For what is laid up in store with God as in a Treasure and moreover secured with a Seal is most certain Al the wits and forces of Heaven and Earth cannot break open this Divine Seal or make void Gods Treasures of wrath 3. Hereby also is intimated Gods Longanimitie or Long sufferance for what is laid up in a treasure is not of present use but for the future So the Greek Verb to treasure up signifies to lay up for to morrow So it follows v. 35. their foot shal slide in due time The Lord forbears long til sinners have filled up their mesure and then opens his treasure of wrath 4. These treasures of wrath implie Gods severitie at last against impenitent sinners which go on in ways of Apostasie and Rebellion The longer God waits for Jesurun's returne to him the more fierce wil his indignation be against her if she returne not patience abused turnes into multiplicated furie When God comes to open his sealed treasures of Indignation against contumacious rebellious Jerusalem Oh! what flouds of wrath break forth against her Thus Psal 106. 39. Thus were they desiled with their own works and went a whoring with their own inventions Here you have Jesuruns Apostasie from God and then follows Gods severitie against Jesurun v. 40. Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance When a professing People or Church begin to grow weary of God He begins to abhor them as as an unclean thing or that which is abominable Thus I have dispatcht the Church-sins which brought ruine on Jerusalem and therefore were the chief mater of our blessed Lords Lamentation and I have insisted the more largely and particularly hereon that so by having a view of those Church-sins that usually bring Church-ruines we may so far as we are guiltie lament over the same and reforme for the future lest we in lik emanner fal under Jerusalems condemnation and ruines CHAP. VI. Divine wrath and the effects theref on Jerusalem further mater of Christs Lamentation HAving finisht the Moral cause of Jerusalems Ruine we now procede to the productive cause thereof which was chiefly the wrath of a sin-revenging jelous God As sin was the fuel so Divine wrath was the fire which consumed Jerusalem And this was another great and moving object which drew this sad Lamentation from our gracious Lord. Jerusalem was now in a prosperous tranquil or quiet state Oh! how beautiful and goodly was her Temple to the eyes of Beholders Do not Christs Disciples cry out Mark 13. 1. Master see what manner of stones and what buildings are here Very good Ay but what replie doth Christ make Luk. 21. 6. As for these things which ye behold the dayes wil come in which there shal not be left one stone on another that shal not be thrown down Our omniscient Lord saw divine Wrath smoking against Jerusalem and this made him to weep over it whiles others gloried in its beautie Our poor shallow apprehensions contemplate Causes in their Effects but Christs omniscient eye saw the Effect in its Causes and therefore laments over it as being actually present to him And ah What doleful mater of Lamentation is here to see the dreadful fire of Divine wrath flame forth against Jerusalem the place of Gods gracious Redsience A spiritual heart can see al the plagues and curses of Hel wrapt up in Divine wrath A carnal heart can apprehend and feel the effects of Gods wrath especially such as are more visible and sensible as the raging Pestilence London's prodigious Flames or the like Ay but how few are there who take notice of that Divine wrath which animateth and feedeth all those National judgements Where is that soul or at least how rare is he to be found who laments the fiery indignation and wrath of God which spirits al Church-ruines But this was the posture of our tender-hearted Saviors spirit the great thing he bewails was the wrath of God which hung by a smal thread over Jerusalem This was the sword which pierced his heart and made his eyes gush forth with tears The like we find in Jeremie's Lamentations over captive Jerusalem Lam. 1. 15. The Lord hath troden the virgin the daughter of Judah as in a Wine-presse The treading of Judah as in a Wine-presse argues her extreme oppression and affliction and therefore we find the same expression of Christs passion Isa 63. 3. But who is it that treads Judah as in a Wine-presse He tels you The Lord hath troden c. Here lies the sting of al Gods Wrath visible and apparent in their captivitie was that which mostly wounded his heart Ah! saith Jeremie 't is not so much the Babylonians furie that toucheth me as the Lords indignation which appears in our sufferings 't is the hand of God that cuts mine heart 't is his wrath that makes me so sad So Lam. 2. 