which he would not go himselfe if need were Servants you have good Masters who put you about no worse worke then they would doe themselves And beleevers you have a sweet Saviour who did doe that himselfe about which he sets you and never will lay that burden upon your backes which he would not if need were beare himselfe Oh how tender and sweet is Christ to all his working members in not setting them about any service but what he is willing to doe himselfe Oh beleevers you may comfort your selves in any service to which Christ calls you with this thought what though the businesse be burdensome what though the worke be weakning yet still Christ is sweet kinde tender in that he hath set you about no other then what himselfe hath done 2. It s easie to see sweetnesse in the crrriage of Christ towards his working members in that he hath provided and accordingly gives incouragement unto them answerable to all the discouragement they doe or can meet withall Ezekiel was to go out upon some design for Christ and such was his weaknesse that he falls at the appearance of Christs coming to command him But mark what Christ saith to him Son of man stand upon thy feet Ezek. 2.1 Christ loves saith a late Commentator upon this to incourage man to his duty It s the weaknesse of beleevers when set about any worke they are apt to dispond and be discouraged But it s the sweetnesse of Christ he is ready to raise up your spirits and to take off their discouragements Three things usually discourage beleevers when they are to set about any businesse for Christ and Christ is so sweet as that he hath provided and doth give out incouragements answerable to them all 1. Internall reluctancy in your owne spirits I would Saints are unwillingly willing and willingly unwilling and I could doe this or that saith the beleever but I finde such reluctancy within my heart is so backward my spirit so unwilling that it discourageth me much why Christ hath said he will make thee willing His people shall be a willing people Psal 110.3 Christ hath provided a voyce behinde to put thee on to that whereunto thou art backward Thine eares shall heare a ward behinde thee because of the reluctancy that is in thee saying this is the way walke in it Esa 30.21 I will put my Spirit within you which is a free Spirit and because you are backward and unwilling he shall make you forward and willing and cause you sweetly to walke in my wayes Ezek. 36.28 Christ hath provided an incouragement answerable to this discouragement of thine Oh Beleever Thy spirit is unwilling and doth resist his Spirit shall rake that away 2 Disgrace and opposition from man is a great discouragement to working beleevers and Christ hath provided incouragement suited thereunto Men will deride me and oppose me if I do this or that The disgrace of the proud and the opposition of the violent do mightily weaken my hands in worke saith the beleever sometimes But know O soul Christ hath provided incouragement answerable to this Thou sayest men oppose thee Christ saith he is with thee Feare not I am with thee said the Vision to Paul Act. 18.10 Men thou sayest disgrace thee O weake-working soule The Father saith Christ will honour thee If any man serve me him will my Father honour Joh. 12.26 strengthen thy weake hands O working soule with these words Here is suitable incouragement unto thy discouragement in this particular also 3. Doubt of successe discourageth sometimes those who are upon worke for Christ The hands of the beleever begin to fall downe in the midst of his worke when he doubts of successe I shall labour in vaine saith the soul this discourageth me Your labour shall not be in vaine saith Christ let that incourage thee 1 Cor. 15.58 Moses being to goe to Pharoah about a gallant worke Israels freedome He doubts the successe But behold they will not beleeve me saith he Exod. 4.1 That discouraged him Christ therefore takes off that discouragement If they will not beleeve at the voice of the first signe they will or shall beleeve the voice of the latter saith the Lord. I would fight and resist Sathan Shall I be succesfull Yes O beleever Christ hath said so He i.e. Sathan shall flye Jam. 4.7 and the God of peace shall tread down Sathan under your feet Rom. 20. Thus answerable to all those discouragements which beleevers are liable to meet with Christ hath provided incouragements and this clearly argues Christ to be sweet in his carriage towards his working members But 3. In as much as Christ gives ability and strength to performe whatsoever he calls any beleever to it is cleare that his carriage is sweet to those which worke Christ gives power to doe what ever he sets beleevers about Ezekiel must stand on his feet alas he is weake and cannot Christs Spirit therefore enters into him that hee may Stand upon thy feet Son of man saith Christ and the Spirit entred into him and he stood up Ezek. 2.1 I thanke our Lord Christ who hath