cause to fear with an Holy fear lest by sin he displease God his loving Father and so provoke him to scourge him not only in his body but in his Soul and conscience as he did David whose sin put him to more grief and anguish in his Soul than ever man felt that was wracked in his body to the breaking of his bones it put him to such a torture terror and anguish that he would have given his Kingdom to have been eased of it Psal 51. 8. Psal 51. 8. Object 3. But doth not the Scripture say Prov. 8. 17. I love them Prov. 8. 17. that love me God continues his love to us if we continue our love to him but if we cease to love him he may cease to love us Answ 1. For answer to this place the meaning is this It is Gods love to us that makes us love him and doubtless he that loves us so as to make us love him cannot but love us when we doe love him 2. It is denyed that a Child of God can cease to love God he may fall from some degrees of this love he may loose his first love and loose the exercise of this grace of love but he cannot fall totally or finally from his love to God much water cannot quench his love to God nor can floods drown it therefore some Interpreters make the words of my text to bear this sense nothing shall separate us from the love we bear to God in Christ Jesus as well as the former 3. It is an idle dream that Gods love to us doth depend upon our love to him and the continuance of it upon the constancy of our love to him for so the love of God should be variable and changable according to the change and alteration that is in us which is contrary to the Scripture 1 Jam. 17. 1 Jam. 17. and to the text when the Apostle speaks not conditionally but possitively and Absolutely that nothing shall separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus 4. Such is the nature of Gods love that as it is constant to his Children so it is effectual in them to keep them continually in their love to him so as it cannot be quite extinct shaken out of their hearts or quenched in them Cant. 8. 6 7. Cant. 8. 6 7. Object 4. But why are the faithful exhorted to continue in the love of God Joh. 15. 9. Joh. 15. 9. Jude 21. so Jude 21. keep your selves in the love of God if there were no possibility of falling from the love of God Answ Some understand these places of Scripture to speak of the love of God and Christ to us then they are exhortations to us to take heed of doing any thing whereby we provoke God to hide his face to withold the sense of his love from and to frown upon us for if we fall into sin as negligence and security 't is the high way to loose the sense and fealing of the love of God and to feel his anger and displeasure against us in so much that we may be brought to question his love towards us Or if you understand them of our love to God and Christ then they are only incitations to quicken us to a growth and perseverance in that grace of love Thus much for this first use Use 2. Is it so that nothing can separate the faithful from the love which God bears to them in Christ Jesus their Lord this then is ground of abundant comfort of firm lasting and everlasting consolation to all the faithful who are interested in the special love of God in Christ Jesus that are in the Estate of Gods love in the state of grace as divines call it I call it the Estates of Gods love in opposition to the Estate of Gods wrath wherein we are all by nature I say this is matter of unspeakable comfort to all such and that first 1. Against the fear of all enemies and evils whatever none of them can separate from Gods love Poverty may take away thy wealth sickness thy health disgrace thy good name death thy life but none of these can take away Gods love from thee that is unchangable inseparable love 2. It affords you comfort against the mutability of mens love the love of great men of Princes is mutable Joseph and Haman are east out of the Kings favour The love of friends is changable they may love to day and hate to morrow yea more friends and familiars who were wont to shew much love may shew much hatred of which David complaines Psal 38. 11. and Psal 38. 11. Psal 55. 12 13. Psal 55. 12 13. that his equal his Guide and acquaintance with whom he took sweet council he did reproach him and magnifie himself against him And Job saith that his former friends did abhor him and did not spare to spit in his face Job 30. 10. And Job 30. 10. have not we seen this in our days friends not only ceasing to be friends but turning mortal killing enemies now that which hath befallen others may befal us and if it doth if thou art a Child of God one whom God loves thou hast this to comfort thee Gods love is not mutable as mans is Though thou mayst be cast out of the love and favour of men yet thou canst not be cast out of the love and favour of God though they separate their love from thee and hate thee yet they cannot separate the love of God from thee nor cause him to hate thee his love to thee as it was from everlasting so it is to everlasting Psalm 103. 17. So that it is better to love Psal 103 17. the love of God than the love of all the world for the worlds love is mutable but Gods love is Eternal 3. It affords you comfort against the separability of all beloved and desired comforts here below 1. Happily thou hast a pleasant habitation and with it many desirable accommodations this is a comfort but thou maist be separated from it thou maist be driven from house and home as those worthys were in Heb. 11. who were driven in Heb. 11. to dens and desarts and caves of the Earth But yet you cannot be separated from the love of God in Christ Jesus when thou hast not an house to put thy head in thou hast this love of God to warm thy heart in thou canst not be put out of Gods love wherein thou dwellest Psal 90. 1. Lord saith Psal 90. 1. the Church thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations that is in all our sojournings and wandrings thy love and favour hath been our Harbour shelter and protection 1 Joh. 4. 16. We have 1 Joh. 4 16. known and believed the love that God hath to us God is love and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him No matter where our dwelling be in a Wood in a Wilderness in a Cave in
