promoted and propagated and spread even over the world therefore wee should labour every one to spread the glorious Gospell of Christ especially those that are Ministers whose office it is to unfold and open the unsearchable riches of Christ. Againe we glorifie God in Christ when wee see such glory and mercy of Christ as it doth transforme us and change us and from an inward change we have alway a blessed disposition to glorifie God as I shewed out of 1 Cor. 3. This is the difference betweene the glasse of the Gospell and the glasse of the Law and of the creatures In the Law we see the beames of the Justice of God Cursed is every one that continueth not in all c. and the beames of his power and goodnesse in the creature but it doth not change and transforme us to be good and gracious but when wee see the glory of God of his goodnesse and infinite mercy shining in the face of Iesus Christ for wee dare not looke upon God immediatly it changeth the soule to be gracious like unto Christ therefore if wee find that the knowledge of God in Christ hath changed our dispositions it is a signe then we give glory to God indeed for to glorifie God is an action that cannot proceed but from a disposition of nature that is altered and changed the instrument must be set in tune before it can yeeld this excellent Musicke to glorifie God as the Angels doe that is all the powers of the soule must be set in order with grace by the Spirit of God if the meditations and thoughts of the Gospell have altered our dispositions to love God and that that pleaseth God to doe good to men to delight in goodnesse it is a signe we are instruments in tune to glorifie God and that we have an apprehension of the love and mercy of God in Christ as we should for it hath a transforming power to worke this The grace of God will teach us to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live holily When the grace of God that is the free love of God in Christ in the forgiving our sinnes and advancing us to heaven hath this effect in our soules it is a signe wee have a true notion and apprehension of the excellency and eminency of Gods grace otherwise if we turne the grace of God into wantonnesse to make the benefits by Christ a pretence and covering for our wicked and loose lives we know not what it is to glorifie God but though in words we say Glory be to God yet in our lives we denie it as the Apostle saith The Hypocrites in Isay 66.5 they had good speeches in their mouthes saith God heare the Word of the Lord ye that tremble at his Word your brethren that hated you and cast you out for my name sake said Let the Lord be glorified so you shall find those that are opposers and persecutors and haters of sinceritie will sing Gloria Patri God be glorified but what good will this doe them if they have diabolicall satanicall dispositions if they be like the Devill in opposing the truth and hating that that is good The Devils in the Gospell could glorifie God for their owne ends We know that thou art the Sonne of God so Devils incarnate can come to Church and receive the Sacraments and seeme to praise God oh but there must be a change for to glorifie God is a work of the whole man especially of the Spirit All that is within me praise his holy name It came from the heart roote of a sanctified judgement out of grounds why we doe it The wish of the Angels here Glory to God on high it came from a good ground because they knew God is to be glorified in Christ for judicious phrases are founded upon truths so there must be a sanctified judgement to be the ground of it and the affections must be in tune answerable to those truths then we are sit to glorifie God and all this is by the power of the Gospell transforming us Againe we glorifie God when we take to heart any thing that may hinder or stoppe or eclipse Gods truth and obscure it when it workes zeale in us in our places as farre as we can when it affects us deepely to see the cause of Religion hindred any way if there be any desire of glorifying God there will be zeale the heart will move with a kind of indignation when God is dishonoured and his truth eclipsed with false doctrine or by ill practice it cannot be otherwise it is out of the nature of the thing it selfe therefore those that either are instruments of stopping or obscuring the truth or causing it to be reproached by their wicked lives or if they be not instruments yet they doe not take it to heart when they see God dishonoured surely they can speake little comfort to themselves they have neither Angelicall nor Evangelicall dispositions for if they had the knowledge of the Gospell it would worke this is in them Againe if we apprehend this glorious Mysterie of Christ in the Gospel aright it will work in us a glorious joy for joy is a disposition especially that fits us to glorifie God then we are fit to glorifie God when our hearts are enlarged with joy when we thinke of God in Christ when we thinke of the Day of Judgement when we thinke of heaven when we can thinke of hell