inabled me saith Paul unto Timothy 1 Ep. 1.12 the Apostles must preach to all Nations and Christ gives them tongues to inable them so to doe Ah! saith the poore soule the worke is weighty and I am weake True but Christ will make thee strong and able O weake soule If the burthen be big thy back shall be strengthened Christ will not lay a heavy burthen upon weake shoulders Doubtlesse he will strengthen thy shoulders O beleeving soule according to the weight of that he layes on I must answer before Kings and Councellors and States for Christ saith the beleever But alas the worke is weighty and I weake Feare not O beleever Christ will be with thee and will give thee a mouth and wisdome which all thy adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist Luke 21.15 I am to goe a long journey for Christ but I have but weake legs saith the soul why Christ will strengthen thy legs O soule according to the length of thy journey I am to lift a great weight saith the soule and have but weake hands Christ will strengthen thy hands according to the weight which thou art to lift O poore soule what ever the worke be about which Christ sets any soule if the soule carry it self sincerely in doing Christ will shew himselfe sweetly in helping Howsoever hard-hearted Pharaoh may command the number of brickes and not give straw to helpe yet tender-hearted Christ will not If he command the soul to work he will send the Spirit to helpe with strength suitable to that worke 4. Christs carriage appeares to be sweet to working Beleevers in that he will perfect their worke by his owne strength wherein it was deficient by their weaknesse Thou workest all our workes for us and in us Esa 26.12 The beleever workes and leaves that which hee doth very imperfect
worke of Christ in any kinde and yet refuse it Friend how is it that Christ hath given thee a talent and thou wilt not occupy it for his use How is it that Christ hath given thee parts and set thee in place and afforded thee opportunities to serve him and yet thou wilt not worke Darest thou say either that he is a hard Master or that his work is unreasonable or his carriage unkinde Be convinced ye loyterers that will not labour for Jesus Christ At the day of account you will want an excuse when all the working members of Jesus Christ shall come and say The worke that we did for Christ was honourable the incouragement which we received from Christ was unspeakable and his carriage to us all along was passing sweet and amiable then will you be dumb and speechlesse as not having any thing to say for your selves why you stood out from his worke and service 4. The Doctrine speakes incouragement to all those who labour for the Lord who are at worke for Christ You that are in Christs Vineyard that labour though in the heat of the day who sweat in the service for your Saviour consider his carriage is and will be sweet towards you Goe on hold on give not out you are in his service who is very sweet what ever the carriage of the standers by be his will be like himselfe i.e. loving Ob. But yet will you say we find harsh usage in the world meerly for being in this worke We thinke wee should be dealt better withall by men if we did do so much for Christ Surely if we were onely Lambes our selves we should finde kinder carriage But this renders us hatefull and makes men harsh that we are Ewes big with young i.e. that we are indeavouring to bring forth somewhat for Christ that we would have others Lambes as well as our selves and that we can never be well but when at work Ans Well be it so yet be not discouraged It is your glory to be Christs Ews Christ hath dealt wel with you in making you able to work for him and he will carry himselfe kindly to you while you worke for him What though the travellers by the way curse and revile the labourers in the field so long as the Lord of the harvest Boaz like blesse you and speake kindly to them the Lord be with you Verily ye working Saints who are labouring for the Lord Christ you have no just ground of discouragement from all the unkinde usage of the creature so long as you have the kinde carriage of Christ Oh! be not discouraged so as to give out but be rather incouraged so as to goe on in the work of the Lord for as much as you know your labour shall not be in vaine and that Christs carriage to you-ward shall be sweet 5. Lastly the Doctrine speakes comfort to all the working members of the Lord Jesus You Ewes that are big with young here is a point big with comfort You goe on heavily you groan while in travell you cry out as the Prophet in another case My belly my belly well he of good comfort Christ is with you and will be sweet in his carriage to you while you worke Christ can not be away Christ is not absent and idle while you are travelling in his worke no he is present and will be helpfull he will be with you and lead you gently Q. What is thy worke O blessed Ewe what art ready to bring