't is a more blessed thing to give than to receive It cometh nearest the Nature of God So Christ himself went about doing Good and healing all that were oppressed And by Helpfulness to others we do very much resemble Christ. I cannot exclude this since Mercy is mentioned only IV. A Fourth Doubt is this That all cannot express their Love and Self-denyal this way some are so very poor and miserable I Answer 1. All must have that Faith which will work by Love Gal. 5.6 For in Jesus Christ neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Vncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love And Self-denyal which some way or other must be expressed Matth. 16.24 Then said Jesus unto his Disciples If any Man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me By denying the Ease of the Flesh if not the Interests of it to be serviceable in their Place whatsoever it be 2. Though some be so needy themselves that they cannot cloath the Naked or feed the Hungry yet they may visit the Sick resort to such as are in Prison Every one in some kind or other may be the Object of his Neighbours Charity so may every one be either the Instrument or Agent in the doing of it The Rich may stand in need of the Help or Prayers of the Poor and the Poor of the Bounty of the Rich. If we have an Heart to part with all for Christ we have that Faith which will carry away the Price of Gospel-Priviledges All must have such a Value for Christ see such an Excellency in the World to come that they have an Heart and Disposition to part with all rather than quit the Profession of the Gospel or neglect the Duties thereof Matth. 13.44 45. These things premised I come now to observe these Points First That at the General Iudgment all Men shall receive their Doom or Iudgment shall be pronounced according to their Works For Christ produceth Works both in the Sentence of Absolution and Condemnation Secondly That Christ hath so ordered his Providence about his Members that some of them are exposed to Necessities and Wants others in a Capacity to relieve them Thirdly That Works of Charity done out of Faith and Love to Christ are of greater weight and consequence than the World usually taketh them to be Other Points may be raised but to these Three all the rest may be reduced 1. That at the general Iudgment all Men shall receive their Doom or Iudgment shall be pronounced according to their Works Of the Wicked there is no doubt but that they shall receive according to their Works they stand on their own Bottom their Works deserve Punishment their Doom and Sentence is justified by their Works But for the Godly 't is also true that Life Everlasting shall be awarded Secundum opera non propter Opera Not that this Kingdom is by Right due to us for our Works but the Righteousness of the Sentence is manifested by producing our Works This will appear if we consider 1. The Business Scope or End of the Day of Judgment 2. The Respect of Good Works and how far they are considered First The Business of that Day is not only to glorifie God's free Love and Mercy but also his Holiness rewarding Justice and Truth Then God will not only glorifie the Riches of his Glorious Grace in the Electing of his People out of his Love and Favour to them without any thing considered in them Come ye Blessed of my Father The first Cause of our Salvation is made the Blessing of the Father But also his Remunerating Justice Veracity or Truth This maketh for our purpose now 1. His Holiness The Holy God delighteth in Holiness He will now manifest it in the Sun the Estimation he hath of the Holiness of his People The Veil is taken away Now 't is made matter of Sense 'T is a Delight to him Christ mentions their Graces and Services as things which are pleasing and acceptable to him Psal. 5.4 Thou art not a God that hast pleasure in Wickedness But he hath pleasure in the Holiness of his People The Upright are his Delight and as such will he speak of them and commend them and represent them to the World 2. His Remunerating Justice The Justice of God requireth that there should be different Proceeding with them that differ among themselves that it should be well with them that do well and ill with them that do evil That every Man should reap according to what he hath sown whether he hath sown according to the Flesh or the Spirit and the Fruit of his Doings be given into his Bosom Therefore those whom Christ will receive into Everlasting Life must appear Faithful and Obedient For then Christ will Judge the World in Righteousness Act. 17.31 3. That he may shew his Veracity and Faithfulness The Faithful God will make good his Promises and reward all the Labours and Patience and Faithfulness of his Servants according to his Promises to them If his Promises take notice of Works his Justice will God is not unfaithful or unrighteous to forget your Work and Labour of Love which you have shewed to his Name Heb. 6.10 Secondly The respect of Good Works and how far they are considered 1. They are Perfectional Accomplishments Those that have done them are lovely Objects in his Sight as being conformed to his Nature and Pattern Can we imagine that God should bid the Saints love one another for their Holiness and count them the Excellent Ones of the Earth Psal. 16.3 how poor and despicable soever they be as to their outward Condition and that he himself should not love them the more We that have but a drop of the Divine Nature hate impure Sinners Lot's righteous Soul was vexed with the filthy Conversation of the Wicked 2 Pet. 2.8 And we find a Complacency and Delight in the Good And can we imagine without a manifest Reproach to him that God should be so indifferent to Good and Evil and that the Saints should not be more lovely in his Sight for their Holiness Therefore the more lovely the more endeared Objects to their Redeemer 2. They are Qualifications to make them capable of his Remunerating Justice There is in God a threefold Justice First His strict Justice Secondly His Justice of Bounty or free Beneficâ—nce and Thirdly As Judging according to his Gospel-Law of Promise 1. He may be said to be strictly Just when he rewardeth Man according to his perfect Obedience yet no Obedience though never so perfect can bind him to reward Man or Angel 2. He is Just by way of Bounty when he rewardeth a Man capable of Reward though not in respect of his perfect Righteousness in himself yet because he is some way righteous in respect of others that are unrighteous So 't is said 2 Thess. 1.6 7. 'T is a righteous thing with God to recompense Tribulation to them that trouble his Saints And to
of the same Nature with them that sinned 4. It implieth the Quality of Christ's Office he is the Messenger of Heaven and therefore called the Angel of the Covenant Mal. 3.1 He is sent by God after lost Sinners He is called the Apostle and High Priest of our Profession Heb. 3.1 God sendeth out a Messenger to bring Sinners to himself as Wisdom sent out her Maids but Christ is the chief Messenger and Apostle And mark he is called there not only the Apostle but High Priest partly to shew that in all Ages of the Church Christ is the chief Officer therefore the highest Calling both in the Jewish and Christian Church is ascribed to him but chiefly to shew that Christ as he is the Ambassador to treat with us from God so the High Priest to treat with God and appease his Wrath for us Christ is the Messenger that goeth from Party to Party if he had not been sent to us we should neither know God nor enjoy him he came from God to Men that he might bring Men to God There was no knowing of the Father without him Mat. 11.27 No Man knoweth the Son but the Father neither knoweth any Man the Father save the Son and â—e to whomsoever the Son shall reveal him There is no coming to the Father without him John 14.6 I am the Way the Truth and the Life no Man cometh to the Father but by me He came from Heaven on purpose to shew us the Way and to remove all Obstacles This is Christ's Office 5. It implieth the Authority of his Office Jesus Christ had a lawful Call He was designed in the Council of the Trinity his Holiness Miracles and Divine Power are his Commission Him hath God the Father sealed John 6.27 As every Ambassador hath Letters of Credence under the Hand and Seal of him from whom he is sent Christ is the Plenipotentiary of Heaven he hath his Commission under the Seal of Heaven all is valid that he doth in the Father's Name he hath authorized the Redeemer Which is not only for the Comfort of our Faith Christ entred upon his Calling by Authority which I shall improve by and by but for moral Instruction to look to our Mission Christ came not till he was sent It is not good to cast our selves upon Offices and Places without a lawful Call and Designation of God In Ordinary Functions Education and Abilities are Call enough and there we must keep It is a tempting of Providence to think God will bless us out of our way A desire of change usually proceedeth from Disdain or Distrust or a thirst of Gain all which are sinful But now in higher Callings there must be a solemn Mission Rom. 10.15 How shall they preach except they be sent they must be authorized by God the Rules he hath left in the Church Our Lord Jesus Christ did not glorify himself by Intrusion He had a Patent from the Council of the Trinity indited by the Father accepted by himself and sealed by the Holy Ghost Vse It sheweth three Things 1. The Love of God Here are many Circumstances to heighten it in your Thoughts that he would not trust an Angel with your Salvation but send his Son he is to come in Person 1 John 4.10 Herein is Love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the Propitiation for our Sins He thought nothing too near and too dear for us Usually Man's Love descendeth and all his Happiness is laid up in his Children Again God had no Reasons he was moved by his own Goodness he had Reasons to the contrary we were Enemies but he sent his Son for Enemies Rom. 5.10 If when we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son c. What was his Son sent for not to treat with us in Majesty but to take our Nature to be substituted into our Room and Place Oh praise the Father Ephes. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual Blessings in heavenly Places in Christ. 2 Cor. 1.3 Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Mercies and the God of all Comfort 2. Christ's Condescension He submitteth to be sent Psal. 40.7 8. Lo I come in the Volume of the Book it is written of me I delight to do thy Will O my God yea thy Law is within my Heart We could never have asked so much as God hath given He would not only borrow our Tongue to speak to us but our Bowels to mourn for us and our Bodies to die for us He layeth aside his Majesty and taketh on himself the condition of a Servant It is irksome to us to go back ten degrees in Pomp or Pleasure upon just and convenient Reasons Oh the wonderful self-denial of Christ he laid aside the Majesty of God and submitted to the greatest Abasement and Suffering 3. The value of Souls and Spiritual Privileges If we despise them we put an Affront upon the Wisdom of Heaven and undervalue Christ's Purchase Freedom from Sin Justification Holiness they are the only things Christ was sent from Heaven to purchase them Gold and Silver would not buy them Mony is not currant in Heaven though it doth all things in the World 1 Pet. 1.18 We are not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold from our vain Conversations but with the precious Blood of the Son of God as of a Lamb without spot and blemish Christ must come from Heaven and take a Body and shed his Blood Scourge your Hearts with that Question Heb. 2.3 How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation Sure we should be more serious and think that worthy of our best Endeavours and greatest Earnestness which Christ thought worthy a Journey from Heaven and all the pains and shame he suffered Secondly The next thing in the Text is That he is Jesus Mat. 1.21 Thou shalt call his Name Jesus for he shall save his People from their Sins It is there interpreted to signify a Saviour an Angel himself is the Expositor so here Christ is sent to be a Saviour that is a principal Object of Faith to look upon Christ as the Saviour of the World A Saviour properly is one that delivereth from Evil Now Christ doth not only deliver us from Evil from Sin the Wrath of God the Accusations of the Law and Eternal Death but positively he giveth us Grace and Righteousness and Eternal Life He is a Saviour to defend us and a Saviour to bless us Psal. 84.11 The Lord God is a Sun and a Shield he will give Grace and Glory and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly The Mercies of the Covenant are Privative and Positive Many enter into a League that they will not hurt one another but God is in Covenant with us to bless us If Christ had only procured some place for us
sent From Christ's suing for Glory upon this Argument I might note That we may plead Promises God saith Put me in remembrance There is difference between a Plea and a Challenge Hypocrites challenge God upon the Merit of their Works Believers humbly urge him with his own Promises Not as if God did need excitement to make good his Word but we need grounds of Hope and Confidence Again Because Christ asketh nothing but what God will give I might observe That when we have done our Work we may expect our portion of Glory But I rather come to the particular discussion of the Words The words may be considered in a Mediatory or in a Moral Sence In a Mediatory sence so they are proper to Christ he prayed to the Father that thy Son may glorify thee Vers. 1. Now he saith I have glorified thee meaning in the days of his Flesh. By a Moral Accommodation they may be applied to every Christian every Christian should say as Christ I have glorified thee on the Earth I have finished the Work which thou gavest me to do First And which is most proper Let us consider them in the Mystical and Mediatory sense The first Phrase is I have glorified thee Christ glorified God many ways by his Person as being the express Image of his Father's Glory Heb. 1.3 By his Life and perfect Obedience John 8.46 Which of you convinceth me of Sin And Vers. 49. I have not a Devil but I honour my Father By discovering his Mercy John 1.14 We beheld his Glory the Glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth By his Miracles then the sick of the Palsy was cured it is said the multitude glorified God Mat. 9.8 Mark 15.31 at other Miracles they glorified the God of Israel Mark 2.12 So his Passion exceedingly glorified God's Justice In his Doctrine by discovering his glorious Essence and the Purity of his Worship The System of Divinity was much perfected and advanced by the coming of Christ. Doct. That God was much glorified in Christ. God was much glorified in the Creation of the World Psal. 19.1 The Heavens declare the Glory of the Lord and the Firmament sheweth his handy-work The Fabrick of the whole World especially of the Heavens declares his Goodness Wisdom and Power His Goodness in communicating Being to all Creatures Life and Motion to some His Wisdom in making the Creatures so various and so excellent in their general kinds His Power in educing all things out of the Womb of Mother Nothing God was glorified in his Providences especially in the great Deliverances of the Church from Egypt and from the North but mostly in Christ Redemption being the most noble Work with which he was ever acquainted It is notable that the Spirit of God in Scripture often varieth the Expression at first it was Blessed be God that made Heaven and Earth then I am the God that brought thee out of the Land of Egypt then it is Jer. 16.14 15. It shall no more be said The Lord liveth that brought up the Children of Israel out of the Land of Egypt But the Lord liveth that brought up the Children of Israel from the Land of the North then it is Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Ephes. 1.3 In Creation the Wisdom Goodness and Power of God appeared there was no need of other Attributes In Providence the Justice Mercy and Truth of God appears but these in Christ in a more raised degree In Creation the Object was pure Nothing as there was no help so no hindrance but now in Redemption Sin hinders so that here is shown not only Goodness but Mercy In Creation we deserve nothing now we deserve the contrary There was more Wisdom seen in our Redemption The Quarrel taken up between Justice and Mercy Mercy would pity and Justice could not spare In Redemption there is more Power in Creation Man is taken out of the Earth in Redemption out of Hell God's Justice opposed Redemption Christ must be sent to satisfy Justice and the Spirit sent to take away Unbelief God made all with a Word he saved all with a Plot of Grace In Creation Man was made like God in Redemption God is made like Man No Deliverance like this Babylon was nothing to Hell and the Brick-kilns of Egypt to the Lake that burneth with Fire and Brimstone When God delivered his People out of Babylon he had to do with Creatures when he delivered them from the Wrath to come he had to do with Himself Justice put in high Demands against the compassions of Mercy his own Son must die with the Wrath of God and his own Spirit must be grieved in wrestling with the Denials of Men. Instead of our own Obedience we have the Merit of Christ. Oh here are depths of Mystery and Wonder Vse God loseth no honour by Christ. God hath more Glory and we have larger Demesnes of Comfort and Grace to live upon All Parties are satisfied we have a better Portion Adam had Paradise we have Heaven God hath more Glory the Creatures are more acquainted with the infiniteness of Mercy Power and Wisdom Innocence continued had been a great benefit but now it is more gracious and free and it is not the greatness of a Benefit that worketh on Gratitude so much as the graciousness and freeness of it Our Heaven costeth a greater price and it is not given to God's Friends but those that were once his Enemies On Earth This Phrase signifieth that Christ did not increase God's Essential Glory for that is uncapable of any addition his Nature is infinite and cannot be made more glorious and excellent but only that Christ manifested his Glory more fully to the World Observe Christ came down from Heaven to make Men glorify God We had Lesson enough before us in Creation and Providence but Men were stupid Things to which we are accustomed do not work upon us in the Gospel God would set his Praise to a new Tune God needeth us not and our Respects are due and yet at what cost is God to purchase the Praise of the Creature Blind and unthankful Men to dethrone the great God and set up every paltry Creature Therefore God sent his Son to revive the Notions of the Godhead and to give us further manifestations of his Glory That was Christ's Errand to glorify him on the Earth I have finished the Work Christ's Work was to manifest the Gospel and to redeem Sinners and how can he say I have finished the Work seeing the chief Work of Redemption was yet to come the offering up himself to Divine Justice upon the Cross I Answer He had determined to undergo Death and it was now at hand in the consent and full determination of his Will it was done So upon the Cross just before his Death he crieth It was finished John 19.30 It implieth 1. The Submission Faithfulness and Diligence of Christ he never left doing of
