Esay 28. you have made a covenant with hell and death with Gods judgments but hell and death hath not made a covenant with you You make a covenant think you shall do well but God is terrible to such his wrath shall smoak against such as make a covenant with his judgments and treasure up wrath against the day of wrath Take heed if the proclamation of mercy call thee not in if thou stand out as a Rebell and come not in but go on still then justice layes hold on thee Gods wrath shall smoak against thee As we see in Prov. 1. I will laugh at your destruction speaking of those that would not come in Chidas it is in Esay 27. 11. He that formed them and made them will have no mercy on them nor shew them favour He will have no delight in them They are Ignorant sotts and will not labour to know God and his will to do and obey it he that made them will have no delight in them and he that formed them will reject them It is a pittiful thing when God that made them and formed them in their mothers womb whose creatures they are shall have no delight in them when he that made them his heart shall not pittie them Ezek. 18. 18. he that goes on in a course of sin presumptuously and doth not repent Gods eye shall not pittie him he that made him will have no delight in him Therefore the Apostle because we are disposed and prone to abuse the goodnesse and long suffering of God and the mercies of Christ he saith Be not deceived be not deceived he oft presseth this for neither the covetous nor licentious persons shall enter into heaven Though God be mercifull if thou live in these sins be not deceived thou shalt never enter into heaven God will not be mercifull to the most of those that even now live in the bosome of the Church because they make mercy a band to their sinful courses God will harden himself he will not blesse such he hath no mercy for such to such he is a God of vengeance His mercy is to such as are weary of their sinful courses as I said he is mercifull but so as he is wise What Prince will prostitute a pardon to one that is a Rebell and yet thinks himself a good Subject all the while he is no Rebell cares he for a pardon And shall he have a pardon when he cares not for it Those that are not humbled in the sight and sence of their sins that think themselves in a good estate they are Rebells that have not sued out their pardon there is no mercie to them yet He that made them will not pittie them because they are Ignorant hardned wretches that live in blasphemy in swearing that in corrupt courses in hardnesse of heart that live in sins that their own conscience and the conscience of others about them know that they are sins devouring sins that devour all their comfort and yet notwithstanding they dream of mercy mercy Hell is their portion and not mercy that make an Idol of God Thus it is with us we are prone to presume upon Gods mercy I speak this that we should not surfet of this sweet doctrine that God is the father of Mercies He is so to repentant sinners to those that believe to those mercy is sweet We know oyl is above all other liquors Gods mercy is above all his own works and above our sins But what is the vessel for this oyl this oyl of mercy it is put in broken vessels it is kept best there a broken heart a humble heart receives and keepes mercie As for proud dispositions as all Sinners that go on in a course of sin the Psalmist terms them proud men he is a proud man that sets his own will agaist Gods command God resists the Proud it is the humble yeelding heart that will be led and lured by God that is a vessel to receive mercy It must be a deep vessel it must be a broken vessel deep with humiliation broken by contrition that must receive mercy And it must be a large vessel laid open capable to receive mercy and all mercy not only pardoning mercy but healing mercy as I said out of that Psalme That forgiveth all thy sins and healeth all thy transgressions Therefore those that have not grace and mercy to heal their corruptions to dry up that issue in some comfortable measure thay have no pardoning mercy and those that desire not their corruptions to be healed they never desired heartily their corruptions to be pardoned those mercies go together He is not the Father of mercy but of all mercies that belong to salvation and he gives them every one and he that desires the one desires the other Let us consider how the sweet descriptions of God and how his promises work upon us If they work on us to make us presume it is a fearful case it is as bad a sign as may be to be ill because God is good to turn the Grace of God into wantonnesse But as we are thus prone to presume so when conscience is awaked we are as prone to despair therefore if they work with us this way there is mercy with God therefore I will come in therefore I will cast down my weapons at his feet I will cease to resist him I will come in and take terms of peace with him I will yeeld him obedience for the time to come therefore I will fear and love so good a God If it work thus it is a sign of an elect soul of a gracious disposition And then if thou come in never consider what thy sins have been if thou come in God will imbrace thee in his mercy Thy sins are all as a spark of fire that falls into the Ocean that is drowned presently so are thy sins in the Ocean of Gods mercy There is not more light in the Sun there is not more water in the Sea then there is mercy in the Father of mercy whose bowels are opened to thee if thou be weary of thy sinful courses and come in and imbrace mercy In the Tabernacle we know there was a mercy Seat we call it a propitiatory In the Ark which this mercy Seat covered was the Law now in the Law there were curses against all sinners The Mercy-Seat was a Type of Christ covering the Law covering the curse though thou be guilty of the curse a thousand times God in Christ is merciful Christ is the Mercy Seat come to God in Christ there is mercy in Israel notwithstanding thy great sins If we cast away a purpose of living in sin and cast away our weapons and submit our selves to him he is the Father of mercies that is he is merciful from himself he is the spring of them and hath them from his own bowels they are free mercies because he is the Father of them For he is just by our fault he is severe from us he takes occasion from our sins but
in the Creation and in the Gospel his mercy therefore is above his own workes and above thy workes if thou come in Oyl is of a Kingly nature it swims above all other liquors so the mercy of God like oyl it swims above all other attributes in him and above all sin in thee if thou wilt receive it Father of Mercies In a corrupt estate the special mercy is forgiving mercy if it were not for forgiving mercies all other gifts and mercies were to little purpose for it were but a reserving of us to eternal Judgement but a feeding the Traitor to the day of Execution a giving him the liberty of the priison which is nothing unlesse his Treason be pardoned so the forgiving mercy leads to all the rest Now these forgiving mercies they are unlimitted mercies there is no bounds of them for he being the Father of Christ who is an infinite person and having received an infinite satisfaction from an infinite Person he may well be infinitely merciful and himself is an infinite God his mercies are like himself the satisfaction whereby he may be merciful is infinite hereupon it is that he may pardon and will pardon all sin without limitation if they be never so great never so many This I observe the rather to appease the conscience of a sinner when it is suppressed with terrour and fear of the greatnesse of his sins Consider how God hath set down himself and will be known and apprehended of us not onely as merciful but a Father of mercies and not of one mercy but of all mercies not only giving but forgiving especially Which forgiveth all thy sins and healeth all thy infirmities Psal. 103. This I observe against a pronenesse in us to despair we are not now proner in the time of peace to presume then when conscience is awakened to despair we are prone to both alike For here is the poyson of mans corruption Is God so merciful surely I may go on in sin and cry God mercy and there is an end God is merciful nay the Father of mercies Now in the time of peace sin is nothing with us swearing is nothing rotten discourse is nothing going beyond others in our dealing and commerce is nothing getting an estate by fraud and deceit is nothing The bread of deceit is sweet loose licentious libertine life is nothing and those that do not follow the same excesse and are dissolute it is a strange matter with us they are strange people we think it strange that others do not so and if they be better then we it is but hypocrisie men measure all by themselves so all is nothing Great grosse swearing is nothing men glory in it and to make scruple of it it is thus and thus they have terms for it And what is the bawde for all this Oh! God is merciful and Christ he is wonderous merciful he took our nature that he might die for us c. It is true indeed but when the conscience is awakened then the conscience will tell thee another lesson the conscience will set God as just and Satan will help conscience with accusations and aggravations it is true it is too true the conscience will take part with God and with his word it is true thou hast done thus and thus these are thy sins and God is just And especially at the hour of death when earthly comforts fail and there is nothing but sin set before a mans eyes the comforts that are set before