not because it is perfect for if assurance were perfect then also is our knowledge perfect and our â—aith and some other graces perfect â—nd if some why not all Perhaps â—n some their certainty may be so â—reat as to overcome all sensible â—oubtings all sensible stirrings of â—nbelief by reason of the sweet â—nd powerfull acts and effects of that certainty and yet it doth not overcome all unbelief or uncertainty so as to expell or nullifie them but a certain measure of them remains still thus you see in what sense it is called full assurance It is called also sometimes the full assurance of understanding 2 Col. 2. 2 Col. 2. Heb. 6. 11. Heb. 10. 22. Sometimes the full assurance of hope Heb. 6. 11. Sometimes the full assurance of faith Heb. 10. 22. T is not these graces but the fruit of them for knowledge Faith and Hope do all contribute their influence to the making up of this full assurance V. It is called the hid Manna the white stone with the new name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Rev. 2. 17. that no man knoweth but he that hath it Revel 2. 17. First all believers have it not for some are weak believers weak in faith smoaking Flax babes in Christ this is the fruit of a strong faith a weak believer is not fit for it now can he make a good use of it t is like a great Sail to a small Vessel Secondly t is the Crown after Conquest to him that overcometh I will give c. A man that hath fought and overcome shall have it not as soon as he begins to fight or at the second Combate but when he hath fought the battle and hath got the Victory hath got the day of his Corruptions and soundly mortified then is the time when God gives it And thirdly t is a secret sweet known only to him that hath it VI. Lastly t is called a perswasion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Perswasio so in the Text I am perswaded and t is the perswasion of Faith hence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith hath its name from perswading because thereby the heart is perswaded First God gives faith perswading the heart to believe and then faith reflecting upon its own acts and seeing it self believing doth perswade the heart of Gods Love and Union with Christ so consequently of its own salvation Having thus opened the nature of this assurance I come to the second thing the Confirmation of the point to shew you that this certainty this infallible perswasion or assurance may be attained to and that I prove thus 1. Because St. Paul and other Believers the Saints before us have been assured of this by ordinary Faith this is clear 2 Cor. 5. 1. To go no farther than this eighth to the Rom. 15. 16. v. and the words of 2 Cor. 5. 1. Rom. 8. 15 16. my Text I am perswaded a place for the proof of this point beyond all exception Indeed the Papists say this was a special revelation St. Paul had of his own salvation which is most injurious to the whole Text for though he saith I am perswaded as speaking of himself yet in the matter of perswasion he joyneth all the faithfull as that nothing can separate us v. 39. so v. 35. v. 39. speaking generally of all which is proved by many speeches v. 23. v. 35. before We grone for the redemption of our body did St. Paul only grone and who shall seperate us from the love of God was St. Paul only beloved And we are killed all the 36. day long and we are more than Conquerors including all the faithful Therefore 't is a poor shift of the Papists to say St. Paul had this Certain perswasion of Gods love to him in Christ by special revelation for such things as he had by revelation 2 Cor. 12. 4. They were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things not to be spoaken but this perswasion of his he uttereth and therefore it was none of those secrets which he had by special revelation They say again the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies only a Conjectural perswasion but this is contrary to themselves for they say he was certainly perswaded of Gods love by revelation again the word indeed sometimes signifies a perswasion of Charity touching other particular persons and then it is not so certain but when it is used of a mans self according to the word of God it is then a perswasion of faith and most certain and so it is here used by the Apostle 2. This assurance may be attained to because a Christian may be certain of the promises therefore of the undeniable Conclusion from them a Christian may be certain of both promises First he may be certain that whom God loves with a special and an everlasting love shall be saved That whoever is in Christ shall be saved for he is the Saviour of his body that whoever believes shall not perish but have everlasting life that whoever loves Christ in sincerity shall be glorified For eyes hath not seen what God hath prepared for them that love him this is the voyce of the Gospel therefore this we may be sure of Secondly as a Christian may know that whosoever is in Gods love is in Christ is a believer shall be saved so he may know that he loves God is in the love of God that he is in Christ is a believer and consequently be assured that he shall be saved That a Christian may know he is beloved of God is in Christ c. is evident from Scripture We know and believe saith St. John the love that God hath to us 1 Joh. 4. 