Zin because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the Children of Israel 4. Another Quality to be discerned in the Manner and Form of the Scriptures is the Harmony and Agreement that is to be found in them all along notwithstanding the diversity of Times Places and Persons still there is an increase of Knowledg and Dispensations rise higher and higher as the Light increaseth till Noon-day but there is no difference Luke 1.70 As he spake by the Mouth of his Holy Prophets which have been since the World began One Mouth many Prophets They lived in such distant Ages handled such diversity of Arguments yet all conspired in promoting the same Truth which is now revealed to us in the New Testament There is a great difference of Style some speak with more loftiness and majesty others with greater familiarity and humility of Expression yet all promoting the same thing There is a difference in the manner of Prosecution yet an exact harmony in the Substance and essential Quality of their Writings not only in their general drift and scope to set out the Glory of God and the Good of Mankind but in the matter handled without any spice of secular Vanity as is to be seen in other Writings So that one and the same Spirit appeareth throughout the whole 1 Cor. 12.4 Now there are diversities of Gifts but the same Spirit Yea there is not only a diversity of Style but a different degree of Light according to the increase of God's Dispensations yet there is an Harmony God's Name and Style and the Mystery of Christ was made known to the Church by degrees the solemn Title and Style of God was not one and the same from the beginning of the World but tho they were divers yet they were not one contrary to another but one perfecting the other He is called by Melchisedeck The most High God Possessor of Heaven and Earth Gen. 14.19 Afterwards by reason of his Covenant with Abraham 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God Alsufficient Gen. 17.1 I am the Almighty God or the Alsufficient God walk before me and be thou perfect Then when he was put to it he made known himself by the Name of Jehovah Exod. 6.2 3. And God spake unto Moses and said unto him I am the Lord. And I appeared unto Abraham unto Isaac and unto Jacob by the Name of God Almighty but by my Name IEHOVAH was I not known unto them And after the appropriation of the Covenant to the Family of the Patriarchs he is called the God of Abraham of Isaac and of Jacob Exod. 3.15 The Lord God of your Fathers the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob hath sent me unto you This is my Name for ever and this is my Memorial unto all Generations Then upon experience of God's care of them he is called Exod. 20.2 The Lord thy God which hath brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the House of Bondage Then the Lord that brought his People out of the North Country Jer. 23.7 8. Therefore behold the days come saith the Lord that they shall no more say The Lord liveth that brought up the Children of Israel out of the Land of Egypt But the Lord liveth which brought up and which led the Seed of the House of Israel out of the North Country and from all Countries whither I had driven them and they shall dwell in their own Land Then when the Sun of Righteousness was risen the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant Mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively Hope c. 2 Cor. 1.3 Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Mercies and the God of all Comfort Ephes. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly Places in Christ. So for the Mystery of Redemption First it was revealed to Adam to be by the Seed of the Woman Gen. 3.15 I will put enmity between thee and the Woman and between thy Seed and her Seed It shall bruise thy Head and thou shalt bruise his Heel Then to Abraham by thy Seed Gen. 12.3 In thee shall all the Families of the Earth be blessed which was repeated to Isaac to cut off Ishmael then to Jacob to cut off Esau. Then it was revealed out of what Tribe he should come viz. out of Judah Gen. 49.10 The Scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the Law-giver from between his Feet until Shiloh come Then that he should come of David's Line Isa. 11.1 There shall come forth a Rod out of the Stem of Jesse and a Branch shall grow out of his Roots And that he should be born of a Virgin Isa. 7.14 Behold a Virgin shall conceive and shall bear a Son and shall call his Name Immanuel There is a difference of manifestation yet still an Harmony as there is a difference between a small Print and a great Print but the Matter is the same The Mystery of God manifested in the Flesh is set forth in a fairer Edition 5. There is one Character more in the Form and Manner of these Writings and that is Impartiality Kings and Subjects are bound by the same Laws liable to the same Punishments encouraged by the same Promises If the Scriptures were only a Politick Device to keep Subjects in awe there would be some exemption for Potentates but they are alike obnoxious to God's Judgment and the same Tophet that is provided for the Peasant is provided for the Prince Isa. 30.33 For Tophet is ordained of old yea for the King it is prepared he hath made it deep and large c. Tophet was a Valley where the Idolatrous Jews were wont to burn their Children therefore as a fit Type of Everlasting Punishment it is put for Hell it is capacious enough to receive all King and Subject Now the Scriptures that threaten Potentates as well as others must needs be a Law that cometh from an higher than the Highest Who would presume else to threaten those in Power Rev. 20.12 And I saw the Dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book was opened which was the Book of Life and the Dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their Works On this side the Grave there is a distinction between Man and Man but all are alike obnoxious to Christ's Judgment and all stand in dread of it There is enough in the Scriptures to astonish the Heart of the mightiest Potentate and make it tremble II. Now from the Matter of the Scriptures I am much prevented from what is published on James 1.18 But let me speak something now All that is spoken in the Scripture may be reduced to these five Heads Precepts Promises Doctrines Histories Prophecies Now all these
delighteth in us It is his Image makes us amiable and therefore we should make it our great desire and care to be as Holy as may be 3. Much of our Everlasting Blessedness lieth in it Ephes. 5.27 That he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be Holy and without Blemish 4. It is a great part of our Salvation by Christ. Mat. 1.21 Thou shalt call his Name Jesus for he shall save his People from their Sins Acts 3.26 Vnto you first God having raised up his Son Jesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his Iniquities 5. It is a means to the rest Communion with God and Christ here 1 John 1.6 7. If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lie and do not the Truth But if we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have fellowship one with another And everlasting Fruition of God hereafter Acts 26.18 That they may receive forgiveness of Sins and an inheritance among them which are sanctified by Faith that is in me Heb. 12.14 Without Holiness no Man shall see God 7. It sheweth us who are partakers of the Benefits and Fruits of Christ's Death Heb. 2.11 For both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one â—â—erefore he is not ashamed to call them Brethren Heb. 10.14 For by one Offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified perfected but by degrees The Elect themselves whilst they are unconverted and remain in their Sins have not the actual Benefit of Christ's Redemption our dying Lord had an actual Intention in due time to sanctify and accordingly doth regenerate justify sanctify all those who shall have benefit by his Death But who are the Sanctified It is to be considered Positively and Relatively Positively It is to be renewed to God's Image Titus 3.5 He saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.4 That by these we might be made partakers of the Divine Nature This is the great Work of the Sanctifying Spirit to make us like God and to work in us those Graces whereby we may be qualified and enclined to live to him Relatively to be sanctified is to be separated from a common to an holy Relation and Use. This is seen in three things Inclination Dedication and Use. 1. Inclination towards God This is the immediate Fruit of Grace called Conversion or turning to God the New Nature tendeth and bendeth to him 2. Dedication 2 Cor. 8.5 They first gave their own selves to the Lord and unto us by the Will of God Rom. 6.13 Yield your selves unto God as those that are alive from the Dead and your Members as Instruments of Righteousness unto God This is in entring into Covenant with God 3. Use is nothing but the exercise of this Disposition and Inclination called Living to God or performance of this Dedication 1 Cor. 6.19 20. What know ye not that your Body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you which ye have of God and ye are not your own But ye are bought with a price therefore glorify God in your Bodies and Souls which are the Lords Zech. 14.20 In that day shall there be upon the Bells of the Horses HOLINESS TO THE LORD By the latter there is a difference between us and others 1 John 5.19 And we know that we are of God and the whole World lieth in Wickedness And between us and our selves 1 Cor. 6.11 Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are justified but ye are sanctified in the Name of our Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God This must be more explicite every day Vse 2. Direction in the Lord's Supper Here we come to remember Christ's Sacrifice and to interest our selves in the Fruits of it 1. To remember Christ's Sacrifice As the Elements are set apart for an Holy Use so was Christ sanctified All Sacraments represent Christ dead Baptism We are baptized into his Death Rom. 6.3 In the Lord's Supper We shew forth his Death till he come 1 Cor. 11.26 his Body was broken his Blood shed Christ would institute a Representation of his Humiliation rather than of his Glory to represent his Love to us it was for our sakes rather than his own Honour to represent what concerned us 2. To interest our selves in the Fruits of it Look after the Fruits of it 1. Bewailing your Unholiness both in Heart and Life that you were so long trained up in the Knowledg of Christ's Truth and did so little love God and live to him that God hath opened a Fountain for Sin and for Uncleanness and you are no more cleansed to this very day and have gotten so little of the sanctifying Spirit as if you were Strangers in Israel 2. Hunger and thirst for this Grace his renewing as well as reconciling Grace Mat. 5.6 Blessed are those that hunger and thirst after Righteousness for they shall be filled Desire it earnestly 3. Lift up your Hearts with Confidence and Hope when the Sacrifice of Christ is represented to you because God hath accepted this Sacrifice and is well-pleased with it Isa. 53.4 5. Surely he hath born our Griefs and carried our Sorrows yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted For he was wounded for our Transgressions he was bruised for our Iniquities the Chastisement of our Peace was upon him and with his Stripes are we healed We have no Reason to despair of the Cure that Holy Spirit who sanctified our Head who had no Sin by preventing Sin in his Conception and anointed him to his Office is able to inlighten convert sanctify us also 4. Praise him for so much Grace as you have received that he hath inclined your Hearts to his Blessed Self 1 Pet. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant Mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively Hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead at least that he made you serious 5 Dedicate your selves to God to walk before him in all new Obedience Rom. 12.1 I beseech you therefore Brethren by the Mercies of God that ye present your Bodies a living Sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is your reasonable Service SERMON XXXIV JOHN XVII 20 Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe on me through their Word HERE Christ inlargeth the Object of his Prayers which is propounded First Negatively Secondly Positively First Negatively by which the Restraint is taken off Which sheweth 1. Christ's Love He had a care of us before we were yet in being and able to apply these Comforts to our selves We were provided for before we were born there is a stock of Prayers laid up in Heaven Christ as God foresaw that the Gospel would prevail notwithstanding the World's hatred
Image and the Saints more delight in God as being freed from Sin God loveth to look on what he hath made when he hath raised a Worm to such an Excellency It is there continued without Interruption here our Communion with God is sweet but short it cometh by glimpses but there it is for ever and ever not only in regard of Duration but Continuance without ceasing The Spirit of God came on Samson at times in Heaven there is nothing to divert us from the sight of God we are withdrawn from all other Objects that we may study him alone without weariness Vse 3. It directeth us in what order we should seek these Things first Grace then Glory Psal. 84.11 The Lord will give Grace and Glory Psal. 73.24 Thou shalt guide me with thy Counsel and afterwards receive me to Glory Ephes. 5.26 27. That he might sanctify and cleanse it by the washing of Water by the Word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Here the first Lineaments are drawn by the Spirit of Sanctification whilst the Soul remaineth in the Body as a Pledg of a more perfect State God hath called us to Glory and Vertue 2 Pet. 1.3 As they were to go through the Temple of Vertue to the Temple of Honour 4. Observe There is no Privilege which we have but what Christ enjoyed first Christ had it all and from him we have it he was the Purchaser and the Natural Heir it is in us at the second Hand we are Elected Sanctified Glorified in and through him Whatever is in us that are Members it is in our Head first first God then Christ as Mediator and then We. All Good is first in Christ he receiveth it and conveyeth it We ascend Why Because he ascended first we sit in Heavenly Places because he did first Vse 1. In Times of Desertion when we see nothing in our selves look upon Christ as a Depository the first Receptacle of Grace he is justified sanctified ascended glorified and encourage thy self to take hold of Christ that thou mayest have all these things in him Vse 2. To be thankful to God for Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly Places in Christ Ephes. 1.3 Let us never bless God for what we enjoy but still remember Christ. Vse 3. It presseth us to get an Union with Christ 1 Cor. 3.22 23. All are yours for you are Christ's and Christ is God's That we may not look on Christ as an abstracted Head All that Christ hath he hath it for us 5. Observ. From those words I have given them it may be Objected that we see no such Matter Christ's Members are poor despicable Dust and Ashes more afflicted than others How then can it be said This Glory I have given them Answ. Christ hath acquired a Right Obs. The Glory that is given to us by Christ is as surely ours as if we were in the actual possession of it John 3.36 He that believeth on the Son of God hath Everlasting Life How hath he it 1. He hath it in Capite it is done in regard of Christ with whom we make one Mystical Body the most worthy part of the Body is in Heaven the Head is there Ephes. 2.6 And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in Heavenly Places in Christ. We are already glorified in Christ tho not in our selves Christians take possession in their Head as Christ hath taken possession in their Names 2. They have it in the Promises The Promise is the Root of the Blessing you have a fair Charter to shew for it God standeth bound in point of Promise God is very tender of his Word you will see it in all the other Promises when you put him to Trial. The Promise of God is but the Declaration of his Purpose Heb. 6.17 18. Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the Heirs of Promise the immutability of his Counsel confirmed it by an oath That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie ye may have strong Consolation You have a Lease to shew for it A Man doth not carry his Inheritance upon his Back 3. They have the First-Fruits of it which differ only in degree from Glory Rom. 8.23 And not only they but our selves also which have the First-Fruits of the Spirit even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the Adoption to wit the Redemption of our Body We have the Earnest in Hand That Portion of the Spirit which we have received is given us for security Wherefore this fitting and preparing these Groans are Grounds of Confidence If a Vessel be formed it is for some use All this would else be lost And do you think God will lose his Earnest The Beginnings we have here are a Taste and Pledg Here we sip and have a foretaste of the Cup of Blessing Union with Christ Joys of the Spirit Peace of Conscience are the Beginnings of Heaven They that live in the Provinces next to Arabia have a strong Scent of the Odours and sweet Smells of the Spices that grow there So the Church is the Suburbs of Heaven the Members of it begin to smell the Upper Paradise The Comfortable Influences of the Spirit are the Taste and the Gracious Influences are the Pledg and Earnest of our Future Inheritance Vse 1. Let us bless God afore-hand 1 Pet. 1.3 4 5. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant Mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively Hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead to an Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for us who are kept by the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation The Inheritance is kept for us and we for it We can never want Matter to bless God if we have nothing in Hand yet we have much in Hope 2. Let us wait with more Confidence we have no cause to doubt we have God's Word and Pawn as sure as Christ is in Heaven we shall be there 3. Let us be there in Affection in earnest Groans and Desires in frequent Thoughts Rom. 8.30 Whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified 4. Let us not fear Changes all Changes will end in that which is best for us SERMON XXXIX JOHN XVII 23 I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one and that the World may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me CHRIST's Request for Union is again repeated with the Advantage of another Expression to declare the Nature of it So that in this Verse we have First The Nature of the Mystical Union Secondly
