Church was a Jewish Church Blindness is therefore but in part Secondly non omnino it is not a blindness in all things but in respect of this one particular to see Jesus Christ to be the Messiah and the Saviour of the world the consolation of I srael which they expected and waited for in this respect they were under a judicial blindness they that were otherwise Ieshuron the seeing people and they that had lived in the valley of Vision and knew more of the mind of God then all the Nations of the earth besides for in Iudah is God known and his name is great in Israel c. so that there is a particular blindness in Judgement that as God may and doth hide some objects from a people as he did Lots door from the Sodomites and so the Disciples that conferr'd with Christ their eyes were held that they might not know him so the Lord doth in Judgement hide some Truths some Doctrines from men that they shal not see them 2 Cor. 3.15 to this day when Moses is read there is a vail upon their hearts that is in reference unto Christ and the things of Christ which are foretold and spoken of in the Old Testament but when they shall turn to the Lord the vail shall be taken away c. and so though they know much of the Law and the mind of God in respect of moral duties and the worship of the Lord required of them yet the intent of these either as Christ was hid in the one or as the other was a Schoolmaster to bring unto Christ so they had a blindness upon their hearts a blindness so in part was come upon them in respect of the object thus we may often note men may be knowing in some things and yet have on them particular blindness in others Thirdly in respect of the time it shall be but in part not a continual or everlasting blindness though it hath been a long and dreadful desertion as ever came upon any people never was any the like therefore the Apostle saith wrath is come upon them â—wordE the uttermost 1 Thes 2. â—6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may be either understood of those particular persons as Beza saies who did oppose the present ministerie and so wraâ— might come upon them for ever to eternity an everlasting destruction refer'd unto the particular persons who did maliciously oppose the preaching of the Gospel or else it may be understood de atrocitate paenae and so the word is used 1 Pet. 1.13 Hope to the end or hope perfectly but the end is commonly put for the finishing of any particular dispensation so the end of judgement upon the Jews Dan. 9.24,26 and Luke 21.9 the end is not by and by and so the end of any Judgement or dispensation the end of the administration of the Kingdom of Christ 1 Cor. 15.24 then cometh the end Dan 12.9 Seal the Book till the time of the end till the time that God hath appointed for the calling of the Jews and the fulfilling of this mysterie 1 Pet. 4.7 the end of all things is at hand the total desolation of the Jewish state and worship not of the end of the world is it spoken So 1 Iohn 2.18 This is the last time we read This is the last hour of what of the world no but of this dispensation to the Jewish state before their utter ruine So wrath is come upon them to the end till the time that the Lord hath appointed when they shall be called and then the Lord will cause his fury to depart from them and that shall be when the fulness of the Gentiles shall come in then the wrath upon the Jews shall end and continue no longer but when the fulness of the Gentiles is come in then shall the blindness of the Iews be taken off and they shall be again ingrafted into their own Olive-Tree that is they that were called Loammi and were not a Church unto God but were cast off and termed desolate and forsaken they shall become a Church unto God again and so all Israel shall be saved By all Israel there is a double sense of it First some refer it only to the Iews and so all Israel is as much as tota gens Israelitica that whereas before even in the time they were broken off and the Gentiles grafted in and surrogated in their place there were many particular persons converted of the Jews and they were brought home unto Christ and added unto the true Church of Christ but yet the Nation still remained under blindness as rejected by Christ still but now that mercy which was before shewed unto particular persons shall now become National and it shall take in the body of the Iewish Nation which is yet preserved in their dispersions in great multitudes unto this great day of Jesreel So Beza Par. c. and they say Else the Apostle had revealed no such great mysterie to say that when as blindness was removed from the Iews then the fulness of the Gentiles that come in to the faith shall be saved and a great number of the Iews for it was plain that the Gentiles were converted and brought home daylie but the subject the Apostle had in the words is to speak of the coming in of the Jews which should be as a new resurrection and therefore they understood it not of spiritual Israel but of Israel according to the flesh others do understand it of the whole Israel of God that is of the whole Church of God which shall be made up of Jewes and Gentiles when it shall be presented by Christ unto the Father without spot or wrincle c. And it is a speech like unto that John 10. Other sheep I have which are not of this fold them I must bring in and these shall be one fold and have one shepherd What is there spoken of the conversion of the Gentiles is here spoken of the conversion of the Jewes c. and yet there is a mystery revealed in it also not to say that the Gentiles converted shall be saved that was a thing commonly known but that at the comming in of the Jewes there shall be a greater fullnesse of the Gentiles brought in and that the Gentile Church shall be great gaines by the Jewish convertion that as their casting off was the inriching of the worâ—d so their comming in should be life from the dead and that there should be a great addition to the comming in of the Gentiles and a second fulness of them brought in at the conversion of the Iewes and so all Israel shall be saved not onely natural Israel and those that were surrogated and ingraffed into their Room but also those that are supperaded unto both these For as is said Esa 60 3. the Gentiles shal come unto thy light and Kings to the brightnesse of thy rising I will send those that scape of them unto the Nations unto Taâ—shish Pull
of it is for medicine now there will be no healing at the last day in Heaven there are the souls of just men made perfect and they need no healing Thirdly seeing it cannot be understood literally of a material Temple nor spiritually of heaven it must then be understood mystically of the Church of Christ made up of Iews and Gentiles when they shall be one fold under one shepherd Agnoscunt Haebrei quod ad futurum seculum hoc est ad Regnum Messiae haec pertineant Oecolamp Iâ—…m Nos ad Christi referimus Ecclesiam quotidie in Sanctis aedificari cernimus St. Jerom. But it is not a Temple that is always building and a City but it s a City that shall be built after such a time and therefore I conceive it not to be the Church of the whole New-Testament but barely the Church in the latter days of the world which is commonly called The city of our God but this in a special manner Rev. 3.12 is called so because of an Almighty hand of God in raising it and a glorious and special presence of God dwelling in it and by the Temple is meant those glorious ordinances of worship which should be exercised in this Church in the latter days which is set forth by expressions according to the Jewish pattern as the manner of the presence of Christ amongst the people under the Gospel is set forth by his presence amongst his people of Israel in the Tabernacle Rev. 4. so all the worship of God is set forth to us according unto that Standard pro ritu Templi there is a Temple and Altars and incense c. And that Ordinances of worship the institutions of Christ shall continue in this glorious Church unto the worlds end that 's plain for First it is said that the tabernacle of the Lord is with men Rev. 21.3 and that was a place for worship if the Lord will have a Tabernacle amongst men he will have amongst men instituted worship still Secondly the presence of God amongst men in this City is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Lamp Rev. 21.23 therefore it shines in a dark place it is not such a presence as makes it a perfect day as it shall be in Heaven there will be no more the light of the candle c. And therefore it is a light in Ordinances for in them as in a Lamp the Lord gives unto his people light 2 Pet. 1.10 Thirdly there shall be all manner of Ordinances in this City of God First there shall be preaching for there shall be abundance of fishers chap. 47. Secondly there shall be the Sacraments for the Lord is with them baptizing to the end of the world and they are to shew forth the Lords death till he come Thirdly there shall be discipline for without are dogs and they that love and make 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that lie or do incline to it and there shall be a greater Spirit of discerning poured out this way then upon any of the former Churches of the Saints Fourthly there shall be Officers in this Church for fishers there are the Ministery Eph. 4. and they are to last till all the Saints be gathered and perfected and there is a right and a priviledge that belongs to them and not to others they that have a right to the Tree of life and may enter in at the gates of this city which every one had not a right to do for the dogs are without as having no right to enter Rev. 22.14,15 3. What is meant by waters that issue out of the Sanctuary which flow from the presence of God in the middle of his people it is to be understood first of truths A river of the water of life clear as Christal Rev. 21.2 Hic fluvius uberrima doctrina Christi So Brightman Zach. 14.8 in that day Brightman Zac. 14 8. Living waters shall go out of Jerusalem that is Evangelii doctrina so Drus Rev. 12.15 Drus. Rev. 12.15 The Dragon is said to cast out of his mouth a flood after the woman what is this flood his doctrine Mede he cast out Doctrinam pestiferam Arianismum scilicet sobolem ejus Mede 2. Because the effects that are here attributed to these waters cannot belong unto the waters alone therefore I do not only understand the truths of the Gospel but the graces of the Gospel and the gifts there bestowed Joh. 7.38,39 Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living waters c. Joh. 4.14 Whosoever drinks of this water shall thirst again but he that drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst but it shall be a well of water springing in him into everlasting life its true that there is not a healing vertue nor a quickning vertue in the word of it self Wheresoever the waters did come they were healed and every thing did live but yet it is by the word that the Lord doth work these great effects and by which the healing and quickning vertue of the Spirit is convey'd for it is a good rule that of Luther All things in the Church are to be measured by the word Florente verbo omnia florent in Ecclesia c. Luther But if all places where the waters come are not healed the Truths of God have not the same power and effect upon all there are some myrie and marish places First what is meant by these myrie and marish places the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie dirt or mire such as man sinks into that is can neither go forward nor backward Ier. 38.22 thy feet are sunk in the mire and it is such a place where waters stand and have not a free passage Iob 8.11 Can the rush grow without mire and the other word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a ditch lacuna a sink or a pit for dirty and foul water Isa 30,14 There is not a sheard to take water out of the pit and the resemblance between men that live under Ordinances unfruitfully and marish and myrie places is very plain in three things First in a marish place the water hath not a free passage but it stands and setles there it hath not affluxus and resuxus it meets with many a stop and a dam so it is with such a soul also therefore the Apostle prays that the Gospel may run and be glorified 2 Thes 3.1 Now when is the word said to run First when it meets with no stop no opposition but it hath a free passage Cum libere propagatur Secondly when it goes through the whole man and the will of God commanded is subjected unto Psal 47.15 when the word runs very swiftly that is Glass Cum voluntas Dei peragitur c. Glass So that when it hath no stop either in the mouth of the Ministers or in the hearts of the Hearers then the word is said to run and be glorified but when there are some truths of
Judgements Rev 13.8 and Rev. 17.8 How came men to be insnared with the Doctrine of Popery and carried away with that doctrine of devils they were given up in Judgement to it as an evidence of their reprobation for they worshipped the Beast and received his mark and his image whose names are not written in the Lambs book of life c. for as Spiritual blessings are pledges of election so spiritual Judgements are dangerous signs of a mans reprobation Secondly they are a fearful earnest of a mans damnation 2 Thes 2.12 He gave them up to believe that lye that all they might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness Heb. 10.27 We read of an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A receiving of a sentence an eternal judgement in a mans own soul when a man carries in his own heart the sentence of his own condemnation and there is not a greater earnest of it in the world then for a man to be given over by God unto spiritual Judgements for that is the portion that all the Heirs of Hell have from the Lord and as by the works of the spirit of adoption upon the soul there is an earnest of Heaven so by the work of the Spirit of Bondage on the soul in judgement there is an earnest of Hell the approaches of God are in the one and the desertions of God are in the other Thirdly consider what a great evil it is to be given up unto this judgement of a perpetual barrenness the sins against the Gospel must be especially requited by such judgements for the Lord will have the judgement hold a proportion unto the sin now the more spiritual sins are and the more spiritual Ordinances are the more spiritual must the judgement needs be now as there are no sins nor no Ordinances so spiritual as those under the Gospel so there are no judgements that are so spiritual and therefore as God is a spirit and hates spiritual sins most so it is most agreeable unto him the soul being a spirit and having the main hand in the sin to load that with spiritual judgements But why will the Lord punish the neglect of the Gospel with a perpetual Barrenness Why shall the marish places be given to salt The grounds are these First consider of all Spiritual Judgements this is the greatest of all judgements the greatest are spiritual judgements and of all spiritual judgements to be given up to barrenness is the greatest for it is that unto which all other Judgements tend and in which they all end and center There are many other spiritual Judgements as there is a Judicial blindness and hardness of heart a seared conscience a reprobate sense but what is all this for it is that we might bring forth no fruit to God and that nothing that is good might grow thereupon and therefore it is that the Devil doth catch away the good seed Matth. 13.19 That we might be as the high-way ground unfruitful we complain of a barren earth by reason of the curse Cursed be the ground for thy sake when thou tillest it it shall not yield thee fruit but there are three sorts of Spiritual Barrennesses which are far beyond this and are the fruits of a far greater curse and they are barren Churches barren Ordinances and barren hearts there was never a more terrible monument of temporal wrath then the Lord shewed upon Sodom and Gomerrah and those Cities of the plain which are now turned into the salt sea and their smoak ascends continually where nothing lives where nothing grows neither fruit nor grass Deut. 29.23 and therefore called the dead Sea as Jerom saith Ierome Quia nihil in se vitale habet unde nomen mortis sortitumest And if a fish be at any time carried out of Jordan into it Statim moriuntur nthâ—l utilitatis in se habet ut simplex sermo testatur the fishes presently die therein Now take an unregenerate man a barren soul and he is compared here unto the dead sea for it is said that fishers shall stand from Engedi to Eneglaim Eneglaim in principio est maris mortui ubi Iordanum ingreditur Engedivero ubi finitur atque consumitur As great yea a far greater monument of Judgement God gives unto a barren heart then is that of the dead sea which is nothing else but a barren land and barren waters as they bring forth nothing that is good of themselves so neither is there any thing that can live or thrive or grow in them but if it come into it it immediatly dies and so it is with any thing of God or the Spirit of God that comes into the barren heart it is like unto the dead sea what truths or motions soever are cast in they die immediâ—tly Secondly This is the greatest judgement because hereby thou losest the fruit of thy union with Christ and the comfort of it for the end of union with Christ is fruitfulness and it is a plain argument that he that brings forth no fruits to God was never married unto Christ for Rom. 7.4 We are said to be married unto Christ that we may bring forth fruit to God There is a double end of Marriage convictus proles Cohabitation and propagation and therefore there cannot be a greater evidence that thou art not yet married unto Christ then this thou art barren for the Spouse of Christ is fruitfull and he hath no further a delight in them then as they bring forth fruit for it was the very end of his coming That they might bring forth fruit and that more abundantly and that their fruit might remain Now to be much in fruitfulness to be rich in good works is a great mercy Si mihi daretur eptio eligerem unius Christiani rustici opus sordidissimum prae omnibus victoriis triumphis Alexandri Caesaris c. Quando fidelis es Deo placent etiam Physica corporalia animalia officia And how great a comfort is it to bring forth fruit to God because it is fruit abounding unto our accounts at the last and the great day now as fruitfulness is a certain evidence of our marriage to Christ so barrenness is a certain evidence that thou art not yet married unto Christ and to be given up in judgement to barrenness is an earnest thou shalt never be married to him and fruitfulness is an argument and a pledge unto a mans heart that Christ will delight in him as Leah said when she had born a son Now my husband will love me now he will be joyned to me now I have born him this son also So may a soul reason it out with Christ Now I shal have his love he wil love me he will delight in me he will dwell with me â—ow I have yielded him fruit for he doth delight in the fruits of his pleasant things Cant. 5.12 Thirdly there is nothing that stands between such a soul and wrath for Ioh. 15.2 Every
give us is this Doctrine Holiness is the only way to happiness there is no seeing of God in glory without it none shall see God but the holy man And here for the right understanding of it we are to consider holiness three waies First quoad principium according unto the principle of it and that is Regeneration when the seeds of holyness that is holy principles are sown a new image is begun Secondly quoad incrementum according to the increase of it which is sanctification by which he that is new born to God grows up to the perfection of those habits received in the fear of God Thirdly quoad exercitium for the putting forth of those inward improved principles in a way of holy walking and this is in Scripture called obedience without holiness in all these suitable to the time and means that God doth vouchsafe man in a measure of truth and sincerity there is no hope to see the Lord. First Holiness quoad principium which is commonly called regeneration and without this there is no salvation John 3.3 Jesus said verily verily c. except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God we have first the manner of the assertion first nota dignitatis there is no truth but is a beam from the father of light but there are some truths more precious and of greater worth then others Secondly not a certitudinis all his words are true yet he doth set a special impress of truth for to be observed upon some words more then upon others Secondly the thing asserted except a man be born from above non unius partis correctionem sed totius naturae renovationem designat Calvin Calv. T is not the understanding is blind Labour to get it illightned the morals are ill Labour to reform them it is not the change of a mans way or his leaving some sins and taking up the practise of some duties but it must be A new nature as if he were new born into the world 2 Cor. 5.17 thou must have a divine nature a new creature there is nothing of the old building will serve all things must become new t is called therefore the new creation of God Thirdly the universality of the assertion aequivalet universali what age or calling or condition soever though this man were one that lived in the Church a Pharisee civil in his Conversation a Saint in his generation he was a man that had attained a more then ordinary pitch of knowledge a teacher and of a good disposition a man not bitter against Christ as the rest of his sect were and yet Christ saith to him he must be born again a man may be a member of a Church of a loving and ingenuous disposition a fair and unblamable conversation and a man of that eminency in knowledge that he may be a teacher of others and yet this man must be born again or he cannot see the Kingdom of God Fourthly the necessity he puts upon it also the Kingdom of God is both the Kingdom of grace here and hereafter of glory and to see it is frui to enjoy it participem fieri as ver 5. he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God so that to see it is to enter into or to have a mans own part and portion in it with the rest of the Saints so that let a man be never so great in the world never so eminent for profession let his outward carriage be never so upright nay Angelical yet if he hath no birth but his first birth he is not in Gods account a member of this Kingdom of grace nor hath any right to the priviledges of it here or of the Kingdom of glory hereafter he hath no part or portion therein There are two parables by which Christ doth hold this forth to us clearly first that of the marriage of the Kings son Matth. 22. there is a guest that comes without a wedding garment it is not a sleight thing to come to the ordinances in the Gospel in an unregenerate state if there be but one the King will come in to see the guests this wedding garment is Christ put on by faith in a work of vocation and the image of Christ begins in a man in the work of regeneration and he shall be cast out from the wedding that is so in the day when the Lord shall come and visit the guests so that parable of the foolish Virgins Math. 25. First Virgins they were and kept their garments from gross pollutions Secondly they were Professors and they joyned in society wih the wise Thirdly in high esteem they were for they had oyl in their Lamps they did shine as Lights in the world Fourthly they held out with great expectation unto the coming of the Lord for they went out to meet the Bride and yet they were shut out when the Bridegroom came because they had oyl in their Lamps but none in their Vessels the gifts of the Spirit of God are of two sorts some qualifying as the Spirit is forma assistens and works upon them in acts and this is oyl enough to cause them to make a profession and to shine as Lights in the world but some are renewing as the Spirit is forma informans A spirit dwelling in the Saints as a fountain of living Waters springing up to Everlasting life Now they that had the one without the other were shut out with I know you not c. And we have one famous instance in the Scripture and that is of Timothy he was born in the Church of godly Parents there was faith unfeigned in his grandmother Lois c. he was one Religiously educated for he knew the Scripture from a child and he was a child of a great deal of forwardness in so much that the People of God had great hopes of him there were many Prophesies that forespake him that he would be an eminent and a blessed instrument in the Church of God Paul saith according to the Prophesie forespoken that went of thee and yet for all this there had been no Salvation for Timothy but that he was begotten by Paul through the Gospel He is my own son in the faith 1 Tim. 1.2 And the reasons of it are two First it is in Regeneration that a man receives a new and another spirit 1 Cor. 2.12 We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God My servant Caleb hath another spirit saith God Numb 14.24 There is a double spirit that acts all Mankind all unregenerate men are under the power of the devil who is the spirit of the world the world lies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Ioh. 5.19 In aliquo posicum esse est sub ejus esse potestate Camer And this spirit acts and effects works in all the children of disobedience yea even in the elect before their conversion before their regeneration the strong man armed keeps the house till a