with joy as being subdued and blesse God for Christ when we can thinke of all that is opposite as conquered in Christ so that our joy is enlarged in the apprehension of our owne blessed condition it is a good signe we are in a disposition to glorifie God but I will not enlarge my selfe further in this point This being so excellent a duty to which wee are stirred by the Angels Glory to God on high c. what are the maine hindrances of it that we give not God more Glory The maine hindrances are a double vayle of Ignorance and Unbeleefe that we doe not see the glorious light of God shining in Iesus Christ or else if we doe know it we doe not beleeve it and thereupon instead of that blessed disposition that should be in the soule there comes an admiration of carnall excellencies a delighting in base things This Ignorance is partly from the darknesse of our owne hearts being overcast sometimes that such great things are too good to be true our hearts have a hell of unbeleefe in them And sometimes the policy of Satan who casts dust in our eyes and labours that wee may not see the glory of God in the Gospell 2 Cor. 4. The God of this world hath blinded their eyes c. Ignorance arising from within or without is a great cause why we do not see the excellencies of God therefore no wonder if where the Gospell is not
I rather speak of positive truths to see Gods grace and favour and blesse God for it in every thing we have Doth all that we have in Christ come from grace the grace in us and comforts and outward things meerely from grace Then esteeme them more from the spring from whence they come then for themselves The necessaries of this life food and raiment they are but meane things in themselves but if we consider what spring they come from from the blood of Christ that hath purchased them and from the grace and love of Christ grace will adde value to them grace will make all sweet that we have when we can say I have this from the grace of God as Iacob said These are the children that God hath given me of his bounty and grace This is the provision the helpe and comfort that I have from the grace of Christ for the same grace that gives Heaven gives necessaries and daily bread Let us look on every thing and put the respect of grace upon every thing It is grace that we meet with afflictions wherby we are corrected God might have let us goe on in the hardnesse of our hearts looke upon every thing as a fruit of Gods grace and favour What is the reason that we are no more thankful for common benefits Because we looke not on them as issuing from grace Take away grace the free favour of God extract this quintessence take the love of God out of things what are they Let a man be rich if he have it not from the love and mercy of God what will all be in time but snares Let a man be great in the world if it be not from the grace of God what is it As God saith I will curse you in your blessings without grace we are cursed in those things that else are blessings take grace from Adam in Paradise and Adam is afraid in Paradise and hides his head Take the favour of the King from Haman and nothing will do him good take the favour of the King from Absalom and all other liberties that he had are nothing worth when he must not go to the Court so take the grace and favour of God away that sweetens all they will prove snares and we shall finde by experience that God will curse us in all our blessings Let us labour therefore to have a sensible feeling of this free grace and mercy of God in Christ. And to adde this further the grace of Christ it is a fruitfull grace it is a rich grace as the Apostle saith here you know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ who became poore to make us rich by his poverty The favour of God and Christ it is no empty favour it is not like the Winter Sunne that casts a goodly countenance when it shines but gives little comfort and heat Many men give sweet and comfortable words but there is nothing followes it is but a barren favour It is not so with Gods favour to give only a shining countenance but no warmth no saith the Apostle you know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ who though he were rich he became poore It was a grace that made him empty himselfe of himselfe to make us full it made him poore to make us rich he abased himselfe to make us glorious As is the man so is his strength saith the Proverbe so as is the person such is the favour and good will we expect from him Now Christ being so potent a person being God and man his grace must needs be wondrous rich suitable to his greatnesse If God will free a man he will free him from all miseries if he advance a man he will advance him to Heaven if he will punish a man he will punish him to hell his wrath shall seise on him for ever what hee doth he will do like a God the grace of Christ it is a powerfull rich grace Therefore let us examine our selves am I in the favour of God and of Christ if I be surely it is a rich favour it tends to the best riches he