his workes and in sundry signes then for men to call for other signes its provoking Christ doth give them a signe There shall be no signe given this evill and adulterous Generation but the signe of the Prophet Jonas what signe was that he gives them such a signe that they should never see the signe till the worke was over they could conclude nothing from it till it was too late As Jonas was three dayes and three nights in the Whales belly so shall the Son of man be three dayes and three nights in the belly of the earth they could gather nothing from this signe till Christ was dead and risen againe and then the worke was over they had fild up the measure of their Iniquitie and so they could gather nothing from this signe till it was too late therefore it s bad dallying with and tempting of the Lord Christ gives these persons a signe for the hardening of them a signe in Judgement a signe that should not open their eyes till it was too late therefore take heed of shifting off the signes of the times take heed against cleare signes to shuffle off Gods worke saying I must have some other signe or some extraordinary signe God will not be dallyed with in such things as these are The second Sermon MATHEVV 16.3 O yee Hypocrites yee can discerne the face of the skie but can yee not discerne the signes of the Times SUrely its good for us to know the times the signes and seasons of Gods worke and this is that that is here held forth to us and shall be the subject of my present discourse namely The signes of the Times Quest What are the signes of the Times Answ Truly it was not in my thoughts till very lately that it had been a Question among any of the Children of God Whether or no the worke of the present time were the worke of Christs kingdome I did conceive it to be one great Article of our faith that the work that God doth call his Children to at this day and he calls upon them from heaven to attend to had been the worke of Christs visible kingdome over the world but there is a notion among good and holy men worthy Instruments of Christ that we are not to expect such a thing as this fift kingdome untill such time as our deare Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ shall come forth and bring his kingdome with him and indeed if so I must confesse for my owne part I am very much in the darke what should be the worke of the present time and what the worke is that the Saints and people of God are called to if the dispensations of God doe not call to this and if the word of God doth not leade them to this if all doth not leade us to this namely To looke upon the worke of Christs visible kingdome in the world Satan that is indeed the grand Enemie of the kingdome of our Lord Jesus he doth labour as you may have observed might and maine so long as he could wholly to obscure the notion it selfe of a visible kingdome and indeed to hold the Saints and people of God in such a beleife as that there was no such thing at all as an outward kingdome but it was a phansie and a dreame of those who ever they were that did expect it and truly it was none of the lest of the subtilties of the Serpent in setting abroach those principles of late yeares among professors that all things were to be taken spiritually and so indeed make them to allegorize the whole Scripture knowing that could he once bring them to this he should thereby keepe downe the kingdome which he did clearely foresee was neere approaching and would rise in the world but when the Devill saw that his pollicy fayl'd him here and that indeed there was such a blessed light of this visible kingdome let forth into the world that all those mists that he rais'd could not darken the light of it why truly as I have feared others doe he fly's to this retreate as to another hole out of which he might beate downe the present worke of the Generation namely this to perswade the hearts of the Children of God and to make us all be of a beleife that there is no such thing that Saints should looke for or expect or attend unto as a visible kingdome untill the day of Christs appearance and truly if so be the Devill can but accomplish his end and designe here if he can but bring us to the beleife of such a thing as this he doth know full well that he shall as effectually oppose and strike dead the present worke of the generation as ever he could have done if he had held the people of God in the beleife of the other thing that there is no fift kingdome at all for what are Saints called to or can they doe unlesse it be onely to pray and to beleive which Saints of all ages and generations from the beginning of the world might doe I say what in this age are they in an especiall manner called to in reference to Christs kingdome if so be there be not such a thing till Christ appeare I desire to speake this soberly because indeed I could not wave it I thought to have fallen directly upon the signes of the Times and not to have spoken any thing as to the thing it selfe but truly all signes will be of little use if the thing it selfe be in doubt therefore I saw a necessity that something be spoken unto that To cleare therefore the conceptions of the people of God in this and that we may goe upon as cleare ground as may be let it be considered Asser That the kingdome of Christ his visible kingdome or that thing called the fift Monarchy its twofold or it doth consist of two parts namely the kingdome of the Stone and the kingdome of the Mountaine The first of these I conceive to be as the evening time of that kingdome to wit all that time that is to be before the rising of the morning Starre the sun of righteousnesse Jesus Christ the last is the morning state of that kingdome that which succeedes the rising of the morning Starre and Sun of Righteousnesse The first of these it is as I may so say the working kingdome of the Saints it s that kingdome wherein Saints are by their Lord Imployed to doe some notable service against his coming which is The breaking downe the great Image the bringing downe all his Enemies that when he comes he may find them his footstoole for he is to sit at the fathers right hand untill all his Enemies be made his footstoole therefore this kingdome of the Stone is the working kingdome the kingdome wherein the Saints are Imployed in a glorious worke for Christ to plucke downe all that Jesus Christ when he comes may have his Enemies his footstoole The other I call the kingdome of glory wherein the Saints
of Cyrus destroying of Babylon or in Alexanders destroying the Medes and Persians Monarchy or in the Romans destroying the Grecian Monarchy for that was a part of Gods decree as well as this what should the people therefore now sing Hallelujah's for more than in those times But because of the difference of the Instruments things now being done in a more holy sanctified way to a more pure end and there shall be more of the Image of God appeare upon those that shall doe this worke now and therefore they shall sing Hallelujah's otherwise the worke did not goe beyond the worke that had been done before Seventhly Reason 7 The Ruine of Rome or of the Beast it shall be so carryed on that this worke shall be a shaddow of the glorious kingdome of Christ of the kingdome of the Mountaine The kingdome of the Stone when it comes to smite Rome then shall be in it a resemblance as it were of the raigne of Christ and the glory of the kingdome of the Mountaine therefore it s said in the sixth verse And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude and as the voice of many waters and as the voice of mighty thunderings saying Alleluja for the Lord God Omnipotent raigneth There shall be so much of the Majesty of God of the power of God of the purity of God so much of the Image of God upon his Children when that worke is done as that they shall now say the Lord God Omnipotent raigneth it could not be said Hallelujah the Lord God Omnipotent raigneth if the worke were done by a Company of carnall nations and yet this is before the end before Christs coming for after this appearance we have the Bride making her selfe ready and the kings of the earth come together to destroy the Bride preparing for her husband and then you have Christ coming forth in his fury destroying his Enemies and rescuing his Bride But before that day there shall be such a glorious appearance in the world and such power in the hands of the People of God that it shall be said when men look upon it the Lord God Omnipotent raigneth the Lord Jesus Christ who is king of the world and king of Saints raigneth therefore it shall be done by Saints as leading Instruments Eightly Reason 8 Looke through the old and new Testament where ever we have a description of the persons that shall doe the glorious worke of God at the last day and you shall ever find them described and characterized as Saints I shall give you but two or three places one is Zach 9.13 When I have bent Judah for me filled the Bow with Ephraim and raised up thy Sons O Zion against thy Sons O Greece and made thee as th sword of a mighty man marke Raised up thy Sons O Zion against thy Sons O Greece who are they that are raised up against the Sons of Greece that is against the Turish power as I shewed you formerly they are the Sons of Zion I will raise up thy Sons O Zion whereas there was in all the foregoing Monarchy's one earthly Power raised up against another when it comes to the very last time God raises up another manner of Power I will raise up thy Sons O Zion against thy Sons O Greece So if you looke into Obadiah 18 21 verses And the House of Jacob shall be a fire and the House of Joseph a flame and the House of Esau for stubble and they shall kindle in them and devoure them and there shall not be any remaining of the House of Esau for the Lord hath spoken it And Saviours shall come upon Mount Zion to Judge the Mount of Esau and the kingdome shall be the Lords Saviours shall got up on Mount Zion who shall they be the House of Jacob and the House of Joseph shall burne up the Mount of Esau they shall Judge the House of Esau and then shall the kingdome be the Lords the universall kingdome of the Lord is not yet come in but here comes in the kingdome of the Stone the House of Jacob shall be a fire and the House of Joseph a flame they shall burne up all the workes of the world and Saviours shall come up upon Mount Zion and Judge the Mount of Esau When all his Enemies are brought downe and become his footstoole then shall he come forth and take the kingdome and the kingdome shall be the Lords Sit thou at my right hand uneill I make thine Enemies thy footstoole then the Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion rule thou in the mid'st of thine Enemies there 's the coming forth of Christ when his Enemies by his Saints are made his footstoole So likewise if you looke into Micah 4.11 12. Now also many nations are gathered against thee that say let her be defiled and let our eye looke upon Zion This gathering of the nations is not after Christs coming but before and what then Arise and Thresh O daughter of Zion for I will make thine Horne Iron and I will make thy Hoof's brasse and thou shalt beate in peices many people and I will consecrate their gaine unto the Lord and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth Who shall arise and thresh arise and thresh O daughter of Zion shee shall have Hornes of Iron and Hoof's of brasse to beate all the Enemies of Christ into very chaffe and dust as it s said the great Image was ground to powder why its Zion the poore despised daughter of Zion she that they stood looking upon and said Let her be defiled let our eyes look upon Zion they stood jeering at Zion and saith God Zion I will make thee a trouble and a torment to them all come up Zion and I will make thy Hornes Iron and thy Hoof's brasse and thou shalt breake all the nations to peices that now stand looking upon thee And in another place the Lord tells us Jacob is his Battell-Axe and weapons of warre so saith God Jer. 51.20 For with thee will I breake in peices the nations and with thee will I destroy kingdomes When he comes to worke his great worke in the world his faithfull Children shall be his weapons to bring it to passe Come to the new Testament and we shall see who God will make his Instruments to carry on his worke against the Beast Revel 15.2 And I saw as it were a sea of glasse mingled with fire and them that had gotten the victory over the Beast and over his Image and over his marke and over the number of his name stand on the sea of glasse having the Harps of God And in the 6 verse And the seven Angels came out of the Temple having the seven last plagues clothed in pure and white linnen and having their Breasts girded with golden girdles They shall be pretious Instruments they shall have much purity and Holines and much of the Image of God upon them and much
the worke a glorious light so if you looke into Revel 14 6 7 verses we have an Angel flying in the midst of Heaven having the Everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth and to every nation and kindred and tongue and people saying with a loud voice feare God and give glory to him for the houre of his Judgement is come and what then why in the next verse there followes another Angel saying Babylon is fallen is fallen an Angel goes forth and enlightens the earth preaches and declares it in the world that now the houre of Gods Judgement is come the houre is come saith he and presently another Angel cryes out Babylon is fallen is fallen the worke of God comes on presently after the revealing of light Revel 18.1 2. The earth was enlightened with his glory and then presently verse 6. Reward her even as shee rewarded you and double unto her double according to her workes in the cup which shee hath filled fill to her double and in the 8 verse Therefore shall her plagues come in one day death and mourning and famine and shee shall be utterly burnt with fire Observe first here 's an Angel comes and enlightens the earth with the glory of God the earth that was before in darknes and thought nothing of the ruine of Rome and Judging the Beast the Lord lets in wonderfull light into the world and then presently comes forth the work it selfe the Lord doth appeare judging of the Beast Likewise if you looke to the final blow given to the Beast Revel 19. you will see that it follows after light that doth forerun it 17 and 18 verses And I saw an Angel standing in the Sun and he cryed with a loud voice saying to all the fowles that fly in the mid'st of heaven come and gather your selves together to the supper of the great God that ye may eate the flesh of kings and the flesh of Captaines and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of Horses and of them that sit on them and the flesh of all men both free and bond both small and great Here 's the last overthrow the deadly blow the Lord gives the Beast and there foreruns it a wonderfull light an Angel stands in the Sun that is in wonderfull cleare light he stands holding forth and declaring the coming of that terrible day and presently upon that light the worke comes on I say this is a signe of the time that the worke is at hand The great discovery of light as to the worke the Lord brings forth And the Reasons why God will send forth light before his worke are First Because he would not lead his Children to his worke blindfold but by light Antichrists followers they follow in the dark in the mist of Implicit faith but the Lambs followers they are led by light Practice without principle hath ever been the way of the Beast but Principle as the rule of practice is Christs Method Secondly Because a Saint though the thing he doe be good and the will of God yet can never have comfort in doing it if it be not done from light My Comfort ly's in this that I know I follow the Lord and this bore up Paul when Brethren Censured him and others accounted him a mad man Now observe when God let 's forth a light it s in order to a worke thus when God began with the Papacy to overturne their grosse Idolatry's God by Luther and some few others brings forth light to discover these and upon that discovery they fall So afterwards when God went to Judge the Prelacy here in England first he brings forth light and discovers them to be a peice of the Beast and of the mystery of Iniquity and presently upon the coming forth of that light they fall when God sends light he will bring forth the worke suddenly Object Wee have had light of this a great while and pleaded for the kingdome of Christ and therefore this cannot be a signe Ans To that I answer We must consider there is a difference between the breaking forth of light as it is the light of some particular persons and as its the light in a more generall way among many then is the worke coming forth John Hus and Jerome of Prague held forth Luthers light before Luther and while it was but in the breasts of some few persons it did no great matter against the Beast's kingdome but when it came to be generall in the world then the Blow came the kingdome of the Beast was destroyed by that light so much of it as that light serv'd to destroy Whilst that light that opposed the Antichristian Prelacy was lodged up onely in some few breasts it produced little save onely a witnesse against them but when it began to be generall it tossed them out of their seates So I may say concerning this light the light of the kingdome of Christ it hath been in some few breasts a great while but it never began to be so generall untill now that its run among the Churches Indeed never was there a Principle that did run so much among the Churches of Christ as this hath done within these twelve moneths since some Eminent servants of Christ have been shut up and thrust into holes this light hath been encreased and embraced among the Saints so as never any light encreas't more in such a little time than this hath done and when light begins to be so generall it s an argument now the worke drawes on it begins to be hot as we say and indeed the light growes so generall that the persecuting adversary who not long agoe would not acknowledge any kingdome at all but the spirituall yet now they acknowledge such a thing as the fift Monarchy in the world though they would set it far off that it might not hurt them and are driven to confesse that that very principle for which Saints suffer at this day is in the substance of it a truth Light is coming forth apace and blessed be the Lord that hath been so mercifull to his people at this day that the proud Adversary's of the truth cause of God shall one day be Judged out of their owne mouths they themselves know that there is such a kingdome they have gotten some light into it and they shall one day be Judged out of their owne mouthes Secondly Signe 2 Another Signe of this time that the worke of God of Christs kingdome is neere upon us is this Syons Children favouring of her stones and dust the ground of this we have in Psalme 102.13 Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Syon for the time to favour her yea the set time is come That this Psalme look's to Christ's outward kingdome the 15 18 22 verses Evidence But what signe is there of it that the set time is come why in the 14 verse When the Saints of God take pleasure in the stones of Syon and begin
that it ly's before God Lord here I am I am nothing I can doe nothing I cannot doe this or the other duty I cannot get up a desire I cannot get up a groane I am a poore miserable helplesse creature and Lord if thou wilt trample upon me Lord here I am thou mayest and if thou hast no pleasure in such a one as I am here I lye tread upon me doe what thou wilt I know not what to doe saith the soule now here 's a soule convinc't of righteousnes so as it s come to see if I had all the righteousnes of men and Angells all were nothing though it were as righteous as Adam in Innocency all were nothing if it were as righteous as Noah Adam Peter all were nothing why this it is for a soule to come to be cōvinc't ofrighteousnes Now if in any thing that yet I have said it is here wherein a true sincere heart goes beyond a hypocrite a hypocrite will goe with a true child of God through all the other doth a true child of God confesse mourn for his sin and repent and revenge himselfe and reforme and hath he joy and delight in duty 's and doth he deny himselfe hath he good aymes and ends hath he particular words given in hath he put forth acts of faith so doth the hypocrite all these things though none of them in truth and in righteousnes yet as to the outward act he will goe as far as the sincere heart and it will be hard to find out the one from the other the hardest thing in the world yet in this step of Conviction of righteousnes the childe of God goes beyond the other When a poore soule comes to this Lord I am here I thought I had abundance of things to rest in I thought I was so rich in my prayers and so rich in my Teares and so rich in my resolutions and vowes I had such good fitts in duty 's I had such glorious comfort and Joy but Lord I am brought to this I am nothing here the childe of God gets a step beyond the hypocrite for the hypocrite is never thoroughly convinc't of righteousnes but when he is convinc't of one peice he goes on upon another and when he is beaten off that he creepes on upon another and he is upon some foundation of his owne but now when the Lord Jesus comes to take possession of a poore soule he beates him off all the peices of his owne righteousnes if he will rest upon his confession of sin and mourning he will beate him off there and if he goe higher to resolutions vowes and revenge he beates him off there and if after this he rest upon his Reformation Christ will goe after him and beate him off from peice to peice till he hath wholly conquered the soule to himselfe and brought him off of all those false grounds and quagmires that the soule would have rested upon and perished till he comes to this thorough conviction of righteousnes when they come to great parts gifts and abilities Christ beates them off of this till they come to settle upon a right foundation or else they will drop off if they come not up to the true foundation hence true and faithfull hearts tremble and feare to see these great ones fall upon this account some assert falling away from grace not considering the distinction betwixt the old and new Covenant and the different truth 's that flow from either and not seeing how the same things in appearance flow out of both rootes when they saw the fruit of the old Adam they thought it had been grace and therefore conclude they fell from grace indeed they fall from the grace they had in the first Covenant a man may loose all that but not the grace of the new Covenant the soule that hath it can never fall from that grace but that soule that is partaker of that grace shall stand for ever O therefore looke that ye be rooted upon the new Covenant if you would stand for ever that you may be throughly convinced of all your owne righteousness as nothing And the Lord brings his people to this conviction many times by letting them fall by some Temptation or Corruption and hereby they come to be be beaten off from it God lets out some Temptations or some Corruptions and the soule struggles and strives withall its resolutions and vowes and all its power yet it s beaten downe and cannot stand and then the soule saith verily there 's no hope for me then the Lord brings it to this now I see I have nothing I can doe nothing Lord thou mightest destroy me and tread me underfoote and if thou wilt doe it I will lye before thee I have no hope nor none to turne to thus the soule is convinc't of righteousness and till such time as the soule is thus convinc't of righteousness it will never be able to stand conviction of righteousnes is the removing the soule off all false foundation the foundation of his workes and the foundation of his faith too as a worke and the soule that hath no foundation at all but onely lookes to the Lord Jesus Christ O be thou my foundation When the Lord hath once brought the soule to this that he hath no foundation in the world there is no sinner in the world but he hath one foundation or other he could not beare up else now when the Lord hath brought him to this that he hath no foundation in the world Lord saith the convinced soule I have no foundation in the world I hang between earth and heaven if the Lord bring not Christ as a foundation to me I am undone then is the Lord bringing in his Son Jesus Christ as a foundation of the soule O therefore let us looke into our hearts Professors Christians Saints and Brethren O how have our hearts been rooted have we not a foundation to stand upon of our owne truly the Lord will shake us out of all our righteousnes whether wrought by the Law or Gospel we may be in a miserable condition Jesus Christ is a foundation in opposition to all false foundations Lastly Jesus Christ is the foundation in opposition to true grace it selfe This conviction of righteousnes lookes to all the blessed graces of the Spirit faith repentance and new obedience and selfdeniall all these things as they flow from the holy Spirit as they are wrought in us by the Spirit grow up out of the new Covenant why of all these Christ is the bottome Christ is the foundation in opposition unto these these are not the foundation though grace is the most blessed thing in the world the most blessed thing of all yet it s not the foundation of our soules but the Lord Jesus onely must be the foundation O that every soule would now looke to Christ O is Christ my foundation you had need to look to your hearts here 's much preaching and much profession