Father speaking in the law to resist the Son speaking in the Gospel offering our remedy but to resist the Holy-Ghost who would help us to accept this remedy there is no other relief for us no other divine person to give it us The mission of the Holy Ghost is the last offer for the recovery of mankind there is nothing more to be expected if we submit not to his inspirations and wilfully refuse to give ear to his counsel our salvation is hopeless Secondly let me now open the priviledg they are the sons of God this priviledg may be considered 1. As to the real grant on Gods part 2. As to their own sense of their adoption on the believers part First As to the real grant on Gods part It was intended to the elect from all eternity Eph. 1.5 Being predestinated to the adoption of children In time 't is brought about by Christs death or the work of redemption Gal. 4.4 5. But actually instated upon us when we are regenerated and do believe John 1.12 13. To as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God even to them that believe in his name which were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God They are born of God and so made the sons of God being called out of nature to grace in their effectual calling they are made sons and daughters to the most High God first he doth renew their natures and make them Holy then reconciled to God as their Father in Christ this is the first grant 2. As to their own sense of their adoption that is spoken of here they shew themselves to be Gods Children and so may know themselves to be Gods Children 1. Because they have the certain evidence that they are received for children by God through faith in Christ and that is holiness If our carriage be suitable to our estate and priviledges why should we doubt Eph. 1.4 5. Elected to be holy without blame before him in love having predestinated us to the adoption of children They have the true pledg of Gods love and that is the spirit and they shew the true fruit of their love to God and that is obedience to his sanctifying motions they are led by the Spirit and so without blame before him in love as they have a greater measure of the fruits so 't is every day more clear to us 2. The same spirit that leadeth them doth assure and ascertain them for our sanctifier is our comforter And the more a Sanctifier the more a Comforter first in a darker way leaving a Child-like impression upon them inclining them to go to God as a Father tho their adoption be not so explicite and clear v. 15. Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Aba Father and Gal. 4.6 And because ye are sons God hath sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts crying Abba Father The Children of God deal with God as a Father cry to him as a Father cannot keep away from him when they dare not so expresly intitle themselves his Children Secondly in a clearer way when he manifests his presence by a supernatural and powerful change wrought in the heart and discovered whereby they conclude their own gracious estate v. 16. The spirit its self beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God the spirit helps to discern his own work or the image of Christ stampt upon them in a fair and bright character 3. This is a great priviledg that will appear if we consider our present relation to God or our future inheritance 1. Our present relation to God 1 John 3.1 Behold what love the father hath shewed us that we should be called the children of God We are his Children and God is as our Father pleased to own us as his children we are not born sons but made so by grace by nature we are Children of wrath Eph. 2.3 The very term adoption implieth it A Child by adoption is opposed to a Child by nature for men are not said to adopt their own children but strangers now that strangers and enemies should not only be reconciled but also be called the sons of God Oh what unspeakable mercy is it to have the blessed God whom we had so often offended to become our reconciled Father in Christ it is not an empty title that he assumeth but hath more abundant love and tenderness to our welfare than any title can make us understand 2. Our future inheritance our right floweth from our sonship Rom. 8.17 And if children then heirs heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. Titus 3.5 6 7. Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost which he hath shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour That being justified by his grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life 1 Pet. 1.3 4. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for you Luke 12.32 Fear not little flock 't is your Fathers good pleasure to give you a Kingdom What may we not expect from the bounty of such a Father Surely he that would pardon his enemies will bless his Children and that for evermore 1. USE Is to inform us 1. of the nature of the spirit's conduct 't is sweet but powerful it accomplisheth its effect without offering violence to the liberty of man we are not drawn taken or driven as beasts but led guided to happiness not forced thither against our wills or without our consent the inclinations of man are free there is not a violent impulsion but a sweet guidance and direction yet he is subject to the leading government and drawing of the Spirit 2. It informeth us of the great condescension of God to new creatures 1. In his care over them They are led by the spirit during their pilgrimage well guided and well guarded Heb. 1.14 Are they not all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation They have the spirit for direction and the Angels for defence their charge is not cura animarum but custodia corporis 2. In the great honour he puts upon them and reserveth for them Now these are the Children of God hereafter they shall have the inheritance then is adoption compleat Rom. 8.23 Even we our selves groan within our solves waiting for the adoption the redemption of our bodies If annihilated after death or drawn out their life to all eternity upon earth allowing them so tolerable contentment there had been a savour
about our interest Thirdly What reasons there are why we should attend upon this work with all diligence that we may come to a full confidence 1. What are the qualifications of those who shall have this Blessed Estate 'T is the most Important Question which we can put to our Souls Psal. 24. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord And who shall stand in his Holy Place Who shall be admitted into the place of his special residence I anwer 1. Sometimes they are described by their faith in Christ As Joh. 11.25 26. He that believeth and liveth in me though he were dead yet shall he live and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never dye or not dye for ever as the word may be rendred The true believer that so believeth in Christ that he liveth in him that is who hath accepted of Gods Covenant and is become Christs disciple observing his strict spiritual laws and running all hazards for his sake united to Christ so as to live in him Bodily death shall not extinguish the life which is begun and maintained by faith in Christ Joh. 6.40 This is the will of him that sent me that every one that seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day This is Gods express will The poor sinner needeth not doubt of it if you do see the Son and believe on him that is see him and know him Spiritually see him in the light of the Spirit Heretofore men saw him bodily and had no benefit And now many see him in the Common report and Tradition by the light of humane credulity that have no benefit by him But those that see him in the Promise have a Right and Title that see him so as to see beauty in him that they can trample upon all things as Dung and Dross renounce themselves and all worldly and fleshly lusts and flee to him as their All-sufficient Saviour and can venture their Souls in his hand and give up themselves to keep his Commandments and abide in his Love In short those who so believe in him as to live in him and to him 2dly They are described to be new Creatures or the sanctified Joh. 3.3 5. Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God And again v. 5. Cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Heaven is the Inheritance of Saints Col. 1.12 Giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in light And Acts 26.18 That they may receive Forgiveness of Sin and Inheritance among them which are Sanctified by Faith that is in me Heb. 10.14 By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are Sanctified No unclean thing shall enter there If thou hast the Heavenly Birth will he deprive thee of thy Birth-right to which he himself begot thee of incorruptible seed 1 Pet. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead If Holy he will place thee among his Holy ones These are the Terms to which we must unalterably stand If we be not born again it is but self flattery that filleth us with vain conceits like the Mad-man in Athens who Challenged all the ships which came into the harbour to be his own 3dly They are described by their Heavenly mind affections and conversations Mat. 6.19.20 21. They who make it their work to lay up treasure in Heaven have chosen Heaven for their Portion That seek it in the first place Matth. 6.33 That groan long wait for it In the verses next the Text whose conversation is in Heaven Phil. 3.20 Deus nihil facit frustra If he hath given thee an Heavenly mind and affections he will give thee Heaven its self He would not stir up these desires in vain set his servants a longing after that which he never meaneth to give them or bestow upon them when there is a suitableness between the person and the state when our affections are weaned from the world and set upon Heavenly things This House is fitted for us if we are fitted for it Rom. 9.23 That he might make known the riches of his Glory on the Vessels of Mercy which he had afore prepared unto Glory There is a meetness Col. 1.12 Assoon as we are new born and do believe in Christ we have a Right and Title In short If your whole lives be a continual motion and nearer approach towards this state of rest 4thly They are described by their fruitfulness in good works and acts of self denying obedience Matth. 25.34 35. c. 1 Tim. 6.18 19. That they do good that they be rich in goodworks ready to distribâ—te willing to Communicate laying up in store for themselves a good Foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal life 1 Joh. 3.19 Hereby we know that we are of the Truth and shall assure our Hearts before him Hereby By what If we love not in word and tongue only but in deed and in Truth Heaven is esteemed but a fancy to them that men will venture nothing for the hopes of it What have you done to shew your thankfulness for so great a mercy tendred to you A Religion that costs nothing is worth nothing I am sure it will yield you no comfort and hope good words are not dear and a Cold profession costs little or nothing Do you think Religion lyeth only in Hearing Sermons or a few Cursory Prayers or drowsy Devotions We should mind those things about which we shall be questioned at the day of Judgment have you visited have you cloathed owned the Servants of God when the Laws frown upon them comforted them in their distresses Wherein really have you denyed your selves for the hope of Glory 2dly The several dispositions and perswasions in point of certainty as to their Interest in this state of Blessedness To some 't is but a bare possibility To others there is a probability A third sort have gotten so far as a Conditional certainty Others have an actual certainty or firm perswasion of their Interest 1. To some the hope of Heaven is but a bare possibility As to the careless Christian who is yet intangled in his lusts but God continueth to him the offer of Salvation by Christ. These may be saved if they will accept this offer 'T is impossible in the state wherein they are but their Hearts may be changed by the Lords grace Mark 10.27 With men it is impossible but not with God for with God all things are possible He can make the filthy Heart to become Clean and Holy the sensual Heart to become Spiritual and Heavenly There are many bars in the way but grace can break through and remove them 'T is night with them for the present but we cannot say it
set before him Heb. 2.2 that happy and glorious Estate that happened upon his Sufferings to this he inviteth us into his own joy Men are not wont to treat their Servants so as to let them enter into their joy Luk. 17.7 Which of you having a Servant plowing or feeding Cattle will say unto him by and by when he is come from the Field Go and sit down to meat No but Make ready But Christ Luk. 12.37 will make them sit down to meat and he will come forth and serve them In the Civil Law Accubitus Servi à Domino invitati 't was a Token of Manumission Now Christ will bring us into his joy Luk. 22.30 That ye may eat and drink at my Table in my Kingdom and sit on Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Joh. 17.24 Father I will that those whom thou hast given me may be where I am and behold my Glory Rom. 8.17 If we suffer with him we may also be glorified together 2 Tim. 2.12 If we suffer with him we shall reign with him VVe are sharers in all the happiness that he enjoyeth and are partakers of the same Glory and the same Kingdom and the same Joy Thirdly VVe enter into it 'T is an Hebraism such as that Psal. 69.27 Let them not come into thy Righteousness that is be partakers of it So Psal. 59.11 not enter into my rest that is partake of it So the Servant entereth into his Lords joy ut Possessor sit gaudii non tantum Spectator However it noteth the highest and fullest participation they enter into the blessed state of eternal joy and it abideth for ever with them in a full constant uninterrupted joy VVe shall have as much as we can hold and we shall hold more than now we do 1. VSE It informeth us that 't is good to be Christs Servants and to be faithful in his work See how ready the Lord is to reward our little sorry service Come and receive the fruit of my bounty and the reward of your fidelity VVho would not serve such a Master 2. Consider it This doth make up all the shame and disgrace that can be in our Trials VVe have enough in hand for all the pains and shame that we suffer for his service the inward peace that we have and the sense of his Approbation But our great Reward when we and he meet together should strike all discouragements dead and be enough to allay all the sorrows of this life and the censures of men 3. To quicken us to Diligence let us often think of this VVhen God intended to give Canaan to Abraham he biddeth him walk through the Land and view it Gen. 13.17 He hath promised to give the joys of Heaven to us we should often consider it Then encouragement is no encouragement if it be not regarded Lastly The same words are used to both alike the second Servant is approved his Faithfulness commended and rewarded as well as the first Servant Doct. Whether our Talents be few or many yet if we be but sincere we shall be put into everlasting Happiness The Essential Happiness of the Saints is the same though the Degrees differ ten Cities and five Cities in Luke 1. They may be alike in Fidelity though a difference in opportunity Their Industry will be alike Though their Gifts and opportunities be not alike their Zeal to God and Love to Souls will be alike 2. The Grounds of Essential Happiness are the same to all 1. They have the same Redeemer and Mediator Exod. 30.15 If they had a better Christ another Mediator to ransome their Souls they might expect another Happiness but all is brought about by the same Redeemer Jesus Christ theirs and ours 1 Cor. 1.2 by his Mediation Sacrifice and meritorious Righteousness 2. The same Covenant which is the Common Charter of the Saints Act. 2.39 The Promise is to you and to your Chilaren even as many as the Lord our God shall call A Covenant which offereth the same Benefits and requireth the same Duties The same Benefits Pardon and Life Pardon Rom. 4.23 24. Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised up Jesus Christ from the dead Life is the common portion of all the Saints 1 Tim. 4.8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness and not for me only but for all those that love his appearing It requireth the same Duties of all the Saints and they have the same Rule to walk by Gal. 6.16 This same Gospel is the power of God unto the Salvation of every one that believeth Rom. 1.16 Well then if all have no other Charter from God to shew for Pardon and Life and all are bound to the same Duties surely all shall have the same Happiness 3. The same Spirit to be Christs Agent to sanctifie and to prepare them for this Glory He is at work in all the Saints 1 Cor. 12.4 There are diversities of gifts but the same Spirit 2 Cor. 4.13 We having the same Spirit of faith This is considerable because the Spirit doth form us for this very thing that is prepare us for this very Estate If all have the same Heavenly Principle all shall have the same Heavenly Happiness We have the same almighty power within to destroy sin to raise our dead and earthly Hearts to God to keep in us the same love to him and prepare us for this blessed Estate 4. The same Mercy of the same God distributeth the Reward The main grounds of the expectation of the best are the Mercy of God and the Merits of Christ and we have the same mercy to trust unto Rom. 10.12 For the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him As rich in mercy to you as to others to pardon your failings to wash off your stains and finally to receive you into his blessed presence They look for Mercy and we look for the same Mercy Jude 21. All that keep themselves in the love of God may do so 3. The things which are absolutely requisite to this Essential Happiness are the same As the Vision and fruition of the same God 1 Cor. 13.12 with Joh. 17.24 All that believe in me through their word they have the same Place Heaven the same State the same Company they all make one Family Eph. 3.15 Now some are in Heaven and some on Earth but then they shall all make one heavenly Society called the City of God Heb. 12.22 23. They shall all sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob They have the same work which is to love and laud God for evermore 1. VSE To perswade us to be contented with the meanest Estate till Gods Providence call us to an higher Every one must glorifie God in the place where he hath set him As in a Quire of Voices 't is not who sings the Base or who the Treble