became poore to make me rich Where is my faith my love my hope my contentation my patience and victory over temptations and lusts Is it a dead favour Am I in the favour of Christ and finde no fruits of it Certainly it is but an illusion therefore as yet I am not in the compasse of Christs favour Therefore I must wait in the use of meanes and humbling my selfe he gives grace to the humble And with a sense of our spirituall poverty let us pray to God to shine on us in Christ that wee may finde the fruit of his love inriching us with grace Oh that my faith and hope and grace were more Oh let this evidence that I am in thy favour by the fruits of it that I may finde those riches that thou hast procured by thy poverty And let us not rest till we finde the fruits of this grace though not alway in the comfort yet in the strength and ability that wee may performe in some measure what is required Though we have not much of the comfort that we desire yet if we have strength we have that that is better It is better to have grace then comfort here God reserves that for another world But let us alwayes looke for one of them either sensible peace and joy oâ— if not that yet strength against our corruptions and ability to doe God service in some measure to do something above nature holy desires and ability and strength they come not from nature but from the favour of Christ therefore having these I know I am in the love of Christ these are favours that hee bestowes onely upon his owne favours of the left hand he gives to castawayes but his speciall favours the riches of grace he gives only to his children Therefore let us labour to finde somewhat wrought in our natures that may evidence to us that we are in this rich favour of God Lastly this grace of Christ being free that we neither desired it nor deserved it why may not Manasses take hope as well as David if he submit himselfe though hee were so horrible a sinner as he was Why may not Paul a persecutor finde mercy as well as Timothy that was brought up to goodnesse from his youth It is free therefore let no man despaire that hath beene a wicked liver in former time The best stand in need of grace and it is of grace that they are what they are as S. Paul saith By grace I am that I am and the worst if they come in and submit themselves and take Christ for their Lord and submit to his government and will be ruled by his word and Spirit and not continue to live in rebellious courses they may partake of this grace But againe let none presume for though it be free grace yet we must confesse our sinns and forsake
hath made his will knowne It is presumptuous boldnesse to challenge any thing of God that we have not a promise for or to attribute that to him that he is not God is therefore trusted as he hath made himselfe by some name knowne to us He hath made himselfe knowne by his attributes by his nature and essence Iehovah and by his word and the promises in his word for his word is one of the best sweetest names whereby he hath made himselfe knowne The name of God is glorious in all the world in the creation and every creature hath a tongue to shew forth the power and wisdome and goodnesse of God but what is this to us if we know not the will of God toward us There is the name of God discovered what he is in himselfe somthing of his power and wisdome c. But what he is to us gracious and mercifull and sweet that we must gather out of the discovery of his owne breast He must come out of that light that none can attaine unto and discover himselfe as he hath done in his word and by this name of God his word we come to make use of his other names The next thing I will speake of is the improovement of God when he is knowne to trust in him to pitch our trust and confidence upon him They shall trust in the name of the Lord. For there must be an application of the soule to God we must lay our soules upon God though hee be a Rock yet wee must lay our soules upon him and though he be a foundation yet we must build upon him and his truth revealed There is an adaequate comfort in God and in the Scriptures and superabundant too to all our necessities whatsoever it transcends them all there is more in the spring then we want ourselves yet notwithstanding there must bee grace in the soule to repaire to God there must be an hand an empty beggers hand such as faith is to reach that helpe that God yeeldes there must bee a wing to flye to our Tower the wing of the soule is this trust and faith and when these two meet faith or trust and GOD What a sweet meeting is there For emptinesse and fulnesse poverty and riches weaknesse and strength â—o meet together these will graspe sweetly for the excellency and al sufficiency of the one and the necessity of the other meeting together breeds a sweet correspondency Wee must trust therefore in the Name of the LORD that is the way to improve whatsoever is in God for our good Faith the nature of it is after it hath applied it selfe to the grounds of comfort to draw vertue and strength from