Christ by Repentance And First who they are that may be owned to be the people of God whereby every discerning Soul may come to know his condition Several Particulars I might speak of in their discovery but I shall only name these Thrée following First They that are really the people of God they have a discerning faculty implanted in them by the holy Spirit of God whereby they can discern in part and know the Will of God their Father which gives them a full Assurance that they are the very flock of Christ And first they know the voice of Christ John 10.4 They know when Christ speaks unto them in the purity of the word without any mixture of humane invention or tradition brought in by the will of man and as they know the voice of Christ so the voice of Strangers they will not follow every false way is a stranger to them John 10.5 And a stranger they will not follow but will flee from him for they know the voice of strangers They have therefore a discerning faculty betwixt good and evil whereas the naturalman cannot discern the things of God because they are spiritually blinded 1 Cor. 2.14 The naturalman receiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him because they are spiritually discerned But a true believer he can discern and see through such a glass the Will of his heavenly Father Secondly As they have a discerning faculty so they have an assured confidence in God So that a gracious soul can say with chearfulness as in Micha 7.7 Therefore will I look up onto the Lord I will wait for the God of my Salvation my God will hear me A gracious Soul can look through all difficulties dangers in afflictions and though it sées Gods hand lifted up yet it can say as in Habak 3.17 18. Although the figtree shall not blossom neither shall fruit be in the Vines the labour of the Olive shall fail and the fields shall yield no meat the flock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herd in the stalls yet will I rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my Salvation the Lord is my strength and he will make my feet like Hindes-feet Oh christians its admirable for tongue to speak or heart to conceive the assured confidence that a gracious soul hath in God that rests wholly upon the promises of God made over to them in Jesus Christ It was admirable in Abraham when he went fréely at the command of God to offer his son Isaac that was the only heir of promise of whom it was said Gen. 21.12 In Isaac shall thy Seed be called yet Abraham fréely manifesteth his faith Accompting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead from whence he also receiv'd him as a figure as saith our Author to the Hebrews ch 11. v. 19. this assured confidence is a tryed and precious faith which only appertaineth to true believers 2 Pet. 1.1 Thirdly As they have an assured Confidence in God so they have a Son-like obedience to God Those that are really the Lords people they obey God as their Father in all his cōmands they wil obey his word his ordinances they know the voice of Christ as their shepherd therefore they will follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth you may read the Laws of God imprinted in their hearts by their outward walkings godly conversation they 'l be asham'd to run into any manner of sin either openly or privatly they are such as abhor all manner of sin cannot endure to sin 2 Cor. 3.2 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts known and read of all men They bear the badge and Name of Christ along with them they come fréely in their prayers they put up to the throne of grace call God Father as they are instructed in that blessed form of prayer that our Lord Saviour taught his Disciples to say Mat. 6.9 Luk. 12.2 When you pray say Our Father c. which is the very marrow of all prayers And thus you sée beloved That they that are really the Lords people they have First a discerning faculty whereby they can discern by the eye of faith the will of their heavenly father and Secondly they have an assured Confidence in God and Thirdly they have a Son-like Obedience to God so they own God as their Father by which we may assuredly see God will not leave nor forsake his own people as our Saviour saith Those that come unto me I will in no wise cast off Now there are several Grounds in the Second place Why God will not leave nor farsake his people The First is drawn from the Love of God God hath ever a dear love to his own people though love be a faculty in man yet it 's a property in God 1 Joh. 4 8. He that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love vers 9. In this was manifested the love of God towards us because God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him and herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us first The love of God is from all Eternity and to Eternity it is the greatest Matter of Antiquity in the world A Second Reason Why God will never forsake his people is drawn from the Choice God hath made of them God hath chosen them from Eternity Deut. 7.7,8 The Lord did not set his love upon you nor choose you because you were more in number then any people for you were the fewest of all people but because the Lord loved you and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn to your fathers c. Our blessed Apostle so styles them in 1 Pet. 2.9 But ye are a chosen Generation Gods love to his people begets his choice of them they are the chosen of God precious his dearly beloved ones in whom his soul delighteth Joh 15.16 Ye have not chosen me but I have chosen you God hath chosen his people from the foundation of the world and they are his Elect to all eternity for whom he loves once he loves to the end there is no change in God he varies not he is one and the saue yesterday and to day and for ever A Third Ground or Reason Why God will never leave nor forsake his people is drawn from the Consideration of the price of their Redemption God hath purchased them at a high rate as Gods love to his people moves him to choose them so Gods choice of them moves him to redéem them and so they become his purchased inheritance 1 Cor. 6.19 20. And ye are not your own for ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your bodies and in your souls 1 Cor. 7.23 Ye are bought with a price be ye not servants of men 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Forasmuch as ye know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things