stronger then he comes but when the time comes that is appointed by the Father that the soul shall be actually given unto Christ who was in his purpose and in his covenant given to him before the world was for there was grace given us in Christ before the world began 2 Tim. 1.9 Now he sends forth the spirit of his son into their hearts and he takes possession of them for the Lord and the strong man that formerly kept the house is cast out that he that was before the devils house he is now the Temple of the Holy ghost and the habitation of God through the spirit now there are none for whom the house in heaven is prepared but they that have been the habitation of God here none shal dwell with God hereafter in whom the Spirit did not dwell here the same spirit that as a spirit of holiness dwels in them here it is the same spirit that is in them as a spirit of adoption and glory hereafter therefore the great change in a man the first change as the first fruit of electing love is in the receiving of another spirit and that is only in regeneration then is the spirit of Christ sent forth into the hearts of the Saints Secondly in regeneration a man receives a new Principle for by nature a man hath not in him a Principle of communion with God or of obedience to him Ioh 3.6 that is Christs Reason That which is born of the flesh is flesh it is wholly corrupt and that by which the soul is no way fitted to walk with God therefore marvell not that I say unto you that thou must be born again grace is a new creature 2 Cor. 5.17 Eph. 2.10 We are created in Christ to good works it is a new man an inward man and it is from this created infused habit that all holy actions flow let a mans duties be never so many and his outward behaviour be never so Saint like if it doth not flow from a new man an inward man it can no ways please God or be accepted of him it s a Law written in the heart spiritually enlightning the understanding and effectually determining the will unto Objects spiritual and supernaturally good and before this be wrought in a man there are no duties that are looked upon as duties by him Behold he prays Acts 9. saith the Lord to Ananias concerning Paul he was a Pharisee and they were much in prayer but it was never looked upon and reckoned as a prayer by God till he had a new principle a new man for the Lord looks to the heart that is he sees actions in their principles men can judge of principles only by their actions but God doth judge of actions according to the principles from whence they flow The tree must be good or else to God the fruit can never be good but as the apples of Sodom they must be good things that must be brought forth from an inward Treasury And take a godly man that is converted when he doth not stir up the grace of God that he hath received acts it in duty he doth perform it but barely as a natural man and it doth not stand upon account before God as a duty no further then there is an exercise of the regenerate part is any service accepted of God for it is the good work that is begun in us that the Lord will perfect Phil. 1.6 therefore grace is a good work in us a principle in the soul fitting it for service and communion and it is this that is ordained unto perfection in glory If there be not a new principle a good work begun never look to have it perfected in the day of the Lord. I see I am much prevented I shall but touch the rest Secondly Let us look upon holiness quoad incrementum and so it s commonly called in Scripture Sanctification that is the growth and improvement of that seed and those principles that were wrought in a man at his first conversion 2 Pet. 3 18. Grow in grace 2 Pet. 1.5 Add to your faith vertue non quoad habitum sed actum gradum add to the acts and thereby add to the degrees of the habit for acts do perfect habits And Col. 1.12 it is not barely the having of grace that is required unto Salvation but it is the growth of it and the improvement of it that a man may be made meet for glory I say growth in grace is a duty that is of necessity to Salvation as well as truth in grace where God gives light and means I speak not now of Infants or such as dye as soon as they are converted Col. 1.12 We are made meet Inheriters with the Satuts in light There is a double right that the Saints have to heaven First Jus haereditarium an hereditary right and that is at Regenration when they are put into Christ and so are made Coheirs with him of his inheritance having grace begun in them the same Image of God which shall be perfected in glory and was given as a principle ordained to such a perfection Secondly Jus aptitudinarium and that is a right of fitness whereby we are qualified to receive such a mercy and that is as an heir hath a right of Inheritance in his nonage but he hath not a right of fitness till he comes to years and be able to manage his Estate when he hath received it And there is required in the Saints as well a right of fitness unto Heaven as a right of inheritance without which I may say after a sort they cannot be saved and that upon a double ground First there is no grace that is ordained unto glory but growing grace and if grace be true there is a natural tendency in it unto growth as there is in seed that is cast into the earth and so much the more because they are planted by the rivers of water the Trees of righteousness they grow upon the bank of the River Ezek. 47.10 They shall grow as Willows they shall grow as Calves of the stall Mal. 4.2 There is a great measure of growth promised unto them and if true grace be necessary to salvation then growth of grace must be for there is no true grace but growing grace and there is no grace that shall come to Heaven else I forget that which is behind not that I have already attained Grace is not only donum but depositum and it must be improved it is a Talent that more must be gained by by Trading c. it is a spark from Heaven that will never cease aspiring till it be joyned with the flame of glory Eternal in the Heavens Secondly there is a pitch of grace that the Lord hath appointed unto his People that they shall fill up whilest they live here before they be translated unto glory there is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 4.13 A fulness of the age of the stature of Christ a
measure that Christ hath appointed unto them and with which he will fill and enrich them that are the body of Christ of which every member is a part and which he by the increase of his grace doth fill up which is in this respect as it were imperfect till the measure of his Saints be filled not only in suffering Col. 1.24 but in graces also Now the Lord having appointed them a measure which they are all in this life to fulfill as he will not destroy wicked men till they have fulfilled their measure fill up saith Christ to the Pharisees the measure of your fathers iniquities so neither will he translate the Saints till they have fulfilled their measure which is done by some sooner and some later and when the measure is full as then Rev. 19. He doth tread the wine-press of his Fathers vengeance upon the wicked So when the Corn is ripe he doth put in his Sicle and reap and gathers it into his barn c. therefore Job 5.26 Thou shalt come to thy grave in a good full age as a shock of Corn in his season God will not reap till his harvest be ripe therefore the Lord hath appointed a measure and what it is we know not we should set no bounds to our selves but strive unto the uttermost adding one degree of grace unto another so be sure of this till thou attain thy measure thou shalt never be received unto glory and therefore unto the actual possession of grace growth in grace is as necessary in some respects as truth of grace is What is the reason that a wicked man doth commit iniquity an hundred times and his dayes are prolonged it is because he hath not filled up his measure Joel 3.13,14 So what is the reason that some of the Saints are taken up betimes into Heaven and others of the People of God are a long time in the world Why it is because they have not fulfilled their measure for the Lord would not stay a day beyond his time in the one as well as in the other the one is ripe for wrath and the other is made meet for glory Thirdly look upon Holiness quoad exercitium and so it s called Obedience and this also is necessary to salvation that unto men grown strong Christians without the exercise of Holiness in wayes of Obedience they can never see the Lord A man must run before he can receive the prize 1 Cor. 9.24 And he must fight the good fight of faith and finish his course before he shall receive the Crown of righteousness 2 Tim. 4.8 To him that overcometh I will grant to sit upon my Throne as I overcame and am sat down with my Father upon his Throne c. Rev. 3.21 It s called The Labourers are worthy of their hire the hire is for the Labourers and for none else Opera non sunt minus necessaria quam sides ipsa Luther Obedience and good works are in some sense as necessary to Salvation as Faith I say as necessary though not in the same kind as the Instrument of Justification And there is also a double ground for it First because there is a measure of Obedience which the Lord hath appointed unto all the Saints before they shall be translated it shall not be till their Obedience is fulfilled 2 Cor. 10.6 as men shall not take them away The Witnesses shall not be slain till they have finished their testimony Rev. 11. So God will not take them away till they have finished their course Joh. 17.2 saith Christ Father I have glorified thee on earth I have finished the work that thou gavest me to do and a Saint shall not be taken from hence till he be perfected I work to day and to morrow and the third day I shall be perfected that is in respect of the work that was given him to do and the perfection of the service is the perfection of the man the same is true of all the Saints when they have brought forth their uttermost fruit unto God and their work is ended they shall never till then be translated Secondly all men that are received into glory they are received unto the degrees of glory unto which they are appointed and though its true that by Conversion they are put into a right of glory but degrees of glory are answerable unto degrees of service which men are in this life drawn forth for though God will not reward men for their works as if they were the meritorious cause yet he will for degrees reward them according unto their works and so good works are a good foundation by which men lay hold of eternal life 1 Tim. 6.19 As Christ hath upon his head many Crowns sutable to the multitude of his Victories Rev. 19.7 Amongst the Romans there was a common Crown and some Crowns that were more special and peculiar Corona Civica and Navalis c. So there is a common Crown too belongs to the Saints as they are in Christ and so enter into their Masters joy but there are some peculiar Crowns which belong unto some more then to others answerable to the special services that they have performed upon Earth As the Apostles shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel There are stars primae magnitudinis though all the righteous shall shine as the stars yet it is observed by our Divines in the Angels themselves that though there be no difference betwixt them in natura Angelica the Angelical nature is alike in all Yet in of ficio in office there is a great deal of difference in the glory of the Angels as the Lord doth employ them some in more high and excellent services then others and answerable to that shall their reward be the essential glory shal be all alike but there is an additional glory that shall be made out unto them answerable unto the services that they have performed therefore it s true of holiness in this large extent of it That without it no man shall see the Lord. There is but one Use I will make of it which is of marvellous concernment unto every one of you Vse The Use shall be of Examination prove your selves for without holiness there is no salvation it is that in which men are apt to deceive their own souls Job 34.30 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an hypocrite that the hypocrite reign not least the people be ensnared the word signifies nubilus a man in a cloud or velatus pallio Aven Avâ—… a man that covers himself with a cloaâ— men find out often-times artificial coverings for themselves and thereby deceive their own souls it is not holding some opinions in matters of Religion or going zealously with some one partie it s not barely appearing for truth for thou maist do all this and be unholy a worker of iniquity and if so there is no vision of God for thee But how shall a man know whether or no he be holy according to the
sense of the Gospel I will give you six rules briefly I beseech you carry theâ— home with you and the Lord carry them to your hearts First a man that i truly holy according to the sense of the Gospel is truly affected with the honor and dishonor of God for holiness exalts God I say holiness exalts God in Joshua 7.9 Israel had fallen before the men of At their enemies what is it now that troubles Joshuah most Israel flyes before their enemies Lord what wilt thou do for thy great name truly though we should perish and our names be rooted out from under heaven our names rot in the earth it were no great matter but thy name Lord saith he I am not able to bear the thought of it what wilt thou do to thy great name so likewise David The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me he could have born any thing better then that God should have been dishonored my cyes gush out with Rivers of water because men keep not thy Law malo in nos murmur hominum quam in Deum Bernard I remember it is Bernards expression rather saith he let men vent their displeasure against us then against God bonum est mihi si dignetur Deus me uti pro clypeo if the Lord would please to make use of me to keep off reproaches and injuries from himself it would be satisfaction enough to me let my name be blotted never so much if Gods name be not spotted if his name be not profaned it is enough Now if I should put you to examine your hearts by this Is Gods glory dear to you and do you say profaned be my name so as Gods name be honored is there nothing better to you in this world like to this my conscience answers in the presence of God to such a question as this Truly my Brethren I am afraid few of you can say in truth that the Lord is thus exalted in your souls how is it that the dishonors done to God either we make matter of scoff or otherwise it doth but draw out our envies and invectives but it is not matter of drooping continually upon our Spirits there are few Ages that you shall read of wherein the name of God hath been higher in a more impudent way dishonored then in this Age I may say it with boldness with more open face a Whores forehead that cannot blush and yet notwithstanding where be the morners in Sion where be those that do say My estate doth me no good and my honor doth me no good nor never will while I enjoy it without God while I see God dishonored Well certainly suitable to the measure of holiness that is in any man so will his affections be to the honor of God and where this affection is not in truth there is no holiness in truth This is the first thing The second sign that I shall give you to examine your selves by is this Where holiness is in truth there the heart is mightily affected unto the truth of God which is the foundation of boliness sanctifie them by thy truth it is the expression in Joh. 17. then Truth is the foundation of sanctification whensoever holiness is in truth then the man is mightily affected to truth I do reuâ—ember it was an excellent rule that Virenencius gave long ago Virenenc quo quis sanctior co promptior novellis contraire the more holy any man is saith he the more his heart goes against all humane inventions contrary to the truths of God Why now should I put you upon the tryal by this have not you all Truths corrupt even to the very foundation those in this City that dispute whether there be a God or no to the very foundation that deny the God-head of Christ and of the Spirit deny the truth of the Scriptures why now how I pray you doâ—h this sit upon your spirits how are you affected with truth for truth is the mother of holiness and I say unto you it will bear a child-like affection thereunto my Brethren will you give me leave a little to speak plainly to you the great design that Satan hath I conceive in this present age the great design for he hath many but I say the Great design I look upon to be this So to dispute all things as that in matters of Religion men might look upon nothing as certain dispute all things that so you may be certain of nothing for this hath been the great business and truly I must though some of them go under the name of Saints I must say they are highly the instruments of the Devil in it I fay the great business of these latter years hath been this it hath been to dispute principles and overthrow foundations Augustine Augustine saith there are two waies by which the Devil draws men from Christ one in a time of peace and another in a time of persecution in a time of persecution coget homines negare Christum he compels men to deny Christ in the time of persecution But in the time of prosperity docet he teacheth men then to deny Christ he finds out such Doctrines as shall teach men handsomly to deny Christ and to defend it when he hath done O my Brethren how doth this sit upon your Spirits It was Luthers saying Luther Spiritus sanctus Scepticus non est the holy Spirit is not a Sceptical Spirit there is little of that Spirit in this Land Christianism is turned to Sceptism question every thing and dispute every thing and men look upon it as a great piece of Religion to maintain that there is no certainty in Religion and truly this is the way of the wise men of our times Why now consider two things are added hereunto One is to prosecute this design the Ministry must first be undervalued that by that means there may be way made that they may be suppressed for while these men live they do say in their own bosoms so much as Saul did of David to Ionathan while the son of Iesse liveth saith he thy Kingdom will never be established they do say so that these new waies of Religion will never be established so long as some of these men continue they do say that this is the Heir let us kill him and the inheritance will be ours we shall never be the great Preachers till then nor our lights and opinions will never be entertained for Gospel till then for so what was the advice of Consenus the Jesuite a great while ago and truly this is the very truth for as it is justly to be feared you have a great many among you so those that are acted among you are acted very much by a Jesuitical principle and what was his advice he wisheth them by all means to take away the Ministry but saith do it not all at once but take away some first and disgrace the rest and so by that means a way will
the pulpits in times past sound with such words as these Lord remember bleeding and dying Ireland Lord this is Ireland that is a cast-out peoplâ— hat none cares for but when thou makest inquisition for blood remember them c. and those prayers which were put up from many a gracious heart which are now answered though now many of them haply are displeased and discontented with the return of their own prayers Secondly it is a mercy given in when all things were desperate and even all hope of a deliverance was gone Now is God a help found in the needful time of trouble when the enemies power and confidence was high and they said Ireland is our own we will pursue them even take them and satisfie our lusts upon them we will surely root out the English name from amongst us and we will try if they can swim into England it may be their faith will bear them up as that partie hath alwayes scoffed at godliness in all their successes but be no more mockers least your bonds increase Now when you had not an Armie in the field the whole Kingdom was their own and not a Garrison left in the whole Kingdom but one and that brought to the very brink of destruction also and must have been surrendred speedily after they made their approaches to it Now God gives in the mercy now doth the Lord judge his people and repent him concerning his servants when he sees that their power is gone and that there is none shut up or left Deut 32.36 when there is no Army in the field no souldiers in garrison now is the time that the Lord doth appear and take to himself his great power and raign Thirdly when the Lord doth therein exceed the expectations of his servants a deliverance they hoped for but not so great not so sudden so that when it came they seemed as men that dream and they can scarce believe that God would do so great things for them when the Lord is come to do them when the son of man comes shall he find faith upon earth its a faith in reference to the coming of Christ for to take vengeance on the Churches adversaries Isa 64.3 thou didst great things for us which we looked not for for God doth not answer prayers according unto our hopes but according to his own mercies as he doth not reward our services according to the measure of our duty but in the mouth of mercy Hos 10.12 a man doth sow in duty but he doth reap in ore misericordiae Fourthly when it is by the hand of those whom they have oppressed when the witnesses that were slain shall rise again and they shall destroy their persecutors by the sword that comes out of their mouthes then it is the greater mercy and far the greater confusion unto the enemy Isa 41.15 When the worm Jacob shall thresh the mountains and when the arm of the Lord should be made bare in it and his hand more immediately seen beyond the purpose courage and intention of men they are engaged before they are aware and victorie is won before they know they are engaged in a Battle when the Lord shall bend Judah for him and fill his bow with Ephraim and they shall have the honour of the conquest that have had their great share in their Torments and were by the enemies designed for destruction and they shall fall by their hand it makes the mercy far the greater Fifthly when it is such a mercy as lets us see still that God owns the same cause and however men warp and turn too and fro yet the good old cause in which the people of God were engaged against the Antichristian party the Lord owns that cause still and gives unto his people hereby hopes of a settlement For the Lord Christ when he rides forth in the conquest of the Gospel he doth ride forth conquering and to conquer not all at once but by degrees and doth give to his people yet a ground of their faith to see if they be of the seed of the Jews before whom they have begun to fall they shall surely fall God hath given us therein Hos 2.15 the vally of Achor for a door of hope it is true that Achor was a pleasant vally and it was sweet in it self therefore it was joyned with Carmel and Bashan but yet it was much more sweet in reference to the hope for it was at the first entrance into the Land of Canaan and as the first fruits gives them possession of the whole Sixthly it is still a carrying on of the grand design that the Lord Christ hath to do in the world in the latter daies for Christ in glory hath not only Saints to gather home to himself and to bind them all up in a bundle of life and he doth raign for their sakes for he is the head over all things for the Churches sake but the Lord hath also enemies to be subdued he must raign till he hath put all his enemies under his feet and he will be faithful as the Fathers servant in the one as well as in the other therefore Rev. 14. there is a harvest of all the Saints to be reaped and there is a wine press of wicked men at the same time to be trodden c. Now the great enemy unto Christ in the latter daies of the world is that wicked one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Baylon the great the Mother of Harlots Now so far as this tends to the promoting of that great design as it doth exceedingly so far should the Saints of God rejoyce therein for they must by degrees go into pâ—rdition and though all the former subjects would be fit matter for our meditation throughout this day and might have given us several Considerations of very publike concernment in reference to the mercy of the day yet at present I have chosen this rather to draw out your praises thereby concerning which I shall present you but with these three considerations First the least return that you can make of a mercy is praise to God for it and it is all that the Lord doth expect of you Hos 14. and we will give thee the calves of our lips it is all the promise that the Lord would have his people make to him in the time of their straits Afflictions they are stupefactive and of a confounding nature and they close the mouth Jâ—r 8.14 let us enter into our fenced Cities and let us be silent there for the Lord our God hath put us to silence but mercies they are of an expansive and dilating nature and they open the mouth as Hannah not only her heart 1 Sam. 2.1 was filled but her mouth was enlarged also Secondly if you do not return praises for mercies God will surely add Judgements unto mercies and will turn his hand against you do you evil after he hath done you good Hezekiah received a mercy but he did not render according to
Babylon for that was destroyed many hundred years before Johns time but this is Babylon in a mysterie the City that now rules over the Kings of the earth and that was only Rome a woman that did sit upon many waters that is reigned over Kingdoms and Nations and people c and this woman is brought in riding which is an Emblem and expression of power and authority throughout this whole book Now what is the Beast that the woman rides upon it is regnum sive imperium Romanum which because of its blood and its cruelty hath been alwaies expressed by a Beast with a scarlet colour c. and this hath three names given to it throughout this book for all the old enemies that were ever any of the antient persecutors of the Church is to be found in her the blood of all the Saints therefore is said to be found in her because in her was the cruelty of all former persecutors to be found Rev. 11.8 spiritually Egypt Sodom not litterally Sodom for their filthiness called Sodom and for their Idolatry Egypt and Babylon for there is all Idolatry Sorcery Cruelty so that the evils that have been in all former persecutors is to be found in them and therefore it is called Babylon by way of allusion as the Churches of Christ are called Zion and Jerusalem and the Israel of God Rev. 7. the Lord keeping to the old names so the enemies also are called Egypt and Babylon the Lord keeping unto the old names and antient resemblances So then Rome and the power thereof is here meant by Babylon for it is to be understood in a mysterie or in a spiritual sense Thirdly why is it called Babylon the great I answer it is called so upon a double ground First because of the greatness of its strength and glory it was the strongest and the most fortified place in the world in so much that when the Lord did employ Cyrus in the work it was thirteen years siege that they were fain to cut the River Euphrates into chanels and draw it dry and enter the Citie by the chanels of the River in that pit where Beltshazer the King and the inhabitants of the City were found to be all of them buried and she was the original of the Nations unto which they did all bring their glory and so it is with this Citie the merchants and the great men of the earth trade with her as Rev. 18.3 so that to see Romam in slore is one of the gloriousest sights that this lower world could afford which Fulgentius admiring raised up his heart higher by this consideration Fulgentius Quantum splendeat coelestis Hierusalem cum adeo fulgeat terrestis Roma c. Secondly it is also Babylon the great because of the greatness of their power and dominion She did set upon many waters and did rule all the Kings of the earth as Babylon did say of old Are not my Princes altogether Kings and therefore because of their dominion they are called the great City and the great City that rules over the Kings of the Earth and yet this great Lucifer son of the morning must fall from Heaven and be brought down unto the dust Fourthly how is it said is fallen put in praeterito First it is put in the Preterperfect and that is ordinary with the Hebrews Secondly by way of Ingemination and they do imply First certainly for it is a speech of faith speaking of things to come as if they were already past Secondly it notes the suddenness of it it was at hand as Christ said it is finished that is it was now neer to be ended and so it is fallen that is subito ruitura Thirdly it notes an utter ruine and destruction in the fall for it is fallen it is fallen that is it is greatly eminently utterly fallen Fourthly it is a destruction generally published over all the world and with a great deal of joy spoken of by the Saints as appears afterward when they give God the glory of taking vengeance of the great whore c. for the repetitions in Scripture do really note great affection Psal 22.1 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Psal 137.7 Down with it down with it to the ground as Sam. 18.23 Absolom my Son my Son and Isa 28.10 precept upon precept line upon line c. the expression is taken from Isa 21.9 Babylon is fallen is fallen c. it s spoken of antient and litteral Babylon and it is applyed unto mystical Babylon Rev. 14.8 there we have a threefold discovery of Antichrist First there is an Angel flies with the everlasting Gospel and they do publish the Doctrine of the grace of God in Christ openly against all the inventions of men and denounce Judgements against all Idolatry c. Secondly Rome not repenting thereof now the Lord declares it to be Babylon and a Church of God no more and now it is fallen Jam Ruinae Babylonis jaciuntur fundamenta and now the Lord having declared it to be Babylon doth begin to prepare war against it Thirdly then the people of God rise higher and declare no communion with her and that whoever doth receive her mark and Image he shall drink of the pure wine of the wrath of God without mixture Luther efficiam brevi ut Anathema sit esse Papistam Luther But now the work is at hand there is none of the enemies of Christ so great as mysterie Babylon and there is none of his enemies towards whom he hath used so much patience and long suffering bringing them to destruction but by degrees several vials have been pouring out upon her degrees of wrath poured out upon them and yet every one of these degrees is a fall of Babylon but yet the last and utter ruine of it is to come but it hast ens for the word is gone forth of the mouth of the Lord that he will have war with this Romish Amaleck and never have peace with it till it be destroyed He hath said Great Babylon is fallen c. Hence the Observations are Three First Rome mysterie Babylon shall certainly fall Secondly It shall utterly fall and be broken with breach upon breach and destroyed with a double destruction Thirdly The fall of it the Saints of God look upon as matter of the greatesl joy and Triumph Babylon is fallen is fallen it is a joyful voice to be heard in Sion by the inhabitants thereof and they that stand with the Lamb thereupon Doctrine The Doctrine from hence is Rome that is mystical Babylon shall certainly fall which will appear if you consider these particulars First consider the enemie that hath set himself against Rome is one that is able to effect it and that is the great and the Almighty God and if he lift up his hand to reap if he whet his glittering sword he will surely make a slaughter Rev. 18.8 strong is the Lord God who judgeth her it is true