him can do him no good then the conscience will hardly receive any comfort especially the conscienconsciences of such as have gone on in a course of sin in spight of good meanes a conscience of such a man as either refuseth or rejects the meanes because it would favour it self in sin or a conscience that being under means having had it sins discovered to it that conscience will hardly admit of any comfort And there is none but they find it another manner of matter then they think it Sin is a blacker thing then they imagine their oathes that they trifle with and their dissolute and their rotten discourse when they should be better affected upon the sabbath and such like therefore we ought to look to it Well to presse this point of presumption a little further now I am in it We are wonderous prone to abuse this mercie to presumption and after to despaire I consider this before hand that however Gods mercy be unlimited as indeed it is in it self it is so unlimited to those that repent and to those that receive and embrace mercy and mercy in one kind as well as another it is so to those that repent of their sins for God is so the Father of Mercie as that He is the God of Vengeance too he is a just God too The conscience will tell you this well enough when the outward comforts that now you dally with and set as Gods in the room of God and drown your selves in sensuality and Idolatry with the creature and put them in the place of God when they are taken away conscience will tell you that God is merciful indeed but he is just to such that refuse mercies Therefore though his mercy be unlimited to such as are broken hearted to such as repent of their sins for he will glorifie his Mercy as he may glorifie his other attributs he is wisely merciful if he should be merciful to such as go on in sin he should not be wisely merciful Who among men if he be wise would be mercifull to a Child or Servant without acknowledgement of the fault Was not David over merciful to Absalom Yes it was his fault yet out of wisdome he would not admit him into his presence till he was humbled for his fault and made intercession though he doted upon him God is infinitely wise as he is Merciful therefore He will not be Merciful to him that goes on in wickednesse and sin This cannot be too often pressed for the most of the auditors wheresoever we speak the Divel hath them in this snare that God is merciful c. and doth he not know how to use it He is so indeed but it is to repentant souls that mean to break off their course of sin Otherwise if the Mercie of God work the other way hearken to thy doom He that blesseth himself saith God by Moses Denteronomy 29. 16 saith these curses shall not come to me he that blesseth himself and saith Oh all shall be well God is Mercifull c. My wrath shall smoak against him and I will not be merciful to him that goes on in his sins God will wound the hairie scalp of him that goes on in Sin As the Apostle saith Romans 2. he that abuseth the bountie and patience of God that should lead him to repentance he treasureth up wrath against the day of wrath The Scripture is never in any case more terrible then this way In
he is merciful from his own bowels he is good from himself we provoke him to be severe and just therefore be we never so miserable in regard of sin and the fruits of sin yet he is the Father of mercy of free mercy mercy from himself mercy pleaseth him Micah 7. he is delighted in it Now that which is natural comes easily as water from the fountain comes without violence and heat from the fire comes without any violence because it is natural A Mother pitties her child because it is natural there is a sweet instinct of nature that moves and pricks forward nature to that affection of love that she bears to her child So it is with God it is nature in him to be merciful to his because they are his Mercy is his nature we are his we being his his nature being merciful he will be merciful to all that are his to such as repent of their sins and lay hold of his mercy by a true faith His word shewes likewise his mercy there is not one attribute set down more in Scripture then mercy it is the name whereby he will be known Exod. 34. where he describes it and tells us his name what is the name of God his long suffering and mercy c. there is a long description of of God in that place David in Psal. 3. besides that which is in every Prophet almost hath the fame description of God to comfort Gods people in his time in Psal. 86. 103. 145. there is the same description of God as there is in Moses he is merciful and long suffering c. he describes himself to be so and his promises are promises of mercy At what time soever a sinner repents and without limitation of sins all sins shall be forgiven the blood of Christ purgeth us from all sin If there be no limitation of persons whomsoever of sins whatsoever or of time whensoever here is a ground that we should never despair God is the Father of mercies It is excellent that the Prophet hath in Isai. 55. 7. to prevent the thoughts of a dejected soul Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and return to the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon I but I have abused mercy a long time I have lived in sin and committed great sins well notwithstanding that see how he answers it My thoughts are not your thoughts you are vindictive if a man offend you you are ready to aggravate the fault and to take revenge c. But my thoughts are not as your thoughts nor my wayes as your wayes saith the Lord for as far as the heaven is above the earth so are my thoughts above your thoughts and my wayes above your wayes We have narrow poor thoughts of mercy because we our selves are given to revenge and we are ready when we think of our sins to say can God forgive them can God be merciful to such c. My thoughts are not as your thoughts nor my wayes as your wayes It is good to consider this and it is a sweet meditation for the time undoubtedly will come that unlesse Gods mercy and Gods thoughts should be as him self is infinite unlesse his wayes should be infinitly above our wayes and his thoughts infinitly above ours in mercy certainly the soul would receive no comfort The soul of a Christian acquainted with the word of God knows that Gods mercy is as himself is infinite and his thoughts this way are as himself is infinite Therefore the Scripture sets down the mercies of God by all dimensions There is the depth of Wisedom but when he comes to speak of love and mercy as it is in Ephes. 3. Oh the depth and bredth and height of this Indeed for height it is higher then the heavens for depth it fetcheth the soul from the nether most-deep we have deep miserie out of the deep Icryed to thee yet notwithstanding his mercy is deeper then our misery O the depth of his mercy there is a depth of mercy deeper then any misery or rebellion of ours though we have sunk deep in rebellion And for the extent ofthem as I said before his mercy is over all his workes it extends to the utmost parts of the earth The scripture doth wonderfully enlarge his mercie beyond all dimensions whatsoever These things are to good purpose and it is a mercy to us that he sets forth himself in mercy in his word because the soul sometime or other when it is awakned as every one that God delights in is awakened first or last it needs all this it is all little enough God is merciful to those that are heavy laden that feel the burden of their sins upon their souls such as are touched with the sence of their sins God still meets them half way he is more ready to pardon then they are to ask mercy As we see in the prodigall when he had wasted all when he was as low as a man could be when he was come to huskes and when he had despised his fathers admonition yet upon resolution to return when he was stung with the sence of his sins his father meets him and entertains him he upbraids him not with his sin Take sin with all the aggravations we can yet if we repent and resolve uppon new courses there is comfort though we relapse into sin again and again if we must pardon 10. times 7. times as Christ saith certainly there cannot be more mercy in the Cistern then there is in the fountain there cannot be more mercy in us then there is in the Father of mercies as God is Take sin in the aggravations in the greatnesse of it Manasses sin Peters denying of his Master the thief on the crosse and Pauls persecution take sin as great as you will he is the father of mercies If we consider that God is infinite in mercy and that the scripture reveals him as the Father of mercies there is no question but there is abundance a world of comfort to any distressed soul that is ready to cast it self on Gods mercy For those that are converted that are in the state of Grace Is God the father of mercies Let this stir us up to imbrace mercy every day to live by mercy to plead mercy with God in our daily breaches to love and fear God because there is mercy with him that he might be feared It is a harder matter to make a daily sweet use of this then it is taken for Those that are the fittest subjects for mercy they think themselves furthest off from mercy Come to a broken soul who is catched in the snare whose conscience is on the rack he thinks alas there is no mercy for me I have been such a sinner God hath shewed me mercy before and now I have offended him again and again those that are the