16. Rom. 5. 5. 1 Joh. 4. 16. So Rom. 5. 5. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts he may know that he is in Christ and Christ in him we know that we dwell in him and he in us 1 John 1 Joh. 3. 24. 3. 24. That he doth believe Mark 9. 24. I believe 2 Tim. 1. 12. I know Mark 9. 24. 2 Tim. 1. 12. whom I have believed He may know that he loves Christ Jesus in sincerity Joh. 21. 15 16 17. Joh. 21. 15 16 17. If God hath given a man the good things that accompany salvation he may know it 1 Cor. 2. 12. and consequently be 1 Cor. 2. 12. assured of his salvation 3. The Commands of believing and repenting were in vain especially as the condition of the covenant if we could not know whether we performed them or not to these I might add many arguments more As that the Scriptures would never make such a wide difference between the godly and the wicked the Children of God and the Children of the Devil and set forth the happiness of the one and the misery of the other so largely and make this difference to run through all the veins of its doctrine if a man cannot know which of these two Estates he is
a Cottage in a strange Country so long as we dwell in the love of God nay though our dwelling be in a Prison a dungeon yet we still dwell in the love of God there and that will make a Prison a Pallace a Paradise a Garden of Joy 2. Probably thou hast a loving wife Husband beloved children and other dear friends and relations these are comforts choise comforts but uncertain thou maist be put to forsake Father and Mother Wife and Children to keep a good conscience But thou canst not be separated from Gods love A Prison and Wilderness a forraign Land may separate and sever thee from all these but all these cannot separate from the love of God in Christ Jesus thy Lord wherever thou art and whitherever thou goest God will be with thee and will be better and sweeter to thee than Wife or Children or any relations yea then all relations I will be with thee saith the Lord and will not leave thee nor forsake thee Isa 43. 2 4. Isa 43. 2 4. 3. Thou hast now sweet society with Gods people in his ordinances both publique and private communion with them this is a great comfort but thou maist be separated from these too where thou shalt scarce hear a Sermon injoy a Sabbath have liberty to read a Chapter or converse with any of Gods Children this is a sad separation indeed woe is me saith David because of this and yet this cannot separate thee from the love of God in Christ Jesus His love like wine will chear thee when thou wantest the water-brooks of Gods Ordinances to refresh thee as it did John Baptist in the Isle of Patmos Paul and Sylâ—s in Prison Daniel when Dan. 10. 11. he was in Babylon the Angel tells him he was a man greatly beloved Thus when thou art in a dry and desart Wilderness ready to dye for thirst after the waters of the sanctuary Gods love in Christ will then be a dew to thee and as Rivers of waters in a dry place it will be hid Manna to thee and bread to eat which the world knows not of 4. Possibly thou hast a fair estate in Land in money and movables this is a comsort but thou maist be separated and sequestred from that too and made as poor as Job was by the plundring Caldeans and Sabeans But still these cannot separate thee from Gods love which is better than riches than Silver and Gold than stock and Lands better then all this worlds goods and will put that joy into thy heart when thou art without them that they never could yeild to any man injoying them in the greatest fulness Psal 4. 6. Hab. 3. 17 18. Psal 4. 6. Hab. 3. 17 18. 5. Thou hast a precious life that men will give all they have for but bloody persecutors may take this away also principalitys and powers may separate Soul and body but neither Soul nor body from the love and favour of God which is better than life Psalm 63. 3. Psal 63. 3. 4. This doctrine affords the comfort against the loss of the sense and feeling of Gods love A child of God may loose the comfortable aprehension of his fathers affection as David did Psal 51. 11 12. and as Psal 51. 11 12. Cant. 5. the spouse did Cant. 5. for her remisness and carelesness her beloved departed from her and her bowels were troubled for him and hence a child of God is apt to conclude though by no good Logick that God loves him not But know for thy comfort that thy want of feeling and exercise of faith cannot separate thee from Gods love and though thy comfort be in the feeling yet thy happiness is in thy being in Gods love and thou always hast Gods love though not always the sense of it Yea God loves the as truely when he hides away his face from thee as when he kisseth thee with the kisses of his mouth Joh. 17. 23. thou hast loved them as Joh. 17. 