forth A. will some say my worke is wofull I am working too not to bring forth any great good but to cast forth great evill Christ hath set me on worke to cleanse a kennell to carry out a dunghill I meane to conquer corruption and to cast out lusts and the very smell of my lusts is ready to choak me and which is worse I can scarce master my worke nay it almost over-masters me yea and I have cryed more then once and againe thrice have I besought Christ and yet I labour in this worke and can doe but little at it Be it so O working soule yet Christ is and will be kinde His grace shall be sufficient for thee and his strength shall be perfected in thy weaknesse as 't is 2 Cor. 12.9 He will inable thee in time to master thy worke Sinne shall not have dominion over thee Rom. 6.14 Thou shalt be made Lord over thy lusts There is a blood of sprinkling which shall cleanse thy kennell Thou resistest thy sinne unto blood and thou dost bleed while at worke against corruption yet it remaines thou sayest But know still Christ is sweet and his carriage to thee shall be so And therefore though all thy blood and sweat will not cleanse thy soul nor do away thy sinne yet the blood of Christ shall as 't is 1 Joh. 1.7 Ob. But oh saith another soule I am at harder worke then this It s my worke to war with the Wolfe I am labouring against Sathan Many temptations daily beset me Not any messenger of Sathan but Sathan himselfe doth beset me Surely you will say my worke is grievous is it not Resp True but thy Lord is gracious Christ is with thee all this while O working soule He hath promised thee to make away for thy escape 1 Cor. 11.12 you may expect kinde carriage even while you are in this worke and know that he will helpe you to goe through with it The very God of peace will or shall shortly tread down Sathan under your feet Ro. 16.20 It may be Sathan doth stand ready to devour that blessed birth wherewith thou travellest but know Christ is near also and he will help thee Build upon it O thou working beleever Christs carriage shall be kinde unto thee Ob. Nay but saith another working soule I have been labouring a long while the work about which I have been set is almost over but first I want a little strength to perfect it and secondly I am in much feare whether when 't is done it shall be accepted Now this grieves me this troubles me Resp Well but hear O soul thou art at worke for a kinde and sweet Master who will helpe thee with strength to perfect thy worke and crowne thy worke with acceptation when perfected For helpe Know he will worke all our workes for us and in us Esa 26. 12. He will worke in you both to will and to doe and that of his good pleasure Philip. 2.13 yea the Spirit of Christ which is the power from on high shall helpe our infirmities Rom. 8.26 This is the sweetnesse of Christ whom ye serve that never did any servant faile in his worke for want of his helpe And For acceptance Be confident O beleever Christ will accept of every endeavour of thine in his worke It s Christs nature to accept of what we have and not to looke for what we have not Pigeons are welcome where Lambs are wanting Sighs are sweet and groans are acceptable unto
upon some occasion as it were by accident they become weak and feeble As now Men who are that I may so say habitually strong and so not liable unto that constant weaknesse which is in children may yet sometimes be accidentally weakned by some great worke which they are to doe some great sorrow or sicknesse under which they lye or else by some great and desperate fall which they have had In like manner beleevers who are growne up to Men in Christ Jesus and so freed from that habituall weaknesse which is in babes yet notwithstanding sometimes come to be accidentally weake by reason either of great services to which Christ calls them or sharpe sufferings unto which Christ doth bring them or else by some falls into sin which through infirmity and as it were by accident they have taken Now of Christs sweet carriage unto such I suppose the Prophet doth speake here under the metaphor of a shepherds sweet carriage towards those that are with young Even the strong of the flocke such as the Ewes may be and sometimes are weake especially when with young or as the word will also beare when they give sucke For bearing and giving of sucke doe as it were accidentally much weaken And thus Christs carriage is sweet to his who are not onely weak habitually as Lambs but also who are accidentally weake as Ewes that give sucke or else are with young for so the Rabbins Solomon Jarchi and David Kimchi with other our late Expositors doe glosse this place of the Prophet Now for the better proceeding in this point and so for a clearer discovery of the sweetnesse of Christs carriage toward his weake members I shall doe two things 1. Discover who those are which I thus call accidentally weake 2. Demonstrate how Jesus Christ is sweet in his carriage