of the world Now if men be under the hand of God in wrath and one judgement doth make way for another God will punish them seven times more surely they must be utterly destroyed at the last so it was with Rome one Judgement makes way for another and one vial doth prepare and fit the subject for another So that as unto the Saints one mercy doth but prepare the subject and open the door unto another so also to ungodly men one judgement makes way for another and their hearts are hardned unto their own destruction Fifthly it is the expectation of Christ and all the Saints and all their prayers have been poured out this way First it is the expectation of Christ he is sate down at the right hand of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expecting the rest which God hath promised him that all his enemies shall be made his footstool and Christs prayers shall be heard and his expectation shall not be frustrated nor made void and all the Saints have laid up prayers for it for Rev. 16.1 the vials come out of the Temple there is a double voice in this book a voice from the throne quod immediate a deo prosiciscitur and out of the Temple cum precibus sanctorum Impetratur Brightman Brightman Therefore all the degrees of wrath that Rome hath had upon her hath been from the prayers of the Saints and not by their Power and it hath been their expectation long ago that Rome should be utterly ruined Lactantius Horreo dicere dicam tamen quia futurum est Romanum nomen de terra amovebitur Now God that hath raised this expectation in the hearts of his people and drawn out this supplication he will not frustrate their expectations he will fulfill their petitions Doct. 2. All the Roman Power shall utterly fall they shall be destroyed with double destruction Jer. 17.18 and the sword shall be double upon them Ezek. 21.14 Babylon is fallen is fallen First the destruction of Babylon as from God it shall be pure wrath without mixture Rev. 14.10 they had a cup of fornication with which they made all Nations to drink Now God hath a cup of indignation also that which they must all drink and it is poured out without mixture if water be mixed with wine it breaks the force of the wine so that it doth not so soon bring a man to drunkenness as pure wine does this notes summum poenae severitatem judgement without mercy Here the judgements of God that he executes upon men have mercy mixed with them there is a mixture of light with all their darkness non dantur puraetenebrae but in Hell there shall be judgement without mercy and fury without compassion and truly the judgement that shall come upon Rome shall have a great resemblance of the Torments of Hell with it and therefore their judgement is very terrible Secondly it shall be an utter destruction which shall be the more Tormenting because it shall be in the height of their hopes Rev. 18.7 when she shall say I set as a Queen and am no widdâ—w and shall see no sorrow the thoughts of Babylon have been and still are high and are eminently confident of victories and successes and yet ver 8. her plagues come in one day as Sodoms with fire and brimstone Rev. 14.10 they shall be tormented with fire and brimstone God will as it were rain Hell out of Heaven upon them he hath fire and brimstone for this spiritual Sodom that they shall not know it till it comes upon them when they think themselves safe then shall judgement come and Babylon shall fall into the Sea like a mill-stone suddenly and irrecoverably Thirdly the judgement shall come upon all parties and upon all degrees and conditions of men that joyn with them all those that do partake of their sins shall have a share of the plagues there is a vial upon the earth that is upon the common people Secondly upon the Sea also there is a vial the jurisdiction of Rome Thirdly upon the rivers their ministers and Instruments that advance this authority all the ministerie of Rome that carry abroad this power over the world Fourthly upon the Sun all Princes and Magistrates and all powers so far as they hold of Rome Fifthly there will be a vial also upon Rome it self the throne of the Beast in the Lords time all this will be accomplished and the day hastens apace and there is no degree from the highest to the lowest that shall escape no place shall protect a man for the vial is poured out by the Lord and there is no escaping Fourthly there is an utter desolation described it shall become an habitationfor Devils which love to be in solitary and desolate places and it shall be a cage for every unclean and hateful bird as Sodom was it shall be a monument of wrath unto all the world Isa 13.19,20 Rev. 18.22,23 The voice of Harpers and Trumpeters shall be heard no more in thee c. and the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee c. Fifthly God will stir up the Instruments of vengeance to do their utmost to destroy them as he had before put it in the hearts of the 10. Kings to set her up so shal he also put it into their hearts to cast her down they shall make her desolate and naked and eat her flesh and burn her with fire Rev. 17.16 and Rev. 18.6 reward her as she rewarded you double upon her double and if the Lord put a principle of vengeance into the hearts of men and command them to do it surely the destruction may be exceeding fearful when the Lord does bid and command men to be cruel Lastly it shall make way for their eternal destruction For a man to undergo Temporal afflictions though they be grievous yet it were not so much so his soul might be saved in the day of the Lord but when death goes before and Hell follows after this is the greatest misery Now this is the condition of all that follow the Beast and receive his mark whose names are not written in the Book of the Lamb and therefore Rev. 19.20 the Beast was taken and the false Prophet and they were cast alive into a Lake that did burn with fire and brimstone Truly then it is terrible when judgements do make way for a mans everlasting destruction and eternal ruine Doct. 3. The destruction of Rome and every degree of it the Saints of God do look upon as matter of joy and triumph the righteous shall be glad when he sees the vengeance that shall come upon Rome and shall with a holy scorn say as they do upon the fall of litteral Babylon Isa 14. How art thou fallen from Heaven O Lucifer son of the morning Rev. 19.1 There is a voice of much people in Heaven Heaven that is put for the Church saying Amen Hallelujah because the Lord had judged the great whore c.
But what is there in their destruction that is such matter of joy to hear of the shedding of blood and the destruction of many thousands and those many of them poor souls very unfit to dye to see them in garments rouled in blood is this matter of joy a man would rather think you should rather sit down and sigh to the breaking of your loins There are many things in it matter of joy and triumph unto the Saints as first they rejoyce in the Judgements of God Rev. 19 2. True and righteous are thy judgements for thou hast judged the great whore they do taste a sweetness even in the judgements of God as Ezek. 3.1 it was in my belly as honey even that roll which contained nothing but bitter lamentations yet it was very sweet to him the Saints love to see Christ with his sword girt upon his thigh and cloathed with a vesture dipt in blood and treading the wine-press alone travelling in the greatness of his strength Isa 63.1,2 Secondly because God hath appeared for the Churches cause and hath owned their quarrel and hath avenged the blood of his servants at their hands Rev. 19.2 when God doth appear for them and doth not leave them unto the will of their enemies but doth awake as a Giant in the behalf of his people this hath alwaies occasioned songs and rejoycing in his people the Lord hath triumphed gloriously over the horse his rider Exo. 15. not that they do triumph meerly upon the account of their own safety but they triumph because God hath triumphed over his enemies else to see so many drowned in the mercyless grave who would not have pittyed them Thirdly of all the Churches enemies that ever were this is the cruelest enemy the fourth beast is worse then any of the former and in the fourth beast the little horn was more fierce then his fellows they have been alwaies drunk with blood and their endeavour was to weare out the Saints of the most High Fourthly it shall be the last enemy for as soon as they shall be destroyed the seventh Trumpet sounds and then shall the mystery of God be finished it hath been an enemy to the Church of longest continuance of any their oppressions have lain longest upon the Church of God and the longer a burthen doth lie and hath been complained of the greater mercy you would count it to have it taken off if to be 430. years in Egypt and 70. years in Babylon be a long time for the people of God to indure yet this is a bondage that lasts 1260. daies in the greatest tyranny and rage that can be they Tread down the Temple Rev. 11.1,2 Fifthly when this enemy shall be destroyed the cup of her fornication shall be removed by which the men of the earth but specially the Kings of the earth have been made drunken Rev. 18.11 Now there is no man shall be their merchants more they had Chap-men abundantly before but now there shall be a dealing in that trade no more the same God that did cast out Satan in the Pagan way of Idolatry will also cast out Satan in the Antichristian way of Idolatry but they shall not deceive the earth by such sorceries any more for there is by this means a cloud that hath filled the house and no man could enter into the Temple Rev. 15.8 there was no considerable number of menconverted there was such a darkness and a smoake upon the ordinances of God and all his dispensations but all shall be removed Sixthly Lastly from the glorious fruit and consequences that shall follow upon the destruction of Antichrist the people of God will have great cause to rejoyce and praise God I le name only these four First then the Kingdoms of the world shall become the Kingdom of the Lord and of his Christ Rev. 11.15 there shall be multitudes converted unto the Lord. Secondly it shall be the inlet of all the promises now Christ shall be called the word of God he was so before but now he is called so for the accomplishment of it as Exod. 3.6 by the name Jehovah God was not known unto them Thirdly then all persecutions shall cease Rev. 20. Satan shall be bound so that he shall not stir up the world to the persecution of the Saints as he had done in times past Fourthly New Jerusalm shall come down from God out of Heaven there shall be that glory of the Church that the Kingdom and dominion under the whole Heavens shall be given up to it and they shall possess it for ever and ever Dan. 7. the mountain of the Lords house shall be exalted on the top of the mountains there is a triumphant state of the Church that is yet to come in this life when all the glory of the world shall be brought unto the Church and people of God Vse Seeing God hath in a degree accomplished this in this late mercy do you rejoyce with Triumph and say great Babylon is fallen for they are some of the most blind and Jesuited Papists in the world and those that profess oâ—herwise yet they do enter upon the Popish interest and engage in the same quarrel with them and take heed you be not deceived with vain words we see how not only this but the neighbor Nations do declare against them that seek to promote that cause of tyrannie and oppression which you have hitherto fought against let not your discontents carry you to the quite contrary point of the compass and your zeal against sects and heresies make you to succor their prophaness and to enter upon their interest and thereby to destroy that which you have endeavoured to build and to pluck down with your own hands that which you have so much with your purses and prayers laboured to set up I le only speak briefly to these five particulars to quicken you in this duty of praising God First it is a command that God doth give to all his Saints to rejoyce at Babylons downfal Rev. 18.20 rejoyce over her thou heaven universa sanctorum multitudo all the Saints but specially the Prophets and the Apostles the saithful Preachers of the word of God let not them be last in their joy and praises that had the great hand and were first in praying for it it is your duty and it lies as a command upon you and if you make conscience of other commands do not for fancies dispence with this Secondly they be Romes merchants only that be sad at it let them say Rev. 18.10 Alas alas that great City Babylon that mighty City this doth not befit the Sons of Zion but the merchants of Babylon and truly let me tell you a man may receive the mark of the beast in his right hand and may strongly promote the Popish interest that doth never wearâ—t by profession in his forehead Thirdly if Babylon shall fall then come out of her my people saith your God when Rome doth fall now is the time
bosom to mourn with them and have compassion over them and this he is to do not only for some of the great ones but he is to do it impartially over all the flock For God makes no difference in respect of any mans title or place but he that hath the best heart is the best man in Gods account and in Church members those should be esteemed by us that have the greatest graces not the greatest places Fourthly it is the Pastors duty if any man in the Church walk disorderly or inordinately he is to mourn for them Jer. 13.17 My soul shall weep in secret for your pride and Phil. 3.18 Now I tell you weeping c. Their miscarriage should be to him as the errors of a child unto a tender Father he should bewail them with bitterness to consider how they thereby go about to destroy themselves should exceedingly affect the Pastor as Christ when he beheld Ierusalems sins he wept over it and many times there is nothing left for a minister to do for a person but to shed tears Secondly he is to admonish them and that authoritatively â— Thes 5.12 Know them which labour amongst you and are over you and admonish you in the Lord that is by vertue of the authority that is commited unto me by Christ I do admonish you in the Lord and this is to do a thing in the name of the Lord Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 5.4 Yea reprove them sharply and so Paul doth propose it unto the Corinthians Whither he should come to them with the rod or in the spirit of meckness Thirdly if nothing else will do they must together with the Church in which they are have the main hand they are to stir them up to cast out such a person and to represent it to the Church according to the power that is committed unto them by Christ for the Churches edification Rev. 2.3 they must not bear them that be evil they must be cast out they should look upon it as their Burthen that any amongst them should deserve to be cast out from the Church yet they must do their duty this is the rule that they have over you in the Lord Heb. 13.17 Fifthly they must walk as examples to the flock 1 Pet. 5.3 Go before them in a holy life 2 John 10. it is said Christ is the Shepherd and he goes before the sheep and his sheep do follow him the meaning is he went before them in a holy conversation for he hath in all things given us an example a Copy to write after that we should walk as he hath walked Pastors should be a living Scripture and walking Bibles more then any other men and yet ye are to take this as a rule be you followers of us as we are of Christ and mark them who so walketh as they have us for an example Philip. 3.17 Secondly for the dispositions with which all these duties are to be done which I will lay down in six particulars First from a tender love and care God doth put this care of the flock unto those whom he calls to be their Over-seers in mercy and he doth give them graces sutable Pastors graces 2 Cor. 8.16 God did put the same care into the heart of Titus Phil. 2.26 Epaphroditus that was their Pastor he doth long for them exceedingly and his love was so great that he would not have them so much as grieved and therefore he was sorry that they had heard that he had been sick there was in the heart of our Lord Christ a Law of love written thy Law is in the middle of my bowels as there should be a love amongst the members so in a special manner in those that are Pastors and Fathers to a people their bowels should yern over them Secondly all this is to be done with the spirit of meekness in a way of Ministry and not in a way of Majesty For we are but your servants for Christs sake and we are not to rule as Lords over Gods heritage 1 Pet. 5.3 and therefore pride and imperiousness must be avoided for all that we have to do is by the word and we can rule no other way Thirdly all things must be done without self-respects and to make a gain of the people we must feed the flock not for filthy lucres sake that though the Pastor is to eat of the milk of the flocks and though it be the peoples duty 1 Cor. 9.14 God hath ordained that they should yet this is not to be the end propounded by the Minister or Pastor unto themselves for them to have such a low end as this put me into the Priests office that I may eat a piece of bread no we are to seek you and not yours and to expect our crown of glory at the appearing of the great Shepherd of the sheep 1 Pet. 5.9 Fourthly it must be with faith and an expectation that God will in a special manner bless their endeavours and labours unto that people over which God hath put them over which the holy Ghost hath made them overseers for with the call of God there doth go the blessing of God and if God do put a man into any office he may expect a blessing upon him in that imployment he doth call Christ and he doth promise him the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand and Christ sends forth the Apostles and he promises to be with them to the end of the world Math. 28.19 the people are to expect a greater blessing by them because God hath put them over them Heb. 13.17 they watch for your souls So the Ministers also that go forth with faith to preach the Gospel the Lord will make them a blessing to the people where he sends them Fifthly it must be done as those that give an account for your souls that are the people committed to his care Heb. 13.17 there are great accounts that men have to give for talents and opportunities of doing good and of Riches that God hath entrusted them with and Honours and the day of grace but the greatest account is that of souls which are precious unto all those to whom their own souls are precious and as the Lord Jesus himself comes in at the last day before the Father Here am I and the children that thou hast given me Heb. 2.13 So also this will be the work of the Ministry at the last day they will give an account of your souls O what a great thing is it for a Minister to be able to say I prayed for such a soul I instructed such a soul he was blind before and God used me as an Instrument to convey light to him I watched over such a soul for it is your souls only that we have to do with all and its only with reference to your souls that we watch over you Sixthly the Pastors of a people do their duty as those whose crown of glory it will be at the last day
set before other men and exalted above them for in Church societies it is not outward honours or wealth that exalts men men may be great men yet have but mean gifts and of little honour and esteem in the Church of God but also they are called by terms of authority they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this place and v. 7. they are your Guides Leaders and Commanders and therefore it is taken from the Master or Pilot in a Ship that turns it about to steer it in its right course and therefore they were of old called The Masters of Assemblies Eccl. 12. and this appears so much the greater if you do consider also that they speak to you in the name of Christ for 1 Thes 5.12 They are over you in the Lord and what they do require by vertue of their office they can do it in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ as an Embassador hath great power because he speaks in the name of the King and they can enjoyn you as you owe obedience to Christ in whose name we speak and whose work we do therfore he that rejecteth you rejecteth me 1 Cor. 5.4 In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ deliver such a man to Satan if they did it in their own name there were little power in it indeed but in the name of Christ there is great authority and there is this the more to be added because as it is a power given them by Christ and Christ is despised in them so it is a power given them by your own consent now for a man to give consent to put power into a mans hand and afterwards he denyes him the exercise of that power which he hath given him it is for a man to Judge and condemn himself in the thing which he himself allows therefore it layes a necessity upon you of subjection to this power both for conscience sake and as a thing that was done by your own free election and consent and so there is not only an authority that commands it but a Law of love also as a woman subjects her self to her husband not only as God hath commanded it and given him authority over her but also from a principle of love because this is the man that I did chuse to my self to obey and to be subject unto all my dayes therefore a double Law is broken in this respect and this still argues the greatness of an Officers power in the Church It s called the power of the keyes which doth note a very great authority and office Isa 22.22 power in the house the ordering of governing of all the affairs in a family shall go through their hands as it is said of Joseph what ever was done in all the land of Egypt he was the doer of it so it is true of them what ever is done in the Church of God it must go through their hands they must also be the doers of it and Math. 16.19 it is the keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven which is meant both of grace and glory a power to bind and loose in the Church by vertue of the Institution of Christ and what they do bind and loose or they remit or retain shall be so done in the world to come in the Kingdom of Heaven so that they shall open Heaven to the Church and if they shut them out heaven shall be shut out if they binde upon their consciences so will the Lord also in the world to come in Heaven and in this respect it is a far greater power then if a man had the keyes of the authority and Government of all the Kingdoms of the Earth Thirdly the subjects of this authority it is not the bodies lives of men or their estates but the authority is spiritual and it relates unto the soul only and this will appear First because it is managed only by spiritual means as the Kingdom of Christ is not of this world the management of things in the Church of Christ are not to be done in the way of the world it is not by any outward power and greatness or by authority and force of arms c. but all is ordered by the word 2 Cor. 10.5 The weapons of our warfare are mighty through God for it is this that is the Scepter of the power of Christ and all the authority that he doth exercise by his Ministers and Officers under him it is by the word only and if they wil not hear the word let such a man be unto thee a Heathen man let him be Anathema Maranatha to the coming of the Lord we must leave him as a man incurable we can do no more to him 1 Cor. 16.22 if the word will not reclaim him we have no way to deal with him but to set before him the Judgement that is written which if he despise then Church-Officers have no more to do but as they when they refused the Gospel did shake off the dust of their feet it will be easier for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Judgement they have no power either to imprison or afflict their bodies or seise upon their estates if they obey not they can only leave men to the Judgement of the Lord. Secondly answerable unto the power such are the censures and they are all spiritual they relate unto the soul they can inflict no corporal punishment upon men but the Punishment in Scripture and first a binding of their sins Joh. 20.21 as they pardon sin in the conscience and in regard of their Church-state by receiving them after sinning upon their repentance So there is a binding of sin upon the conscience convincing a man of the guilt of sin and also the putting him out of the society so that the mans sin is bound in his own conscience and before the Church and the Lord saith It shall be bound in heaven and shall not be pardoned to him or if he be godly he shall not have the sense of pardon till by this ordinance of Christ he be again received Secondly they withdraw communion with him 2 Thes 3.14 If any man obey not our word note that man and have no fellowship with him that he may be ashamed all this is in reference to the soul that the man may be reclaimed it is only Mingle not with him that when he shall see all godly men to avoid him as a Pest and his communion as some filthyness he may thereby take shame to himself Thirdly deliver him to Satan 1 Cor. 5.4,5 Ordinances are means to inflict spiritual Judgements as well as to convey spiritual Blessings cast him out by a Judicial act from the Assemblies of the Saints and so being cast out he is in the world where Satan rules he shall have nothing to do with Ordinances more and yet all this is with special respect unto his soul it is for the destruction of the flesh that the soul may be saved in the day of the Lord therefore all power