1. How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Sion with a cloud in his anger and cast down from Heaven unto earth the beautie of Israel and remembred not his footstool in the day of his anger The Lords obnubilating or covering with a cloud the daughter of Sion argueth his great indignation against her Some conceive that the Prophet by a tacit Antithesis alludes to the Cloud of glorie which overshadowed Jerusalem at the Dedication of the Temple 1 Kin. 8. 1. But now alas a contrary dark calamitous cloud of wrath covers her which was great mater of Lamentation Thus v. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. So Lam. 4. 16. The anger or face of the Lord hath divided them or dissipated them he wil no more regard them or he wil not adde to regard them i e he wil not give them one favorable regard one gracious aspect more And oh What an heavy doom was this How many Hels lay wrapt up in these direful tokens of Divine wrath This therefore was that which our blessed Lord greatly laments in Jerusalems ruines that al was the effect of an angry displeased Deitie As for the Instrumental Causes of Jerusalems Destruction there was somewhat also in these that gave our compassionate Lord some mater of Lamentation To consider that the Roman Cesar whom the Jews now so much crie up and prefer before himself their only Messias should ere long in his successor prove the great instrument of their Desolation and that he should first pitch his Tents in this very place where our Lord now stood Oh! What abundant mater of Lamentation did this afford to our tender-hearted Lord who was so nearly allied to Jerusalem We come now to the effects of Jerusalems sins and Gods wrath inflamed thereby which yield fresh mater of lamentation to our dear Lord. The effects are proportionable to the causes Sin and wrath cannot but produce prodigious jugements on Jerusalem The temporal effects of Gods wrath against Jerusalem were very prodigious and lamentable 1.
Is it not a sad and lamentable sight to see Jerusalem a Citie so populous become desolate and without Inhabitant as Mat. 23. 38. Behold your house is left to you desolate Was not this one great part of Jeremies Lamentation over old Jerusalem Lam. 1. 1. How doth the Citie sit solitary that was ful of people How is she become as a widow 2. Was it not also a doleful thing to see Jerusalem which was the wonder of the world for beautiful edifices and structures laid even with the ground not a stone remaining on another As our Lord foretels Luke 19. 44. And shal lay thee even with the ground and shal not leave in thee one stone upon another This seems an hyperbolic expression denoting extreme destruction Hag. 2. 15. To lay a stone upon a stone signifies to build Wherefore not to leave a stone upon a stone signifies utterly to destroy And that this prophetic description of Jerusalems utter ruine was fulfilled to a tittle historie informs us It s said that Jerusalem was so far demolisht by Vespasian that there was no footstep of the Citie left remaining yea afterwards it was by Musonius the Prefect plowed up so that it not only ceased to be a Citie but moreover it was not lawful for any to build on that soil for the future For according to the Roman-law that Citie which had a plow passed over it ceased to be such and it was a capital crime for any to build so much as a Cottage in that place Such were the miserble ruines of Jerusalem here foretold And oh what a sad contemplation was this to our dear Lord how did it make his heart to bleed as his eye to weep They who have seen London buried in its own ashes cannot but remember what a sad spectacle this is Ah! who would not lament at such a sight 3. Is it not also a lamentable case that she who was the Glorie and desire of Nations should become the derision reproche and scorne of al Was not this also great mater of lamentation to Jeremie Lamentat 2. 15. They hisse and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem saying is this the citie that men cal the perfection of Beautie the joy of the whole earth 2. But the most dreadful and lamentable effects of Divine wrath on Jerusalem were spiritual jugements the prevision whereof greatly afflicted our tender-hearted Lord. 1. Oh! what a bleeding contemplation was it to our gracious Lord to view that dismal breach which Divine wrath was about to make on Jerusalems Church-state To consider that now al the great things that did belong to her peace were to be as a sealed book altogether hid from her eyes ah how doth this pierce and wound the heart of her Messias That she who had been dignified and adorned with such rich marques of Divine favor beyond al Nations in the world should now be divested and stript naked of al what an heart-breaking was this to her gracious Lord Did not this consideration fil Jeremies heart with sad lamentations over old Jerusalem Lam. 1. 