23. thou hast loved me now God loved Christ as dearly and truely when he hung upon the Cross tormented in Soul and body crying out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me as he did when he said in a voyce from Heaven this is my beloved Son in whom I am well Mat. 3. 17. pleased The Sun shines as clearly in the darkest as in the brightest day the difference is not in the Sun but in some clouds that interposing hinder the manifestations thereof So Gods love is as hot and fervent to us when he clouds his face towards us as when he shines in the brightness of his countenance upon us And those cloudings Christians are but for a time not for ever nay but for a moment a little moment Isa 54. 7. for a small moment Isa 54. 7. have I hid my face from thee but with great mercies will I gather thee Though thou sittest in darkness yet the Lord will be a light to thee yea though thou fittest in darkness dyest under a cloud yet thou shalt be saved and received to glory because God loves thee not because thou perceivest he loves thee where thou shalt behold the beauty of his Holiness without clouds or darkness to all eternity 5. This doctrine yeilds thee great comfort against the world of divisions that in these days are amongst Christians Christians are divided and separated one from another both in judgment and affection and therefore in affection because in judgment not only their heads but their hearts are divided Well this may comfort us against this evil For all that fear God and are called according to his purpose though they may be divided and separated one from another for a time as Paul and Barnabas were and many among the Corinthians were one saying I am of Paul another I am of Appollo and a third I am of Cephas yet they can never be separated nor divided from the love of God Devils and Tyrants and Romish Achitophels bad events and their own pride and passions may separate them one from another but none of these can separate them from the love of God And God continuing to love his people will in time heal these divisions and make all those that are his to be like minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind His love to them will set his wisdom on work to find out a way to doe this As his love set him on work to find out a way to reconcile the world of his Elect to himself by Jesus Christ so also to reconcile them one to another and he hath many ways to doe this and if nothing else will doe it his rod shall for whom he loves he corrects and his rod shall scourge them into union as it did some of the martyrs in Q. Mary's days as Riddly and Hooper though they could not agree in Edward 6. days yet in Q. Mary's time they agreed very well saith Mr. Fox they agree in black in
a follower of Christ to endeavour after a further and greater knowledge of God and of his Son whom to know is Life Eternal All knowledge and all Sciences invented and revealed by the wise men of the world without the knowledge of Jesus Christ by whom remission of Sins and Eternal happiness is obtained are vain and unprofitable What doth it avail a man to know the height of the Heavens the bredth of the Earth the depth of the Sea and the course and influence of the Stars if in the mean time he is ignorant of God and the weighty concernments of Eternity and his Conscience tells him he is unworthy of the Earth and without a right to Heaven Suppose a man could Compose and take a view and have perfect knowledge of this Terrestial Globe and all things in it and after that as the Devil proffered our Saviour enjoy it and all the Kingdoms and Glory of it for the time of his Life if yet he were ignorant of heavenly things and had not by Christ a title to a more enduring substance he were of all men most miserable and in truth knew Si Christum nescis nihil est si caetera ai ces Si Christum disces nihil est si caetera nescis nothing enjoyed nothing The knowledge of Christ therefore is to be prized and preferred which only can make the souls of men truly happy for the excellency of this knowledge St. Paul counted all things but loss and dung The like esteem I hope Phil. 3 7 8. you have of all things here below in comparison of this divine and saving knowledge You go down into the Sea in Ships and see the wonders of the Lord in the deep O! Let the wonderful Visions which you behold and the wonderful deliverances which you often receive augment your awe of his dreadful Majesty and cause you to walk humbly and thankfully before him undertake all in his name and for his glory jo may you be assured of success and inriching returns Forget not when you are in the depth of the Sea with Jonah to make your prayers to him accomplish and fullfil all your Vows and Promises made to the Almighty in times of danger and extremity that so he may be your deliverer again in time of need And when by his providence he Calls you Swit Christ mans Call 2. p. 477. forth to your Lawful employments then do you and all that Embark with you take faith for your guide Scripture for your Compass an holy fear for your sounding line the Son of Righteousness for your Loadstar Hope for your Anchor the white linnen of the Saints imputed Righteousness with a Red Cross in it of precious blood for your Flagg with this Motto Save us Master or we Perish And I beseech the God of the Sea and Dry Land to be your continual Convoy his Spirit to be your Pilate in all your Courses that so at last after all your tumblings and tossings hazzards and hardshaps in the toublesome Sea of this world You may arrive with top and top gallant richly laden with Spiritual good things at the blessed harbour of everlasting rest Heaven and receive for your reward Love Honour and Glory for ever and ever Amen So prayeth Your obliged Loving Friend Samuel Peck August 18. 