electing love the Lord hath separated unto himself the man that is Godly Psal 4.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is in the Hebrew he hath gloriously and miraculously wonderfully separated to himself into fellowship not only to himself for service but to himself for communion and what is the ground because you are predestinated unto followship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My Beloved when you all fell from God as well as the Apostate Angels might not the Lord have left you in the same condition with them and your doom should have been cursed and therefore cursed because you must depart but if the Lord had been pleased to have been reconciled if he had said to you as David did concerning Absolom bring the young man home but let him returne to his own house and let him never see my face if the Lord should have said I will not remember their evil against them to destroy them but they shall never see my face more they shall be estranged to me for ever you would have said this had been a mercie even your preservation but this doth not satisfie Electing love there is a double end that electing-love aims at 2 Luke 14. it is peace and good will not only Reconciliation but Communion that God may take the creature into fellowship with himself and empty himself as I may so speak with reverence into the bosom of the creature Be pleased now to consider you may then draw neer to God upon this ground of Gods electing love Secondly you may draw neer to God grounded upon the nature of the Covenant of grace under which you stand My Beloved God deals with all mankind in a Covenant-way and according unto the Covenant under which he standeth so are all Gods dispensations towards him and to that end the Lord hath made a double Covenant with a double head The first Covenant was made with the first Adam the second Covenant with the second Adam and therefore God looks upon all mankind as if there were but two men in the world 1 Cor. 15.47 The first man was of the earth earthly the second man is the Lord from Heaven Heavenly God looks upon all mankind as coming under these two heads the first Adam and the second Adam Now the Covenant of grace which the Lord hath established it hath a double propertie First it is faedus amicitiae a Covenant of friendship the Lord doth take Abram as his friend Abram my friend James 2.23 Now the School-men tell us of two sorts of relations relatio disquiparantiae connotat dominium that notes subjection and dominion as between a King and a subject a master and a servant there is not so properly communion and relatio aequiparantiae quae denotat Communionem now the proper end of friendship is fellowship for a mans friend is as his own soul and the Covenant of grace is a Covenant of fellowship therefore they may draw neer unto him being taken by God into a Covenant of friendship 2ly the Covenant of grace is a matrimonial Covenant faedus Conjugale I betrothed her in Hos 2.9 you knowin this is the neerest Communion the surest oneness in this relation beyond al other in the world the greatest friendship by vertue of an Ordinance two made one One that was heretofore a stranger shall be dearer then Father or Mother and this voluntary relation by consent shall by vertue of the Ordinance of God be more powerful then a natural relation and a man shall leave Father and Mother and cleave to his wife and if there be this power in an Ordinance of God that is but civil what efficacy shall divine Ordinances and this spiritual Covenant have Surely thou shall lie in his bosom and have the more intimate and full communion with him for ever Now when the Lord will set forth the neer Communion that his people may have with him by this Covenant this he calls a Matrimonial Covenant Thirdly you may draw neer to God grounded upon your union with the Lord Jesus Christ The Apostle tells us 1 Cor. 6.17 that he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit and by that Spriit we have access to the Father Eph. 3.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostle tells that our way to God is through him we have by Jesus Christ our manuduction he is the great Favourite that leads us in by the hand into the presence of the Father Eph. 2.18 through him we have an entrance to the Father by one Spirit Christ is not only medium reconciliationis but he is medium communionis also by his satisfaction the one by his intercession the other Jesus Christ my Beloved hath a double reference to us in the work of satisfaction he is the means of Reconciliation but in all our approaches unto God being reconciled Christ is the medium he it is by whom we have Communion with the Lord. Besides In the fourth place you may draw neer to God because of your conformity to him for we are made partakers of the divine nature 1 Pet. 1.4 and we live the life of God Eph. 4.18 and we have his Image restored 1 Cor. 15.49 Conformity is the ground of communion wheresoever it is Joh. 3.6 and the more Conformity the more Communion we have and when your Conformity shall be perfected so shall your communion be Take that place and it is a choice Scripture in that Zach. 3.7 If thou wilt obey my words keep my charge I will give thee places to walk in among those that stand by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inter stantes illos who are these Those interpreters conceive to be Angels So Drusius Post mortem anima tua in chorum recipietur c. the Angels and the Saints they are taken into neerest communion So Calvin so that the more Conformity there is the more a man obeyeth God and the more he keepeth Gods charges the more the Lord will delight to give him places to walk in amongst those that stand by Nay In the fifth place you may draw neer to God for though God be in Heaven you may ascend and the soul may be above in Heaven when the body is walking here below there is a double way of the souls assent either in contemplation or affection In contemplation the soul may ascend John in Rev. 4. said I saw a door opened in Heaven and a voice said Come up hither John in his body ascended not but John in contemplation of his heart was above Col. 3 4. A man is worth as much as his love is worth Ezekiel when he was in Babylon by the River Chebar yet he saith the Spirit of God carried him in the visions of God to Ierusalem Ezek. 8.3 in his contemplation at Ierusalem and yet notwithstanding in his body in Babylon by the River Chebar And the soul may ascend in its affection Mat. 6.21 Where a mans treasure is there will his heart be and surely where a mans heart is there is his happiness
generation then take heed to walk close with God It is good for you to draw neer to God But Secondly it is good for you to draw neer to God when all things else withdraw themselves from you My Beloved it is good for a Christian to make such a supposition as the Prophet Habbakuck doth in Chap. 3.17,18 Though the Fig-tree should notblossom though there be no fruit in the Vine though the labour of the Olive should fail and the fields should yield no meat the flocks should be cut off from the folds and the Herds from the stalls yet I will rejoyce in the Lord and I will triumph in the God of my salvation Mark he doth not only pitch upon those comforts that are rather for complement then necessity but the choicest provision as I may so speak of the worlds making here is the Fig-tree the Vine the Olive the Field the flock and he saith not If any of these should fail then they might be recompenced with the labour of the other but if all these should fail together and conspire to make man miserable and not only to fail in hope but even what you have already in possession When doth a man think his flocks to be certainer then in his folds and his herds then in his stalls but though the flocks and the herds should fail what now will bear up his soul I will rejoyce in God Oh it is time to keep close to God let me tell you the Land reels to and fro like a Drunkard sometimes leanes this way you know it and sometimes that way truly when the Land begins to sink under a mans feet once foundations shake then it is time for a man to lift up his hands and to take hold of heaven restat iter coelo for this will be the great cut to a mans heart when he shall be shut out of all things here below as it was with Saul in his agonie the Philistins made war against him and God hides his head the Philistines made war so they did many times before and Saul got the better Saul had now an Army in the field I but though he had an Army Saul had lost his God the Lord is departed from me and answers me no more This is the best way indeed to keep close to God it is time to draw neer to God when all things else withdraw themselves from you Thirdly it is best because if you draw neer to God God will certainly draw neer to you he hath promised it in Jam. 4.8 Draw neer to God and he will draw neer to you and the approach of God summs up all Gen 15.1 for in his presence is fulness of joy It is a mighty expression Rev. 21.7 that he that overcomes shall inherit all things I and that of our Savtour Mark 10.30 If a man forsake father and mother house or lands he shall have a hundred fold more in this life a hundred fold in some respect he cannot have an hundred Fathers or an hundred Mothers but Interpreters say it is not to be understood formaliter but eminenter he shall have all the comforts in God that these could afford him if they were a hundred times more Oh then draw neer to God and God will certainly draw neer to you But I but name things Fourthly to draw neer to God is best for by this means you shall be preserved from the evil that other men suffer the evil of suffering The promise is in Psal 91.10 He that dwelleth under the shaddow of the most high no plague shall come nigh him he will give his Angels charge over thee it notes a constant fellowship thou shalt be the special charge that the Angels have I shall desire you but to consider the Lord hath projects of providence for his peoples preservation as well as for his enemies destruction Noah walked with God and had an Ark when the rest of the world of ungodly men perished in the waters David a man that kept constant communion and we see how the Lord owns him in all his tryals and appears for him upon all the glory there shall be a covering and there are projects of providence beyond the wisdom of men or Angels for the Lord knows how to deliver the just from all their trouble and how to reserve the wicked to the day of Judgement These things now I am forced to pass over Lastly and so we will hasten to the Application It is best for men to draw neer to God because a close communion keeps up in a mans soul those qualifications as shall make every afliction comfortable and easie be the times never so bad for the drawing neer of the soul to God is like the Sun to the earth which by its heat and perfect influence puts life vigour and beauty into things dead and withered before Cant. 1.12 Communion with God is the spring-time of all grace and therefore I will but name them First Communion with God will keep a mans soul in a silent humble frame that was the fruit of Aarons Communion in Levit. 10.3 a great cross be fell him he lost two Sons taken away by an immediate act of Gods hand even in an act of sin yet Aaron held his peace Aaron held his peace fellowship with God will certainly keep the soul in a peaceable submissive frame that be the affliction what it will be the soul shall say Gods will is the rule of goodness when Judgement was pronounced against Hezekiah good is the word of the Lord and Iob the Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away Secondly fellowship with God will keep a mans soul in a holy independency upon the things below there is nothing my Beloved puts a mans soul out of band with the creature like communion this is the way to have the Moon under your feet as the expression is for that in fellowship with God a man that knows what it is to have close communion knows that he doth really set his feet where other men set their hearts it puts the mouth out of tast to all creature comforts to him Chrysostom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost though the world were on fire about his ears yet he hath lost nothing for his portion is enough In the third place as a holy independency so a holy magnanimity of spirit he shall not think those things great that other men think insupportable Iesus Christ endured the Cross and despised the shame and the shame of the cross was the greatest suffering Why do you weep and break my heart I am ready not only to be bound but to die for him Luther And Luther I remember when the enemies gave out that he had recanted he writes in a Letter of his that I will never recant think that I will do any thing rather then recant be the dangers and threatnings what they will be they are not careful to answer thee in this matter omnia de me praesumes praeter fugam
the more he shall be acquainted with the secrets of God for communion lies much in imparting of secrets Abraham is called the friend of God and he had gotten such an interest in him that God can do nothing that he will hide from Abraham Gen. 18. And Moses God will speak to him as a man with his friend sace to face 1 Sam. 9.15 The Lord told Samuel in his ear In this respect it may be truly said the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and his Urim and Thumim with his holy ones these lean upon the Lords bosom from day to day and that is the seat of secrets as well as of love Thirdly the more a man draws neer to God the more acceptable will all his services be and therefore the more Moses appeared before God and stood in the gap the more God delighted in him and he turned away the wrath of God from his people Job must pray for his friends and the Lord will hear him though they were godly men yet they were not contented that it should be only well with them but they wrestled with God for others and God will honour them with the answer of prayers for they that draw most neer to God and God draws neer to them are the men of his good will God will say unto them Concerning my sons and the works of my hands command ye me c. and therefore Bernard speaking of such times of Communion Bernard Dulce commercium sed Breve momentum saith he when it is so with a man then pray for me cum talis fueris memento mei for then his prayers will surely prevail Moses prays Exod. 32. Lord pardon them c. and God repented of the evil he thought to have done to his people c. My presence shall go before thee and I will give thee rest Lord shew me thy glory Thou canst not see my face and live but I will cause my goodness to pass before thee God can in such approaches unto the soul deny them nothing Fourthly the more a man shall prosper in whatever he doth undertake Joseph was a successful man in all his undertakings and the ground of it was because the Lord was with him Gen. 39. last he kept constant Communion with God and so David in all things that he did he prospered for the Lord was with him 1 Chron. 11.9 Josh 5. the ground of all Joshua's success in war was because the Lord was with him I know a godly man doth prize his services above his comforts his work above his wages as one of the Martyrs said when he came to dye Nothing did grieve him more then that he was now going to a place where he should be for ever receiving wages and never do any more work Now if you would be employed by God and would have the Lord to delight to use you and prosper you in your undertakings keep close to him Fifthly the more fellowship you have with God the more friendship you shall find among men Indeed the people of God are commonly the persons that are most evil spoken of in the world the evil eyes of vain men are set against them and they will do what they can to render them unsavoury and they learn from their father the Devil to cast aspersions on them But yet notwithstanding they are the Lords darlings and are precious in his sight the world may throw dirt on them but it shall not stick or fasten there and if it be good for them they shall be delivered from the strife of evil tongues and in evil times when dangers come when the enemy encamps the City God will give them favour in the sight of their enemies God gave Ioseph favour in the sight of the Keeper of the prison Gen. 39.21 and Ier. 3.9,11 Nebuchadnezar gave charge concerning Ieremiah a poor man in a danger when the rest of the great Princes were not considered and among the godly they have the highest place in their hearts All my delight is in the Saints saith David Zach. 8. ten men shall lay hold of the skirt of a Iew because God is with him Communion with God here is the highest pitch of happiness next to the beatifical Vision in glory Sixthly Lastly it is the highest pitch of happiness for any people to have God for their God the People of God make this their great Boast Who is a God like unto our God and the neerer they come to God the more they have of him the fuller is their happiness and they are thereby encouraged because they know that God delights in Communion with them he calls upon them for it he proclaims it to let the world see that he that is God blessed for ever will have his Tabernacle among men he will walk amongst them Rev. 21.4 he calls them Hephzibah my delight is in them Communion is the first fruit of fruition therefore the people of God should labour for it every act of fellowship is the morning-star Rev. 2.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and doth assuredly tell that the day is approaching if it be so great a matter to have the first fruits of glory what must the possession be Consider what hath been said and the Lord give you understanding in all things THE SAINTS INHERITANCE At Mr Carryl's Church at London-bridge 1 COR. 3.22 Or things to come OMitting the Context The words contain in them the Inheritance of a Christian with the Tenure thereof The Inheritance is all things the Tenure is ye are Christs and Christ is Gods First the Saints have an Inheritance Christ is by the Father appointed heir of all things Heb. 1.13 As he is the Son he is haeres natus as he is the Mediator he is haeres constitutus The one by Generation which was an act of his Nature and the other Designation which was an act of his Will Now the Saints being made Sons by the Sonship of Christ they are also made co-heirs with him in his Inheritance Rom. 8.17 And his Inheritance being all things so must theirs be There are two things in Christ to be distinguished First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a price payd and thereby a satisfaction given unto provoked Justice and so Christ did fulfil the righteousness of the Law and payd the curse thereof Secondly there is Meritum which is a purchase made as it was perform'd by a person that was not bound unto the Law The Law indeed required it of Men but not of him that was God and Man and so the excellency of the person is the ground of the Merit and of the Purchase and the Inheritance for though it be true Meritum Christi habet in se gratiam invisceratam there is the free grace of God in all the merit of Christ Yet there is nothing that is so pure grace but that there is a purchase also therein That the Father may be truly said to give it and Christ truly said to purchase it also
And this Inheritance is as full and large as could be desired for it is all things Rev. 21.7 He that ouercomes shall inherit all things All things are yours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our gifts are benefits given for your good It 's said of Christ Psalm 86. That God hath put all things under his feet that is hath given all things into his power and dominion In potestate tradere so as all shall be his servants at his command and their utmost end shall be his glory and so he hath put all things under the feet of the Saints they are all subjected to them as their servants so that the highest end next unto the glory of Christ is for their good All things shall work together for their good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First all things are for their use 2 Cor. 6.10 As having nothing and yet possessing all things So that though the Saints do not ingross all things unto themselves by way of a Monopoly yet as far as their necessity shall require they may expect the use and the service of them all so that whatsoever extraordinary experiment any of the antient Saints have had of the service of the creatures when they have needed them that they also may expect as their exigencies and necessities shall require The Heavens to rain bread and Rocks to give water and the Sun to stand still and the Moon to go badk for the Saints are the Lords of all the creatures and all things shall be for their use because they have an interest in him that is the Lord of Hosts Fidelibus est totus mundus Aug. Secondly all things are the Saints for their comfort and they can tast a goodness and a sweetness in them all 1 Tim. 6.17 He gives us all things richly to enjoy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And indeed in this respect we must onely mundo uti frui Deo for he is onely to be the rest and delight of the soul So the Schoolmen tell us fruitio est finis In the utmost end attain'd we have the greatest comfort that a soul can be capable of it is noblissima voluntatis actio and so as Heb. 11.25 Injoy the pleasures of sin Other pleasures enjoyed become pleasures of sin all creatures enjoy'd become the baits and the snares to sin but here fruition as one hath well observed signifies nothing else but cum laetitia rem aliquam perci pere and so God hath given a godly man the creatures and all things that he may take comfort in them And this is the Saints portion that they may have all these things as a Viaticum in their way to heaven Though their happiness lyes not in these things these things are not the peculiar gifts of God to them even unregenerate men may have the creatures For God gives the Kingdoms of the earth to the basest of men but they have no comfort in them they have only the sting the gall and the wormwood that is in them all his dayes he eats his meat in darkness Eccles And he hath sorrow with his dainties Thirdly a godly man hath a spiritual fruit and benefit by them all of them tend to his blessing and to the prosperity of his inward man They are scala caeli and the soul climbs to heaven by them as it 's said of King Jehoshahat 2 Chron. 17.5,6 he had riches and honour in abundance and his heart was encouraged in the wayes of the Lord c. whereas to other men their Table becomes a snare to their soul it 's to them as lime to their wings that they cannot ascend up to heaven They are pondus the weight that keeps the soul groveling here below There 's a double evil befallen the creatures since that curse came upon them Gen. 3.17 it 's deceiving and it's defiling 1. They deceive they are themselves empty yet raise mens expectations from them He that depends on them seeds on ashes Isa 44.20 and comes under the Serpents curse Dust shalt thou eat and when he depends most thereon is as he that worshippeth an Idol who hath a lye in his right hand 2. They defile Tit. 1.15 to the unclean all things are unclean Now in the covenant that the Lord made with the creatures Hos 2.19,20 c. God promises not onely that they shall not be hurting but that they shall not be poluting to the soules of the people of God Grace shall make advantage by them all and they shal all of them work together unto a mans spiritual good that the soul shal shine prosper by them Fourthly they shall all of them have an influence into eternity and all of them shall adde to a mans eternal account and a man shall have the fruit of them in his eternal inheritance A man makes friends of the unrighteous Mammon and therein makes himself bags that wax not old Luk. 12.23 and thereby lays up a good foundation for time to come that he may lay hold of eternal life for we are but Stewards of what we enjoy and we must one day give an account answerable to the improvement of those Talents committed to us by God such will our honour be at the last thou hast been faithful in the Mammon of unrighteousness and therefore the Lord will not fail to give unto thee the true Treasure Secondly the Tenure is ye are Christs for we hold all in Capite all by virtue of Union Omnes communio fundatur in unione our communion with him is in his graces in his priviledges in his victories in his sufferings in his inheritance c. But what 's the ground of it It 's from our union It 's the highest glory of a man next the glory of God that such a glorious creature as a woman should be made for his comfort and service for the man was not created for the woman but the woman for the man So the highest glory of God is Christ as God-Man that he should become subject to him That he that was the Lord of the Law should be made under the Law he that was God equal with the Fother 2 Cor. 11.3,4 and thought it no robbery so to be So Christ holds his right to all things from God and we hold ours from Christ by vertue of union with him There is a double dominion There is dominium politicum and that is grounded upon the providential Kingdom that Christ as the Lord hath bestowed upon him by God all the services of the creatures for he hath bought all the creatures even all the world of God not onely the Saints but ungodly men also for there are some deny the Lord that bought them But he buyes them not all alike but some as servants others as sonnes some their persons and others their services onely and as servants he doth give unto them a reward and they have a right to it but it s onely a right of Providence as they are servants But now there