towards such For the first of these viz. who are weake beleavers accidentally Who are accidentally weake Besides what I have already hinted concerning such I shall adde this generall description of them viz. They are such as in whom the light and life of saving and sanctifying grace are in some good degree and measure And who for the most part in the generall way and order of their life are fit and able both to undertake and goe through strongly and successefully those common and ordinary duties of Religion in which Christ doth for the most part exercise his members so as that you may ranke them with those who are in the highest forme of Christs Schoole not onely above little children but even above the young men with the Fathers And of whom you may conceive the Apostle speakes when he saith wee that are strong But yet notwithstanding by reason of some occurrences in their Christian course and some passages which providence doth as it were by accident now and then permit to befall them they are much debilitated and weakned thereby so as that they doe in that respect at some times lye and groan under some weaknesse But because it were too large a field to goe out into if I should inquire after all the severall sorts of beleevers who in this sense at some seasons or upon some occasions are weake I shall instance onely in three particular kindes of that which I call accidentall weaknesse and shew how Christs carriage is sweet to those who labour under such weaknesse A threefold weaknesse by accident 1. There is weaknesse which comes by worke or labour 2. There is weaknesse which câ—mes by sicknesse or falls 3. There is weaknesse which comes by griefe or sorrow With reference to this threefold weaknesse I shall speake of Christs sweet carriage of himselfe unto three sorts of weake beleevers 1. Such as are weake by reason of some great work unto which Christ doth call them or about which Christ doth set them and about which Christ doth not at least commonly set all his members 2. Such as are weake by reason of some falls or slips into sin either through their owne inward corruption or some outward temptation 3. Such as are weake by reason of great sorrow or griefe which they may happily take because of some sufferings or trialls whereunto Christ in a more then ordinary way doth bring them Of the sweet carriage of Jesus Christ to each of these I shall speake particularly and by themselves And so much the rather I shall speak of these because I conceive that the phrase here used by the Prophet may allude or be applied to either or all of them The phrase is those that are with young which Translation I thinke is better then that of giving sucke because the word in the Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is used Gen. 33.13 and so rendred there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the flocks and the herds with young and 't is used thus and so rendred Ps 78.71 and there 't is expressed by Ewes great with young The Hebrews when they doe speake of giving suck do use another word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that more proper for it i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suxit which fignifies to give sucke so that the phrase being thus Those that are with young I thinke it may allude to those three sorts mentioned viz. 1. It may allude to those that are weake by worke Thus Paul sets out his worke for the Lord Jesus towards the Galathians as if he were big with them as an Ewe is big with young My little children of whom I travell in birth Galat. 4.19 Paul in the worke of his Ministery was as it were big with young In like manner any beleever called out to or set about more then ordinary worke may be said to be big with young And so much the rather because the worke of child-bearing or of being big with young and to bring forth is a worke which doth weaken more then ordinary to this the generallity of Expositors apply this place 2. It may allude also unto such as are weake by reason of falls into sin So thou shalt finde the phrase of being with childe or young often in a particular manner applied to such as are big with sinne Vox significal saith Ilyricus upon the word tum poenam tun culpam And so 't is used both in a sense of sinning and of sufferings sometimes sinne and temptation through the incogitancy of the best beleevers may commit as it were a spirituall rape upon the soule and the beleeyer may be as it were big with young in a sinfull sense For when temptation cornes and in a manner forceth the soule there is something within us which was not in Christ and that may concur and conduce to a sinfull conception and the soule may be big as it were with sinne The Apostle hath a phrase which is to this purpose When lust hath conceived it bringeth forth Jam. 1.15 It is an allusion to a naturall conception and birth So that we shall not I suppose