promise of the Spirit It s the Spirit it s the Spirit that shall bring to your remembrance saith Christ whatsoever I have said unto you The holy Spirit of God comes and makes the soule to remember all the words of the Lord Jesus Christ all the promises in the blessed book of God that concernes our sanctification any peice of it any thing belonging to it or that concernes our consolation or any peice of it or any thing belonging to it they are all lodg'd up in this great and glorious and blessed promise of the Spirit of God as in the promise of the Messiah are lodg'd all the promises of our Justification and every peice of it so in this promise of the Spirit is lodg'd up all the promises of our sanctification consolation Justification flow's out of the one and holines peace and comfort out of the other is it not then a great promise O it s a glorious and most blessed promise I had thought to have shewne you how it is the great New-Testament promise the great promise that we are to looke for under the new Testament but I shall not be able to come to that at this Time The Lord therefore set that upon our hearts and as there is much lodg'd up in this promise so O that our hearts were now all taken with it that we might all looke up unto God for the giving out of this Spirit methinkes none should goe home now and say I will not regard this Spirit I doe not see any thing in this Spirit much lesse that any should goe away and jeere at the Spirit laugh at the Spirit and make a mocke of it O far be it from our soules that any here should doe so but let us every one looke after this Spirit Lord come and give out of thy Spirit to my soule come and give out of thy Spirit to my soule Lord I have been a Rebell an Enemy a wretch an opposer but let thy Spirit come and subdue my Corruption let thy Spirit come downe and bring up my heart to thee O thy Spirit Lord to subdue this wretched distemper in me that have been a mocker and jeerer at thy Spirit Poore soule do'st thou want a word of conviction to be thoroughly convinced before the Lord O say now O Lord send thy Spirit to convince me now O Lord let thy Spirit convince my soule of sin let thy Spirit convince my soule of righteousnes let thy Spirit come and shew me how I have not beleived in Christ how that I have taken up other things besides Christ as my foundation and laid other foundations besides the foundation of God let the Spirit of the Lord come and shew me how many righteousnesses I have set up instead of the Lords righteousnes If the Spirit of God should come to our hearts now not a man or woman here but would goe out and say O I am a poore wretched creature I thought I had had wisdome when I came hither but I goe out a foole and I thought I had had strength when I came hither but I am weakness it selfe and I thought I had had parts and gifts but I am nothing I thought I could have beleived and acted faith upon God but I can doe nothing nothing of my selfe if the Lord come to convince by his Spirit it will be thus indeed There are many legall convictions and men goe away hardened after them and they are ten times worse hast thou man or woman been convinced of that and hast gone away mightily affected and yet can'st thou come againe and sit here and sleepe O beg of the Lord to give out his Spirit to convince thee and to doe all thy workes in thee and for thee hast thou been a long time doubting and seeking what way God will owne what truth God will owne for his truth O labour for the Spirit cry for the Spirit for the teachings of the Spirit beg of the Lord to teach thee by his Spirit spread the promise before the Lord hast thou not said Lord Thy Spirit shall teach us all things and guide us into all truth Here 's thy promise Lord Lord now let me have thy Spirit to reveale thy truth to me and to shew me thy will and when the Spirit comes and teaches us we shall know principles in another way than we did before a Christian can see a cleare evident distinction betwixt those principles he fetches in from reason and those he hath from the Spirit of God enlightening his reason Now wouldest thou depart O beg of the Lord to come and give thee hâ—s Spirit and then being taught by the Spirit of God thou wilt stand to the truth the reason why men are this to day and another thing to morrow it is because they are not taught by the Spirit but their faith is laid in the wisdome of men and they take up things from men and doe beleive a thing because such a wise man speakes it and when a wiser than he comes and speakes otherwise then they will leave that and take up what he saith now saith the Apostle I came not to you with the enticeing word of mans wisdome but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power that your faith might stand not in the wisdome of man but in the power of God as if he should have said I know how apt you are to take up things in the wisdome of man and not in the light of the Spirit of God but cry out Lord let me have nothing but in the power of God and from thy Spirit upon my heart in the demonstration of thy Spirit this will hold a man will stand to this he will say I did not receive this truth by the light of my reason but by another light hereupon the soule will hold to truth As the Saints in Queene Mary's dayes could not dispute but yet they would dye for the truth they had their principles in the light of the Spirit and in the power of the Spirit Now how many now aday's have their faith founded in the wisdome of men and not in the power of God If God should come and sift men you will never hold if you will not learne of the Spirit but have things onely from your reason How many have spoken gloriously of the truths of the present age and when it comes to some tryall when there comes suffering and their owne Interest calls off to the other side turne their backs upon it that which men have had onely from their reason will not lead them through Temptation if Temptation come that man will give away his truth rather than part with his Interest his honour or profit or the like a man that hath reason will gather up a great deale in the notion but if the Lord doe not teach us by his own Spirit we shall not hold O beg this every heart for himselfe and for all the children of God at this day that we might not
Mr. Tillinghasts EIGHT LAST SERMONS I The Fifth Kingdome or Kingdome of Christ founded on the New Covenant one Sermon on Jer 33.20 21. II Signs of the Times two Sermons on Matth. 16.3 To which is added six Signs as they were in his Notes III Christ the only Foundation one Sermon on 1 Cor. 3.11 With the prosecution of the point as it was in his Notes IV The Promise of the Father two Sermons on Act. 1.4 V The evil of the Times one Sermon on Mal. 3.16 17. VI Look to your Aims and Ends one Sermon on Matth. 11.7 To which is added The Idols abolished being his Notes on Is 2.18 Matth. 3.2 Repent yee for the Kingdome of Heaven is at hand LONDON Printed by M. S. for Livewell Chapman at the Crown in Popes-head Alley 1655. A PREFACE TO THE READER THe Lord upon my frequent remembrance of the depth of the Riches both of his Wisdome Rom. 12.33 and of his Knowledge hath given me many and manifold occasions to break forth in the words of the Apostles sudden exclamation How unsearchable are his Judgements and his waies past finding out Yea such hath been the tenor of his dispensations and of the Appearance of some of them of late years from out of those unsearchable depths as may well induce us in the midst of such musings to cry out in the words of the Song of the Lamb saying Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty Rev. 16 3. Just and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints Who will not fear thee Oh Lord and glorifie thy Name But Oh ye faithful followers of the Lamb who shall be able to fathom and to measure the depth and heighth the breadth and length of those judgements which are yet to come upon the people and the Princes of the earth Wo Wo to the worshippers and admirers of the Dragon of the Beast and the false Prophet how terrible will Jehovah be unto the little Horn the last power which lifts it self up against the Saints of the most High after the expiration of the two and forty months How will this little Horn which goar 's our sides and pusheth us into corners roar when the Judgement shall sit and they that is the Saints shall take away his Dominion Dan. 7.26 to consume and to destroy it unto the end And with what consternation of mind will the proud Nimrods of the world flye before the Lamb and his followers when the mighty Hunters themselves shall be hunted from Mountain to Hill by the little handful of those who ar redeemed from the earth And whitherwill ye rune for shelter Oh ye Tyrants Who shall be your Lord Protector in the Day when Jehovahs fury shall be powred out like fire Nâ—humâ— 6 And if the Rocks are thrown down by him what will become of Reeds If the Sons of ancient Kings be hurried out of the world to their own place for their oppressions and persecutions for their contempt of God his Word and his Works what will be the portion of the New Monarchical Tyrants who are but of yesterday and have not had time to take root in the earth neither shall ever be able to confirm or establish their Domination But to contract and call off my mind from expatiating upon this point It cannot but be confessed That the sudden loss of so blessed an Instrument in the hand of Christ in such a juncture of time may well be matter of astonishment or of great grief to those poor souls who beginning to halt betwixt two opinions found present help and strength administred to their feeble knees by his Ministry and having also their eyes anointed with Gospel Eye-salve for the discovery of the present and other Truths It was no marvel that they became so sensible of the usefulness of such an Interpreter in that populous City as the deceased Author of the insuing Sermons And indeed We Prisoners your Brethren and Companions in Tribulation and in the Kingdome and patience of Jesus Christ could not refrain rejoycing with you for the hopes you had that he should have been as an Arrow or a polished shaft in the hand of a mighty man even the man Christ Jesus in such a day as this But as the heavens are higher than the earth Isa 55.9 so are the Lords ways higher than our wayes and his thoughts than our thoughts We are taught to say It is the Lord 1 Sam. 3 18 let him do with us also as seemeth good to him for indeed we are not our own 1 Cor 6.20 we are bought with a price whether we live or dye we are the Lords Rom. 14 8 and therefore we are obliged to glorifie him in our bodies and in our souls But to proceed to a brief Narrative of some particular passages and circumstances which may be of use for the Christian Readers who are far remote from the City to know It is to be remembred That this Servant of the Lord had waited for some space of time viz. about a year of daies to understand the mind of God in reference to the work which was upon his heart to do for the Lord Jesus at length perceiving his way to be plain before him he came up to the City of London where it pleased the Lord to put a period to his dayes within a very short space after he was arrived But how diligently he improved his time and his talent I need not declare for it s well known to thousands that he laboured as if it had been for his life to promote that glorious Cause which was once the joy of the Saints generally throughout the Nation although now it be almost forgotten by the most and the concernments of Christ and his people in the midst of a generation of Revolters and Backsliders from the work of God in their day Three principal businesses he had upon his spirit to dispatch The first was to speak his mind freely to the Great Man as they call him which accordingly after solemn seeking the face of the Lord with some Brethren he did and did bear his Testimony to his face in the first place in the presence of divers witnesses in such a way of plaineness and pity towards him who was guilty of such open Abominations that undoubtedly it will be of use hereafter to the stopping of the mouths of all Court-flatterers who are one of the worst sort of creeping Vermine in the world purposing moreover to proceed to an higher and more publick Testimony as God should give him a spirit and opportunity thereunto In the next place like another young Apollos Act. 18.27 28. being come to the City he helped them much who had beleeved the present Truth through Grace for he mightily convinced many and that publickly that the Kingdome of Christ is not only a Spiritual Kingdome but an outward visible Kingdome as his words are that this is a branch of the New Covenant That this
Kingdome shall very shortly begin to break in peeces and consume all these Kingdomes Insomuch that the spirits of many precious ones were revived their minds inlightened Insomuch that methoughts I heard one Disciple that had been ready to faint and quail saying to another Disciple in Jonathans language See I pray you how mine eies have been inlightned because I tasted a little of this Hony This word of the Lord concerning the glorifying of his Son in the sight of all Nations is sweeter than the hony or the hony comb Oh dear hearts you who heard a proof of Christ speaking in him Tell me Did not your hearts wax warm nay did they not burn within you while he spake of those things to you and while he opened to you in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power those Scriptures which do so neerly concern the King of Saints and his Cause at this day His next design was to travel from Prison to Prison where any of the Servants of Christ were shut up and accordingly made an entrance upon that work in coming to this Castle to visit us as not being ashamed of the testimony of the Lord nor of us his Prisoners 2 Tim. 11.8 but appeared very willing to be partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel of the Kingdome according to that measure of the power of God which should be given him even to suffer bonds in the maintenance of that Cause and glorious Truth which formerly had been owned but is now rejected by the General and his Men of War Insomuch that he would in private discourse with some friends declare That a Prison was like to be his portion ere long And no question if he had lived to have inlarged upon the signs of the times and the Spirit of God had come upon him with power the Supreme single Person at his Head-quarters at White-hall with the advice of his Cabinet Councel would after grave and mature deliberation have found it very necessary absolutely necessary to have suspended and silenced such a Preacher as neither knew how to hold his peace nor yet to pipe to the tune of the New Instrument for we must know that this New Monarchy is founded upon NECESSITY Necessity is the Father and Mother Necessity and Policy are the Nurse and the Guardian of this young Government Alas poor creature it was born in a Consumption and besides that hath had many Convulsion fits since it came into the world insomuch that its Friends and Physitians have had much ado to keep life in it at several critical hours since its Nativity And beside we shall find that Maxime true Nullum violentium est perpetuum violent Motions will quickly work Commotions Confusions and Destructions Let none take offence at this Language for I cannot forbear vilifying the Kingdomes of the fourth Beast when my thoughts are upon the magnifying of the Kingdome Power and Glory of Jesus Christ our Lord. Isa 37.22 And if the Virgin Daughter of Sion without any disparagement to her holy modesty might of old be allowed by God himself to despise the great King of Assyria and to laugh him to scorn I know no reason to the contrary but one of the Lambs followers may without breach of rule in an holy triumph of Faith express contempt of the Kings of the Earth who are all of them the lovers of the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth But to return from this digression of Necessity Both Friends and Foes may easily conjecture how warm an incouragement it would have been to all of us to be refreshed with his company in the several Prisons where wee and our Brethren are shut up if it had pleased the Lord to say Amen and so have given the word for the undertaking of his intended spiritual Summer-progress for wee found him to bee indued with such a Spirit and to have so much acquaintance with the Lord and his Word concerning the present oppressed Truth and Work that undoubtedly the Glorious Cause wherein we are ingaged would have been so much the more inquired after and searched into by many of the Saints But the Counsel of the Lord must stand By conference also with him here in my Prison-chamher I understood how long since and upon what occasion the Lord had taken him by the hand and brought him into his spacious Galleries to walk and take a prospect of that part of Christs Kingdom and glory which is now ready to bee revealed in these last times So that I now plainly discern this in regard his day was to be so short he was thereupon spirited from the Lord to do much work in a little time for those Generation-works of his his Books so called together with his knowledge of the times are no question a special product of Providence in this season and may serve for the rouzing up and quickening of such as are upon their watch to look about them that they may not be surprized And for the rendring unexcusable that Generation of drousie Professors and Apostate pretenders which this Nation swarms with at this day Neither let it seem strange to thee whosoever thou art that readest this that the learned Rabbies and the Orthodox Doctors of these times are so exceeding dumb as to this point for first consider It is not the high-way to Ecclesiastical promotions it is impossible they should get or keep any great Church-livings if such Doctrine should be preached by them or imbraced by the people as these Fift-Kingdom-men desire and indeavor to leaven the land withall And then secondly It is according to the tenor of Gods working in the Generations before us such mysteries use to be hidden in their first discoveries at least from the wise and prudent and were revealed unto Babes that so no flesh might glory in his presence Wherefore let no man find fault that the Lord takes such unlikely Instruments to break the Ice to prepare the way nor yet take offence at that diversity of Opinions and Apprehensions which is and will be found for a little while among the Assertors of this Doctrine of Christs Kingdom in the approaching glorious ministration of it It is true such a thing is intimated and handled by this Author in his second Sermon concerning the signs of the times at the 52 page c. But this will occasion the true children of the true light to search the Scriptures daily whether those things there discussed be so or no I confess I have some hope to be successful in reconciling the matter betwixt those good men by communicating ere long to publick view if not prevented what I apprehend to be the mind of God in that particular In the mean time I desire the Lords little remnant whom he hath reserved to himself in this general Apostacie waiting for the breaking forth of the next dispensation from under this dark cloud to entertain these Sermons of this Disciple lately deceased taken in short-hand from his lips