as silver nor gold from your vain Conversation received by tradition from your fathers but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot Therfore séeing here the unsearchable riches of Gods love to his people Oh! let us glorifie God in our members and double our diligence in his service The Fourth Ground or Reason Why Gods people shall never be forsaken is drawn from the great care God hath over them God hath purchased them at a very high rate and that which a man buyes dear he will be very unwilling to cast away God therefore sets a continual guard over them Psal 91 11. to the end He shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy wayes they shall bear thee up in their hands least thou dash thy foot against a stone c. Gods care over his people is such that they that will but truly rest upon him he will not suffer an hair of their heads to perish as you may sée Mat. 10.30 Acts 27.34 Beloved God hath ever béen his peoples kéeper He that keepeth Israel never slumbreth nor sleepeth Psal 121.4 Isa 27.3 He ever taketh care of his own Inheritance The Fifth Ground or Reason Why God will never leave nor forsake his people is drawn from the Promises of God made over unto them God hath promised his Presents to be with them to the end of the world Mat. 28.20 God hath promised them deliverance from trouble Job 5.19 He shall deliver thee in six troubles and in seven no evil shall touch thee Gods promises to his people are either absolute or conditional those which are conditional God looks that believers should fulfil the conditions close with the promise it is to believers only that the promises are made Acts 2.39 For the promise is to you to your children to all that are afar off even as many as the Lord our God shal call The Sixth and Last Reason Why God will never leave nor forsake his people is drawn from the high esteem God hath of his people He values them at a high rate they are his own peculiar treasure Fxod 19.5 Psal 35.4 For the Lord hath chosen Jacob to himself Israel his peculiar treasure God esteems them above all people of the earth Deut. 10 15. They are his Jewels Mal 3.17 They are his precious ones in whom he delights And therefore God hath a high Estéem of them they are his beautified ones in whom he sées no deformity Cant. 4.7 Thou art all fair my Love and there is no spot in thee The Lord Iesus Christ sées a Beauty in them and so he estéems them And thus you sée it 's plain God will never leave nor forsake his people that wait upon him as it appears First In respect of his Love to them Secondly In respect of his Choice of them Thirdly in respect of the price of their redemption Fourthly In respect of his special care over them Fiftly In respect of his Promises made over unto them Lastly In respect of his great Esteem of them Lēt us now therefore with all diligence set about to make our Calling and Election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 Let us take our blessed Apostles Counsel laid out for our instruction 2 Cor. 7.1 Having these Promises dearly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and Spirit perfecting Holiness in the fear of God Oh Souls let it be all your care and endeavour to honour your Heavenly Father Consider seriously beloved you can never do too much in the Service of God live up every day in new obedience to God God hath given you a sure word of Promise Oh! do not loyter in the Lords Vineyard hath God Chosen you for his People Oh! up and be doing the work of the Lord Consider seriously our God is a Holy God he cannot endure the unfruitful works of darkness let not any Afflictions you méet with in the Body or Estate draw you from God upon any accompt Satan is very full of policy and a most cunning Sophister Wherefore that you may be the better enabled to encounter with him in the first place take unto you the whole armour of God and Secondly by the examples of other precious servants of the Lord labour to strengthen your graces and build up your selves every day as objects to follow such examples First take unto you the whole armour of God which Armour is recorded Ephesians 6.13 14 15 16 17. And indéed every piece of this Armour is precious tryed mettel the which being cloathed with makes the Soul beautiful in the sight of God and will make you able to stand in the evil Day For if you but seriously Consider it here is first Truth to you presented in the Form of a Girdle Truth is that that should be the very girdle of your Loyns it is that that makes you like to your Heavenly Father it imprints the Image of Iesus Christ upon you John 14.17 17.17 And Secondly The brest plate of righteousness is a most famous and rare piece of Armour and turns back all those bolts fiery darts of Satan from the heart of a true Believer this imprints in you the name of a precious Redéemer who is called the Lord our Righteousness Thirdly There is another piece of this armour for the féet having your féet shod with a preparation of the Gospel of Peace so that we must be active in this our spiritual Warfare with all our members our féet must be made swift and prepared to run in all the wayes of Gods Commandements until we come to this everlasting Prince of Peace In the Fourth place here is the great weapon of our Warfare the Shield of Faith which we are Commanded above all others to take 't is that whereby we are made able to quench all the fiery Darts of the wicked as Faith is the most rarest and excellentest above all other Graces so it s a weapon that will not be turned back as saith the Author to the Hebrews 11.1 Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen Fiftly Here is the Helmet of Salvation which is a most rare piece of Armour for a Believer to put on and to close with Iesus Christ who is the Salvation of his People Luke 2.30 And Lastly Here is the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God to attend this great Weapon of your Warfare the Shield of Faith which is that Weapon you should Continually gird upon your Thigh alluding to that in the 45 Psalm the 3 and 4 verses Gird thy Sword upon thy Thigh O most mighty with thy Glory and Majesty and in thy Majesty ride prosperously because of Truth and meekness and Righteousness and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things This Sword of the Spirit is a most prevalent Weapon and Beloved may sometimes be alluded to the Sword of the Lord and of Gideon