Jacobs trouble Lam. 1.17 The Lord hath commanded concerning Jacob that the Adversaries shall be round about c. therefore by Jacob here is meant only Judah that is the two Tribes that did not depart from God in the Revolt and Apostacy of the ten Tribes and that those of Israel that for conscience sake did leave their Habitations and went and dwelt in Judah and Jerusalem yet there 's a time of trouble for them also 2. What 's meant by the time of trouble It 's in the Original Hab. 3.16 tempus augustiae a time of straits which is called a day of straits when the Lord did come up upon them and invade them with his Troops for so the Army of the Babylonians is called when they should be led into Captivity by the will and command of others for their Persons and Estates to be made use of as a prey to serve the wills and ends of strangers and servants For strangers Jer. 30.8 Strangers shall no more serve themselves of them And for servants Lam. 5.8 Servants rule over us and there 's none to deliver us out of their hands Now when the walls of the City were broken down the Temple destroyed the Worship of God prophaned and all the Ordinances of God trampled under foot all Order Authority deposed and all things subjected unto the wil and lusts of a conquering Army now it was a time of straits great straits in point of conscience for they would now be working them about to their way and perswading them to worship their Gods Jer. 10.11 Now to be under the power of men and not to be subjected to their lusts and serve the lusts of men it 's a great strait and straits also in respect of the affliction having their lives alway hanging in doubt having their bread by weight and their water by measure and in respect of succour in a great strait also for there was no deliverer Lam. 1.3 All her Persecutors overtook her between the streights that there was no escaping no way to avoyd them and therefore 2 Tim. 3.5 These shall be difficult times in which men should meet with great and variety of straits that they should not know which way to turn themselves c. Thirdly it 's called a great day magnum pro formidabile Cal. Terribilis aut mire calamitosa à magnitudine supplicii magnus nominatur Theodor. And we doe read of five Great Dayes in the Scripture First the day of the Lord spoken of in Malach. 4.6 I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the great and terrible day â—f the Lord that is interpreted Luk. 1.17 of John Baptist who was to be the forerunner of Christs coming And this is called a great day for the great manifestations of God wherein life and immortality should be brought to light by the Gospel the great changes of Ordinances and the great destruction of the Enemies the terrible Judgements that should then be poured out for Mal. 4.1 The day cometh that shall burn as an Oven and all that do wickedly shall be stubble that is when the Sun of Righteousness doth arise with healing in his wings c. And for the terrible Judgements that under the Gospel the Lord would pour out upon the world and that is meant Acts 2.28 Joel 2.3 The Sun shall be turned into darkness the Moon into blood before that great day of the Lord come It 's spoken of the great Judgements that the Lord Christ would pour out upon the world and thereby make way for the receiving the Gospel publickly for he doth shake Heaven and Earth and thereby makes way for the coming of the desire of all Nations for out of the Throne when Christ is exalted comes thunderings and lightnings and voices Rev. 4.5 Secondly there 's the great day of Jezreel Hos 1. last That is when the Lord shall call home his antient people and gather together the outcasts of Israel Which shall be a day in which the Lord shall appear in his glory for when he doth build Zion he doth appear in his glory a day of the restitution of all things a day of enriching of the world a day when new Jerusalem shall come down from God out of heaven and a day in which the kingdoms of the earth shall be given to the Lord and his Christ and there shall not be any more any pricking bryer or any grieving thorn in all the land there shall be no more a Canaanite in the land forever all persecuting Powers shall be subdued Thirdly there 's a great day when the battel Armageddon shall be fought Rev. 16.14 When all the Powers of the earth shall rally and gather together their broken Troops against the Church of God they shall be the greatest combination that ever hath been and in which all the opposite Powers shall be utterly and finally broken and thereby way shall be made for the vial poured upon the air which brings in the binding of Satan chap. 20. Now this battel with the issue of it we have chap. 19.19,20,21 Now from the great preparations that the enemies do make and the great destruction which then they shall be sure to find and the great things which shall follow upon this and that in this day the Lord will make way for therefore it 's called the great day of God Almighty when the Lord shall fulfil all his promises and prophecies and Christ shall be cloathed with a garment dipt in blood and his name shall be called the Word of God Fourthly the day of Judgement is a great day also the Angels are said to be reserved in chains of darkness unto the Judgement of the great day for then shall the son of man sit upon the throne of his glory and all Nations shall be gathered together before him and he shall separate them one from another as a Shepheard divides his Sheep from the Goats c. and he shall then passe a finall sentence an eternall judgement upon the eternal estates of men and set a gulph between them for ever which they shall never pass when he hath so done he shall resign or give up his kingdom unto God the Father and then all the present wayes of administration shall cease Fifthly when the Lord brings any speciall judgement or affliction upon his people that also is called a great day Zeph. 1.14 the great day of the Lord is near it 's a day of darkness and gloominess a day of clouds and thick darkness that Trumpet and Alarum against the fenced Cities and against the high Towers it 's a threatning of the same Judgement there which here the Prophet speaks of the captivity of Babylon and it s called the great day of the Lord and so it 's here called also Fourthly it 's said that it 's such a day that there is none like to it that is First it is the greatest evil that ever befell that people they had been smitten with Pestilence with scarcity
of bread cleaness of teeth invasions of Enemies but never any like unto this and therefore does the Prophet call it an onely evil Ezek. 7.5,6,7 it 's come and it is not a high sound the eccho of the mountains but it shall be so in truth and in reality in which the fury of the Lord shall be poured out upon them he would give the dearly beloved of his soul into the hand of his enemies Secondly there 's none like it if we also compare Gods dealing with them and with other people The Lord hath not dealt so with any Nation as he hath done with Jerusalem and therefore they are afflicted and in captivity with the heathen Nations who are at ease and sit stil Zach. 1.13.14 For judgement must begin at the House of God and there is at the last a worse end remaining for them that obey not the Gospel c. Secondly here 's a consolation also Jacob shall have his time of trouble but it is yet but a time the people of God never enter into affliction without a promise and therefore they are prisoners of hope when they are in a pit in which there 's no water Zach. 9.11,12 There are three great promises that the Saints have under all their afflictions First they are promised support in the affliction I will be with you and there 's a River the streames whereof do make glad the City of God Gen. 15. there 's a light that goes between the peeces in the middle of the darkness the bush in the fire is not burnt a peculiar providence watches over them to keep them from fainting under the affliction Secondly they are promised Sanctification This is the fruit of the affliction to take away their sins by this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged they shall be made partakers of his holynesse and of his glory for these light afflictions that are but for a moment shall work for us a more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Thirdly there 's a promise of deliverance out of affliction Israel shall not dye in Aâ—gypt though it be four hundred years before they come forth though the Temple be trodden down of the Gentiles and the woman be in the wilderness 1260. dayes yet she shall not alwaies be in a wilderness estate and though they be in Babylon yet the Lord by the blood of the Covenant will send them forth out of the pit and he will break the yoke from off the neck of the anointing c. And some think as Calvin that to be the meaning of Is 9.1 Her dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation when he first lightly afflicted the land of Zabulon c. that was in the inroads formerly made upon them by Tiglah Pileser and was that greater then the captivity when the City should be destroyed and the Temple burnt with fire and there was no comparison in the affliction but yet the darkness should not be such and the reason is this huic certa permissionem esse additam cum in prioribus nulla esset better be as low as Hel with a promise then in Paradise without it the darkness of the bottomless pit would not be utter darkness if there were but the light of a promise for the soul to look upon for there is a time of the pro nise Acts 7.17 when it will truly speak and not lye But what are the grounds why God will not spare his own people Hence the grounds are these two First God will not spare his own people there 's a time of Jacoh's trouble when even Gods own people shall be reduced to extremity and there shall come upon them a time of straits Secondly Jacobs trouble is but for a time there 's a day of deliverance for them they shall be saved out of it The Doctrine is this Doctrin There is a time of Jacobs trouble Gods own dearest people are many times brought into a time of straits It 's true that through a mans whole life Christianus must be crucianus he must take up his cross that will follow the Lord There 's no son that he receives but he chvstises Affliction is a Childs portion in the ways of holyness their correction is as truly from the hand of their father as their provision is But my purpose at present is to speak of some special times of Jacobs trouble a great day a day of straits And God doth many times bring his own people unto this It will appear to be true from all the dealings of God with the Saints the children of Israel were in bondage in Aegypt long and their affliction was great but there was a time when the bricks were doubled and the opposition heightned so that they were as dead carrion cast out to the Ravens Gen. 15. And though Israel were hated of all the Nations which God called their evil neighbours yet there were some special straits that befell them as in the dayes of Asa 2 Chron. 14.9,10 When there came an Army of the Ethiopians an host of a thousand thousand men and in the dayes of Hezckiah when Senacherib besieged Jerusalem it s a day of trouble of rebuke and of blasphemy Isa 37.3 But yet there was a time of greater straits when they must be carried into captivity and the glory of the Lord removed from his own habitation And the Gospel was no sooner placed in the world but the great Red Dragon raised a persecution the Heathen Emperours and all the Powers of their Empire Rev. 12.1,3 And that Power was no sooner broken and the Church obtained of God a Man-child but immediately there was a flood cast out after the woman the Arrian Heresie and they persecuted the Church more then the Pagans had done before and then the Earth helped the Woman c. Then doth Anti-christ arise and the people of God do prophecie in sackcloth and ashes Witnesses they are and two Witnesses for their paucity and for their sufficiencyâ— and yet there is a time of greater straights that remains for them there is the time of their fulfilling and of their killing so that God doth reserve a time of straits for his own people there 's a time of Jacobs trouble c. First because the Lord will give unto them some eminent experiences of his providence under which they walk it 's true that he is the Saviour of all men but especially of them that beleeve and upon all the glory there is a covering at all times Isa 4.5 but the greater the straits are the more eminent shall the protection be if Daniel be in the Lyons den and the three children in the fiery furnace the wonder had not been so great if the bnsh had not been in the fire but to see it in the fire and yet not to consume that was the greatest sight that ever Moses saw before When the Earth is removed and the Mountains cast into the midst of the sea then there is need of a Song upon
Alamoth pro occultis for Gods hidden ones Psal 46.1 If the Saints are in the pit in which there is nowater now turn to your strong holds ye prisoners of hope satis praesidii in uno Deo Secondly Satan being the God of this world he doth alwaies rule the present world which God hath redeemed the Saints from Gal. 1.4 And the children of disobedience walk in the course of the present world The world is cast into variety of shapes but into what form soever the present evil world is cast into Satan is the god of the world and he doth apply himself to rule the world under all the forms into which the Lord doth cast it And therefore Hier om saith wel Erras mi frater erras si putas unquam Christum persecutione non pati c. If the world be Pagan Satan rules in the great Red Dragon and so brings the Saints into their time of straits If the face of the world change and it turn Christian then Satan rules also in that and casts out a flood after the woman If that Flood be dryed up then Anti-christ doth arise and he rules in him as a false Prophet and afterwards 2 Tim. 3.1,2 If a form of godliness be brought in under that he will rule and men be lovers of their own selves proud boasters treacherous high minded and despisers of those that are good and therefore there must needs be straits in all estates that shall await the Saints of God Thirdly the more spiritual light grows the greater are the straits that the people of God are brought into First because the more are their consciences seared 1 Tim. 4.2 It is not a cold Iron that will seare the Conscience but when there is evident clear convincing light and men be told of it and yet wil go against it their Consciences are seared by it and in Judgement they are given over unto a reprobate mind Secondly the more they are exasperated against the Truths of God because they do come nearer unto the sin against the Holy Ghost which is the Devils sin and it doth consist in malice upon a high and a rais'd light No men were so cruel as the Pharisees that did sin against the Holy Ghost and therefore if prophecying in sackcloth and ashes would satisfie the lusts of men in times past now killing is not sufficient but their dead bodies shall not be buried to express their former malice and rage against them and therefore in the latter times the straits of the people of God must needs be greater then ever they have been in times past Fourthly God wil by this make way for an utter ruin of the Churches Enemies the greater straits they do bring the Saints into the nearer is their destruction and the sooner will God arise I have seen the affliction of my people that are in Aegypt and I have heard their cry For the Churches Enemies must perish by the Churches hand and therefore they are said to be a cup of trembling and a burthe some stone The Church brought that mighty people into a condition fit to be consumed Jerusalem was to them a cup of trembling now they think to drink it off and it proves their poyson and when they have brought them to extremity that they thought all had been sure then they themselves perish It 's by the Churches straits that the Enemies are ruinâ—d When the ploughers plowd upon their backs and made long their furrows then will the Lord cut the cords of the wicked Psal 129.3 The Use is for Consolation to all the people of God and this I will reduce unto three Questions First with what mind God doth bring his people into straits What the thoughts of God are towards them when he doth it And here we shall see that God thinks thoughts of peace to them all the while and not of evil Jer. 29.11 Secondly in what measure will the Lord do it Thirdly unto what end For the first With what mind does the Lord bring his people into straits What are the thoughts of God towards them when he doth it First he doth it from a principle of Love and their Afflictions are grounded on the Second Covenant as their Mercies are other mens afflictions are from the First Covenant as a fruit of the Curse Mich. 7.9 the Church saies there I will bear the indignation of the Lord c. Why is God in indignation with his own people indeed he is angry with the wicked every day There is a double anger of God simplex redundans in personam he is angry at his peoples sins but yet he loves their persons and he afflicts them from a principle of faithfulness Psal 119.75 For he hath covenanted to keep them from the evil of the world he is to preserve them unto his heavenly Kingdom and he does as I may say sometimetimes preserve them in Salt and somtimes in Sugar as we use to doe with some things that we would preserve Secondly God looks upon your suffering as the suffering of Christ the Saints being one with him their services are Christs and their sufferings are Christs they bear fruit in him they live in him Col. 1.24 So they fill up what is behind of the sufferings of Christ Thirdly whilst he doth smite them he is afflicted with them in all their afflictions he is afflicted though Christ be in heaven yet he has the same nature there that he had here and he stands in the same relation to us now he is in glory that he did here he is not ashamed to call us brethren and therefore his compassion still remains Jer. 31.22 Since I spake against him I remembred him still my bowels are troubled for him The heart of God goes out unto all the Saints in their afflictions Fourthly whilst he doth afflict them he doth wait to be gracious Isa 30.18 He doth not defer deliverance because he is not willing to bestow it but because his people are not prepared for it that 's the reason they are so long out of glory Col. 1.12 because they are not yet meet to be partakers of the Inheritance with the Saints in life and to make them so he doth sit by as a Refiner and he will only purge away their dross by their afflictions Fifthly all the while they are in straits he doth take special notice of their sufferings and he is deeply displeas'd with the Instruments that afflict his people and he is preparing for their ruin all the while for he takes special notice of their wrong Rev. 2.2 I know thy work and thy labour and thy patience c. Exo. 3.7 I know their sorrows He hath a bottle for their tears Secondly he is deeply displeased with the Instruments Zach. 1.15 He sent his people into Babylon but yet I am sore displeased with the heathen I was but a little displeased and they helped forward the affliction So that whilst God doth use them as the rod of his anger
school of affliction and God doth cast some men into great afflictions that thereby he may fit them for high and eminent services afterwards Joseph had never been so fit to have been a Governour in Egypt if his foot had not been hurt in the stocks nor Moses to have been a leader of the people of Israel if he had not been banshed forty yeares in the Wilderness and David his Crown had never sate so well if he had not been hunted as a Partridge upon the mountains Fourthly that the Lord may have some to give their testimonies unto his truth that it may appear that there are some that do stand for God and dare appear for him when the world wonder'd after the Beast there are some that stand with the Lamb upon mount Zion Rev. 14.2 There are two Witnesses The Witnesses of God are but a few yet some there are that God will raise up in all Ages so that corruption in Doctrine and Worship shal not go untestified against for the Lord will not leave the world without witness and hereby the Lord will endear his Witnesses and raise them up in the hearts of the Saints it will make them dear and their names precious in the Churches for none have been so precious in their names as they that did not count their blood precious they thought not their lives dear to them they loved not their lives to the death How precious was Peter in his suffering When all the Church ingaged their interest unto God for him Acts 12. As Roses are sweeter in the Still then upon the stalk so it is with the Saints in all their sufferings in the apprehension of the Churches Use 2. Is it so that there is a day of trouble to Jacob Then do you look for a day of trouble also and to that end it 's your wisdom to discern the signs of the times Mat. 16.3 God hath stretched the expansum of his Word over the rational world and as by the heavens a man may discern in the natural world so by the Word if a man be skilful in it a man may discern the signs of the times in the rational world also In the Word there are two sorts of rules First antient Predictions Secondly present Dispensations 1. Antient Predictions Rev. 10.7 cum finituis sint when they were about to finish The 1260 daies are not yeares fulfilled therefore the killing time is to come for the Beast receives his Kingdom with the seven Kings since the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was removed 2. There was never yet that perfect Victory that they did say they are dead there were none that did visibly appear to bear witness against them therefore it is yet to come Secondly present dispensations compared with the rules of the Word First when there 's a general decay of Wisdom in Rulers and children and babes rule over a people Isa 27.14 I will do a marvellous work the wisdom of the wise men shall perish and now I will distress Ariel Secondly when there is poured out upon a people the spirit of a deep sleep as Isa 29.10 that nothing could awaken them but as men sleeping upon the top of a Mast though the Sea roar and the Wind make a noise yet they sleep stil when men are secure then the distress of Ariel is near I will search Jerusalem with candles and the men that are setled upon their Lees c. Thirdly when there is a general oppression and mercilesness in the Rulers Zac. 11.5 When a people become the flock of the slaughter Mic. 7.3,4 the Judge asketh for a reward now shall be their perplexity Fourthly when there are general neglects of Government and order amongst a people every one does what 's right in his own eyes when the base doth presume against the honourable and the children against the antient Isa 3.5 then presently there is a ruin coming ver 8. Jerusalem is ruin'd and Judah is fallen Iudg. 18.7 When there was no master of restraint in Laish their ruin was near Fiftly when there are bitter envyings and parties the people shall be as fuel for the fire Isa 9.19,20 No man spares his brother but every man eats the flesh of his own arm c. Jer. 8.7 My people know not the judgement of the Lord. Doctrin 2 Yet Jacobs trouble is but for a time then shall deliverance be Mich. 7.9 Though I fall I shall arise and the Lord will be light about me the rod of the wicked shall not alway lye upon the lot of the righteous The Witnesses though they be killed yet they shall not alwaies lye dead but they shall rise again c. I cannot now stand to prove this Doctrine but spend the remainder of the time I have to speak in a short use to all the people of God Use First live by faith in this time of trial the Lord doth but wait to be gracious and he saies blessed be those that wait for him Hab. 2.4 The just shall live by his Faith The meaning is he shall live comfortably under the cross for it is an expression like that of the Apostle Now we live if ye stand fast And the acts of Faith that we should now exercise should be these I le name two or three First commit your selves to him quietly leave your selves with him Psal 114.14 As you have committed your soules to him so to him also commit your way Dan. 3.17 Be not careful in this matter he that hath cast me into the fire will assuredly watch over me in it because he hath promised to bring me out of it Secondly wait for him till he be gracious and doe not make hast he that beleeves does not make hast Doe not use unlawful means out of pride of passion because you will not wait Gods leisure nor do not use compliance with carnal men to deliver thee for that is not the way of faith Thirdly look towards God in thy prayers under this consideration that he hath undertaken deliverance 2 Chron 22.12 We have no might neither know we what to do but our eyes are towards thee for it is the exercise of Faith that doth procure deliverance Gen. 49 21. His bow abode iâ—…â—…re gâ—… that is invictum robur it 's by this that the 〈◊〉 of God prove victorious in their sufferings But how may a man know when deliverance is near Are there not rules for that as well as the other I will only name there three rules First when the people of God look towards him and return if not Lev. 26.24,25 â—e will punish them seven times more till he hath destrey'd them for there is a pedigree of judgement Hos 1. Jeel 2.14 Rent your hearts and no your garments c. Prepare to mâ—et thy God O Israel There is no going to God in the way of his judgement but by meeting of him and that is not in a way of opposition but in a way of submission Secondly when the hearts of the