because death prevented not perused nor perfected by himself with that respect which is due to the memory of such a servant of Christ whose praise as we hear is in all the Churches throughout Norfolk and Suffolk besides other places where he hath travelled teaching and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ Object But many men who favour not my righteous cause will be apt to say This is strange could there not be found another friend of the Authors more acceptable among the people and who should have recommended these his last words and works unto them with more advantage to the cause c. We know that this man is a sinner He is an evil doer or else why is he in Prison undoubtedly he was not put there neither is he kept there for his good deeds It is much he should be made use of in such a work as this for laudari a laudato viro illa illa demum laus est c. Answ 1. I have in some measure learned of Job not to stand upon my terms with the Lord in point of innocency I know it is so as you say Job 9.2 for how should a man be just before God if he will contend with him Vers 15. he cannot answer him one of a thousand Though I were righteous yet would I not answer him but would make my supplication to my Judge 1 Joh. 1.8 And if I say I have no sin I deceive my self and the truth is not in me Ans 2. But as to men I may plead my integrity with a good conscience and say with boldness if things were examined from the bottom from the beginning I make no question in the least but I should be justified by the children of Wisdom I mean not the wisdom of this world nor of the Princes of this world who are coming to nought but the wisdom of God in a mystery for they would not judge according to outward appearance but would judge righteous Judgement Their Judgement like the Lords Rom. 2.2 would I am sure be according to truth and not according to interest as the manner of Machiavel and Achitophel was And which is also the Lords mercy I am perswaded to all his imprisoned servants now suffering for the good old cause with me it is a very small thing that I should be either commended or condemned by the men of this old evill world 1 Joh. 5.19 1 Cor. 5. 1 Pet. 4.5 which lieth in wickedness for when we all come to give an account to him who is ready to judge the quick and the dead as the Apostle speaks such a sentence will be pronounced and such an exact distribution of Justice will be made that we are sure our subtle proud persecuters will be stript naked and bare of all their Swords and Guns their Gaolors and their Catchpoles and besides all this their Clergy which stands them instead here will not be allowed them in that Court Answ 3. It doth not necessarily follow that because I am a prisoner therefore I must bee an evill doer or a transgressor for we know Joseph was a prisoner and Jeremy and the Apostles were imprisoned yet who will reckon them with transgressors that pretend to be Christs Disciples yea Christ himself was numbered among the greatest Malefactors of that time wherefore let no man be rash to speak evil of persons and things which they have no acquaintance with But to give the Reader a brief account for the present reserving a larger Narrative to a fitter opportunity I have been twice imprisoned by the Man whom the people call His Highness and their Lord Protector The first time there was an Arbitrary Power exercised by him in causing me to be apprehended for giving two general Observations and nine particular Characters of the Little Horn mentioned in Daniel the seventh that day wherein he was proclaimed as they say this should have been preached the week before but by providence I was prevented So that here could be no colour for imprisonment considering I applied it to no person for as I told the people and I spake the truth God had not revealed it to me as yet but the day would declare it to whom properly to apply it And accordingly when I was examined by him as a Prisoner in the Councel Chamber concerning the application of those Characters I told him what I had spoken in the presence and hearing of hundreds concerning this matter but withal I then declared to him in the presence of his Creatures That if the Lord had revealed unto me who it was that the Holy Ghost meant by that Little Horn I would have told the people though I had died for it when I had done And then I added these other words But to deal plainly with you my Lord and to tell you my very heart the reason why I did not apply those Characters unto you at that time was because I thought or judged that you would not persecute the Saints For indeed till then I never knew or heard that he had so done But since that what he hath done and now doth in this kind let the spiritual man who best discerns the difference of things give his judgement Hitherto I know assuredly that I was not in any fault worthy of the least reproof from man much lesse of bonds Besides this there was another material passage which I declare with all faithfulness I perceived by his large Speech that which he fixed upon as matter of Charge was that I was an Enemy to Government and all my quarrel was against Government These were his very words to which I chose to make my defence at large declaring first my manner of education as Paul did for I made his Apology my Pattern and the manner of the Lords putting me into the Ministry 1 Tim. 1.12 And then in the next place I shewed him how I had indeed preached against Episcopal Government and then against the Kings Government and that his Monarchy should be destroyed Then I declared also that I had indeed preached against the Presbyterian Government as set up by the Parliament and against the Assembly or new fashioned Synod of Lords Commons and Clergy-men And lastly against the Parliament but not against that kind of Government which they declared for for that I owned so far as it was a Government for the Commonwealth and the publick good But withall as I declared these things freely concerning my self so I shewed him likewise from point to point how He Himself had pulled down all these Governments one after another First The Prelatical Government next the Kingly then the Presbyteriall after that the long Parliament so finishing this part of my Defence I looked him stedfastly in the face without fear and said in these very words So that my Lord I conclude if I am against Government YOU are against Government and if I have a Quarrel against Government YOU have a Quarrel against
against me And seeing the Lord hath given me an opportunity to testifie the truth for the Cause sake wherein I suffer and which the Author of these Sermons did own to his death I hope no inconvenience can arise from this brief Apology thus briefly represented to the little Remnant of the Womans Seed who in these dayes of Hypocrisie and Apostacy keep the Commandements of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ One word to my Fellow-prisoners in this glorious Cause from the Word of the Lord and it is a part of those glad tydings which they through Grace may bee abundantly refreshed in the remembrance of as I have been in this long time of Oppression THERE REMAINETH A REST FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD. A Sabbatisme so the Word is an holy solemn Rest and it hath reference to the World to come even the state of the Saints in the Thousand years This hath been in all Ages good news to so many as being pilgrims and strangers for the Lords sake in this present evil world have been alwayes hated reproached oppressed persecuted tormented slaughtered by the four great cruel wild Beasts Dan. 7. Oh what a voluminous Martyrology would that be which can comprehend all the cruelties bloody Massacres and despiteful dealings with the Saints of the most High which have been perpetrated upon this earth since Cain slew his brother Abel which can exemplifie in punctual narrations of truth all the Methods Stratagems Pretences and Policies which Persecutors have and will make use of for the suppressing of that spirit which with boldness doth justly contradict them in their wickedness and Abominations It s not a work for a finite creature to undertake none are sufficient Historiographers of these things but the Three who bear Record in Heaven where there is a Book of Remembrance written for those which feared Jehovah and thought upon his Name in their Generations Blessed be the Name of the Lord our God and our Father how sweet is his presence in a prison to his suffering servants Moses esteemed the reproaches of Christ greater Riches than the treasures of Egypt And wee from the overflowings of Divine Love have such glorious Incombs that we would not exchange the least of them for all the gold and silver which is coming from the West-Indies to the New Court. As the noble Marquess Galeacius Caracciolus when Golden Temptations were presented Let their money perish with them saith he who account all the gold in the world worth one dayes communion with Jesus Christ in the holy Spirit Dear Brethren in Bonds for the Lords sake How is it with you Have you cheerful lively spirits Do you live in the sense of the love of God shed abroad in your hearts by the holy Spirit which is given to you Doth your faith grow exceedingly Doth your love and zeal abound more and more for the Lord Jesus and his Interest What ripeness and readiness of spirit soul and body do you find to arise to come forth and to march in the honorable Expeditions of the Lamb against the Beast Are you prepared to follow the Lord fully Oh let us for I desire to be of that number let us never give the Lord rest till he burn with fire that Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth together with all her Daughters and until Jerusalem the New Jerusalem be established the praise of all the Earth We cannot but wait and hope till the Spirit cloath 〈◊〉 as it did Amazia 1 Chron. 12.18 that we may speak saying in a mystery Thine are we David and on thy side thou Root of Jessai peace peace be unto thee and peace be unto thine Helpers for thy God helpeth thee And I make no Question but â—re it be long there will be a coming to our David day by day to help him untill it become a great Host like the Host of God and so to turn the Kingdom of Saul unto him whose right it is according to the word of the Lord. For do the Kings of the Earth at home or abroad think of setling and establishment at this time of the day Alas poor creatures their glass is almost run out The God of Heaven is numbring their Kingdoms and finishing them The God of Heaven is weighing the new and old Tyranical Monarchies and will find them too light The God of Heaven will work Divisions in their Kingdomes and will give them all to his Son and his Saints It is true their ghostly Fathers and their Court-Chaplines do put this evil day afar off and perswade their Majesties their Highnesses and their Excellencies c. that we are possessed with on evil spirit of Sedition and Emnity against Government but we dare say to our Father who sees in secret and tryes the reins that they Lye and speak not the truth for he knows who knows all things that the desire of our souls is to be under the best Government that ever was or will bee in the world We confess we groan to be delivered from that Bondage which we are in under the Tyrants of the world we would not have the Beast nor any of his Horns to exercise such cruel domination over us as in time past because we had a little reviving from our former yokes by the out-stretched Arm of the Almighty and it was sweet unto us and we long for a full possession wherefore let us oh let us beleeve and the Lord increase our faith that we shall take them captives whose captives we are and we shal rule over our oppressors We shall meet and magnifie the Lord together and those followers of the Lamb who have prayed and wrestled in prayer for us and for the present it will be of use to look into those good works and comfortable words which this servant of the Lord who lived and dyed in the testimony of this truth doth spread before you who purposed to visit you and to incourage your hearts and to strengthen your hands in God yea and to be refreshed by you I mean you who are removed far off and thrust into holes and corners contrary to All Rules of Righteousness But though he purposed Jehovah preverted who doth all things according to the counsel of his own will and it becomes us who remain alive and have through grace received a Kingdom which cannot be shaken to serve the Lord in our Generation acceptably with reverence and godly fear for our God is a consuming fire And now oh that those precious truths handled by him might through the blessing of the Almighty become spiritual nourishment to us in our captivity The first Kingdom is founded upon the New Covenant Christ Jesus is the onely foundation c. It is good we shouldbe put in remembrance of these things though we do know them and are through the rich supply of the spirit in some measure established in the present truth I might inlarge but I shall not detain you nor the other Readers any longer but
spirituall as the naturall the Gentills as the Jewes which should in this day become one with them it s founded and that upon the Covenant of David and that is the Everlasting Covenant the new Covenant the Covenant of grace so that there ly's this truth before us Obser That the kingdome or visible kingdome of Christ its founded in the new Covenant or The doctrine of Christs kingdome it s a part or Branch of the new Covenant Something I shall speake as to the clearing of this and then speake a few words by way of Application As to the clearing of the Point that it is so that the kingdome of Christ its rapt up in the new Covenant the glorious and blessed Covenant of Grace hath this lodged up in it as one maine peice of it namely a visible kingdome This is cleare if we doe but looke to the first striking up of the Covenant betwixt the Father and the Son between God and Christ in Eternitie The new Covenant though it did come forth in Time the promise of Eternall life came forth in Time yet the foundation of it was laid in Eternitie in hope of Eternall life saith the Apostle which God that cannot lie promised before the world began so that the promise of Eternall life that great blessing of the new Covenant the foundation of this Covenant it was laid in Eternitie before the world began Now if we doe but looke to the transactions past between God and Christ in Eternitie at the striking up of this Covenant we shall finde that this was one great branch one great peice of the new Covenant namely a visible kingdome that Jesus Christ should have a kingdome and be king and have all his enemies under him here it was one great peice of that Covenant that was made between God and Christ in Eternitie In the 49 of Isaiah which Prophesie is applyed by a worthy man unto the thing I am speaking of namely the striking up of the Covenant between God and Christ in Eternitie its cleare the Prophesie doth run upon Christ and in the two first verses as he conceives The Lord Jesus is brought in declaring how that his father had called him and what worke his father had put into his hands for him to doe and so he doth aske what he should have for his labour what wages he should have for the doing his worke And in the third verse the Lord comes and he doth offer to Jesus Christ as his reward and wages Israel thou art my servant O Israel in whom I will be glorified Now as the said person observes Christ considering that these were but a handful that they would many of them stand out against him and oppose him he thereupon complaines my labour is in vaine and I have spent my strength for nought and in vaine If this be all my reward for my worke in dying if I should have no other reward then Israel truly then I should labour in vaine and yet notwithstanding Jesus Christ is so willing to the worke that he undertakes it however saith he my worke is of God I will doe that worke and I will even leave it to himselfe what reward he will give me Now the Lord seeing Christ willing to take this worke upon him he comes in the 6 â—h verse and proffers more largely to him And he said It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the Tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved of Israel I will also give thee for a light to the Gentills that thou maist be my salvation unto the end of the earth Here the Lord comes in and doth proffer more largely and fully he opens his heart more fully to Christ Indeed here is the very conclusion the result of all that did passe betwixt the Father the Son now observe among those things that the Lord doth promise to the Son this is one that he shall have a kingdome in the 7th verse Thus saith the Lord the redeemer of Israel and his holy One to him whom man despiseth to him whom the Nation abhorreth to a servant of Rulers Kings shall see and arise Princes also shall worship because of the Lord that is faithfull and the holy one of Israel and he shall choose thee This is one great thing which was promised by the Father to the Son and that from Eternitie namely a kingdome that Christ should have a kingdome wherein Kings should worship him wherein Princes should fall downe before him and submit to him so that these things are spoken by the Prophet in Time yet as they were transacted betwixt the Father and the Son they were before time and so the Lord had assurance of the kingdome wherein Kings should fall downe and worship him and that in Eternitie But more clearely Isai 53.10 11 12 ver where we have likewise the substance of the Covenant that was betwixt God and Christ the Father and the Son and the tearmes and conditions of either party Jesus Christ for his part he is content that God should bruise him and to be greived and that his soule should become an offering for sin and make Intercession for Sinners then the Father againe he promises on his part that Jesus Christ should see his seede that he should Justifie many and the like but observe among other one speciall thing that the Father promises is that Christ shall have a Portion with the great and shall divide the spoile with the strong this of all other is the great promise Quest Now the Question may be what are we to understand by Gods dividing to Christ a portion with the great and the spoile with the strong Answ Why surely these words they cannot be meant onely of Christs spirituall tryumph over his enemies and Christs spirituall reward because these words they are brought in as the reward the Father gives him for his suffering because he powred out his soule unto death and was numbred with the Transgressors and bare the sins of many therefore will I divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoile with the strong therefore it cannot be a spirituall reward and the reason is because the reward the Father gives to the Son must be Equivolent unto his suffering for the Father would not give unto his Son a reward that is short of his sufferings this were to look upon God as straite handed when Jesus Christ had done his worke to give a reward short of his worke therefore the reward must be as large as his sufferings Now looke upon the sufferings of Christ and they are of two sorts There was spirituall sufferings and that in undergoing that bitter agony he underwent in the garden in encountering all the sore Temptations of Satan and all the frownes of his Father upon the Crosse here was aboundance of spirituall sufferings and he had the sting and torment of our sins his very soule was powred out unto death with it
this is the new Covenant I but here 's one promise hath a speciall Oath to it its worthy observation what peice of the new Covenant the Lord especially sweares to and that is this promise of Christs kingdome Once have I sworne by my holines that God will not lye to David and what is that that God sweares to its this that his seede shall endure for ever and his Throne shall be as the Sun before him Now to this promise is added a speciall Oath and its observable that the Lord speakes of Christs kingdome severall times in Scripture there are foure times that the Lord speakes of this and he doth sweare to it When he made this Promise to Abraham that his seed Christ shall possesse the Gate of his Enemies Gen. 22.16 By my selfe have I sworne saith he when he comes to make this promise to David that Jesus Christ shall have a kingdome God sweares againe Once have I sworne by my holines that I will not lye unto David His seede shall endure for ever and his Throne as the Sun before me Againe if you looke into Isai 45.13 you have God swearing againe there I have sworne by my selfe the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousnesse and shall not returne that unto me every knee shall bow every tongue shall sweare Why what is the meaning of that why it s the very same with that in the Philippians every knee shall bow to Christ every tongue shall confesse that Christ is the Lord it is the exalting and setting up Christ Jesus as King So if we looke into Isai 54.9.11 Oh thou afflicted Tossed with Tempest and not comforted and in the 14 ver In righteousnesse shalt thou be established and thou shalt be far from oppression it s a description of Christs kingdome which he confirmes by his oath in the 9 â—h ver speaking of this very time of the kingdome of Christ For this is as the waters of Noah unto me for as I have sworne that the waters of Noah shall no more goe over the earth so have I sworne that I would not be wrath with thee nor rebuke thee that is he would not in that day be wrath with his people so as to put by the fulfilling this good word of his promise I will make good this peice of my Covenant Now if we consider it surely there is something in it that the Lord should confirme all the new Covenant by an Oath and should confirme one branch of it and that by an Oath swearing by himselfe and by his holines and by his righteousnesse and swearing that he would not lye and swearing that it should be as certain as the word to Noah that the world should never be drowned againe That the Lord should sweare over and over to it surely there is much in it now the Lord hath done thus as to Christs kingdome what ever the world say the Lord hath founded this upon the new Covenant and he hath confirmed this new Covenant with an Oath when the Lord saw what opposition there would be in the world what distrust in his peoples hearts lest any should doubt of it he comes over and over againe with this particular branch of it with an Oath I have sworne I have sworne I have sworne that my Son shall have a kingdome So that in the Covenant with David there was the promise of the kingdome of Christ Fourthly Let us come to the worke it selfe where the worke doth begin to rise in the world and you shall see that it doth begin to rise and that upon the account of the new Covenant The worke of Christs kingdome the glorious beginning of it it shall be about the time of the Jewes coming in and indeed the coming in of the Jewes shall be a very great advancement of this kingdome and where ever the Lord doth speake of the coming in of the Jewes he doth lay it upon the foundation of this new Covenant and indeed it s a very great argument to me against those that thinke there is no such thing as the kingdome of Christ because God hath so often laid it upon his new Covenant Looke into the 26 of Leviticus the Lord had spoken before of rejecting and of the casting of them off 42 ver he saith when they should be cast off then will I remember my Covenant with Jacob and also my Covenant with Isaac and also my Covenant with Abraham will I remember and I will remember the Land This doth not onely looke to the rejecting of the people of Israel for a time when they were carried Captive into Babylon for that was a rejecting onely of part of the seed of Abraham but it doth looke to their long Captivity of all the seed of Abraham for these many hundred yeares the Lord engages he will restore them and restore them upon the account of remembring his Covenant Then will I remember my Covenant with Jacob and also my Covenant with Isaac and also my Covenant with Abraham will I remember and I will remember the Land and I will bring them backe againe and I will gather them upon the account of my Covenant saith God Deut. 4.30 31. In the 27 verse Moses had been speaking The Lord shall scatter you among the nations and yee shall be left few in number among the heathen whither the Lord shall lead you then he tells them in the 30 verse When thou art in tribulation and all these things are come upon thee even in the latter dayes if thou turne to the Lord thy God and shalt be obedient unto his voice even in the latter dayes mind the expression in the latter dayes if thou turne to the Lord thy God and shalt be obedient unto his voice for the Lord thy God is a mercifull God he will not forsake thee neither destroy thee nor forget the Covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them When the Lord hath cast them off they shall be gathered and that upon the account of his Covenant and so in the 54 of Isai that Chapter is a prophesie of the Conversion of the Jewes and of that glory that shall follow thereupon and the Lord doth engage his Covenant for the bringing of it about The mountaines shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee So likewise in the 33 of Jere. the two last verses Thus saith the Lord if my Covenant be not with day and night and if I have not appointed the Ordinances of heaven and earth then will I cast away the seede of Jacob and David my servant so that I will not take any of his seede to be rulers over the seed of Abraham Isaac and Jacob for I will cause their Captivity to returne and have mercy on them This is spoken of their last restoration as I told you at first and the Lord doth
