Love The In-let unto the hearts and affections of others and cals out and requires a disposition in another like unto it self And this is here in greatest eminency Look we at the constitution of the person of our Savior Hebr. 1.3 Called the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person Nothing is more like than a lively Image resembling the Father in the most perfect and infinite manner none like him Look at imitation likeness in behavior carriage and conversation is that which inlargeth affection also and this also is here to be seen Joh. 5.19 The Son doth nothing but what he seeth the Father do For whatsoever the Father doth these also doth the Son likewise 3. There is a suitableness of worth The best of our affection and deserve our dearest love to be bestowed upon it So it is here The Lord Christ he being in the form of God counted it no robbery to be equal with God the Father And so there is an answerableness and proportion only here to be found between the affection and the thing here affected Whereas al the creatures taking in al their excellencies together are too mean and under for the Lord once to bestow his Love yea his look upon further than his own image is in them or resembled by them in them So the Prophet gives in the Jnventory of al their worth All the Nations of the Earth are less than the Dust of the balance yea vanity nothing less than nothing Christ himself it is whose name is as an Oyntment poured out and perfumes the world which if once taken away they would remain nothing disireable USE 2. Reprehension This shews the vilenes of the hearts and the hainousness of the sins of those wretched persons who undervalue the Lord Jesus in their hearts and apprehensions and look at him as one unworthy their affection and love How far are these men from the disposition of the eternal God the Holy one of Israel He sets his heart upon the Lord Jesus as the only Object of his Love These men loath him He delights in him They despise him How divelish are these distempers how contrary to the God of glory even as far as darkness from light and Hell from Heaven How can such ever expect to see the face of God in Christ in another world whose hearts are so contrary to him in this and yet every place is pestered with these Rebels Some of the posterity of those of whom the prophet speaks Zach. 11.8 Their Souls loathed me and my Soul loathed them saith the Lord of Hosts God wil pay thee in thine own coin and recompence thine own waies upon thy head and heart Nay how canst thou not but expect the Lord should justly loath thee who art a very Dunghil of distempers and whose works are worthy to be hated especially in that thou haâ—est him The name and memory of Judas is accursed and execrable upon Earth He is gibbâ—â—ed up with this remembrance Judas Iscariot who also betrayed him The carriage of the Jews is detestable to the eares of all that have heard of the Name of Christianity who preferred Barabbas before the Lord Jesus Away with him not him but Barabbas And yet there be multitudes in the world who deal worse with the Lord Jesus in their daily course Who sel Christ not for Silver but for their sins and the lusts of their own hearts and that they may give satisfaction thereunto And proclaime it in their practises Away with the commands of Christ not they but mine own carnal desires shall carry me Away with the promises and comforts of Christ not they but the way wardness of mine own wil and distempered perversness of mine own heart that only pleaseth me Oh but it wil be replied True it is our infirmities may be many and temptations strong our failings great by reason of the Body of death but should we be haters and despisers of the Lord Jesus its pity we should live Should we hate him that came to save us we Hope we be far from that hellish frame I desire ye were far from that and that 's the worst I wish you Put it then to trial according to the truth of the Gospel yea ye wil say with al our hearts The Text saies thus He that despiseth you despiseth me Luk. 10.16 The Text saâ—es thus The Citizens hated him and sent after him and saâ—d This man shal not rule over us Luk. 19.14 Examine now thine own heart and observe thy carriage Is it not the word which Christ proclaimes the messenger he sends the work of his Grace which he requires the rule and government which he would â—et up in thy heart And life that thou settest thy self against that wâ—l not have his law Lord it over thee his Grace take place in thee know assuredly thou art a hater of Christ and of God the Father Nay what if it prove true that thou hatest Christ more than any thing in the world beside will not thou conclude thy condition damnable and thy self hateful Why thou hatest the ordinances of Christ because of their power and purity Thou hatest the servants of Christ because of their Graces that is because Christ is there If the Theif hate the Lanthorne for the light sake he hates the light much more Hie thee out of this hellish condition and hate and loath thine own soul that ever thou hast loathed Jesus Christ Lest that doom that is denounced be made good He that loves not Jesus Christ let him be accursed Anathema Maranatha 1 Cor. 16.22 Curse him all ye Angels in Heaven Devils in Hell Churches on Earth until Christ come to judgment and he there have that Doom Depart c. USE 2. Trial. We may here prove the truth of our love If it be like Gods love it s then of the right stamp 1. The we desire Vnion breathing after our coming to him Phil. 1. I long to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is far better I have been too long with the world too long with the distempers of mine own heart It s far better to be with Christ Breath after his coming 2 Tim. last and 8. Love his appearing sollace our selves we shal ever be with him 2. Then we shal take ful contentment in him I have enough Christ is mine as Joseph Live upon him be satisfied with him Phil. 1.21 Christ is in life and death advantage In al gets Christ and gaines in al his wants hath advantages in al necessities and losses 3. Then we study how to honor him lay our crowns at his Feet live to him die to him Phil. 1.20 That Christ may be glorified in our mortal Bodies whether by life or death Be willing he should pluck his praise out of us The Father wil own this love Christ accept it The spirit bear witness to it This is from the Father through Christ by the spirit God-like love USE 3. Exhort Doth God love Christ go
Pride and Peevishness Wearishness sluggishness c. and they are with us in our Prayers Duties Hearing Conferences Whence it is we crowd Christ into a narrow corner not an Ear to hear a Mind to attend our Prayers few and faint c. We are mated and molested with Friends miseries wants necessities families occasions they are calling and crowding But then the Coast wil be cleer we shal only be with Christ Thus the Apostle speaking concerning fasting and Prayer enjoyns the Man and Wife to part mutual Company and Society and forsake their Contentments in their mutual fellowship 1 Cor. 7.5 that they might give themselves to Prayer While we live here we give away some Love bestow some delight spend some thoughts and affections take some content in these therefore he would have them al laid aside that we might give our selves c. Now this shal be done at that day nay not only and alone bound for Christ But now it 's the whol imployment of the Soul to attend upon him the Soul hath none other to see nothing else to do Rev. 14.4 They follow the Lamb where ever be goes see no Wife nor Child nor Friend nor Honor Pleasure but Christ only Old things are passed Have none to love to desire to delight in to be satisfied with but Christ alone Now we send our thoughts and affections upon other Errands If a man knew nothing loved nothing needed nothing but one thing how would that carry him command him prevail with him 3. How this brings in this Happiness Answ Upon a double Ground and here we have a double Reason of the Point 1. Because men come to receive more of God and that in the most intimate and inward manner and this is one end of the great Works of God in our Creation and Redemption of our being men and Christians that he might leave the impressions and manifestations of himself and his Divine perfections upon us whom he would have to be Monuments of those everlasting Mercies and glorious Attributes through al Eternity For God cannot but work for his own Glory and because there can be no addition made to himself who is infinite in al his Excellencies therefore there must be only a manifestation of these and this is the aim of al Gods Counsels He wil shew forth and make Editions of his glorious Grace and Mercy which may be seen and read and acknowledged therefore a world therefore a man and he a Vessel of glorious Grace When they partake most of his glorious Mercy and are tunn'd top ful of glory and there is nothing els Then the Lord attains the end of the work of his Grace For it s not Heaven the place nor the freedom from evil or the presence and confluence of al pleasure or our being there that makes us happy But the injoyment of God in al his perfections and should he withdraw himself Heaven were a Hel and we as miserable as Devils We then attain our supream happiness when we attain our end and our good is to have more of God Whom have I in Heaven but thee That Christ may be glorified in life and death It s part of the scope of Gods proceeding at the day of judgment 2. Thess 1.10 He wil be glorious in his Saints but admired in al those that beleeve He wil be glorious in the Eyes of al standers by Angels and Devils for the Grace that then shal be expressed in the Saints But that by faith they have received Christ and come to be one with God through him and receive al by him this dazels the Eyes of Angels and amazeth the hearts of Devils Yea it s a work beyond admiration implies some thing unexpected such as we cannot tel the reason of that is matter of admiration is not in comprehension The Devils have seen men holy and innocent and unblamable as Adam in Paradise But when the Devils shal see such as were haters of Christ and God to receive Christ and to be made one with God through him to have God to be al in al when they were without God in the world this wil make Angels to be swallowed up in admiration This is an especial part of that reward that God hath promised unto his not to have freedom from annoyance nay the presence of evil but to have himself God communicating himself in al the fulness of perfections fully to the Soul as it is capable of God is the Objective happiness to the Soul in himself and so its equal to al but God communicating himself in his fulness as far as a sinner is capable is part of that special reward we have in Heaven Gen. 15.1 Lament 3.24 2. Reas More of our Souls are for God For now the strength of the whole man is wholly spent and exercised in the injoying of God and him only and immediately God without means God instead of al means God only and no means Now some love and joy and desire c. Is spent upon the choice ordinances But then none of al these are in the Eye and desire but al the faculties of the Soul are fully taken up with God This is the errand of our lives and the end why we came into the world This is intimated in 2. Thess 1.11 12. Wherefore I pray alwaies for you that God would make you worthy of your Calling and fulfil al the good pleasure of his goodness and the work of faith with power That the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you and you in him according to the Grace of God and our Lord Jesus Christ The meaning is That God would Count them worthy of their calling That is the glory unto which they were called and so Fulfil al the good pleasure of his goodness that is fully bestow al that special good which in the purpose of his good pleasure he intended to them and the work of Faith with power that is bring the work of faith to perfection Now the end of al that glory and fulness of al perfection and spiritual good he prayes for is 1. That the Name of Christ That is Christ as made known in his word Offices and the great work of Redemption Might be made glorious in you in receiving this and the impression of this that is that it may be said See what the Lord Christ hath done 2. And you al may be made glorious and glorified not in you selves but as you are in him As he made glorious in you by receiving So you may be glorified in him by returning al to him while you Put forth the exercise of all upon Christ and through him upon God You by receiving of Grace become to have his image by the exercise of Grace you become to be like him and suck out the sweet of that infinite good that is in him For herein lies the beatifical Vision of God If truly glorious and efficatious brings in the fruition of him and his goodness
sinners This is a faithful word and worthy of al acceptance and therefore the Soul looks out and saies It may be This keeps the Head above Water Reason 2. Here in the Gospel only is certainty to be had of some interest and special Title whereby the Soul may be encouraged and faith also find some foot-hold whereby the heart may bottom and bear up it self in some confidence For righteousness there is to be had from God in Christ but this Issues only in the communication of it from free mercy The Lord may do with his own what he will and therefore he may deny whom he wil and give to whom he please how then shal I know and have any ground or evidence upon any certainty that he wil do good to me God is bound to none True God is bound to none further then he will bind himself and he binds himself in no wise to the creature but by his promise and that he wil never deny who cannot deny himself Now in the Gospel only this promise and ingagement of God is revealed he hath promised to work the condition and then tied himself in his truth to do good to those whom he wil so fit for his mercy And now the Soul upon this notice grows in upon God here is a handle as it were for faith to lay hold on therefore said a word of promise Rom. 9.9 and therefore the whole Gospel is called the promise Gal. 3.29 Beleevers are said to be the Children of the promise that is of the Gospel Reason 3. The Gospel is the only means whereby the Soul is inabled with power from above even with a Spirit of Grace fâ—â— to go for succour and reliefe where it is thus evidenced and whence it hath now received some intimation of Gods ingagement intendment and so of certainty by which it may be incouraged to go upon such grounds as will never fail nor break under a man That he may go stedily and comfortably 2. Cor. 3.6 It s said to be the administration of the Spirit Not of the Letter that is there is not Barely a discovery and manifestation of what Gods mind and counsel is that should be done such the sense and meaning of words and sentences may descry set out and hold forth But there is a Spirit of power that is promised and so dispensed and conveyed in and by this word for to inable the Soul to do that which the Letter shews it should do Gods saying is doing his calling is making he speaks not only to the ear but conveyes a power by speaking Lazaruscome forth The dead shall hear John 5.25 Gal. 3.3 Received ye the Spirit even this Spirit by the preaching of the Law or by the Doctrin of faith This is the word by which God begets us Jam. 1.18 If in the Gospel there be that freeness of Grace that is sufficient to answer all the necessities and desires of the Heart certainty of promise to incourage it if it shal come and power and Spirit to inable it for to come Then The word of the Gospel is the only meanes to work faith Use 1. Of Terror This discovers the woeful and miserable condition of such who want this Gospel But especially the hainousness of the sin and the dreadful condemnation of such who Oppose the Gospel God hath shut up al under unbelief in the Kingdom of darkness under the power of the Prince of darkness they look out as prisoners through the Grates of Hell and Infidelity there is no possibility to help to a Key to open this Dore but the Key of the Gospel they wilfully keep the Dore bolted and refuse the only help which the Lord hath provided Christ hath purchased with his Blood appointed and sanctified by his spirit and doth promise to accompany for their deliverance yea this they oppose This was the doom and sentence which Paul passed upon them Act. 13.46 Ye judg your selves unworthy of everlasting life by putting away the word Thou stoppest thine ear at the glad tidings of it shuttest thine eyes at the righteousness thereof Puttest by and castest away withdrawest thy soul from under the prevailing power of that word Know Thou needest no Devil to accuse no witness to evidence no Judg to condemn thy practise doth judg thy self unworthy unfit to receive Grace who resistest it to share in mercy who despisest it or to injoy eternal life who hast rejected the offer of eternal life So Paul again sent those away with their load when they refused to hear Act. 28.26 Use 2. Instruction and Comfort Therefore this word of the Gospel shal undoubtedly be preserved and published and that until the end of the world as long as the Lord Christ hath any to be gathered any of his to be brought home to himself by a saving Faith They shal beleeve by this therefore they shal have this maugre al the malice the power and policy of Hel the rage and restless opposition of al the instruments of Satan That word cannot be falsefied This Prayer cannot be frustrated and therefore This work cannot be hindâ—ed Seem it never so improbable never so impossible in our Eyes and feeble apprehensions Measure not the power and Faithfulness and wisdom of the Lord by the scantling of our shallow apprehensions but know he hath said it and he wil doe it The fan is in his hand not in any mans hand It s said of the Apostles their sound went through the world They are compared to the course of the Sun in his Sphoere and Orb. So it wil be with his messenger when it is his mind to cal any of his His Doctrine is as the dew no man can hinder it from falling Either the means to the man or the man to the means he wil send Onesimus his theft shal bring him to prison and so to Pauls ministery and so to Heaven Naaman must go to be cured of his Leprosy and so meets with the Prophet to cure him of his sin Philip is sent post to the Eunuches Coach though it was in an extraordinary way Use 3. Examination Know whether our Faith be of the right make or no. Ask whence came it where hadst thou thy Faith by what word If it came the right way It came by preaching the Gospel It wil shew thee 1. Thou hadst once none 2. That thou art not able to beleeve Jam 1.18 By bis own good wil begat be us by the word of truth If thou canst say I heard thus and thus of a Christ and so I beleeved then it is in thy wil to beleeve not in Gods wil that begets thee 3. It wil shew thee that Faith is made of the immortal Seed of the word 1 Pet. 1.23 that is the Spirit in the promise That as a man is made up of the Seed which enters his constitution so made up of promises Hither belongs that of Eph. 5.30 We are Flesh of his Flesh and Bone of his Bone i. e. As the woman
thy great work in Heaven to keep me in the world and bring me to Heaven What wil you do to honor this Christ who hath thus honored you how should you indeavor to serve him in Earth who indeed serves you in Heaven He provides for your safety and comfort provide you for his Glory He stands betwixt you and your Harms against al sins Devils Temptations stand you between him and his wrongs that may be done to him Before we pass from this verse one thing more may be shortly handled and that taken from the consideration of the Time When these persons shall beleeve for whom our Savior here prayes and that is cleerly discovered to continue until the end of the world those who yet were not in the world and those who should beleeve even at the end of the world for these now our Savior praies Hence Our Savior hath a speciall care for those that shal beleeve on him Doct. even in the worst condition of their Unbeleef So the text gives in undeniable evidence even before many had any being in Nature and when some were and others should be brought into the world and had neither mind to know God nor Heart to seek after Christ or to pray for themselves Yet here ye see our Savior takes in al those now within the compass of his prayer and care to provide for them and to contrive all for their good when they neither did nor could care for him or for themselves therefore its plain Our Savior cares for such who shal beleeve in him when they are in the depth of their unbeleef and his prayer is then working for their good when they intend no good unto themselves Our Savior when they were in the heat of that hellish villany in blaspheming and killing the Lord of life even then he intends life to them procures and purchaseth life for them Luk. 23 34. Father forgive them they know not what they do This prayer it was that wrought more than Peters preaching when his spirit was warmed with the Love of Jesus and the Blood of a dying Savior ran fresh now in al the Veins of his Heart and the power and vertue of it was mighty upon the consciences of Peters Hearers such as had before been Crucifyers of the Lord of life It then took place and prevailed mightily Isa 57.18 I have seen his waies c though he see not himself See this made good in some particulars as 1. In the several degrees of it 2. The Reason and 3. The Use This care and the vertue of this prayer of our Savior will appear thus in five Particulars Hence 1. It is that the Lord contrives means in the waies of his Providence for the bringing of these men into the world so that the Parents and Predecessors of such though happily desperately wicked and forlorn shal yet have their stock and posterity continued in the world because they shal bring these into the world who shal beleeve And therefore it is the patience of God is extended towards many a wicked parent nay to the whole stock and Linage of vile and loose men not for their sakes but the sakes and cause of some that shal come of them whom the Lord Christ doth purpose to bring to himself Math. 24.22 Had not God shortned those daies no flesh had been saved but for his Elects sake the Lord shortned those daies i.e. The generation of the Jews now rejecting and most Hellishly blaspheming the Lord Jesus Christ had so provoked the Eyes of the Lord That should he in Justice have proceeded against them and executed his righteous Judgments either as the Nature of their sins deserved or their Enemies intended and out of their power and rage could easily have accomplished it there had not been one Jew left alive to propagate their posterity or name or Nation But the Lord had an Eye to his Elect that should come of these in the last Age of the world after so many Ages and generations past when their dead Bones shal live and the Redeemer shal come out of Sion and turn Jacob from iniquity then all Israel shal be saved So the Apostle Rom. 11.28 Hated for their sins sake but beloved for their Fathers sake i.e. For Abraham with whom through Christ the covenant of the Gospel was made to him and to his Seed i.e. To al the faithful whether Jew or Gentile but with the Jew first and then with the Graecian For this calling and covenant being everlasting is without repentance and wil assuredly take place in the season thereof when it shal be most sutable to shew forth free grace 2. The Lord even so provides that such means in an ordinary way of Providence may be sent continued and dispensed to such who never had a thought of them enquired after them or had a Heart to entertain them when they are offered Upon this ground the Lord appoints and incourageth the Apostle Act. 18.9 10. Speak and hold not thy Tongue Speak plainly and fully fear no mans frowns regard no mans favors no man shal do thee harm for I have people in this City Thus the Spirit stopped the passage into Bithynia for when they assayed the Spirit suffered them not Act. 16.7 But Christ sends post by an express in a Vision to Paul A man of Macedonia appeares with this Petition in his Hand subscribed by the Hearts of the messengers Come into Macedonia and help us And when they came the Issue shewes their Errand A poor Woman a Purple-seller and a Stubborn and Rebellious spirited Jailour was all the Markets he made But this is the Lords manner if there be but one Grain of Corn in many heapes of Chaff he wil never leave winnowing rather than lose it send he wil Messenger after Messenger until he hath gathered that into his barn Onesimus a Runnagate from his Master without the reach of government of Gospel God coops him up in Prison and casts Paul thither also that so he may come to the speech of him 3. He keeps them by his restraining Grace and some strong hand of Providence sometimes from grosser sins I say some of those that shal beleeve from some loathsome and hainous evil but alwaies from falling into that sin against the Holy Ghost because that is a Disease which admits no Remedy a Dungeon of that depth from whence there is no deliverance beyond the reach of the work of Redemption as that which comes not within the compass of mercy and the Riches of the compassion of the Almighty The Lord hath passed the sentence and that most Peremptory and shews the deadly Malignity of that evil by way of difference from all others Math. 12.31 Wherefore I say unto you all manner of sin and Blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men but the Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall never be forgiven in this world nor in the world to come i.e. There is no Hope It here cannot be pardoned and at the great