The spirit of God came down in the likeness of a Dove A Dove as it is without guile so is it without gall also and a righteous man is not only thus within but in his conversation his light shines before men he is alwayes walking in his uprightness Secondly In his death and so he is said to perish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word in the Hebrew is either put for temporall or eternal death Iohn 3.16 that they should not perish but have everlas ting life but here it 's meant of temporal death the disunion between the Soul and the Body and so to perish is to dye Matth 8.25 Master save us else we perish And it 's said also they are taken away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in unum colligere They are gathered unto their Fathers here in this world they are scattered and some live in one place some in another but death is a gathering there is fasciculus viventium even a bundle of the living as the tares are bound in bundles so is the wheat also Thirdly After his death the Soul in this life is full of trouble here in this life but a little peace enters into him my peace I give unto you but then after this life he shall enter into peace here a little joy enters into him but then he shall enter into the Masters joy for ever and for their bodys they shall rest in their beds as the grave is commonly called it being the sweet sleeping place as 2 Chron. 16.14 it is said of Asa that he slept with his Fathers and they buried him in his own Sepulcher and laid him in a bed which was filled with sweet odors c. Secondly Here is a publick loss bewailed the righteous perish and there is no man that doth apponere cor Mich. 7.1 woe is me for I am as the Summer-gatherings the good man is perished out of the Earth the taking away of the godly is the great loss and matter of great mourning unto those that survive Thirdly Here is a publick and a common evil reproved the foolish and unthankful world is no whit affected with the loss of those of whom the Lord says the world was not worthy of and this want of affection is grounded upon the want of consideration no man lays it to heart no man understood that they were taken away from the evil to come Fourthly Here is a secret of providence discovered godly men are taken away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à faciebus mali from the evil to come there being a storm coming the Lord doth hasten to gather in the Corne into the barne before-hand That I should speak unto al these cannot be expected at this time there are only three points that I shall pick out of them all First Godly men dye not as other men doe it is peculiar unto them to enter into peace and rest in their bed c. Secondly Godly men are usually taken away in mercy before an evil come Thirdly When they are taken away it should be unto them that survive matter of serious Consideration Affliction and Lamentation First This is made the peculiar portion of the righteous and mercifull men at their death they shall enter into peace Doctrine Godly men dye not as others doe there 's a great difference between them and others in their death There is indeed a great deale of difference between men in their lives they are men of another spirit of another generation they walk by other principles they aim at other ends they live upon other comforts then others doe and therefore they are men of another value and esteem they are the excellent ones when the greatest amongst men if they be wicked are vile persons they are amongst men as gold amongst the dust of the Earth and as diamonds amongst the common pebles in the streets But the great and the grand difference between them is in their deaths there is something in a special maner in death peculiar to the Saints and this we are specially to observe Psal 37.37 the end of that man is peace this Balaam could observe Numb 23.10 There is a death peculiâ—r to the righteous Proverbs 14.32 The wicked shall be cast away in his wickedness but the righteous hath hope in his death The opposition shews the difference When a godly man shall be gathered a wicked man shal be destroyed cast away and when the godly man dyes he dyes in hope but the wicked man at death he breaths out his soul his life and hope together But seeing they do both dye the righteous man as well as the wicked we see also that wise men dye as well as those that are foolish and for the manner of their death to outward view there is a great resemblance Eccles. 2.16 as dyes the fool so also dies the wise man yet there is a great difference Ahab and Iosiah a wicked and a gracious King they both dyed for the manner of their deaths it was much alike they dyed both in War with the same words in their mouthes turn thy hand for I am wounded and yet it s said of the one he dyed and was gathered to his fathers in peace though he dyed in War What is therefore in death that is peculiar to the Saints how dyes the wise man this will be seen in three things First in respect of the persons dying Secondly in respect of death it self Thirdly in respect of the fruit and the consequence of death First In reference unto the person dying for a godly man dyes in the Lord. Rev. 14.13 he doth sleep in Iesus 1. Cor. 15.18 which implies two things First an union with him a being in him Secondly A dying in him by the power and efficacy of the same union now we doe not only reade in Scripture of our being in Christ but also living in him working in him bearing fruit in him c. Now a man doth live in Christ when by the Almighty working of the Spirit of Christ the Graces of Christ appeare in him and he lives no more according to Men in the Flesh but according to God in the Spirit so we are said to die in him when by the Power of the Spirit of Christ by vertue of our union with him we do exercise these dying graces that were in Christ for their be in him living and dying doing and suffering graces and when by vertue of our Union living by the faith of the son of God a man doth exercise these Graces then is a man said to dye in Christ work in him suffer in him live in him so that a godly man dies in the Lord he is one with him and even in death the Mystical union is not dissolved and the dying graces that were in Christ and which a Saint doth receive by vertue of union with him those graces he doth exercise as Christ doth for he dies in him Secondly He dies in Faith First in respect of himself
no other opposition or temptation whatsoever â—…meron Lastly In respect of the Consequences and Issues of â—ath so also there is something in death peculiar to he â—ints First by death they are delivered from the powâ— of Satanâ— grace here in this life doth free a man from â—…e Dominion of Satan but it doth not free him from â—…s temptations and to be continually annoyed with the â—…llutions and suggestions of this unclean spirit for the â—…cked one to touch them 1 Joh. 5. tactu qualitatiâ—o is â—e great affiction of their lives and it is that wherein â—eir spiritual warfare doth mainly lye it was not the â—st part of the humiliation of Christ for Saâ—an to have â—…ch an access to him and to propose such suggestions â—s 〈◊〉 this will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship 〈◊〉 when he had but onely an access unto Christ by representations from without and not by suggestions within but he hath by reason of the darkness that is in us a more immediate access unto our spirits but our warfare shall be at an end and we shall be for ever freed not onely from the dominion but the temptation of Satan forever Christ makes use of the Angels in Ministerium and the devils in exercitium but both but for the time of this life and no more and therefore in the world to come after death there shall be no more of either to the Saints for ever 2. From the being and in-dwelling of sin which is the great misery that the Saints complain of Rom. 7.24 but he that is dead is free from sin that natural fountain of corruption original sin shall be perfectly dryed up and the soul shall never think a vain thought never speak an idle word any more for ever nay they shall not only be freed from sin actually as Adam was but even from a possibility of sin also that as the wicked after death are given up to sin as part of their torment and are in malo obfirmati so the Saints shall be in bono confirmati not onely they shall not sin but be freed from the fear of a possibility to sin for ever 3 For the perfection of their grace the Saints have here the first fruits of the earnest of glory and that is so precious to them that they sell all to buy it and count all things loss and dross in comparison of it and yet still there are many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things wanting in their faith and their love c. but 1 Cor. 13.10 then that which is perfect will come and that which is but in part shall be done away and these first fruits shall be swallowed up of glory 4 They shall be with Christ and receive the reward that he has prepared for them they shall enter into their masters joy here in this life Christ is said to be with us but after this life we are said to be with him yea to be ever with him he shall never hide his face more but it shall be communion without intermission and without interruption for ever says Bernard Christus est cum Paulo magna securitas Paulus est cum Christo summa faelicitas If a little of the presence of Christ be so sweet here when we have it in his spirit O what will his eternal presence in glory be thus dyes the wise man thus he enters into peace thus he rests upon his bed having walked before God in uprightness 2. Doct. When the righteous man dyes he is taken away from the evil to come the Lord had formerly told them that evil was prepared a sword was already barhed in heaven to make a sore slaughtâ—r and in verse 9. of the former chapter the Lord invites the beasts of the field to come and take their part of the prey now these are some that the Lord will hide in the day of his wrath Zeph. 2.3 the Lord hath a double hiding place for his people in evil times sometimes he hides â—hem in his pavilion and the secret of his Tabernacle upon the earth his chambers of peculiar providence and sometimes he hides them in the grave even the chambers of death in which in times of affliction Gods people do desire to be hid Job 30.23 and many of them are hid in meâ—cy from the evil that is coming on the earâ—h Thus when a flood came upon the world God provided an Ark for Noah and as he had an Ark for Noah so he had a grave for Methusalah who is conceived to be taken away the same year that the flood came upon the earth Gods usual course is either his people shall stand in the gap to turn away his wrath and his judgements which sometimes are deferred for the elects sake and if the Decree of God be gone forth and the judgement must come then the Lord takes his people out of the way before it come so the Lord dealt with Hezekiah he defers the judgement till after his death there shall be peace and truth in his days and Iosiah the Lord says to him because thy heart was tender Thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace and shalt not see the evil that I will bring upon this place and the inhabitants thereof thereforâ— the Lord Rev. 19.13 having described the rise of Antichrist and the general pollution ond corruption that should follow all men should worship the beast and wonder after him blessed are the dead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from henceforth were they not blessed before yes all that dyed in the Lord are blessed from the beginning of the world but now to be taken away in a time of so great tryal it is a more special mercy upon these three accounts chiefly 1 That they may be preserved from the pollution of the times in which they live therefore the Lord takes them away it is a very hard matter for Gods people to live in times exceedingly evil and yet to pass through such times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unspotted and and not to have a taint and tincture of the present corruptions upon them to keep their garments whiteâ— now that the Lord may preserve his people unspotted from the world he doth translate them before hand takes them away from the evil to come 2 The Lord takes them away that they may be freed from the vexations that his people are in when the abomination of desolation is set up as Lot when he lived in Sodom they vexed his righteous from day to day with their ungodly deeds Gods people are mourners in Sion and they do with that their eyes were a well of water to weep for the sins as well as for the sufferings of the times and the Lord sees that their spirits cannot bear such dishonor as is done to his great Name and therefore he takes them away beforehand to better company even the souls of just men made perfect 3. God takes them away from the persecutions and afflictions of the times
for he knows our frame and in all our afflictions he is afflicted therefore the Lord does as we our selves would do in the same case if we had a child abroad at school and we did foresee some great evil either of pestilence or famine to be neer unto that place where the child was we would send for the childe home beforehand that he might not partake in the misery with the rest so God hath put his people to nurse to school in this world and if there be evil neer he doth send for his people home beforehand and cause them to go forth out of the world to pr serve them from the evil of it 3. Doct. Therefore when godly men are so taken away it is matter of serious consideration and high lamentation unto them that survive and it s their sin if they do it not it is that which David doth complaiâ— of and bewail Psal 12.1 there is not a godly man left and the faithful fail amongst the children of men and they were wicked ones that were exalted on every side Mic. 7.1 the good man is perished out of the earth the godly men were taken away so that when the Prophet did come to seek them he was as men that did seek grapes after gleaning found here and there one and as one that seeks the first ripe fruits but finds none for the good man is perished and there is none upright amongst men for they all do lye in wait for blood every man hunts his brother with a net and when the world is preparing their nets to catch the Saints then God withdraws them from the world and their loss should mightily assect us Consider these three things First The Saints are our glory as they are Gods Iewels so they are the excellent ones of the earth and so they should be to us 2 Cor. 8.23 it 's said they are the messengers of the Churches and the glory of Christ and those that Christ glories in we should also glory in and as we should rejoyce in the addition of any one into the number of the Saints amongst us so we should look upon it with mourning and grief of heart that any of that number be taken away and the more useful any man is to the Church the more honorable he should be in your eyes they are vessels of honor sitted for the masters use Now as scandalous professors are spots in your feasts so sincere ones are stars and it is a great abasement and the eclâ—psing of the glory of a Church to have an eminent light put out of it Secondly When the Saints are taken away it 's a dangerous sign that wrath is determined because the Lord takes away and withdraws the pillars of the Earth from off the earth it was a sign that Samson intended the fall of the house when he pluâ—kt down the pillars the Lord doth commonly before judgement come make way for his indignation and one special way by which he doth it is by taking away those that stand in the gap to divert it the Lord may say to Moses let me alone but yet Moses will still wrastle with the Lord but when Moses is gone now who shall strive with God for his people Thirdly All our protection defence and blessing depends upon the Saints that are amongst us for it is by their Covenant that the world stands and that all the Creatures are continued â—n their being and let me tell you after the Lord has gathered in the wheat into his barn it will not be long ere he does burn he chaff with unquenchable fire if he do but once say to his people Come â—e blessed go ye cursed to the wicked they will quickly follow after and therefore they do so bewail the taking away of Elijah as the Chariot of Israel and the horseman thereof their strength and their fence was gone for this is a truth the strength of a Nation next to God lyes in the Saints they are the shields of the earth for if it be for their sakes that the world stands God will provide a place for them of safety when the rest of the world is consuming as we see in Zoar a place may be preserved for the sake of the people of God and indeed they are the partition wall between wicked men and temporal wrath yea and eternal wrath it is the Saints that keep the wicked so long out of hell whatever the world thinks of them they are a blessing to the world Gen. 12.2 Mic. 5.7 as the showers upon the grass are a blessing so are the Saints by their prayers and their Counsels and their pains and their gracious example and holy conversation every way a blessing so that as Nazianzen saith of Iulian when he was smitten and had a wound it was to him indeed Lethale vulnus But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So we may invert it and say this of a saint that dyes 't was indeed a happy wound for him for to be with Christ is best of all but though a saint have advantage by it yet it is a misery to the place to the Church to the Commonwealth where such a one lived â—ea even the whole world is a loser by the death of a saint and therefore Iudah was so sensible of the loss of gracious Iosiah that they made a great publick mourning yea a yeerly mourning for a long time after sine supplicationibus non staret mundus is the Jews proverb the world is upholden by the prayers of the saints Vse Hence learn that the ways of holiness are the best ways for that is the best way that leads a man to the best end there is a double goodness in holy walking First absoluta there is a goodness in it self it being a conformity to the good will of God Secondly There is a goodness in holâ—ness which is respectiva in respect of the end unto which a man is thereby brought and we see finis dat mediis bonitatem amabilem I know that the unworthy would have many prejudices against the ways of holiness the Saints in their lives are afflicted and chastised every moment and they go mourning all the day long and they cannot put themselves in the glory of the world cannot partake of the jollity of the times as he saith spiritus Calvinianus est melancholicus but look not upon their outside but their inside look not upon them in their life but in their death and then let me tell the greatest gallant of you all you will give a world to change estates with them at their death in whose life thou wouldest by no tearms be conformable unto What would Dives have given after all his glory all his delicacy to have changed with Lazarus in his death let it be your work therefore to dye the death of the righteous and to set this the more home upon your spirits take these four considerations 1 Consider the great end why we came into the world was that
we might learn to dye well for Heb. 9 27. it is appointed to all men once to dye but death comes not presently and the end of a mans life is that he may consider his latter end Deut. 32.29 men do not live here to get riches and injoy the good things that are present and the pleasures of sin are but for a season this life is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the school of death which teaches men how to dye 2 It is the last act of a mans life the close of all his actions and for a man in his life to burn as a Torch to shine as a light and afterwards to go out in a snuff as the foolish Virgins and the foolish Builders in Iobs affliction there was nothing desirable but yet there was in the end which God made with him that which was very desireable Iulius Caesar when he was taken in the Senate he plucked down the robe he wore about him Ut honestè caderet It is the night that commends the day mark the end of the righteous man his end is peace 3 At death all outward excellencies will leave a man Iob 4.21 their excellency goes away and they dye without wisdom for though there be a flower in the grass which has a glory in it yet Psal 90.11 it quickly comes to nothing so shall all the excellencies that men so pride themselves in their learning parts wisdom and policie knowledge in the Scripture and in the common works of grace it is all but flesh and will take its leave at death and it will be said of you as one of the Antients said of Caesar who was one of the greatest men in the world in his time Ubi nunc pulchritudo Caesaris quò abiit magnificentia tua What is become of his glorious magnificence his Armies Triumphs and Trophies 4 At death your eternal states are cast it is aeternitatis ostium the door of eternity there is a Double time set to the sons of men 1 A time of working 2 A time of rewarding A time of working here they toyl and labo urbut at death the Lord doth call the labourers to give them their hire every man shal have his peny but after death comes judgement there is no more time of working for after death remains nothing but judgement then for ever But what shall a man do that he may be blessed in his latter end I will set before you these five things and the Lord teach you to profit by them 1 Let me exhort you to get union with Christ and thereby thou art translated from death to life for this is a truth no man dyes well that doth not dye in the Lord. What a sad thing is it to think that a second death must follow death rides before and Hell follows after nihil facit mortem malam nisi quod sequitur mortem when death in sin went before and eternal life is not begun in thee 2 Serve thy Generation and thereby lay up a good foundation against that last day Act. 13.36 Fight the good fight and finish thy course be abundant in the works of the Lord It s said of Saul Sam. 13.1,2 he reigned two years over Israel he reigned twenty yeers but after he was rejected of God no more is counted of him nor will it be unto all those that spend their lives unprofitably that are but as empty trees onely serve to cumber the ground are unprofitable both to God and man vita fabula est in qua non refert quam diu sed quam bene 3 Number your days and consider your latter end with Joseph of Arimathea walk with thy Tomb. A man shall not need much Arithmtick to number his days they are so few and yet he will need a great deal of grace to number them they are so evil and so death shall come upon thee not as a stranger but as a friend that brings peace along with him and rest 4 Exercise faith much on the dying graces of Christ and the promises the Lord made Ioh. 16. to all Christians dying as well as living of his fulness we shall receive grace for grace it is our business in this world to be made conformable unto Christ not onely in our life but also at our death and then the Lord says of his people they shall be mine Mal. 3.17 what a glorious creature will a Saint be in that day when God himself looks on him as a Iewel 1 Cor. 3.21 all things are yours then a Saint enjoys perfection enough when he has a full possession of God Psa 16.11 in thy presence are fulness of joys and on thy right hand are rivers of pleasures for evermore and then when a Saint has such a glorious advantage by death shall not we say blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord 5. Lay up a treasury of prayers that thou mayst be fitted for this great change if a man be in any straight or any sad condition nature will prompt him to seek relief and he will take any course that may deliver him out of it especially since God hath made such a promise Call upon me in a time of trouble and I will hear you and if a man be so careful to avoid and prevent these lesser changes that they may not do him harm how much more should he be industriously careful touching this great change Psal 34. the Psalmist begs that he may know his latter end Psa 90.12 so teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom and therefore a man should lay up a treasury of prayers in his life time and they will be as so many comforts to him on his death bed he shall then have a gracious answer of all those prayers Vse 2. Let us lay to heart the loss of the righteous man that we be not guilty of that sin condemned in the Text. I know it has been a thing condemned or at least always suspected funeral Panegyricks as being a badge of the false Prophet and by a funeral Oration we do as the Papists do think to send souls to heaven after their death even those that have been posting to hell all their life but yet seeing the name of the righteous is as a precious oyntment poured out and that precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of all his Saints and seeing it was an Antient custom to do the Saints of God honor at their death I think it but our duty to consider of our loss in this brother at this time though it be but to carry a torch after him to his long home first he was a man of a gracious spirit in whom the Lord had wrought the good work and a through work of Regeneration he was one that feared God above many that had truly given up his name to Christ one that had oyl in his vessel and did not onely shine by profession before men one that was not indulgent
a state of Nature are under a Covenant of works for though this Covenant were broken in the fall yet it was not abolished but stands in force still unto all unregenerate men to the end of the world its true that being become weak through the flesh it can give life no more Rom. 8â—3 but it commands duty as perfectly as it did unto Adam in the state of innocency and so far as a man falls short of perfect and personal obedience so far he sins and it threatens a Curse as dreadfully now as it did in the state of innocence and it is by vertue of this Covenant that sin is bound upon the Consciences of ungodly men for ever and by vertue of this Covenant the Curse comes upon them in this life in a degree and hereafter in the perfection thereof Neither is that Arminian Doctrine to be received Lex prima cessabat primo foedere rupto per inobedientiam primi hominis that men being constituted under the Curse the first Covenant being broken all the debt of legal obedience which the creatures did owe unto God did immediately cease for then there should have been no sin after the first sin for if the Law ceased there could be no transgression neither is it any way answerable unto Reason or Scripture that because man had lost his ability to obey therefore God should lose his authority to command Now in the first Covenant God dealt with man by way of retaliation Gen. 4.7 if thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted the best services must needs be rejected for the least fayling therefore in the creatures departing from God he will also depart from him and by the terms of the Covenant he is bound if they forsake him he must also forsake them his Justice and truth do bind him unto it and according to that Covenant it is bonum ex integro constat malum ex quolibet defectu 2 There are some men in a state of Grace and the change of their estate depends upon the change of their Covenant such a mans state is as is his Covenant under which he stands He that is in a state of Grace is therefore translated into the Covenant of Grace and then all the dealings of God with him are answerable unto the tenor of the same Covenant and this Covenant is an everlasting Covenant for he will write the law in their hearts and put his fear so into them that they shall not depart from him Jer. 32.20 and therefore he will never forsake them utterly for he hath said he will never turn away from them to do them good We are far from that Doctrine as to conclude from hence that the interchange of members between Christ and Satan is frequent and ordinary and that as Christ takes members from Satan so doth Satan also take members from Christ that a man may be a member of Christ to day and a child of the devil to morrow now in a state of Grace and by by in a state of sin beloved of God to day forsaken of God to morrow for we read that whom he loved once he loved unto the end for he loves them not with a temporal but with an everlasting love and as in reference unto a mans eternal condition there is a gulf fixed which notes Calv. aeternitatem status so there is in reference to the change of a mans Covenant a gulf fixed and it is as possible for the creature to pass from Heaven to hell as it is for a man according to the rules of the word of God who is under the Covenant of Grace to pass afterward or ever to return into the Covenant of works yet under the second Covenant though there be not a final forsaking yet there may be a real and a gradual desertion as well as affliction is compatible with the state of a son I will visit their offences with the rod but my loving kindness I will never take from them nor suffer my faithfulness to fail I was wroth and smote him and hid my face c. my beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone c. and there is a real displeasure though it be Cant. 5. Ira paterna non hostilis and there is a desertion not onely in point of consolation but in point of sanctification also that when a man comes to resist sin or to perform duty he shall not finde the same presence nor the same assistance that he formerly had men may go forth in the strength of Grace received and they may with Samson think to do as in times past but if they turn aside from the Lord they shall finde that the Lord is departed from them for it is not being in a state of Grace that carries the actual presence of God with a man but it is acting those graces that he has received and walking answerable unto that estate Joh. 14.23 If a man love me and keep my words my father will love him and we will come to him and make our abode with him he will love him we cannot love him unless he love us first there is a love of benevolence which begins in God and hath respect unto nothing in the creature but there is a Love of complacence which though it flow from free Grace yet it is acted answerable unto the Image of God in the creature and as the creature walks with God and is serviceable unto his great ends there is a presence of God with us answerable to our care of keeping Communion with him if a Godly Magistrate shall with Solomon have his heart departing from the Lord though the Lord have appeared to him twice and hath given him formerly very gracious and signal testimonies of his presence with him if he shall turn aside unto crooked ways he will surely fail of his former presence and assistance in his Government a mans right Arm will wither and his right eye will be put out he shall neither have that wisdom in his Government neither shall he have that Authority and ruling power in the hearts of the people and the reason is because God is not with him as in times past but he having forsaken God he is forsaken of God and if a Godly man whose soul is become an habitation of God through the spirit shall now forsake the fountain of living waters and shall dig to himself broken Cisterns shall let his heart go out to the Creatures and shall forget the Lord and his heart sit loose from him he shall finde that the Lord will withdraw himself that he shall not have that assistance in services nor that comfortable and fruitful presence in all his ways but he shall in a measure walk without God in the world even as the men of the world do and if a state that have had a glorious presence of God with them that the Lord hath made bare his Arm in the sight of the Nations so that the fear of them hath