had at the first as Gods mending is ever for the better The state of grace and glory is better then ever the state of nature was spiritual is better then natural Therefore it is much for the glory of the wisdome of God that he can in Christ reconcile justice and mercy and shew more mercy then ever he did in making man out of the dust of the earth and all is to the glory of God These attributes especially are glorious in the promises in Christ. His Justice is glorious in punishing sin in Christ there sin is odious in the punishing of Christ God-man if we speak of justice there is justice If of Mercy to put it upon our surety for God to give his Son for us there is transcendent mercy and transcendent justice in the punishing of our sin how could it be punished greater And then the glory of his Wisdom to bring these together infinite mercy and infinite justice in Christ. Infinite Power for God to become man and without sin to be so farre abased a humble omnipotency to descend so low that God could be mortal and then to raise himself again And then the glory of his Truth that whatsoever was promised to Abraham to David to the Prophets all was performed in Christ all the Types here is glory by Christ of Mercy Justice Wisdome Truth for all are Yea and Amen in Christ. Therefore he may well say all this is To the glory of God Therefore consider how the glory of God shines in the face of Jesus Christ as the Apostle saith If you would see God see him shining in the face of Jesus Christ see his Mercy shining in Christ and his Justice in the punishing our sin in Christ see his Truth his Power his Wisdome shineing in Christ and shining more then in the Creation or in any thing in the world besides Can you honour God more then in believing the Gospel Can you dishonour him more then to call his truth into question that is Yea and Amen If you believe the Gospel you set to your seal that God is true 1 Joh. 3. What an honour is this that God will be honoured by you in setting to your seal that he is true you give him the glory of all his attributes In not believing what a dishonour do you do to God you deny his Mercy his Wisdome his Justice his Truth you deny all his attributes you make God a liar what a horrible sin is unbelief Therefore fortifie your faith The Devil layeth siege to our faith above all other things if he can shake that he shakes all for holy life goes when faith goes Who will love God or obey God when he knowes not whether he be his God or no Let faith flourish and it will quicken life in the heart Let the promises grow in the heart and the Word be graffed in the heart and all will flourish in a Christians life all will come off clearly and freely obedience will be chearful and free when we see God reconciled in Christ. Then love will be full of devices when I see Gods love to me what shall I do to shew love again to shew thanks to God where is there any that for Cods sake I may do good unto How shall I maintain the truth and resist all opposers of the truth Can I do too much for him that hath done so much for me Love quickens The Devil knowes if he can shake faith he shakes all Let us fortifie faith and we glorifie God more then by any thing else He is glorious in the Gospel and how shall he be so by us except we set our hearts to believe him Therefore let us seal Gods truth by our faith and set to our seales that God is true God vouchsafes to be honoured by weak sinful men believing of him and that faith that honours him he will be sure to honour By us By us Ministers How When the Gospel is preached God is carried in triumph as it were and his banner is set up and the Promises displayed and sinners called unto him and God is glorified by the discovery of these things and faith is wrought in people to whom they are discovered and they glorifie God when they believe they blesse God that ever they heard these tydings so every way God is glorified The Ministers they open as it were the box of sweet oyntment that the savour of it may be in the Church and spread far They lay open the tapestry the rich treasures of Gods mercies they dig deep and find out the treasure Therefore these Promises in Scripture being so made and performed in Christ they tend to Gods glory but by us by our Ministery God to knit man and man together will convey the good he means to convey by the despised Ministery The enemies therefore of the Ministery of the Gospel what are they here is a double prejudice against them they are enemies of the glory of God and of the comfort of Gods people for they glorifie God in the sense of his mercy when it is unfolded to them God gets glory and they comfort What do we think then of Popish spirits that feed the people only with dead and dull ceremonies but let them go I go on to the next Verse having dwelt somewhat long on this VERSE XXI Now he that stablisheth us with you in Christ is God who hath anointed us c. AS the riches of a Christian consisteth in the promises of God which as we have heard in Christ are all Yea and Amen so unlesse he be stablished and built upon this strength all is nothing What if a man stand on a rock if he be not built on it what if the foundation be never so strong if he be not stablished thereon It is not sufficient that the Promises be stablished but we must be stablished upon them The Promises of God are indeed Yea and Amen might the soul say but what is that to me Therefore the Apostle addeth He that gives the Promises will stablish us upon the promises Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ is God The first thing that I will observe before we come to the particular handling of the words shall be onely this in the general from the connexion and knitting together of this Verse with the former viz. That there must be a double Amen There is an Amen in the Promises they are in themselves true there must be an Amen likewise in us we must say Amen to them that is we must be stablished upon them There must be an Echo in a Christians heart unto God that as God saith These and these things I promise and they are all Amen so the soul by faith must Echo again These things are for me I believe them For as we say in the Schooles to good purpose there is a double certainty a double firmnesse a certainty of the Object and a
so many I would I could say Christian soules I cannot say so but they are a company of men that have the Image of God upon them men that live miserable poor such as for ought I know Gods mercie hath purchased with the blood of his Son may belong to Gods Kingdome They have the Image of God upon them yet they live without lawes without Church without Common-wealth irregular persons that have no order taken for them or not executed at the least to repress the sturdie of them and to relieve those that are to be relieved for age or impotencie It is a pittifull thing and a foule blemish to this Common-wealth and will bring some ill upon wealth and plague it from such irregular persons he will plague the Common-wealth for such enormities How do they live As Beasts and worse they submit themselves to no orders of the Church they have none and submit to none Here is an Obiect of mercy to those that it concernes And likewise mercie ought to be shewed to the souls of men as well as to their miserable and wretched estates Is Poperie Antichristian what mercy is it to suffer poysoners what a mercy were it in a common wealth to suffer men that are incendiaries to have liberty to do what mischief they would or men that should poyson fountaines and all that should refresh and nourish men were this any policy for the body And is it any policy to suffer those to poison the judgments of people with heresies to God and treason to their Prince to draw the affections of men from religion and the state where is mercy all the while Oh it is a mercy to them not to restrain them Mercy Is it mercy to the sheep to let the wolves at libertie No if you will be mercifull to shew mercy to the souls of these men is to use them hardly that they may know their error they may now impute the liberty they have to the approbation of their cause and so they are cruel not onely to others but to their own souls I speak this the rather it may be a seasonable speech at this time to enforce good lawes this way It is a great mercy mercy to the soul it is the greatest mercy and so crueltie to the soul is the greatest crueltie that can be What should I speak of mercy to others oh that we would be merciful to our own souls God is merciful to our souls he sent his son to visit us from on high in bowels of compassion he sent Christ as Zacharie saith and yet we are not merciful to our selves How many sinful wretched persons pierce their hearts through with covetousnesse and other wicked courses that are more dangerous to the soul then poyson is to the body They stab their souls with cares and lusts and other such kind of courses What a mockery is this of God to ask him mercy when we will not be merciful to our own souls and to intreat others to pray for us when we will not be merciful to our selves Shall we go to God for mercy when we will not shew mercy to our selves shall we desire him to spare us when we will not spare ourselves It is a mocking of God to come and offer our devotions here and come with an intent yet to live in any sin God will not heare us if we purpose to live in sin If I regard iniquity in my heart God will not hear my prayer As we ought to be merciful to the souls of others and to the estates of others so we should to our own souls How can they reform evills abroad those that are Governours when they do not care to refomr themselves can they be merciful to the souls of others that are cruel to their own they cannot Let