1671. The Inseparable Union between Christ and a Believer c. Opened from that Text ROM 8. 38 39. For I am perswaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor Height nor Depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. AS among Pearls which are all excellent some excell others So in Books of Holy Scripture as in the Old Testament the Book of the Psalms containing an Anotamy of the Soul in the New Testament after the divine History of our Saviour the Epistles among the Epistles St. Pauls among St. Pauls this to the Romans is most excellent which contains a methodical Catechise wherein the grounds of Theology are laid down in most excellent order As 1. The misery of man by nature 2. The means of delivery by Christ 3. How man comes to be partaker of Christ viz by faith whereby he is justified in the sight of God 4. He shews that this man that is thus justified is also sanctified Chap. 6. 5. That his Sanctification though it be throughout yet it is not so perfect but there is a remain of Corruption in him which doth much perplex and disquiet a Child of God as the Apostle sheweth in his own person Chap. 7. 6. Here in this Chapter he makes an end of the point of Justification and shews that though there remain Corruption in Gods Children yet seeing they walk not after it but after the Spirit it shall not prejudice their salvation verse 1. there is therefore now no Condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus who walk not aftr the flesh but after the Spirit This eighth Chapter placed in the midst of the Epistle is called by some Divines a pleasant knot of the Garden or Paradice of God for the faithful to delight themselves in a breast full of the milk of Consolation for such as are born again to suck and be satisfied with It consists of three parts 1. The First part contains matter of Consolation against the remainders of Sin and Corruption in us from 1. to 17. verse 2. The Second affords true Consolation against the manifold afflictions to be endured in this Life to the 29. and 30. verse 3. The Third part is a Conclusion full of all Comfort drawn from the immutable love of God in Christ to all the faithful causing them to triumph like conquerours in the midst of their tryalls ver 28 29. I am perswaded that neither death shall separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. He whom God loves is happy though he knows it not he that knows God loves him knows himself to be happy this happy knowledge our blessed Apostle had which made him in his own name and in the name of all the beloved of God to make this glorious insultation over all the enemies of his and their happiness that they could not separate him or them from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus In the Words you have 1. His and their Assurance 2. The ground of it 1. The assurance is of the immutability of Gods love to the faithful from whose affection nothing can make separation I am perswaded that neither Death nor Life c. 2. The ground of this assurance because the free love of God to the faithful is founded upon Christ Jesus whose merits are infinite and whose efficacy is omnipotent therefore Gods love is immutable and can never fail In the first you have 1. An enumeration of some particulars nine in number which if any thing could separate us from Gods love it
were likely to be some of these which he nameth either Death or Life or Principallities c. 2. Because the Apostle could not insist in the induction or bringing in of all particulars he useth a general comprehensive expression of all things that nothing might be excepted Nor any other Creature 3. The certainty or fulness of St. Pauls perswasion or assurance of faith concerning all these that not any one of them can nor all of them together shall be able to separate us from the love of God I am persswaded i. e. I am fully perswaded of it certainly certain of it and insallibly sure of it and I here make it known to all the world O Paul saith one great is thy faith In the second you have 1. The persons that are said to be in Gods love St. Paul and all believers 2. The ground and foundation of all Gods love which he bears and manifests to believers Christ Jesus 3. The special interest that the faithful have in Christ Jesus set forth by a note of relation betwixt Christ and them Our Lord. I am perswaded i. e. I am fully The meaning of the words certain by what I have heard out of Gods Word I do not go by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S il ex verbi predicatione effecaci ut indicat tacitè hos Verbo Beza thinkings and guessings I am upon a sure ground it is not a morral Conjecture but my faith and confidence yea my full assurance of faith That 1. Neither Death nor Life i. e. of the body also all extreams of prosperity and adversity whereby we may be either allured or terrified 2. Nor Angels good and bad spirits if it were possible they should concurr to separate us from Christ Jesus 3. Nor Principallities nor Powers the power of Kings Emperours Popes Tyrants throughout the whole world 4. Nor things present nor things to Come all events good or bad which now or hereafter may befall us 5. Nor any other Creature not any other thing Created of what sort soever how great soever or how terrible