4. The ways of Sion do mourne because none do come to the solemn feasts c. So Lamen 2. 6 7. And he hath violently taken away his Tabernacle as if it were of a garden he hath destroyed his places of the assemblie 2. The withdrawment not only of the means and Symbols of Grace but also of al gracious Influences from Jerusalem afforded further mater of sore Lamentation unto her Lord. It is a dreadful curse to want al special Means and Tokens of Grace but yet if in the want of these the Lord vouchsafeth his Grace to improve commun means of Grace or particular deprivements of special means this is no smal divine Benediction But alas our Lord foresaw it would be quite otherwise with Jerusalem she was like to be deprived not only of al special means of Grace but also of Grace it self without which she could not improve commun means or her particular deprivements of special means and oh how greatly doth this afflict her compassionate Lord A Christian though he be sometimes deprived of the means of Grace yet the Lord gives him grace to improve those very deprivements in order to his humiliation spiritual povertie hunger and thirst after the means and a more complete life of faith and dependence on Christ And thus his deprivements of the means of Grace become a means of Grace unto him his want of Ordinances is as sanctified by Grace a great Ordinance to him Ay but was it thus with Jerusalem No she was not only to be deprived of al means and Symbols of Grace but also of Grace it self without which she could not make any improvement of these withdrawments or be humbled under them This Paul sadly laments 2 Cor. 3. 14. For ' til this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the old Testament He speaks of the veil on the hearts of the unbelieving Jews 3. Another spiritual jugement which Christ laments as that which hung over Jerusalem was Gods pouring out on her a spirit of slumber and delivering her up to judicial occecation and obduration or hardnes of heart So Rom. 11. 8. God hath given them the spirit of slumber And this indeed was the curse of Curses the Plague of Plagues the Hel of Hels which contains in it al manner of spiritual jugements as being left to the plague of their own hearts 1 King 8. 38. being given up to the enchantments of a bewitching world having al commun mercies and providences cursed to them Rom. 11. 9 10. being delivered up to Satan the god of this world 2 Cor. 4. 6. c. But of these in their proper place CHAP. VII The eminent Qualities and Efficaces of Christs sacred Tears HAving finisht the Object or Mater of Christs Lamentation comprised in that notion over it We now procede to the Act Wept Wherein we find two considerables 1. The Qualitie 2. The Efficaces of Christs Tears over Jerusalem Sect. 1. As for the Qualities of these Tears they are very Rare and Admirable clothed with many eminences which render them infinitely more excellent than al other tears For 1 they are Divine tears dropt from the Heart and eyes of him who was as truely God as man And oh What an admirable yea infinite Perfection doth this give to these Tears that they flow from the Divinitie What! doth the Son of God who is eternally blessed in the beatific Vision and Fruition of his own Glorie drop tears and that over an ingrateful contumacious rebellious Citie Oh! Who could ever have imagined that this could be had we not ocular and evident demonstration thereof Surely these Tears must be no vulgar commun tears which have so much of the Divinitie in them Oh! What precious tears were these that dropt from God-man What sweet and delicious wine were these tears to the Angels that attended on Christ 2. These
that the first principle of such feigned profession is but some commun Illumination or languid Affection He knows who they are that crie him up in profession and yet despise or crie him down in heart and prevalent Affection He considers that such mens forced subjection to him procedes only from legal principles and therefore wil ere long degenerate into secret if not open Rebellion against him He sees such mens light is a burden to them their faith lies level with the Interest of self their starcht holinesse is but an artificial Pharisaic sanctitie or at best but some light touches or superficial Impresses of the Spirit of Grace In brief Christ has as Isai 11. 