God and they all fell in the wildernesse and so it would be with us in this day if he dealt with us upon the account of the old Covenant but because God deales with us upon the account of the new Covenant as the people of God have cause to be humbled for all their sinnes yet consider this cannot hinder but the Lord can yet and the Lord indeed I hope of his grace will doe glorious things for his Children notwithstanding all their unworthines his grace shall come tryumphing over all these Davids kingdome grew out of the new Covenant therefore it was not the unworthynes of him nor his followers that could hinder it from rising If you looke upon Sauls kingdome it seemes to be glorious at first but afterwards because it was not founded on the new Covenant it grew worse and worse Saul at first seem'd to have much faith and selfe-deniall when the Lot fell upon him and they were commanded to bring him forth to crowne him King he hid himselfe that they were forc't to enquire of the Lord to know where he was and when the Children of Belial said How shall this man save us they despis'd him and brought him no presents but he held his peace in the 1 Sam 9.27 he seem'd to be so patient and so humble as if he tooke no notice of it so in the 1 Sam 11.12 13. there you shall finde after they had gotten a great victory over the Ammonites and some of the people said unto Samuel who is he that sayd shall Saul reigne over us bring the men that we may put them to death And Saul said There shall not a man be put to death this day for to day the Lord hath wrought Salvation in Israel As if Saul should have said I will never give way to passion and rage why the Lord hath wrought glorious Salvation in Israel this day the Lord with his Salvation hath been among us and by his mighty Salvation hath delivered us his heart seemes to be wonderfully taken with the deliverance but afterwards looke upon Sauls kingdome and it s still waneing and decaying more and more and why because it was founded upon the old Covenant But looke upon Davids kingdome and you shall see in the beginning of it it did arise through many faylings and infirmities that were both in David himselfe and his followers David he runs away from Saul goes to Ahimelech the Priest and tells a lye to get some bread and Goliahs sword afterward he runs to Achish king of Gath and fain's himselfe mad and when he had been invading the Countrey neere unto him where he dwelt at Zicklag and Achish asked him whether he had made his rode that day 1 Sam 27.10 David tells him a flat untruth that they had been against the South of Judah At another time he fail'd exceedingly when in a way of revengefull rage he would goe against Naball to cut him off and all his house for denying him provision these were stairing offences men no doubt did wonder what would become of David his case that was attended with so many weaknesses and offences And look upon his followers and see what a rabble-rout he had at first 1 Sam 22.1 When David was escaped to the Cave Adullam then every one that was in distresse and every one that was in debt and every one that was discontented gathered themselves unto him and he became a Captaine over them if one should seriously looke upon David and his followers would be thinke there should any good come of it many no doubt did thus looke upon David and his followers and therefore expected no good to come of his kingdome I bring it to this end to shew that though men may have never so many infirmities and weaknesses yet if the worke arise through the new Covenant it shall goe on with a notwithstanding Davids kingdome was founded upon the new Covenant and therefore it was carryed on through all difficulties and weaknesses and Sauls kingdome arose onely out of the Covenant of workes and therefore though it had a glorious beginning it did wast away Therefore let not the hearts of Gods people faint or be discouraged though there are grosse failings among the Saints and in those too that desire to be friends to Davids kingdome though there be much of passion and the infirmities of men in them Consider Christs visible kingdome in this world stands upon the foundation of the new Covenant it did help David to the kingdome though through many Infirmities I speake not this to Indulge any infirmities in Gods Children I desire that this glorious cause might be so mannaged as it deserves yet suppose it s mannaged with many infirmities so that many stumble at it saying Can this Monarchy ever prosper Let such consider that this glorious blessed cause is founded upon the new Covenant and though men cannot over-looke Infirmities yet God will and accomplish the thing notwithstanding them for the new Covenants sake I will be mercifull to their sins and remember their Iniquities no more Consider when Jesus Christ rid to Jerusalem as a King he did not choose the most glorious Beast to ride upon but he chose that Beast that was most weake contemptible and simple so now the Lord he chooseth weake things to confound the strong and foolish things to confound the wise Wee have a good cause and we are upon a good ground we are upon the new Testament ground and seeing it s founded upon the new Covenant the grace of the Covenant will tryumph over all the weaknesses and infirmities of the Saints that labour to carry it on the Lord makes use of the weaknesses of his people sometimes to make others blind and to stumble to be a rocke of offence but when the worke is done all their weaknesses saith the Lord shall be forgotten the Lord will come and swallow up all in the new Covenant as Davids weaknesses were a stumbling blocke to those that lived in his age and when the Lord had stumbled all in that age and generation then he makes his worke to arise higher and higher through the grace of the new Covenant and so it will be with the visible Kingdome of Jesus Christ because it s founded on the new Covenant which is a sure and an Everlasting Covenant he hath made with me an Everlasting Covenant ordered and sure the Lord hath founded it so sure that all the Devills in Hell and all the rage of men in the world cannot hinder it Though my house saith David be not so with God yet he hath made an Everlasting Covenant with me which shall stand though the Saints doe not grow in grace yet this glorious worke of Christs kingdome which is founded upon the Everlasting Covenant must goe on the House that is builded upon the rocke though the winds blow and floods arise and beate upon the House it stands fast because it s built upon the rocke so Christs kingdome it hath
a rocky foundation it s founded upon the Covenant of God that is an Impregnable rocke it s such a foundation that all the world cannot hurt if any come and strike at it it will grind them to powder this is a sweet consideration and should provoke us to looke up to God for the accomplishing of this great mercy and to looke unto him for new mercy's Gods people stand for nothing concerning this kingdome but God will make the world one day know it was a peice of the new Covenant The unworthynes of the Saints shall not hinder them of this mercy for new Covenant Grace will ride Tryumphing over the head of all the Infirmities of the people of God Thirdly Vse 3 Another thing if it be a mercy lodged up in the new Covenant we may learne hence is That it is not strange or it ought not to be strange to us if we should see a death upon this worke if we should see this worke struck dead when it may be it seemes to be coming forth for indeed its Gods way in bringing forth mercy's of the new Covenant to strike the mercy dead Abraham had two sons the son of Hagar the old Covenant and the son of Sarah the new Covenant there 's no death comes upon Ishmael the old Covenant but there comes a death Abraham's body is dead and Sarah's wombe is dead upon Isaac the new Covenant the new Covenant mercy is struck dead so when the Lord will set up his Son as King he will doe it upon the account of the new Covenant therefore we must expect this new covenant mercy to passe through death so that God strikes the new Covenant mercy dead before he brings it forth When the Children of Israel came out of Egypt they come out upon the account of the new Covenant God remembers his Covenant and sends Moses to them thereupon they are full of expectation of deliverance but presently their burdens were encreased and their oppression encreased and thereupon all is struck dead and they are further from deliverance than ever they were and yet notwithstanding when God had tryed but a while their faith and patience for that is the end of all his bringing deaths upon a worke to try our faith and patience but so soone as ever that was tryed then the Lord brings them forth by his glorious hand So it was with David God had promised him the kingdome yet there was a wonderfull death came upon Davids kingdome David is made a king and some few come to him and David had some faith when Abiathar the Priest came to him when he fled from Saul saith David Abide with me and thou shalt be safe for with me there 's safety but when his kingdome is just ready to come to him there comes a great sentence of death upon the worke because its a new Covenant worke all is struck dead I shall certainly perish one day by the hand of Saul and I must leave the Country saith David so it s with all new Covenant mercy's that the Lord might try the faith of his Children which he will have tryed and that he might make the mercy the sweeter when it comes and that we might be more in crying to him God strikes the worke dead that we might exercise the more faith and prayer therefore let us not be discouraged when we see a sentence of death upon it it would be a great discouragement to me if there were not a Sentence of death upon it I should beleive then it were a greater way off than it is for if it be a new Covenant merâ—y there must be a Sentence of Death put upon it As in mercy's to a particular soule God will have the soule strucke dead before the Lord reveale the new Covenant mercy to him that the soule shall say I can see nothing I have nothing at all it can see no wisdome no righteousnesse nothing in it selfe and when all is strucke dead then the Lord comes with new Covenant mercy's to the soule so when the Lord intends to set up his Sonnes kingdome in the earth it must first be wholly struck dead Fourthly Vse 4 If this kingdome of Christ be a mercy lodged up in the new Covenant then wee should waite upon God patiently for the bringing of it forth New Covenant mercy's they are to be waited for Abraham lost himselfe greatly in murmuring while he was waiting for the fulfilling of the new Covenant promise he cryes out I goe Childlesse he had a promise and because he sees it not fulfilled he cry's I goe childlesse and this Eleazar of Damascus who is Steward of my house must be my heire and what doth this his repining bring forth why presently the very next thing we read is Abraham and Sahah distrusting God lay their heads together and upon advice he goe's in Hagar he turnes into the old Covenant and had fruit by her and there Abraham rests and settles himselfe some yeares he goes and turnes into the old Covenant by an Impatient waiting for the new Covenant we are not to waite as Idlers doe for helpe in a ditch and cry God helpe us but we are to wait as if we would have it in by our very striving strugling yet notwithstanding there must be a quiet waiting on God for his time so it should be with us for this new Covenant mercy waite for it patiently be content with it in Gods own time when he will bring it forth and the more our heart is brought to lye downe submissively before God it s a great argument that the mercy is so much the nearer the Lord doth ordinarily in giving forth the mercy's of the new Covenant though there may be striving and strugling for a time yet he brings the hearts of his Children to this Lord when thou wilt in thine owne time O that God would bring all the hearts of his Children to this that our hearts might not be engaged by our own thoughts but that we may be so free that God may have his own time that there may not be an Impatient spirit in waiting And is it a new Covenant mercy Vse 5 this will be a sweet mercy when it comes all the new Covenant mercy's are sweete things what ever the world thinke of Christs kingdome when it comes it will be a sweet thing that the Saints shall have glory hereafter doth that hinder the spirituall enjoyment of God here so the outward kingdome of Christ what will that hinder the spirituall enjoyment of Christ But the Devill play 's his game thus in the new Testament Times he made men to looke for an outward kingdome onely when Christ was about to set up a spirituall kingdome and now that Christ would set up an outward kingdome saith the Devill looke onely to the spirituall kingdome as if the ourward and spirituall kingdome could not stand together as if the glory of the body's and soules of the Saints could not stand together And
then againe Vse 6 If it be a new Covenant mercy it will be a spirituall thing though some may call it a carnall and a low thing yet it will be a spirituall thing the Lord teach us to waite upon him to looke up to him to trust in him to relye on him for there shall be a day of his kingdome our worke is to waite seeke pray and waite in these day's the Lord teach his people to goe along with him as the little Children at his entrance into Jerusalem cryed Hosanna Hesanna he rides upon a poore meane creature the foale of an Asse and the Children follow him crying Hosanna Hosanna so we should eye the Lord Jesus now in the meanest appearances and follow him crying Hosanna in the Highest this we should doe The Lord make us waite on him for his owne Time and that time is not farre off I cannot thinke its farre off because many thinke it a great way off it s an argument to me its neare for God comes upon his people when he finds not faith on Earth when Gods people say its farre off then its neare as when God sent Moses to tell the Children of Israel the Lord would deliver them but before deliverance thesentence of death comes and O say they to Moses Aaron what have you brought us to where is their faith now expecting deliverance at the hand of God Now it was worse with them than before and their bondage is encreased and their deliverance was thought further off O but then was the Lords time he Immediatly brought it to passe then was the Lords time come when their faith was gone So when David stood up first upon the account of his kingdome saith he to Abiathar Come with me and thou shalt be safe I am sure God will give me the kingdome though Saul be a Potent Enemy and mine Enemies many yet I am sure God will give me the kingdome but yet after that when Saul pursued him that he was forc't to fly out of one Hole into another Now saith he shall I perish one day by the hand of Saul then when he thought it thus farre off then the kingdome comes forth the hand of the Lord cutts off Saul and the kingdome Immediately comes to David As when the Children of Israel came out of Babylon they thought they should have all things then Jerusalem built and the Temple and all things but when they were about it building the Temple now a stop is put upon the worke and they cry The time is not for the Lords worke yet till that Haggai and Zachary tells them Now is the Time for building the Lords Temple As it is with private Christians in a doubting houre Saints usually conclude we are too forward for that time observe Then is Gods time they had faith at first and after their faith fayles from the worke and they said it was not time mark then was the time the Lord sends Haggai to tell them they liv'd in their Ceiled Houses and neglected Gods house O now was the time when they thought not of it And just so when Christ suffered on the Crosse We thought say the Disciples this was he that should have delivered us their hope was gone of any deliverance by him yet then was their Redemption at hand their Redemption comes forth Immediatly he finishes the worke of Redemption at that time so that to have faith struck dead is not an Evidence that the worke stands a great way off but that its neare and approaching surely the Lord will come forth in his Time and he is not farre from doing some great and glorious thing in the world Gods peoples faith is not grounded upon fancyes but they see and know that God is doing some glorious thing in the world he is overturning kingdomes and setting up the kingdome of his Son O that we could quietly looke up unto the Lord and waite upon the Lord Serve the Lord with feare and rejoyce with Trembling kisse the Son lest he be angry yee great ones of the Earth lest his wrath be kindled and you that follow the Lord O doe you rejoyce with feare and serve him with Trembling they that stand may fall O when was there such a falling as now shall be when the Lord saith I will arise to shake terribly the earth no History can paralel such shakings as have been in these last dayes therefore we had need take heed lest we fall and looke up to the Lord that we may stand Indeed it s a blessed truth what ever men may thinke of it so sure as my hand is upon this Bible so sure shall such a thing come forth in due time for as this is the true word of God of a true God that cannot lye so certainly it shall come to passe I have onely insisted on one particular the kingdome as a Branch of the new Covenant but to speake of the kingdome as it s held forth in the Word would take up a large time for there 's not any one truth hath more to be said from the Scripture for it than this of Christs kingdome for as the end of all is Gods glory so this is that concerns Christs glory there 's a vane of it running through the Scripture from the first promise made to Abraham to the last spoken of in the Revelation The Lord give us hearts to looke up to him for the accomplishing of it in his Time FINIS Signes of the Times MATHEVV 16.3 O yee Hypocrites yee can discerne the face of the skie but can yee not discerne the signes of the Times THese words are spoken by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ unto a generation of men which came to him tempting him desiring him to shew them a signe from heaven in the first verse The Pharisees also with the Sadduces came and tempting desired him that he would shew them a signe from heaven The Pharisees and Sadduces they were in their Principles contrary and opposite one unto another and yet they can either of them very well agree and comply against Christ and both joyne hands and heads in tempting our Lord and their Temptation it ly's in desiring a signe from heaven our Lord Jesus he takes occasion from this to mind them of the signes of the times Can yee not discerne the signes of the times and lest that they should reply that these signes were so darke that they could not be knowne therefore our Lord labours to convince them and that from things that were of a more outward nature you say in the evening it will be faire weather for the skie is red and in the morning it will be foule weather to day for the skie is red and lowring O yee hypocrites yee can discerne the face of the skie but can yee not discerne the signes of the times As if he should have said what are yee not as wise in spirituall things as you are in Temporall are you not as wise concerning the