soever it may seem to us 6. Shall be able to separate us from the love of God the love of God is to be taken here as before passively for the love wherewith he Verse 35. loveth us 7. Which is in Christ Jesus our Lord which God the father bears to us and which comes to us in and through Christ Jesus Thus you have the meaning of the words Now I come to the particular points in the Text which are too many to be taken notice of at present it would be too much work for the short time alloted for this Exercise I shall therefore select from the words two or three observations which may best suit with the sad occasion of our present meeting and speak to them as time shall give leave and they are these Prop. 1. That a Christian in this life may be perswaded or assured that he shall be saved I am perswaded c. Prop. 2. That there is nothing in Heaven Earth or Hell nothing that is now or shall be hereafter can possibly separate the faithful from the love and favour of God which he bears to them in Christ Jesus their Lord. Prop. 3. That Death it self shall not be able to separate a Believer from Gods love in Christ Jesus I begin with the first of these viz. That a Christian in this life may be perswaded or assured that he shall be saved And here I must speak somewhat for 1. Explication 2. Probation 1. For Explication This assurance hath several denominations in Scripture I. It is called knowledge very often 1 Joh 3. 2. We know that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scientia 1 Joh. 3. 2. 14 19 24 when he shall appear we shall be like him So we know that we are translated from Death to Life ver 14. We know we are of the Truth ver 19. And we know that we are of God ver 24. So 1 Joh. 5. 19. and so 2 Cor. 5. 1. We know that if our Earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God c. Now this knowledge is not a speculative knowledge but an experimental knowledge A man cannot know he shall be saved as he knows what Faith is and what Repentance is but it is obtained by long experience by reflection of Conscience and Faith upon our selves whereby we evidently see that we are in a good and gracious estate experimentally descerning what God hath done for us and that upon such grounds as these Being new creatures walking in the light walking after the Spirit not after the Flesh loving the Brethren and the like II. It is called a perspicuous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 manifestation when Christ manifests himself to the soul that loves him as not unto the world Joh 14. 21 22 23. He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will Joh. 14. 21 22 23. manifest my self unto him and 22. ver Lord how is it that thou wilt manifest thy self unto us and not unto the world Now this manifestation is Christs act who being a free Agent may suspend his own act and withdraw himself therefore this assurance may be interrupted may be overclouded and a child of God of Light may walk in darkness and see no light Esa 5. 10. III. It is called boldness so t is usually translated Heb. 4. 16. Let us come boldly to the Throne of grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fiducia Heb. 4. 16. Eph. 3. 12. and Ephes 3. 12. In whom we have boldness and access with Confidence Now this boldness is the boldness of faith not of presumption it is an holy boldness not an impudent boldness it is a child-like boldness an undaunted yet an humble dutyful looking God in the face there was this boldness of faith in the Woman in the Gospel in touching Christ though She did not presumptuously croud upon him as others did in the throng IV. It is called full assurance noting to us that it is gradual not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prena certioratio Heb. 10. 22. given all at once but there is a growth in it or a growing to it by degrees There may be assurance and a good measure of assurance though there be not full assurance All assurance is not of the highest degree neither doth assurance in the highest degree exclude all doubting Most think as long as they have doubts they have so assurance but they must know that while they are here they shall know but in part they shall be imperfect in the knowledge of Scripture which is their rule of trying imperfect in the knowledge of their own obscure and deceitful hearts some strangeness to God and themselves there will still remain some darkness will overspread the face of their souls Obj. But why doth St. Paul call it a fulness of faith or a full assurance Answ St. Paul calls it so â—n comparison of lower degrees â—nd
the Prison in red in the fire in white in the Kingdom of Heaven Thus you see what comfort this doctrine affords to the faithful in all conditions and Estates Oh how should this make you prize and esteem the love of God above all things in the world above riches friends favour of men life it self which are all uncertain Oh how should this unchangable and eternal love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord make us grow out of love yea into a loathing of all other things in comparison of it as St. Paul did Phil. 3. 8. Phil. 3. 