mercy begin at home This is that that the scripture aimes at mercy and the right use of it is the way to come to salvation and the abuse of it is that that damnes and they are damned most that abuse mercy Oh the sins against the Gospel will lie upon the conscience another day The sins against the law they help with the Gospel to see mercy but sins against mercy prefer our sins above mercy and in temptations to despaire to extenuate mercy hereafter it will be the very hell of hell that we have sinned against mercy that we have not embraced it with faith that we have not repented to be capable of it But to end the point with that which is the most proper use of all which is an use of comfort in all estates to go to God in all he is the father of mercy And when all is taken from us in losses and crosses to think Well our fathers may die and our mothers may die and our nearest and dearest friends that have most bowels of pittie may die but we have a father of mercy that hath eternal mercy in him his mercies are tender mercies and everlasting mercies as himself is We are everlasting our souls are immortal we have an everlasting father that is the Father of mercies When all are taken away God takes not himself away he is the father of mercy still Now that we may make our selves still capable of mercy still fit for mercy let us take this daily course Let us labour every day to have broken and deep souls as I said before it is the broken heart that is the vessel that containes mercy a deeper heart that holds all the mercy we need therefore to empty our selves by confession of our sins and search our own thoughts and waies and afflict our souls by repentance and when we shall be fit objects for God the father of mercie to shed mercy into misery it is the Load-stone of mercy misery felt and discerned and complained of Let us search and see our misery our spiritual misery especially for God begins mercy to the soul in his children he begins mercy there especially General mercy he shews to beasts to all creatures but speciall mercy begins at the soul. Now I say misery being the Loadstone of mercy let us lay before God by confession and humiliation the sores and sins of our souls And then make use of this mercy every day for God is not only merciful in pardoning mercy at the first in forgiving our sins at the first but every day he is ready to pardon new sins as it is Lament 3. He renewes his mercies every day every morning God renewes his mercies not only for body but for soul there is a throne of grace and mercy every day open to go to and a Scepter of mercie held out every day to lay hold on and a fountain for Judah and Jerusalem to wash in every day it is never stopped up or drawn dry the fountain is ever open the Scepter is ever held forth and the throne is ever kept God keepes not terms Now the Court of Chancerie is open and now it is
then it though it doe not wholly expel it but the discomfort remains still in some degree it may be said well to be a comfort The reason why I speake of this mittigation is because in this life God never so wholly comforts his Children but there will be flesh left in them and that will murmure and there will be some resistance against comfort while there are remainders of sinne there will be ground of discomfort by reason of the conflict between the flesh and spirit For instance a man hath some crosse on him what saith the flesh God is mine enemy and I will take such and such courses I will not indure this this is the voyce of the flesh of the old man What saith the spirit Surely God is not mine enemy he intends my good by these things So while these fight here is the flesh against the spirit yet here is comfort because the spirit is predominant but it is not fully comfort because there is the old man in him that withstands comfort in the whole measure of comfort Therefore we must take this degree we cannot have the full comfort till we come to Heaven there all teares shall be wiped from our eyes in this world we must be content to have comfort with some griefe the maladie is not wholly purged Sometimes God removes the outward grievance more fully God helps many times altogether as in sickness to health perfectly but I speake not of that Comfort is that which is opposite to miserie and it must be stronger for there is no prevailing but by a stronger when the Agent is not above the Patient there is no prevailing there is a conflict till one have got the masterie The God of all comfort All that is of all comfortable things and of all divine reasons it must be most substantiall comfort The soule in some maladies will not be comforted by Philosophicall reasons saith the Heathen the disease is stronger then the Physick when he considers Platoe's comforts and the like so we may say of the reasons of Philosophical men Romanists and Moralists when they come to terrour of conscience when they come to inward grievances inward stings that are in a man from a mans conscience as all discomforts usually when they press hard it is with a guilty conscience what can al such reasons do to say it is the state of other men and it is in vaine to murmure and I know not what such reasons as Seneca and Plato and others have it will scarce still the conscience for a fit They are ignorant of the root alas how can they tell the remedie when they know not the ground of the maladie It must be God it must be his Word his truth the conscience must know it to be Gods truth and then it will comfort God is the God of comfort of the things and of the reasons they must be his reasons And he also is the Author of that spiritual presence he is with his children when they are in the fire he goes with them into the water as it is in Esay 45. he is with them in the valley of death they shall find God with them to comfort them so there is a kind of presence with Gods comforts and a banishing of all discomfort And this comfort is as large as the maladies as large as the ills are he is a God of comfort against every particular ill if there be diverse ills he hath diverse comforts if they be long ills he hath long comforts if there be strong ills he hath strong comforts if there be new ills he hath new comforts take the ills in what extent and degree you will God hath somewhat to set against them that is stronger then they and that is the blessed estate of Gods Children he is the God of all comfort St. Chrysostome an excellent preacher yields me one observation upon this very place It is the wisdome of a Christian to see how God describes himself there being some thing in God answerable to whatsoever is ill in the world The spirit of God in the scripture sets forth God fitting to the particular occasions speaking here of the misery and the disgraceful usage of St. Paul being taught by the spirit of God he considereth God as a Father of mercies and a God of Comfort Speaking of the vengeance on his enemies the Psalmist saith thou God of vengeance shew thy self In God there is help for every maladie Therefore the wisdom of a Christian is to single out of God what is fitting his present occasion in crosses and miseries think of him as a father of Mercies in discomforts think of him as a God of comfort in perplexities and distresse think of him as a God of wisdom and oppression of others and difficulties which we cannot wade out of think of him as a God and father almighty as a God of vengeance and so every way to think of God appliable to the present occasion And though many of us have no great affliction upon us for the present yet we should lay up store against the evill day and therefore it is good to treasure up these descriptions of God The father of mercies and God of all comfort To explaine the word a little what doth he mean by God in this place That he is the God of comfort that hath a further comfort in it in the very title that is called the God of comfort In that he is called the God of comfort it implyes two things First it shewes that he is a Creator of it that he can work it out of what he will out of nothing And then that he can raise it out of the contrary as he raised light out of darknesse in the creation and in the government of this world he raiseth his Children out of misery As he raised all out of nothing order out of confusion so in his Church he is the God of comfort he can raise comfort out of nothing out of nothing that is likely to yield comfort Put the case that there be neither medicine nor meat nor drink nor nothing to comfort us in this world as we shall have none of these things in heaven he is the God of Comfort that shall supply all our wants As he shall then be all in all so in this world when it is by the manifestation of his glorie when Moses was 40. dayes in the mountain he wanted outward comforts but he had the God of comfort with him and he supplied the want of meat and drink and all other comforts because he is the God of all comfort in him are all comforts originally and fundamentally and if there be none he can create and make them of nothing God as a God properly makes something of nothing that is to be a God for nothing but God can make somewhat of nothing Gods upon earth call men their creatures in a kind of imitation of God but that is but a