reasons given of this 1. Christ loves to make his carriage answerable to himselfe He is sweet in himselfe and therefore will shew it by being so to his As he will declare sweetnesse to those who are weak and cannot worke at all so will he shew sweetnesse to those who worke and are weake therein or thereby As Christ sees our condition he is moved with compassion He hath yerning bowells towards working beleevers and he cannot refraine such is his sweetnesse but he must shew it Men love to shew themselves as we say what they are Christ doth surely love to carry himselfe sweetly that beleevers may say As we have beard so have we seen in the Saviour of our God Others by their words told us that Christ was sweet and in our workes we finde it so When Christ spake to the man sicke of the palsie Thy sinnes be forgiven thee He did it that men might know the power of his God-head saith he giving the reason of that speech that ye may know the son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins Mat 9.6 As Christ speakes in such a manner as that he may be knowne to be what he is so he acts also he leads his working members gently and carries himselfe toward them sweetly that he may declare himselfe to be as he is 2. Christ sees that those that worke for him cannot worke without him Therefore it is that he carries himselfe so sweetly to them The strongest â—aint is too weake for any worke if left by Christ Indeed Christ cannot have his worke done by any soule in case he deale not sweetly with it The big Ewe cannot goe if not let gently and the working beleever cannot act if not dealt withall sweetly Without me ye can do nothing Joh. 15.5 This Christ sees and therefore it is that he is thus sweet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 4.13 Because Christ knowes our weaknesse as that without him we can doe nothing therefore he shewes his sweetnesse that by him we may be able to doe all things by his strength 3. Christ is thus sweet in his carriage to wards his working members that he may leave all without excuse Christs carriage to his shall condemne wretches at the last day that will be none of his Sinners will be ready to say we did not serve thee because there was harshnesse in thee Thy worke was hard and thou wert austere Thy servants went for the most part in sackcloth while others wore filke c. Now Christ will stop their mouthes by his sweet carriage Wretches that will not worke for Christ shall be left without all excuse when they shall be told and convinced of the sweetnesse of Christ to his working members Christ is resolved to stop all mouthes in that day His sweetnesse to labourers shall silence loyterers His gentle leading of workers shall condemn the idle-living of wanderers The Ewes that have been big with young shall witnesse against those that would not have Christ to be their Shepherd Christs sweet carriage to the one shall convince and condemne the obstinate standing out of the other Wretches Christ cals upon you to work for him he hath given you talents and he bids you imploy them you are fearfull and sluggish you hide your talents and spare your pains you do not will not act or work for Christ Consider you shall be without excuse at the great day It will be foolish and false to plead Christ was a hard master His working members by their experience shall confute you and Christs sweet carriage to them shall leave you without apology or excuse CHAP. V. Some uses of the point HAving seen the sweetnesse of Christs carriage towards all his Ewes and such as are big with young i.e. those who work for him I shall offer some thing by way of application in some uses As 1. It serves to discover the difference between Christs service and all other service and between his carriage of himselfe towards those that worke for him and the carriage of all others towards any that worke for them If men serve the world they do not finde alway at least sweet carriage It s often seen among men after their worke is over the workman is oft forgotten It stands upon record as one of the greatest stains of the Roman State that after Scipio Africanus had sincerely and successefully served that Commonwealth when it was almost spent and ready to dye and had thereby raised it up he was banished or forced to inhabit in a poor waste desert Insomuch that when he dyed he commanded this to be ingraven over his sepulchre Ingrata patria ne ossa quidem mea habes The Commonwealth was so base as not to have his bones who saved their blood Solomon tells us of a poor man who had been very serviceable to a distracted State when it was warred against by a great Prince The poore man delivered the City by his wisdome but no man did so much as remember that same poor man Eccles 9.15 And it is reported of Cardinall Woolsey that upon his death-bed he should say in much sadnesse of spirit If I had so faithfully served Jesus Christ as I have done my Master Hen. the 8. he would not have cast me off as my Master the King