3. a quick sent to distinguish betwixt commun illuminations and the saving light of life between legal Humiliation and evangelic Repentance betwixt painted watered holinesse and sincere Grace and therefore many Almost-Christians who passe for Sheep in their own and the worlds eyes are but altogether Swine in Christs eye Hence we may learne That awakened sinners may procede very far in the owning of Christ and yet bedisowned by him They may as these poor souls here embrace him with much seeming joy submit to him as their King with much pretended chearfulnes crie Hosanna i. e. save now with much seeming Faith and Dependence on him as their Savior and yet al this while Christ not own them as his loyal Subjects This also teacheth us That there is a vast difference between mans jugement and Christs Alas how many are justified by us as also in their own consciences and yet condemned by Christ As on the contrarie how many are condemned by the World and peradventure by their own Consciences as Hypocrites who yet are justified by Christ This further instructs us That a christians main worke is to approve himself to Christ It maters not who condemnes if Christ justifies who curseth if he blesseth who kils if he makes alive who troubles if he speak peace As Christ doth curse the Blessings so also he doth blesse the Curses of the wicked when unjustly pronounced against the Godly Wherefore Christians should mind more how they may approve themselves to Christ than what may commend them to the world This also admonisheth us mostly to intend and look wel to Heart-work For 't is the sinceritie of the heart only that commends us unto Christ Externe formes and Apparences of pietie commend us to the Church but unlesse there be an inward Power and Realitie of Grace in the Heart al our visible formes do but render us more slie cunning Hypocrites and so more loathsome abominable in the eye of Christ Lastly this discovers to us the desperate curse and plague that abides on self-deluding sinners Such as extol Christ in profession but yet continue enemies to him in Affection such as go forth with their Palme-branches of seeming joy to welcome Christ and yet secretly in their hearts crucifie him such as sing Hosanna's to him as their crowned King and yet reserve the Bent of their hearts as a throne for some base lust Certainly such Almost-Christians are no better than Almost-Devils the whitenesse of their fair but false pretences of honor to Christ doth but aggravate the blacknes of of their sin in rejecting of him the masque of their profession serves but to concele a rotten heart Their seeming Godlines serves but more effectually to oppose that which is such in truth CHAP. III. Previous and general Observations from the Text. WE now procede to the bodie of our Text and therein the first thing that occurs is the circumstance of place wherein our blessed Lord made this his doleful Lamentation over Jerusalem contained in that expression And when he was come near Whence observe That the approche of any afflictive or miserable object draws forth grief pitie from a christian gracious spirit What is grief but the emotion or rolling of the bowels at the presence of some grievous object and the nearer the object is to us either by Natural Civil or Religious bonds the greater wil our grief be at the approche thereof Jerusalem was allied to Christ by the most intimate and essential bonds both of Nature and Religion he was borne of a Jewish Womb educated in the Jewish Land the crowned King of Jerusalem which was a federate Citie allied to him by al manner of Civil and Religious obligations and therefore approching near it his bowels melt and turne within him to think that this Citie so near and dear unto him should not understand or embrace the things that appertain to her peace but on the contrarie be at this very very time meditating and contriving his death and her own ruine But this wil come under further consideration in what follows We passe on to the Act of Christ which ushered in and opened the dore to this his sad Lamentation He beheld Hence observe 1. That the Lord of Glorie did so far condescend to sinners as to clothe himself with human Nature and Organs thereby the more feelingly to commiserate and pitie them And oh What an infinite Ocean of condescendent grace is here What unparalled Dimensions of eternal Love and Mercie are there in the bowels of this tenderhearted Redemer What Was he indeed content to assume a mans heart to bleed over sinners a mans tongue to plead with and persuade sinners to be happie a mans eyes to water his exhortations with tears yea a mans soul and bodie to die for sinners O! what wonders of superlative love and condescendent pitie are here Who would ever question the affectionate regard of such a compassionate Redemer How comes it to passe that the blessed Lord should borrow human eyes to behold and pitie sinners and yet they want an eye of faith to behold their Savior O! what monstrous ingratitude is this that the King of Sion should stand gazing on sinners ' til his heart dissolve into tears and yet they stand amusing