day he shal never be acquitted neither here done nor then declared So that such a person hath the Tombstone of everlasting destruction turnd upon him sealed past Hope and help And therefore the Apostle puts it upon an impossibility Heb. 6.4 How far that goes I wil not now dispute whether in regard of the covenant of the Gospel the counsel of the Lord the Decree of the Almighty that he shal never have Grace give him to repent for then it should not so much aggravate the hainousness of the sin because from impenitency and final presevâ—rance in any sin it s not possible such should be recovered and this great evil upon this ground should have no other impossibility than many other And withal the impossibility should then ly in Gods counsel and definitive purpose not in the Nature of the evil which answers not the terrible expression of the wrath of God in the Text. But however it is it is safe and sure to Joyn Issue with the word of truth and to take that upon trust It s impossible such a one should be renewed by repentance And therefore its impossible a man whom Christ hath ordained to beleeve and repent should ever fal into that evil 4. However the Lord many times for reasons best known to himself and his infinite good pleasure suffers some and many of those whom he will afterwards effectually cal to be overtaken with most loathsom abominations yet he ever over-rules and over-works al those Hellish miscarriages of theirs for the furtherance of his own work in them when he seriously sets upon the accomplishment of it Somtimes there is no waies to cure Poyson but with Poyson no means to crush the pride and self-confidence and overweening conceit of a mans own worth but to leave him to himself that he may bedaub himself with some dirty and detestable distemper that so his own experience may evidence his own baseness and force him to put his Mouth in the Dust and cover himself with confusion when through his own self deceiving apprehension he could never either see it or bring his heart to be humbled for it before the Lord. Thus many who in former times have soothed up themselves with the glorious appearance of a formal profession so that they could keep out or wipe off al the convictions that were presented before them At length the Lord leaves them to some noysom lusts one is overtaken with bruitish Drunkenness another with some base uncleanness and so the breaking of the impostume and the venting of those vile evils constraines their consciences to condemn themselves for rotten when the evidence of the word could not and this hath been the occasion of the through conversion of some men Somtimes again the Lord takes some men out of a sink to make them mirrors of the power of his saving mercy to al posterity The greatness of their sin was the occasion why their Hearts were pierced for al sin Act. 2.36 37. 1 Tim. 1.16 5. When the time appointed and determined before in the counsel of the Lord is come then the prayer of our Savior ever takes place and makes the means effectual and prevailingly successeful for the good of such for whom he hath taken the care Joh. 10.16 I have other sheep which are not yet of this fold such as in his counsel were ordained to life yet not called to the saving knowledg of the truth them also I must bring and they shall hear my voice These wandering sheep that are gone astray from the walks of the Lord yet he must bring he must pluck the Adulterer from his lusts and the Drunkard from his Cups and worldling who hath been Buried in his earthly occasions these shall hear his voice they are within his Ken and under his care and he provides for their good though they intend no good unto themselves So Christ to Paul he is then pitying while he is persecuting he comes to save him when he purposeth to destroy himself why persecutest thou me Act. 9. So Again he sends a Physitian to him Ananias go c. vers 11. Reas 1. From the Soveraignty of Gods wil who looks at nothing in the creature for which he should be moved to do good unto it but only his good wil and pleasure according to which â—e curves out his compassion as suits with his own liking Rom. 11.7 The Election hath obtained it it s not in the power of Israel And therefore hence it is He shews mercy because he wil shew mercy and he it is that raiseth up a mighty Salvation for his people when they were in the depths of their sins and confusions also Luk. 1.69 Ezek. 16.6 I saw her in her Blood and then I said Live 2 The Riches of Gods mercy in Christ and the scope of our Saviors coming it is to destroy the work of Satan and to bring life out of death and light out of Darkness Rom. 5. and last That where sin abounded Grace hath abounded much more That is the aim of the place why then was the Law given since the Law could not save but only Christ Answ It was that sin might abound when corruption was discovered opposed and provoked then it was made out of measure sinful That where sin hath abounded Grace also might much more abound q.d. The Lord Christ would redeem his people let the Devil and sin do their worst So the Apostle again disputes Rom. 5.8 God commended his love to us that when we were sinners Christ died for us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord painted and limned out the surpassing excellency of his love in most lively Colors It s the scope also of the coming of our Savior He came not to call the righteous but sinners to Repentance He was not to find them blessed but to make them so Isa 49.5 Christ was formed from the Womb to be his servant that he might bring Jacob again It s he that leaves the ninty nine in the Wilderness and goes to seek up that which was lost in the Wilderness If the Soveraignty of Gods good pleasure appointed this The Riches of his free Grace and the scope of our Saviors coming intended this then certainly our Savior would carefully accomplish it but the antecedent is such therefore the consequent Use 1 of Instruction Here see the different dispensation of the dealing of the Lord in the waies and works of his providence towards men of the same quality and that in the same condition men as sinful one as another and under the power of their sin and in an unregenerate state both of them Yet the counsel of God and the care of our Savior Christ is farr different even surpassing mans imagination and thought Be they both unbeleevers now for the present adversaries to his Grace and opposers of his word and the work of his spirit and it may be with greater out-rage and violence the one more than the other And yet the Lord may do
nothing but in love and out of mercy to the one intercede now in Heaven order al creatures and overwork al occasions in Earth for the good of the one and do nothing for the other but there is a hand of Justice and the Poyson of his displeasure which first or last either in the entrance or in the Issue wil be an ingredient in every passage of Gods providence towards them Let them both have the same outward blessing its Diet to the one surfet to the other poyson to the one and a preservative to the other the one wil be quickned and inlarged to God by it with thankfulness the other becomes proud insolent towards men careless and negligent towards God Let them both be under the same Rod and correction the one wil be made more humble and the Heart wil be wrought to a more watchful care to walk more awfully before the Lord the other wil be made more frampful and preverse and hardned in a self willy erring frame of Spirit Thus some expound that of Paul Gal. 1.15 God who had separated him from the Womb had set him a part in his counsel and purpose to such a service and even from the Womb in his education and course of life and studyes he was severing and suiting of him for his own turn Object But it wil be said do not we see by proof and experience that even the dearest servants of the Lord before their conversion pervert even the bounty and blessing of the Lord to the increase of their sin and hasting of their ruin The learning and wisdome of Paul lifts up his Heart in pride and sets on his spirit to presecute the Church He profited more than his equals and breathed out threatnings more than they al. How are these then fruits of mercy when they are thus accursed to a man and indeed can be no other for an unbeleeving Heart wil suck Poyson out of the sweetest blessing the Lord bestows Answ They are blessings as they come from God and as he give them they prove Curses as the Heart that is yet graceless abuseth them they are preservatives as they come from the Hand of the almighty and he administers them they are turned to Poyson as a corrupt Heart perverts them to its own hurt As the Physitian out of love and wisdom administers a wholsom potion but a foul stomack turns it al into matter of an ill Humor and so a Disease And yet also I answer in the Second place That in the Issue at the last the Lord even out-bids all and over-works all even the abuse of all blessings the the furfeting upon al his kindnesses to the further abasing of the soul fearful and thankful walking before him when once he is effectually brought home There is a special Confection made out of the kindnesses and our corrupt distempers for our deeper Humiliation in regard of our selves and admiration in regard of Gods goodness As it was said of them in Egypt so the Psalmist applies it to al The Lord doth marvaâ—lously separate his mercier Hence also we have an answer to the cavil of the Papists who plead that Christ doth not bear al the punishment which the Saints deserve For say they before their conversion when they were not in the state of Grace nor in Christ those afflictions that were laid on them must needs be true punishments and issue from divine Justice revenging not from the love of a Father correcting therefore Christ may suffer for the pardon of al their sins and yet not bear al their punishments Answ They do come from the love of a Father who in his counsel hath determined it and in Christ hath fully transacted it though it is not yet actually either bestowed or received of them in the work of redemption Use 2. Here is matter of admiration of the boundless and unconceivable compassion of the Lord Jesus towards those that do beleeve they should get them into Davids Counting-House of serious consideration and Sum up al those precious expressions of his faithfulness and goodness in their whol course Instead of reckoning up the value of them melt away and be wholly swallowed up in the wonderment and admiration of that they are not able to recount much less to comprehend according to the worth thereof Psal 40.5 Many O Lord my God are thy wonderful works which thou hast done and thy thoughts which are to us-ward they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee Look back therefore men Bretheren and Fathers beloved and blessed of the Lord unto the daies forepast even from that first birth unto this present hour The goodness of the Lord how hath it grown up and gone along with you from time to time view the succession of those sweet and tender compassions which have been renewed and multiplied upon you as your years and daies and months and moments of your life Know it was from the care and through the vertue of the prayers of Christ that you came into this world that he first time of your breathing had not been the first time of your damning He hath rocked your Cradles nursed you at your Mothers Breasts trained you up in your tender years taken care of you and then prayed for you when you did not could not pray for your selves Oh the Riches of that Mercy Will not every Man say cannot each Man confess it had I continued in such a place conversed with such wretched company with whom I was somtimes linked and confederate had not the Lord freed me from those snares delivered me from those temptations had he not born with the baseness of my Heart but taken the advantage against me and snatched me away when I was posting down to Hell in the eager pursuit of such and such base lusts there had been no possibility but I had perished Oh the Riches of that Mercy Nay had he but let Satan loose upon me or mine own corruptions loose within me unto which I was addicted and which was my delight and life This wretched Heart had never come to an end nor measure in sin A Cain here A Judas here An Achitophel here nay a Hell was here in this Heart yea what the Heart of Beelzebub harbored the spawn of it was here So that might I have had but mine own will I had never ceased sinning until I had come unto that unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost and so had been past Hope of recovery But it was the care the prayer of Jesus that prevented it and my everlasting ruin Oh the Riches of that mercy Nay when I lay secure and senseless in my sin and never thought of means nor ever sought for them he sent them though I was careless he continued them when there was no Eye to pity me nor I had a Heart to pity my self yet when he saw me in my Blood he said live Poor creature live Oh the Riches of that mercy of a Christ Nay such was the
composition of parts compleat and in a sweet order there is a free intercourse of blood and spirits between each part and in each passage whence the whole is in perfect strength and each part active and able to its office But when there grow obstructions the passages between part and part are stopped the work is hindered and the whole prejudiced both in health and strength So it is when this Oneness and this neer relation in the power and expressions of it betwixt the Soul and the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ hath his ful and free-passage There is a special intercourse of the presence and spiritual influence of the spirit of Adoption upon the soul whence follows a quickning vertue and inlarged fruitfullness in all the services to God and man As they are one with the Father and Christ so are they wholly acted by them and approve both their hearts and carriages unto them in all well pleasing So the Apostle 1. Joh. 3.6 He that abideth in Christ sinneth not but he that sinneth hath not seen him nor known him Use to Instruct Comfort Exhort Us. 1. Instruction The practise of our Savior is a precedent and pattern of praying to al the faithful unto the end of the world teaching us how we should order our desires when we appear before the Lord and put up our petitions unto the throne of Grace Thou seest here what our Savior seeks for sues for and that in thy behalf and for thy good yea when he would lay in for the relief of his servants and provide for their comfort in this world before he was to go into another world When he would suit them with blessings and good things that might be serviceable for their everlasting wellfare This is the great and grand request and that put up in the first place That they may be one in us Go thy way do thou likewise pray thou likewise Let this petition have the chief place in thy heart and the first place in thy prayer As the Apostle in another case I may in this Let the same mind be in thee that was in Jesus Christ He is most wise and best knows what may procure our good and is more merciful and careful for our wellfare than we our selves If wise and knows best merciful and cares more for our eternal good than we for our selves when we have such a Guid that can not erre who shews us the way we may safely follow it A pattern beyond all exception we may nay we ought if we be wise-hearted to imitate it The prayer of our Savior is the standard by this we should make al prayers judg all True in every thing our prayers and supplications ought to be made known to God What ever we would have or have a sanctified use of seek it and seek a blessing upon it what ever we receive be thankful for it But that which is of greatest worth we have most need of and may receive most good by affect that more than al the rest and seek that before all other Of the six Petitions but one for worldly things Where the Lord in his word bestows more lives and labour to direct thee bestow thou most care to attend and take it Set then this prayer of our Savior a Sampler dayly before thine Eyes when thou comest to petition good things for thy self say It is not the profiting of this world that may inrich not comforts conveniences which might content that I seek for But Oh that I and al mine and al thine the families of thy servants and the assembly may be not one only in affection but one in that neerest relation of dearest love to thee blessed Father and blessed redeemer That we might not live but thou wouldest live in us That we may be al one in thee Use 2. Comfort We have here matter of unconceiveable comfort to support the feeble spirit and fetch up the fainting and drooping hearts of the poor and faithful servants of the Lord. What ever difficulty ye meet withal that may dismay you what ever opposition from without which may resist and hinder or weakness from within that may discourage you either from the seeking or expecting so great a favor so high and happy a priviledg from the hands of the Lord What that I Such a sinful and wretched creature who am sit to be cooped up with the damned and chained up with the Devils who have been one with them in al their wickedness temptations have not been presented occasions offered so soon but Oh! this vile heart hath been one and sided with them and been carried by them and transported with distempers as with a violent stream What I can this carnal cursed heart ever be one with so holy and blessed a God what I that have been a Traytor to the Lord Jesus and shed his Blood and crucified again the Lord of life I who have been a Rebel against the Rich mercy and Grace of the Father so graciously provided so freely offered that ever I should imagine to be one with these who have been an enemy to both its beyond my thoughts much more my Hopes it s not possible therefore not credible Why alas mine own experience wil give in evidence and that undeniable against my Soul I have had all means injoyed all ordinances God hath tried all conclusions compassed me about with mercies hedged me in with afflictions to hold my heart to him and keep me with him All Hopes and helps have been plucked away from whence I expected relief that I might look to him and be quickened and carried by him It s not possible therefore to be attained True It s not possible for al means to work Nor possible by any power or ability of thine own to bring it about And yet it is not possible if the Lord Jesus have prayed for it but God should give it and you undoubtedly receive it from his Majesties hands Our Savior professeth so much Father I know tho hearest me alwaies Joh. 1 4â— therefore it s no more but that which Christ avoweth he knows and therefore thou mayst build upon it know Yea upon this ground he supports the heart of Peter in that heavy Shock when almost al was gone Luk. 22.32 Satan hath destred to winnow you but I have prayed that thy Faith fail not When therefore Satans Assaults are never so fel and fierce his temptations never so fiery which with their vehemency multitude and continuance seem to shake and sink thy heart when helps and heart and Hopes and prayers and al fail so that thou art at thy wits end and utmost period of thy thoughts yet the prayer of our Savior never fails of acceptance and success Therefore set thy heart at rest Christ shal either miss of his prayer or I will not miss of this priviledg Therefore yet this staggering and back-sliding heart wil be seâ—led Therefore this giddy and unstedy heart wil be established If the Father