evil than of good when it is serious 'T is true wicked men cry out God is merciful and that is generally the cause of their Laziness and sleightness in Religion but it is when they do not mind what they say these are but sugared words in their Tongues when they are serious they have other thoughts Bondage is more natural than Liberty Fear than Hope because of the Covenant we are under which is a Covenant of works a Ministry of Death and Condemnation and so begetteth fear and representeth God as terrible yea 't is found in those that are more serious and have some beginnings of a good work upon their Hearts they are too apt to entertain ill thoughts of God and looking upon him in the glass of their guilty fears represent him as harsh and inexorable All their terrours and troubles are raised by false Apprehensions of God and therefore the course of their Obedience groweth the more uncomfortable This is a truth that the Law and Grace contendeth for the mastery in every Heart that entertains thoughts of Religion not only Corruption and Grace but the Law and Grace And as their Law-notions prevail so their slavish fear increaseth but as the Gospel Apprehensions prevail so their Love of God increaseth and their comfortableness in Religion Therefore still the Caution is bound upon us to take heed what Notions we have of God and that we have not any diminishing extenuating thoughts of his goodness and mercifulness that we do not look upon him as one that lyeth upon the catch to spy out Advantages against us for that thought will mightily weaken our hands in the Lords work Do not think of him as one that delights in the Creatures misery No rather in shewing Mercy and Goodness and as ready to give out Grace to the humble that lye at his Feet however he dealeth with the stubborn and obstinate Refusers of his Grace And therefore if I may digress into Application while I am yet in some doctrinal Considerations I would advise First That to preserve the Sense of Religion in the general men would consider how much God standeth upon the Credit of his Goodness and that he giveth them no cause of discouragement as from him Mich. 6.3 O my People what have I done unto you wherein have I wearied you That his Commands are not grievous Mat. 11.29 1 John 3.5 That the Tryals sent by him are not above measure 1 Cor. 10.13 nor his Punishments above deservings Neh. 11.9 13. That he is not hard to be pleased nor inexorable upon our infirmities Mal. 3.17 These things should be constantly in our minds for the Vindication and Justification of God from our natural Jealousies and evil Surmises that we have of his Conduct and Government Secondly I would advise poor trembling Souls that are alarmed by their own fears which represent God as an Enemy and standing at a distance from them that they would study the Name of God For surely things are known by their Names and poor disconsolate Souls are bidden Isa. 50.10 To trust in the Name of the Lord c. Now what is the Name of God Even that which he proclaimed Exod. 34.5 6 7. I am the Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in Goodness and Truth keeping Mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Therefore take all his Name and meditate upon it Satan laboureth to represent God by halfs only as a consuming Fire as cloathed with Justice and Vengeance Oh no! 't is true he will not suffer his Mercy to be abused by contemptuous Sinners he will not clear the guilty though he waiteth long on them before he destroyeth them but the main of his Name is his Mercy and Goodness Take it as God proclaimeth it and see if you have any reason to have hard thoughts of God you will find that though he be an high and holy one yet he is willing to be treated with That he is great but yet good ready to receive returning Sinners if thou hast sin and misery Christ hath Compassion and Pity he is the Father of Mercies 2 Cor. 1.3 Misericors est cui alterius miseria cordi est Mercy hath its name from Misery and is no other thing than laying anothers misery to heart not to despise it nor to add to it but to help it And therefore if thou be miserable and knowest it indeed his Nature giveth a strong inclination to succour the miserable I but saith the convinced Soul there is nothing in me to be regarded the Lord telleth I am gracious and Grace doth all freely and from a self-inclination it giveth all the Qualifications he requireth but I have been long a presumptuous Sinner Why God telleth you his Name is long-suffering He that gave not the Angels one hours space for Repentance hath long delayed the Execution of our Sentence and calleth us to himself that we may escape the Condemnation of Angels But I am exceeding perverse and wicked The Lord telleth you He is abundant in Goodness I am full of fears and doubtings Still he is abundant in goodness and Truth I have abused much Mercy and can Mercy pity me The Lord telleth you He keepeth Mercy for thousands and can forgive Iniquity Transgression and Sin His Treasure of Mercy is not soon spent and exhausted no sin can exclude a willing Soul Mercy will pardon thy abuse of Mercy if thou repentest of it Thirdly To the People of God who having a clearer sense of their Duty and a larger Heart towards God than others have and so are the more troubled for the Poverty of their Graces and weakness and Imperfection of their Services than others are which may breed Bondage and uncomfortableness I would have them consider that Humility and Meekness doth still become them but not Dejection and Despondency of mind that they should ever be complaining fearful and disconsolate We have not an hard Master he hath made Joy a part of our work Phil. 4.4 He gave his Son Luk. 1.74 75. That being delivered from our Enemies we might serve him without fear in Holiness and Righteousness We should consider that he is ready to bear with failings where there is an upright heart That God accepteth what we can through Grace well and comfortably perform 'T is a general Maxim of the Gospel though spoken upon a particular occasion 2 Cor. 8.12 That if there be a willing mind it is accepted according to what a man hath not according to that he hath not That the God whom they serve in the Spirit can put a finger on the scar. Ye have heard of the Patience of Job Jam. 5.11 Ay and we have heard of his Impatience too his cursing the day of his Birth and his bold Expostulations with God But this is pass'd over in silence and his Patience commended Nothing should be a discouragement from serving chearfully so good and Gracious a God who is so ready to accept and assist us 1 Pet.
We all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord then we shall be changed by the beatifical Vision 1 Joh. 3.2 When he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is our life here and life there is but one life begun here and perfected there here are manifold imperfections but there is compleat blessedness sometimes as the morning to high noon or light of the perfect day Prov. 4.18 The path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more to the perfect day here the day breaks but it is but a little sometimes to a man and a child 1 Cor. 13.10 11 12. But when that which is perfect is come that which is in part shall be done away When I was a child I spake as a child I understood as a child I thought as a child but when I became a man I put away childish things For now we see through a glass darkly but then face to face now I know in part but then shall I know even as also I am known as it is in the change of Ages so is it between this and the other Life Now all these things shew both the sameness of the life and also the necessity of one degree of Grace to another 3. Observe how fitly this is mentioned as an help to Mortification we should sweeten the tediousness and trouble of the work by thinking of the life that will ensue 1. The Life of Grace Conscience calleth upon you for your duty to your Creator and Lust hindereth it now is it not a great advantage to have a vital Principle to incline us to God By the life of Grace we are enabled in some measure to do what is pleasing in his sight Heb. 12.28 Let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear Set about Mortification and you shall have this Grace This should be a great consolation to us who are so often vexed with guilty fears because of the neglect of our duty 2. The Life of Glory Pleasures Honours and Profits seem great matters to a carnal heart and can do much till you put Heaven in the balance against them as Moses did Heb. 11.26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt for he had respect unto the recompence of reward he looked off from one object to another Alas when we think of this life all that we enjoy here is nothing and should do nothing upon us to gain us from God and our duty to him we should have such thoughts within our selves Shall I take these pleasures instead of my birth-right For this preferment shall I â—ell my part in Heaven Shall I cast away my Soul for this sensual delight The Devil usually prevaileth over men when Heaven is forgotten and out of sight Sure the Baptismal Vow and Engagement hath little hold upon us 2 Pet. 1.9 He is blind and cannot see afar off and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins These things are fitly coupled 4. Observe how we have all with Christ we dye with him and we live with him as we mortifie sin by virtue of that Grace which he purchased for us by his Death so we hold Heaven by his gift or the Grant of that Covenant which he hath confirmed by his Blood his Dying is the Pattern of our Mortification and his Life of our Happiness and Glory if by his Example we first learn to dye unto sin according to his Pattern and Example we shall have a joyful Resurrection to eternal Life for still we fare as Christ fared he would not be a Pattern to us only in his worst estate but in his best also we shall be partakers of the same glory which Christ hath at the right hand of the Father and as we shall live eternally so we shall eternally praise our Redeemer who deriveth influence to us all along both in dying and rising III. The certain Apprehension we have of this we believe Here I shall handle 1. The necessity of this Faith 2. The grounds of it 3. The profit of believing this 1. The necessity of believing 1. This life is not matter of Sense but of Faith whether you take it for the life of Grace or the life of Glory 1. The Life of Grace If you consider the nature of it which is of the order of things spiritual and men that judge according to things of sense see no glory in it 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit for they are foolishness to him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Alas the rich preparations of Grace which God hath made us in the Gospel a carnal heart hath no savour for them nor value and esteem of them is nothing moved with the tender and offer we must have a higher light to see these things Besides the new Nature is hidden under manifold infirmities and afflictions Col. 3.3 Your life is hid with Christ in God and 1 Joh. 3.2 It doth not yet appear what we shall be Once more it is Gods gift and a matter full of difficulty for them to apprehend that are sensible of their own vileness and are daily conflicting with so many lusts that they should be quickened and inabled to live to God is a matter which they cannot easily believe Shall these dead bones live O Lord thou knowest Ezek. 37.3 It is an hard matter to perswade them that have a great sense of the power of their bewitching lusts they shall ever overcome 2. For the Life of Glory that is also a matter of Faith because it is a thing future unseen and to be enjoyed in another World Now faith is the substance of things not seen and the evidence of things hoped for Heb. 11.1 2. The Person Office and Power of our Redeemer are all mystical Truths Joh. 11.25 26. I am the resurrection and the life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never dye believest thou this That Christ is able to raise the dead to life again now or hereafter 3. The matter is difficult to be believed that after worms have consumed this flesh it shall be raised again in Glory and at length reign with Christ for ever Therefore Abrahams Faith is so often propounded to the Faithful Who considered not his own body now dead nor yet the deadness of Sarahs womb Rom. 4.19 and the Apostle sheweth us That such a kind of faith shall be imputed to us for righteousness vers 24. who believe Christs Resurrection and then ours All this sheweth the necessity of Faith in this case 2. The grounds of believing this blessed Estate which is reserved for the mortified 1. The infinite Love of God which prepared these Mercies
all that they that live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him that dyed for them and rose again Nothing must be alienated from him but used as he shall direct and appoint All your powers and faculties are his and to be imployed for him II. Let me shew you the Reasons of it They are taken from the Right God hath in you and to you Justice requireth that we should give every one his own to Caesar the things that are Caesars to God the things that are Gods We do but restore to God that which is his before when we give up our selves to him Now we are Gods 1. By his creating us out of nothing It is he that hath made us not we our selves Psal. 100.3 Surely God hath a propriety in all that we have for we have all by his creating Bounty as the Potter hath power over his own Clay So saith God in all the Vessels which he hath formed he formed them for himself If the Husbandman may call the Vine his own which he hath planted in his own ground and soil God may much more call the Creature his own which he hath made The Husbandman cannot make the Vine but only set it and dress it but we are wholly and solely of him and from him and from nothing else and therefore we should be wholly and solely for him and nothing else 2. By Preservation God is Lord of all because he preserveth all Nehem. 9.6 Thou even thou art Lord alone thou hast made Heaven the heaven of heavens with all their host the earth and all things that are therein and thou preservest them all and the host of Heaven worshippeth thee Preservation is the continuation of our Being by his providential influence and supportation Acts 17.28 For in him we live and move and have our being Heb. 11.3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear If we could any moment exempt our selves from the dominion and influence of his Providence we might be supposed to be exempted in that moment from his Jurisdiction and Government But man wholly depending on God for Being and Preservation we cannot lay claim to our time and strength not for one minute or moment for we can hold neither Body nor Soul nor any thing that we have a minute longer than God pleaseth If you will serve your selves and please your selves live of your selves if you can 3. By Redemption that Right is pleaded 1 Cor. 6.20 Ye are not your own ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God with your bodies and souls which are Gods By Creation and Preservation we are Gods but Redemption constituteth such a new Right and Title as doth not only strengthen the former but also is comfortable to us If a Slave were not killed out-right but continued a day or two though he died by the stripes given him by his Master there was no Plea or Accusation could be commenced against the Master for the life of his Slave Exod. 21.21 He was his money that is purchased by his money God hath bought us at an higher rate than money 1 Pet. 1.18 For ye are redeemed not with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversations received by tradition from your fathers but with the precious blood of the Son of God as of a Lamb without spot and blemish Therefore the Redeemed are bound to serve him that ransomed them All our time and strength belongeth to the Redeemer who hath ransomed us from the worst slavery the bondage of Sin and Satan and with the greatest Price his own Blood This was Christs end Rom. 14 9. For to this end Christ both died and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and living 4. Christians have owned this Right by their Covenant consent Our Bodies and Souls were consecrated to Christ when we gave up our Names to him in Baptism Thou entredst into Covenant with me and becamest mine Ezek. 16.8 then were we enrolled in Gods Cense-book Isa. 44.5 One shall say I am the Lords and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob and another shall subscribe with the hand to the Lord and sirname himself by the name of Israel By voluntary Contract and Resignation we gave up our selves and all that is ours to God Baptism is our Sacramentum militare our military Oath we were then listed in his Warfare and Service When Christ was baptized he was consecrated as the Captain of our Salvation and there presently after his Baptism he entred into the Lists with Satan We are entred as private Souldiers now it is Treachery and breach of Covenant if after we have owned and acknowledged Gods Right in us we shall alienate our selves from him and use our selves for our selves at our own list and pleasure 5. By Regeneration whereby we are actually taken into Christs Possession and fitted for his Use. This Right is pleaded in the Text As those that are alive from the dead yield up your selves to God There is a double Argument in it 1. As it puts an obligation upon us It is by the tender Mercies of the Lord that you are recovered out of the death of sin to the life of Grace Eph. 4.4 5. God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he hath loved us even when we were dead in trespasses and sins hath quickened us together with Christ. We that were once wretched and miserable liable to death utterly disabled for the service of our Creator that he of his Grace hath called us and quickened us and made us alive who were formerly dead we have this spiritual Life from him and for him This should be an everlasting obligation upon us while we have a day to live to remember God hath renewed you for himself 2. As it puts an inclination into us Men that are raised to a new Life are fitted to do him service they are delivered from the power and death of sin have received Grace to serve him acceptably the new Creature is fitted for the operations that belong to it Eph. 2.10 For we are the workmanship of God created in Christ Jesus to good works that we might walk therein The withered branch is planted into the good Vine-stock that it may live again and bring forth fruit unto God So that if we have been made partakers of this mercy we are bound and we are inclined this shews Gods propriety in us that he expecteth to be honoured by us Vse 1. Information 1. It shews how vain the Plea was of those Libertines in Calvins time against whom he is justly severe and their Adherents who thought they might serve sin with their bodies as long as they did dislike and disallow it with their Souls they were safe enough They were wont to say Non ego sâ—d Asinus meus it was their Drudge the body that sinned
of a Reverend Man will hold us in some order if Gehazi had known that the Spirit of Elisha went with him would he have run after Naaman for a reward 2 Kings 5.26 his prophetick Spirit went with him We can no more be removed from the presence of God than from our own Being he is the continual Witness and Judge of our Conversations he seeth us in secret as well as in publick Now when the Soul is habituated to this thought how awful and watchful shall we be Psal. 119.168 I kept thy precepts and thy testimonies for all my ways are before thee The sense of his Presence is the great ground of watchfulness God is not so shut up within the Curtain of the Heavens but that he doth see and hear all that we do or say yea he knoweth our thoughts afar off Thirdly Love to God maketh us tender of offending him for it is a Grace that studieth to please the Soul is jealous of any thing which looks like an offence to those whom we love Others are not troubled though they sin freely in Thought foully in Word frequently in their daily Practice because an offence to God seemeth as nothing they have no love to God Psal. 97.10 Ye that love the Lord hate evil it is a loathsom thing to them to a gracious heart it is argument enough against sin That it is the transgression of the Law 1 Joh. 3.4 and he inferreth it out of Love to God ver 1. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed on us c. They have such a deep apprehension of Gods Love to them in Christ that it breedeth an awe upon them or a fear to offend Ezra 9.13 14. After all that is come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great trespass seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve and hast given us such deliverance as this Shall we again break thy commandments Joshua 24.31 Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua and all the days of the Elders that outlived Joshua and which had known all the works of the Lord which he had done for Israel What! offend God who is so blessed a Being who created us out of nothing of whose Mercy we have tasted every moment who preserveth and delivereth us continually from whose Goodness we expect all our Blessedness Is our deliverance by Christ of less value than all our temporal deliverances Will not Love draw the same Inferences and Conclusions from it Caution doth not arise out of a fear of anger but a lothness to offend 2. The Time when this Duty is to be practised always it is never out of season Conscience must still sit Porter at the door and examine what goes in and out If men neglect their watch but for a little while how soon doth sin get an advantage against them Lot that was chast in Sodom miscarried in the Mountains where there was none but his own Family David whose heart was so tender that it smote him for cutting off the lap of Sauls garment falleth into so deep a sleep afterwards that his Conscience was silent when he had defiled it with Blood and Lust. The tears and sorrows of many years may perhaps not repair the mischief which one hour may bring unto you You have need to watch after the sense of your Duty hath been revived upon you Satan loveth to snatch the prey from under Christs own arm He entred into Judas after the sop Joh. 13.27 After solemn Duties how soon do people miscarry Assoon as the Law was given with terrible Thundrings the people do presently miscarry by worshipping the golden Calf Exod. 32. And the Priests in the very day of their Consecration in the beginning and first day of their Ministration offered strange fire to the Lord Lev. 10. After some escape from sin we need to watch that we be not intangled therein again 2 Pet. 2.20 If after they have escaped the pollution of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are again intangled therein and overcome the latter end is worse with them than the beginning As under the Law a Sore rising as a boil when it was healed might afterward break out again and turn to a Leprosie Lev. 13.18 19 20. So sins after we seem to be healed of them may return and make us worse than before As Christ saith to the man cured Joh. 5.14 Behold thou art made whole sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee In Prosperity we need to watch it is hard to carry a full Cup without spilling and to live at ease and yet to keep up a due and lively sense of our Duty And in our Adversity when the course of Temptation is altered we are strangely surprized every Condition bringeth its own snares with it Ephraim is a cake not turned Hos. 7.8 Those who are most advanced in a state of Grace they need still to watch Mark 13.37 What I say unto you I say unto all Watch. We are never past this care this is the great difference between Christian and Christian one is more watchful than another 3. Against what we must watch 1. Generally against the three grand Enemies of our Salvation the Devil the World and the Flesh. First Against Satan for he hath laid his Ambushes and Enterprises against us continually and by his spiritual Nature hath advantages of being near us when we are little aware of him 1 Pet. 5.8 Be sober be vigilant for your adversary the Devil as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour Satan is ever watching therefore you should watch you give him the greatest advantage by your folly and negligence now the Apostle saith he would not give him any advantage 2 Cor. 2.11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us for we are not ignorant of his devices He is unwearied in his motions lays his designs deep takes all advantages and occasions to destroy us If the Devil were either dead or asleep or had lost his malice and power then we need not stand so much upon our guard Secondly Against the World for we are bidden to deny worldly lusts Tit. 2.12 not only ungodliness must be watched and prevented but our inclination to worldly things See how these two are matched for when we fall off from God we take to the Creature Jer. 2.13 My people have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters and hewed them out cisterns broken cisterns that will hold no water And Christ died to deliver us from this present evil world Gal. 1.4 Here lye all the baits and snares and dangers pass but safe through these flats and quicksands and we shall soon arrive to the Haven of eternal Glory The great virtue and proper effect of the Cross of Christ is seen in crucifying us to the World Gal. 6.14 God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus
Concerning the Object it respects not the former but the latter Clause their being once Sinners is not the matter of his Thanksgiving but that they had received and obeyed the Christian Faith However this must be said That it doth heighten the Mercy or illustrate the Benefit it is a great Mercy that having been once slaves of sin yet now at length they were recovered by Grace To be brought into a state of Light and Life by the Gospel were a great Benefit if a man had always been good and holy at least not considerably bad but when God will take us with all our faults and those of so great and hainous a Nature surely we have the more cause to give thanks Well then he doth not could not give thanks that once they had been the servants of sin God was not the Author of their servitude to sin but he was of their obedience to the Doctrine of Life his Mercy turned the former evil to good Or if you will take that into any part of the Thanksgiving it must be thus Since the condition of the servants of sin is so miserable God be thanked that you have escaped it 2. From whom he expects this Thankfulness I answer First It doth excite their Thanksgiving he exciteth them to give thanks for this blessed Change wrought in them he moveth them not to give thanks for Riches and secular Honours nor so much as consider whether they had or wanted these things but for the good estate of their Souls that they were partakers of so great a Benefit as from servants of Sin to become servants of Christ. Secondly It expresseth his own Thanksgiving on their behalf as congratulating and rejoycing with them in this mercy The Angels rejoyce at the conversion of a sinner Luke 15.10 So should we rejoyce in the good of others especially the Pastors of the Church 3 Joh. 4. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the truth Nothing that I more delight in in the World than to hear that those that are converted by me live after a Christian manner Doctrine That to be turned from the Service of Sin to the sincere Obedience of the Gospel is a Benefit that we cannot sufficiently be thankful for Let me represent it in the Circumstances of the Text. 1. Here is a Reflection upon their past state Ye were servants of sin This is necessary and useful First To heighten the sense of our Priviledges by Grace alas what were we when God first sought after us Slaves to Sin and Satan and Children of Wrath even as others Look as Jacob by remembring his poor condition doth raise his heart the more to admire Gods bounty to him Gen. 32.10 I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant for with my staff I passed over this Jordan and now I am become two bands It would cure the Pride of many if they would remember their mean Originals and how like the Hop-stalk they mount up and grow out of the very Dunghil God solemnly injoyned his People when they injoyed the plenty of the Land to remember the obscure beginnings of their being a Nation and therefore when they offered the First-fruits they used this Confession Deut. 26.5 A Syrian ready to perish was my Father when he went down to Egypt and sojourned there with a few men and became a Nation great and mighty and populous Thus God taught them to acknowledge that their first Estate and Original was most wretched and miserable and so must we It holdeth more in moral things Eph. 2.1 2 3 4 5. And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world according to the Prince of the power of the air the Spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature the children of wrath even as others But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us Even when we were dead in sins hath quickened us together with Christ. 1 Tim. 1.13 Who was before a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious But I obtained mercy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all to be mercied That God should take us with all our faults and bring us into a better condition how doth this heighten the Mercy Secondly To quicken us to more diligence in our present Estate He that hath been a diligent Servant to an hard and cruel Master from whom he could not expect any recompence worth his Toil surely should be diligent and faithful in the Service of a loving gentle and bountiful Master This is urged Rom. 6.19 As you have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness And it is illustrated by several Scriptures 1 Cor. 15.9 10. I am the least of the Apostles and am not meet to be called an Apostle because I persecuted the Church of God But by the Grace of God I am what I am and his grace that was bestowed upon me was not in vain but I laboured more abundantly than they all And Acts 26.11 I punished them oft in every Synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme and being exceedingly mad against them I persecuted them even to strange Cities Thirdly To make the reality of the Change more evident There is a great Change wrought in those who are brought home to God it doth much hurt to Believers in judging of their own Case to forget what they once were whereas comparing these two what they are and what they were would sooner bring it to an issue and make the change more sensible and evident The Scriptures often direct us to this method Col. 1.21 And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled Eph. 2.13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. And Eph. 5.8 Ye were sometimes darkness but now are ye light in the Lord. Our gradual progress in Holiness is more insensible and therefore we may overlook the mercy because we see not such eminent effects as we found at first But all that belong to God may see a Change and say as the blind man Joh. 9.25 This one thing I know that whereas I was blind I now see they may see plainly they are not the same men they were before But when men forget the Estate they were once in and the great change the Spirit wrought in them and feel not such alterations continually they live in doubtfulness and darkness As our forgetting our poverty and affliction maketh us undervalue a more plentiful condition and those comforts which we would account
heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life Mat. 15.19 Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts murders adulteries fornications thefts false witness blasphemies If the Heart be kept pure and loyal to God the Life will not be so spotted and blemished for Principiata respondent suis principiis the actions suit with the heart and it is impossible for men so to disguise their Conversations but that their Principles and inclinations will appear they may disguise it in a particular action but not in their course and way it will appear how their hearts are constituted by the tenor of their actions 3. Here is Thanks given to God for this Change 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Thanksgiving to God is a great and necessary Duty the very Life and Soul of our Religion 1 Thess. 5.18 In every thing give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you Heb. 13.15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name Our great business is to give thanks to God for Jesus Christ both in word and deed 2. We are chiefly to give thanks for spiritual Mercies They much excel those which are temporal and transitory therefore if there be a just esteem of the mercies we praise God for we will bless God for them Eph. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. Temporal favours we all understand but a renewed heart is most taken up with spiritual Blessings Ephraim said Hos. 12.8 Bessed be God I am become rich but it is better to say Blessed be God I was once a servant of sin but now I have obeyed God from my heart 1. These are discriminating Mercies and come from Gods special Love Eccles. 9.1 2 3. No man knows either love or hatred by all that is before them All things come alike to all there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked to the good and to the clean and to the unclean c. And Psal. 17.14 From men which are thy hand O Lord from men of the world which have their portion in this life and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure But Psal. 119.132 Look upon me and be merciful to me as thou usest to do unto those that love thy Name and Psal. 106.4 Remember me O Lord with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people O visit me with thy salvation 2. These concern the better part 2 Cor. 4.16 Though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day the other concern the outward man Psal. 17.14 Whose portion is in this life and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure they are full of children and leave the rest of their substance unto their babes 3. These are purchased at a dear rate Eph. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ others run in the chanel of common Providence 4. These have a nearer connexion with Heaven 2 Cor. 3.18 We all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of our God 5. These incline and fit the heart for Praise and Thankfulness to God Eph. 1.12 That we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ. 6. These are never given in anger as outward Mercies may be Jer. 17.14 They that depart from me shall be written in the earth 7. These render us acceptable to God Psal. 11.7 The righteous Lord loveth righteousness his countenance doth behold the upright 1 Pet. 3.4 The ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price 8. We need acknowledge these that God may have the sole glory of them There are certain Opinions which rob God of his Glory as that of the Stoicks Quod vivamus c. That prosperity is to be asked of God but prudence belongeth to our selves Thus men are taught to usurp the glory of God this Opinion is sacrilegious as if we should praise God for our felicities and not for those things that belong to our Duty and Obedience The other Opinion is among Christians that teach you that Peter is no more beholden to God than Judas for his differencing Grace but 1 Cor. 4.7 Who maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou hast not received Now if thou didst receive it why dost thou glory as if thou didst not receive it Mat. 11.25 26. I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight 3. Among all spiritual Mercies we are to give thanks to God for our Conversion It is the fruit of Election Jer. 31.3 The Lord hath appeared of old unto me saying Yea I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee It is not from our Merit but wholly ascribed to Gods Mercy 2 Tim. 1.9 Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began It cometh not from any power in us or ability in our selves but is the meer effect of his Grace we cannot break off the yoke of sin Rom. 8.2 The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made us free from the Law of sin and death nor can we fit our selves for future obedience Eph. 2.10 We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus to good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them Therefore ascribe all to the proper Author 4. We must bless God not only for our own Conversion but the Conversion of others The Body of Christ is the more compleated 1 Cor. 12.14 The body is not one member but many The glory of God is concerned in it Rom. 1.8 First I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world Gal. 1.23 24. They had heard only that he which persecuted us in time past now preached the Faith that once he destroyed and they glorified God in me They are Monsters of men that repine at the riches of Grace poured down on men by their own or others Ministry as if they could not endure any should be godly and serious Acts 11.23 Barnabas when he came and had seen the grace of God was glad Vse Is there a Change 1. Be in a capacity to bless God for spiritual Blessings Should a Leper give thanks for perfect health A mad man that he is wiser than
exercised in Holiness is the Way that the Home this the Race that the Goal this the Warfare that the Crown this the Labour that the Reward this the Means that the End Here we have the Beginning and First-fruits there the whole Crop and Harvest Now an holy Man is here united to God 1 Cor. 6.17 He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit therefore there the Union is greater and more close for God will be all in all 1 Cor. 15.28 Here an holy Man knoweth and seeth God by Faith Joh. 17.3 This is life eternal to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent and 2 Cor. 5.7 For we walk by faith not by sight therefore there the Vision is more clear 1 Joh. 3.2 We shall see him as he is Here he is renewed according to the Image of God 2 Cor. 3.18 We all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory therefore there shall be another manner of transformation 1 Joh. 3.2 Then we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Here he injoyeth Communion with God 1 Joh. 1.3 Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ there it shall be more full and uninterrupted Here he rejoyceth and delighteth himself in God Psal. 27.4 One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his Temple there more especially when there shall be nothing to divert that delight and the participation of his benefits shall be more full Here he promoteth the glory of God and setteth forth his Praise either by way of design making that his scope 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatsoever you do do all to the glory of God or of Resemblance 1 Pet. 2.9 Ye are a chosen generation a royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar people that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light Eph. 1.12 That we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ there his whole work is to laud and praise God and he doth more perfectly resemble him there being nothing to obscure his Image 3. It is an endless and everlasting Life Such as are once possessed of it shall never be dispossessed again If man be designed to injoy a chief good and this chief good must content all our desires it must also be so firm and absolutely immutable as to secure us against all our fears for a fear of losing would disquiet our minds and so hinder our Blessedness Now that there is no fear of that let us consider what may be said concerning the firmness of it 1. On Gods part 2. On the part of the Blessed 1. On Gods part it standeth on three strong Foundations First The infinite Love of God which is from Eternity to Eternity Psal. 103.17 The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting to them that fear him before the world was and when the world shall be no more Secondly The everlasting Merit of Christ which never loseth its force and effect Heb. 9.12 Having obtained eternal redemption for us not that Christ is always propitiating God by a continued Sacrifice no the work was once done in a short time but the virtue of it is of everlasting continuance Thirdly The unchangeable Covenant so Heb. 13.20 Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ that great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant Though the Covenant made with Israel was abolished yet this continueth for ever and shall never be altered because it was able to reach the end for which it was appointed which is the eternal Salvation of man that was a temporary Covenant this eternal 2. On the part of the Blessed who being once admitted to the sight of God cannot any more cease from the Love of God or be subject to Sin Heaven is a Paradise where the flowers that grow are incorruptible and undefiled and never fade away 1 Pet. 1.4 II. The Reasons of it why this is our final Reward 1. Because this is the End to which they are appointed every thing hath its end and final perfection for God made nothing in vain Now inanimate things tend to such an end as they are appointed unto by Gods over-ruling Providence such things as have a self-moving Principle as Beasts they are carried to their end by Instinct Appetite or natural Inclination those things which have Reason and Knowledge foreseeing the End order the Means thereunto they know the End chuse the Means as meer men they seek to be happy and Christians who are holy Men seek to be most like him who is holy and happy Now then since whatever acteth acteth for an End they that have their fruit to Holiness have their End everlasting Life A capacity of an endless Blessedness doth difference a Man from the Beasts that perish a disposition to it doth difference the Saints from the ungodly and the fruition of it at length doth difference the glorified from the damned 2. Gods Government requireth it The wisest Lawgivers could not devise any other means to make men good besides Poena Praemium Punishment and Reward For in the right Dispensation of these two the Life of Government doth consist Indeed many Laws do more incline to Punishments than Rewards for Robbers and Manslayers death is appointed but the innocent Subject hath only this reward that he doth his Duty and escapeth these punishments In few Cases doth the Law promise a Reward the reason is because Fear is a greater and more commodious Engine of humane Government than Love and inflicting Punishment is the proper work of Mans Law for its end and use is to restrain evil But Gods Law propoundeth Rewards equal to the Punishments because the use of Gods Law is to guide men to their proper Happiness It is Legis candor the Equity and Favour of Mans Law to speak of a Reward it commands many things forbids many things but still under a Penalty ex malis moribus nascuntur Leges to restrain evil is its natural work But Gods Covenant being ordered for another end doth not only threaten Sinners but promise life to the holy and these Threatnings and Promises carry a proportion to Gods Nature eternal Life on the one hand and eternal Death on the other Deut. 30.15 See I have set before thee this day life and death good and evil and Mat. 25.46 These shall go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous into life eternal There are no where such dreadful Punishments and such bountiful Rewards as are propounded to us Christians eternal Punishment is the reward of the disobedient and eternal Life