themselves with Idols of clay and never mind the gracious Regards of their Lord Fie fie on such blind Idol-lovers 2. From this Act He beheld we may further observe That Christs eye affects his heart his sight moves his compassions There are no sterile jejune or barren speculations in Christs eye but al his contemplations are warme and heart-melting they break forth into Affection and end in Operation Christs eye is not dul or sleepy but vigilant and watchful He watcheth over sinners when they sleep over him He beholds them with an eye of pitie and compassion when they behold him with an eye of bloud and revenge He casts a wist eye of sympathie and lamentation towards Jerusalem whiles she is looking and considering how she may pul out his eyes and heart O! what a compassionate eye is this Hence follows the object of Christs contemplation and that is THE Citie i. e. The Citie which was so nearly related and yet so vastly opposite to him The Citie which
were a Deluge of curses on the impenitent Jews so also were they a floud of mercies towards his elect seed Without dout those Christs Disciples who saw him shed these tears were not a little moved and influenced thereby Christs tears were a soverain means to mollifie and soften their rockie stonie hearts How could they refrain to mourn when they see their Lord weep over Jerusalem What grief and shame might they wel have for their own sins when they behold their great Lord thus to weep over Jerusalem's sins How much ought these Sympathetic tears of their Lord move them to sympathise also with Jerusalem in her miseries 7. Lastly these sacred tears of our blessed Lord were also exemplary Without al peradventure our blessed Lord intended these his public tears not only as a Demonstration of his affectionate regard towards sinners but also as a great exemplar or patterne for his Saints Christ the natural Son of God hereby gave al the adopted sons of God a fit patterne for their tears Christ wept for Jerusalem's sins thereby to give us a patterne of mourning for sin both in our selves and others Christ seems to forget his own sufferings whiles he laments the sufferings of Jerusalem now contriving his death Oh! what an admirable exemplar is here for Saints to bleed over the sufferings of others yea of enemies more than their own But how far Christs tears ought to be imitated by us we intend to shew in the Application CHAP. VIII The Motives that induced Christ to weep over Jerusalem from his Relations to her HAving dispatcht the Object and Act of Christs Lamentation we now passe on to our third Question What it was that moved Christ to weep over Jerusalem As for the Motives which refer to the object they have been sufficiently explicated in what precedes Chap. 4 5 6. I shal now only mention such as lie wrapt up in the Subject Christ and his Relation to Jerusalem Relations as we al find by experience carrie in them the most moving Considerations Nothing so efficacious to draw forth commiseration and pitie towards an object in miserie as our Relation natural or spiritual to it The strongest Motives to compassion spring from Relations Now our blessed Lord stood in many near relations unto Jerusalem which greatly moved him to commiserate her sinful and ruinous state 1. Christ bore the Relation of a Father to Jerusalem Israel was his first-borne Church as Luke 15. 25. where the Jewish Church is wrapt up in the Parable of an elder son Now its wel-known what binding motives to pitie lie wrapt up in the bowels of a Father Was it ever known that a Father saw his Child burning in the fire and yet wanted bowels of pitie for him Can we imagine that the heart of our tender Lord which was made up of such tendernesses could forbear to bleed over dying Jerusalem We find this lively exemplified in the movings of Christ affectionate Bowels towards Ephraim Jer. 31. 20. Is Ephraim my dear son is he a pleasant child For since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him stil therefore my bowels are troubled for him The bowels are said to be the seat of the most tender Affections and it is certain that in great acts of commiseration the Bowels are most deeply affected Though this be spoken of Christs compassions towards penitent Ephraim yet in some proportion it holds good in respect of back-sliding Jerusalem For a prodigal rebellious son is a son and therefore the object of commiseration as it appears in the storie of the prodigal Luk. 15. 20. Though Jerusalem was now turned prodigal yet Christs bowels could not but melt towards it with tender commiseration 2. Christs relation to Jerusalem as an Husband is yet a deeper motive to stir up his bowels of pitie towards her Jerusalem was Christs first-Bride she got his first virgin-love she first subscribed with her hand to the conjugal contract and thence became Holinesse to the Lord. Jer. 2. 