great a work unto his care and trust and laid it upon him as his charge which by mutual consent and convenant he willingly undertook Joh. 6.39 This is my Fathers will that hath sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose none but should raise it up at the last day And therefore adds verse 40. He that beleeves in me Shall have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day Yea he gives up his account of his work John 17.12 Those that thou hast given me I have kept and lost none And therefore compares himself to the good Shepherd that layes down his self for his Sheep Joh. 10. 3. Gives him ful commission for the accomplishment of this work unto the ful even as he is the Son of man hath given right and liberty to the humane Nature of ours now received into personal union to use and improve any of the Attributes of the Deity for the further benefit of the Saints the good of his Church and the furtherance of those spiritual ends which may best â—et forwards the glory of God and the everlasting wellfare of his people This so wonderful a union doth advantage the Humane Nature to so high a priviledg to use al the excellencies of the Deity at al times answerable to al necessities to fetch supply suitable to the wants desires comforts of the Saints This is the meaning of those places Math. 28.18 All power is given to me in Heaven and in Earth To have al power it to be Omnipotent for more than all cannot be conceived noâ— possessed more than that God hath not and that because it is an in-communicable Attribute he cannot communicate but the meaning is though it be not omnipotent yet it hath liberty to set that on work for the benefit and best good of Gods servants Hence what the Father doth the son is said to do also Joh. 5.26 As the Father hath life in himself so hath he given to the son to have life in himself Verse 19. What ever things he doth those the son doth likewise for as the Father raiseth up the dead even so he Joh. 17.2 Thou hast given him power over all Flesh to give unto them eternal life He that must rescue them from Hel and sin and death and from divine Justice he must have power over al That the power in Heaven may not prejudice and frustrate the work in Hel hinder it on earth oppose it 4. The Father leaves the immediate dispensation of al the work unto him to act it according to his own pleasure For so our Savior As the Father raiseth and quickeneth so the son quickeneth whom he will Joh. 5.21 And adds verse 22. For the Father judgeth no man but hath committed al judgment to the son Not that the Father hath not power for the execution of the work For he that gives it hath it in a principal and soveraign manner But he hath committed the immediate execution thereof unto the Lord Jesus and so of the whol work of our Redemption Joh. 5.27 That as Pharaoh said concerning Joseph when he appointed him next unto himself in the kingdom of Egipt Gen. 41.40,44 I am Pharaoh and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot no man shal do any thing which way so ever he turn himself c. Only I am Pharaoh So the Father to Christ he delegates the execution of al in Heaven and Earth unto him only he is greater This is the meaning of that place 1 Cor. 11.3 I would have you know that the Head of every man is Christ the head of the Woman is the man and the head of Christ is God Whence know 1. That the Apostle speaks not only of faithful men and Women but of al men and Women according to their sex For the scope is to shew that Women should be subject not only gracious but al. And this he shews from the feebleness and underness of their Nature and sex 2. That these different degrees of excellency are only to be attended in regard of subordination in order one to another and immediate dispensation from one to another for that Head implies not only excellency and dignity in the general but power to move al in subord nation to it authority to rule all in subjection 〈…〉 So that it is not excellency but power and 〈…〉 and that not at large for so Angels are the 〈◊〉 of men but as they be in subordination and not 〈◊〉 â—â—ch as be far removed but such as have the next 〈◊〉 dispensation in way of providence â—eâ—ch â—ver other For otherwise Christ is head not ofâ—â—â— but of Woman and Angels also so God himself is But the Apostles meaning and intent was to shew the orderly and next dispensation in the several degrees the immediate influence and dispensation of power and authority for the ruling of the femal sex is in a way of providence and appointment from man the immediate dispensation of power to man is from Christ to Christ from God the Father who hath sent him And thus Christ is and doth to al only distinguishing the manner and end of his dispensation To the wicked in way of Justice for their ruine and destruction To the godly in way of mercy for their spiritual good That 's the meaning of that All is yours c. And hence the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.24 28. Christ is said when he hath conquered al enemies the last is death damned all the wicked and delivered up is Children into the hands of his Father he then is said To deliver up his Kingdom to the Father i.e. Only in regard of this outward dispensation For then God the Father shal in and through Christ communicate himself to all his Saints Use 1. We have here matter of wonderment at the Rich and unconceiveable compassion of the Father to miserable undone man who should be careful to provide for his good who is so negligent to provide for his own Spares nothing â—o purchase his Salvation who hath done what he can to destroy himself Had he sent the meanest of his creatures to succour us his servants to visit us his Angels to administer to us it had been more than we could have expected But to send his Son out of his own Bosom yea out of his own Bowels to work out our Redemption to make known the way of life and and to make it good unto our Souls Nature would not do this reason cannot reach this mercy the heart would not dare to beg this Sit we down in the everlasting admiration of his mercy As Elizabeth and Mary when he came to visit her Luk. 1.43 Whence comes it that the mother of my Lord should come to me So thou As David when he attended the dealing of the Lord towards lost man who had made himself the most vile and forlorn of al his creatures looks upon his own baseness and Gods kindness Lord what is man that thou
the same Nature upon himself for the great work of our Redemption and so he is head 1. It s proper to him to have al Grace firstly in himself in way and right of communication for had he not been the son of man and son of God together the way of Grace and life had been shut up from the sons of Adam Hebr. 10.20 And in this sence it is said That with him is the Wel of life Ps 36.9 And he is said to be a fountain of living Waters to have life in himself Joh. 5.26 And to quicken whom he wil. Joh. 5.21 2. The right and propriety of immediate dispensation is committed to his hand of all Grace and good Of his Grace we receive Grace for Grace Joh. 1.16 And the Holy Spirit takes of his not of his own when he communicates to the Souls of the Saints Joh. 16.14 15. He shal shew you al things He shal glorifie me for he shal receive of mine Al things that the Father hath are mine Therefore said I He shal take of mine and shew it unto you 3. The manner how this spiritual presence is communicated Answ It appeares in the Nature and maaner of it in three things 1. The second person in the glorious Trinity assuming our Nature into mystical and personal union with himself remaining the same person after the union which he was before the union doth therein become surety for the faithful and enter into covenant with God the Father in their room and purchase both Grace and glory in their behalf For had he not taken the Nature of man it had been unpossible he should have communicated unto man any good So the Apostle reasons when he would shew the way how life came to be derived to the seed of Adam and not unto Angels gives this as the ground Hebr. 2.16 For vâ—rely â—e took not on him the Nature of Angels but the Seed of Abraham And therefore these were redeemed life was conveyed unto these the other in their sins and sorrows And being thus fitted for the place of a Surety He did in special manner enter upon termes of agreement in the behalf of those he would do good unto The happiness of those were committed to his care by the Father and undertaken willingly by himself Joh. 6.38 39. This is the will of the Father that those that he hath given me I should lose none but raise them up at the last day And he is as careful to attend their spiritual welfare as may be therefore he concludes of them in their times and answerable to their conditions I have other Sheep and those I must bring Joh. 10.16 And when they are brought I will in no wise cast away nor suffer any to take them away Joh. 6.37 2. Having thus purchased Grace and glory for them he hath now both right and liberty to improve al power in Heaven and Earth to communicate Grace and glory to them Yea the Human Nature of our Savior hath liberty power to let on work any and all the Attributes in the behalf of the poorest beleever in the world yea right to send the good Spirit of the Lord for his spiritual relief Joh. 17.2 Thou hast given him that is Christ power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him And therefore in verse 4. he saith I have finished the work thou gavest me to do q. d. Christ hath nothing to do in this vale of â—eareâ— but search ouâ— and seek up some scattered and wildering Servants of the Lord. Yea liberty to send the spirit upon this imployment Joh. 15.26 When the comforter is come whom I will send you from the Father Yea makes this his main Errand to heaven in his ascension Joh. 16.7 It is expedient c. If I depart I will send him unto you 3. He doth improve this power and the operation of the Spirit to close the Soule with himself and to hold the bent of the heart towards him for ever 1 Cor. 6.17 He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit As by his spirit he sanctified our Nature and took it into personal union with himself and gave in subsistence which of it self it had not nor could attain So by the operation of his Spirit he prepares the Soul for himself carries it in the promise to himself and acts it upon himself The Soul moved by the vertue of the Spirit moves to and staies upon the Lord Christ As in the Eccho the Air moved by the voice in such manner returns the same voice by vertue of its own motion Come unto me I come Lord. And not only carries and closeth the Soul with himself but holds it in this holy bent to himself that way Christ-ward Heaven-ward This is like the growing up with Christ being as scions ingrafted into him as the true Vine and so are truly and so called sons as the scions united to the stock may fitly be called the Sons thereof and hence Christ is stiled The eternal Father Isa 9.6 Behold a Son is given and this son is a Father and an eternal Father and begets us as sons unto his Father and will deliver us up unto him at the great day Here am I and the Children which thou hast given me Hebr. 2.13 This is that which Christ calls his abiding in us If I abide in you and you in me Joh. 15.4 The Reason in a word is this He that is the life of the faithful must be in the faithful So is Christ Gal. 2.20 Col. 3.4 When Christ who is our life c. USE 1. CAUTION To al especially the wicked and enemies of the Saints That they do not offend and wrong them or do the least evil to them because they do wrong to the Lord Jesus and he so takes it as to himself Act. 9. Saul why persecutest thou me And the sufferings of the Saints for a good cause are called the sufferings of Christ 2. Cor. 1.5 Thus the Lord sends to Sennacherib Isa 37.28 I know thy going out and thy coming in and thy rage against me It was bent against Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem but it was against the Lord in them True it is The wicked see not know not consider not this being blinded with Ignorance and Malice and therefore Paul asks the question when Christ speaks Who art thou Lord q. d. I own not thy speech nor understand thy person Our Savior answers I am Jesus whom thou persecutest Yea this wil be for the condemnation of their persons and confusion of their faces at the day of Judgment when the Saints in this sentence shal be honored and they set down for ever abased before their faces Depart ye cursed c. For I was in prison and ye visited me not c. Why When Lord saw we thee c. They were not acquainted with the presence of our Savior He add In that ye did it not to one of these ye
sickness had he but the Physitian by him that could heal It would refresh the Child in Misery and want were the tender mother by that would pity could relieve Our Saviour is al and more than al he can answer al thy desires and he is present and apprehensive of thy grievances In all their afflictions he was afflicted He is in thee he shares in al thy sorrows Why persecutest thou me So David Psal 73.26 My heart and my flesh al inward and outward helps fail but the Lord is the strength of my heart his wisdom was in his mind his subjection in his wil his sweet calms and quiet in his distempered affections that strengthened al. USE 6. Matter of Humiliation to all the Saints who have Christ so neer to them so spiritually so specially present with them and yet they know so little of him are so little acquainted with him As Paul in another case Acts 17.23 touching the Altar set up to the unknown God he answers Whom ye ignorantly worship him I shew unto you for he is not far from you for in him we live and move and have our being So of Christ whom ye ignorantly worship and desire to see and enquire of Christ by Christ As Mary asked of the Lord where the Lord Jesus was O! they go weeping and seeking after a Savior complain they cannot hear of him c. mourn after him He is not far from you nay is in you and works al your works for you Your Consciences have been in terror and perplexity and again quelled Tweetly and calmed it was Christ that did it Your Spirits were sunk down in discouragements and knew not how to recover themselves and yet beyond hope supported it was Christ that did it And therefore as our Saviour complained and checked Philip John 14.9 Have I been so long with you and dost thou not know me Philip Hath Christ so long striven with those rebellious so long comforted quickened in weaknesses strengthened you in wants supplied helped you to cal so often heard so long born with al that baseness and do ye not yet know Jesus Christ Complain of thine own blindness and heedlesness The Lord Jesus was in this place in this heart and I was not aware of him wretch that I am Gen. 28.16 USE 7. Here is matter of Admiration even to force us to stand amazed at the endless compassion of a Savior Why should he pass by so many as good and better than our selves as we came out of the Lyons of Adam yet to knock at our doors cal upon us John 14.22 Lord why wilt thou shew thy self to us and not unto the world Why shed his blood for us send his Spirit to us why pass by so many provocations and pity and pardon us As Solomon Behold the Heaven is not able to contain thee how shal this so poor a Tent So thou of thy heart and is it possible Or as she How comes it that the Mother of my Lord is come unto me It was Moses his Dispute Deut. 4.34 Did ever God assay c. Did ever people hear God c. But they have God dwelling in them USE 8. Of Exhortation 1. To be affected with the presence of so great a Majesty and so affected with his presence as to see our own weakness and worthlesnes When God had Schooled Job out of the Whirl-whind see how he sits down abased Behold I am vile How the Centution esteemed the presence of our Saviour in the daies of his Humiliation Behold I am not worthy thou should'st come under my Roof How we of our Saviours Spiritual presence now in glory to come so neer as to dwel in these wretched hearts of ours 2. Therefore study to give suitable entertainment and welcom to so glorious a Guest set al our abilities on work as Abraham his Servants that we may answer the coming and kindness of the Lord. And that 's in Two things 1 Content him with the provision we make 2 Honor him with attendance that is meet 1 Study his Content Walk in all well-pleasing Col. 1.10 2 Cor. 5.9 Be Ambitious to please As with persons of great quality we enquire of their followers what wil please what Diet they desire we provide it if can be purchased with money So here This in four things 1. Bring truth of Spirit in al our performances Psal 51.6 Thou lovest truth in the inner parts So Hezekiah Remember how I have walked before thee with an upright heart Isa 38.3 God seeks for such who is a God of Truth just and right Deut. 32.4 only the heart of al the Sacrifice 2. Present him with nothing but his own That which he commands not he accepts not Who required these things No man knows what wil please him before he shew his pleasure Matth. 15.9 They worship him in vain when they invent dishes of their own 3. Let the Diet be fresh and new dressed That which is old and stale it is not wholsom much less honorable to set it before a stranger It must be fresh fat and good and new killed Psal 98.1 David speaks of a new Song of Thanksgiving As in the Shew-bread which was dayly set before the Lord it must be set on fresh in the several seasons Levit. 24.8 Exod. 25.30 each Sabboth God gives a new Command It 's an old Command but renewed with fresh colors a new Covenant Jer. 31.31 So we bring new Love Faith and Repentence renew and stirr up a fresh thy Graces 4. Humility and feare Mic. 6.8 Isa 66.2 Men converse with marvailous underness and awfullness before great personages when they are sleight and negligent in the presence of their underlings So must we be awful and feareful when we come into Christs presence to be negligent here is to dishonor and to distast him it is to use him as an underling 2. Honor him with our attencance 1. Attend him with gladness and cheerfullness of heart Joy is a sit Chamberlain to wait comes and goes readily Deut. 28.47 With glad hearts Act. 2.46 Eat their meat together with joyfulness of heart God loves a cheerful look not lowring 2. With a ready watchfulness to listen to the intimation of Gods mind Observe every look take notice of the least beck listen to the lowest speech watch every passage and appearance of the pleasure of the Lord. Luk. 12.35 Stand with your loynes girt and your Lamps burning waiting for his coming Have al trim our Lamps and Vessels Here Lord. See what God would and suit answerably Thou in me We have handled the first degree attending the order of our Savior who looks at them as they appeare to us and therefore so propounds them as they may be most easily apprehended We are now come to the first fountain and original from whence this spiritual priviledg and unity hath his rise dispensed and communicated That is from the In-being of the Father in Christ This is the highest degree further than which we cannot
this In-being of the Father in him See the very ground given Joh. 10.10 The word I speak is not mine but the Father that dwels in me c. Joh. 8.38 For the works sake beleâ—ve that the Father is in me and I in the Father Joh. 5. The Son doth nothing of himself but what he seeth the Father do Issue the whol Thus. What ever the second person and Son of God as such doth that he doth by vertue of his eternal generation from the Father and from his abiding in him But as Son he takes our Nature into personal union with himself and as Son advanceth it to that priviledg and liberty to set al the Attributes on work and to send the Holy Ghost yea sends al Officers and appoints al Offices and blesseth them Therefore by vertue of this his eternal generation from the Father and his abiding in him this Union Mission and Operation of the Human Nature proceeds The second person by this eternal generation from the Father and abiding in him is reflected upon the Father and as the Father hath an Eye only to the son in giving the susibstence of a Son the Son hath an Eye to the Father in returning the subsistence of a son to him they wholly give and take So the Son uniting the Human Nature into one person holds it in reference and dependance with himself upon the Father All is communicated to him as sent and so to the Human Nature All acted by him and so by the Human Nature The In-being or existence of the Father in the Son is the first rise whence the unity of the faithful with the Father and the Son comes to be perfected Hither our Savior ascends and here he staies Leads us to the Well-Head and fountain whence our spiritual wellface and everlasting good Issues And this is the highest of al and higher we cannot go beyond this visible world and al creatures therein even to Heaven and in Heaven above Angels to God and in the God-Head to the first original in the glorious and blessed Trinity and the first act in that origination To this accords that of the Apostle each place adds mutual light unto the other Col. 3.3 We are dead and our life is hid with Christ in God Christ is the Treasurer but the Father is the Author Christ is the keeper but the Father is the first Appointer thereof For so you must understand the Name God not essentially but personally being put in opposition and reference unto Christ our life is hid with Christ but Christ and life and al is in God in the Father Upon this ground it is and to the like purpose that the Apostle carries the hearts of the Corinthians in the work of their calling unto this consideration as that wherein the lowest part of the foundation of our comfort lies 1 Cor. 1.30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God in made unto us wisedom righteousness Sanctification and Redemption Christ is all even complete Redemption who delivers from the power and presence of al evil and gives all Grace quickens what he gives perfects what he quickens owns what he perfects But he is made this to us not of himself but of the Father for so stil the word and Name of God is to be taken as appears verse 24. Christ is the power of God and the Wisedom of God Christ is made our Redemption and we are made his redeemed ones and the Father makes both he our Redemption and we his redeemed And this is the cause why the Apostle is so inlarged inlaying forâ—h the soveraignty of the Fathers work beyond al the compass either of the being of the creature or the Graces and apprehensions of all Churches Eph. 4.5 6. There is one Lord Jesus one Faith and one Baptisme one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you al. Above al even in the highest power that is dispensed in his Church Christ is the Head and Husband the Holy Spirit the comforter God is the Father Through al the operations and administrations that are in the Churches and Graces dispensed He sends his Son to the great work of our Redemption God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself 2 Tim. 1.4 Given us Grace in Christ Jesus before the world was He sends the Spirit in the work of Application Joh. 26. In all the Saints as drawing and conjoining the hearts of the faithful as fellow Brethren unto himself with the Father and one to another in him and for him So one in relation here as wel as in a Savior And from hence lastly it is we meet usually with that phrase which may receive a right explication and true understanding from t he point in hand 1 Then 1.1 To the Church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and in our Lord Jesus And that so al the Churches and al the faithful are in God the Father as the Father of the Churches in the Son as the Head of the Church In the Father who out of the Authority or priority of order not of dominion first appoints our Savior to the word and the work to him In the Lord Jesus as he is appointed by the Mission to work from the Father and by commission sent as man united to the second person to have al Graces first in way and right of communication to the Church The Father he knows the Son there is the Deity and al the excellencies thereof reflecting exemplifying or characterising upon it self where the expressions of the Deity and all the excellency thereof exemplifying from it self that 's to be in the Father that is it is in the vertue of the Father that it is so done The Son again as the Character reflected or exemplified and where this examplification or excellencies returned again is to be seen so far the Soul may be said to be in Christ that is in his vertue not looking so much at the work or thing done for that Issues from all but at the manner of doing and carry that along it wil direst and not deceive Open the Doctrin 1. Recal what this Oneness is 2. How it s Perfected The first I shal not trouble you withal because I have heretofore opened it at large only mention so much as you may keep your Eye or consideration upon it as the White or Mark that you may discern how the following expressions hit it Briefly then This unity as ye have heard is not the Oneness of affection amongst the Saints but the Oneness of relation they have to God in Christ as his Adopted ones One with us nor one with themselves This Oneness of Relation lies here in that our Saviour doth not bring the Souls of the faithful in neerest relations of dearest love as adopted Sons but also into that spiritual intercourse of peculiar and divine operation of God upon the Soul whereby the Soul returnes unto God to do al and to take al.