of my hand 2 Thess. 1.9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power Rom. 9.22 What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known We cannot conceive what God is able to do in punishing Sinners but the event declares it Vse 1. Information 1. That Believers need to consider the Fruit of Sin that thereby they may be moved to fears of God and more careful avoiding of sin They are not to think of it in a slavish tormenting way as if God desired the Creatures misery no they are warned of it that they may escape it though Love must be the chief Spring and Principle of our Obedience yet Fear hath its use the Threatnings declare the Holiness of God as well as his Promises and we need to know his hatred to Sin as well as his love to Righteousness to breed an awe in us 2. It sheweth the folly of them that betwitch themselves into a groundless hope of impunity in their sinful courses Deut. 29.19 And it come to pass when he heareth the words of this Curse that he bless himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my heart to add drunkenness to thirst They take from God the honour of his Holiness Justice and Truth Gods glory is advanced in the World by Acts of Justice as well as Acts of Mercy and besides they open a gap to all impiety 3. That all sins are in their own nature mortal for the wages of sin is death In comparison some sins are greater than others and so more deserving punishment but simply and considered by themselves all are mortal if not in the issue and event yet in their own nature God pardoneth the Penitent their sins are not deadly in the event but they deserve damnation in their own nature There are sins of infirmity and wilful sins but nothing should be light and small to us that is committed against the great God Some are lighter some are heavier but all are in their nature damnable they are a breach of the Law of the eternal God Though the Gospel reacheth out mercy to penitents offering to them pardon of sins and eternal Life yet all deserve damnation and were it not for Christ and the new Covenant we should not be a moment out of Hell Vse 2. Direction 1. To the Impenitent that yet go on in their sins O repent of it speedily and cast out sin as we do fire out of our bosoms and sleep not in the bonds of iniquity Your damnation sleepeth not 1 Pet. 2.3 You are invited earnestly Ezek. 18.30 Why will ye dye O house of Israel O then pass from death to life if you refâ—â—e this Call you do in effect love death Prov. 8.36 He that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul all they that hate me love death By refusing Christ and nourishing sin you nourish a Serpent in your bosoms and embrace the flames of Hell-fire therefore betimes seek a Pardon 2. To the penitent Believers three things I have to press upon them First Consider what cause we have to admire and magnifie the riches of Gods Mercy in our Redemption by Christ by whom sin is taken away and the consequent of it eternal death and who also hath taken the punishment of it upon himself Isa. 53.4 5. Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our sins the chastisement of our peace was upon him and by his stripes are we healed Secondly Never return to this slavery again for you see what a dangerous thing sin is when you indulge sin you lay hold on death it self therefore fly from it as from the gates of Hell and from all means instruments occasions and opportunities that lead to it and when Satan sheweth you the bait remember the hook and counterbalance the pleasures of sin to which we are vehemently addicted with eternal pains which are the fruit of it Now shall we run so great an hazard for poor vain and momentany delights It is sweet to a carnal heart to please the flesh but it will cost dear Now shall we sell the birthright for one morsel of meat Heb. 12.15 and hazard the loss of the Love of God for trifles Thirdly Take heed of small sins they are breaches of the eternal Law of God They that do not make great account of small sins will make but small account of the greatest for he that is not faithful in a little will be unfaithful in much There are many forcible Arguments to deter us from small sins partly because it is more difficult to avoid them they do not come with such frightning awakening assaults as the greater do partly because being neglected they taint the heart insensibly and men look not after their cure partly because they do prepare and dispose to greater offences as the little sticks set the great ones on fire partly because with their multitude and power they do as much hurt the Soul as great sins with their weight minuta sunt sed multa sunt lastly because they are in their own nature mortal Therefore dash Babylons Brats against the stones In short small sins are the Mother of great sins and the Grandmother of great punishments Lots Wife was turned into a Pillar of Salt the Angels were cast out of Heaven Adam thrust out of Paradise Second Branch But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Doctrine That eternal Life is Gods free and gracious Gift to the Sanctified What eternal Life is we shewed before it is the full fruition of eternal Joys without any possibility of losing them Here is 1. The Donor God 2. The meritorious and procuring Cause Jesus Christ our Lord. 3. The Parties qualified Those that have their fruit to Holiness 1. On Gods part a Gift not a Debt as Wages is to the Servant or Souldier but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a gracious Gift Though we should serve God a thousand years we cannot merit to be one half day in Heaven there it is a Gift to those who do most exactly persevere in Holiness the best have no other Claim but the Mercy of the Donor 1. It is the freest Gift 2. It is the richest Gift 1. It is the freest Gift God payeth more than is our due To punish men beyond their desert is injustice but to reward men beyond their deserts is not contrary to Justice for it is an Act of Mercy First It is greater than any merit of ours because it is the eternal injoyment of the ever blessed God and so far beyond any thing that we can do Finite things carry no proportion to an infinite reward Secondly Our works are many ways imperfect and so we may expect punishment rather than reward Mercy is our best Plea when we
of God that they that commit such things are worthy of death In your Consciences you will find an inward conviction that God is your Judg and will call you to an account for the breach of his Law We feel this living and dying Heb. 2.15 Who were all their life-time subject to bondage through fear of death And 1 Cor. 15.56 the sting of death is sin Only 't is more piercing and sharp when we die Secondly Let us enquire how or upon what reasons we come to have this exemption from condemnation This is 1. Vpon the account of Christs satisfaction to Gods Justice We all in our natural estate lie under the curse and wrath of God but Christ was made a curse for us to redeem us from the curse of the Law Gal. 3.13 And the Apostle telleth us 2 Cor. 5.21 That he was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him Christ became a Sacrifice for sin to appease God towards us he was made a publick instance of Gods poenal Justice that we might be made an instance of Gods Merciful Justice or that God might deal with us in a way of grace upon the account of the Righteousness of Christ. 2. Vpon the account of the New-Covenant-grant John 5.24 Verily verily I say unto you He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation Christ would have us mark this as a a certain and important truth for escaping Eternal death and obtaining Eternal life are not trifles and Gods Faithful Word is interposed that such an one shall not come into condemnation Verily verily Well then the Gospel or New Covenant offereth pardon and exemption from condemnation to that death which the Law hath made our due to all those who will come under the bond of it 3. The certainty is considerable which resulteth or ariseth from these two grounds 'T is just with God to pardon them and to exempt them from Condemnation who take sanctuary at his Grace and devote themselves to him 1 John 1.9 If we confess and forsake our sins he is just and faithful to forgive them 2 Tim. 4.8 We read of a crown of righteousness which the righteous judge shall give at that day Justum est quod fieri potest God may do it or not do it he is not unjust if he doth it and justum est quod fieri debet This latter is understood here because of the fulness of the merits and satisfaction of Christ and his truth in his Promises he must judg men according to the Law of Grace and give them that which his Promise hath made their due 4. There must be an Appeal to the Gospel Where this Grace is humbly sued out by the penitent Believer for God is Sovereign and must be sought unto Appeals from Court to Court and from one Tribunal to another are often set down in Scripture as Psal. 130.3 4. If thou Lord shouldst mark iniquities O Lord who shall stand but there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared No man could escape condemnation and the Curse if the Lord should deal with us in strict justice but from the Tribunal of his strict justice we appeal to the Throne of Grace where favour and pardon is allowed to us upon certain equitable and gracious Terms According to the old Terms who is able to appear in the judgment before God A Sinner must either despair or die or run for refuge to this new and blessed hope so Psal. 143.2 Enter not into judgment with thy Servant O Lord for in thy sight shall no man living be justified An innocent creature must beg his mercy and devote himself to his fear I proceed to the second Proposition 2. Doct. That this priviledg is the portion of those that are in Christ. 1. I shall here shew you What it is to be in Christ. 2. How we come to be in Christ. First What it is to be in Christ. The Phrase noteth Vnion with him There is certainly a real but spiritual Union between Christ and his Members which I have often described to you But late Cavils make it necessary to speak a little more to that Arguments All that I will say now is this 1. That it is more than a relation to Christ as a political head 2. That the Vnion of every Believer with Christ is Immediate 1. That it is more than a relation to Christ as a political head I prove it because it is represented by Similitudes taken from Vnion real as well as relative Not only from Marriage where Man and Wife are relatively united but from Head and Members who make one body not a political but a natural body 1 Cor. 12.12 For as the body is one and hath many members and all the members of that one body being many are one body so also is Christ also by the similitude of root and branches John 15.1 2 3. Yea 't is compared with the mystery of the Trinity and the Vnity that is between the Divine Persons John 17.21 22 23. that they all may be one as thou father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us and the glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one as we are one I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one which tho it must not be understood in the utmost strictness yet at least there is more than a relation as also by reason 't is not only a notion of Scripture but a thing effected and wrought by the Spirit on Gods part 1 Cor. 12.13 We are by one spirit baptized into one body and by confederation one with another Cant. 2.16 I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine Christ is ours and we are his and he is also in us and we in him 'T is such a real Conjunction with Christ as giveth us a new being that Christ becometh to us the principle and fountain of a spiritual life 1 John 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life Christ is the stock we the graft he is the vine we the branches therefore we are said to be planted together in him Rom. 6.5 So that we may grow and live in him We are united to him as the body is to the soul all the members of the body are quickned by the soul the second Adam becometh to all his Members 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a quickning spirit 1 Cor. 15.45 as giving them life not only by his merit and promise but the influence of his spirit which life is begun here and perfected in Heaven it is begun in the soul Phil. 3.20 and Rom. 8.10 but 't is perfected both in body and soul in Heaven for the spirit is life to the body because of righteousness and if the spirit of him that raised Christ from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also
and daughters saith the Lord Almighty Which is a great priviledg if we consider Three Things 1. His Relation to mankind in the general 2. His Relation to the ancient Church under the legal Covenant 3. The estate wherein his Grace found us when he was pleased to take us into his family 1. His Relation to mankind in general So he is the Father of all the world as he created them and Adam is called the Son of God Luke 3.18 He is a father to any who giveth them being and hath a right to govern them so is God to us he made us and is the sole cause of our being and not being and so hath a right in us to dispose of usat his own pleasure But the Relation that we have to God by Creation is distinct from the natural Being this is our new Being which we have from him as his redeemed ones our natural being flowed from his benignity and common bounty but our spiritual being from his special Grace and Love to us in Christ. By creation we are his children as he formed us in the womb and created the soul within us called therefore the father of spirits Heb. 12.9 in opposition to the fathers of our flesh but he is our father by Adoption as we are regenerated by the Holy Ghost John 1.12 13. To as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God being born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Our new birth and spiritual being in Christ is the next ground of our Adoption and so we come into a nearer relation to him that we may be capable of receiving the fruits of his special love 't is the benefit of our Redemption applied by his sanctifying spirit to all them that shall be heirs of life By the common Relation God hath a title to our dearest love but we have no title to his highest benefits and therefore he is our Father in a more comfortable sense as we are his workmanship in Christ. 2. His relation to the ancient Church through the legal Covenant So God was a Father to them and they his children for Israel was called his first-born Exod. 4.22 in opposition to other Nations who were left to perish in their own ways And their descendants are called the children of the Kingdom Matth. 8.12 because they had the ordinances and means of grace but the Gospel-church is properly the church of the first-born Heb. 12.23 As they have a clearer knowledg of the priviledges belonging to Gods children and a larger participation and more comfortable use of them and so are freed from that rigour and servitude which belonged to the first administration of the covenant of Grace they have that which answereth the priviledg of primogeniture jus sacerdotis jus haereditatis the right of Priesthood as they are a royal Priesthood 1 Pet. 2.9 Made Kings and Priests unto God Rev. 1.5 Because they offer up spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2.5 They are separated by the Election of God from the rest of the world and have an unction from his Holy Spirit 1 John 2.20 And so are qualified to offer up themselves Rom. 12.1 and Prayers and Praises and Alms unto God Heb. 13.15 16. The other Priviledg of the birth-right is jus hereditatis the first-born had a double portion not only of possessions but of Dignity and Honour above their brethren All Gods children are heirs and heirs of the Heavenly inheritance the multitude of co-heirs doth not lessen the inheritance nor make the Priviledg less glorious They are heirs of Salvation Heb. 1.14 3. The estate wherein his Grace found us when he was pleased to take us into his family We were by nature children of Wrath wretched children Eph. 2.3 that had deprived our selves of the inheritance wasted our Patrimony forfeited our right to the Promises but our inheritance is redeemed and the forfeiture taken off by Christ and we are brought back again into the family dignified with the priviledges of the first-born made Priests unto God and above all his other creatures do become his special Portion Jam. 1.18 Of his own will begat he us to be a kind of first fruits to his creatures And made heirs of the Kingdom Jam. 2.5 Now for us to have the Blessed God whom we had so often offended to become our reconciled Father in Christ Oh what wonderful love is this That we should be admitted into the Church of the first-born have free liberty to worship God and have a right to such a blessed and glorious inheritance 2. What is the spirit of Adoption First We are made sons and then we have the spirit of his Son Gal. 4.6 Being adopted into Gods Family we have a spirit suitable They that use to adopt children give them some kind of token to express their love so here is a gift answerable to the dignity of our estate and the love of a Father and that is the gift of the spirit the dignity is inward and spiritual and the gift answereth it He hath sent the spirit of his Son into your hearts God would not distinguish the good â—â— na fall about the Tents of Israel and the people will not go for to gather it to fill their Homer they may starve Tho the Bread of Heaven be dispensed by such a liberal provision the Spirit is ready but they are lazy The Spirit by accident is a cause of servile fear but these Motions are his proper effects 2. A superficial Christianity is rewarded with common gifts but the real Christianity with special Graces All that profess the Faith and are baptized into Christ Gal. 3.26 27. are visibly adopted by God into his Family and are under a visible Administration of the Covenant of Grace So far as they are adopted into God's Family so far they are made partakers of the Spirit Christ giveth to common Christians those common gifts which he giveth not to the Heathen World knowledg of the mysteries of godliness abilities of utterance and speech about spiritual and heavenly things some affection also to them called tasting of the good Word the heavenly Gift and the powers of the World to come Heb. 6. These will not prove us true Christians or really in Gods special favour but only visible professed Christians 3. Among the sincere some have not the spirit of adoption at so full a rate as others have neither so pure and fervent a love to God nor such a respectful obedience and submission to him nor such an Holy confidence and boldness becoming that great happiness which they are called unto who have the right and hope of the Blessed inheritance and so not so much of that son-like disposition which the spirit worketh by revealing the Love and Mercy of God contained in the Gospel in the Hearts of his People some do more improve their priviledges than others do now they