signes of the times as ye are in outward signes yee can discerne the face of the skie how is it that you are not so wise as to discerne the signes of the times I shall not spend much time about the words in the words there is this Observation Observa That the Times of the Lords more glorious appearance and manifestation of himselfe they are times that are marked out they are such times as have evident signes set upon them This the word of Christ doth clearely hold forth Can yee not discerne the signes of the times As if he should have said the present time it s such a time as hath signes set upon it ye might see signes if so be that ye were not blind If so be that I should run through the booke of God we should finde this to be a truth First There was a great and wonderfull appearance of the power and majesty of God when the Lord was to deliver Israel out of Egypt and that was a remarkable time a time that God had mark't out 430 yeares At the end of 430 yeares all the host of the Lord it s said came out of the Land of Egypt Secondly At the time of Israels coming out of Babylon There was a glorious appearance of God in stirring up the heart of Cyrus of a Heathen to make him so forward and ready of his own accord to put on the worke of God of building the Temple and make Proclamation throughout all his Dominions to the Jewes to goe up to Jerusalem to doe this worke here was a great hand of God now this time was also mark't out seventy yeares Israel was to be in Babylon and then to come forth Thirdly The time of our Lords first Coming it was a time wherein there was a glorious manifestation of God God now manifests himselfe in the flesh as the Apostle tells us now what remarkable signes were set upon this time there were three remarkable signes set upon this time by either of which this Generation might have knowne or discerned Jesus Christ to be the True Messiah First There was at this time the departure of the Scepter from Judah Prophesied of by Jacob as you may find Gen. 49.10 The Scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a Lawgiver from between his feete untill Shiloh come that is untill Christ come so that whensoever the Scepter was taken away from Judah they might then conclude now will the Messiah come now is he in the world whether we see him or no yet he is come for the Scepter was not to depart till he was come now its observable that at this very time the Scepter was taken away for this Herod that was now king in Judea he was a stranger and not of the blood of the Jewes an Idumean and he was the first stranger that ever was King over the people of the Jewes for they had alwayes some of their own nation ruled them but now there was a stranger swaying the Scepter among them at this time so that here was an Evident fulfilling of the signe of the time at this time the Scepter was gone so they might well have concluded the Messiah was come from Jacobs Prophesie that Jesus was the Messiah for he comes at the very same time that the Scepter departed Secondly There was another remarkable signe of the Time and that was The Expiring or ending of Daniels seventy weekes it s foretold to Daniel that seventy weekes should be the tearme of time unto the Messiah's appearance Dan. 9.24 Seventy weekes are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy City to finish the transgression and to make an end of sins and to make reconciliation for Iniquitie and to bring in Everlasting righteousnesse and to seale up the vision and Prophesie and to anoint the most holy Seventy weekes was the determined time of Christs coming that is from the time the Angel here speakes these words seventy weekes or foure hundred and ninety yeares reckoning so many dayes as there are in so many weekes for that indeed is the Holy-Ghosts way of account now it was cleare enough that the seventy weekes must be either expired or very neare expiring about that time and therefore that was another great signe of the Time that the Lord Jesus came and declared himselfe to be the Messiab about that time that Daniel had soretold the Messiah was to come forth Thirdly There was another Evident signe of this time and that was Christs doing of those things that were foretold should be accomplished by the Messiah and that in the day of his appearance as Christs opening the eyes of the blind the eares of the deafe causing the lame to walke in the 11th of Math The lame walke the dumb speake the dead are raised the Lepers are cleansed and the poore receive the Gospel Here were the signes of the Times It was foretold by the Prophets that when the Messiah came these things should be done now they saw these things done Jesus Christ comes and doth these very workes and miracles that they expected should be done by the Messiah therefore this was a very convincing signe of the Time that Jesus Christ was the Messiah and therefore Jesus Christ labours to convince John by these signes of the Times But then Fourthly The time of Chirsts second coming that shal be another time wherein the Lord will most gloriously appeare and manifest himselfe now that time also hath most evident and remarkable signes set upon it and that by the Lord and his Word If we looke into the 24 of Mathew we shall find many of the signes of this day I shall touch upon some few in the 10 verse Many shall be offended and shall betray one another and shall hate one another there 's one signe of that time many offended at the wayes and people and truth of God hate one another and betray one another Againe Iniquitie shall abound vers 12. and the love of many shall wax cold many shall fall away Againe in the 29 verse in those times the Starres shall fall from heaven an Apostacie of such as shal be eminent leading men in the Churches of Christ for indeed starres in the Revelation are interpreted to be the Angells of the Churches now Immediately before that time there shall be a great dropping of Starres of great leading eminent men in the Churches they shall fall from heaven from their former walkings and the truth and wayes and cause of Christ Againe at that time there shall be some shall smite their fellow-servants at the latter end of this Chapter and that under this pretence my Lord delay 's his coming clearely intimating that Immediatly before his coming some should smite and beate their fellow-servants why why indeed because they speake of the coming of their Lord as neere and the other they say its a great way off and that they make more hast then is meete they eate and drinke with the drunken that is have society
with those that are enemies to Christ and his worke And then another signe of the time is there shall be a very great sleepe upon the virgins that is in the next Chapter a great sleepe among professors those that stand up for the wayes and truth of Christ There are many other signes of this time but I cannot run over all so that all the times of Gods more glorious appearance and manifestation of himselfe they are such times as the Lord hath mark't out and set evident signes upon them whereby they may be knowne And indeed God hath done it to the end Reason 1 that he might thereby strengthen the faith of his Children what strength was it to the faith of Daniel when once he came to find the signes of the times when he came to find the time was expiring the time of the Jewes captivity why this sets his faith on worke and sets prayer on work as you may see Dan. 9.2 3 verses I Daniel understood by bookes the number of the yeares whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the Prophet that he would accomplish 70 weekes in the desolations of Jerusalem and I set my face unto the Lord God to seeke by prayer and supplications with fasting and sackcloth and ashes The seeing and the knowing of this time the 70 yeares were now expiring set Daniels faith on worke and makes him goe fall upon his knees before the Lord this was that that stir'd up his faith he saw the signes of the times the time was now expired or expiring our deliverance is neere saith he and therefore he goes to seeke the Lord by prayer and supplication so that its that which is a great strengthning of faith and indeed our Saviour seemes to make this one of his maine ends in laying downe so many signes of the time of his second coming that his Children might have their faith strengthened in the truth when his coming draw's neere therefore he saith when you shall see all these things know that its neere even at the doore that is when you shall see these signes come to passe know that its neere even at the doore and so likewise in another Evangelist When you see these things come to passe lift up your heads with joy for your redemption draw's nigh as if he should have said when you see these signes fulfilled then know that your redemption draw's nigh let this raise up your faith let this encrease your joy as here when in the evening the skie is red it doth strengthen our reason it doth prognosticate faire weather and in the morning when its red and lowring foule weather so when the people of God see the signes of the times they doe prognosticate to their faith the event of the times what God is doing and what God will doe in the time as the other those outward signes doe prognosticate the event of weather to our reason Againe Reason 2 our Lord hath left such remarkable signes of the times that he might hereby leave his Enemies inexcusable Christ makes this a great aggravation of the sin of the Pharisees that they had signes of the times O yee hypocrites can yee not discerne the signes of the times as if he should have said yee have the signes of the times by which if yee will not be wilfully blind ye cannot but understand something if yee had not these signes of the times there might be some excuse and plea for you O but you have the signes of the times Thus he doth aggravate their sin rendring them inexcusable the great workes that Jesus Christ did when he was here on earth as his working of miracles they were one of the signes of the times and the Lord Jesus Christ doth endeavour to render them inexcusable and that by his workes and in the 15 of John 22 24 ver If I had not come saith Christ and done among them the workes which none other man did they had not had sin but now they have no cloake for their sin When they had such an evident and remarkable signe of the time as Jesus Christs doing such glorious workes among them that they might indeed say we have the Messiah when they rejected Christ in the face of such a cleare signe it rendred them inexcusable so when the signes of the times doe point at such a worke the Lord will have done that signe of the time will render men inexcusable before the Lord that doe not do that worke that by which the Lord Jesus Christ did silence the Scribes and Pharisees namely the signes of the times he will silence many with one day when men shall be excusing themselves and saying Lord we would have served thee but we did not know thy work he shall say what did ye not see the signes of the times did not my Prophets speake to you of the signes of the times did not my Prophets speake did not my providences worke did you not see the signes of the times were not things publicke enough and visible enough this will leave poore soules inexcusable men may perish through not observing the signes of the times Doe but a little consider this Generation of men they doe professe much willingnesse to come to Christ they desire a signe from heaven we would faine know that thou art the Messiah could we but be convinced of it Oh saith Christ yee hypocrites can ye not discerne the signes of the times he bids them presently looke into the times they perished upon not observing the signes of the times so the Jewes we would receive Christ if we had but a signe the Jewes require a signe and the Greekes seeke wisdome but they have the signes of the times the Scepter is departed from Judah miracles are wrought by Christ and they had also the signe of Jonas Christ is buried in the wombe of the earth three dayes and rose againe but they did not observe the signes of the times many men will be found in that very case the Scribes and Pharisees were in splitting upon this rocke not minding and observing the signes of the times Quest How comes it about or what hinders men that they cannot see the signes of the Times Answ Severall things hinder men and blind them that they see not the signes of the times though they be never so evident First Their own Interest being exceedingly advanced and set up very high in their owne hearts and love to that above all other things whatsoever men will not see the signes of the times when ever they come forth when their hearts are set upon their Interest for whensoever the signes of the times come forth it s a hundred to one if they doe not run crosse to that mans Interest and if so be mens hearts are set upon their Interests then they will be blind and not see the signes of the times And indeed so it was with Pharaoh there was a great Interest that Pharaoh had there was an
Interest of gaine and profit there was a wonderfull deale of advantage came to him and his Nation by the worke of six hundred thousand men all in slavery working in bricke this his own Interest blinds his eyes that he could not see the signes of that time that he had then and it was this very thing that kept this generation of men that they could not discerne the signes of the times what was it that made them not discerne Christ to be the Messiah O there was their owne Interest they had all the honour and all the credit esteeme and reputation the people cry'd them up as the onely men and now they saw if they should owne Jesus Christ their honour was gone and their Interest would be lost and that blinds them that they could not see the signes of the Times there 's nothing blinds a man so as his Interest doth if his heart be glued to his Interest and set upon it I will have my Interest let light be never so cleare and signes be never so evident a man that sets up his owne Interest he will never discerne nor take notice of the signes of the times If there be any thing that blinds men that they cannot fee the signes of the times at this day I am perswaded this is one thing the Interests of men of this sort of men and the other sort of men they have an Interest that runs crosse to that which is held forth by the signes of the times that ought to be done if this be done say they our Interest will downe this must downe that I have so much set my heart upon therefore they will not owne the signes of the times this blinds men that they cannot see the signes of the Times Secondly When they have an Envie there 's a secret envie in the hearts of men against this or the other person or this or the other party if so be things should come forth as they are held forth in the signes of the times they see such and such men will be equall with them or above them and that they cannot bare this was very evident in this generation of men the Scribes and Pharisees they had a cleare discerning that if so be they should have come and owned things as they were held forth in the signes of the Times and owned Jesus Christ for the Messiah the Lord Jesus must be set up above them they could not endure that the Lord Jesus should be set up above them for they envyed him in their hearts they had drunk in a praejudice against him therefore could not endure that Christ should come and sit above them and hence they could not see the signes of the times and indeed this was a thing so visible that Pilate a Heathen could discerne it he knew that for envie they had delivered him that what they did to Christ was from their envie more than their zeale so men discerne if things goe on as they are pointed at in the signes of the times they feare those they envie will come to be equall with them and the like if it were not for mens Interest and mens envie one man at another they could and would see more of the signes of the Times Thirdly When that there is a heart in men that is gone that is backslidden and departed from the worke of God in the time that is that that doth blind men that they cannot see the signes of the times and so indeed it was in this Generation our Lord saith to them that they were a wicked and an adulterous Generation a wicked and an adulterous Generation seeke after a signe they were a generation of men that were gone from the work of God adulterated from the work of God they were so backslidden from it that now they had no heart they had no love to it they had set their love upon others and their hearts were not upon God and upon his glory and upon his cause instead of seeking the signes of the times they seeke after other signes as it is with backsliding hearts they will endeavour all they can to shift off all conviction it s said they came to Christ tempting him and desiring him to shew them a signe from heaven Wherein lay this Temptation it lay as I conceive in this in that they came in a secret and subtill designe pretending they desired much to be satisfied that he was the Messiah and yet notwithstanding they had a subtill designe to shift off all conviction for indeed the signes of the times they were so manifest they did staire so fully in the face of this Generation and they did make their consciences so bare and naked that thay were many times troubled with Throbs and Check's O this is the Messiah this is the Christ so that now they come to still their consciences in a subtill way they labour to shift off all conviction they say Lord shew us a signe as if they should say Lord we would be willing to receive and owne thee as the Messiah but condescend so farre to us as to shew us a signe though they had experience time after time Christ would not condescend to them in their flattering hypocriticall way they would say the Messiah is meeke and humble we will aske a signe if he will not give it us he is proud he is not the Christ and this they thought would ease their consciences for they had strong coâ—â—â—ictions though they laboured to evade them now Christ seeing they came in this hypocriticall way he answers them Can yee not see the signes of the times he caught them in their subtilty and hypocrisie tempting of him therefore he presses the more upon them Can yee not discerne the signes of the times He takes the signes of the times and makes them lye more close upon their Consciences Christ would not yeeld to them to give them such a signe as they would have but puts them upon the signes of the times to consider them and if Christ should have given them a new particular signe they would not have beleived it if they would not be convinc't by the signes of the times as it is in the Parable of Abraham and Dives and Lazarus in the 15 of Luke They have Moses and the Prophets saith he if they will not believe them so neither will they beleive if one should goe from the dead to them Christ goes downe into the grave and rises againe after three dayes there they had a new signe and yet they would not own this neither but hire others to keepe off the knowledge of it from the world by telling of a lye Now when light breakes in upon men to require a signe that is another light than the signes of the times its hypocrisie to shift off the light that men have therefore Christ calls them an hypocriticall Generation whose hearts were not real to the worke cause of God when God clearely appeares among us in
of the beauty and riches of Christ in them that shall doe this worke so if we looke into Revel 14. where after the Beasts time is run out in the 13 Chapter we have the Beast tryumphing and the Beast's time running out in 42 moneths now after this we have another kinde of persons another party coming upon the stage Revel 14.1 2 3 4 5 verses And I looked and lo a Lamb stood on the mount Sion and with him an hundred fourty and foure thousand having his Fathers name written in their foreheads And I heard a voice from heaven as the voice of many waters and as the voice of a great thunder and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harpes And they sung as it it were a new song before the throne before the four beasts and the elders and no man could learne that song but the hundred and fourty and four thousand which were redeemed from the earth These are they which were not defiled with women for they are virgins these are they which follow the Lamb withersoever he goeth these were redeemed from among men being the first-fruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile for they are without fault before the throne of God What a generation of men come up upon the stage when the Beast's 42 moneths are run out for that had been spoken to in the foregoing Chapter when that time is run out up comes the Lamb with his company and they are a company not like to the world for they have their fathers name written in their foreheads there 's holines in their foreheads they are a party in whose mouth there is no guile they doe not act in subtill polliticke wayes as men doe and have done So that I say Consider those that shall carry on this worke where ever we have them spoken of in the old and new Testament they are still set forth as Saints for the principalls and leaders in this worke I have been somewhat large in this for if we cannot find a kinddome till Christ come all the signes will be nothing therefore I have spoken the more to this but it may be objected Object That its the ten Hornes that hate the whore if you looke into Revel 17.16 the ten Hornes are said to doe it Ans To that I answer Wee must so interpret this as not to set it against the generall current of Scripture Now whereas the ten Hornes are said to hate the whore and make her desolate and burne her with fire the meaning is this that the ten Hornes as being conquered to the Lamb and the power of them being gotten into the power of the Lamb so shall the Hornes be turned against the whore and indeed this well agrees to the scope of the place for it s said in the 14 verse These shall make warre with the Lamb and the Lamb shall overcome them There was warre betwixt the Lamb and some of the Hornes for we are not here to understand all the ten Hornes and in this warre the Lamb becomes the victor and then the Hornes which before did fight for the Beast and support the Beast when the power of the Hornes comes into the hands of the Lamb they turne against the Beast and indeed seeing it s done by the Hornes as conquered to the Lamb its cleare that in that day such of the Hornes as shall doe it shall be ruled by the Lamb and if so why then there shall be such a thing as the kingdome of Christ even in the Hornes when this is done And truly we cannot see at present that yet this kingdome is in the Hornes that yet the Hornes are conquered to the Lamb so that the Lamb raignes in the Hornes the kingdome of the Lamb is a kingdome of Righteousnesse a kingdome wherein there shall be no injustice oppression and the like we cannot see that there is yet such a thing among the Hornes and though it is not yet yet when he comes to take the kingdome he will make the Hornes other manner of Hornes and when he comes to doe it he will doe it speedily Object But Christs kingdome is not of this world and therefore it cannot be expected any such thing should be as the beginning of the kingdome of Christ till the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ himselfe Ans It s worthy our Consideration Who the person was to whom that was spoken and the occasion those words were spoken by Christ The person to whom the words were spoken was Pilate the Roman Governour The occasion was when he was accused before Pilate as an Enemie to Caesar as one that would have tooke Caesar's kingdome from him Jesus Christ answers upon it My kingdome is not of this world that is of this Mornarchy for the whole world at that time was under the Roman Monarchy There went forth a decree from Caesar that all the world should be taxed for so indeed the whole world and Monarchy are tearmes Equivalent so that My kingdome is not of this world that is it s not of this Monarchy It was a very good answer to that that was objected against him Caesar feares I will take the kingdome from him no saith Christ my kingdome is not of this world it s not to be in this Monarchy I have a kingdome but it s not yet I will not take Caesar's Crowne off his head I shall have a kingdome hereafter but Caesar needs not feare me now this comes in about Pilats querying with him about his being aking There is such a thing therefore yet before the coming of Christ as the setting up the kingdome of Christ in the world as the same shall be the kingdome of the Stone breaking in peices and destroying all other kingdomes And having thus spoken unto this I shall now come to speake of the signes of the Times the signes that this kingdome is nigh at hand that Jesus Christ is neere to his worke seeing there is such a worke to be done in the latter end of the fourth Monarchy whether or no is this worke neere at hand or is it far off and remote I shall not speake any thing at all as to the Computation of the time from the numbers left us in Scripture though much may be learned from them for doubtlesse the Lord hath not left us numbers to the end there should be no use at all made of them for there 's nothing in the word of God but its of some use but that I shall not speake to but proceed to shew you some of the signes of The Times First Signe 1 One Signe that is a cleare signe and evidence of the time that this kingdome of the Lord Jeâ—â— Christ as its the kingdome of the Stone is neere at hand is this The wonderfull breaking forth of light as to this worke it s very observable that when the worke of God is to be carryed on against the Beast there doth forerun