To do al form himself in man not man to do it To receive all to himself by man not man to take it which was otherwise in the covenant of works The Lord Jesus having fitted the Soul for himself and united the Soul to himself and made the Soul acceptable to the Father in his Blood He sends the spirit of Adoption into the hearts of his sets their hearts for God and holds the bent of their heâ—rts towards him This is the gracious look of the Father The faithful the spiritual being of Sonship 1. Fasten to God in Christ as the fountain of life 2. Leave their hearts there and abide to be wholly acted by the influence and assistance of his Spirit 3. And to hold up the excellency thereof not I but Christ by the power of his might Mark that to be acted by the influence of the spirit not by a principle of Grace in our selves This is the Oneness to be carried beyond the covenant of works and the work of Grace or any principle thereof in our selves but to cling about God in Christ that he may act al in us and by us and we hold out him in al our works 2. How is this said to be perfected We shall better understand this if we a little consider the imperfection of this Oneness and wherein it appears the ful removal of those weaknesses wil be the perfecting of this priviledg in our Souls This imperfection lies in three things 1. In the feebleness and unsoundness of our spirit when we do not abide in the Lord we do out leave our selves under the power and stream of the Spirit of promise in and through which al spiritual vertue is dispensed and the influence of the Spirit is conveyed unto us But either we are crowded and thrust off by the strength and violence of temptation which as violent and boisterous winds and raging waves force the Vessel out of the Channel carries at upon the shore and shelves where it is set on ground if not split So Peter in the shock the assault came so fierce that it rowted his heart wholly and David in hast faid I shal one day perish c. Psal 16.11 Or Els We go aside willingly through the folly and deceiveable lusts of our carnal mind which catch at every Twigg hang upon every Hedg rawm and reach after re set by our own devices Will ye also go away Joh. 6.67 Jonah hath a fetch of his own and forlook his own mercies Jon. 2.8 Somtimes out of sinful discouragements the Soul like the Body in a fainting sit cannot see his way nor his Comfort nor can it help it self by holding that which is next at hand Like a man wildering in a dark night and out of the way he goes he knows not which way Isa 49.14 My God hath forsaken me This comes thus to be helped when God settles and stakes down the soul that it wil not go away nor be carried away O! intreat me nat to leave thee Ruth 1. Ashur shall not save us but with thee the fatherless finds mercy Hos 14.3 When we grow up in Christ as they I will wait upon him that hides his face from the house of Jacob and will look upward Isa 8.17 not inward outward downward backward when nothing from without moves us nothing from within stirs us or makes us turn back 1 Chron. 29. 18 as they Dan. 3.16.17 We care not to answer our God can and if he please he will however thither they look and thence they wil not go 2. As there is feebleness we abide not so there is crossness to the power of the Spirit which gives not way thereunto Though God through Christ let in some intimation to the soul and our Savior put his hand into the hole of the door and his fingers drop Mirrh leaves sweet insinuations of his favor present remembrances of himself Cant. 4.4 yet the soul is composing it self to a secure sluggish frame Psal 77.3 My soul refused comfort Ahaz will not ask a sign Isa 7.12 So Exod. 6.9 As Job in another case If God will speak kindly I could not beleeve it As Asa in a desperate pang refused to hear and receive Direction and Reproof from the Seen who would have brought him again to the Lord 2 Chron. 16. told him the eyes of the Lord run to and fro through the world to shew himself stronger He lost his strength and peace all his daies This hindrance is removed when this crossness of whatever kind it is that may â—op the passage and Influence of the Spirit is taken off and when it 's wholly removed then is it fully perfected I can do nothing against the Truth 2 Cor. 13.8 I came without gainsaying Acts 10.29 Pray without Dialogueing 1 Tim 2.8 Abraham considered noâ— Sarahs barren Womb Rom. 4.19 Live and walk in the Spirit Gal. 5.25 As the Soul when a obstructions are removed hath his ful intercourse in the Body so when this opposition is removed 3. When by feebleness we abide not by crossness we close not or come to be fully ingrafted into the Promise So lastly When the Soul will joyn any thing with Christ or expect any Principle or Power to quicken or carry our hearts or abilities to any Service beside Christ as sharing with him in any quickening vertue further than he appoints them goes with them works by them This is a desperate prejudice to the perfection of this Unity and returning al to God in Christ To lean upon Christ and our own Wisdom expect from Christ and our own Abilities Ordinances Offices c. I am Pauls and I am Christs 1. Cor. 1.12 this is to joyn a stone and staff together and so we hold neither in our hand This is perfected When we come to eye nothing but Christ to joyn nothing with him expect nothing but from him no strength but from a Savior but from Christ who hath appointed it sanctified and blessed it Paul is nothing Apollo is nothing Word Ordinances nothing but Christ in them they work nor further than Christ is in them prosper not further than Christ blesseth them A Sacrament may poyson thee as wel as nourish if thou discernest not there who is the Food of thy Soul The Word may be a savor of Death as wel as of Life if Christ breath not bless not Therefore al the Faculties should fasten upon God in Christ as Eagles upon their Prey or as so many lines about the Centre al meet him Hopes expect Grace from God in Christ and from nothing else Desires long for mercy from God in Christ and nothing else As they We will remember thy Name only Jehosaphat had al the Forces in Israel yet staies there There is no strength in us our eyes are towards thee When once it comes to that we shall see him as be is then we shall be like unto him 1 John 3.2 When we are setled so that we stir not yield so to al of Christ
second Adam it wholly fastens upon God in Christ and so leaves it self wholly to be acâ—ed by the influence thereof and holds out the excellency thereof that is not I but Christ not by my power and might but by the power of the might of Christ Thus the Sinner is wholly beyond the covenant of works So that the faithful hath nothing of himself doth nothing from himself or for himself As Christ the Son doth nothing of himself but what he sees the Father do Joh. 5.19 But God in Christ doth al for himself in man man doth it not receives al himself by man man can take nothing This I said was the leaving of the Soul under the influence of the spirit not under a principle of Grace or sanctification for that comes after is there is acted and preserved by this For the spirit holds nor us only but our Graces quickens and keeps them But a clinging about God in Christ that he may act al in us and by us Therefore the Apostle joins both these Eph. 3.16 Praies that we may be strengthened by the power of the spirit in the inward man The inward man is the man of Sanctification Now there is a power of his spirit that gives strengthening vertue to that This is that for Christ to abide in us and we in him Joh. 15. As the Father abides in Christ so Christ in the Father so Christ abides in us and we in him Christ gives al we receive and return all Christ looks upon us by his spirit we look wholly to Christ or wholly to the influence of that spirit in Christ hold out the power and vertue thereof that it may leave impression of al vertues in us preserve perfect quicken what it leaves So that God is in Christ and he as from the Father is in them God out of his love begets his Son gives the being of Son to him Christ out of his love begets his gives the being of adoped ones to them Once more As Christ looks only towards the Father as his Son begotten as he receives so he returnes So the faithful under the impression of the spirit of Christ as his begotten and adopted ones look towards him leave their hearts with him as of him to receive al as from him to do al. If Christ as begotten of the Father and one with him and abiding in him doth from the Father beget his adopted ones and makes them one with the Father and himself then doth the Father love the faithful with the like love of union as his Son issues from a like ground is in a like manner dispensed Only the odds is in the measure His love infinite immediate inconceiveable This finite mediate and proportionable to the condition of a creature And I cannot see by al the little light I have how to give a savory and seasonable interpretation of the place but according to this ground Joh. 10.14 15. I know mine his sheep his Sons whom he hath taken to himself and am known of them his knowing of them makes himself to be known and the rise from whence this comes verse 15. As my Father knows me and I am known of my Father 2. God loves the faithful with a like love of complacency as he doth the Son stil attend the likeness not the largness and equality of it with Christ God is first wel pleased and in him with is and such a complacency the Father takes in the Son as no creature indeed could procure and therefore no meer creature was able to receive and without Christ none ever could have been made partaker of it For had Adam obeyed the Law and done that which suited the covenant and so answered the rewarding justice of the Lord yet the revenging justice of the Lord had not yet been manifested When then sin was committed and an infinite justice wrought and an infinite punishment deserved it was beyond the compass of any creature to answer that wrong pay that debt Therefore the Lord Jesus takes our Nature that he may suffer and support our Nature in suffering by the power of his Deity that it sink not under the infinite wrath and justice of the Father and so this revenging justice is answered to the very ful and his rewarding justice please also And as thus with Christ so with the faithful Hebr. 10.14 They who have the acceptation of God in Christ made theirs to them the Lord extends the love of complacency But they have the love of God in Christ made theirs and set the evidence of this by the proportion A finite sin committed against an infinite being infinitely offends A finite suffering infinitely satisfies because the person was infinite that bore it God is infinitely wel pleased Because from the worth of his person and the vertue of his Merit he hath laid down ful Satisfaction But he is infinitely pleased with the Faithful by way of imputation because the fruit of that Merit proceeding from such a person is accounted theirs God loves the faithful with the love of Benevolence he wisheth the like good to them procures a like good for them as for Christ He makes them sharers with him in Christ-like priviledges He only hath the preheminence and they the second place They are said to ascend into Heavenly places to sit with Christ to judg the world yea al enemies to be put under feet Yea when the Kingdom shal be given up by our Savior no further dispensation in any outward means 1 Cor. 15.28 God the Father shal be all in all But in the infinite expressions of the riches of al glorious Grace upon the man Christ Jesus and in and through him upon them God the Father hath taken the Lord Christ into neerest union with himself Taken unconceiveable content in him Advanced him to infinite glory with himself The faithful next to Christ they are in a like manner united to God as Jesus In like manner accepted as Jesus Advanced as Jesus And herein lies the Crown of this glory the Diadem of this Crown the excellency above the happiness of Heaven that none of al this did come from a man by the power of any Grace or performance of any work Hence we have matter of admiration in regard of the goodness and kindness of the Lord who is al-sufficient of himself in himself yet should vouchsafe to look from Heaven to such poor worthless creatures and to extend such tender compassions unto poor wretches Tantus Tantum Tantillis but that we have spoken unto There be many Collections yet remaining we shall touch only some because we would willingly put an end to the verse 1. Instruction The sinns of the faithful are exceeding grievous unto the Lord above the sins of al other persons they go neerest unto the heart of the Almighty Not only against light but again love yea the greatest love that could be shewed and therefore cause great distast If Enemies abuse and wrong us If Strangers to whom we are
hath accomplished that great work of our redemption and that unto the ful That the ignorant who never knew him the stubborn and rebellious amongst whom he lived and preached yet would not receive him yea the flinty hearted Jews that scorned and despised the meanness of his person and the power of his dispensation Al these at last should be constrained to acknowledg that he is the true and only Messias set a part and sent to that work This is the Son of God saies the Heathen of whom we have heard but never laboured to know him This is the Son of God saies the prophane whom we in his word have opposed and hated in his servants This is the Son of God sent to save us and we have blasphemed his name and flame and crucified his person despised his government saies the Jew See the lively expression of this Rev. 6.13 This I say wil certainly come to pass for our Savior hath prayed for it yea pursued it with re-doubled desires propounded in the 21. Verse repeated in verse 23. And he is alwaies heard in what he begged Hence we have two things 1. It s lawful to begg the same thing several times in the same prayer We have here a pattern before us beyond al compare a practise beyond al exception nay in truth beyond al question or doubt He cannot do but wel who could not erre in what he did where he hath gone before us in his example in things imitable we may without either feare or hazard safely go after him As it was said of his speaking and it s as true of his praying he prayed as never man did And there do not many sentences pass between but ye have the very same petition expressed What our Savior did its lawful for us upon the like occasion and like grounds for us to do to put up the same petition several times the same prayer If we find we have greater need of that we ask than any other or if there be special worth in it or that our hearts grow warmer in the work and increase into the strength of our affection towards the thing we ask For then there is no vain babling or empty repetition but the expressions though the same have new strength of fresh apprehensions and affections put upon them Therefore David again unto the place striks the same string often which made best melody in that musick and song of his Oh that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodness and declare the wonders he doth for the Children of men 2. We ought to pray most earnestly that the power of our Savior might be expressed that his right appointment to the work of Redemption might be acknowledged by the world It s that which our Savior doubles his desires for the attainement of as that wherein the great weight of the work lay and which he counted worthy such importunate seeking for at the hands of his Father And this carriage should be a Copy and Sampler to conform our prayers unto This is that which God the Father is so Zealous of Hebr. 1. When he brings his first begotten into the world he saies Worship him all ye Angels of God And to this purpose was the eight Psalm penned and is to be understood touching our Savior as having the preheminence above al creatures in Heaven and Earth as Mediator So the Apostle to the Hebrews seems to expound it Hebr. 2.20 Learned Junius judgeth and therefore here the Psalmist dwels and delights to descant on this strain Psal 8.1 O Lord our God how excellent is thy Name in al the world That 's most worthy our desires upon which our Savior spent his This only from the repetition The point it self we spake unto on verse 21. So much of the first end The second End is this Our Savior prayes that they might be perfect in one that so the world also might know that the Father hath loved them as he loved him This is for the honor and excellency of beleevers in the acknowledgment of the world That howsoever while they are wildering here in this vale of teares they become the scorn of the wicked the scrapings of men as the Apostle hath it and the Off-scouring of the world in the misguided apprehension of the wicked of the world who know not how to judg aright of things and persons and therefore account them Out-casts of Heaven and Earth yet our Savior prayes that they may proceed on to that perfection of Oneness with the Father and himself unto which one day they shal attain in Heaven That the world may be constrained to see and say that indeed they are Gods precious ones to whom his Soul is exceedingly indeared in surpassing love even like unto that wherewith he hath loved the Lord Jesus his only Son This our Savior Christ prayes for as a means to this end and therefore it wil undoubtedly attain it There be two points in the worlds 1. The world shal know that the Father hath loved the faithful as he loved Jesus Christ 2. This shall then be known when they come to be perfectly one with the Father and Son in Heaven But we shal handle them both together because they border so neer each upon other and the explication of either wil add to the discovery and so to the confirmation of both Point Then shall the world know that the Father hath loved the Faithful as his Son when they come to be perfected in Oneness with the Father and the Son These two the Apostle joynes together also in his prayer 2. Thess 1.11 12. Wherefore we pray alwaies for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling And fulfil al the good pleasure of his goodness and the work of faith with power That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you that is the first that Christ may be acknowledged as he that hath been sent for that work and hath done it Secondly That ye might be glorified in him according to the Grace of God at aâ—d â—uâ— Lord Jesus Christ Next under the Advancement of his own Name the Lord provides and the Apostle praies for the Advancement of his Servants ' Matth. 13.41.43 when the Lord shal gather out of his Church whatever doth offend whatever persons that are wicked and whatever things even aâ—oâ—gst the godly that offend Then shal the righteous sâ—ine as the Sun in the Kingdom of my Father They have been here undeâ— hatches cooped up in Duâ—gâ—â—ns there they shal be in their Kingdom and that in the Kingdom of their Father Here they lie among the ports al dinâ—â—ed â—eâ—coâ—ed with the shame and disgrace that hath been cast upon them as the scum of the world and the scorn of Heaven and Earth This is Zion whom to Man regarded There they shal shine and that as the Sun which every man wil see because he cannot look ofâ— the light of it and wil be dazelled with the
Lord Jesus hath here been under hatches and the wicked have seemed to carry the day against him This is your hour But Christ wil have his day and then ye will have yours As David encouraged himself in the simplicity of his heart I shall be had in account of those Maid Servants So here USE 2. Of Exhortation To perswade the Saints that they should labor to know this Love that so they may know their own honor and happiness It 's part of their Priviledg their Propriety a note of Christs Sheep They know me and are known of me If the Lord wil have the wicked acknowledg thee who only see it how much more doth it concern them that have it It they who are but Spectators much more they who are the Possessors and do enjoy the same how would this support in al wants It 's but to diet and physick us not to hurt us it 's out of Love How would it sweeten al our Sorrows and Corrections even the sharpest It 's out of love to purge us and to fit us for himself nay solace our souls in Death it's out of Love it 's to take down our Bodies not to destroy them to take out of the World because he loves us to take us neerer to himself How should this settle us and establish us in al Change There is an end of al things and an end of al Perfections but whom God loves he loves to the end He loved our Savior when he brought him to the Grave that he might bring him to Glory And so with us when we are parted from al things when we shal be separated one from another Wife from the Husband Child from the Father nay our Bodies separated from our Souls so that they are not or if they were they cannot live There is an end of al those Relations no marrying in Heaven no trading in Heaven yet nothing shal be able to separate us from the Love of God in Christ Verse 24. Father I will that those whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my Glory which thou hast given me for thou loved'st me before the Foundation of the World IN this Prayer of our Savior two things were especially attended 1. He prayeth for himself to verse 6. 2. The for his Children from thence to the end And that Either especially for his Apostles because the greatness of the Work now under their hand their pressures and difficulties that would necessarily attend them therein the large measure of Grace and Abilities that might suit them to so weighty and Spiritual employment together with the need of more than an ordinary presence and assistance of the Lord without which they would not only be unfitted for a business of that worth but wholly discouraged in it Therefore the Lord Jesus laies in for a larger measure of Spiritual supply and relief for them in the first place and here he is marvelous importunate to verse 20. Or else for al the Faithful that ever did or for the future should beleeve in him unto the end of the World whose case he commends from Verse 20. and the things he begs are partly such which might concern their Spirittual good in an especial manner in this Life and because that was the Root and Treasury of al the rest of their good things in which they were contained and from whence they might be received he propounds and pursues with much instancy of desire That they might be one as the Father and Son were one Partly such as did concern their everlasting welfare in the world to come and this our Savior as though he would carry them to Heaven being presently to ascend himself seeks to the Father for here in the closure of his Prayer that so nothing might be wanting that either they did need or could desire but that they might be fully furnished with a sufficiency of supply for whatsoever concerned either Grace or Glory the present comfort of this or the happiness of a better life Thus the Lord laies in Provision and that in a plentiful manner 1. That which might fit them for their way and Voyage while they are travelling towards their home 2. That which might give them sweet welcome when they came at the end of their Hopes Our Savior is not satisfied until he see them in the Haven safely arrived in Heaven with himself beyond al the rage of Devils and malice of Men dangers of Sin or the sorrows of the Grave and Death In this 24. Verse and Prayer of our Savior we may attend Four Things 1. A Description of the Parties for whom Christ praies from that Spiritual respect and relation they had to him Those that thou hast given me together with the cause of it his Father gave them 2. The thing he desires That they might be where he is namely That they might enjoy a likeness Condition with our Savior in regard of the glory and security of the place and mutual society of each others presence or else a Parity if we look at the kind That they who had been in the same Storms might be in the same Haven enjoy the same ease and honorable safety share in the Society of that glorious and safe Condition when their hearts shal be ravished with the remembrance of the wonderful Salvation and Deliverances that have been wrought for them the surpassing excellency of Grace and Glory that hath been purchased and bestowed upon them so unworthy Swallowed up with the admiration of the sight and presence of our Savior who hath suffered ascended sits at the right hand of the Father and hath taken possession of al Glory that they may be possessed of the same by him and with him And the also solacing himself with the sight and presence of those whom he hath so loved so redeemed so graced so advanced as himself as though he could not have been in Heaven unless they might come to Heaven 3. The End why he begs this That they might be with him that they might see the Glory of Christ which hath been given him of the Father Not that they might have any Glory in themselves or see or satisfie themselves with their own glory but that they might gaze upon the Glory of the Lord Jesus through al Worlds and that 's al they have to do in Heaven 4. We have the first Fountain whence this Glory proceeds to wit hence Because the Father hath loved him before the Foundation of the World was laid In the General from the Scope of the whol observe It 's the care of our Savior to seek and provide for the welfare of his Servants even till they come to the fulness of their perfection See here in the words of the Text the inlarged tenderness of the heart of the Lord Jesus he doth not content himself to look to his disciples and so beleevers while they were but in the shel Babes in Christianity nor satisfies himself that he