Abba father Wherefore thou art no more a servant but a son and if a son then an heir of God through Christ. Which teacheth us how to come to a conclusion in soul debates Have I a child-like inclination and sense and confidence that God hath adopted me into his favour and have the sanctifying of the spirit upon my heart I may be bold then to enter my claim 3. It Informeth us That the priviledges of believers are so linked together that where one of them is there are all the rest Therefore if we injoy one then we must collect and infer that the rest do belong to us also If sons we must not rest there then heirs heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. One link of the golden chain draweth on another there is a great deal of profit in these collections and inferences our minds are usually taken up with trifles and childish toys surely the priviledges of a Christian are not so much considered as they should be The benefit of it is this partly it keepeth our hearts in a way of praising God and constant rejoicing in God if we did more consider the excellency of our Inheritanne 1 Pet. 1.3 4. Blessed be God who hath begotten us to a lively hope to an inheritance incorruptible undefiled Our thoughts are too dead and cold till we revive the memory of our excellent priviledges by Christ. Partly as it keepeth us in a constant and cheerful adherence to the truth what ever it cost us we slight all temporal things how grievous or troublesome so ever they be Rom. 8.18 For I reckon that the sufferings of the present life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us Rom. 5.3 We glory in tribulation as knowing that tribulation worketh patience Partly To help us to despise the pleasures of sin which are but for a season while eternal things are in view 2 Cor. 4.18 While we look not to the things which are seen but to the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal And Partly To digest the labours of duty and obedience all the pains of the Holy Life 2 Cor. 5.9 Wherefore we labour whether present or absent that we may be accepted of the Lord. What shall we not do for such a Father that hath provided such an inheritance for us that we may injoy him and be accepted with him Therefore we should stock our minds with these thoughts 4. That we should not question our estate because we are under grievous pressures and afflictions For the words are an anticipation of an objection If Sons of God and Heirs of Glory why are we then so afflicted he inverteth the Argument You are so afflicted that you may have the inheritance 'T is rather an evidence of our right than an infringement of it especially if patiently endured for Gods sake seeing thereby you are conformed to the Son by nature Rom. 8.29 He hath predestinated us to be conformed to the image of his son We have communion with Christ and his Sufferings and if we be like him in his estate of Humiliation we shall be like him in his estate of Exaltation also 2. USE is Exhortation 1. To bilieve this blessed inheritance which is reserved for the children of God 'T is a great happiness but let not us therefore suspect the truth of it for 't is founded in the infinite mercy of the eternal God and the everlasting merit of a blessed Redeemer And we are prepared and qualified for it by the Almighty Operation of the conquering spirit 't is an happiness that lieth in another world and we cannot come at it but by death But is there no life beyond this Where then shall the good be rewarded and the wicked punished 'T is unseen but it is set before us in the promises of the Gospel which God hath confirmed by miracles and sanctified to the conversion and consolation of many souls throughout all successions of ages and were the best and wisest of men that ever the world saw deceived with a vain fancy Or can a lye or delusion be sanctified to such high and holy ends therefore do you believe it John 11.26 Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die believest thou this If you believe your Reconciliation with God by the death of Christ why not your salvation by his life If your adoption into his family why not the inheritance both priviledges stand by the same grace 2. Let us live always in the desire of it that desire that will quicken you to look after it Phil. 3.14 And to seek after it in the first place Matth. 6.33 That desire that will quicken you to long for the enjoyment of it Phil. 1.23 3. To comfort your selves with the hope of it Rom. 5.2 And rejoice in hope of the glory of God 't is the glory of God God giveth it God is the solid part of it and can we expect shortly to live with God and upon God and not rejoice in the hope of it Is a deed of gift from God the security of infallible promises nothing Is the Title nothing before possession When this estate is so sure and near we should more lift up our heads and revive our drooping spirits 4. Let us walk worthy of it 1. Despising Satans offers Heb. 12.16 Be not a prophane person as was Esau. 1 Kings 21.3 The Lord forbid that I should part with the inheritance of my father Be chary of your inheritance keep the hopes clear fresh and lively 2. Wean your hearts from the world Col. 3.1 2. If ye be risen with Christ seek the things that are above set your affections above and not on the earth There is your Father your Head your Christ your Patrimony 't is reserved for you in the Heavens 3. Live in all holy conversation and godliness 1 Pet. 3.7 Living as heirs of the grace of life in all duties to God love to one another fidelity in all our relations We that shall live in the clear vision and full fruition of God in Christ should be other manner or persons 4. In an heavenly manner Phil. 3.20 But our conversation is in heaven Either acting for it or living upon it or sollacing our selves with it with delightful thoughts of Heaven sweeten your pilgrimage here be willing to suffer afflictions if God call us thereunto patiently you suffer with Christ Christ takes it as done to himself Acts 9.4 Why persecutest thou me Fill up your share of the sufferings Providence hath appointed for Christ Mystical Col. 1.24 Who now rejoice in my afflictions foâ— you and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his bodies sake which is the church 2 Cor. 1.6 And whether we be afflicted it is for your consolation and salvation and Phil. 3.10 That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship
of a deaf ear nonattentiveness to Gods providence made way for the prevalency of Atheism and Idolatry in the world There are two propositions that if well minded and improved would preserve a lively remembrance of God in the hearts of men That all good cometh from God James 1.17 Every good and perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights And all evil from God Amos 3.6 Shall there be evil in a city and the Lord hath not done it And that any notable effect in either kind is a sign and witness of an invisible power If men would not look upon all things that befall them as meer chances they could not sleep so securely in their sins but God would have a greater testimony in every mans bosom that he hath a care of human affairs and is a rewarder of such as please him and an avenger of such as do offend him The question about this improper calling is What is the use of it or whether it be sufficient to salvation 1. Though the works of Creation and providence reveal a God yet these natural Apostles Sun Moon and Stars say nothing of Christ and there is salvation in no other Acts 4.12 They did teach the world That there is a God and that this God must be served and will be terrible to those that serve him not And possibly that God was placable or willing to be appeased because of the continuance of the Creation and the manifold mercies we lost or forfeited by our Apostacy and defection from him The Apostle saith 't is an invitation to repentance Rom. 2.4 Yet the knowledge of Jesus Christ the Son of God and of Redemption purchased to lost sinners through him is a mystery which the greatest wits in the world could not understand but by Gods revealing it in his word 2. The use of this call to those that have no other but barely it is to leave men without excuse Rom. 1.20 And that it might prevail to work some restraint of sin and to promote some external reformation in the world for the good of mankind Rom. 2.14 3. Those who have a louder call in the word are the more obliged to regard this call and invitation by the works of Gods creation and providence The call by the word is more perfect and more pressing and suited more to work upon our thoughts the object being more clearly and fully propounded to us yet this latter call is not privative but accumulative it doth not nâ—ll the duty of the former call or make it wholly useless to us but helps us to interpret it the better and we need all helps Faith doth not withdraw it self from natural knowledge and make it useless to us though we are to exercise our selves in the law of God day and night yet we must not overlook the works of Creation and Providence and whilest we study his word neglect Gods works for they are a confimation of our faith and a great occasional help to our love as appeareth by the instructions which the holy men of God gather thence witness David his night-meditation Psal. 8. Thy moon and thy stars And his morning-meditation Psal. 19. The Heavens declare the glory of God The glories of God which we read of in the word are visible in the Creation and though David preferreth the book of Scripture yet he doth not lay aside the book of Nature We must use the world as a glass wherein to see the glory of God he hath not the heart of a man in him who is not stricken with admiration at the sight of these things the glory of the heavenly bodies and the wonderful variety of all creatures and besides there is none so good but he needeth the mercy and direction of God to invite him to a more frequent remembrance of him How happy are they that have such a God for their God How miserable they that make him their Judg and Avenger 2. The proper calling is the voice of God in the word of his grace inviting sinners to Christ. This is called his distinctly calling Eph. 1.18 That ye may know what is the hope of his calling And the high calling of God in Jesus Christ Phil. 3.14 And again That our God would count you worthy of his calling 2 Thes. 1.11 And explained 1 Cor. 1.9 Faithful is he which hath called you into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Now this is a more close and full discovery of God than is to be found elsewhere God calleth and inviteth some by the creatures only others by his grace in Christ. But this being calling most properly taken Why is it not vouchsafed to all I answer 1. God is not obliged to send the gospel to any 'T is his free dispensation Rom. 11.35 Or who hath first given to him and it shall be recompenced to him again God doth not send the Gospel by necessity of nature or any pre-obligation on the creatures part but meerly of his own grace which worketh most freely and sendeth it where it pleaseth him 2. All have more knowledge of God by nature than they make good use of Rom. 1.21 When they knew God they glorified him not as God And till men improve a lower dispensation why should they be trusted with an higher If a vessel will not hold water you will not trust wine or any more precious liquor in it 2. Gods gracious invitation of lost sinners to Christ which properly is his calling them is either external or internal external by the word internal by his Spirit 1. External by the commands and promises of the word requiring such duties from them and assuring them of such blessings upon obedience Thus Wisdoms Maidens are sent forth to invite guests to her palace Prov. 4.2 And the kings servants to call them to the marriage feast Matth. 22.9 And so far they prevail in their message that many present themselves God would not leave us to a book but hath appointed a living Ministry 2 Cor. 6.10 2. Internal not only by the word but by his Spirit and the checks of their own conscience which is a nearer approach of his grace and power to us By the motions of his Spirit How else could it be said Gen. 6.3 My Spirit shall not always strive with man And Acts 7.51 Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost And also by their consciences sollicâ—ting them to the performance of their duty and challenging them for the neglect of it 'T is natural duty Rom. 2.14 15. The Gentiles do by nature the things contained in the law these having not the law are a law to themselves which shew the works of the law written in their hearts their consciences also bearing witness and their thoughts in the mean while accusing or excusing one another And for acceptance of the Gospel-Covenant 1 John 3.20 21. If our hearts condemn us God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things If our heart condemn us not
called and justified they are children of wrath as well as others 2. The reply and answer 't is God that justifieth This implyeth two things first his finding out a way to acquit them according to the terms of the Gospel as when all men were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obnoxious to Gods vengeance but now a clear and sure way of pardon Rom 3.19 20 21 22. Now we know that whatsoever things the law saith it saith to them that are under the law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the law is the knowledge of sin but the righteousness of God without the law is manifested being witnessed by the law and the Prophets even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all that believe There is mercy for all penitent believers to accept and bless them 2. He doth actually acquit all those that submit to these terms Eph. 1.6 Who hath accepted us in the beloved to the praise of his glorious grace The Covenant setteth down the terms and by performing them we are capable of this benefit of Absolution Doctrine That no charge or accusation will take effect to prejudice the acceptation of them whom God justifieth 1. What is justification It consisteth in two things first in the pardon of â—ll our sins secondly in the acceptation of us as righteous in Christ. The first is necessary for God doth not vindicate us as innocent but pardoneth us as guilty those that are impleâ—ded before his Tribunal are all sinners and sinners are not vindicated but pardoned and the Apostle describeth justification by the pardon of sin Rom. 4.6 7. As David describeth the blessedness of the man to whom the Lord imputeth righteousness without works saying Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven whose sins are covered God in justifying his people against the imputations of the world doth bring forth their righteousness as the noon-day but in justifying them against the accusations brought before his own Tribunal doth not vindicate our innocency but shew his own mercy in a free discharge of all our sins This is sometimes set forth in Scripture by the blotting out of all our transgressions as Isa. 43.25 I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my own names sake and will remember thy sins no more As we are no more chaâ—ged with what is cancelled or blotted out of a debt-book so Isa. 38.17 Thou hast cast my sins behind thy back as men cast behind them such things as they list not to look on and Micha 7.19 Thou wilt cast our sins into the depth of the sea as that which is cast into the sea is lost forgotten and cannot be recovered so sin shall not be brought into the judgment against the pardoned sinner 2. In accepting us as righteous in Christ who dyed for our sins to reconcile us unto God and therefore sometimes he is said to be made righteousness to us 1 Cor. 1.30 and we are said to be made the righteousness of God in him 2. Cor. 5.21 that is we have the effect of his sufferings as if we had suffered in person for they were undergone in our stead and for our sakes and the fruit of it given to us by God himself 2. How many ways doth God justifie Four ways especially 1 By way of Constitution 2 Estimation 3 Sentence And 4 Execution 1. Constitutively by his Gospel-grant or the New Covenant in the blood of Christ. The Covenant of grace is Gods pardoning act and instrument by which we know whom and upon what Terms God will pardon and justifie namely all such as repent and believe the Gospel We are constituted just and righteous and exempted from the curse and penalties of the law We may know the true way of justification by its opposition to the false or pretended way Acts 13.38 39. Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins and by him all that believe are justified from all those things from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses The Jews expected to be justified by the law of Moses but we are justified by the law of Christ that is this constituteth our right and herein justification and sanctification differ God sanctifieth by his Spirit but justifieth by the sentence of his word or promise of the Gospel Our right immediately results thence as by an act of indempnity we are freed from all the penalties which otherwise we might incur without any further act of the Magistrate We are constituted righteous by his deed of gift in the Gospel but made holy by his Spirit but if any quarrel at this term and say that God by the New Covenant doth declare who are justifiable but doth not justifie I answer further We are justified 2. By way of Estimation whereby God doth determine our right accept or deem and account them righteous who fulfil the terms of the Gospel and actually convey to them the fruits of Christs death This is spoken of 1 Cor. 6.11 And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified once vile sinners now washed sanctified and justified as soon as they believe they are put into a state of acceptation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is justifying he continueth to justifie them unto the death and he keeps them in that estate wherein they have exemption from the punishment of sin and a right to eternal life 3. By way of Sentence This is in part done here when God interpreteth our righteousness and sincerity Job 33.23 24. If there be a messenger with him an interpreter one among a thousand to shew unto man his uprightness then he is gracious unto him and saith Deliver him from going down to the pit I have found a ransom And doth by the Spirit of adoption assure us more and more of the pardon of our sins but more solemnly at the last day when the Judge doth sitting upon the Throne pronounce and declare us righteous before all the world and as those who are accepted unto life Acts 3.19 That your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Then the sentence is solemnly pronounced by the Judg sitting on the throne and we are justified before God Men and Angels There are two parts of judgment to condemn and to absolve or justifie Matth. 12.36 37. But I say unto you that for every idle word that a man shall speak he shall give account thereof at the day of judgment for by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned then every mans doom shall be pronounced 4. By way of Execution when the sentence is executed This is in part done here as God taketh off the penalties and fruits of sin either in the way of