SAINTS Blessed for ever OR Gods People never forsaken Asuring every true Believer of their Blessed Estate and Condition very profitable to read and comfortable to every Believing Soul that truly fears God Being a rich Portion of Gods love to his People and worthy to be kept in memory for ever Together with several perswasions to poor Sinners to leave their sins and come to Christ by Repentance By Roger Hough Psal 37.25 I have been young and now am old yet have I not seen the Righteous forsaken nor his Seed begging bread London Printed by E. Crowch for T. Vere at the sign of the Cock in St. Johns-street 1667. Licensed May the 4 th 1667. RIch Treasures wee in earthen-vessels find Oft I have been considring in my mind God his own People never will forsake Eternally them to him he will take Reverend Readers this in mind recall His word shall stand when other things shall fal Oh do not doubt but daily make request Unto the Thrown of Grace with humblness Give God the glory which to him is due His Word and Promises will daily comfort you Saints blessed for ever c. Hebrews 13.5 Let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as ye have For he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee AMongst all other precious promises God hath made to his own poor people this is not the least which is communicated by the Author of this Epistle to the Hebrews so that those whom the Lord hath chosen for his own people by vertue of this Promise may holdly say as in the following verse The Lord is my helper and I will not fear what man shall do unto me In this text of Scripture we have several things considerable as first a double Exhortation branching it self into two Heads first consisting of our Conversation Let your conversation be without covetousness secondly consisting of our Contentment and be content with such things as ye have And then you have the ground or reason of all in this assured Promise of God For he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee For the first Exhortation against the sin of Covetousness ye have the evil of this sin laid out in the words of our blessed Apostle Paul to Timothy Tim. 6.9 10. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition For the love of money is the root of all evil which while some have coveted after they have erred from the faith pierced themselves through with many sorrows Now secondly for the second thing here exhorted unto which is Contentedness you have the good of it laid out in these words as in 1 Tim. 6.6 Godlidess is great gâ—in with contentment And vers 8. And having food and raiment let us therewith be content This lesson our blessed Apostle had learned himself and therefore from experience teacheth it to all that truly fear God Phil. 4 11 Not saith he that I speak in respect of want for I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content The like we read of good Jacob he being blessed by his father and sent to Padannarâ—m there the Lord appear'd to him in a vision at Bethel confirming and making good this very Promise unto him amongst several others Gen. 28. ver 15. Behold I will be with thee and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest and will bring thee again into this land for I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of This good man notwithstanding layes out this his Contentedness in the 20 and 21 verses saying If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go and will give me bread to eat and raiment to put on so that I come again to my Fathers house in peace then shall the Lord be my God Now as touching this assured Promise of God to his people which is the very Ground and Life of all our Performances and Duties and comfortable to the heart of every true Believer is written for our learning in these words For he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee It represents it self unto us in full assurance that Gods people shall never be forsaken of God or thus God will never leave nor forsake his people though they may fall sadly under afflictions and Gods hand of correction may lye upon them yet they shall never be forsaken though Zion may say as in Isaiah 49.14 The Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me yet the Lord answers vers 15. Can a Woman forget her sucking Child that she should not have compassion on the Son of her womb yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee saith the Lord. These promises of God are in several places of Scripture recorded and all to assure Gods people that they shall never be forsaken God was with good Jacob in his way to Padannaram also with Moses by whom he wrought great signs wonders in the land of Egypt before Pharoah in the red Sea in the wilderness and these precious promises hath ever attended Gods people in their greatest adventures It was made to good Joshua Deut. 31.8 Joshua 1.5 As I was with Moses so I will be with thee I will not fail thee not forsake thee all which compared together holds forth to us the truth of all which is this That God will never forsake his people God will be with them as well in their poverty as prosperity as well in their afflictions and tryals as in the time of their flourishing estate and condition God will be with them in all times of persecution God was with Israel in Egypt with Joseph in prison with Moses at the red Sea and in the Wilderness with the Three Children in the fiery Furnace with Daniel in the Lions den with Jeremiah in the dungeon with Peter and John and with Paul Silas in prison this Promise was renewed made good by our blessed Saviour himself when he gave his Disciples their Commission Matt. 28.20 Lo saith he I am with you to the end of the world Now séeing beloved such precious promises of God are of such concernment to Gods people I shall onely as I have opportunity and room in this small volumn First shew you Who they are that may be owned to be really the people of God Secondly I shall give you some Grounds or Reasons why Gods people shall never be forsaken Thirdly This will aford several Cautions to the people of God to labour and strive to make good their standing in the way of an holy profession whereby they may put on the whole Armour of God and walk by the examples of other precious Servants of the Lord. And in the last place A loving invitation to poor Sinners inviting them to leave their sins and come to