hand of God 1. Set his Love on work and that wil set his Grace Power and Spirit on work to be enlarged in al the glorious operations thereof Go go to this 2 Thes 3 5. The Lord direct your hearts into the Love of God This wil give God no rest This made him send his Son and set his Counsel on work to contrive al for thy good By this thou maiest plead and wilt certainly prevail John 16. I will not say I wil ask the Father for the Father himself loveth you q. d. though I shal speak a good word yet there is that which wil do it and that it may be more effectually That Love sent me set me on work therefore I need not set that on work As David to Jonathan 1 Sam. 20.8 Thou shalt deal kindly for thou hast brought thy Servant into Covenant with God When Boas his heart was towards Ruth Naomi tels her Ruth 3. last He will never rest until he bath done the thing 2. Keep we our selves in this Love John 15.10 If we keep his Commandements we shal abide in his Love John 14.21 23. Jude 20. And thus we have done with this last Clause which we said we were inforced to take into consideration before we would come to the main Point wherein the pith of our Saviors Prayer appears which was the Second Particular observed in the Verse and are now to enquire into it The thing which our Savior praies here so earnestly for The 2d Partic. That they might be where he is And thence we have this Point namely Our Savior doth affectionately desire to have the presence of the Faithful in Heaven with himself Doct. I say he affectionately desires and that appears in his expression I WILL Which implies Three Things in this place as thus used That it is thing which suits the heart of the Lord Christ and which he chuseth as a thing that is wel pleasing to him This is as he would have it 2. That he presents the efficacy of his Merits and Obedience before God the Father and by vertue of the Covenant and Agreement betwixt him and the Father transacted touching his Elect and Chosen whose Redemption and Recovery he hath undertaken and he challengeth and claimeth at the hands of the Father the enjoyment of Heaven and Happiness which he hath purchased for his Servants the Faithful and his enjoyment of them and their presence 3. He earnestly requests and praies unto the Father for the accomplishment and performance of this The first and last of these Particulars ye have fully declared by the same word as used upon the like occasion When our Savior was to enter into his Agony in the Garden a little before he was betrayed he prayed more earnestly saies the Text If it be possible let this Cup pass and in the close ends and issues al with this subjection Not as I will but as thou wilt Marth 26.39 that is according to the Rules of Nature and Reason I would chuse and do desire mine own preservation as man yet as Mediator having undertaken the Redemption of mine I submit my Wil and Prayers to thy good pleasure and purpose And for the Second Particular it 's thus also plain Because his Prayer is one part of his Priestly Office and of that Intercession which he makes for his redeemed ones and that appears amongst other things in this As he purchased so in a righteous way he may obtain the performance of al that good from the Father in the behalf of his That they may be with them and happy in them for ever Isa 53.11 He shal see the travel of his Soul he shal see the fruit of his dying and praying the bringing of his unto God the Father into Heaven and their blessedness there And this our Savior doth not as man only but as God-man the Mediator of his Elect as he voluntarily submitted to the place of a Surety and became a Servant for our sakes and so less than the Father John 14.30 The Father is greater than I. Look as his Complaint so his Prayer may be conceived as issuing and proceeding from the same ground But when he complains My God my God why hast thou forsaken me he was not forsaken of God by the withdrawing of the sence and sweetness of his Favor as man only but as Surety therefore as Mediator and therefore so he prayed and so was heard then and now also heard and accepted of God the Father And this affectionate desire of our Savior appears in this That as he cannot take content in Heaven unless he have his Faithful with him So he wil not rest in Heaven but wil come again to fetch them to him John 14.3 I will come again and take you to my self He hath betrothed his Bride and Spouse here and he wil come as somtimes Princes and States come from their own Places and Kingdoms with the great retinue of his Courtiers and attendance of glorious Angels thousands shal go before him and thousand thousands administring to him at the Solemnization of the day of Marriage and he shal say as in Psal â—0 Gather my Saints to me those that have made a Covenant with me by Sacrifice We shal al be taken up with him into the Clouds and he shal carry his Bride with Triumph into his own Country and Kingdom into Heaven and there we shal be ever with him REASON 1. Hereby the Scope and End of the great Work of Restitution of lost man is in part and in an especial part thereof attained This is the end of the Death and offering of our Savior Heb 9.7 8. But into the Second went the High-Priest alone once every Yeer not without Blood the Holy Ghost thus signifying That the way into the Holy of Holies that is into Heaven was not yet made manifest while the first Tabernacle was standing but verse 11. Christ being come an High Priest of good things to come not by the blood of Goats but by his own Blood he entred once into the Holy Place that is Heaven having obtained eternal Redemption for us So that we have boldness to enter into the Holiest of the Blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the Vail that is his Flesh This is the Scope of his Resurrection and Ascention John 14.3 In my Fathers House there be many Mansions I go to prepare a place for you that is He ascended into Heaven that by vertue of his Ascention we also might arise and ascend and sit in Heavenly places with him For Ascention doth firstly appertain to our Savior and from him as our Head it is communicated to us as his Members Had not the Second Adam ascended for ought I can see no Son of Adam had ever come into Heaven When the last Enemy which is Death is vanquished and that he hath brought al the Elect home and presented them to God the Father Here am I and
he wil drop in in this or that Ordinance and how liâ—tle do we see of hinâ—â— yet that 's al we seek and that 's al the good we can receive to do us good But them â—hrist in the glorious sufficiency of the fulness of his Grace shal shine in a-main upon the mind in the ful beauty of it Al Comfort and Peace and Grace of al kinds shal like a mighty stream take up the whol man Here by re-tale as persons who are poor buy and bring in their Provisions Then by whol-sale Here the Light of the Sun shining in a crevis and day-hole leaves yet the place dark but then the Lord Christ shal arise as the Sun of Righteousness and fil as that the whol Heaven so this the whol heart So Christ shines in the Counsels Comrorts c. of the Ministry of the Word and makes us see the Day-star arising but stil there be shadows But then he wil arise in our hearts and al these shadows shal fly away I shall know as I am known 3. Most effectually and powerfully 1 John 3.2 It 's the Inference the Apostle makes and the reason he brings to force this Consequence and that infallibly We shal be like him How comes that We shall see him as be is For as the Spirit of Christ by his Special presence in the Soul and work upon it is the only Author of al Grace and Holiness which we do here or shal hereafter possess 2 Cor. 3.18 We are transformed into one degree of glorious Grace from another by the same Spirit So the Spirit of God useth first to enlighten our minds aâ— the first means whereby he comes to make way for himself into the heart and to communicate al that glorious Grace to those upon whom he is pleased to bestow it And hence our Savior when he would difference his Servants from the wicked in the World to whom he never intends any saving good nor do they partake thereof he gives this as a ground John 14.17 The Father will send his Spirit of Truth whom the World cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him No Spirit no Grace But the World hath no Spirit because they cannot receive him and that because they do not see not know But they see therefore receive and therefore have the Spirit and therefore have Grace and therefore the Apostle concludes 1 John 3.6 Whoever sinneth hath not seen him nor known him True it is possible the wicked may have a glimmering of the Truth and hear tel of a Christ by the common bruit of the World as they read such things writ But this is a false Light the Star-light of some common apprehensions of Reason Arguments which are presented to us in Speech and Discourse But the Apostle ads Eph. 4.20 If ye have heard and learned Christ and been taught by him as the Truth is in Jesus Ye have heard of the Truth and Christ as then are in words which report him as Arguments and Reasons which discourse and dispute about him but the Truth as it is in Jesus as it issues from a Jesus from a Savior and from that saving enlightening over-powring work when it 's set on by the hand of a Jesus not by Man Education or Disputation then it wil make men to put off the old man and be renewed in the spirit of their minds This the eyeing of Jesus in a right manner in this Life wil do But when we come to see Christ as he is in his Glory all those impediments which either stopped or lessened the work of the Spirit from conveying that fulness of Grace which otherwise it would and by which we might have been perfectly like him are then taken away Now the impediments which stop the current and passage of the Spirit are either in regard of the means whereby he is dispensed or in regard of our hearts wherein he is received 1. For the means they are either narrow as Conduits from the Fountain or Creeks from the Sea of smal power and convey little help in spiritual supply as Word and Sacraments Or else the Instruments are weak and cracked and so stop the stream and corrupt and sinful and therefore though not utterly hinder the work of the Spirit yet wrong and defile it much But then the Lord Christ wil do his work by himself when his Spirit shal have ful scope the narrowness of means shal not streighten him the weakness of instruments hinder him to express the ful power of his Grace in ful perfection but God shall now be all in all 1 Cor. 15.28 1. Whatever Word and Sacraments and Prayer could or did convey whatever the Power of Ordinance the Ministry of the Word the Counsel of Saints endeavored to work in you he wil be instead of al and do more than al. Ye prayed for a Christ did ye not Ye heard for a Christ received for a Christ conferred humbled to come more neer a Christ to enjoy more of him do more for him Alas that Christ ye desired to hear some Tidings of ye shal see him not in weakness of Ordinances Ministry of his Servants c. ye shal see him as he is in the highest strain of Eminency of al Grace acting to its utmost for your good that which they all could not do They did convey but imperfect power against sin peace and comfort to your Conscience but now ye shal find al power perfectly and constantly gloriously conveyed from this Glory of Christ 2. There shal be no impediment to hinder or streighten the Spirit from conveying no impediment on our part no hindrance in our Souls because they shal readily receive the ful impression of Grace The set frame and face of the Soul being alone for Christ and towards him The whol imployment of the whol man being nothing else but to attend upon Christ and to submit to him to be carried by the presence power and influence of his Spirit alone Look as it is with In-mates under a Roof the one is constrained to confine himself to heap up and tumble his Houshold-stuff together because he hath not room to set it forth but when al are outed and he hath ful scope in his House and Family he may order al in their ful beauty So here paâ—â—ly our Corruptions partly the World and Earthly occasions keep house with Christ thoughts of Christ and the Family â—are for the Promises and for Provision also pains and labor to settle our Spiritual the like contrivements to suit our temporal Condition and al takes up if not take off and carriâ—â— our minds and thoughts our hearts our care so that Christ and the works of his Grace are crowded into corners and narrows But then the House wil be free the heart quit of al these and Christ wil have ful scope Hence the Apostle 1. Thes 4.17 We shall ever be with him We are now pestered with unwelcome guests which we cannot send going
is our Father Jesus saith unto them If ye were Abrahams Children ye would do Abrahams works but ye seek to kill me and this did not Abraham But ye do the deeds of their Father They could not conceive what he meant And therefore stil reply We are not born of Fornication we have one Father even God Our Savior again returnes an undeniable evidence If ye were of God ye would love me for I came from God nor came I of my self but God sent me But because al these were Riddles he speaks out and shews them the Root of their wretchedness Verse 44. Ye are of your Father the Devil and the lusts of your Father ye wil do He was a murderer and abode not in the truth and what he saies of one he saies of al sins in the like case When he speaks a lie he speaks of his own for he is the Father of lies As God is the first cause of truth and goodness and from his fulness al the beams and streams of truth are derived to any who share therein So Satan is the first cause of falshood and wickedness and therefore called The Wicked one And from him al wickedness is derived And hence ungodly men are called The Seed of the Serpent Gen. 3.15 They are said to be of that Wicked one 1 Joh. 3.11 Cain was of that Wicked one Put in way of opposition To be born of God This I take to be the meaning of those Phrases and texts which hence receive their explication as belonging I conceive properly to this place Joh. 8.23 When our Savior would shew the distance and great disagreement between himself and the wretched and ungodly Jews he speaks Ye are from beneath I am from above Ye are of this world I am not of this world Joh. 17.14 I have given them thy word and the world hath hated them because they are not of this world even as I am not of this world Here we have the Wel-head of hatred because they are not of the world And we see that this agrees to Christ as to them and to them by means of Christ that as he speaks els where Joh. 8.28 He can do nothing but what he sees his Father do Joh. 14.10 The words that I speak I speak not of my self but the Father that dwelleth in me As the first person dwels in the second he is thus from the Father and works from the Father So his Saints and faithful are of and from the Father by him Whereas the wicked They are of the world That is their dispositions which are corrupt they issue firstly from Saâ—an who cast's in his Seed of rebellion into their hearts according to which they are framed And upon this ground he is called the God of the world As he is firstly evil and cannot but be evil and al evil is from him that is in the world For by his wickedness al the world and wicked comes to be tainted and by the leaven of his wickedness defiled Their minds so far as erronious are made up of his delusions Their hearts as they are stuborne and ungodly are made up of his rebellions 2. Consider the next immediate cause by which they are acted this also wil evidence the strength and distance of their opposition and that in the greatest extremity And this you shal find most pregnantly 1 Cor. 2.12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are graciously given us of God So that there is a spirit of the world which blinds mens minds and minds which the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ cannot shine upon them nor the power of any savory truth or good come neer them or work upon them but they stop the passage against al do most desperately and resolutely oppose al. And that is perverted mutability set on or set a going by the provoking and cursing power of the Law the malignity of Satan having leave and somtime command from God to wind up the wickedness of mens spirits to the highest strain of the activity of evil When God said who wil go and deceive Ahab Satan answers I wil. The Lord asks how I wil saies he Be a lying Spirit in the mouth of the fals Prophets q. d. It was in his power if God would give leave to act their minds and Tongues as one man to speak and perswade unto deceiptful waies which would undoubtedly bring to ruin And this is the meaning of those two Phrases Eph. 2.2 Men are said to walk according to the course of the world one Spirit and guise in them al. If it be asked what that is he adds According to the Prince of the Air the Spirit that now worketh c. When the Prince of the Air by his impulsions and suggestions draws out the distempers of the ungodly to the utmost activity And this is noted in the next words They fulfilled the wils of the Flesh and of the mind what a corrupt heart and Vain Head would carry a man unto He must needs go whom the Devil drives This is called the wil of the Gentiles that is what men left to the corruption of their Natures would wil. Contrarily The Holy Ghost takes ful possession of our Savior and from Christ dwels in the hearts of his Saints by which they are strengthened Eph. 3.16 Strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man So that there is 1. The inner man which is Grace 2. Strengthened in this 3. By the might of his Spirit So led by the Spirit Rom. 8.15 yea not only strengthen and lead but mightily and actively works in his when they are quickened to work the Works of God Col. 1. last I strove but it is according to the working of Christ and that is mightily therefore Stephen said They could not resist the Spirit by which he spake Acts 6. As the Prince of Darkness by his Impulsions draws out the Activity of Corruption in the strength of it So the Prince of Light and Grace the Lord Christ is greater than he that is in the World and carries the Faithful by an invincible Power 3. Look at them in the main ends at which they aim in al their Operations and Proceedings Our Savior came not to do his own wil or seek his own but to do the wil and seek the Glory of the Father Therefore the Scope of his whol Work it is to break the Head of the Serpent Gen. 3.15 To destroy the works of the Devil 1 John 3.8 To deliver from the present evil world Gal. 1.4 And al the Saints are of the same Heart follow his Colors and Command When the Devil and the World the Prince of this World and the Children of this World they set themselves in al their Contrivements plottings practices to destroy the Glory of God the Kingdom of God and Christ and set up the Kingdom of darkness and
tel what buying is but by selling Our Savior disputes upon this Ground He that hath seen me hath seen the Father because I am in the Father and the Father in me to wit by vertue of that Relation there is in one to the other USE 1. Instruction We here see the Reason why many of the Faithful are at such a loss for the Knowledg of the Love and Favor and Acceptance of the Father They seek not to Christ for this and therefore they are not acquainted and informed They take not the right way to come to the Speech of the Father John 14â—6 I am the way there is none that comes to the Father nor can be acquainted with his mind but by me When our Savior was checking Nicodemus for his ignorance as not reaching the knowledg oâ— Mercy he gives this as the reason we repair not to him who only can relieve and reveal John 3.13 No man ascends up into Heaven but the Son of Man wâ—â— is in Heaven So our Savior did with Philip when he so earnestly desired the knowledg of the Father Shew us the Father and it shall sâ—ffice So many perplexed ones Shew us the Face of a reconciled Father and it 's enough they are to be checked as he John 14.9 Have I been so long time with you and yet hast thou not known me He that hath â—een me hath seen the Father and how sayest thou then Shew us the Father 2. Hence we may discern the Cause how it comes to pass That men of mean Place and Parts shallow Compass and Conceivings poor and feeble Abilities not able to see much in ordinary occasions and yet so comforted assured pâ—rswaded of the Love of the Father The reason in from hence They are taught of Christ he knows all and he makes them know As it was said when they wondred at the Answers of the Disciples They knew they had been with Jesus Act. 4.13 He that hath intelligence dayly from such as have the Ear of the King sit at Counsel-Table he in the Bosom of his Majesty if he have an express and Intelligence it 's no wonder because he understands the Mysteries of State the mind of the King So it is here Christ lies in the Bosom of the Faâ—her and Christ discloseth those bosom Expressions and Affections of the Father We have done with the First The Second follows And these have known that thou hast sent me Here is another Circumstance touching the Description of the Parties for whom our Savior praies which may yet further his Petition that it may be of prevailing force with the Father for the grant of his desire to wit That they may be where he is and see his Glory Had they indeed been the wicked of the World who never knew the Father nor himself and therefore were never fit nor able to see his Glory or to take any satisfaction in it or to return any Glory to the Father or himself thereby It had been bootless for him to have begged such a favor and it had been impossible for them to receive any good by it as having no interest therein nor fitness for the enjoyment of such a Priviledg But he praies who knows him as a Son knows his Father yea such a Son such a Father known by an Eternal Generation And he praies for such who know that the Father hath sent him and therefore are wel acquainted with him and the Father and with the Ambassage he comes of and with that great Work which he had undertaken and hath now discharged and for which he shal have a Name that at the Name of Jesus every knee shal bow both in Heaven and Earth And therefore they who know what the Father hath purposed and the Son hath performed and that experimentally to their own good They are the fittest to see it and to celebrate the Name of the Father and Son for ever in Heaven The Saints have a special Knowledg Doct. that the Lord Christ is sent of God the Father for the Work of their Salvation These all these and none but these have this Knowledg as their priviledg and peculiar Favor appropriated to them in which the World hath no Portion nor yet shal ever be made Partakers of it At the great Day when al Flesh shal appear before God and al his Saints gathered and by Christ brought home to the Father when he hath fully finished the Work and done the Wil of the Father That as he now professeth I came not to do mine own wil but the wil of him that sent me and this is the wil of him that sent me That of those that thou hast given me I should lose none but raise them up at the last day Then I say when the Work is finished and performed in the Eyes of the Ungodly and he shall be admired in his Saints not of them only but admired in them even by the Wicked who shal be forced to admire that Power and Love and Mercy which hath done such great things for such undeserving Creatures and therefore shal see it and be constrained to acknowledg the truth and reality of that great Work what the Father purposed and plotted from Eternity with the Lord Jesus how out of infinite Love and. Faithfulness he was sent and hath now accomplished it This they shal see and be forced to know with grief and vexation of Spirit that it is so And for this also our Savior prayed in the former Verse That the World may know that thou hast sent me But to find and own this in the reality of the Work of it to tract the foot-steps of the unsearchable Wisdom and Riches of Mercy in marking this good upon their Souls in that miraculous and my sterious manner as he hath this is peculiar to the Saints These and these alone know that Christ is sent to this Work these have found the excellency of it here and these are fit to gaze upon it and admire it for ever hereafter Three things we are to open 1. How Christ is said to be sent of the Father 2. For what he is sent and what was his Errand 3. How the Saints know this in a special manner 1. How sent This Sending is the first in-let whereby the Fountain of the ever lasting good Wil and Favor of the Father is laid open and let out unto us And you shal find the Spirit in the Scripture leading al his by the hand hither here he would Land us and here leave us and thereby teaching of us that we should not stay before we repair hither and when we are here not to stir But rest and repose our Soul and resolve our Faith and Confidence as into the first Principle where there is no possibility either of alteration or addition So firm it cannot be altered so fully sufficient and satisfactory that nothing can be added nor desired It is too mysterious a depth and therefore beyond our scantling to fathom it We