to favour the dust thereof then the set time of building Syon is come Quest What are we to understand by Stones and Dust Ans Stones and dust are the beginnings of a Building the first thing a man doth that will build a house is to gather dust and stones and morter the meaning is this as if the Lord should say when you shall see some such thing visible in the world as that there seemes to be a prepation and provision for the beginning of this glorious worke of my kingdome and when you see the hearts of my people wonderfully taken with these preparations and beginnings and raised up to a very high expectation then know that the set time to favour Syon is come and truly when was there ever in the world if not at this day something that did looke as a preparation and provision for this glorious worke of the kingdome of Jesus Christ gathering stones and dust together cutting off the heads of Princes and pulling downe Thrones now the Children of Syon take pleasure in the stones and they favour the dust of it Thirdly A third signe of the time Signe 3 that this worke is approaching upon us is The great reproach that is upon the Remnant that expect this worke When Israel of old came out of Babylon they had a double worke they had a spirituall worke a Civill worke the worke of the Temple and the worke of the Citty Jerusalem and those who expected the carrying on the Civill worke of building the Citty Jerusalem and the walls thereof they were made a wonderfull reproach Nehem 1.3 And they said unto me The Remnant that are left of the Captivity there in the Province are in great affliction reproach the wall of Jerusalem also is broken downe and the gates thereof are burnt with fire Mark the Remnant are in great affliction what Remnant why the Remnant that are left of the Captivity the Remnant that did expect the Citty Jerusalem should be built they are become a reproach the worke of building of the wall of Jerusalem is delayed till the Remnant doe become a reproach the people of God had their Temple done they were set upon building their Citty for they were told by their Prophets that they should build their Temple and their Citty too and now the people cry unto them and laugh at them where is your Citty where is your Common-wealth that you talke of you would have the Citty built and you would have a Common-wealth set up and a kingdome but where is it never such reproach comes upon waiters as when the worke is ready to peepe forth then at that time when they were so reproached was the worke ready to come forth then Nehemiah is brought on his knees and spreads the thing before the Lord in the fourth verse and the Commission for building the wall of Jerusalem was given forth thereupon even that very yeare Babylon litterall was a type of the kingdome of Babylon mysticall their Babylon was a type of our Babylon and as it was then so it is now upon the coming out of Babylon we have a double worke a worke of the Temple and a worke of the Citty the Temple-worke is finished and that is suffered to stand but now the Saints looke for their Civill work for their Common-wealth and that is become a reproach for is not this the reproach at this day these are the fift Monarchy-men and where is now your fift kingdome your fift Monarchy never was that growne to such a reproach this ten yeares how have they been reproached even by some who are now compelled to acknowledge a truth in the principle Now observe when the worke was reproached then the worke went on and as that was the time then for the carrying on of the worke why so now the worke being reproached with us also it s a signe that this is the time for the carrying on of the worke now And truly its worthy our observation How after this worke was come to be a reproach it went on in a wonderfull way the worke of Jerusalem Nehem 6.16 So the wall was finished in the 25 day of the moneth Elul in 52 dayes In 52 dayes what a wonderfull thing is it that the wall of such a Citty as Jerusalem was should be built in 52 dayes and that by so few hands And this little handfull were many of them forc't to take their swords in their hands The Temple was abuilding a great while they needed no swords to that worke but now they come to their Citty-worke they have their swords in their hands to defend themselves because there were many Enemies of that worke and yet notwithstanding all their Enemies and all the opposition it was done as it were by a miracle in 52 dayes So the worke of the kingdome it shall come on apace suddenly in one houre shall this worke come on in 52 dayes was Jerusalem walled notwithstanding all the reproach which Immediatly before was cast upon them Fourthly A fourth signe is Signe 4 The present doubting that is in many godly spirits about this worke as being neere it s a cleare signe that the worke is at hand Two or three yeares since some express't a great deale of faith about this worke they preach't it up we shall goe on wonderfully we shall goe on to Rome we shall pull downe Tythes c. But now their spirits are sunke and they say it s not yet time this is so far from a discouragement as that its a great signe that the worke is neere for this is a cleare Rule that when ever Christ brings forth a worke in the world he will bring it forth so as that he shall not find faith on Earth hence you have it Luk 18.8 Neverthelesse when the Son of man cometh shall he find faith on Earth It hath been the usuall way of God even to strike dead the faith of his Children when the worke is at the birth so Exod. 5.20 21. after the death upon the worke there and their burdens are doubled they meete Moses and Aaron who stood in the way as they came forth from Pharaoh and they said unto them the Lord looke upon you and Judge because you have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants to put a sword in their hands to slay us Observe the People that just before beleived and said O the work is come and the day of our deliverance is at hand in the end of the former Chapter the text saith The people beleived when they heard that the Lord had visited the Children of Israel and that he had looked upon their affliction and they bowed their heads and worshipped Though they beleived in the former Chapter that their deliverance was now at hand yet they doubt in this Chapter as soone as ever the death comes upon the worke they murmur and doubt of it and blame Moses and Aaron telling them they
had made their savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh and of his servants to put a sword in their hands to slay us So it was with David when the worke of his kingdome first came forth when he first set out against Saul he had a great deale of confidence at first 1 Sam 22.22 David saith to Abiathar Abide thou with me feare not for he that seekes my life seeketh thy life but with me thou shalt be in safety But observe after this David lost his confidence and came to doubt of the going on of this worke of his kingdome in the 27 Chapter the first verse I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul he speakes quite contrary to what he said before yet now the worke is neere the kingdome is ready to rise So when the Children of Israel were to come out of Babylon and a death came upon the worke they cryed out The time is not come the time is not come that the Lords house should be built here they doubt as to the time their faith was downe yet then was the time at hand and the worke was carryed on in the second yeare of Darius So likewise looke to Christ himselfe when he was here the Disciples a little before his death they could say to him Thou art Christ the Son of the Living God they had much of faith at first but when Christ is in the grave they loose their faith We trusted that it was he that should have redeemed Israel their faith was gone and yet their Redemption was nearer than ever it was and Christs Resurrection at hand so that while they were Questioning and doubting the time of Christs rising approaches So abundance of good men that formerly have kept to Allhallow's-meeting and Blackfryers-meeting they have now of late withdrawne and cry the time is not come the time is not come for the carrying on of the worke of Christs kingdome but this is so far from making us beleive the time is not come that its a signe to us that the time is at hand when doubting comes after the spirit of faith for so it hath been with the worke of the Lord in all his Dispensations Here followeth six other Signes as they were found in his Notes Fifthly A fift signe is Signe 5 The wonderfull spirit of prayer that is upon Gods People when the decree of release from Babylon was ready to issue forth God puts a wonderfull spirit of prayer upon Daniel Chapter the 9th At the beginning of thy Supplications the Commandement came forth and I am come to shew thee So Nehemiah had a great spirit of prayer given to him when the time came that the Citty Jerusalem should be built And God hath promised Immediatly before he builds Jerusalem to give such a spirit of prayer Isai 62.1.6 7 verses For Zions sake will I not hold my peace and for Jerusalems sake I will not rest untill the righteousnesse thereof goe forth as brightnes and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth I have set watchmen upon thy walls O Jerusalem which shall never hold their peace day nor night Ye that make mention of the Lord keepe not silence and give him no rest till he establish and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth Now when an extraordinary spirit of prayer goes forth it s a cleare evidence the work is at hand What a spirit of prayer was there up in the Bishops times and what was the effect of it it brought their Ruine Afterwards when Presbytery was like to tread us downe as did the Bishops their predecessors a great spirit of prayer was in many by this they are ruined And truly I thinke I may say there was never a greater spirit of prayer up than is at this day And to encourage you the more to it I shall here put in two things First Consider That God gives his Children a larger Commission if I may so speake when they are to pray against Babylon than at other times Isai 45.11 Thus saith the Lord the Holy one of Israel and his maker Aske me of things to come concerning my sons and concerning the worke of my hands command ye me Secondly That God will be more quicke in answering Isai 65.24 And it shall come to passe that before they call I will answer and whiles they are yet speaking I will heare Sixthly A sixt signe is Signe 6 The Helples condition Gods people at present are in Before God makes his Arme bare in saving he brings his Children into that straight that they can see strength no were else but in him hence those that pray for Syons Restauration Psalme 102. pray as destitute ones and when they are destitute God answers them Never untill this day since some appearings of this worke have been have Gods people prayed as destitute ones we had A Parliament An Army A Generall that went along with us till of late but now Gods people are wholly destitute and indeed that they are brought into this condition is a mercy and an evidence the worke is neere which we might conclude to be farther off were it not thus A notable place we have Deut. 32.36 The Lord shall judge his people and repent himselfe for his servants when he seeth that their Power is gone and there is none shut up or left And indeed this hath ever been Gods way Abraham cannot have his Mercy till he is in so destitute a condition as that to an eye of Reason he is without hope David before the kingdome falls into his hands must be so destitute as that he is forced to fly the land The Helples condition of Gods people is a cleare signe the worke is at hand Seventhly A seventh signe is Signe 7 The Multiplication of the oppressed people who are the oppressed people in a more especiall manner at this day but those that appeare for this truth who are shut up in prisons and Holes but they and yet notwithstanding what a multiplying of them is there under this oppression It s Steven's observation concerning Israel Act. 7.17 That when the time of the promise drew nigh which God had sworne to Abraham the People grew and multiplyed in Egypt He makes the multiplication of the seede a signe of the Promise drawing nigh What a multiplication of this oppressed people there is all the nation over since some have been in prison is well knowne to many many Churches and Pastors of Churches who not twelve moneths since were averse to this way doe now owne it preach it I speake what I know Yea I dare say That if the present Powers of this Nation had set in counsell 12 months together to contrive a way to spread the notion of the fift Monarchy among the godly throughout this Nation they could not have thought upon a better than the casting of some Eminent leading Saints into Prison for there is nothing that men as men doe more affect than to looke into
that thing for which others suffer and specially Saints who it may be would never else have minded the notion are very Inquisitive into the thing which they see Brethren suffer for and hereby they attaine light thus God taketh the wise in their owne Craftiness It was said in the Primitive times The blood of Martyrs seede of Churches Did not Queene Mary by her cruelty make those who before were averse to it ready and willing to receive the Protestant Religion Did not the Bishops loose themselves this way and by driving some few out of the Land multiply the number of the oppressed people within it Saints suffering for truth are the loudest and most powerfull Sermons of all others See what Paul saith to this Phil 1.12 13. But I would ye should understand Brethren that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather to the furtherance of the Gospel So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the Pallace and in all other places Eighthly The Eight signe is Signe 8 The Defection and Apostacy of Eminent leading men in the Churches from their first light and Principles Christ makes it one signe of his second coming the Starr's falling from Heaven Math. 24.29 that is Eminent men as Pastors and others in the Churches falling and saith Christ When you see this know it is neere even at the doore When you see Pastors and Officers of Churches casting off the Churches and running to Colledges when you see men that have pleaded and Apologized for the power of Churches in opposition to Lordlines over them when you see these become Tryers and usurp Authority over all the Churches and people of Christ in the Common-wealth know that it is neere even at the doore Ninthly The ninth signe is Signe 9 The great dread that is upon the spirits of all men that are Enemies of such a thing rising in the world as a fift Monarchy What a dread at the time of Israels coming out of Egypt was upon the Canaanites and this dread is at the end of the forty yeares we doe not reade of such a dread at their first coming out but when the worke was just coming forth of their taking possession of the promised Land then the feare and dread fall's upon them It s observable that from the time that David was anointed king a dread of him though Saul had all the forts and strength of the Nation was upon the spirit of Saul And what a dread is there upon the spirits of those that oppose the worke this kingdome of Christ at this day its visible enough a dread already from the Lord is fallen upon them Tenthly Signe 10 A Tenth signe is Gods wonderfull withdrawing himselfe from such as oppose this truth and worke in respect of those common graces and assistances he hath formerly afforded them in other worke How did God withdraw from Saul so soone as ever David was anointed Before he could deny himselfe and refuse a kingdome Afterwards before another shall come into his Throne he will slay innocent David be it right or wrong and all the Priests of God to boote Before though he had cause and was stirr'd up to it he will by no meanes persecute afterwards though he had no just cause all things considered he puts the Lords Priests to death Before he was a very meeke man in all his actings afterwards he acts like a Mad man And the very Reason is this Reason Davids kingdome was now rising and Saul being in heart an Enemie to it the Spirit of the Lord withdraws from him and this withdrawing was the Immediate forerunner of Davids kingdome the most Eminent type of Christ's pleaded for at this day Now let us Consider whether it be not thus at this day let us looke to men that sit upon the Throne and men that call themselves the Ministry is it not as evident as the Sun when it shines at noone day that the Spirit of the Lord is withdrawne from both I say in respect of those common gifts and assistances they have formerly had whil'st they stood in the cause of God Are there not men this day in England that persecute Saints for laying open their evills and Apostacy's who time was would not persecute them themselves nor suffer others who would have done it to doe it Are there not men who time was feared none they had their faith as their best guard who now are so far from their former faith that they are become Magor-mishabib feare round about Looke to men who call themselves the Ministry could not many some yeares since preach often with life and power now it s a great matter and truly they are not able to doe it to preach once in a fortnight and when they doe preach that life they once had is so gone that Christians that heare had they not the same names and faces would not know them to be the men once the time was that they were able to speake a seasonable word whensoever occasion was offered but truly now they are able to speake no more than they have written in their paper or got by heart as the Schoolboyes doe Is it not evident I say the Lord is withdrawne from them This is a manifest signe the worke is at hand When Davids kingdome was rising the Spirit of God departs from Saul and had not many Bishops in Queene Maries dayes much life and so the Presbyters in the beginning of these times But observe when the worke of God began to rise against the one and the other the Spirit of God went off from them and fell upon that party that bore witnes against them FINIS Christ the only Foundation 1 COR 3.11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ THe Time is but short and therefore I shall wave speaking any thing touching the context or the explication of the words there 's no difficulty in them but there 's a plaine usefull Truth ly's plainely in the words which I shall give you That is Doct That the Lord Jesus Christ is the onely foundation That I may the better open this truth to you for your edification I shall cast those things which are in my thoughts into this Method namely To shew First What I meane by Christ's being a foundation Secondly In what respect the Lord Jesus Christ may be called a foundation Thirdly What Jesus Christ is the foundation of Fourthly Who it is that lay's Jesus Christ as a foundation Fifthly How the Lord Jesus Christ is laid as a foundation And then Sixthly and lastly When Jesus Christ is laid as a foundation in the soule I shall give but a hint of the first 1. Quest What wee are to understand by Christs being a foundation Ans Wee well know the foundation it s the bottome of a building that upon which the weight and stresse of any building ly's in every building there 's the structure it selfe and the foundation the structure it selfe
this Eleventhly Christ is a foundation in opposition to flashes of Joy and comfort that a soule may find and sometimes doth find which yet are not upon the true foundation there may be a good disposition to a duty so there may be some flashes of Joy and comfort in the soule in the duty and men are apt to make high coÌ„clusions from these and yet not upon the right foundation as Herod he heard John and did many things and he heard him gladly there could not be but a Holy raising of heart and Joy when he heard him gladly and yet Herod cut off John's Head for all this so the Stony ground hath Joy in the hearing of the word they heard with Joy and yet was false ground in the Stony ground there was Joy in hearing the word and Joy in receiving the word O therefore looke to your selves sometimes when I heare a Sermon my heart is lifted up it may be with the man more than with the word or it may be with the manner of speaking more than with the word and so a soule may here lay a foundation there may be flashes of Joy in our duty 's and if we lay our foundation here we are under a very great mistake in the 28 of Isaiah those hypocrites at the second verse they did seeke God dayly and delighted to know Gods wayes as a nation that did righteousnes and forsooke not the ordinances of their God they ask't of me the ordinances of Justice they tooke delight in approaching to God yet notwithstanding this the Lord bids the Prophet goe and pronounce his wrath against them a man may have his heart rais'd it may be in speaking the word of the Lord and yet if he make this his foundation he is upon a false bottome Jesus Christ is a foundation in opposition to this foundation Twelfthly Jesus Christ is a foundation in opposition to some high acts wherein the soule puts forth seeming selfdeniall 1 Sam 10. Saul shews great selfedeniall when the people come to choose him King he hides himselfe the men of Belial despised him and brought him no presents but he held his peace he deny's himselfe he takes no notice of their opposition speaking against him and then afterward in the 11 Chapter when the people said who is he that said Shall Saul raigne over us bring the men that we may put them to death Saul said there shall not a man be put to death this day for to day the Lord hath wrought Salvation in Israel He doth not onely deny his owne spirit but the Temptation from others and this was not onely from a Politick ground but from a sudden worke that was upon him at present the Lord hath wrought salvation in Israel a man may be carryed out in some good particular acts to deny himselfe thence conclude I am a childe of God and so happy its true none can truly and rightly deny himselfe but a Saint but there 's the same grace and worke as a counterfeite wrought in a hypocrite that is in the new Covenant in the true Children of God and if men lay their soundation upon these things they will be exceedingly mistaken Jesus Christ is the onely foundation in opposition to these Thirteenthly Jesus Christ is the foundation in opposition to all holy aymes it s a most blessed thing when a man comes to duty 's with holy aymes and holy end 's yet if he will lay his foundation here he may be deceived it s the hardest thing in the world for a man to Judge of his ends and aymes Come saith Jehu and see my zeale for the Lord he thought he had blessed ends and aymes but laying his foundation here what a false bottome had he I doe not say any hypocrite can ayme rightly at the glory of God but a man may ayme at Gods glory when it runs with his Interest he may looke asquint at it when Gods glory and his Interest ly's together this deceived Jehu he thought he had eyed Gods glory when he look't onely at his owne Interest the settling the kingdome upon himselfe and his Posterity and so deceived himselfe Jesus Christ is a foundatioÌ„ in opposition to this foundatioÌ„ Fourteenthly Jesus Christ is a foundation in opposition to giving in of particular words it s a great Trade that some drive of giving in of particular words and what a wonderfull confidence is oftentimes laid in this in the giving in of particular words And truly I doe acknowledge the Lord doth oftentimes make it a sweete dispensation to his Children when his Children are in great straights the Lord is pleased to come into their soules and reward them in this way and yet notwithstanding we are under a very great mistake in this if the Lord be not our light and our guide We may lay too much upon this as upon humiliation or any other duty some soules in distresse they will open their Bibles it may be doe light upon a place that doth suite their condition they thinke this is a giving in of a word I deny not but God doth sometimes speake a word in this way to his Children in great straights yet there 's a great mâ—stake in this the mistake ly's in this when that we doe lay more upon the providence in the giving of the word than upon the word it selfe when I beleive not so much the word for it selfe as for the providence the providence that I should open my booke thus and light upon such a word the providence that I should light upon such a word at such a time when we eye the providence giving in of the word more than the word now note no providence is the ground of our faith therefore if I lay my faith more upon the providence than upon the word then shall I presently be mistaken even in this way which if I had a right understanding of I may have use of and comfort in let Christians observe its ordinary with Christians when they are weak and young and when they begin to know the Lord God doth deale with them as with little Children he traines them up in such a way and gives them in particular words but when soules will alway's goe in this way they may quickly come to Tempt God and they may come to such a passe as not to care for the word of God in the Scripture unlesse it be given in in this way here we lay our foundation upon the giving in of a word lay as much as you can upon the word but take heed of laying too much upon the providence therefore Christians when they are come to more light and experience the Lord would not have them to continue in this way they must not stay till the word come to them but their faith must goe out to the word this way of God with Christians is not the ordinary way when they come to a greater standing I have a word saith one so given in in