hath Oh! that men could but see the difference that is between the service of man and the service of Christ How ever the sons of men will deale like themselves with their servants sordidly the son of God will deal with his sweetly 2. This Doctrine may also reproove these who deale not with Christs working members as Christ doth Oh how cursedly and coursely do many deal with Christs workmen How doe they deride ride disgrace oppose and persecute the Ewes of Christ i.e. those that are big and travell in work for him How did a company of vile persons vilifie Paul who yet was as an Ewe ready to bring forth who was in travell with the Galathians as with Christs Lambs And then those that were borne after the flesh did persecute him that was both borne and bearing after the Spirit even so it is now But neverthelesse what saith the Scripture what saith the point Christ deales sweetly with his working members Are not they then to be reproved that deal harshly Be reproved therefore all of you especially you that pretend to the worke of Christ for not dealing kindly with his working servants seest thou a person or preacher that doth the worke of the Lord that preacheth Christ worketh for Christ be reproved for thy unkinde unchristian dealing with him as knowing that in that thou art very unlike to Jesus Christ Be reproved therefore O ye rugged spirits who deale ruggedly with any of Christs working members what though they differ from thy way if they doe Christs worke Christ deals sweetly with them and so should you 3. The truth of this Doctrine falls heavy upon those who being both inabled for and called to the
sweet Shepherd to you in your sufferings CHAP. VI. Containing some uses of the point and the conclusion of the whole YOu have now seen the point proved I desire it may be improved Christ you heare is sweet in his disposition towards and in his dealing with his suffering members Will you make these uses of it 1. Let this keep you from being over-afraid of sufferings for Christs sake Be not like Jonah so to feare as to flinch from the worke of Christ You are bid not to feare the faces of men and why should you For admit they be cruell Christ is kinde If they afflict you hee 'l comfort you Sufferings were never disadvantagious to Saints but when dreaded Desert not the wayes of Christ for feare of the crosse Flye not from him out of feare of men Sanctifie Christ in your hearts and let him be your feare What if sufferings come from men sweetnesse shall come from him It s a shame to see it and a sorrow to speake of it Many people for fear of persecution flye from the worke of Christ They leave the dwellings of Jacob out of dread of Esau and because they feare the crucifyings of Pilate so it is as that they forsake their Saviour I beseech you fence your heart against these feares with this truth Christ is and will be sweet to suffering Saints But 2. Let this keep you from sinking under sufferings Christ will be sweet unto you why should you sinke under that which Christ sweetens though the thorny crown prick thy head the love of Christ shall refresh thy heart It s for persecutors to shrinke upon Christs frowns The persecuted may rejoyce for Christ lookes on them with smiles Let them sink in sorrow that do evill It s for you to sing with joy who suffer evill Paul and Sylas may sing Psalmes in prison while the high Priest and the Rulers feare the people Minde this ye that suffer in any kinde Jesus Christ useth to shew much sweetnesse to his people in their sufferings Do not you therefore sinke in your spirits 3. This sweet truth is a sharpe reproofe unto those that deale otherwise with beleevers under sufferings then Christ doth How ready are men to censure Christians that are in troubles and sufferings for Christ O this is your headinesse your rashnesse your inconsiderate zeal your being too forward c. Had you been sober you should not suffer you have brought misery upon your selves As you brew so drinke none doe pity you eat the fruit of your owne folly c. Thus doe some deale sordidly with those that Christ will himselfe and would have us too deale sweetly with O how are these to be reproved What for men to be wifer then Christ for them to call that headinesse which the Spirit counts holinesse for men to condemne those as fooles who are so wise as to suffer rather them to sinne And to take up a crosse rather then not to follow Christ Is this to be like unto Jesus Is this to have the spirits of Christians Nay is not this to be like to the Jews who mocked at Christ upon the crosse and gave him vinegar and gall to drinke Surely you who censure slight scoffe or the like at the godly in prisons or pillories or under any sufferings for Christ you are sharpely to be blamed severely to be reproved for dealing thus sordidly with those to whom Christ is so sweet It s true they are not the worse for this neither need they to care but you are the worse and you need care