of his ascension so it is true for the reality of the thing in regard of his Mission from the Father For the spirit must be sent from the Father and the Son And therefore it presumes his sending And Hence it is when he is come being sent of the Father He shal teach you al things and shal bring to mind what ever I have said to you And that which Christ speaks he hath from the Father not from the Spirit Joh. 14.10 The words he speaks not of himself And Verse 24. The words which ye hear are not mine but the Fathers which sent me He hath the message from him Joh. 12.49 I have not speken of my self but the Father which sent me gave me a command what I shal say and what I should speak Nay our Savior doth not take of the Spirit but the Spirit hears from him speaks from him Joh. 16.13 Howbeit when the Spirit of truth is come he wil guid you into al truth For he shal not speak of himself but whatever he shal hear that shal he speak He shal take of mine and shew it unto you Verse 15. Christ doth not go to take of the graces from the Spirit but the Spirit because Christ is sent to be the Head of the Church to have al Grace and to be the Fountain to communicate al Grace therefore the Spirit takes of his Not takes of the Father because the Father hath given al to him but takes of his who hath his commission from the Father and is sent out his work of purpose The sending of al Officers is hence As my Father sent me I send you And this is the order and Method of Gods Communication He that receives you receives me and he that receives me receives him that sent me Yea the sending of Gospel and al ordinances Joh. 17.8 For I have given unto them the words thou gavest me and they have received them and have known and beleeved that thou didst send me Yea the ground of al those glorious works he hath accomplished in his own Person and wil perform for his and against his enemies for their good is hence Joh. 9.4 I must do the works of him that sent me while it is day And 5.36 The works which the Father hath given me to do bear witness that the Father hath sent me And when he had fulfilled al he then returnes to his Father 5. As sending evidenceth an Authority in him that sends So to be sent implies that he that is sent takes this Authoritative Order stands ingaged to answer it thus given and taken And is fully to act under the will of him from whom he must work And thus it is with the Lord Christ as second person in the glorious Trinity being sent by God the Father to work as from him For as the manner of their being so is the manner of their working the Son from the Father and therefore works from the Father he is ready to entertain this Order of working and ingageth himself to answer the Order and wil of the Father and stands fitted to have the Nature of man united to him that he may go upon the operation of that work of the Father according to the Order of the Father given him and al this in a peculiar manner appropriate to the Son What ever belongs to the Second Person and none els that he hath as a Son received from the Father But to act by Authoritative order form the Father alone belongs to the Second Person and none els Therefore this as a Son he hath received from the Father Therefore as he must act from him alone so he is bound to answer that Order of his Therefore works nothing but what he sees his Father work speaks nothing but what he hears his Father say Therefore does nothing but what the Father wil. Therefore to be fitted when his wil is to take the Nature of man into Personal union that he may go upon the execution of his wil. I say receive it into personal union Because this belongs to no other Person not Father nor Holy Ghost but himself For its Haeresie to say the Father is incarnate or the Holy Ghost is incarnate How ever therefore he did not receive the Human Nature but in time Yet he was fitted for this work by this sending and eternal mission of his before al time this makes way for that work of Redemption The Human Nature hath a new manner of subsistence and alteration according to its being but there is no alteration in the Second Person As Gods power is the same before the things were made though they cannot be supported but when they are made Again when the Human Nature is united this union we know is in reason reall me non cogitante If the proper being of the union issued only from the Human Nature then there should be no difference in regard of the persons but they should share a like in it But that is false and Heretical For neither Father nor Holy Ghost are incarnate Nor is the Human Nature taken into personal union or becomes one person with the Father on Holy Ghost Therefore there is somthing of this union issues from the Second Person in an especial manner and that is to receive it into personal union for which he was fitted from eternity by his mission but takes it up in the fulness of time when he was sent by the Father thereunto Some such thing I have thought might be intimated in those Scriptures Joh. 8.42 and 17.8 and 13.2 He came out proceeded from God When he was to enter upon the Execution of the work and make the Human Nature feele that support Leaning and being terminated in the subsistence of the Second Person and went abroad in the execution of the work and therefore now he returnes to God again Lastly this sending in regard of the work upon the Creature This conclusion may give some light as much as shal serve our purpose The Lord Christ as God and man hath some things proper to himself 1. In the manner of the work and Priviledg where with he stands possessed he is the head of his Church and hath the immediate dispensation of al power committed to him for the good of it and these are peculiar He is the Head of his Church None but he Al power is committed to him and to none but him But in regard of the work there is a common concurrence of al the Persons with him II. For what he is sent 1. To bring Jacob again Isa 49.5 Those I must bring Joh. 10.16 All that he hath given me come to me Joh. 6.37 And Verse 39. God gives them to him And Chap. 17.8 And he gives them his word and they know that he is sent 2. To keep them when they are brought Joh. 6.38 I came to do the wil of my Father And Verse 39. This is his wil that I should lose nothing And Therefore prayes for them that the
God q.d. There is no man of the world who only hath the Spirit of the world that can know such things None of the Princes of the World knew them verse 8. nay no Natural Man can know them verse 14. But the Spirit searcheth the deep things of God There be depths of the warmings of our minds and hearts and none but the Spirit of God can discover them deep things in the mind of God and whoever knew his mind No Creature ever did or could but Christ knew his mind and we have the mind of Christ and so come to know the mind of the Father verse 16. And hence our Savior surveys the differencing Reason why his Disciples might perceive others as Scribes and Pharisees had eyes and could not see To you it is given to know the things of the Kingdom but not to them and upon this ground our Savior adviseth the Church of Laodicea I counsel thee to buy of me Eye-salve to annoint thine Eyes that thou mayest see This Spiritual and special Super-natural Light is that Eye-salve which al the Disciples of our-Savior had and therefore they knew him As the Sun is seen by his own Light It must be the wisdom from above that must enable us to see the things that are above So John 14.17 The World hath not seen nor known the Comforter but ye know him that is by the Light of the Spirit ye come to see the Spirit 2. In the thing known there is a Specialty of Knowledg They look at it as an Ambassage of Love and Life which the Lord Christ now brings from the Father who intends their good in both and our Savior comes on purpose to work it 1. A message of love for the Soul of a sinner under the sight and sense of the guilt of his iniquity he doth and cannot but apprehend God as an angry God against him that there be many causes of quarrel and controversie that God hath lying by him and indeed the controversie lies between the Father and the sinner because his work was directly wronged and prejudiced And Hence its evident that the message must come from the Father touching the terms and purpose of peace if ever it be attained because it is the Wrath and Justice of the Lord that proclaims War against the sinner having justly deserved that his displeasure should break out against him The Lord Christ is the Prince of Peace who is our Peace and takes up the Quarrel between the Father and the Elect brings the glad tidings of Grace from God who not only tenders but desires reconciliation with the Soul through Jesus And therefore he must come as an Ambassador sent from the Father and that the Soul must know or else he could not attain his end take up the Controversie betwixt the Father and him So among al Nations it is a received course in Reason the Ambassador must come from the Prince offended that hath intended War and he must make known the Commission of his Ambassage as from him Authorized else Peace and Agreement wil never be accomplished nor received So 1 John 4.9 See also John 3.16 17. God so loved the World that he gave his Son c. How is that to be proved He answers For God sent his Son not that he might condemn the World for they condemn themselves but that the World might live through him These are Riddles to the wicked they may be talked of in the World the noise of such things may go up and down But to know and own the Ambassage as sent on purpose to him this is a Secret peculiar to the Saints As it was said My Message is to thee O Captain 2 Kings 9. The rest heard it but he came to the special understanding of it So it is here Therefore John 15.21 This they will do unto you because they know not him that sent me 2. A Message of Life For the sinner once seriously apprehensive of his many and constant departures from God his provocations are so haâ—â—ous that he cannot but see death in al his waies he can do nothing but he sins in al he doth and therefore the wages of sin being death he must die for what he hath done if God should proceed in severity against him and recompence his own waies upon his own Head Therefore having forfeited his Life into the hands of Divine Justice viz. of the Father whom he hath provoked Christ must come as an Ambassador from the Father and he must know he hath a Commission and a grant of Life under the Fathers hand else his Ambassage wil be in vain wil not accomplish the end intended by him and expected by the Faithful Party He hath sent his Son that we might live through him 1 John 4.9 This is the Record that God hath given us Eternal Life and this Life is in his Son Chap. 5.11 It 's the Fathers Gift it belongs to the same Power and place of Majesty to give pardon and so Life to a Malefactor or to take Life from him John 6.57 As the living hath sent me and I live by the Father so he that beleeveth in me even he shall live by me See the Order The Father is the Fountain of Life He as a living God sends Christ upon an Ambassage of Life Christ hath received power of Life from the Father and he as so sent gives to those that beleeve in him The Faithful know this Commission of Life and that it is come out on purpose and intended to them as he to Gideon Judg. 6.23 Peace be unto thee fear not thou shalt not die And they know and own Christ as so sent All which are Mysteries to the wicked they see no need of this or if so they neither own it in Christ nor would receive it from him They may hear the fame thereof and yet know nothing either of the Excellency of it or of Gods Intendment of any good to them in it 3. The Specialty of this Knowledg appears in the Manner of communicating this good to the Souls of the Faithful namely The astonishing Excellency of Power that brings the reality of these Ambassages of Love and Life to the Soul and the dazelling beauty of that Light that displaies them and laies them open to the Eye of the beleeving Saint Which things are concealed from the World and therefore they count them foolishness because they could never conceive or be perswaded of any such thing They think they cannot be because they cannot perceive how they should be As Nicodemus How can these things be We wil give a little Light to both 1. They find such a Power as puts them to astonishment For the Message of Love and Life are of such unconceivable worth in themselves and so far beyond the thoughts of a sinner that they should be sent from God who is offended with them and was and is happy without them and hath no need of them and that by no other hand but by
him that sends to the ful accomplishment of this work for the procuring of the welfare of the humbled Soul and then his love may be in them and Christ in them also We have now got shore and gained thus much that we understand what this name is which is to be made known We shal open it in both the Particulars 1. The Name of the Father of mercies containes four things 1. That everlasting compassions are firstly and independently in him he is the Father of them al these yerning commiserations come out of his own Bowels Isa 63.15 Where are the sounding of thy Bowels We should father compassion upon nothing we have or do or deserve but only upon God No good we have or can do can cause these no evil we can do except the sin against the Holy Ghost can hinder these 2. There is a generation and succession of mercies which have been extended through al Ages to al conditions of men and that upon al occasions al which are of the same House and pedegree come from the same Father of mercies are of the same line and lineage Al the sins of al his which have been committed in all Ages and generations with al the heightning Circumstanceâ— thereof could never lessen weaken interrupt the course of these Fatherly compassions much less exhaust them and draw them dry The Psalmist finds no end of them Psal 136.23 24. For his mercy endureth for ever Though temptations endure which may annoy yet his mercy indâ—res for ever And that which is especially to be attended is that he works as the Father who hath been wronged and provoked and yet as a Father pities us .. 3. There be renewed and unknown Commiserations which were never heard of before yet may be expected and wil certainly be provided for the good of those that he wil do good unto He is the Father of mercies he begets fresh and new compassions every day and moment such as never saw light nor happily ever entred into the apprehensions of the sons of men Such things as wel looked mot for Isa 64.3 This props up the heart under overbearing pressures Thou saiest ordinary medicines wil cure ordinary and common diseases but thy rebellions are not to be matched no sinner no sin like thine Be it so either in truth or in thy conceiving yet here be unheard of compassions if thine be unheard of provocations Lam. 3.22 23. 4. He hath sent Christ on purpose to help those that cannot help themselves Hos 14.3 With thee the Fatherless finds mercy With this Father of merc es the most helpless Hopeless Orphane Fatherless Soul may find relief He was sent on purpose not to cal the righteous not the haughty and self confident who pride themselves in their excellencies conceive they can heal themselves with their own balsom and that their own abilities wil work their own welfare No but was sent to cal the sinner the broken-hearted and self-denying sinner And he is come on this Errand and wil not fail of his end or the effecting of that for which he was sent 2. There is yet another piece of this name of the Father which is his Faithfulness As he is the Father of mercy and of al good in himself so he hath freely and fully ingaged himself to accomplish the good and welfare of such as be truly humbled and he hath given to the Lord Jesus He hath passed his Word and signified his Wil to see al good done for them that can be desired as needful al evil removed which they can fear as hurtful and dangerous to their Souls And in this the Psalmist triumphs Psal 56.4.10 In God will I praise his Word c. In the Lord wil I praise his Word For what had it availed that God hath al mercy in himself unless he had ingaged his word to improve and imploy that for my benefit I had had no ground to claime any thing nor Hope to expect any thing at his hand Psal 138.2 Therefore herein God hath magnified his word above al other his Name he hath laid al his excellencies and sufficiency to pawn and improved al that the Salvation of an humbled sinner shal not miscarry This is the sweet that goes through all his names and gives a pleasing relish unto al When his word is in his Power it wil preserve not destroy c. As he sent Christ for to save so it is his wil which he hath expressed and its the end which he intended in furnishing our Savior with al fulness of power Joh. 17.2 Thou haft given him power over all flesh that he might give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him Now there is some ground for our hearts and Hopes to look unto that this wil shal be accomplished and this power improved See how all the work of life proceeds on pleasantly They who were thus given they shal come that is beleeve Joh. 6.37 and Joh. 17.8 When they come then Christ keeps them Joh. 17.12 Those whom thou hast given me I have kept and none of them is lost Nay he prayes the Father would keep them also Yea he wil not overly keep them himself but he intreats the Father Keep through thine won Name that is the Name of thy Fatherly mercies for in thy word those are also ingaged for their good Joh. 17.11 Nay not only kep't but quickned increased perfected in all Grace and not left til he see them Crowned in glory Joh. 6.39 No wonder therefore that our Savior should resolve ever to be making known this name of the Fathers mercy and Faithfulness since it comprehends the beginning continuance end and perfection of al we can have or Hope for here or hereafter Learn this and learn all Perfect this and perfect al. All that Christ wil teach returnes to this All that we can learn is Vertually contained in this As a Father of mercies he hath al begets all good Out of the Faithfulness of his word he dispenseth all Thus we see what the Name of the Father containes 2. How doth Christ make known this Answ This wil appear in a double work 1. The Lord Christ spreads all those glorious excellencies before the Eyes of the Soul darts in the Beams of those surpassing Beauties of mercies and compassions and causeth all this glorious good to pass before us as he speaks to Moses which at the first dazels and draws the Eyes of the Soul towards them to gaze at such an amazing sight 2 Tim. 1.10 Brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel Joh. 3.13 No man hath ascended up into these Heavenly apprehensions but the Son of man Who is in Heaven he brings Heaven down to the Soul Those were like dazeling Colors laid forth in the greatest perfections laid in a dark Room not discerned but the light came that acted them to the Eyes The strangeness of the sight takes up the understanding makes it stand wondering and gazing As Moses did