Other reasons there may be given but these are sufficient If this be so then we ought from hence to learn that whatsoever we have we are debtors of it to others whatsoever comfort we have whether it be outward or inward comfort And even as God hath disposed and dispensed his benefits graces to us so let us be good stewards of it we shall give account of it ere long Let every man reason with himself why have I this comfort that another wants I am Gods Steward God hath not given it me to lay up but to lay out To speak a little of outward comforts It is cursed Athiesme in many rich Persons that think they are to live here only to scrape an estate for them and their children when in the mean time their Neighbour want and Gods Children want that are as dear to God as themselves and perish for want of comfort If they were not Athiests in this point they would think I am a steward and what comfort shall I have of scraping much that will but increase my account Such a Steward were mad that would desire a great account the more my account is the more I have to answer for and the more shall be my punishment if I quit not all well Now men out of Athiesme that they do not believe a day of Judgment a time of account they ingrosse comforts to them and theirs as if there were not a Church as if there were not an afflicted body of Christ they think not that they are Stewards Whereas the time will come when they shall have more comfort of that that they have bestowed then of that that they shall leave behind them to their children That which is wisely dispensed for the comfort of Gods people it will comfort us when all that we shall leave behind will not nay perhaps it will trouble us the ill getting of it And so whatsoever inward comforts we have it is for the comfort of others we are debtors of it whatsoever ability we have as occasion is ofâ—…ered if there be a necessity in those that are of the same body with our selves we ought to regard them in pitty and compassion If we should see a poor creature cast himself into a whirlpoole or plunge himself into some desperate pit were we not accessorie to his death if we should not help him if we would not pull one out of the fire Oh yes and is not the soul in as great danger and is not mercy to the soul the greatest mercy shall we see others ready to be swallowed up in the pit of despair with heaviness of spirit shall we see them dejected and not take it to heart but either we are unable to Minister a word of comfort to them or else unwilling as if we were of Cains disposition that we would look to our selves only we are none of their keepers It is a miserable thing to professe our selves to be members of that body whereof Christ is the Head to professe the communion of Saints and yet to be so dead hearted in these particular Exigences and occasions It lies upon us as a duty if God convey comfort to us from others and his end in comforting us any way of putting any comfort in our hands outward or inward it is to comfort others if we do it not we are liable to sin to the breach of Gods command and we frustrate Gods end But if this lie upon us as a duty to comfort others then it concerns us to know how to be able to do it That we may be able to comfort others let us be ready to take notice of the grievance of others as Moses went to see the afflictions of his brethren and when he saw it laid it to heart It is a good way to go to the house of mourning and not to balk and decline our Christian brethren in adversity God knowes our souls in adversitie so should we do the souls of others if they be knit to us in any bond of kindred or Nature or Neighbourhood or the like that bond should provoke us for bonds are as the veins and Arteries to derive comfort All bonds are to derive good whether bonds of Neighbourhood or acquaintance c. A man should think with himself I have this bond to do my Neighbour good It is Gods providence that I should be acquainted with him and do that to him that I cannot do to a stranger Let us consider all Bonds and let this work upon us let us consider their grievance is a bond to tie us And withall let us labour to put upon us the bowels of a father and mother tender bowels as God puts upon him bowels of compassion towards us So St. Paul being an excellent comforter of others in 1 Thess. 2. he shewes there how he carried himself as a Father or Mother or Nurse to them Those that will comfort others they must put upon them the affections of tender creatures as may be they must be patient they must be tenderly affected they must have love they must have the graces of communion What be the graces of communion The graces of Christian communion to fit us in the communion of Saints to do good they are a loving meek patient spirit Love makes patient as we see Mothers and Nurses what can they not endure of their câ—…ildren because they love them And they must be likewise wise and furnished they that will comfort others must get wisedom and abilityâ—… They must get Humility they must abase themselves that they may be comfortable to others and not stand upon terms these be the graces of communion that fit us for the communion of Saints What is the reason that many are so untoward to this duty and have no heart to it that they cannot indeed do it The reason is they consider not their Bonds they do not Consider the poor and needy Psal. 41. they have not the graces of communion they want loving spirits they want ability they are empty they are not furnished they have not knowledge laid up in store they want humble spirits the want of these graces makes us so barren in this practise of the communion of Saints Therefore we should bewaile our own barrennesse when we should do such duties and cannot And beg of God the spirit of love and wisedom that we may do things wisely that we may speak that which is fit a word in season is as apples of Gold with Pictures of Silver And let us beg a humble spirit that we may be abased to comfort others As Christ in love to us he abased himself he became man and when he was man he became a servant he abased himself to wash his Disciples feet talk with a silly woman and such base offices and if the Spirit of Christ be in us it will abase us to offices of love to support one another to bear one anothers burthens Again if we would comfort
long then we see ere God deliver and why and at the last he will deliver one way or other and therefore let us waite quietly and this the Saints of God have practised in all ages Psal. 62. Yet my soul keep silence to the Lord. He had a shrewd conflict with himself when he saw how good causes were trampled on and he saw the insolence of wicked persons how they lift up their heads Yet my soul keep silence to the Lord. So he begins Psal. 73. Yet God is good to Israel for all this And God chargeth it upon his people that they should waite If I tarry wait thou Hab. 2. 2. And the blessing is promised to those that can wait and not murmur as in Psal. 147. 11. It is a duty that we are much urged to and very hardly brought to the practice of therefore we are to hear it pressed the more Psal. 147. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him in those that hope in his mercy in those that trust in his mercy The like you have in many places Isay 30. 18. Therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious to you therefore he will be exalted that he may have mercy upon you he is a God of judgement Blessed are all that wait for him So in Lament 3. The Church still waits upon God How oft doth David charge himself Wait and trust in God O my soul Let us learn this upon these grounds that God is long ere he deliver but at last he will deliver and that is sufficient to force this to wait still upon God with patience and silence Well thus we see God doth deliver Who dilivered us c. What will he do for the time present he hath delivered and doth deliver and he will deliver From all joyntly together you see that Gods people in this World stand in need of deliverance alway They have alwayes troubles when one is past another is present deliverance supposeth dangers There have been dangers there are dangers and there will be dangers Our life is a warfare a temptation we are absent from God we are alway exposed to dangers We live in the middest of Divels and of Divellish-minded men we have corruptions in us that expose us to sin and sin drawes on judgments we are alway in danger one way or other while we live in this VVorld But our comfort is that as there have been dangers and are dangers and will be dangers so there hath been deliverance there is deliverance and there will be deliverance It is a trade that God useth it is his Art God knoweth how to deliver his as Saint Peter saith he hath alway exercised it he is excellent at it he hath delivered his Church he doth deliver his Church and he will deliver his Church and so every particular member he hath and doth and will diliver them VVonderfull is the entercourse that God useth with his people and their estate Even as in nature there is a change and entercourse of day and night of light and darknesse of morning and evening of summer and winter of hot and cold so in the life of a Christian there are changes dangers and deliverance There is a sowing in tears and a reaping in joy there is a night of affliction and a morning of joy and prosperity Heavinesse may be in the evening but joy commeth in the morning And thus we go on till we end our daies till we be taken to Heaven where there shall be no Change where all teares shall be wiped from our eyes If we had spirituall eyes eyes to see our danger to see how full the World is of Divells then to consider how many dangers this weak life is subject to how many casualties we cannot go out of doores we cannot take a journey but how many dangers are we subject to we are invironed with perpetual dangers the snares of death compasse us almost every