into the hands of God A metaphor taken from one that is faln into the hands of 〈◊〉 enemy who lyeth is wait for him to take full revenge upon him if he catch him he is sure to pay for it Now we are let alone but then we fall into his hands and he will be righted for all the wrongs which we have done him Now when God shall have an immediate hand in the punishment of the wicked it will make it terrible indeed When God punisheth by the creatâ—re he can put a great deal of strength into the creature to overwhelm us by hail locusts flyes frogs if they come of Gods errand they are terrible but abuckeâ— cannot contain an Ocean as a Gyant striking with a sâ—raw in his hand he cannot put forth all his strength when God punisheth by creatures it 's like a Gyants striking with a straw in his hand But now by himself we fall into his own hands Again observe 't is the living God God liveth him self and continueth the life of the Creature God liveth for ever to reward his friends and punish his Adversaries A mortal man cannot extend punishment beyond death when they have killed the Body they can do more Matth. 10.28 We are mortal and they that persecute and hate us are mortal But since he liveth to all eternity he can punish to all eternity So long as God is God so long will Hell be Hell 'T is tedious to think of a short fit of pain In a â—eaverish distemper we count not only hours but Minutes when in such a distemper we cannot sleep in the night how tedious and grievous is it to us But what will it be to fall into the hands of the living God Thirdly The Apostle saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The wrath of God is no vain Scar-crow and if any thing be matter of terrour the terrour of the Lord is so But alas who consider it or mind this Psa. 90.11 Who knoweth the power of his Anger According to his fear so is his wrath Who layeth it to heart so as to be sensible of his own danger while he is permitted to live We divert our thoughts by vain pleasures as Saul cured the evil Spirit by musick The delights of the flesh benum the conscience and exclude all thoughts of eternity Again 't is called wrath to come Matth 3.7 And 1 Thes. 1.10 'T is so called to denote the certainty and the terribleness of it The certainty of it it will most certainly come upon the wicked the day is not foretold but it is coming wrath hovereth over our heads 't is every day nearer as the salvation of the elect is Rom. 13.4 A pari Whether we sleep or wake we are all a step nearer a day nearer a night nearer to eternity They that are in a ship are swiftly carryed on to their Port by the wind though they know it not security sheweth 't is coming on apace Whose Judgment now of a long time lingereth not and their damnation slumbereth not 2. Pet. 2.3 They sleep but their damnation sleepeth not But Secondly 't is called wrath to come in regard of the terribleness of it There is a present wrath that men suffer and there is a wrath to come this is such a wrath as never was before present wrath may be slighted but wrath to come will stick close Jer. 5.3 I have stricken them but they have not grieved There is a sensless stupidness under judgments now but then men cannot have hard or insensible hearts if they would Present wrath may be reversed but men are then in their final estate and God will deal with them upon terms of grace no more Present wrath seiseth not upon the whole man the Body suffereth that the Soul may be saved but there Body and Soul are cast into Hell Present wrath is executed by the creatures but in the other World God is all in all Present wrath is mixed with comforts but there 't is an evil and an only evil Ezek. 7.5 There is no wicked man in the day of Gods patience but hath somewhat left him but there they shall drink of the Wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture Rev. 14.10 'T is not allayed and tempered with any mercies There is a difference in duration present wrath endeth with death The drowning of the World the burning of Sodom was a sad thing if a man had been by and seen the poor miserable creatures running from vallies to hills from hills to mountains from the mountains to the tops of trees and still the floods increasing upon them Or had heard the screechings when God rained Hell out of Heaven and seen the scalded Sodomites wallowing up and down in a deluge of Fire and Brimstone but all ended with death But this fire is never Quenched and the worm never dyeth Now should man know this and not perswade or be perswaded and take warning to flee from wrath to come Surely the thoughts of falling into the hands of God should shake the stoutest heart and awaken the dullest sinner rowse up the most careless to use all possible means to prevent it 2. The nearer it approacheth it should the more affect us 'T is but a short time to the general assizes we live in that Age of the World upon which the ends of the World are come 1 Cor. 10. â—â— Little Children it is the last hour 1 John 2.18 And let us stir up one anotherâ—punc so much the rather as ye see the day approacheth Heb. 10.25 It cannot be long to the end of time if we compare the remainder with what is past or the whole with eternity But for our particular doom and Judgment every man must die and be brought to his last account now the day of death approacheth apace the more of our life is past the less is yet to come every week day hour minute we approach nearer to death and death to us But alas we little think of these things every Soul of us within less than an hundred years it may be but ten or five or one shall be in Heaven or Hell The Judge is at the door Iâ—â— 5.9 We shall quickly be in another World Now should we hold our peace and let men go on sleepily to their own destruction or to suffer men to wasâ—e away more of their precious time before they get ready 'T is said Amos 6.3 They put far away the evil day And therefore it did not work upon them That is they put off the thoughts of it for as to the day its self they can neither put it on nor off 3. The more certain and unavoidable any evil is the greater matter of terrour Now 't is as certain as if it were begâ—n and there is no way to escape either tryal sentence or execution Solomon saith 〈…〉 4. The wrath of a King is as the messengers of death Because they have long hands and power to reach us The wrinkles of
tremble at his anger Numb 12.14 When he crosseth and disappointeth us it must not be slightly passed over look as in the Flood Gen. 7.11 When the windows of Heaven were opened from above and the fountains of the great deep were broken open from below the flood increased So when nature and Grace concur to heighten the afflictions the children of God must needs have a greater and more tender sense of it than others have as those that are of a delicate constitution are more capable of pain than the stubborn and robustious and the tender flesh of a child will sooner feel the lash than the thick skin of a slave So the children of God who have a more serious apprehension of things and a more tender spirit soonest feel the burden of their Fathers displeasure and do more lay it to heart than careless spirits who laugh out their cross and drink away their sorrows and partly because they are more exercised with afflictions the world hateth them because they are so good and God chastens them because they are no better many are the troubles of the righteous Psal. 34.19 There is more squaring and hewing and cutting used about stones which are to be set in a stately Palace than those which are placed in an ordinary building the Vine is pruned when the bramble in the hedg is not looked after the child is put under discipline when the Bastard liveth more at large God meaneth to destroy those whom by a just judgment he permitteth to go on in their sins to their eternal undoing 2. They are more sensible of sin as a burden Psal. 38.4 Mine iniquities are gone over my head they are a burden too heavy for me That sins are a burden to a wounded conscience is evident by their complaints if a milstone fall upon them 't is not so heavy and bruising as one spark of Gods Wrath lighting upon the conscience for sin but they are also a burden to a tender conscience and partly because they have more light than others and see more into the hainous nature and evil of sin Jer 18.31 After I was instructed I smote upon the thigh and Rom. 7.9 When the commandment came sin revived and I died And partly because they have more love than others have and they that love much will mourn most for sin Luke 7.47 She wept much because she loved much The more holy any are the more they are troubled about offending God than others are or themselves were before what 's the Reason 't is not from the increase of sin but the increase of light and love they see more and more into sin than formerly they did or could do as in a glass of pure water the least mote is soon espied and partly because they have more heartily renounced sin therefore the relicks of it are a greater burden to them Elements burden not in their own place wicked men are in their own Element 't is a sport to them to do evil for fools make a mock of sin But 't is otherwise with the children of God sin is that they hate and pray down and strive against they are aspiring after a better estate and 't is a trouble to them they find so little of it while they are in the body 2. The other sort of reasons concern the other life A Christian here is unsatisfied and waiteth for a better and purer estate a state of constant felicity and exact conformity to God and that for four Reasons 1. By the first fruits of the spirit he is confirmed in the belief of the certainty of this estate for the Holy Ghost openeth his eyes to see the reality of the world to come Eph. 1.17 18. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledg of him the eyes of your understanding being inlightned that ye may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of the inheritance of the saints in light 1 Cor. 2.12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that ye may know the things that are freely given us of God Faith is the eye of the soul Heb. 11.1 And an Eagle-eye it is that helpeth us to look above the mists and clouds of the lower world and see eternity at the back of time and glory following shame and rest labour now affections follow perswasion Heb. 11.13 Being perswaded of these things they imbraced them They tha see there is another world a life infinitely more desirable than that which we now enjoy will find their affections stirred towards it an estate so blessed if it were soundly believed it would be earnestly desired and certainly men do not believe this blessedness if they be coldly affected towards it 2. By the first fruits of the spirit they do in part know the excellency of it Surely 't is no slight and vain thing which is so desired groaned after and waited for by all the Saints they find somewhat in themselves which makes them to value and esteem it if the first fruits be rich and glorious what will the whole harvest be If the tast be so ravishing what will the whole feast prove Surely it will wholly swallow us up with joy The joys of the spirit are unspeakable things 1 Pet. 1.8 But at his right hand there is fulness of joy for evermore Psal. 16.11 The refreshings we meet with by the way doth mightily support us what comfort shall we have when we come to our journeys end and enjoy what we have heard of And what we have heard is little to the injoyment The Saints would not part with their Communion with Christ here for all the world What will it be when our Union and Communion is full and perfect To get a glimpse of Christ as he sheweth himself through the Lattess doth much revive the drooping soul but there we shall see him with open face here we get a little from him in his Ordinances and that little is as much as we can hold but there he is all in all and we are filled up with the fulness of God Christ in us now is the hope of Glory Col. 1.27 But Christ in us then is glory its self The spirit in us now is a well springing up but then the water groweth not only into a stream but into an Ocean Holiness here is called the Seed of God but then it is the life of God Grace tendeth to the place whence it cometh as a spark of fire tendeth to the Element of fire there 't is in its perfect estate In short Look what difference there is between the Spring-head and the outfall of the water into the Sea such difference there is between our enjoyment of God now and hereafter 3. By the first fruits of the spirit we are prepared and fitted for that blessed estate We read in the Scripture that
as Heaven is prepared for the Saints so the Saints are prepared for Heaven Rom. 9.23 Vessels of mercy which he hath aforehand prepared unto glory Col. 1.12 Who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light Now we are prepared by the Spirits sanctifying Body and Soul and fitting us for the heavenly estate 't is said 2 Cor. 3.18 We are changed into his image from glory to glory as grace increaseth glory hastneth on every degree is a step nearer we grow more meet to dwell with God as we grow more like God now this Argument holdeth good on Gods part and ours when God hath formed us and fitted us for any estate he will bring us to it as the Apostle telleth us 2 Cor. 5.6 Now he that hath wrought us to this self-same thing is God who hath given us the earnest of the spirit This piece of workmanship was never designed to be left always here in the world but suited to a better place to which it shall be translated 'T is the Wisdom of God to bestow all things in apt places every creature hath its Element and a peculiar nature which carryeth it thither as Fishes desire to live in the Water and Fowls in the Air 't is answerable to the nature which God hath put into them the new creature hath a suitableness to the glorious estate to come hereafter therefore the New Jerusalem is the only convenient place to the new creature and they that have a Divine Nature must live in the immediate Presence of God On their part Gods Word telleth them of a better life than this and their hearts incline them to it they being formed and fitted for it for the more a thing is formed for the end the more vehemently it tendeth towards it God will not carry us to Heaven against our will rherefore there is not only a preparation but an earnest expectation which is the fruit of it they long to enjoy their God to see their Redeemer to enter upon that blessed estate for which God hath prepared them whereof in part he hath assured them No man is unwilling to be happy and to attain his end Certainly a Christian out of Heaven is out of his proper place we are like fish in a paddle-trunk or small vassel of water which will only keep us alive we would fain be in the Ocean 4. By the first fruits of the spirit our title and right is assured For 't is compared to a Seal to warrant our present interest Eph. 4.3 Ye are sealed with the holy spirit of promise To an Earnest to secure our future enjoyment 2 Cor. 4.22 Who hath also sealed us and given us the earnest of the spirit in our hearts This blessed state belongeth only to those who have the first fruits of the spirit Their title is clear for God will own his Seal and Impress will never take back his Earnest but it remaineth with us till there be no place left for doubts and fears Now who being secured of a better estate and for the present burdened with sorrow and temptations would not groan and long after it 1. VSE is Information It informeth us of the certainty of blessedness to come If there were any perfect estate in this life nothing would sooner bring us to it than a participation of the spirit but this doth not for they that are partakers of the spirit groan wait and are not satisfied with their present estate but long for a better breathe after something greater and beyond what they here enjoy Therefore certainly God hath reserved for them a better estate in another world We prove another life by the disposition and instinct of nature towards happiness in the general yea eternal happiness All would be happy they grope and feel about after eternal good Acts 17.26 this being the universal desire of all mankind 't is an argument that there is such a thing as eternal good for natural desires are not frustrate for Nature doth nothing in vain but the Desires of the Sanctified do much more prove it For these act more regularly direct their desires and groans to a certain scope and end and those are excited by the Holy Spirit of God he imprinteth the firm persuasion of this happiness in them and stirreth up these groans after it and that usually in our gravest and severest moods when we are solemnly conversing with God in his holy Worship then he doth raise up these affections towards heavenly things by the Word Prayer and Sacraments and leaveth this heavenly relish upon our hearts as the present reward of our duties And the more serious and holy any are the more do they feel of this Now this is a greater argument for Holiness was never designed for our torment and these desires being of Gods own planting they will not be disappointed 2. That none but those who have the first fruits of the spirit will groan and hope for eternal life Others have no warrant for they have not Gods Earnest and God never giveth the whole Bargain but he first giveth Earnest for without holiness no man shall see God Others have no inclination for most mens thoughts are not busied about this but rather go after worldly things they are for serving their lusts and pleasing their fleshly appetites and fancies whereas the Apostle biddeth us be sober and truss up the loins of our minds 1 Pet. 1.13 If we would hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto us at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 'T is true death is the ordinary refuge for embittered spirits and the bach-door we seek to get out at in our discontent In passion men will desire to die when beaten out of the World Heaven is their Retreat but no serious groans and desires of Heaven 3. That we must so groan under the present misery that we may wait for deliverance with patience Hope is not only made up of looking and longing but waiting also Heb. 6.12 Be ye followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promise 4. That one great means to support our faith and patience is the hope of the redemption of our bodies 1. Because the man cannot be happy till the body be raised again for the Soul alone doth not consummate the man neither was it made to live eternally apart from the body but is in a state of widowhood till it be united to it again and live with its old mate and companion The man is not happy till then 2. 'T is the body is most pained in obedience and endured all the troubles and labours of Christianity there it hath part in the reward as well as the work Heb. 11.35 Not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection 3. 'T is the body which seemed to be lost Some of the bodies of the faithful were devoured by wild beasts others consumed in the fire some swallowed up in the sea all resolved