power Rev. 9. that though they had faces like men and the teeth of Lyons a great shew of meekness and yet abundance of stoutness and courage joyned with success in all their undertakings for they were crowned Locusts yet they had a sting in their tails diabolicam pseudo-Propheticam propaginem denotat all the power of their Conquest was used to no other end but to leaven and poyson all places where they came and conquered with their corrupt opinions whoever they be that use their power in this manner be their success what it will be they are in judgement and for the Torment of all where they come and such Locusts proceed out of the smoke of the bottomless pit Secondly They forsake God that forsake his worship ye are they that forsake the Lord that forget his holy Mountain to prepare a Table for that host c. Isa 65.11 Some expound it of the host of heaven and there is a great number of them for they that forsake the way of the Lord they do find out many inventions in Gods worship There is a double worship of God natural and instituted the one following upon the nature of God and the other flowing from the will of God and the latter the Lord did see necessary in all ages as medium cultus naturalis it was necessary unto Adam when he was in Paradise the Sabboth and the tree of life and the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil were then instituted it was so for the honor of God that the Lord Jesus himself observed it in the days of the flesh and did thereby fulfil all righteousness and worshipped God according unto the institution of the Jewish Church and he hath left such Institutions to be observed in his Church to the end of the world the Saints continued in the Apostles Dectrine and fellowship in breaking of bread and prayer and now men are grown so Religious as they cry down instituted worship and say that they are but forms it is true that rested in they are no more as the Ceremonies of the Jews were not but as they are Forms so they are Duties therefore to say men may use them or not use them and that Christians are sometimes for seeking under Formes but there is yet a higher way some that are unwedded unto any Forme that reserve themselves single for the immediâ—te embraces of their love What is this but to forsake the Lord because it is to forget his holy Mountain to worship God in any other way then he hath appoynted that is Idolatry and to neglect that way of Worship that he hath appoynted his people to walk with Him in that is prophaneness We complain of the prophaneness of the people throughout the Nation they are such Principles as these that are the great Grounds of prophaneness and from hence it goes forth into all the Land for how ready will all they that were weary of Ordinances and lookt upon them as a burden long agoe how greedily will they imbrace such a Doctrine as this is that may be a bribe unto their Consciences in their prophaneness and utter neglect of God surely it is a good rule qui non est Religiosus Christianus non est that man doth very much forfeit his Christianity that doth either in Doctrine or Practice in this manner decry the instituted Worship of Christ I am not willing to speak much of Officers now which is an Institution as well as that of Ordinances for the Lord hath set them in the Church 1 Cor. 12.28 and he hath appointed their term of continuance till we all come unto the unity of the Faith unto a perfect man till the whole body of Christ be gathered and perfected and the end Ephes 12.14 why he hath appoynted them is that we may not be carryed away with every wind of Doctrine that was the end why God appoynted them and this is the main reason why men oppose them because they cannot carry men away as they would by this means and theresore it is a true observation that never any man did begin to overthrow and corrupt Religion but he began with the Ministery first It is that which Adam Contzen directs to the Ministers and those that give their Testimony to the Truths of God specially suppress them error cui patrocinium deerit sine pugna concidet so calls he Truth and there is a promise made to them that God will be present with them to the end of the world and a provision is made for them to the end of the world for the Lord hath ordered that they that serve of the Altar should live at the Altar Cor. 1.9,14 though now a great part of the Religion of the times is to cry down a Ministery and so as Luther hath observed Satan hath had two ways to put out the light of the Gospel mendaciis Inopia And he saith men do profess Ministris nihil opus est they were things not much to be regarded though there is a justice to be exercised unto them as men how much soever they are despised as Ministers but it were not much to be regarded though you look upon them as men of all others the least considerable if God were not forsaken in it but to forsake Gods Worship is in the Scriptures account to forsake God Thirdly we forsake God by carnal confidence The Lord saies Jer. 2.13 they have forsaken me and they have digged to themselves broken Cisterns Jer. 17.5 Cursed is he that trusts in man and makes flesh his arm and his heart departeth from the Lord if the Lord be not exalted alone in the soul either sub ratione boni aut auxilii the heart of man forsakes him and leans on something else that is not God Now if it be Counsels of men the power of Armies the Assistances of Confederates so far a man forsakes the Lord therefore the Lord doth way lay all humane succours that they shall prove vain and unsuccessful and men shall be ashamed of their Confederacies thou shalt be ashamed of Assyria as thou hast been ashamed of Egypt thy considence yea destruction comes out of it they that sit down under the shadow of a creature it is but under the shelter of a bramble fire will surely come out of it to consume the Câ—dars of Lebanen when men turn to God they are taken off from carnal confidence they shall then say Ashur shall not save us therefore men turn to the creature when they do forsake and depart from God Fourthly men forsake God in their conversation when they neither walk with God or worthy of God the waies of sin are departing from God going into a far Countrey it is communion with Belial and walking in waies of pride oppression and uncleanness it is living without God and therefore surely it is a forsaking of him a departing from him and forsaking of his Truth and Worship is the only and special means thereunto our Saviour says
hath been done upon it is it only to quiet the spirts of the people and to stop their mouthes for a time only The oppressions amongst you are horrible the delayes of Justice putting things out of one hand into another So that men know not when to have an end that they rather chuse to sit down in despair and loose all then follow businesses of the greatest concernment to them And which of you in authority that have abundance of outward beings in comparison of many of your Brethren can abate any thing of what you can exact for any place or employment that you have because of the cry that is amongst us as Nehemiah did Nehem. 5.15 where is Nehemiahs spirit Former governours were chargeable to the people and had taken of them bread and wine besides forty shekles of silver c. but so did not I because of the fear of God what abatement is there of mens sallaries and payes they that have abundance otherwise that formerly never had and could scarce ever have hoped for so much as now they have and yet they cannot for the necessity of their brethren abate any of it and how strangely carnally confident are we and ready to sacrifice to our own nets and to say Our own hand hath wrought these deliverances for us and we think we have an Army and a Navy that is able to defend against all our enemies but let me tell you if you live upon these though they be as the breath of your nostrils yet it shall be as fire to consume you c. Isa 33.11 Now as for the truths of God and his Ordinances how are they forsaken all the world do witness against us at this day and though much hath been pressed that way unto a settlement yet nothing is done there are some that are enemies unto this building all establishment in the things of God avoided and industriously it s observed by some I hope it will not prove a Prophesie that in this Age only the destructive work hath prospered in the hand of those that sit at the stern but for the destructive work let it be undertaken by whom it will yet it hath never prospered in any hand therefore it s feared that Gods intention in this thing is only to destroy and that he reserves the glory of the building unto the generations to come But it will be objected is there not power enough in Religion to avenge it self Religio contenta est viribus suis nec spoliata est vi sua etiamsi nullum habeat vindicem 2 Cor. 10.6 our weapons are in a readiness to avenge all disobedience and it will be said have not we made Laws against them Laws against heresie Laws against Blasphemy but what are dead Laws to living examples we are exhorted Ioh. 3. not to receive them into our houses and not to bid them God speed c. Yet you know they bring not this Doctrine and yet who are the men of your counsels who are admitted to your houses received at your tables as your chiefest friends but such men and those that you know to be such men that oppose and are professed enemies to the truths of God in such things that you your selves know to be truths And will that maxime of Mariana bear you out Princeps nil statuat de Religione its true Conscience will seek a bribe if the mind be upon any thing it will colour it over with fair pretences but it is but a fig-leafe and will appear so before God surely you should walk in the waies of Godly Magistrates who have gone before you Now to which of the Saints will you turn When did ever any good Magistrate plead that in the things of God as a Magistrate he was not concerned But it will be said All this is but begging the Question For this supposes that the Magistrate is concerned in matters of Religion which is the thing in doubt I look not on it as seasonable to dispute the thing now only crave leave to offer a sew considerations to you about it First that which may provoke God to forsake a Nation that certainly Magistrates are concerned in But the things of Religion are the great things that provoke God to forsake a Nation in Ezek. 8.5 the Prophet saith they have set up an Image of jealousie to provoke me to depart from my sanctuary And the next news you hear is God departs from the City Secondly that which laies the foundation for the overthrow of Governors and Government that Magistrates are concerned in but corruption in Religion doth so take but the example of a heathen in Ezr. 7.23 Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven for why should there be wrath upon the Realm of the King and his son Nay consider but one man it s a strange instance that Lachish should be called the Beginning of sin in Mich. 1.13 Why Lachish the Kenite carryed away Michals Gods they conquered Lachish and set up the Idols there this began in one man and never ceased till it had destroyed the whole Nation brought the Captivity at last Nay I should desire to add one thing more the neglects in this kind hath brought the greatest Judgements upon the Church and people of God in the world two or three instances I shall give What brought the Goths and Vandals upon the Western Empire the neglect of the Arrian Heresie Because the woman was not relieved the Lord brought in those barbarous Nations for her succour What brought in the Saracens upon the Eastern part of the Empire why corruption in Religion they worshipped Images and they repented not What brought in Antichrist the temple of God becoming an outer Court there was a general neglect of the things of God and by this means Antichrist arose And Austin saith this year Austin Libertatem perditionis promisit Iulian did suffer all men to use their own Religion with freedom leaving every one freely to destroy themselves Let these things be considered and I doubt not but it will appear that Magistrates are somewhat concerned in the things of God if you were prest to any thing that did not savour of truth or were any way unsutable to the Gospel happily somewhat might be said But that which hath been prest upon you is only this Give testimony for those truths that you your selves profess and discountenance the contrary errors And I am sure they that are most tender in these things and speak least in it say Igne charitatis haeretici sunt comburendi we must burn the heretick with the fire of Charity Love the man but hate the error but not to countenance the error by countenancing the man I should now press you to consider the misery that will come upon you by Gods forsaking us I will only now speak briefly to three things concerning it First if God forsake us all the creatures will forsake us
advancement of that people above all other Nations under Heaven but where the Ordinances were corrupted the place is polluted Ier 32.34 and when they were removed the Land was defiled Ezek. 7.22 And if it were so amongst the Jews who had onely Typical Prefigurations of Evangelical Ordinances we may safely conclude it with the Apostle with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How much more must these needs exceed in glory 2 Cor. 3 9. Rom. 1.8 Their faith was spoken of throughout the world there seems to be as one hath observed tacita antithesis fidei imperii and the Apostle seems to intimate that they were never so honoured by their Nation as they were by their faith throughout the world as this is the wisdom so this also is the glory and honour of a people in the sight of the Nations Deut. 4.7,8 If you ask me wherein doth this advancement consist that a people have by Ordinances I answer it doth consist in these six particulars all of them matters of great honour to a people First it is a great honour to any people for the Lord to avouch them publikely to be his people this is the honour of the S t s at the last day when the Lord breaks up the House keeping of this great world he will leave the lumber of it take it who will but the Lord will himself own his Iewels and he will take them and avouch them for his own before the world Mal. 3.17 and this is the advancement of a people by the Ordinances I entred into Covenant with thee and thou becamest mine Ezek. 16.8 upon this ground the Lord is pleased to speak of them as a people that he did specially own and of them as a people that had special interest in him therefore he is pleased to stile himself the God of Israel the Rock of Israel the hope of Israel and all by reason of the Covenant that he had made with them and the Ordinances that he had stablished amongst them But when once by sin the Ordinances are either corrupted or removed the Lord owns that people no longer Call them Loammi for they are not my people I will not be their God Hos 1.9 In a common calamity it is said Isa 4 1. that seven women shall lay hold upon one man and say we will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes only let us be called by thy name to take away our reproach if it were a reproach amongst men not to be called by the name of a Husband what is it when the Lord shall as it were give a people a bill of divorce and say call them Loammi they are not my people I will be stiled their God no more Secondly it is a great honour and advancement unto a people to have God present with them and as it were to reside amongst them this was the advancement of the Jews What Nation is there so great who have God so nigh them as the Lord our God is in all that we call upon him for Deut. 4.7 there the Lord doth promise his presence and his divine blessing In the place where I record my name I will come unto you and there I will bless you Exod. 20.34 And the Lord did never manifest his presence so gloriously as he hath done in the Ordinances of the Gospel 2 Cor. 6.16 Therein we behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord. 2 Cor. 3.18 What is this glass but the spiritual administration of the Gospel and the Ordinances thereof the vail of carnal stupidity being taken from the heart and we know Quod videtur in speculo imago non est they are the reverberated species of the thing it self and therefore seeing in a glass is the clearest way of vision next to face to face yet thus God vouchsafes his presence to a people in Gospel Ordinances And in these we have the presence of Christ also he walks in the middle of the Golden Candlesticks Rev. 2. whensoever you seek him be sure he is gone down to the Gardens of the beds of spices to feed in the Gardens and to gather Lillies Cant. 6.2 insomuch that the Gospel and the Gospel Ordinances thereof are called the face of Christ 2 Cor 4 6. that is that which doth as lively represent his presence unto us as if he were present with us in the flesh so that when a man shall come to behold him in glory and to see him as he is he shall be able truly to say this is the face that long since hath in the Gospel been exhibited unto my faith What shall be the advancement of all the Christians in glory it shall be only the beatifical Vision when they awake to be satisfied with his likeness to see him as he is now if this be begun here in the Ordinances that may be well counted the advancement of a people that is unto them as it were the beginning of eternal glory Thirdly fruitfulness also is unto a people great advancement and on the contrary barrenness is a reproach Gen. 30.23 The Lord hath taken away my reproach but they were never so much honoured by the fruit of their bodies though in that God made good his promise to encrease them as the stars of heaven and as the sand upon the Sea shore yet I say they were never so much honoured by the fruit of their bodies as they were by the fruitfulness of their Ordinances They are therefore called the Bed wherein Christ doth embrace his Church and wherein souls are begotten to the Lord Cant. 2.16 Our bed is green glorious things are spoken of Zion the City of God what be they I will make mention of Rahab Babylon Philistin Tyre with Ethiopia it shall be said this and that man was born in her c. that is though they were strangers unto Zion in their first birth and so children of other Contries but yet for their second birth their new birth they shall know it to be in Zion by means of the Ordinances and she shall be called the mother of them all and this is made the glory of a Church under the Gospel the dew of thy birth is of the womb of the morning Psal 110.3 that is multitudes shall be born unto it as the drops of the dew that are begotten in the womb of the morning But when the Ordinances are either corrupted or removed Christ meets his Spouse in this bed no more when the son of righteousnes with-holds his beams this dew is not exhaled and a man shall not find a drop falling from the womb of the morning this is a great reproach unto a people Cant. 4.2 Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep coming up from the washing they bear twins and not one is barren amongst them by the teeth of the Church some understand the Ministers quos aliis erudiendis Christus praefecit for the office of the teeth is to chew and to prepare the meat that it may be
men is an abomination in the sight of the Lord Luk. 16.15 and there is many a mans person and actions when they are weighed by the world are conceived to be great weight and yet when the Lord comes to weigh them are found too light and it is his Sentence must stand he is praise-worthy and that man is honourable not whom himself nor whom the world but whom the Lord commends 2 Cor. 10.18 Secondly for the world we know it is unacquainted with and therefore unable to esteem either the comforts or the honours of the Ordinances for they are men of another Generation Luk. 16.8 In estimation a great deal of wisdom and art is seen and that cannot be expected in those whom the Scripture doth every where brand for folly every man may see a precious stone but he must be a Lapidary that knows how to value it every man sees the Sun but he must be an Astronomer that shall be able to measure it and take the quantity thereof they that know no honour but the praise of men it s no wonder if they be not able to judge of the praise of God Act. 17.11 whatever the world counts of honour and descent the Lord saith they of Berea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were better descended then the rest of Thessalonica in that they received the word with readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily c. Thirdly though they should count it a disgrace yet look upon the Ordinances alwaies as thy honour and value not the Judgement of such men say it s a small thing to me to be judged of you or of mans day let it appear that you as much undervalue their Judgement as they do your waies this was Luthers resolution Luther Non ego opprobrium Bohemi cinominis metuo quae gloria est coram Deo Ita concurrimus utrinque illi extremo furore ego summo contemptu vincit mea audacia in Christo for that thing and that person is honourable and none else who is precious in Gods eyes since thou wast precious in my eyes thou hast been honourable but never till then Vse 2. Strive so to walk towards the Gospel and all the Ordinances thereof that you may make it appear to the world you count it your honour glory and highest advancement in the world This concerns First those that have it not Secondly those that have it First you that have it not strive to get it at any rate for your self for the place in which you live for it is a pearl of great price and therefore you may do well to sell all that thou hast to buy it in other things men will spare no cost to satisfie their ambition give any thing for their honour but in this men have no ambition Infelix prorsus ambitio quae ambire magna non novit Bernard Bernard You that live in the dark places of the earth and are like to Jerico where it may be the Land is pleasant but the waters bitter count it now not only the matter of your misery but also of your dishonour stir up your ambition in this respect to have the Ordinances of the Gospel that may exalt you up to heaven and what difficulty so ever may seem to stand in the way let them not deterr you anime magno nihil est magnum What God will bless your riches honour and advancement in outward things do not you live without this it was the complaint of Bernard of some Bernard purpura induunturcum conscientia pannosa fulgent monilibus moribus sordent it is the very condition of many places in this Kingdom a special ground of it is want of the Ordinances in their power Nay if you have good hearts all these outward things will do you no good if this be wanting the poor woman 1 Sam. 4. ult though they told her Be of good comfort thou hast born a Son yet she answered not neither did she set her mind upon it but called his name Ichabod the glory is departed from Israel the Ark of God a type of Evangelical Ordinances Evangelium sub velo the Ark of God is taken And not only for the places you your selves live in but strive to propagate the Gospel unto others also Not only your duty to God and to the Gospel your love to the souls of your brethren but your reference to the Land it self calls for it it is every Christians duty to raise the Age and as much as in him lies to ennoble and honour the Land and Nation where he lives this is the only way to make this Land to become the glorious Land and to name it Iehovah Shammah the Lord is there Ezek. 48. ult You will say herein what shall we do◠First Consider and strive to be seriously affected with the misery and dishonour of those that want these Ordinances Cant. 8.8 we have a little sister and she hath no breasts Secondly Enquire study set your thoughts on work about it whether you may relieve her What shall we do for our sister in the day that she shall be spoken for Can we do nothing by our pains by our purses by our friends c. Thirdly resolve thou wilt do thy utmost as they do if she be a wall we will build upon her a Pallace of silver if a door inclose her c. Fourthly when you have done all pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send forth Labourers Mat. 9.37 pray that the Gospel may run and be glorified as it will that it may go forth with speed and strength prevailing over difficulties and conquering all opposition that it may go forth as the Sun when it goes forth in its strength Secondly you that enjoy the Ordinances of the Gospel and by them are exalted up to heaven First prize it as highly as you do your highest honour it is worthy of all acceptation to be received 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 1.15 Acts 17.11 Say as St Chrysostoms hearers Satius esse ut sol non luceat quem ut non doceat Chrysostomus c. Secondly preserve it and defend it as you will do your honour if men seek to take it away or to hinder the Gospel in any kind contend earnestly for the faith that was once given to the Saints Jude 3. for the Gospel is committed to the custody of the Pastors of the Church to preach it but to the Princes and people of the earth to defend it to be a guard about it against al the opposition and malice of the enemies little do they consider what the cost of our poor fore-Fathers was to transmit the Gospel and the Ordinances thereof unto us the blood of Martyrs spilt the blood of Ministers spent and all was to transmit it to your hands Rom. 3.2 Rev. 13.16,17 take heed through carelesness and cowardliness we betray not the trust committed unto us but that we also by a publike profession and an earnest