by the Bush burning he went neer to see that wondrous fight Exod. 3.3 2. But this is not al He further sets on those excellencies by the discovery of some unexpected suitableness to the Soul and the condition thereof as appointed and performed with intendment to his good who is given to Christ Gods wil hath determined Christ hath received al power for this very purpose to communicate them to him It s possible for God to dart in some kind of ravishing appearances of the excellencies of mercies life and Salvation which pass by as sudden lightning upon the understanding So it was with Balaam who had a glimpse of the glory of Heaven and it stirred his affections for the while Let me die the death of the Righteous and let my last end he like his Numb 23.10 But it left nothing behind it he is as far to seek as before As a man seeing his Face in a Glass so these forget what they were But these leave some intimation of some kind of special provision appointed for the purpose My Message is to thee Leaves some impression of Wisdom to discover the way of Grace for our own future good that he comes to a guess of the way of life and peace though he hath no perfect skil yet he can say it coasts within such a compass it lies to that point though he cannot readily hit the Particular Path. As the poor Man said after God had broken his heart It seised upon me like Thunder and Lightning from that day forwards I could discern somthing in every Sermon This I take to be the meaning of that which torments Interpreters and exercised mine own thoughts many a time and it s very difficult to cut the Hair we wil speak a word to it 1 Cor. 1.30 Christ is made of God to us Wisdom We may come at it thus 1. This Wisdom cannot be justification not sanctification for those are mentioned immediately after and therefore they are not there meant Therefore it must be in vocation When Christ sets open the way Of all the good that God wil do And Of the manner of his communicating of himself for so the word â—â—lâ— belongs to a Syllogisme impliâ—â— the laying open of the frame of things as they lie in inference and sets it on upon the mind 3. The Reason why this is properly given to our Savior 1. Argument is taken from that relation he stands in unto the Father The proper Nature of Relates is to manifest and give knowledge each of other Math. 11.27 No man knowes the Father but the Son c. Joh. 1.18 No man hath seen God at any time but the only begotten Son 2. Argument from the commission delegated unto Christ He it is Whom the Father hath appointed to communicate his counsel to his faithful Ones Hebr. 1.2 He hath spoken in these last daies unto us by his Son Joh. 16.15 All that the Father hath are mine therefore said I He shal take of mine and shal shew it unto you So that the Son hath al committed to him and he communicates to the Holy Spirit who speaks not of his own but what he hath heard Thus we have the explication of the point And the work of our Savior what he hath done We shal refer for application to what follows in the uses hereafter made to the ensuing Doctrins The Second and next thing in order it the work of our Savior and his profession and ingagment What he wil do I have declared thy Name This he hath done And he add's further And I wil declare it Before I enter upon that we shal Observe by the way the conjoyning and coupling of these two works of our Savior together I have and I wil What he had done in former times and what he would do for future The Lord Christ extends the same Care at all times Doct. to all his Servants for their Eternal Good What he hath been he is and he wil be to the Faithful in things which concern their Spiritual Happiness He deals variously and dispenseth in a differing manner the Comforts and Conveniences of the things of this life He advanceth me leaves contempt upon another one is wretched another impoverished another spends his daies in health and peace as Isaac another is under dayly pressure and tryals Because al these things though good in themselves yet they are under and petty things and therefore not good for every man Diets are ever judged and directed to men according to their temper and disposition That which is Cordial to one as heating and nourishing Provisions to such as be weak and languishing i'ts hurtful to another that is of a ful Body and Feaverish distemper Therefore the wise God as a tender Father and wise Physitian he gives liberally to one when he holdâ— another to a spare Diet. So God Diets his Servants according to their Spiritual Disposition they are not alike useful and therefore he doth not in a like manner and measure dispense them But when it comes to Faith in God Repentance from dead Works and such things as concern Gods Eternal Love and so Eternal Life there look what care God shewed in former times to his he wil shew the like at al times to al to provide for their Spiritual welfare Compare Gen. 28.15 with Hos 12.2 He found him in Bethel and there he spake with us He spake to Jacob who was dead and buried long before that Generation But what he spake to him he spake to al the Saints Exod. 13.21 22. He took not away the Pillar of the Cloud by day noâ— the Pillar of Fiâ—e by night A Type of Christ who by night and day in al the Conditions and times of a mans Pilgrimage vouchsafes his guiding and saving presence to his People This also the rock in the Wilderness typed our unto the Israelites 2 Cor. 10.2 The Rock that followed go whether they would the Water out of the Rock followed them and attended upon them for their dayly refreshing So doth the Mercy and Truth of the Lord follow his al the daies of their lives Psal 23.6 And it is the aim of the place Heb. 13.8 Jesus Christ yesterday and to day and the same for ever that is in his saving overshadowing guiding presence to his Saints REASON 1. His Love is the same and that wil set him on work by the like care and endeavor to provide for their welfare If any thing without him had been a moving Cause of this Care and resolute endeavor for their good when that had altered or failed this would have failed also But his own Love which only issues out of his own Bowels and Bosom made him do good at one time and therefore to the same at al times for it is the same Jer. 31.3 With everlasting Love I have loved thee therefore I have drawn thee therefore called thee therefore comforted thee and wil continue so to do for ever John 13. Having loved his
own he loved them to the end In love there is no lack of labor pains providence to be unweariable to further the good of that which is beloved 2. The Engagement of our Savior constrains him 〈◊〉 point of Faithfulness and Truth which are laid to pawn fully to accomplish whatever he hath undertaken for such who are committed to his care that at no time they do miscarry Oâ—her Sheep I have and those I must bring and they shall hear my Voyce It was the Fathers Wil that Christ should lose none that were given to him John 6.39 and it 's Christs All that thou hast given me I have kept and lost none of them John 17.12 So that he hath done the Wil of the Father according to Compact and Agreement between them Yea it 's Christs Wil and Request to the Father when he left the World That the Father would shelter them under the shadow of his Wings John 17.11 And now I am no more in the World but these are in the World and I come to thee holy Father keep through thine own Name those that thou hast given me It is the Wil of the Father which sent Christ that he should keep al his at al times that none should miscarry It 's the Wil of Christ and his Request to the Father that he should preserve al the Faithful that at no time none should 3. The Relation continues the same at al times and the Interest the Saints have in our Savior al his Wisdom Mercy Merits and kindness are theirs and therefore they claim it and so expect the benefit thereof at al times The Spouse may claim the constant care of her Husband to provide for her and supply her necessities The Child may look for the constant care of the Father to tender him in al his wants as he hath done in any So they plead Isa 63.16 Though Abraham forget yet thou art our Father He cannot forget himself and his Faithfulness USE 1. Of Instruction It teacheth us that Heavenly Skil and Dexterity to gather in upon the goodness and kindness of the Lord Jesus and from the proof and experience of former Favors to lay in a Reversion of Blessing for future time Lie at the catch and take the advantage of the Lords gracious dealing with the soul If we get but Gods Earnest fetch the whol Bargain by it If the Work of Saving Grace be an Engagement on Gods part get one and gain al. Paul is marvelous dextrous this way to work upon the graciousness and Truth of God 2 Cor. 1.10 He hath delivered and doth q. d. I have him sure I have got a Pawn and earnest Penny And he will deliver He hath delivered me from the mouth of the Lyon and he wil deliver me from every evil work When Naomi knew how Booz had acknowledged that Engagement to do the part of a Kinsman and knew the trust also and sincerity of the Man she thus concludes Sit stil my Daughter until you know how the matter wil fal For the man wil not be at rest until he hath finished the thing this day Ruth 3. and last So when thou hast Evidence of any work of Gods free Grace upon thy Soul and that he hath engaged himself thereby sit stil the Lord Jesus wil not rest until he hath finished the work of Conversion Sanctification and Salvation which he hath begun So the Prophet learns the Saints to make Inferences and Collections of Comfort unto themselves Psal 48.12 13 14. Go about Zion tell the Towers mark well her Bull-works take serious Consideration This God is our God and therefore collects and wil be our God unto Death He hath humbled and he wil humble us he hath comforted and he wil comfort us he hath strengthened and he wil enliven us for ever he hath taught us when we did not know him and he wil teach us stil when we do seek unto him USE 2. It 's a Ground of unspeakable comfort and sweet repose to al those who have an interest in the Lord Christ and are committed to his Charge Thou art the dayly Care of Christ therefore thou should'st be dayly comforted This was it that fetched up the fainting heart of the Prophet when he was at the lowest Eb and at the greatest under in regard of himself and al outward Comforts Psal 40.17 I am poor and needy destitute of the ordinary Comforts and the meanest Helps that might supply his famishing Condition so that he was fainting and dying away for want of relief no man looked after him or bestowed a thought about him Yet the Lord thinketh upon me his Eye is over me his heart is towards me and care for my good Yet God is good to Israel Psal 73.1 He begins to come to himself he was sinking in a fit of discouragement seeing al things to go cross and il with him yet God is good The World is naught yet God is good my heart is naught yet God is good It may be those that have most cause and reason and are most able do not care for thee or for thy good thou dost not or through thy weakness canst not care for thy self when thou art over-whelmed with distresses either ignorant doubtful or unable to put forth that Ability thou hast being under over-bearing pressures yet this may quiet That he cares for thee that can and wil help thee When my Father and my Mother cast me off then the Lord takes me up his Fatherly Mercy his Bowels of more than Motherly Compassion wil be instead of al yea better than al Psal 27.10 Nay be it that al helps are improved to the utmost al thy skil and care laid out to the best advantage to provide for thy good yet at some times yea many times they are too short and scanted to procure thine own Comfort either to prevent the evils that are approaching or supply or support thine own infirmities that do hinder in a Christian Course Quiet thine heart though thy Contrivements fall short that which is under the Care of Christ that cannot miscarry It 's the ground which the Apostle gives of encouragement in a Christian Course and that when Duties grow most difficult and the Spirit most hopeless in it self ever to reach them Heb. 13.7 Remember them who have the Rule over you who have spoken unto you the Word of the Lord whose Faith follow considering the end of their Conversation Yea it might he replied There were able and eminent Leaders and Guides their Experience long their Graces glorious their Abilities choyce alas there is no hope for us to keep pace with them we are so weak feeble such Babes and Novices that cannot go alone hardly it 's a likely matter that we should go after them The Apostle ads Jesus Christ yesterday and to day and the same for ever verse 8. q. d. It was not of themselves that they had any Grace or Abilities but Jesus Christ had al and gave al It was not
in the power and might of any parts they have received whereby they were carried on-ward in the Work of Faith either in doing or in suffering the good and acceptable Wil of the Lord but it was in the Power of the Might of Jesus whereby they were strengthened therein That Jesus is yesterday and to day and the same for ever he did yesterday strengthen the Faith of Abraham and David and Paul and he doth strengthen his now and he wil strengthen his for ever He hath taught and doth teach and wil teach for ever the humble his Waies He hath filled he doth fil and he wil fil for ever the hungry and thirsty with good things when they seek for his Mercy Isa 27. He keeps his Vinyard and the least Graft in it he keeps it night and day and he waters it every moment be therefore comforted every moment thou who art preserved and watered every moment by the good hand of Christ and wilt be so for ever Psal 142.4 5 7. USE 3. Of Direction It shews us whither to go for relief in our Spiritual Necessities It 's that which Nature suggests and Reason perswades unto Al men wil be sure to go thither where they are sure of speed at al seasons That 's only to the Lord Christ who is a Faithful Savior and a sure Friend 1 Pet. 5.7 Cast all your care on him for he careth for you When al men are altogether Vanity feeble and false you know not where to have them off and on weak as water and uncertain as the wind now they favor anon they frown love to day and hate to morrow they are but broken Reeds not only fail us but pierce us also But with our Savior is no shadow of change you may know where to have him and what to expect from him Men both prize and use the Medicine that hath a probatum est with it It wil not fail to cure and remove the Disease the Salve that wil not fail to heal It 's so with the healing Mercy and Faithfulness of Christ So the Psalmist They that know thy Name they will trust in thee for thou never failest them Psal 9.10 Mens care and kindness is soon drawn dry and spent that they count it 's enough to deny for future because they have formerly done a Favor What! say we I have dealt so done so formerly ye do not expect I should do so alwaies But it 's otherwise with our Savior he hath comforted and he wil quicken he hath taught thee in thy aberrations and he wil teach thee stil Nay Thou art so giddy and un-stable thou knowest not what to make of thy self so off and on feeble and false to thine own Soul and thine own Comforts and there is no hold of that unsteady and giddy heart now promising and then altering now resolving and then changing If thou had'st trusted to thine own heart thy Hope and Comforts and Confidence would have failed utterly But the Lord wil not suffer his Faithfulness to fail notwithstanding al thy provocations against him departures from him unkind dealings with him Though thou hast failed and forfeited al his Favors yet he wil not suffer his Faithfulness to fail As he was in former so he is stil for future times and wil he the same for ever he hath and he wil after the same manner for ever comfort thee Though thou beest Faithless to him and thy own Soul he wil be Faithful to his own Word and to thy Comfort USE 4 Exhortation As Christ is to you O be you so to him again He is enlarged for your Eternal Good be you so for his Glory He never laies aside the care of your Comfort and welfare never lay aside the care of his Commands O! miserable would our lives be if the Lord should leave us at uncertainties It 's the dregs of the Vengeance the highest pitch and the perfection of the Plagues that God threatens Deut. 28.65 The Lord shal give thee a trembling heart and failing of eyes and sorrow of mind and thy life shal hang in doubt before thee and thou shalt fear day and night and shalt have no assurance of thy Life In the morning thou shalt say Would to God it were night c. for the fear of thy heart If so for our temporal Lives and Comforts what would it be if our Eternal Happiness and Misery of our Souls were at this pass Not when our Life but our Salvation shal hang in doubt before us Whether God wil comfort us or for ever ruinate us Whether the Lord wil once pity or for ever forsake us If he should give us trembling of heart failing of eyes and sorrow of mind and we should have no hold of Gods Favor or Assurance I shal one day perish and look every day to have the Wrath of the Lord to come out against us or else to leave us to our feebleness and the malice of Satan and that at last God wil leave us utterly in the hands of Hel how miserable would this Condition be But God doth not wil not deale thus with us he comes to certainties with us we may know there to have him Yesterday and to day and the same for ever Oh let us be the same for ever to the Lord Jesus He hath given us two immutable things that we might have strong consolation let God know where to find us what to make of us Fickleness and Instability is most loathsom to the Eye and distastful to the heart of the Almighty I would thou wert either Hot or Cold. Because thou art luke-warm I wil spue thee out of my Mouth Rev. 3.15 16. He that is profane he may be convinced and made better He that is zealous is approved and pleasing to the Spirit of God But the luke-warm wil not be brought to see his evil nor yet wil he like to be made better Therefore God abominates him He is the Author and Finisher of your faith The bottom and the top-stone He wil not leave you til he hath fulfilled al his goodness Leave not you til you have perfected holiness in his fear 2 Cor. 7.1 He is at al times the same to thee Be thou at al times the same to him Not by â—its starts and aguish qualms like the morning dew Psal 62.8 Trust in him at al times I have loved him and I will love him I have feared him and I wil fear him for ever And when I say that I say three things 1. Make it the main end and Errand of thy life to suit Gods mind and do his service Let this be the maine stream that may carry al. As it was Gods wil to fend Christ and Christs wil to accomplish this This is the wil of the Father that sent me that those which he hath given me I should loose none So let iâ— be thy wil also It was Pauls I pass not put nothing into the balance let nothing come into comparison nor competition
nay not into consideration That I may smash my Course with joy It s my Meat and Drink saith he Let â—t be as thy daily Bread as thy food have no wil but this So Barnabas perswaded Act. 13.23 To cleave to God with a decree of heart Decree this set it down and determine this for a conclusion that admits no exception or alteration My God I must have my god I wil have his commands I have and must and wil obey Whether I shal have honor and credit whether I shal please my self or carnal Reason or corrupt desires friends or world that I pass not for I must please the Lord That I set down for a decree 2. Let al make way to this and work for this So Christ with us Al things work together for our good So make our Sorrows our miseries our comforts our peace prosperity whatever we have in the world besides make them al work together for this to further our obedience As the Marriner tacks about useth Cross winds all to further his voyage It was the Fathers wil and Christs work that he should lose none and he did lose none he left Heaven his Honor his Life nay the sense of his Fathers Love but he lost not one of the poorest Saints held them in his hand God forsook him he would not forsake them Let the power of darkness pluck away ease and peace yea his life and al. My Soul it heavy unto the Death Yet he would not suffer them notwithstanding al their Malice Wrath Rage Subtilty to pluck one of his out of his hands So do thou Lose Credit Comfort Peace Prosperity yea thy Life but lose not one of Gods Commands but obey it not one Promise but trust in it He hath kept thee at al times Keep thou the word of his patience Thou gavest them me saith Christ and I have kept them So say thou Thou gavest me these commands and I have obeyed them these promises and I have trusted in them Not my wil as Natural saith Christ to be preserved but thy wil as God that man may be redeemed So say thou not my wil as Man as Father as Master as Servant not my wil which would have mine ease and Profit and Credit But thy Wil be done 3. Be unmovable in the Work of Christ So our Savior though he suffer the power of Darkness to pluck a way his Honor his happiness and Life yet he held his Children in his Armes and would not suffer any to take them out of his hand So deal thou in like manner Let Devils and Men pluck away thy Credit and dishonor thee thy Wealth and impoverish thee yet let them not pluck away any one of Gods commands of Christs Promises from thee Christ put a necessity upon it I must bring these sheep lay thou the like necessity upon thy Soul It is a rule of Christ I must obey it Christ I must love and fear and follow Do not retire strike Sail turn back nay do not stop in the way but go on It s not necessary to live but to love Jesus We have done with this Point from the connection of the words We shal now proceed to the other part of that work which our Savior professeth and ingageth himself unto that he will further do for time to come I will make it known The profession and resolution of our Savior to provide for their further inlightening and inlargement in this knowledg implies two things 1. What the wants of the Saints are as touching this knowledg 2. What the care and ingagement of our Savior is to supply the same The first is here supposed and that by necessary inference For had they attended the ful measure of this knowledg that need hath our Savior to make known more if they had been perfect in the skilful understanding of that lecture what need was there that our Savior should be dayly learning and informing them It s plain therefore though they had much of this knowledg there was yet much wanting unto them of which they had as dayly need so dayly use of Hence we have two Points of Doctrin 1. There is much wanting in the ful knowledg of Gods Name in the most able Saints 2. Christ lends dayly supply of knowledg to them according to their dayly needs To the First There is much wanting in the ful knowledg of Gods Name in the most able Saints The most knowing Christians such as may seem to be in the highest form neer our Savior taught and trained up under his Wing yet have need that more of the Name of the Father should be made known to them The Point is plain in the words we shal need say no more to evidence it from the text but address our selves to the further explication of it What this Name is Viz. The Name of Gods Fatherly love and mercy and Faithfulness And what it is to know it or to have it made known we have opened formerly when the Lord Christ causeth al the good and incomparable excellency of this Fatherly mercy and Faithfulness to pass before the Eye of the Soul and sets on that suitable sweetness so effectually upon it as that it affects and draws the heart to look that way by the Eye of Faith so to Eye it as to own it and fasten upon it This is the knowledg here meant and much of this is wanting even in those that are most eminent It s a general ground which takes in the Particulars with advantage When the holy man Job laid forth at large the waies of God in his Providence limmed out to the life his excellencies he ends with this and vailes as it were what he was not able to express These are part of his waies but how little a portion is heard of him Job 26 14. q. d. There is little of that unconceivable excellency heard of or reported though the Earth and Heaven be ful of his goodness and his mercy over al shines with the greatest lustre in al his works yet this is but a little portion of him and we know little of this And hence Moses who conversed Face to Face with God unto whom the Lord did familiarise himself as to a friend yet he finds his necessity most here and makes it his chief suit if I have found Favor in thine Eyes Lord shew me thy glory If ever he shewed himself to a mortal man it might seem he did in an especial manner express himself to him And therefore it was his preheminence above the Prophets to whom he would make known himself in a vision and dream My Servant Moses is not so to him I wil speak Mouth to Mouth apparently Visibly familiarly and openly Numb 12.8 Deut. 34.10 And yet he begs this as the greatest honor Lord shew me thy glory And Gods answer shews his Aim Exod. 34.5 6. I will cause my goodness to pass before thee strong gracious merciful aboundant in goodness and truth c. The greatest