2 3. Go and crie in the ears of Jerusalem saying thus saith the Lord I remember thee the kindnes of thy youth the love of thine espousals c. So v. 5. What iniquitie have your fathers found in me that they are gone far from me Ah! this breaks Christs heart that Jerusalem who had by a solemne mariage bond joined herself to him should now turne her back on him as a commun Harlot and lie in commun for every Idol-lust How could this tender-hearted Savior choose but weep over Jerusalem his Apostate-Spouse who never found iniquitie in him or any just cause for such a grand Apostasie Would it not break the heart of a tenderhearted husband to see his wife bid defiance to him and lie in commun for every base miscreant This Christ sadly laments Jer. 31. 32. Which my covenant they brake although I was an husband to them saith the Lord. As if he had said O! this breaketh mine heart I cannot bear it that Israel should break with me who have been so kind so affectionate so indulgent an husband to her who could ever have imagined that Israel would have dealt so unkindly with me who have been so kind to her What prodigious disloyaltie is this that Jerusalem should prove so false to me who have been so faithful an husband to her Yea what monstrous folie is this that Jerusalem should be so cruel so bloudie-minded so much an enemie to her self as to reject me her best friend and husband 3. Christ was nearly allied to Jerusalem as her Lord and Soverain which gives him a further inducement to mourne and weep over her This we find insisted on John 1. 11. He came unto his own and his own received him not His own Jerusalem was Christs own proper house a Palace which he had built for his own regal Residence a Temple which he had erected and consecrated for his own Divine worship And was it not al the reason in the world that Christ should be received as Lord into his own House and Temple Is there any thing more naturally our own than that which we give Being and existence unto Was not Jerusalem then most properly yea most naturally Christs own in that he gave Being to her both in her Politic and Religious capacitie as a State and Church And yet Lo it followes and his own received him not i. e. as Lord and King Our blessed Lord comes and knockes at Jerusalem's Gates but could not be admitted into his own house Oh! how greatly doth this pierce and wound his heart Who could ever have thought that the Lord of Glorie should have been denied entrance into his own royal Palace What stupendous Rebellion is this Surely wel might this draw tears from our Lord. 4. Christs Federal Relation to Jerusalem as Minister of the Covenant brought him under an essential and deep obligation to lament over her sinful and ruinous state Christ was invested with an
faint Assent Thus every unbeliever hangs as a Meteor in the Air under prevalent suspense and hesitation touching the truth of the promisses Thence Mark 11. 23. We find douting in heart and believing opposed They that yield only an opinionative doutful Assent to the things of their peace do really dissent a suspensive faith is no faith in Gods estime 10. To yield only a cloudy inevident obscure Assent to the things that belong unto our peace is not to know them Divine Faith carries with it not only Certaintie but also Evidence Thus Hebr. 11. 1. Faith is the evidence of things not seen Evidence implies a ful clear manifest apprehension of things present among which such are most evident as are most visible Thence the Sun is most evident because most visible It s true the objects of Faith are altogether absent inevident and invisible as to Sense or Reason whence they are stiled Things not seen ay but yet they are present evident and visible to an eye of faith So the Scholes determine That the truths of Faith are evidently credible On what a manifest clear intuitive vision doth Faith afford But the Unbeliever sees nothing evidently and clearly he has only obscure misty dark notions of the things that belong unto his peace So 2 Pet. 1. 