these they adorn Then this is the first Out of him shall come forth the corner Secondly Out of him shall come forth the Nail What is that It is a Metaphor used likewise for Governors You have that clear place in Isa 23.23,25 there is the removing of one bad Governor and the setting up of a good Shebnah is removed Eliakim is exalted the Lord saith of them both they are a Nail fastned in a sure place A Nail fastned in a sure place shall be removed saith the Lord speaking of the displacing of Shebnah and I will fasten him as a Nail in a sure place speaking of the exalting of Elikaim There is a double Analogy or proposition in that Metaphor First Clavibus connectuntur compinguntur inter se trabes the beams of the building are fastned and united by Nails one to another so that the Corner-stone doth not only unite the foundation but the Nails they unite the roof Secondly vasa suspensa pendent upon the Nails all the Vessels hang that is the Metaphor used there I will fasten him as a Nail in a sure place and you shall hang upon him all the glory of his Fathers house the off-spring and the issue all the Vessels even from cups to flaggons all the necessary Utensils of the house they all hang upon this Nail so then the meaning is this That out of Iudah shall come forth a Magistrate who shall be as a corner-stone to support to unite to adorn the Common-wealth of Israel And he shall be as a Nail he shall be for union above as well as a Corner-stone below and upon him all the building of the Common-wealth shall hang even from the highest to the lowest all sorts of Vessels even from flaggons to cups Thirdly Out of him shall come forth the Battle Bow the Bow was an Instrument of war much in use in antient times and therefore is here put for all the weapons of war all their ammunition for and all their discipline of war now the Lord had said before Hos 1.5 I will break the bow of Israel and then there should be no success in any of their undertakings there should not be any instrument of war nor any success in the use of them and so that Zach. 9.10 it s said the Battle-Bow should be cut off from Ierusalem whereas formerly they had no strength for war but fell before their enemies continually and were given to them as a prey it was the Lord had broken the battle-Bow and therefore they did hire in the neighbour Nations for to be their strength and sometimes they are found in the way of Egypt sometimes of Assyria but when the Lord returns unto them in mercy for their deliverance they should have strength of their own against all the neighbour Nations so that out of themselves should come forth the Battle-Bow and they should be successful in war and tread down their enemies as mire in the streets because the Lord is with them So that when the Lord did return to them in mercy he would give them power for and success in war also Fourthly Out of him every Oppressor or Exactor which I put both together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word properly signifies an Exactor or one that gathers taxes or tribute of others Isa 60.17 I will make thy officers peace and thy Exactors righteousness or else the word signifies to exact a mans work as is used of Pharoh task-masters Exod. 3.7 I have heard their cry because of their tack-masters an Exactor of labour and of tribute are both fitly to be understood here for God doth not only deliver his people from the power of the enemy but doth also put the enemies into their power so that they rule over them for that is the promise Isa 14.2 They shall take them for servants and for handmaids they shall take them Captive whose Captives they were and they shall rule over their Oppressors Isa 60.5,6 The Rulers of the Gentiles shall come unto thee the Dromedaries of Midian and the gold of Shebnah They shall bring Gold and Incense The sons of strangers shall build the walls their Kings shall minister unto thee and the Nations that serve thee not shall perish so that they shall not only subdue their enemies but rule over the Nations this shall be the glorious condition of the Church when the Lord shall arise and have mercy on Sion the fulness of which time is not yet come because the whole mysterie of God is not yet finished but it is Lactantius his observation Lactan. de divin praem l. 7. cap. 19 Cadet repente gladius e coelo ut sciant Justi ducem sanctae militiae descensurum There is a great sword fallen from heaven amongst all the Nations of Europe yea even of all the world which shall be a signal to the Saints that the Captain of the Lords host shall surely come unto their full and perfect deliverance and therefore they are to lift up their heads for their redemption draws nigh Bellum saepe renovabit Antichristus saepe vincet donec consectis omnibus Impiis debellatus it is he hath drawn in all the wicked of the earth in his quarrel But that is now the work of the Lord that he is doing making preparation for that great and last battle the battle Armageddon and you will find a confederacy of all those of the Popish Interest and that have received the mark either in the right hand or in the forehead and they shall some on one account and some on another be engaged that they may perish together and then the Kingdoms and Dominions under the whole earth shall be given to the Saints of the most high But that is not until the fourth Beast be destroyed The God of heaven shall set up a Kingdom by it self and after the destruction of the fourth monarchy and therefore that which now doth hinder the setting up the Kingdom of God in the world shall be destroyed with an utter destruction This I conceive to be the meaning of the words You have then in these words the state of the people set forth after their deliverance what it shall be and that is double Look upon them first in statu Politico and afterwards in statu Polemico First in reference to their Politick state so saith the Lord they shall never want a Governor a faithful Magistrate but he shall be to them as the Corner and as the Nail their enemies shall rule over them no more the Scepter shall no more depart from Judah they shall have those of their own that shall be able to uphold the Government and unite the Common-wealth Secondly look upon them in statu Polemico so he saith Out of him shall go forth the Battle-Bow they shall have all sotts of war-like provisions in themselves and they shall be very successful in war they shall tread down their enemies and they shall rule over their oppressors These are the promises that the
imagine that when the cup of fury that is in the Lords right hand hath gone round and all nations have tasted of it and yet that we shall not drink thereof Ier. 25.15 may it not be as truly said of us as of our brethren Ezek. 12.4 thou hast caused thy dayes to draw neer thou art come even unto thy years there is a time for Judgement the text tels you upon a Nation and he that is wise shall know and discern both time and Judgement Eccl. 8.5 Now as I have before shewed you thâ—… Ministers are Servants so also they are the Prophets of the Nation and therefore preaching is called prophecying and the Ministers of the Gospel are called Prophets 1 Cor. 4.32 though not in so full and compleat a sense as the Prophets antiently were yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quadam by a true resemblance and analogy though not a fore-telling yet a fore-speaking things to come for that God that had made all things by his word doth uphold all things by the word of his power Heb 1.3 governing all things by the rules of the same exactly dispensing punishments and rewards according to the tenour of the promises and threatnings therein recorded so that as he hath appointed the Sun Moon and Stars to rule by day and by night over this natural world Psal 19. so he hath stretched forth the Expansum of the Law over the rational world Rom. 10.18 all things being ordered according to the precepts promises and threatnings thereof Now as a man that is skilful in the one by observing and calculating the influences and aspects and conjunctions of the one can foretel in many things what is to come in the natural world So the other by observing the promises and threatnings and the special aspects that is in them both can in a great measure fore speak what is like to come to pass in the rational world also sutable hereunto the Prophet here tels â—s that there is First a time for Judgement Secondly that this time may be known Thirdly the ignorance of this time makes a man more bruitish then the unreasonable creatures For the scope of the place seems to be this that such is the wisdom of unreasonable creatures the Stork Crane and Swallow that in winter they flie from cold and hard places unto those where there is a more temperate and moderate air they knowing the seasons and the appointed times for this they flie away before and by the instinct of nature to make provision for a natural life Now God had made man wiser then the Beasts that perish above the beasts of the field and he hath appointed a time for Judgement and he hath foretold it shall come and yet man is not so wife for himself as either to prepare for it or to flie from it and this is meant by not knowing the Judgement of Jehovah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Judgement of God is either Directive as the Law written in the Book or the Law written in the heart as Mat. 12.20 bring forth Judgementto Victory Secondly Corrective Thirdly Destructive and this last is meant here it is spoken of the Judgement of utter ruine and desolation upon whom the former Judgements neither the directions of the word nor corrections of Gods rod had taken its due effect its proper work Neither is it meant of the Judgement it self only that it should be utter destruction the fatal blow the last and utter ruine of that people but also the time of this Iudgement which was at hand and this the people knew not and so much the word in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies tempus certum constitutum a certain and an appointed time Gen. 17.21 My Covenant will I stablish with Isaac which Sarah shall bear unto thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at this set time in the next year and this seems to be intimated by the subjects the Stork and the Crane know their times but my people know not the Judgement that is not only the Iudgement it self but not the time of Iudgement that is at hand that which the Prophet had so often told them and that which they were continually admonished that it was neer cum in re tam clara dilucida coecutirent therefore here the Prophet doth justly complain that they were more bruitish then these unreasonable creatures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they know not verba sensus significant cum affectu effectu In the count of the Holy-Ghost in Scripture a man knows no more then he believes and is affected with and makes use of they knew not they considered not believed not were not affected with neither did they make use of it either the Iudgement it self nor the time of the Iudgement either to fear it or to flie from it so that the Iudgement and the time of Iudgement was appointed this they should and they might have known believed and been affected with but they were more unwise for themselves and for their temporal and eternal safety then the unreasonable creatures they knew not the Iudgement of the Lord. Hence the observations that I purpose to insist upon are these two First that there is unto a sinful Nation a set and an appointed time of Judgement Secondly that this time may and should be known or else in vain are they blamed for not knowing it First Doctrine Doctrine There is unto a sinful Nation a set and an appointed time for Iudgement a time when Iudgement shall infallibly come and God will bear with them no longer God being the antient of dayes he is the Lord of time and the great Land-lord of the world and he hath set unto every thing a season or an appointed time to every thing under Heaven Eccl. 3 1. but in reference to the point in hand it will be requisite that we consider of a six-fold time appointed by him that is Lord of time First there is a time of sinning a set and an appointed time for there is First a fulness of sin appointed by God that it shall have its period it shall not grow in infinitum Gen. 15.16 The iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full and as there was a fulness so there is a time appointed to fill up this measure to fill the Ephah Zach. 5.6 where the measure of the sin of the people of Israel is set out for the greatness of it by an Ephah the greatest dry measure amongst the Iews and there was a time for the filling up of the Ephah before it was carried into the Land of Shinar Secondly there is a measure of wrath which every vessel of wrath shall treasure up for all shall not have the same measure and the Reason is because all do not treasure up the same measure unto themselves Rom. 2.4,5 Now seeing it is a Treasure that doth grow by degrees and several additions there must be a time for the filling and the gathering of this Treasure some Exchequer daies
Mat. 16.3 It is that Christ reproves in the Pharisees they could discern the true face of the sky but could not discern the signs of the times one might have been done as wel as the other if they had applyed themselves to the like care and industry But may it be known as the Lord governs the world by the Sun Psal 19.1 Rom. 10.18 and in nature doth many times cause Comets and blazing Stars as tokens of some dangerous and dismal accidents approaching in nature so hath the Lord set forth by the Book of the Word some signs also hat are as so many Comets to the world if a man doth wisely behold them by a spiritual eye and a right judgement resulting from them for the waies of God are unchangable he is not wearied with process of time neither can he be ever won to give his blessing in one age which he hath cursed in another and therefore that which hath been a sign of Iudgement in one age must needs be so in another for the word of God is like to a well-drawn picture that casts an eye upon every person and every Nation alike It is necessary therefore to enquire what be the signs foregoing Iudgement which the Scripture doth set down I will only mention these two which I desire every one that is wise will lay to heart that so he may be able a little to discern the signs of the times First a fulness of sin that is made the sign when Iudgement was to come upon the Amorites Gen. 15.16 when their iniquity was full and this is made the ground of bringing Iudgement put in thy sikle and reap for the harvest is ripe Ioel 3.16 So Jer. 1.11,12 An Almond tree hath the first ripe fruit of any tree and it notes the hastening of them to ripen their sins and the Lord saith as they did hasten their sins to a ripeness so he would hasten to ripen his Iudgements so that this is a certain sign foregoing Iudgement But when is sin full when is it ripe in a Nation I know Divines commonly and truly set forth the fulness of sin by its universality impudency and obstinacy but I will not insist upon these But let us look into this Nation of Iudah of which our Prophet speaks here and see what did ripen their sins and brought them to that fulness that brought the Iudgement see what it was amongst them that filled the Epha and made way for the women with the wind in their wings to carry them away First when a people seeks to make void the Law then it is time for God to work that is to execute Iudgement so David saith Psal 119.126 the word in the original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies irritum facere non palam ex professo sed oblique not by open opposing but by secret undermining it is fitly exprest by our Saviour Mat. 13.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye have unlorded taken away the ruling power of the Law by your Traditions how this hath been done in this Nation in these latter times is not unknown unto them that know any thing of the Doctrine of this Church sometimes by opposing Scripture to Scripture sometimes by subtile distinctions grounded upon Scriptures in a show by misinterpretations and frigid expositions put upon Scripture by false conclusions and Paralogismes drawn out of Scripture and by customs and Church traditions put upon it as the practise of the Primitive Church the Iudgement of the learned and all that the wisdom of men and not the Law of God might rule but when men come so far that they dare not only to change the Laws of men but to temper with and un-lord the Law of God it is time for the people of God to pray and then it is time for God to work Secondly corrupting the worship of God by humane inventions that have a show of wisdom and will-worship to hold correspondency with Idolaters Jer. 2.33 Why trimest thou thy way to seek love he speaks it of their correspondence with Idolaters sometimes with Egypt and sometimes with Assyria◠they did so order things in Gods worship as might best further their Politick ends now this triming did please and then another and all was to please their Lovers How much triming hath been used in this Nation of late years we must have Altars Crucifixes Copes Tapers Basons sometimes we have been taken with the French sometimes the Spanish and sometime the Italian fashion what is this but to trim our way to seek love Thirdly Confederacy with Idolaters of a contrary Religion Ier. 2.36 why gaddest thou about to change thy way sometimes they went down to Egypt sometimes they did slie to Assyria c. this is called the fornication of the Nations Ezek. 16. The gadding of this Nation of latter times in this kind I need not speak of that it is too well known unto most Nations in the Christian world but all that ever we are like to get by it is the same that was the gain of this people Ahaz made a confederacy with the King of Assyria 2 Chron. 28.20 and he came and distressed him but strengthened him not Fourthly abusing the Messengers of God 2 Chron. 36.16 They mocked his Messengers and they mis used his Prophets till the wrath of God rose up against them that there was no remedy How far this hath taken place in these latter daies is not unknown to all many of them imprisoned disgraced deprived and those that did enjoy their liberty for the most part Prophecied in Sackcloth Rev. 11. in much affliction and full of doubts and fears every one suspecting whether what he did would please or no. Fifthly not laying to heart the afflictions of our Brethren Amos 6.6.7 They drink wine in bowls and stretch themselves upon beds of Ivory therefore they shall go into Captivity with the first that go Captive how far we have been affected with the distresses of our bretheren in France formerly the desolations in Germany and the present unheard of cruelties in Ireland our hearts know very well and it will be well if in the day when the Lord makes in juisition for blood some of this blood be not found bound up in our own skirts These were the evils that ripened the harvest of sin with them and moved the Lord to say unto the Executioner of Judgement put in thy sickle and reap oel 3.13 and how can we expect but that it shall be so with us also for God measures all Nations with the same line and the same plumet Isa 28.17 Secondly the beginnings of Iudgement are an evident token that the time of Iudgement draws neer When the Fig-tree puts forth leaves you say summer is neer so when you se these things come to pass say it is neer even at the door Lu 2.30 3 For he saith in Judgement when begin I wil also make an end 1 Sam. 3.12 as former mercies be pledges of future and meat for the
pulchrum est digito monstrari c. there goes a rich man a wise man a great Schollar c. but to be pointed at there goes a holy man a diligent hearer a constant frequenter of the Ordinances in the place where Gods honour dwelleth this is an imputation and a matter of disgrace and this especially in any of the higher and the greater sort Salvian It is that which Salvian in his time did complain of p. 113. that if any Noble man or great man begun to be religious statim honorem nobilitatis amittit quantus in Christiano populo honor Christi ubireligio ignobilem facit The same is the disease of the present times that dishonour some men for no cause but because they do honour God of whom the world may truly say Thy God hath kept thee from honour It will appear in the consideration of these things First what a man counts a matter of honour he will not be ashamed to appear to be Paul was not ashamed to preach the Gospel but was abundant in it laboured more then they all why because he counted it the matter of his glory Rom. 15.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was so his labour that he counted it his honour too and that made him so abundant in it he was willing to appear so to be the Martyrs in the Primitive times counted Christianity their honour and therefore they were not ashamed to profess with triumph before their cruellest persecutors Christiani sumus c. but amongst us we find men are loth to be taken notice of for constant preachers for diligent hearers c. because they count it will be a blemish to their names and may be a stop to their honour and preferment in the world c. Thus many a man is by this means kept off from the Ordinances which would be his glory quodammodo mali esse coguntur ne viles habeantur they must be evil or else they say they shall be vile if they be not wicked they say they shall be men of no esteem Surely all those that are ashamed to appear or to be thought holy they count the Ordinances of God their disgrace and not their honour for a good man is that Seneca Epist 81. Seneca boni viri famam perdidit ne perdiret Constantinus let every man look into his own heart whether it be so with him I accuse none but as Salvian saith Salvian Si quis in se esse novit quae loquor non à mea sihi haec lingua dici aestimet sed à conscientia sua not my tongue but his own heart is his accuser Secondly what a man counts his honour that he will have recourse to or setch comfort or encouragement from it in disgrace or any other calamity whatsoever When Mordecay refused to bow to Haman unto what did his heart recoyl in this contempt as he conceived Hest 5.10 it is said that he told his friends of his glory riches multitude of children and all the things wherein the King had promoted him and how he had advanced him above the Princes c. and with this he bore up his own Spirit So it will be with the Ordinances if a man make them his glory as the Lord himself tells his people Isa 30.20 though they were not freed from outward afflictions though they were fed with the bread of affliction and the water of trouble yet their Teachers should be removed into corners no more but their eyes should see their Teachers c. and with this the Lord strives to uphold their hearts against all their outward calamities they should be sure of plenty of the bread of life though they did want the staff of bread when a soul is able to turn in upon himself and in any calamity uphold his spirit herewith It is true God feeds me with the bread of affliction but yet my eyes do see my Teachers and can he be hungry that is fed with the bread of life can he fare meanly that is alwaies at a feast of fat things No surely brown bread and the Gospel is rich provision Can he thirst that may at pleasure draw water with joy out of the wells of salvation Can he be poor unto whom is daily offered the unsearchable riches of Christ Can he be sick to whom the Sun of righteousness doth arise with healing in his wings and can he be alone who is come to the innumerable company of Angels or the general assembly and Church of the first born which are written in heaven to God the Iudge of all c. Thus we are by Gospel-Ordinances Heb. 12.22,23 Matth. 9.2 Christ saith unto the poor man sick of the Palsey Son be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee A poor man in sickness and in pain how could he be of good chear yea there is sufficient in the Gospel and the Comforts and Ordinances thereof to chear a mans heart and to bear him up against all the outward sorrows and calamities in the world if a man do make the Ordinances of the Gospel the matter of his honour then they will be his chiefest joy in the best times and his only joy in the worst Thirdly a mans honour and that which he glories in he will lay all at stake to defend the people of Israel counted David a great honour to his Nation as indeed he was and therefore they called him the light of Israel 2 Sam 21.17 and being in battle there came Ishbebenob the Giant and would have slain David but Abishai the son of Zerviah interposed himself rescued the King and slew the Philistine Now when the Giants of the world strike sometimes at one Ordinance sometimes at another and think surely to quench the light of Israel Where is the man that hath interposed himself and born the blow that he might succour the Ordinances Where is the man that is of Saint Bernards mind Bernard Malo in nos murmur hominum quam in Deum bonum est mihi si Deus dignetur me uti pro clypeo Objection But when you have said all the world will never count these Ordinances an honour nor those that do frequent them to be honourable men but either men of mean parts or mean fortunes the instable multitude c. or what ever a man was before he shall never be so esteemed afterward Si honoratior quispiam religio ni se applicuerit Salvian illico honoratus esse desistit Salvian p. 113. Answer But consider First though the world will not so count it yet there is an honour that comes from God only Iohn 5.44 and there is circumcision in the heart and in the Spirit whose praise is not of men but of God Rom. 2. ult There are indeed two great rate Books or counts in which all the persons and actions of men be valued Goâ—s book and the worlds and they set upon persons and actions different rates for that which is highly esteemed amongst