God Of it selfe it is the most beggerly grace of all Love is a rich grace but yet notwithstanding in the covenant of grace wherein grace and mercy must have the glory God hath stablished such a grace to rule there as ascribes all out of it selfe and is an empty grace of it selfe to make use of the riches that is ouâ— of it selfe therefore God hath made choice of this trusting instead of all other graces as indeed leading to all other graces whatsoever God brings us home by a contrary way to that we fell from him How did we fall from God at the first that was our Rock our defence and trust We fell from him by distrust by having him in a jealousie as if he aimed more at himselfe then at our good so the Devill perswaded our first parents the next way therefore to come back againe to God it must be to have a good conceit of God not to have him in jealousie but to be convinced in our soules that he loves us better then we can love our selves in spight of the Devill and all his temptations so to trust God is to relye upon him in life and death therefore God hath appointed this grace as he saith here They shall trust in the name of the Lord. Now because we all pretend that we trust in the name of the Lord. We will first examine our trust let us try our trust a little that wee may see whether it be true trust or no. And then upon that we will give some directions how to come to this blessed condition to trust in the name of the Lord. For the first I doe not take trust here for the first faith which is the grace of union to receive Christ but for the exercise of faith afterwards in a Christians life so we speak of it as a fruit rather that comes from faith And wee may know our trust in the name of the Lord being now conceived as a gracious Father in Christ clothed with the relation of a father for so we must trust him not God â—â—solutely for there is no comfort in an absolute God distinct from his relations but when we apprehend him in relation as a sweet Father in Christ in that name then the nature of God is lovely to us betweene whom and us there was an infinite distance before Now Christ being Emanuel God with us hath brought God and us together intermes of league Now our nature is lovely to God in Christ because it is taken to the unity of his person and Gods nature is lovely to us having made himselfe a father in Christ his beloved Sonne Therefore when we speak of God our thoughts must runne upon God as thus conceived as clothing himselfe with the sweet terme of Father our God in covenant we must so apprehend him Now one evidence of this trust in this our God is a care to please him in all things When we depend upon any men wee have a care to please them A tenant that feares to be thrust our will strive to please his Landlord We that hold all upon this tenure upon faith and trust in God we should feare to displease him And there will be likewise an use of all meanes to serve Gods providence and care of us if wee trust in him or else it is a tempting and not a trusting There are no men more carefull of the use of meanes then those that are surest of a good issue and conclusion for the one stirs up diligence in the other assurance of the end stirs up diligence in the meanes For the soule of a beleeving Christian knowes that God hath decreed both both fall under the same decree when God purâ—â—â—ed to doe sâ—ch a thing he purposed to do it by such and such meanes Trust therefore is with diligence in the use of all meanes that God hath ordained He that trusts a Physicians skill will be very carefull to observe what was prescribed and will omit nothing It is but presumption it is not trust where there is not a care in the use of meanes as wee see many pretend to trust in God and sever the means from the end they are regardlesse of the meanes of salvation Againe those that trust in God
and praying to him and then using the meanes with dependance upon him Let us therefore acknowledge God this way by committing our wayes and affaires to him Wee need knowledge and strength and a comfortable issue for all that is necessay in our affaires let us acknowledge God and fetch all these from him Well the last thing that wee have any use of trusting God withall is when we are dying to trust our soules to commit them to God and yeeld them up to him our depositum to lay it with him He that hath inured himselfe to trust God all his life and to live by faith he will be able at length with some comfort to dye by faith Hee that hath trusted God all his life with all things that God hath trusted him he can easily trust God with his soule and he that hath not inured himselfe to trust God in this life undoubtedly he will never trust God with his soule when he dies it is but a forced trust Thus you see in all the passages of our lives we must learne to trust God and to make use of God for God is so abundant that hee is never drawne dry he joyes when he is made use of it is an honour to him Let us try our selves by that I have said whether we truly trust God or no