cannot conceive them so they do not for the most part attend them because they are beyond their reach So it is with our Spiritual Child-hood The things of God and Grace which are most easie and openly familiar we are most exercised and taken up withal but the great Mysteries of Godliness the unsearchable Riches of Mercy and the deep things of God we are not able upon the sudden to search into Our Savior gives this Reason to his Disciples I have many things to say but ye cannot yet receive them A Child that is in the lower Form happily entring into his Latin he is not able to carry away his Lecture of Greek not to touch difficult things of Phylosophy but his Principles and Abilities must have time to ripen before he be set up into so high a Form So here 2. Is taken from the freeness of Gods Dispensation in whose pleasure it is to give when and what he wil and after what manner And hence he doles his Grace answerable to the growth he hath appointed each man to come unto and in what time Eph. 4.13 Till we all come in the Vnity of the Faith to a perfect man to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Some are of a larger Stature and grow more speedily than others some are of a less and stand at a stay for a season until the Lord by the effectual working of the Spirit make them to grow and so they encrease with the encreasings of God Col. 2.19 USE 1. Of Instruction Hence see the Reason of those mis-apprehensions that the dear and faithful Servants of the Lord have of the Fatherly Mercy and faithfulness of God towards them They want much knowledg of this incomprehensible sweetness and goodness of Gods Nature and that is the Reason they missjudg and mistake so much and make such unkind Constructions and maintain such groundless surmizes of his Fatherly kindness He that is jealous and fearful of the Love and Favor of another who is of tried Truth and Sincerity al men wil easily and readily give him the Reason because he knows him not So here It 's because we know noâ— God These misconceivings of God may be referred to two Heads 1. When they are under pressures and necessities and miseries march in upon them the Lord seems like an angry Father to withdraw himself They presently sit down discouraged and conclude as they Isa 49.14 Sion hath said The Lord hath forsaken me my God hath forgotten me The Lord answers from the consideration of those Fatherly Compassions which rest in his Bowels Can a Woman forget her Child that she should not have compossion on the Son of her Womb these may yet I wil not Psal 89.8 Who is like to thee or to thy Faithfulness round about thee it's round about him per omnes circuitus But I have dealt carelesly yea unkindly and faithlesly with him and grieved the eyes of his Glory by dayly provocations True thou hast first broken with him and thou mayest see and know thy falsnels but thou dost not know his Faithfulness and Fartherly mercy Psal 89.33 Nevertheless my loving kindness I will not take away from him nor suffer my Faithfulness to fail Though he may deserve it and I may justly do it yet I wil not suffer c. Thou knowest thine own falsnels and wretchedness who keepest not touch with God but failest yet my Faithfulness and my Mercy I wil keep with him verse 24. And my Covenant shal stand fast verse 28. Thou knowest not the heart of a Heavenly Father and therefore thou so misjudgest 2. They conceive their Sins so many and so hainous that it 's beyond the compass and bounds of his Fatherly Compassions to remit and pardon Thou dost not know what these Bowels of a Father are and therefore thou dost not judg aright what he can and wil do When Ephraim bemoaned his sin God yerneth towards him and bemoaneth him though he doth not hear God yet God hears him Jer. 31.18 I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised See how gods Bowels turn within him verse 19. My Bowels are turned within me I wil surely have mercy upon him Mercy is mourning over thy Soul when thou art mourning for thy sin True could I repent but I have been smitten and yet walked after the way wardness of my heart so that I dare not look upon my sin and I cannot look to Heaven because of my guilt I know not how I can be pardoned Because thou dost not know the Name of this Father and this Mercy see and consider what it can do that thou canst not conceive Isa 57. I was angry and smote him and he went away verse 17. I have seen him and his waies and wil heal him I wil lead him also and restore Comforts unto him and to his mourners q. d. I have seen him and his waies though he can neither see me nor himself though he hath wounded himself I wil heal him I wil make him mourn and others with him and comfort both Obj. But I cannot think it Ans This Mercy can do what thou canst not think Isa 55.8 9. My thoughts are not your thoughts c. for as the Heavens are higher than the Earth so are my waies higher than your waies and my thoughts than your thoughts And thou wilt find it relieving when thou dost least look for it True I have found him somtimes in desperate streights relieving me when I was linking and past hope my head under water when al his billows were running over then comforting and supporting me This is but a Lightening before my Death he wil leave me at last it 's but a Reprieval before some more heavy Plague and Condemnation God hath a Secret purpose to hasten my ruine even by his Bounty which I have had and abused I shal one day perish by the hand of Saul 1 Sam. 27.1 Thou hast these hard thoughts of God because thou dost not know the heart of a Father and his never-failing Faithfulness Thou hast been many yeers preserved why perish one day He doth thee no harm why should'st thou think he intends thee any He hath said I wil not leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13.5 USE 2. Of Direction Be willing to hear and willing to follow the Direction of such who are Gods Favorites and acquainted with this Name of his and that by plentiful Experience There was never yet a blind man known but was willing to be guided never man ignorant of his way that was not phrenitick but was willing to be directed where he was in doubt The Rules are Two 1. The Counsel thou art not able to gainsay with Reason know Thou oughtest in Reason and according to Rule to submit unto it I do not think it I cannot beleeve it I much suspect and fear Away with such Dreams these are al but pangs of way wardness It is made a Point of Religion
when it fils the mind as the Waters cover the Sea Habb 2.14 we may sail here in dayly search and when we know yet there is somthing stil beyond our knowledg as Eph. 3.19 That we know the Love of Christ that passeth knowledg This Name of Gods Fatherly Mercy is like that Book Rev. 5.1 2. So many Leaves and so thick written that we cannot turn over the Pages much less able to come to the ful knowing and conceiving of it So it is here The Name of Gods Mercy and Faithfulness it s writ so thick in al the waies and works of God in al the ordinances Nay in al the dispensations of God and his operations from election to our glorification affords so many ful vollums and so many fresh editions That we are stil new to seek unless the Lord Christ be pleased further to make known these unto us As the thing to be known is darke and difficult So we are shallow in our apprehensions As our Savior complained of his own brought up under his own Wing Luk. 24.25 O Fools and slow of Heart to know these depth's of Gods Grace and Mercy Our understandings like narrow mounh'd Vessels can take in little and that in a long time though never so much be discovered and laid before us And Therefore our Savior is constrained to deal with us as Masters with their Schollers which are dul and heavy of apprehension ever pointing at the word and putting the Fescue to the Letter Line upon Line and precept after precept here a little and there a little as the Prophet Isa 28.10 So it is with such Babe-like feeble ones as we be though we have Daily help yet we have daily need of new help to be continued to us As little ones they must be taken up dressed and tended daily because they are helpless in themselves But that which is the maine of al. The very Terms of the Covenant and the Office of our Savior and the condition of the State of Grace calls for this For al the Treasures of Wisdom and knowledg are hid in Christ and he keeps the Keyes in his own hand and Bosom and gives out our pittance and allowance what he sees fit We need our dayly direction and instruction in the things of Grace and eternal life more than our dayly Bread The Body needs the constant direction of the Eye and advise of the head for every thing it doth and that every moment It s thus in the natural it s the same in the spiritual and mistical Body So the Apostle 2 Cor. 3.5 Of our selves as of our selves we are not sufficient to think a good thought but our sufficiency is of God Without me ye can do nothing Joh. 15.4 5. He hath taught you in the morning he must teach you at Noone and at Night also He hath cleared up our doubts he must help us in the next again or els we shal be to seek as much as ever He must Water us every moment Adam hath the staff and stock in his own hand and he lost al and himself and his too Therefore now the Lord Jesus keeps the stock in his own care in his own hand gives us such allowance as he sees fit suitable for our good As Fathers when they see their Sons to lavish out their Patrimony and grow licencious they keep the revenewes and state in their own hands only allow them some yearly pension or annuity for their relief So here our Savior makes us live not of our yearly but our daily yea hourly annuities That Grace that helped thee the last month the last week the last day the last morning how to see God how to close with him and depend upon him and gain assurance from him wil not serve thee for the next occasion happily Either the work is more difficult the way more dark thine own indisposition makes thee more unfit thy temptations do more oppose thy corruptions grow more active and violent or thy unskilfulness forgetfulness bring thee to a loss that thou shalt not be able to see the way So that as Christ hath made known so he must make known for the present and so for the future The beggar when he hath got his almes one day he lives of that and spends it and he must have a new almes as a new day he is as fresh to seek and as free to beg as ever Christ is Gods Almner and we are his beggars So Paul He hath delivered doth deliver wil deliver Hath made known doth make known wil make known As the Moon every new Month nay every hour and minute must receive new light from the Sun So here Psal 36.9 In thy light we shal see light 2. Collection It s easie with Christ to darken the evidence of Gods love and mercy to the Soul and to cloud al our knowledg we have even in the clearest day to put us to a loss that we may be to seek for our assurance and knowledg of Gods Fatherly goodness when we think we are most sure of it Though he hath made known the name of the Father formerly unless he stil make it known for future unless he stil renew the knowledg we have we shal not be able to know what he have known So Elihu professeth Job 34.29 When he giveth quietness who then can cause trouble and when he hideth his Face who then can behold him whether it be done against a nation or against a man only q. d. It s not for want of skil that men do not compass this knowledg for their numbers or abilities never so many even a whole nation God can darken them al. And therefore it s said 1 King 10.3 When the Queen of Sheba came to try Solomon with some questions he told her al nothing was hid So that God can hide even the glimmering Starr-light of the knowledg of Human things from men Much more easie is it to conceive how this may be done in these high Heavenly hidden mysteries when its hard to know them when they are made known to us How impossible if the Lord wil with-hold them from us al our dexterity and Wisdom wil do nothing if Christ wil not direct Therefore the Church complained Lam. 3.44 That God had covered himself with a cloud that their Prayers could not come at him When God sent darkness into Egypt it was not al the Fires and Candles that could give any light but they sate three daies and three nights and stirred not out of their places Exod. 10.23 If the Sun of Righteousness wil with-hold or withdraw his beams it wil be dark night with us in our doubtings and dismayings notwithstanding al the Learning yea the experiences also we have had Yea Mercy and Grace may be present with us and yet not be perceived Philip saw the Father and yet knew not what he saw Beware here of three things which the Scripture mentions as the main Cause why 1. Take heed of Carnal Confidence and
unconceivable Mass of Mercy and Goodness in this it is contained and by this it is expressed to the World This Love set God on work to create a World and to set out his Excellencies therein to redeem the World out of the World and to bring to light those depths of his indeared affections to his in his Christ which the world could not conceive and would not believe That the world may know thou hast loved them as thou lovest me They did know and they would not beleeve it that there was such love in God or such love towards men By this God is admired in them that do beleeve 2 Thess 2.10 He is glorious in his Saints but his glory is beyond comprehension admirable when the condition of the Saints what they were and hereby are comes to be considered USE 1. Of Reprehension It Checks the opinion and carriage of the drooping and discouraged Saints who poar upon their own sins and sit down discouraged in the sight and sense of their own unworthiness and then begin to measure the Lord Christs affections according to their own disposition nourish secret Jealousies and surmises If there be any blessings which are of especial account that they want or Graces which they desire or Counsels which they need They secretly conceive that Christ who knows their weakness and wretchedness better than themselves he grudgeth the graunt of such high favors to such undeserving and sinful wretches as they be No say they it wil never be Happy they who are sit to receive but the Lord sees them too good and too much for me And the Devil is ready at hand to add fuel to the fire to help forwards such groundless misconceivings as they be That he may mint and maintain hard thoughts in the Soul against our Savior Christ and his intended compassions So he dealt with our first parents The Spark was no sooner stirring and appearing but he blows and increaseth it until it come unto a great Flame Yea hath God said ye shal not eat of every Tree He knows that ye shal be as Gods knowing good and evil Therefore he forbids you the meanes that ye may not attaine the end He envies the happiness otherwise he that knows what it is he would have provided for your spiritual good that ye might have knowledg as wel as provide the Tree Therefore the Lord professeth himself offended with this way ward distemper of his froward Children The Father cares not for me loves not me thinks al too good for me Isa 40.27 Why sai'st thou O Jacob speaks O Israel my way is hid from the Lord This is the dayly talk of al dismayed ones the speech they have in their meetings Jacob saies Israel saies This ye say but what saies the Lord Jesus Why speakest thou thus Christ cannot abide such unkind surmises and Jealousies To cast an Eye to such a wretched Creature as I my wants are such c. But the Lord knows how better to bestow his supplies That I should have peace or evidence or assurance c. Let it suffice thee that Christ wisheth thy welfare as he doth the most able and excellent Christian upon Earth He doth not grudge the greatest excellency in Heaven no not in the very heart of the Father He would not have a choice Sit but he would have thee to be partaker of it he would have thee share in the love of the Father with himself Sit down ashamed and confounded in thy self that ever thou should'st have a hard thought of Christ whose heart is so fully â—nlarged for thy good USE 2. For Instruction The Faithful shal certainly be made partakers of the Fathers love in Christ and when they have it its as certain they can never loose it 1. They may certainly expect it They may certainly expect that which Christ desires because he ever attaines his desires at the hands of God the Father Joh. 11.42 I know that thou hearest me alwaies he is sure to speed and therefore they are sure to possess But Christ desires this Therefore they may expect it Nay he not only desires but the strength of his indeavor is spent to this purpose and its the end he aimes at His desire is ever answered his labour ever blessed And therefore the faithful may undoubtedly expect this love The Lord Christ makes it the main work on Earth in Heaven what he hath done what he wil. I have made known I will make known thy Name He that hath al power he is improving al power for this end and purpose that this love may be setled and established Wil the Lord Christ loose his labor can he miss of his end can any thing oppose his power or prejudice his success 2. They can never loose it The love of the Father to Christ nothing can alter that The love of the Father to us is the same nothing can change it Our union as his nothing can separate or break Our communion as his nothing can interrupt it Hither Paul repaires and lands his heart and Hopes in safety Rom. 8.38 Nor things to come Obj. Somthing is yet to come Ans Come what wil come This is his aim to settle the conclusion of their happines and the certainty thereof To be beyond the reach of al the hosts in Heaven and Earth Therefore he musters up al what are what shal be If there were a thousand worlds to come and should set themselves to shake the comforts of the faithful it could not be The ground is hence Because of the love of God in Christ It was before al these things therefore they come too late to hinder it It was without any repect and therefore they could not work it It was only and wholly from God and therefore they cannot alter it The Devils and sin may as wel separate Christ from the Father as pul the love of the Father from his own heart and so from Christ as separate us from it 3. It s ground of greatest contentment to the hearts of al Gods people in al their conditions Christ cannot love thee better than he doth nor provide greater good for thee than he intends Thou canst have no more I had almost said God can give thee no more Be therefore content with what thou hast our Saviors desire is to interest thee in the heart and love of the Father as himself Not to love thee as a Creature as a friend a subject but as the Son of his love What me Yea thee poor weak silly worthless Worm that beleevest in him Go thy way therefore never quarel nor question any more never murmur nor repine any more It is enough nay it is too much I would not have thought it I durst not have desired it I could not have beleeved it but that our Savior hath said and done it What I beloved of the Lord Jesus miserable wretch who cannot but loath my self and Judg my self worthy to be condemned Yea thou Therefore rest
we grow skilful in the bearing of al trials we then out-bid al evils we meet with in others and in our own hearts meet with God in the exercise of al his rules injoy him in al and so our end and good in the bearing of it and therefore can want no good because we are not wanting to any rule nor exercise of any Grace or Duty 2. As the whole Soul doth put forth the exercise of al vertues to answer Gods wil and please him The Lord also he freely and fully lets in himself and communicates of al his glorious excellencies to the Soul and fils it ful of himself and the glorious expressions and operations of his Spirit pleaseth us and applies himself to us whereby the Soul is furnished and fitted to do more and have more of God Isa 64.5 Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh righteousness He that doth more for God God communicates more to him A good work is the reward of it self Do and live That is do and be inabled to do For to live is to put forth acts of Obedience And when Adam had pleased God and attained this his Chief good and end he could go no further nor have any better and therefore the reward was That God would immutably assist him that he should be inabled to love him and please him So that however the Lord God is the Objective happiness of the Soul and so the happiness of al is equal and the same as God is the same Yet the more the heart is inlarged for God and laies out it self in holy services for his honor The more the Lord wil be in the communications of himself and the more ful and effectual in lettings of his gracious presence and operations of his Spirit into the Soul And so the reward is proportioned to the work Shall I withhold any thing from Abraham for I know that he will command his Children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do Justice and Judgment c. Gen. 18.17.19 He that loves and keeps The Father and Christ wil come and manifest or shew themselves to him Joh. 14.21.23 And 2 Chron. 16.9 He wil shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards him 3. The Soul acting upon God and meeting with him in al the acts and exercise of the whole man doth not only close with the operations and expressions of God let in But laies hold upon that infinite excellency and sufficiency in himself and sucks out a satisfactory sweetness therein through al eternity For though it be the end of the Soul being made for God to work for him and put forth al such operations yet I suspect the bare working is not al nor the ful end of the Soul But in this working to close with God and suck out a sufficiency of supply from him For no Creature that is finite can be the end of the Soul nor give satisfaction to it But all the expressions of God let in are such Therefore there is somthing more required Lament 3. The Lord is my portion Whom have I in Heaven Psal 73. Herein lies the pith of our happiness our pleasing of God our taking possession and so by fruition injoying of God But ever with this good wherein our blessedness doth consist There is ever a sweetness and pleasantness that doth accompany the fruition of this with a freedom and absence of any evil or grievance in the least kind or measure that may hurtfully annoy For where there is the fulness of an infinite good letting in it self suitable to our desires or wants there can be no grievance in reason possible The Aromatical sent of the Cordial is one thing the Cordial another The Posie is one the Smel another If a man were free from al Grievance in Heaven if the Soul should not close with God nor God let in the expressions of his Grace Heaven were a Hell Therefore this is not our happiness but an attendant upon it Psal 17.15 and 63.3 Thy loving kindness is better than life 2. Member is This is done in so perfect a manner as our Human Natures are capable of That lies in two things 1. We shal see and injoy God immediately not by means And 1 Cor. 13.12 We shal see him as he is And therefore not darkly but clearly not as vailed and covered in the works of Creation but see him Face to Face Therefore not see him sparingly and little of him not as he drops himself in the means and therefore we can see nor receive him in no other measure than they wil communicate but we shal lâ—ve at the Wel and Fountain Head he shal let out himself fully We shal know as we are known 1 Cor. 15.28 God shal be all in all 2. As there is nothing to lessen the fulness of the communication of himself and goodness so there is nothing to abate and take off the sweetness of the good we do injoy And this is the priviledg of Heaven the unconceivable beauty and brightness of the place may dâ—zel us but that it is free from the presence of any evil Rev. 21.27 No evil thing was ever there to defile it nor can come there to annoy it Eph. 1.21 Far above al principalities and powers Whereas had we been in the world we should have been amongst Devils and his Angels wicked and ungodly men the presence whereof would have been grievous to us though they should never have prevailed against us through their Malice 2. How this Vnion and Communion comes to be the top of this happiness 1. If we receive more from God and do more for him by this then we are more happy For the more we have of our end the more happy we be But by this we receive more from God and do more for him 1. More for him Because it was a principle of Grace which Adam received when he was created and it was that which should have been increased in a greater degree if he had been glorified But when man was lost it was not the Creature nor any mutable principle in the Creature that could bring the Soul to God or keep it with him But God sent his Son and the God-Head of Christ in the Nature of man could only and did only bring back the Soul to himself Nay God did his best as I may say and put forth the highest strain of his excellency Here was wisdom above al the Wisdom of Creation to contrive this Almighty power above al the power of the Creature to work this Grace above al the Grace of Creation that must establish this for that Grace which Adam had he lost It was not now saying Let man be Redeemed But Christ must shed his Blood or Els it could not be 2. Thess 1.10 Admired in them that Beleeve Admiration presumes somthing not expected or we cannot tel what to make of it when the Devils and wicked men who knew