for being so unlike to Christ in your carriage 4. Sith Christ is Oh let us be also sweet to suffering Saints Let the same disposition be in us that is in Christ and let us deale with Christians who are in affliction as he doth To this end 1. Let us owne them why should we be ashamed of them whom Christ ownes and who owne Christ so much as that they are not ashamed to suffer for him Nil magis aequum quam consulem defendi à consule said Cicero Sure Nil mag is aequum quam Christianum defendi à Christiano It stands on record as the glory of a good and great man that when the Christians were brought to answer for themselves before the Heathen Emperor he that was Vectius Epagathus stood up and demanded to be heard in the defence of the brethren Oh that in suffering seasons you would owne suffering Saints Doe not looke away from those that suffer for the testimony of Jesus 'T was sordidly done by those that forsooke Paul when hee was brought before Nero 2 Tim. 4.16 why should we desert those by whom Christ stands let the world know that you allow of Christs wayes by owning those that suffer in them and for them Take notice of those that are in rags for righteousnesse sake and let not those who suffer for Christ have occasion to complain that your carriage is not like his 2. Incourage them write letters of love to those that are in Banishment for the Lord. Hearten them by word and writing that stand it out in a storme for truth Blesse them as the beloved of the Lord who are the hatred of the world Parents incourage your children not onely in well-doing but in evill-suffering say you are glad that ever you begat any to bleed for Christ Friends incourage your friends that do dye for the Lord Jesus tell them it s their honor to be counted worthy to suffer for his name While men revile them doe you praise them and as others seek to make them desert truth to avoid suffering so doe you strengthen them in the truth notwithstanding suffering It s Christ-like to write an Epistle to a suffering and a not-fainting Ephesus To write that you take notice of their works their patience and sufferings for the Gospell c. This will be sweet to them Discouragements unto Martyrs are sinfull Paul counts and cals dehortation from sufferings a heart-breaking Act. 21.13 But incouragements in sufferings are divine and to hearten those who bleed for Christ is very Christian 3. Sympathise with them Next to suffering our selves is sympathizing with others To rejoyce over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction is sordid and argues the prophane spirit of Esau Obad. 12. but to weep with them that weep is sweet and it argues the Spirit of Jesus He was and we should be persecuted in the persecutions of those that suffer for his sake Act. 9.4 Compatior fignifies to suffer with 'T is Apostolike exhortation Remember them that are in bonds as bound with them and them which suffer adversity c. Heb. 13.3 your mournings with them will sweeten theirs And your compassion will be their consolation By sympathizing with those that suffer for Christ we doe at once give them present Note this and secure to our selves future comfort Rejoyce with joy i.e. be exceeding joyfull for Jerusalem all ye that
because of his weaknesse But Christ comes and perfects that imperfection because of his sweetnesse Lord saith the Psalmist thou wilt perfect that which concerneth me Psal 138.8 The beleever is set on the worke of prayer and Christ sends the Spirit to helpe his infirmities And at the end of prayer he takes it and mingles with it his own incense and so presents it perfect to the Father His pure water perfects the soules puddle Looke as the writing-Schoole-Master not onely holds the hand of the learner in every letter but after al takes the pen and perfects the whole So Jesus Christ holds the hand all the while the beleever is writing suppose a love-letter to Heaven and because of the shaking of the beleevers weake hand there are after all many imperfections he takes the golden pen of his owne grace and perfects every letter that it comes to the Fathers hand perfect O the darke and deformed lines that beleevers draw when set about some curious peece How imperfectly doe they performe that about which they are set sometimes But oh the sweetnesse of Christ who comes with his owne pencill and after all perfects those imperfections Beleevers carry themselves weakly in all their workes and almost mar all about which they are set but Christ carries himselfe sweetly and comes and mends all that they doe amisse making their botched and bungled workes very brave with his owne hand Surely beleeving soules you have found this How many times did Christ set off that duty richly which came from thee poorly How oft hath he perfected thy imperfect performances when thy weaknesse came short hath not his sweetnesse made it up Beleeve it friends Christ carries himself sweetly toward working beleevers 5. The