such a remarkable way at such and such a time and thereupon he lays the foundation of his hope if you lay too much upon this your faith will be but upon a providence and this will not be a sure foundation there may be a great deceit in this for Satan may give in a word as well as the Lord a soule may take in a word from Satan as well as from the Lord himselfe besides a word may be given in of the Lord too and yet this not an evidence of our Eternall commition therefore when we conclude our Eternall condition from the giving in of a word we erre in this for this is no foundation to it Hagar had an Angel of God from Heaven speaking to her Thou God seest me saith she and have I also here looked after him that seeth me yet she was an out-câ—st and under the old Covenant the Lord therefore grant that we may not lay our foundation in these things the word of God is a good foundation but if we lay it upon the giving in upon the providence it s a false foundation yet I say the Lord doth often goe in this way with his owne Children very frequently but here 's the mistake when we lay too much upon the providence you may have a word given in day after day and yet be all this while upon a false foundation Jesus Christ is a foundation in opposition to this foundation Fifteenthly Jesus Christ is the onely foundation in opposition to acts of beleiving the act of beleiving is not the foundation but Jesus Christ is the foundation in opposition to this many there are which when they see themselves cast as I may say as to the righteousnes of the law when they see that all the workes of the Law and the righteousnes of the Law will not helpe them but that life and blessednes is alone in Christ in the Gospel and heare the Lord calling upon them to come and beleive in Christ they run to Jesus Christ and hang upon him in an outward way and lay their foundation in the act of beleiving there is a faith of a mans owne as well as a faith of God's there 's a faith of the Law as well as a faith of the Gospel many a man hath laboured by his workes for righteousnes and Justification and when he sees all his working will not bring him in righteousnes and justification then he flies to faith as that which will helpe him and so he beleives in his owne strength and rests upon the Act of beleiving but it s not the act of beleiving that is our righteousnes it s not the act of beleiving that is the foundation of the soule a poore soule may hang upon the outside of the Arke as in the dayes of Noah men might have come and clung upon the outside of the Arke and yet have been cut off except they had come into the Arke that would not have saved them but they would have dropt off so when men by an outward act of beleiving hang upon Jesus Christ in an outward way they may hang a while but at last they will drop off when men make this a foundation they are upon a false foundation See how far men have gone in beleiving and yet it hath come to nothing if you looke into the 106 Psalme the 11 12 13 verses we reade there of a generation of men beleiving it s said The waters covered their Enemies there was not one of them left Then beleived they his words they sang his Praise They soone forgat his workes they waited not for his Counsell Here was beleiving and such beleiving as caused them to sing and yet who are they they are such as forgat his workes such as waited not for his Counsell such as had leaneness sent into their soules such as lusted and contemned God and envyed the Saints Moses and Aaron such as the breath of the Lord came upon and devoured them as wicked ones and yet there was beleiving Then beleived they his word men will lay a great deale of faith sometimes on Experiences and wonderfull providences why lay as much faith as you can upon these and all will faile when the day of Tryall comes men may say God is our God and we are the people of God and he delivered us The waters covered their Enemies there was not one of them left What a wonderfull providence is this and here they fall a singing to God and yet Rebells and Enemies to God and cut off by God by and by this is not the foundation therefore no not the Act 's of beleiving If you looke into Isai 48.1 2. we reade of a generation of men that did beleive and yet notwithstanding fell short Heare ye this O house of Jacob which are called by the name of Israel and are come forth out of the waters of Judah which sweare by the name of the Lord and make mention of the God of Israel but not in Truth nor in righteousnes for they call themselves of the holy Citty and stay themselves upon the God of Israel the Lord of Hosts is his name They made mention of the Lord and stayd themselves upon the God of Israel what is that staying Look into the 26 of Isaiah and you shall finde its beleiving in the third verse staying is beleiving here are a generation of men that stayed themselves upon the God of Israel but not in truth nor in righteousnesse it was not in Truth nor in righteousnesse for all this now I say it s not the act of beleiving that is the foundation there 's a false faith as well as other things therefore if men make this the foundation the acts of beleiving they may be out too Jesus Christ is the onely foundation in opposition to this foundation Sixteenthly Jesus Christ is the foundation in opposition to conviction of Righteousnes this is that which is indeed a higher and a farther step than all that yet I have spoken of for men may goe all the way that we have gone and yet not be convinced of righteousness as his worke may be his righteousnesse so his faith may be his righteousnesse he may goe through all these things and yet not be convinc't of righteousnes this is a high foundation Christ is the foundation in opposition to conviction of righteousnes When a poore soule is wearied out of all when he comes to see that he is a poore miserable lost soule and that it s not all his confession of sin his mourning his sorrow his Teares his vowes his resolutions his revenge upon himselfe his Reformation no not his faith it s not any of all these things will helpe him nor that can helpe that soule ly's crying O Lord I can doe nothing I cannot pray I cannot mourne I cannot shâ—d a teare for sin I cannot beleive ô that thou wouldst helpe me and strengthen me to beleive now a soule is come to this to be convinc't of righteousnes
is of another kind its comforts are of another kind And this God brings all his to before ever they become fruitfull in a Gospel way for note here it may be the condition of a true childe of God as well as of the hypocrite to build too much upon these foundations yea to be building yeares together upon them and that too after true grace is wrought in his soule Abraham was a true beleiver and yet goes in unto Hagar the old Covenant and thirteene yeares together his heart run's upon her fruit and all his Expectations are from it But note this withall that till God brings a belever to this to make a more direct and Immediate close with Christ in the new Covenant he will be barren as to Gospel fruit Abraham had no fruit from Sarah till God had discovered to him that Hagar's fruit was not the fruit but he must yet looke for fruit from Sarah so a true beleiver will be barren as to Gospel fruit untill he is brought off from all other foundations and made to close with Christ in the new Covenant And indeed I thinke I may say that there never was a beleiver in the world but either before conversion or after he hath been brought under the old Covenant and there hath been a building upon such foundations for it is naturall to a soule under the old Covenant so to doe Quest 6. But when doth God lay Christ as a foundation in the soule is it in the first worke or change that is wrought upon a soule or afterwards Answ There is a twofold worke or change wrought upon many soules I say many because every one doth not passe under this double change First Legall which is a worke or change wrought by the power of the Law or by the Ministry of the letter for so the Apostle calls the Law 2 Cor 3.6 Who also hath made us able Ministers of the new Testament not of the letter but of the Spirit for the letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life And I doe here expound the Law by the Ministry of the letter to the end we may not looke upon the Law as containing onely the matter of the ten Commandements and the promises and Threats annexed to these but indeed take the Law at large for the summe of that truth revealed either in the Scriptures of the old or New Testament which containes within it Doctrines Promises Precepts Threats c. so far as this truth comes to a soule and is received onely as a notion as it is the letter a voice of words c. so far it falls short of being Gospel which is a word of Power the Power of God unto Salvation a Ministration of the Spirit and life and is no other but the word of the Law that is a bare word without Power a killing letter to it And whatsoever worke or change is wrought by this word as it comes to the soule onely as an enlightening notion or directing letter discovering to a man his duty state c. or as it comes as a threatening terrifying voice of words driving the soule to that it apprehends to be its duty and making it for feare to seeke after a better state than it sees it selfe to be in for all this the word as its a bare letter or a voice of words may doe I say all this worke or change is no other nor better than a legall worke or change for it is a worke wrought by the Ministry of the letter by a voice of words it is the light of the bare letter and the terror of the voice of words that makes a man in his owne strength fall to working and accordingly the worke brought forth or the change produced hereby seeing it is no other but an act a worke a change performed by the strength of nature and not by the strength of the promise it can be no other but a worke of the flesh a child of the Law or old Covenant as was Ishmael and not of the promise or new Covenant as was Isaac Secondly There is an Evangelicall worke oâ— change which is that worke which is wrought upon the soule by the power of the Spirit in the word cutting the soule off from the dead stock of old Adam and ingraffing it into the living stock of the new Adam Jesus Christ And the very foundation of the worke or change is marriage-union with Christ The Spirit of God in the Word lays hold of a poore soule by an Almighty power and breakes it off from the old stock and in the same Instant ingraffs it into Christ Now by the engraffing there is a union and from this union a communication to the soule of that new sap and life that is in Christ and by virtue of this a glorious work and change is wrought in the soule new fruit new actions appeare in it Now observe the Fathers laying Christ as a foundation is not in the first worke which I call Legal for a soule may have that work as had Ahab Judas Herod Stony Thorny ground c. and yet perish for ever but so cannot any that Christ is the foundation of for if so then could not Christ be a sure foundation as the Prophet calls him Esay 28.16 Therefore thus saith the Lord God Behold I lay in Syon for a foundation a Stone a tryed stone a precious corner Stone a sure foundation But the laying of Christ as a foundation is in this second worke And the beginning of this is our union which is that thing by which we are ingraffed into Christ and so grow and beare fruit upon Christ as the stock or foundation when a soule hath this union from that moment is Christ his foundation but not before for what ever may be found in him or come from him before this union be it sorrow for sin Comfort obedience c. it hath not Christ for a foundation for how can Christ be a foundation to that soule or to any thing in that soule that is not united to him can we say such a thing is a foundation to such a building and yet the building be separate from that thing and standing upon something else not so Quest But the soule may say If there be this double worke and change and Christ is the foundation onely of the latter How shall I know whether the worke upon me be Legal or Evangelical that so I may know whether Christ be my foundation yea or no Ans This is a most difficult Question and the farther I consider it the more doth it beget matter of feare and trembling and the rather because those things which we ordinarily bring forth as evidences of the grace of God within us will not manifest this difference because there is not any one particular worke affection grace that flowes from the Gospel-worke upon a soule but that worke which is onely Legall hath the counterfeit of that worke grace affection c. not but that there
soule moves it s all laid up and lodg'd in this great promise the Spirit of God gives forth all the strength the soule hath Eph 3. the latter end We are strengthened with all might by his Spirit in the inner man all the strength or might that a poore soule hath in the inward man it s all from the blessed Spirit of God if a soule hath strength to stand up against Satan truly it s from the Spirit of God The Lord shall tread downe Satan under your feete shortly If the Spirit of God withdraw and leave the soule but an houre Satan will tread him downe and trample upon him but if the soule be a conqueror an overcomer it s by the blessed Spirit all the strength we have whereby we are victors over any Corruptions it s by the blessed Spirit is there the mortification the killing of any corruption in our soules its from this Spirit If ye through the Spirit doe mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live it s not the worke of our faith it s not in our owne power we may struggle and strive and labour and toile but the least corruption is too strong for the strongest Christian in his owne strength but now the Spirit that mortify's the deeds of the body so have we strength to performe any duty any worke to heare to speake the word of God truly this is not our owne it s of the blessed Spirit for if the Spirit of God doe but leave a poore soule it cannot speake it cannot pray it can doe nothing the strength that acts the people of God it s not from themselves therefore one while they have a heart full of the groanes and breathings of the Spirit and a mouth full of words to spread before God and at another time they have not a groane in their hearts nor a word in their mouths and they may pump and they can bring up nothing this shews the strength of Christians is not from themselves but from the holy Spirit of God therefore a Christian that can at all times command his strength to pray or preach it s to be feared that that is the strength of man and not the strength of God the strength of the creature and not of the Spirit the strength of parts and of old Adam The Lord let 's his Children feele that they have not strength sometimes sometimes they have sometimes they have not that they might live all their whole life onely in dependance upon God what experience had Paul of this I know how to want and I know how to abound and can doe all things but how through Christ that strengtheneth me yet another while Paul could not speake his mouth is shut up therefore pray for me saith Paul to the Saints pray for me that I may have a doore of utterance so we are not sufficient of our selves to thinke any thing I am nothing saith Paul yet by the grace of God I am that I am all my strength is laid up in the blessed Spirit it s not in my selfe it s the Spirit of God that is our strength so all our strength is laid up in this promise Fifthly All our boldnes to the Throne of grace it s laid up in this promise Can a poore soule goe to God and cry father father Abba father why truly its the Spirit that enables him so to doe Because you are sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba father and that is the reason why a Saint one time can goe to God and say father father he can speake it out another time he cannot goe and speake out father it is because the Spirit that makes the soule to cry Abba father it s not in the power of the creature but our boldnes with the Father it s the gift of the Spirit of God it s this blessed Spirit of Adoption whereby a man can run to God as a child unto his father Sixthly All our helpe and assistance at the Throne of Grace it s laid up in this promise Wee know not what to pray for Rom 8. as we ought but the Spirit helpeth our infirmities and the Spirit maketh Intercession for us with groanes which cannot be uttered its truth a child of God doth not know what he should pray for what he should speak or utter to God or what he should most need but the Spirit of God comes helpes our Infirmities our worke in prayer is not to thinke what we should speake but to lay our selves downe before the Spirit Lord come thou by thy Spirit and mannage all our worke for us we are to spread our selves before the Spirit of God and let the Lord come and speake all in us and the Spirit helpeth our Infirmities with groanes not with words the Spirit helpeth a Christian many times when the soule cannot bring out a word the soule is full of groanings groanings that cannot be uttered groanings that have so much in them that they cannot be uttered the soule many times is put by words and is confounded through fulnes for there is by the holy Spirit of God the representation of a multitude of wants together and of a multitude of mercy's together and the soule would faine breath out all to God and he cannot speak them out all but he sends them up all to God in a groane together therefore saith the Apostle It helpeth our Infirmities with groanes that cannot be uttered a poore gratious soule comes and ly's before God and cannot speake a word O but it sends up a groane to God and though it cannot utter one word to God yet it may send up twenty petitions in one groane Seventhly Our speeding at the Throne of Grace our presenting such things there onely as are the will our father it s from this blessed Spirit When we come to pray of our selves we doe but aske our owne Thoughts and spread our owne wills before God but if we could come and lay our selves alway's under the Spirit of God and be willing alway's to be led and guided by the Spirit of God there would come forth alway's the will of God and not the will of the creature He that searches the heart knowes what the mind of the Spirit is because he makes Intercession for the Saints according to the will of God let the Spirit pray and it shall be the will of God though we are poore creatures and doe not know the will of God yet when the holy Spirit comes and draw's forth the heart it speakes out the will of God O therefore let us come and lye downe under the motions of the Spirit and the guidance of the Spirit He that searcheth the heart knowes what the mind of the Spirit is he doth not looke so much what words and what brave expressions and how these things are utter'd but he know's what the mind of his spirit is when God comes and looks upon his Children he doth not hearken