where abroad and at home in our greatest security But our comfort is that God doth compasse us with mercy as it is Psal. 32. As dangers are round about us so God is a Wall of fire about us we have dangers about us Divells about us we have a guard about us we have God about us we have his Angels about us we have all his creatures about us All things are yours saith the Apostle c. It is God that hath delivered us that doth deliver us Who restraines the divels from having their wills of us they are enemies not only to our souls and to our salvation but to our bodies they are enemies to our health as we see in Job we live in the middest of Lyons oft-times in the middest of enemies who restraines their malice we are preserved from dangers day and night who shuts in the doores who watcheth over us but he that keeps Israel It is God that delivereth us Without his deliverance all deliverances were to little purpose all shutting in were to little purpose except he shut us in that shut Noah into the Ark he must watch over us It is God that delivereth us But doth he deliver us onely outwardly No he hath delivered and he doth deliver us spiritually He hath delivered us from the power of hell and damnation he doth deliver us from many sins that we should commit and when we have sinned he delivers us from despair he delivers us from presuming by touching our hearts with saving grief for sin if we belong to him one of the two wayes he delivers either from the sin or from the danger of the sin either from the committing of the sin or from despairing for the sin or presuming in a course of sin Who delivereth us from our inbred corruptions Should we not run every day into the sins that we see others commit Who cuts short our lusts and suppresseth them that we are not swearers that we are not licentious persons that we are not Godlesse persons are we not hewn out of the same rock Who keeps us from sin Is it any inbred goodnesse Are we not all a like tainted with originall fin Children of wrath Who puts a difference between us and others It is God that hath delivered us and that doth deliver us It is his mercy that we do not commit sin it is his preventing deliverance and when we have committed sin it is his mercy to pardon it there is his preserving deliverance from despair after the committing of sin All are beholding to God for deliverance those that have committed sin that he delivers them from the wrath to come from the damnation that they deserve and those that have the grace not to commit sin they are beholding to him that he delivers them from that which their corruptions else would carry them to if he should take his government from their hearts We have an inward guard as well as an outward an invisible guard We are kept by the Spirit of God through Faith to salvation
We have a guard that keeps us from despair from sinking God delivereth us from our selves by this inward guard There is not the vilest Atheist that lives but let God open his conscience and let loose himself upon himself to see what he deserves to see what he is ready to sink into if he see not Gods mercy to deliver him if he see not an Intercessor a Mediator to come between God him what would become of him Therefore saith Saint Paul in Philip. 4. The peace of God which passeth all understanding shall guard your hearts and minds for so the word is in the Original shall guard your hearts and minds We have not onely a guard outward but we have a peace in us the Spirit of God the strengthening power of God the sight of the love of God God delivers us as from all others so from our selves Judas had no enemies God let him loose to himself what became of him Achitophel had no enemy God let him loose to himself too and then we see what a desperate conclusion he came to So whosoever thou art that contemnest Religion that makest any thing of greater moment and respect then that if thou hadst not an enemy in the world but all were thy friends as Judas had all to be his friends the Pharisees were his friends he had money of them but God opened his conscience and he could not indure the sight of it it spake bitter things to him when God opened an inward hell in his conscience So God doth deliver us outwardly and inwardly and the inward is double partly from despair partly from the rage of corruptions as I said before Is it not God that tyes up our corruptions There is such a world of sin in the heart of a man as often he finds the experience of it when he meets with a fit temptation to his disposition that Gods Children complain of themselves that the sins of their hearts have deceived them so God delivers men from the rage of lusts he tyes up their corruptions and delivers them from them And when we fall and are ready to despair for them he delivers us from despair He doth deliver he is perpetually delivering it implies that we alway stand in need of deliverance Therefore we should alway look up to God he is the breath of our nostrils In him we live and move and have our being in him we stand and in him we are delivered in the middest of all our enemies it should stir up our hearts thankfully to depend upon God he that hath delivered us he doth deliver us if he should not continue his deliverance we should be continually in extream danger VVho hath delivered us and doth deliver us c. A Christian is never in so great perplexity but God is delivering of him even in trouble So the Church saith Lamentations 3. It is Gods mercy that we are not all consumed The Church was in a pittifull estate then one would have thought they were as low as almost they might be yet notwithstanding the Spirit of God in those blessed men that lived in those times they saw that they might have been worse then they were and they saw that there was some danger from which they were delivered It is thy mercy that we are not all consumed God delivered them from extremity Nay in troubles God doth deliver so as there may be a distinction for the most part between his and others When I gather my Jewels it shall be known who serves me and who serves me not Mal. 3. God continually delivers more especially at sometimes As we say of providence providence is nothing but a continued act of creation And it is true the same power that created all things of nothing the same power sustains all things God upholds all things with his right hand For even as it is with a stone which is upheld by a mans hand let him withdraw his hand and down it falls so naturally all things as they are raised out of nothing so they will fall to their first principles except they be sustained by that continuall act of creation which we call providence to maintain them in the order wherein they were set at the first So there is a continuall act of deliverance till we be delivered out of all troubles and set in a place where there shall be no more annoyance at all either from within us or without us God doth still deliver O let this move us to a reverence of the eye and Majesty of the great God of the presence of God Who will willingly provoke him of whom he stands in need to deliver him Let God withdraw his deliverance his preventing deliverance or his rescuing deliverance for as I said there is a double deliverance he prevents us from trouble he delivers us that we do not fall into it and when we are fallen into it he rescues us If God should not thus deliver us there is no mischief that any others fall into but we should fall into the like were it not for his preventing deliverance As St. Austin saith well A man that is freed from sin ought to thank God as well for the sins that he hath not committed as for the sins that he hath had forgiven for it is an equall mercy that a man fall not into sin as for his sin to be pardoned And so for troubles too it is Gods mercy to prevent troubles as well as to deliver out of trouble when we are fallen into it Who would not reverence this great God what miscreant wretches are they that inure their tongues to swearing to tear that Majesty that if he should withdraw his deliverance and protection from them what would become of them Where there is perpetuall dependance upon any man how doth it inforce reverence and respect even amongst men Itis Athiesm therefore for men to inure their tongues to speak cursed language to inure their hearts to entertain prophane thoughts of God and to neglect the consideration of his Majesty Holy men in Scripture are said to walk with God that is to have God in their eye in all times in all places as he had them in his eye to delight in them to prevent troubles and to deliver them from troubles when they were in them We should take notice of Gods speciall providence in this kind that God by deliverance often gives us our lives and it should teach us to consecrate our lives to God Who doth deliver us In whome we hope or trust or have affiance that he will yet deliver us The holy Apostle doth take in trust here the time to come he speaks as if he were assured of that as of any thing past and he doth found his hope for the time to come upon that which was past and present As he saith in Romans 5. Experience breeds hope so it doth here in the Blessed Apostle He hath delivered and he doth deliver and why should