8. Oh prize this love of God above ten thousand worlds Take heed that you doe not abuse it by carnal security and wantonness but let it make you more diligent in your work and more studious of his glory more careful to please him more fearful to offend him and let the frequent thoughts of it augment and increase your love to him whom you can never love enough nor fear enough nor serve nor honour enough for this great love of his to you which made him send his own Son to dye in thy stead to reconcile thee and bring thee into favour with himself and so into a better and surer Estate of happiness than Adam had in innocency from which wonderful invincible and eternal love nothing shall be able to separate thee no not death it self I am perswaded that neither death shall separate us so I pass to the third and last point which is this Doct. 3. The death of the body cannot separate believers from the love of God in Christ Jesus In the handling of this I shall be short also I say death it self cannot separate by death here understand not only death it self but also all those sicknesses and deseases that goe before it all the pains terrors and tortures that accompany it or what ever may befall Gods Children at their death cannot separate them from the love of God in Christ Jesus 1. Nothing that goes before death 2. Nothing that accompanys death 1. Nothing that goes before death can separate them from Gods love 1. Sickness cannot those whom God loves have sickness yea mortal sickness as well as others but this doth not separate them from Gods love Joh. 11. 3. He whom thou Joh. 11. 3. lovest is sick Not their Souls for he knows their Soul in adversity Psal 31. 7. not their bodies Psalm Psal 31. 7. Psal 41. 3. 41. 3. for God will strengthen them upon their bed of languishing and make their bed in their sickness 2. Nothing that accompanies death can separate them from his love 1. The terrors and horrors of death cannot Psal 23. 4. thou art Psal 23 4. with me and thy rod and thy staffe comfort me so when David walked in the Valley of the shaddow of death he would not fear when he was upon the borders of death and walked side by side with this King of terrours yet David would not be daunted but be confident because thou Lord art with me Then terrours of death which are able to distract a man and separate him from himself could not separate David from his God thou art with me 2. The pains of death cannot the faithful who not only dyed but suffered painful deaths Heb. 11. were stoned to death sawn assunder were yet the Lords worthys dear and pretious in his sight Yea pretious in the sight of the Lord is the death of all his Saints whether it be a natural or violent death an easy or a painful death 3. Death it self cannot which is a separation of the Soul and body yet neither of Soul or body from the Lords love as living so dying they are the Lords both in their Souls and bodys Rom. 14. 8. Rom. 14. 8. that death it self cannot separate the faithful from Gods love is evident 1 For first the death of the body cannot break Gods covenant with his people which is that he will not take away his love from them Isa Isa 54. 10. Psal 89. 33. 54. 10. Psal 89. 33. the reason is because the covenant is made with their whole persons God is in covenant with Soul and body too therefore when death severs these it separates neither the one nor the other from Gods love God is the God of Abraham of Abrahams dust of a believers dust God loves the very dust of his Saints By this argument Christ proves the resurrection of the body Mat. 22. 32. that God was the Mat. 22. 32. God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob the ground of the argument is that God made his covenant not only with the Souls of the Partriarcks but with their whole persons 2. Death cannot separate the faithful from Gods love because they are in Christ Jesus loved in Christ knit unto Christ as members to the head and this union is an inseparable union it remains for ever nothing can violate it no not death therefore when they dye they are said to dye in the Lord. Rev. 14. 13. and when they are in their Rev. 14. 13. graves they are said to be dead in Christ and to rest and sleep in him 3. Death cannot do this for death is ours our friend on our side at our service for us not against us all the passages of it are ours 1 Cor. 1. 22. Nay death in so 1 Cor. 1. 22. far from separating the faithful from the Lord and his love that it brings them home to the Lord and to your full fruition of him and his love in Heaven it brings them to the injoyment of him who is love it self not only to kiss him through the lattice but to lye in the bosom of his love to be infolded in the everlasting armes of his love to be pertakers of all his love and to be filled will all the fulness of God Ephes 3. 19. Eph. 3. 19. Death is so far from casting a believing Soul out of Gods love that it lancheth him into the bottomless Sea of Gods love the bredth and depth whereof passeth knowledge and one drop whereof is more worth then all the Gold of Ophir yea surpasseth all the glory of the world 4. Death cannot separate the faithful from the sense and feeling of Gods love therefore much less from his love it self but usually they have then the greatest manifestations of his love to their Souls 't is then most stird abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost When they are to drink this bitter Cup God sweetens it with the Wine of his love which is better and sweeter then life Thus St. Stephen when he was dying saw Heaven open beheld the glory of God and Christ standing at Gods right hand Act. 7. 55 56. How fully Act. 7. 55 56. hath God manifested his love to some of his servants at their death of which I could give many instances Mr. John Holland a memorable Saint and a godly man an eminent Minister of Christ the day before he dyed did