let us not deceive our owne soules but labour to trust God for all things Let it be our daily practise in the use of meanes look to the course that he prescribes us and then looke up to him for strength and blessing and successe This ought to be the life of a Christian Oculus ad Coelum as they say of the Governour of a Ship he hath his hâ—nd to the Sterne and his eye to the Pole-star to be directed by that so the life of a Christian he must have his hand to the sterne he must be doing that that God prescribes him and hee must have his eye to the Starre to be guided in his course by Gods direction he that doth not this knowes not what it is to trust in God How shall we bring our soules to this so necessary a duty Indeed it is a very hard matter we know what it is to live by our wits by our wealth by our lands but what it is to live by faith in depending upon God few soules are acquainted with that Therefore in the first place learne to know God you see here we must trust in his name We know men by their names God and his name are all one his name is himselfe and himselfe is his name Therefore let us learne to know God as he hath discovered himselfe know him in his workes but especially in his word know him by that worke is he hath discovered himselfe in his word Let us know his promises and have them in store for all assaies whatsoever promises fâ—r grace and for direction in this world God will not faile us nor forsake us he will be in all extremities with us In the fire and in the water and the promises of issue All things shall work for good to them that love God and the promise of his Spirit He will give his holy Spirit to them that ask him Besides particular promises a world of them in Scripture let us know God in these promises they are our inheritance our portion And if we should go to God and not be acquainted with these he will aske us upon what ground How shall wee bee able to go to God But when we have his promise we may say boldly with the Psalmist Lord remember thy promise wherein thou hast caused thy servant to trust We may put God in remembrance not that he forgets but he will have us mindfull of what he promiseth and put him in minde Aâ—d it is an evidence to our soules that he will grant any thing when we have faith to put him in minde of his promise Lord remember thy promise wherin thou hast caused thy servant to trust Lord thou canst not deny thy word and thy truth and thy selfe and they promise and thy name by which thou hast made thy selfe knowne Thus we should know God in his word as it is Psal. 9. They that know thy name will trust in thee oh Lord. We never trust a man till we know him and those that are not good we say they are better knowne then trusted but the more we know God the more we shall trust him And know him in his speciall Attributes that the word sets him out in besides the promises that we may know that he is able to make good all these promises and then wee shall trust him What are those Attributes He hath made himselfe knowne to be All-sufficient what a world of comfort is in that He saith to Abraham I am God All-sufficient walk before me and be perfect take thou no thought for any other thing I am God All-sufficient There is in him whatsoever may be for an object of trust he is All-sufficient he hath power our trust is in the name of the Lord that made Heaven and Earth There is a consideration to strengthen faith there is power enough we beleeve in a God that made Heaven and Earth and there is will to helpe us he is our God and there is skill to helpe us as S. Peter saith he knowes how to deliver it is his practise he hath used it from the beginning of the Chuâ—ch and will to the end hee knowes how to deliver them to protect and stand by them he hath power and will and skill to doe it And then againe he is every wheâ—e he is such a Castle and Tower and defence we have him neere us in all times he is a present helpe in trouble as it is Psal. 46. what an object of trust is here if we had buâ— faith to make use of it Let us therefore know God in his word in his Attributes and this will bee a meanes to strengthen trust as it is Psal. 36. How sweet is thy goodnesse therefore shall the sonnes of men trust under the shaddow of thy wings Why come we under the shaddow of Gods wing Because his goodnesse is sweet he is a fit object for trust The things of this world the more wee know them the lesse we trust them for they are but vaine but there is such infinitenesse in God that the more we know him the more we shall trust him therefore let us grow in the knowledge of Gods word and truth And adde experimentall knowledge it helpes trust marvellously the experience of others and our owne experience when wee see God hath helped his Church in all times especially when they have sought him by fasting and prayer Our Fathers trusted in thee and were not confounded Psalme 22. Therefore if we trust in thee we shall not be confounded So for our owne experience Thou hast beene my God from my mothers wombe I have depended