the promises in Jesus Christ This that while there is life there is hope to get into Christ and so to get interest in the promises for the promises are free the word is Epangelia free promise it is not a promise on this or that condition but a free promise out of meere love a mercie Then though thou be yet in the state of corruption in Old Adam yet the promise is free But I have no worthinesse in me thou wilt say I have no faith no grace in me at all But remember the promise is free the condition is onely if thou wilt receive Christ which is not properly a condition of worth in thee it is not propounded by way of condition of any worth but thou must come with an empty hand with a receiving hand as a man must let fall what he hath before he can hold and take any thing A man must let go other things he must let go his hold of the creature he must not be so proud of the creature and so confident in it as he was he must see the emptinesse of the creature and of all things in the world thou must see that if thou be not in Christ thou art a wretched damned creature The hand of thy soul must be empty and then a sight of thy unworthinesse is all that is required before thou come to Christ and the promises a sight of thy unworthinesse and a comming to graspe with Christ and the promises for what is faith but a beggars hand empty of all things comming to receive a benefit They are most unworthy that find themselves most unworthy But you will say the promise is made to the poor in spirit and to those that hunger and thirst It is true but it is by way of preventing an objection of these men that are cast down in the sight of their unworthinesse As if Christ had said You think these men the unworthiest men in the world that are poore and hungry and thirsty you think you are destitute and have nothing but you are blessed you have interest in Christ and in the promises they are for you Let no man therefore be discouraged the promises are free therefore be not rebellious stand not out against Gods command God layes a command upon thee though thou be not in Christ and hast no right to the promises he laies a command on thee to believe Thou wilt ask what ground or title or right hast thou to believe to claim Christ and the promises This right thou hast thou hast the offer of Gods love in Christ. And thou hast not onely Gods offer but his command God commands thee to do it as St. John saith he hath commanded us to believe in his Son Christ as well as not to commit adultery or murther and thou art guilty if thou break this command as if thou break the other of murther or adultery And men that live under the hearing of the Gospell they shall be damned more at the day of judgement for disobeying this command for not receiving of Christ then for the other for the breach of all other commands may be forgiven if this were obeyed Therefore there is an offer of Christ with a command to receive him and a promise if thou receive him all shall be well all thy sins shall be forgiven is not here incouragement enough And then there is an invitation Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy-laden And put case thou hast nothing yet notwithstanding come and buy without silver saith the Prophet If thou say thou hast nothing yet all is free here Come whosoever will and drink of the water of life And he threatens damnation if thou wilt not the wrath of God hangs on thee if thou do not come in I but I am a sinner But where sin hath abounded Grace shall more abound So if a man stand out of Christ and come not in to him there are many incouragements for him to come and terrible denunciations of wrath if he come not the wrath of God hangs over his head for if he be not in Christ he sinks into hell when this short life is ended So there is this to incourage a man there is Gods command and his sweet invitation Come unto me And add to that his beseeching We are Ambassadours in Christs Name to beseech you to be reconciled to God to come to Christ to come out of the state of nature and out of the curse of God that you are under to come out of the uncertain condition that the world affords we beseech you to be reconciled to God to cast away your weapons whereby you are enemies to God he seeks to you for your love And if you have nothing come and buy without money have you a will to come If you be besotted and will continue in your estate then be damned and rot in your estate but if you will come and drink of the waters of life freely Let none be discouraged Christ and the promises are open to all Therefore how will Gods vengeance be justified at the day of judgment when these courses have been taken and yet men will not come in As Christ said to the Jewes You will not believe in me that you might have life Men will not men are in love with the profits and pleasures and fading things they will not imbrace the promises that are Yea and Amen It is nothing but wilfull rebellion that keeps men off that rather then they will leave their sins and come under the government of Christ they will reject the offers of merey if they cannot have Christ with their sins away mercie If they can have him to lead them to hell to swear and cozen c. then welcome Christ if he will come on those tearms he is welcome but rather then they will have him upon his own tearms they reject him So there is great reason for God to justifie the damnation of wretched hard-hearted persons that rather then they will alter their course they will reject mercy and Christ and all If they may have half Christ they will they will have him with mercie to forgive them but they will not have whole Christ as a King to govern them So there is ground for those that are not yet in the state of grace to come to Christ if they will receive him upon his own termes to take him as a King as well as a Priest to take him as a King to rule them as well as a Priest to reconcile them to his Father Nay God as I said in the Ministery intreats them to receive Christ to cast away the weapons of their rebellion to come under his government and all shall be well with them But for them that are in Christ that have imbraced and clasped him in some comfortable measure what comfort is it for them that all the promises in Christ are Yea and Amen I answer
God out of Christ. There is faith he God absolute in himself so he is a consuming fire but there is God incarnate go to God incarnate to God making good his promises in Christ incarnate go to Christ sucking his mothers breast lying in the manger living humbly talking with a sinful woman inviting sinners to come to him conversing with sinful creatures altering and changing their natures that never refused any that came to him Go not to God absolute he is a consuming fire go to Christ incarnate God-man go to him abased and there is sweet converse for thy faith for All the promises are made in him Yea and Amen I beseech you therefore be acquainted with the mystery of Christ more and more we have the promises in him And you must know besides that the Father and the Holy Ghost they have a part a hand in Christs abasement for Christ did all by his Fathers appointment and therefore it is as much as if the Father had been abased for Christ was anointed to be so Therefore think that God the Father allures and invites you when Christ doth it because he is anointed to invite you Think that the Father is as peaceable as Christ was because Christ was so by his Fathers appointment by his anointing See all the three Persons the Father Son and Holy Ghost in Christ. See God incarnate making all the Promises before and as the ground of all that is made good to us See the wondrous love of God incarnate And then go and see Christ raising that flesh that he was abased in see him ascended into heaven and sitting in it at the right hand of God then think of God in Christ glorious think of Christ a publick person and we all in him So as Leo saith Onely Christ was he that dyed in whom all dyed he was crucified in whom all were crucified and he rose again in whom all rise he being a publick person other particular men dyed and themselves dyed onely Let us look upon God incarnate and see our selves in him see God in Christ see Christ a publick person for therefore the second Person took the man-hood that he might be a publick person Christ took not our persons but our nature that our nature being knit to the second Person he might be a publick Person as Adam was a publick man for all mankind Therefore think of all the Promises in Christ as God-man that he was the man Christ made man for us This is wondrous comfortable let us solace our selves with it Take away Christ and the promises in Christ and what is there in the world nothing but Idolatry and Superstition staggering and wavering and darknesse and blindnesse and Popery and divellishnesse Who reigns in the world but the Devil and Antichrist Heathenism and Paganisme and all filthinesse Take away Christ the sound knowledge of Christ incarnate and the sound knowledge of the Promises the clear settled promises in Christ and what is the life of man but a horrible confusion even a hell upon earth Where Christ is not known what are the lives of men the utmost quintessence of them but onely projecting for an estate here in this world and then to slip into hell To live a Civil life as morality perhaps may fit a man for that and then to be cast into hell Out of Christ there is no salvation no certain comfort no life no light nothing to be reckoned on out of Christ and the promises in Christ. Therefore let us love them and build on them and make much of the truth we have and get into Christ for All the Promises in him are Yea and Amen God hath no commerce with us immediately but by Christ the Mediatour through whom he looks on us and in whom he conveyes all good to us The Scripture is termed a Paradise it is like a Paradise wherein we have the streams of the water of life and the