carriage of Christ appears to be sweet towards c. in that he comes in often to the soules of his working members with refreshing in the midst of their labours Beleevers are weake and while at worke are apt to be weary and to faine But Christ shews himself sweet in that he visits them and refreshes them in their worke 'T was the praise of Boaz and 't was a sweet carriage of his when he went into the field where his servants reaped to incourage them in their work And it s the praise of Christs sweet carriage toward working beleeevers that he visits them frequently and incourageth them sweetly while they are about his worke Baruch was at worke for Christ when he had written the words of Christ at the mouth of Jeremiah but he began to flag and saint And Christ gave a particular Prophesie to the Prophet to comfort and refresh Baruch Jer. 46. Christ gives power to the faint to them who by working have as it were no might Esa 40.29 he refresheth and gives strength Daniel was at a great worke and his strength was almost gone while he fasted and there came like the appearance of a man that was not Christ but an Angel from Christ and he strengthned him Oh the sweet refreshings which Christ by his Spirit brings into the soules of weak Saints even when they are ready to saint and sinke in their work How oft O beleeving soul hath Christ refreshed thee by his sweet spirituall smilings on thee even in the time of duty and while thou wert about his worke Surely thou must needs say Christ carries himself sweetly toward working beleevers doth not thy experience in this particular seale to this truth 6. It is evident that the carriage of Christ is sweet to the working Saints in that at the end of their worke be gives them rest and reward It s sweetnesse in Christ that he should accept any worke of the beleevers but more that he should reward Christ will deale sweetly with his working servants he hath made beds of rest for them in glory Sathan deals not so They shall rest in their beds Esa 57.2 his servants never rest to eternity I am weary saith the working beleever Thou shalt rest anon oh weak soul There remains a rest to the people of God Heb. 4.9 The word is a keeping of a Sabbath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is a sweet and a long Sabbath remaines for you O working Saints and the morning thereof is ready to dawne or about morn and 't will be day You shall rest from your labours Apoc. 14.11 Christs will is sweet to thy soule O weak beleever and he hath provided rest for thee There is a Sabbath appointed for your soules Working Paul shall have that rest yea and weake thou too when the day shall dawne You who are thus troubled shall have rest with us saith the Apostle when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with the Angel of his power 2 Thes 1.7 And if rest be not enough to declare Christ to be sweet to his working members they shall haue reward also You shall not lose your labour yee working Saints Christ comes and his reward is with him Apoc. 22.12 you shall not worke all day and all night too Beleevers You shall rest at right and have reward in the morning The upright shall have dominion in the morning Psal 49.14 For a dayes work you shall have eternities rest For a little labour in this world you shall have an everlasting reward in the other world Oh sweet Christ that givest long rest for a little labour and great reward for little worke Surely when you shall in the end of your dayes-work go into Immanuels land and there rest your soules upon the rosie bankes that are by the Chrystall streames which runne there you will cry out oh How sweet is Christ towards his working members that gives such ravishing rest to them after all their works for him when the day shall be in which Christ shall come with Crownes of glory to put upon the heads of working Saints and you shall feel the weight of that glory with which you shall then be crowned then you will say oh the sweetnesse of Christ towards working beleevers who gives such an eternall weight of glory for such light and temporall works as the best Saints do Conclude O thou beleeving Ewe who art big with young that the day comes in which thou shalt travell and bring forth and then thou shalt see that Christ deals sweetly with such as thou art when for the joy of that rest and reward which thou shalt have hereafter thou shalt forget thy worke and thy weaknesse under which thou didst groan and travell here The shadows apace flye away and the day begins to dawne in which Christ shall give both sweet glorious ravishing eternall rest and reward to all his working members and then shall the fulnesse of this truth be sung viz. that Christs is very sweet to all weak-working beleevers CHAP. IV. Some reasons of the point YOu have seen both that and how Christ carries himselfe sweet to working beleevers I will now adde a word why Christ doth thus And there may be to omit others three