receive all from God as I am a poore wretched nothing creature This indeed is the very way of the new Testament in which God doth give forth new Testament mercy's to his Children if a soule come to Christ for Justification the way of the new Testament is to give forth this pretious glorious priviledge to him as he is a poore wretched sinner an unworthy one and so if we come to the Lord for the Spirit in the way of the new Testament why it is to come to God as I am a poore miserable sinner without the Spirit having no hope nor any thing in my selfe that I can ground hope upon why God should give forth the Spirit to me This is the way of the new Testament to come to God for all and to expect all from God as I am a poore sinner why now if Saints be unacquainted with the way of the new Testament they may misse of the mercy 's of the new Testament if Saints come to God for the Spirit and bring somewhat of their owne with them as if a man in coming to God for Justification will bring a righteousnesse of his owne to patch with the righteousnesse of Christ the Lord will not give it forth if you doe not come as a poore sinner that hath nothing in himselfe expecting all from the righteousnes of Christ so if I come to God for the Spirit if I thinke to bring somewhat of my owne to bring some good desires and some good breathings with me and thou saist Lord I am so and so I have such and such breathings therefore give me the Spirit why thou art now out of the way of the new Testament and God will not give forth the Spirit if you would have the Spirit you must say Lord thou knowest I have nothing thou knowest that there is not a good thought nor a good desire in me and I bring nothing with me but am a poore wretched sinner and know not what to doe but I lye be-before thee that thou wouldest give forth thy Spirit to me so that Saints they may in new Testament times enjoy but very little of the Spirit if they are cast into the way of the old Testament Fourthly Another ground and Reason of this point why there is so little of the Spirit given forth and this the great new Testament promise it is because Saints are no more in assembling together Saints are not found as I may say as they should be in the worke of Assembling together there was a twofold giving forth of the Spirit to the Disciples and Apostles of our Lord Christ did give them the Spirit and that Immediatly at his resurrection he gave them the Spirit and breathed the holy Ghost upon them in some measure to beare up their spirits against the sorrows that were to attend them afterward he gave them the Spirit more fully and at both these times the Spirit was given forth unto them when they were assembled together John 20.22 When the Disciples were assembled together Christ came and breathed on them saying Receive ye the holy Ghost so if you looke into the second of the Acts where you have the more full giving forth of the Spirit you shall finde it was when the Saints were assembled together Acts 2. the beginning of the Chapter Here 's the giving forth of the Spirit in a more full measure to them and it was when they were all with one accord in one place when they were met together Christ might have given it to them one by one when they were alone no but our deare Lord chooseth to give forth the Spirit when they were assembled together that teaches us how much he loves the assembly's of the Saints the Saints meetings together that though he could have given them the Spirit to every one in a corner alone yet he will not doe it but he chooses to give it to them when they are assembled together so that if the Saints neglect their meeting together there may be little enjoyment of the Spirit though it be the great promise of the new Testament Administration So much for the second thing Thirdly Why is the promise of the Spirit the great promise under the new Testament why doth God give this as their great promise First One Reason of it may be this Because God in the new Testament Administration would make an advance a step neerer as I may say to heavenly perfection and glory than the former administration was God all along hath been making an advance ever since man fell God hath been making an advance carrying him up step by step now the more of the Spirit is given forth or the more of the Spirit is in any dispensation the greater the advance is for its the Spirit that makes the advance in the hearts of Gods Children now because the Lord under the new Testament Administration would make an advance he would raise the hearts of his Saints nearer to heaven and glory than they were before therefore he gives forth more of the Spirit and he doth hold forth the promise of the Spirit as the great promise and indeed in the Administration that is to come upon this account in that of the new Jerusalem there shall not be lesse but there shall be more of the Spirit for if there should be lesse there could not be an advance there shall be the personall presence of Christ and more of his Spirit too if we did looke upon it onely as an outward thing then it might well be called as some call it a carnall thing but there shall be more of the Spirit of God given forth in that day there shall be an advance in the Saints upon this account Secondly The Lord gives forth the Spirit as the great new Testament promise Because new Testament Saints they are Sons This is the reason the Apostle Paul gives Gal 4.6 Because yee are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit into your hearts crying Abba father the father expects from a Son a growne Son that he should carry himselfe better than a child he doth expect from his Son that he should know how to governe himselfe and to order things better than a servant why now new Testament Saints are Sons and the Lord doth expect under the new Testament that there should be a better carriage that there should be more holines that they should know how to governe themselves in another manner of way than the people of God under the old Testament Now to the end that Saints might be able to governe themselves in another manner of way its needfull they should have more wisdome and grace given forth to them and that they may have it God gives forth more of the Spirit Because ye are Sons therefore he hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son therefore he hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts Thirdly Because God doth expect more worke from new Testament Saints This follow 's upon the
other as yee are Sons there is more worke expected God lookes for more duty and more obedience from the Saints of the new Testament than he did expect from the Saints of the old Testament in the new Testament they have not so much tireing worke they have not so much burdensome worke O but if you looke to the spirituall worke as they come to higher light so God lookes for higher obedience therefore for Moses his ten precepts in the old Testament we have many spirituall precepts in the new the new Testament doth not set us free from holines and obedience but indeed the new Testament calls us to a more strick't holines and a more spirituall obedience ye are called to a higher pitch of holines and obedience under the new Testament and not freed from it the Lord hath set his Saints free from all that that was burdensome and that that was legall obedience under the old Covenant but they are not free from obedience indeed the Saints of the new Testament they are called to a higher pitch of obedience as one that is a son growne the father doth not lay such laws upon him as he doth upon a little Child you must not meddle with this nor doe that nor goe out of the doores nor run in the wet and dirty your selfe c. there are a great many lawes laid upon a child but now when once the son is growne the father lay's no such law's upon him but he doth expect that this growne son should doe him more service than the child there 's not the law 's upon him as was upon the child the son is free but yet notwithstanding here 's more worke call'd for at the hands of the son so it was with the people of God under the old Testament the Apostle tells us they were heires under age and therefore their state was nothing differing from the state of a servant though they were Lord's of all in the appointment of the father and were true heires yet because they were under age they were under such a rigid Governour and Tutor as the old Covenant that held them under the rod of a great many law's but now under the new Testament we are sons and being sons the people of God they should goe out serve God freely with another manner of spirit I doe not say we doe so for truly we are much to short of what we should be the Saints should goe out and worship God with a free spirit we are not set loose from duty 's but we are rather called to do more that in another manner in a free manner with a free spirit as one that is an apprentice he lives in a servile feare of his Master and doth a great deale of worke why now when this man comes to have his freedome doth he doe lesse no he doth more worke but he doth it with a free spirit he doth it with another spirit so it s with the Saints under the old and new Testament they doe more worke under the new Testament but with lesse feare than under the old Testament being delivered out of the hands of their enemies they serve him without feare in holines and righteousnes all their day's Fourthly Another ground and Reason of it may be this God hath greater discovery's of truth for the new Testament times and his people under the new Testament Administration than was for the times of the old Testament under that Administration and therefore the Lord holds forth the promise of the Spirit as the great promise under the old Testament the Lord brought forth truth by little and little precept upon precept and line upon line and here a little and there a little God brought forth truth after divers and sundry manners sometimes by way of vision dreames and voice and the like many way 's of Revelation But now under the new Testament God speakes out all his word he hath spoken in these last times by his Son he speakes forth all his mind to us at once now the more truth is spoken out the more need we have of the Spirit to enable us to understand this Truth for it s by the Spirit we are given to understand the truth 's of God as they are held forth in their beauty glory and fulnes and therefore because Christ under the new Testament Administration was to speake out all of truth the whole of truth that the Saints and people of God might be able to apprehend the blessed truths of the new Covenant as they are held forth to them therefore it is necessary that they should have more of the holy Spirit given forth to them under the new Testament Administration Fifthly Because the Saints under the new Testament are to conflict with greater Tryalls and more sore Temptations than Saints of the old and therefore the Lord gives forth mere of the Spirit Though the people of God under the old Testament met with sore Tryalls yet they were not comparable to the sufferings of the Saints under the new Testament the rage of the Heathen and Antichristian powers was greater than ever the world knew before now to beare up the people of God under this sad-black-long day that they were to goe through in suffering they had need of the Spirit therefore God gives forth the Spirit he doth promise that as the great new Testament promise Vse 1. If it be so That the promise of the Spirit is the great new Testament promise Then hence we see what that thing is that all of us should have our eyes and our hearts and our thoughts fixed upon and taken up with O that every soule would be looking for it crying for it Lord give me thy Spirit what ever the soule wants it may goe to God and say Lord give me thy Spirit This is the great promise in which all other promises are lockt up the promise of conviction the promise of strength and life all are rapt up in this why now we should goe to God in a more speciall manner for the performance of this promise Vse 2. O then what spiritualnes is there required of the Saints of the new Testament If in the old Testament Time when the promise of the Spirit was not given forth as the great promise if then spiritualnes was required O how much more is it required of the Saints and people of God under the new Testament if under the Administration of the letter there was required spiritualnes then how much more is it required under that Administration which is the Administration of the Spirit if the Administration of the letter be spirituall and saith to all the Children of God live spiritually under me First Saints now you are under the Administration of the Spirit It doth bespeake us to be spirituall to have spirituall hearts to be spirituall in all our duty 's in all our addresses to God Truly it s not so much the length of our duty 's the multitude of our
feared the Lord spake often one to another even in this time when others had Apostatized and backsliden from God yea when the Apostacy was so high and so great that they justified themselves in it they called the proud happy they counted none nor lookt upon any as the happy men but the proud men the great men and the lofty men of the world there was none to them And they that were wicked were set up whereas they should have been thrown down and those that wrought righteousnesse should have been exalted and set up And they that tempted God were delivered I wish I might not say from Experience that as it was then after their coming out of Babylon that it is so in our dayes From hence we may observe Observ That it 's the speciall worke and duty of Gods People when others and the generality of people cast off and Apostatize from the worke of God to speake often one to another They should be more lively and more zealous and more active for God But it may be Questioned What are those things that the Saints should be often speaking one to another of in a day of Apostacy I answer They are these three things 1 Of the Sin of the Time 2 Of the Worke of God in that Time and Age. 3 Of the precious and glorious Promises which God hath made of better times of times to come to keep up and bear up our hearts 1 They should be often speaking one to another Of the speciall evill and sin of such a time When the Church of God is in a growing thriving state there is the abounding of some spetiall grace and so on the contrary when it 's in a declining condition in times of Apostacy there is the breaking forth of some spetiall sin and evill Now it 's our duty in that time and age in which we live as in the one to look after the grace that we may flourish in that so in the other to pry into the evill that we may avoid that And we should doe this the rather Because as such times have their spetiall evills so there 's no evill that doth so suddenly surprise and carry away the soule as the sin of the times and of the Age And that because it 's a generall sin there 's a croud goes along with that iniquity and men doe usually in the sin and evill of times goe from God When an evill is generall men swallow it the more easily and it 's a hard thing even for a good man to escape that therefore we ought the more especially to be looking to that and speaking of that often one to another When the Children of Israel came out of Aegypt their great sin was mistrusting God their great duty was to trust in God to believe in him to rest upon him in all his dispensations he did call upon them to performe this duty but they murmured against God and were full of unbelief and this sin was so generall and became such a sin of the time that of fix hundred thousand men that came out of Aegypt there were but two Caleb and Joshua that escap't this rock and went into the Land of Canaan yet undoubtedly there were many more good men among them but they fell upon the common sin of the Time And when the people of God came out of Babylon the great work of God then was the building of the Temple yet they cry out the time is not come the time is not come and so there 's a generall neglect of it by the whole Congregation this was the evill of that time and spread it selfe over good and bad and indeed good men that have escaped many other sore and great evills yet when it came to this the sin of the Times they have not been able to escape but have fallen into it not Zerubbabel nor Joshua but are guilty When the Children of Israel were in Aegypt they could very well see and look upon the Idolatry that was there committed and yet keep themselves very well from it but when it came to be a sin of the times in the Land of Canaan then they were catcht with it and were split upon that Rock and if the Lord by speciall grace and mercy doe not with-hold us we shall fall into this sin and it 's wonderfull mercy and loving kindnes that any soule doth escape the evill and sin of the Times But it may be asked How shall we come to know the evill of the Times that so we may escape and be kept from it For Answer to this 1 Let us take notice and observe that sin which lyes diametrically opposite to the worke of God in the time As in the Children of Israel their work and duty was to believe and trust in God in an extraordinary way now in direct opposition to this they mistrust God and that was then the sin of the time And so in their coming out of Babylon their work was to build the Temple Gods House but in opposition to that they build their owne Houses and neglect the work of building the Temple and the House of God lies wast Hag. 1.3 4. Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the Prophet saying Is it time for you O yee to dwell in your cieled houses and this house lye wast Why now suppose it were evident that God hath written it in large and plaine Characters that he that runs may read if he will that THE PRESENT WORKE OF GOD IS TO BRING DOWNE LOFTY MEN TO LAY MEN LOW AND TO THROW DOWNE ANTICHRIST now if there be in opposition to this an exalting of man and setting up of Antichrist is God destroying Idols and are men making of them This is a neglecting the work of God and going contrary to it this is the sin of the time If there be a setting up of any such thing that God hath lift up his hand against it 's not rashnesse nor passion to speak the truth of God before God and the world that this is in opposition to the work of God If God hath been throwing downe High things the great ones of the world and there is a setting up of those things again things that have the same stamp and the same nature upon them that those things had that were thrown down before them this is the sin and the evill of the times And againe Suppose it 's clear that it hath been the worke of God to appear against and destroy whatsoever may be said to have the marke of the Beast upon it it now if so be there be any thing in this time and age set up againe that indeed hath no other ground nor bottome for it to stand upon but the wisedome of man and the invention of man and so should intermeddle so far as that the power of it should be felt in the Churches of Christ it 's evident and plaine enough and it 's the speaking of the truth of God before God
and the world to speak it that this is the sin and evill of the times 2 Take speciall notice and observe that sin with which the most precious Saints and people of God are most taken and drawne away from God by that is the evill and sin of the times For that is usually the sin and evill of the times which the Saints of God are most taken with and embrace for the sin of the times doth not onely run through and run along with the wicked and profane of the world but also the most precious servants of God Moses that meek servant of God and Aaron that Saint of the Lord were catched with it in mistrusting God for the sin of their time did not fasten upon the rude multitude onely but upon those two and many other precious servants of the Lord. So in the building of the Temple the sin of neglecting that work did not onely seize upon the Congregation but also it seized upon those two brave spirited men Zerubabbel and Joshua they were asleep and neglected this work as you may see by the words of Haggai it had seized upon and catched many of the precious Saints of God and doubtlesse if the Lord did not keep us there is none of us now here that are speaking of and against the evill of the times but we should without Gods great mercy and love to us be catched and carried away with it as well as any other 3 Observe what that evill is that though it runs up and downe without the least controule or contradiction from the generality of men yet notwithstanding God hath a little Remnant that will oppose and stand up against that sin and that evill that is the sin of the times For observe it to bear witnesse to his cause in every age God will have a handfull that will oppose themselves to the evill of the times and ordinarily but a handfull When the whole Congregation of Israel rebell'd and Apostatiz'd from God and would have return'd againe into Aegypt and made them a Captain and mistrusted God then there was a little Remnant that stood up for God and spake against that sin Caleb and Jeshua they stand up and plead for God against the whole Congregation Let us say they not rebell against the Lord let us not make us a Captain to goe back again into Aegypt for they shall be bread for us the Lord will deliver them into our hand we shall goe in and possess the Land which the Lord our God hath promised Thus they stand up and plead for God against the whole Congregation And so in their return out of Babylon the Lord stir'd up a little Remnant to bear testimony against the sin of that time the Lord stir'd up the spirit of Haggai and Zechary against their sin of neglecting the building of the Temple and returning out of Babylon and where God stirs up a spirit in a little Remnant to oppose the evill of the times God is there that is I say a clear evidence that God is with them and that God stands for them and will owne them when he stirs up a spirit in them to tell men their owne for so did Haggai and Zechary Is it time for you O yee to dwell in your cieled houses and this house lye wast I instance in those two times because coming out of Aegypt and Babylon being both Types of our deliverance from spirituall Aegypt and Babylon nothing in the word is so pat to us as the example of those Ages I remember the Speech of a holy man yet living That if he were to stand with any party he would stand with that party that was the least and that bore testimony against the sin and evill of the times looking upon this that God was there and with those that stood up against and bore testimony against the sin and evill of the times When there 's a controversie whether there is an Apostacy or no now the generality of men of the proud men they will say no there 's no Apostacy at all and so justifie their Apostacy I but what saith the little Remnant what saith the few they say yes there is an Apostacy they say it 's clear and plain and evident enough to them that there is an Apostacy though the generality see it not will not know it nor owne it yet a little Remnant see it and will declare and bear their testimony against it But the second thing we should speak often one to another of is The speciall worke of God at that time what the worke of God is and what the speciall duty of Christian is in such an evill and Apostatising time Now there are many Duties that in such a day and age lye upon the Saints but I shall name but one or two which are duties that especially lye upon the Saints 1 This is one speciall duty To be humbled before God and to labour to bring others to be humbled and lye low before him for that sin In Ezra's time he makes it his dayes work to be humbled and lye low before God for the sin of the Congregation he goes and spreads their sin before the Lord and lyes low to beg mercy and grace of God for the whole Congregation and he labours also to bring the Congregation to this to be humbled and lye low before the Lord. But 2 It 's a speciall duty of the Saints and people of God in such a day and time of Apostacy whatever others say and thinke of it yet I say it 's the duty of Saints in such a day to appear for God to stand up for God to declare for God against those sins Though others count it rashnesse hastinesse and over-forwardnesse yet certainly it 's the duty of the Saints and is a good Principle to practice in which we should be found if we will shew our love to the Lord Jesus and his name and his cause and interest though all run from it Thus in all ages those whom the Lord hath kept faithfull to himselfe have not onely kept themselves pure from the evill of the times but declared against it in others So it was with Caleb and Joshua they stood up for God and protested for him and declared for him against the sin of the whole Congregation though they were but two they will hazzard their lives for God O say they doe not rebell against the Lord doe not return againe into Aegypt And so Haggai and Zechary they would stand up for God and declare for him against the Congregation and tell them to their very faces That they builded their owne houses but let the house of God lye wast whereas it was their worke and duty to build the house of God They told the greatest of them the chiefest of them their sin and that to their faces they Preached openly against the negligence and sluggishnesse of that Age to Gods work And have not good men of latter times looked upon themselves called to