9. And cannot see far off Like one that is purblind or in a mist The Unbeliever has no evident conviction or discoverie of the great things of the other world he sees only things next to him Objects of sense or reason and therefore he knows not the things that belong to his peace Some thinke the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used to represent the image of a false faith under the Similitude of a blind man who moving his eye-lids may take in some confused obscure shadow of light which yet is altogether unuseful and insructuous 11. Such as receive the things that belong to their peace with a legal Assent only may be justly said not to know the same The main things that belong to our peace are evangelic and therefore such must our Assent be if right To receive evangelic Truths only with a legal faith is really to disbelieve the same Many convinced sinners yield a very strong assent to al the terrors of the law This and that and t'other threat belongs to me saith the poor Sinner I am he to whom this sentence of the Law and that curse doth appertain c. It s strange to consider how far awakened sinners may procede in such a legal assent to Law-threats and yet never attain to an Evangelic faith This seems to be the case of those unbelieving Jews mentioned Hebr. 4. 2. But the Word preached did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not being incorporated it seems to be a terme borrowed from meats which being received into the stomach and mingling with that acid ferment or juice which is loged there are by the assistance thereof digested and so turned into good nutriment bloud and spirits just so the Word of God being received into an honest heart and incorporated with an evangelic faith doth nourish and strengthen the Believer Ay but now these unbelieving Jews wanting this acid juice of evangelic faith the word received profited them not They yielded a legal assent to the threats of the Law but yet being void of an evangelic assent to the promisses of the Gospel they received no profit from the Word preached Legal assent to the threats of the Law if it procede no further usually ends in greater unbelief and securitie 12. Such also may be said not to know the things that belong to their peace who yield only an involuntarie forced Assent thereto This follows on the former For a legal Assent is only forced and strained whereas an evangelic Assent is affectionate and free whence it is made a character of those primitive Believers Act. 2. 41. Then they that gladly received his Word What word doth he here mean The word of promisse v. 39. For the promisse is to you and your children c. It s said v. 37. They were pricked in their heart c. i e They were wounded with the sense of their sin in crucifying the Lord of Glorie and having now the promisse of life and pardon preached to them O! how gladly do they receive this word What welcome News is this How are they overjoyed at such glad tidings of Salvation What content what satisfaction what pleasure do they take in this Evangelic word of life How greedily do they receive or assent to it even as a voluptuous man receives his food or a condemned malefactor his pardon So much the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gladly doth import Again As many as gladly received the word Here is a restrictive and distinctive note For gladly here doth confine and restrain the sincere reception of the word to these here specified in distinction from the rest of the Auditors of whom also many received the word but not gladly So that this note seems to be characteristic and descriptive of true saving Assent which hath joy and gladnesse mixed with it They receive the word and they receive it gladly they assent to it and they assent chearfully they would not for a world but assent to it As the eye sees the Sun and sees it gladly the ear hears Music and gladly hears it So faith assenteth to the Word of God and assents with gladnesse Though there be much obscuritie and seeming contrarietie to carnal reason in some parts of Gods word yet so far as it appears to be the word of God faith willingly assens to it the mind is captivated to divine Testimonie Though perhaps the poor Believer cannot rationally discourse or reason touching the truths he assents to yet he hath a divine Instinct a spiritual Sagacitie an interne Sense whereby he tasts Divine words and so can distinguish them from al human words though sugared over with never so much spiritual Rhetoric Thus he receives the word gladly So also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies such a reception as an Host gives his Guest or a man his intimate friend Al which fully demonstrates with what an affectionate Assent they received the Word of life The like is mentioned of the Bereans Act. 17. 11. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the word with al readinesse of mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e with an affectionate chearful Assent Indeed al true saving faith connotes a pious inclination in the soul For the things that belong unto our peace being purely dependent on the Testimonie of God if there be not a pious affection in the heart towards God the sinner wil never assent to close with the promisses and offers of life made to it Affection to any person makes us very credulous or apt to receive his report Love makes our Assent quick