adorned with those graces wherewith the holy women of old were adorned of which St. Peter speaks in 1 Pet. 3. from the v. 1. 1 Pet. 3. 1. ad 7. to 7. Recount those worthy women recorded in sacred story Obedient Sara modest Rebecca Devout Hanna lovely Elizabeth and Dorcas full of good works and she was all these she was excellent in all those vertues and graces commendable in them what Saint do you read of in all the book of God which in some grace or other she did not resemble she lived and dyed a daughter of Abraham and is now no doubt at rest in Abrahams bosome 2. But more particularly Consider her both in her relative and personal capacity 1. In her relative capacity and here you might behold her 1 a most Chaste Loyal loving and according to her matrimonial ingagement and duty an obedient wife as her loving husband survives to testifie 2 Consider her as a Mother and a Mistress and she was exemplary in these relations Her government was made up of sweetness and gravity sweetness without levity or remisness and gravity without bitterness or severity There was no severity in her disciplines save what was in the pattern she Proposed to them in her conversation and indeed she was severely good Her care was that her family might know God and Jesus Christ whom to know Joh. 17. 3d is life eternal She was of a Joshuah like resolution as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. She thought it not enough to go to Heaven alone but laboured to carry as many as she could with her especially those of her own house By Catechising and instructing them she indeavoured their conversion and to bring them to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as well knowing that her Childrens and Servants Souls were as pretious to God as her own and cost Jesus Christ as much blood to redeem You that are Governours of families labour to imitate her in this 3. As a friend and neighbour she was of a most sweet obliging Converse beloved of all that knew her her large bounty and charity and offices of love in that kind made her highly esteemed of all the poor in the place where she lived which they testified by their bitter lamentation for her when she dyed what company soever she was in she retained her Christian modesty and gravity and would never talk vainly or frothily nor shew her self sometimes holly and sometimes prophane to please the company but her words were as those present were fit to receive them savoury and tending to edification I might inlarge in these her relative excellencys but a word or two of her 2. In her personal capacity because I hasten and her all that knew her might observe her holiness meekness love faith and patience were eminent She made Religion her business the common Sanctity of the world would not serve her turn which is only Civility and Morality She out went the Scribes and Phariseessin righteousness and walked according to the pattern her Saviour had set before her She wore the comely garment of an holy profession without any visible spot forgetting the things that were behind and pressing towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus In her meekness she resembled Moses this ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit rendred her amiable in the eyes of God and man Her love was transcendent to God whom she loved suparlatively to Christ whom she loved for his Person as well as portion for what he was as well as for what he had she beheld him with the spouses eye fairer then the Children of men the chiefest of ten thousand altogether lovely and pretious to her Soul Her love was great to the publique Ordinances to all Gods Ministers and to all others in whom she beheld any thing of Christ she dare not but love them for his sake Her faith and patience were always visible in their fruits but more especially in the time of her last sickness keeping her Spirit quiet and steddy amidst all those billows that beat upon her in her passage from Earth to Heaven so that all her afflictions were but the trials and triumph of her patience and faith by the exercise of which graces she at last came off a conquerour through Christ that loved her and hath her faith and patience rewarded with a full and joyful fruition of her beloved in his Kingdom and Glory I might inlarge farther but I forbear this is she whom we have lost and Oh what a loss do we all sustain One hath lost a loving comfort others a tender Mother and all of us a choise and faithful friend and Neighbour and what shall we doe shall we now give up our selves to sorrow No or shall we make it our work to forget her whom we cannot recal No neither but let us remember her so as to imitate her and be followers of her O that all that hear of her would imitate her that all you that knew her would follow her in that pattern she hath given you Especially you that are her near and dear relations do you remember her so as to be followers of her wherein she was a follower of Christ Methinks I hear her calling to you out of Heaven where her triumphant Soul is placed amongst the Spirits of just men made perfect as sometimes her Lord and ours bespake his Desciples saying I have given you an example that you should doe as I have done Now the Lord grant that you and all of us may be followers of her and all other the Saints of God who were followers of Christ that we at last with them and her may also inherit the promises FINIS