tree of life Jesus Christ and wherein we have the Promises of life And there is no Angel to keep the door or gate or entrance of this Paradise but rather we are allured to come to it to refresh our selves There is God himself walking there is Christ himself the tree of life Therefore we should make the Scriptures wondrous familiar to us especially single out the Promises make use of them learn what it is to live by faith in the Promises for All the Promises in Jesus Christ in him are Yea and in him Amen To the Glory of God by us The end of all this that God will engage himself by promises that he will stablish these promises so sure in Christ Jesus the Mediatour God and man that he will make them Yea and Amen in him it is for his own glory And to the glory of God by us Ministers for we preach these promises to the people and people believe them and they believing give glory to God Gods glory is manifested in the Gospel especially when it is believed in the Promises What wondrous glory hath God in the promises in Christ More a great deal then in the Creation In the Creation man was made according to Gods Image Now in the Gospel we are created according to Jesus Christ God man There God added light to light comfort to comfort he made man good and would have continued him good but here is the glory of his mercy and goodnesse in Christ here he doth good to sinners he raiseth a sinner to mercy he doth not adde light to light but he brings light out of darknesse In the Gospel mercy strives with misery and strives with sin and overcomes all our ills it is Gods will in the Gospel to do good to sinners mercy is added to sinful men contrary against contrary Gods goodnesse triumphing over the misery of man The righteousnesse that Adam had it was the righteousnesse of a creature of a man but the obedience we have in Christ it is the obedience of God-man therefore that being imputed to us it is a more exquisite righteousnesse it brings us to God and intitles us to heaven it is infinitely more then Adam's was God manifests greater glory then in the Creation there is greater love and greater mercy and greater goodnesse manifested in the Gospel then to Adam in innocency Our estate in Christ is more perfect his estate was not Yea and Amen for it was yea to day and nay to morrow he stood but a while but in Christ the Promises are Yea and Amen He had no promise we have our estate by promises in Christ is better then ever Adam's was as we are in a better root then he For he was not in Christ the Mediatour we by faith are united to Christ Mediatour and by vertue of the promise God where he begins he will make an end where he is Alpha he will be Omega What a glory is this to God that he can repair man to a better estate then ever he
part Prophane men Hypocrits Dan. 7. Quest. Ans. To make a St. there must be 1. a Separation 2. Dedication 3. Qualification 4. Conversation Quest. Answ. Civil man who True Saint wherein different from an hypocrite Simile Grace sweetens all a Christians conversation use of salutations Quest. Blessing what Answ. Salutations should be holy Gods name taken in vain in Salutations Salutations to be omitted 1. In serious businesse 2. To an Heretick Quest. Grace what Answ. Doctr. A Christian needs Grace when he is in state of Grace Reas. We run daily into new breaches Ephes. 1. How to conceive of God To maintain Gods Grace daily Quest. how to have continual assurance of Grace Ans. 1. abase our selves Labour to be rich in grace Quest. Answ. How to know we are in Gods favour 1. By joy of the Spirit 2. By the graces of the Spirit 3. By going to God in extremity Observ. Obser. The disposition of Gods Children to be thankfull Ephes. 〈◊〉 To blesse God what We add nothing to God when we blesse him 1. It is a duty to God 2. It stirs up others 3. It is good for our selves 2. To mind them Spirituall favours especially to give thanks for Why a carnal man is unthankful Beg the spirit To stir up our selves to praise God To shame our selves for unthankfulnesse Motions to thankfulnesse 1. it is the imployment of heaven 2. It mitigates crosses God how considered the object of praise Doct. God as the Faâ—â—â—â— of Christ to be praysed Use 1. To bless God for Christ. God the Father of mercies because the Father of Christ. God is stiled Father of mercies 1. Because Christ his justice is satisfied 2. Because he is naturally mercifull All Gods attributes without mercy terrible Mercie what Kinds of Gods mercie Simile Forgiving mercies the principal Men prone to presume of Gods mercies to whom Gods mercy is unlimitted Gods Wrath to presumtuous sinners Simile Simile Object Use 2. To those that are in the state of Grace An encouragement to come to God Simile Late Repentance seldom true Mercy the greatest terror to impenitent To imitate God in mercy Men unmerciful to their own souls Gods mercy should comfort us in all estates To be fit for mercy I. Get broken hearts Quest. Answ. How to improve mercy daily Thankfulnesse for mercy Comfort what 1 The thing it self 2. Comfortable reasons 3. By the Spirit Comfort stronger then the maladie Comfort not compleat in this life Philosophicall reasons will not comfort God of comfort 1. That he can create it out of nothing God only can make something of nothing Out of contraries In what order God is 〈◊〉 God of comfort Conclusion Whatsoever the means of comfort be God is the spring Ground of unthankfulnesse in wicked men Ground of thankfulnesse in Christians Ground of prayer To seek to God in the use of things comfortable Double application Quest. Answ. Christians ground of comfort in all estates Quest. Answ. Christians are uncomfortable 1 Ignorance 2. Passion 3. Aggravating the grievance 4 Forgetfulnesse of Gods comforts 5. Looking to the streame forgetting the spring Object Answ. God comforts his children in all tribulation Comfort answerable to all miseries in this life Inward comfort best To comfort What. Use. To go to God in the use of meanes We must not tempt God by neglecting meanes Ashame for Christians to be over much disconsolate Quest. Answ. How to derive comfort from the God of comfort 1. Look to the grievance especially sin Comforts against sin Luther No comfort for such as go on in sin Comforts for those that are relapsed Caution 2 Comfort against other grievances General comforts 1. The Covenant of Grace 2. The promise of mitigation 3. In the presence of God 4. Consider the end all work for good Simile 5. The promise of finall deliveanec To keep a daily course of comfort 1. Keep the soul in a good temper 2. Renew our resolutions Dayly feed on Christ. To be thankful 6. To be fruitful 7. Labour for sinâ—…erity And growth 8. Not to grieve the spirit 9. Be conversant in the scripture 10. To study Principles of Religion Observ. All are subject to discomforts In Comforting others there must he Ability Will. Example Sympathy Doctr. Gods children have all of them interest in divine comforts Reason The priviledges of religion are common to them 2. They are not impaired by being communicated Use Comfort to weak Christians Doctr Comforts derived to men by men Every Christian to Communicate his comfort Simile Reason 1. To trie our obedience God not tied to means Reason 2. To knit us in love to one another Use We are debtors of the comforts we have To be able to comfort others Take notice of their grievance 2. To labour for bowels of compassion Graces of communion what 3. Get experience our selves Simile Quest. Answ. Why experience is such a help to comfort others 1. It increaseth knowledge It gaines confidence in the speaker How to comfort others from our experience 1. Search out their sin and misery 2. Shew them their interest in the covenant of grace Comfort belongs to them that think themselves furthest from it 3. To comfort them from our owne experience 4. By experience of Saints in scripture Object Ans. Object Ans. Object Ans. Object Ans. Wisdom of the Apostle Use. To depend on Gods ordinance The ministers Simile 2. Common Christians Difference in gifts and Grace How to distinguish men of great parts Simile Use. 3. To see the goodnesse of God in this ordinance Ground of praising God Doctrines Doct. The sufferings of Christ abound in us â—ll suffer not alike Reas. 1. In respect of God Râ—as 2. In respect of Satan Reas. 3. In respect of the word Reas. 4. In respect of our selves 1. In respect of the good in us 2. The evill in us Afflictions necessary to purge corruptions contracted by the peace of the Church Object Ans. August Afflictions in the most peaceable times Three-fold suffering in the Church Use. How to judge of afflicted men Doctr The sufferings of Christians are the sufferings of Christ. Christ three waies taken in scripture Quest. Ans. They are the sufferings of Christ. 1 Because of Christ mystically 2. They are for Christs cause 3. By way of sympathy 4. He is present with us Differences between sufferings of Christ and ordinary crosses 1. Sufferings as creatures 2. As men 3. As holy men Use encouragement to suffer for Christ. Christ persecuted by wicked men Encouragement to do good to Christians Consolation what Doctr. Comfort proportionable to sufferings Reas. 1 Troubles enlarge the capacity of the soul. Because they humble it 2. They exercise grace Reas. 3. From Gods wisedom Reas. 4. We have a nearer presence of God Reas. 5. Then we pray most Disproportions of sufferings and comfort Use 2. To judge aright of those that are afflicted Simile Use 3. Thankfulness Object Answ. What hinders comfort in afflictions No comfort to wicked men Doct. 4. Consolation 〈◊〉 bounds by