through him So I say if there was as I may speak with reverence somewhat of the good pleasure of God in the old worlds condemnation why then should there not be free-grace in the souls Salvation Rom. 5.15 But not as the offence so also is the free-gift for if through the offence of one many be dead much more the grace of God and the gift of grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many Thirdly God would have Heaven and Salvation to be of one peice he would have the work of heaven to be all the same Now there were many Angels that fell and many thousands that stood why how came they to stand that did stand more than the others that fell it was only by free grace they were Elect Angels Now men and Angels in heaven are of the same Quire and sing the same song and therefore those men that are fated O who are they why they are the Elect and they have great cause to glorifie the grace the free grace of God Fourthly God saves men in a way of free love and grace because none shall miss of Salvation As God will punish and condemn all the proud all the wicked that none shall escape So he will also save all that he hath a mind to save by free grace because they shall not miss of Salvation Fifthly God will save men in such a way as whereby he may be glorified to all Eternity and therefore he saves them in a way of free grace and love For what have we to praise God for in heaven but only for free grace free grace to glorify his name for that therefore I say God will save men in this way of free love and grace that he may be thereby glorified hereafter to all Eternity and thus I have done with the Doctrine Now go along with me a little by way of application First If we be saved by free grace if free grace and love be the foundation of our Salvation why should we not then stand cleer from all our own works as to the meritorious ends of them for grace and works are opposed and therefore faith as a work can neither Justify nor save I confess the Apostle saith work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling but what follows for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure Phil. 2.12 13. Secondly If we be saved by grace why should we not be tender of the grace of God of the name of God of the free grace of God and of the great name of God Are you saved by grace and will you turn grace into wantonness Oh my friends I say if you be saved by grace and by grace alone how tender should you be of the name of God and of the free grace of God Thirdly If we be saved by grace then we may here see the reason why many do take so much pains as they think for heaven and yet fall short of it and go to Hell why it is because Salvation lies under the conduct of free grace Some men abstain from sin that they may not be damned others perform holy duties read and hear c. That they may go to Heaven yea many strive and shall not enter because salvation is of free grace Fourthly If by grace ye are saved and that there is much of the free grace of God in our salvation why then should you doubt of it I confess it is a hard thing to have Assurance of your salvation and if you have it it is free grace to you more than to another and free grace is the founder of it if you have it But yet O soul if by grace we are saved let us not then doubt of it for it is most sure if you are saved by grace I say why doubt ye then O ye of little faith O Christians comfort your selves with these words It is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom Luke 12.32 It is his good will and pleasure it is in a way of free grace and love But you may say though it be in a way of free grace and love yet it may not be for me it may none of it be mine saith the soul Nay say not so but mark what an Inference the Psalmist makes and draws up from this General Psalm 130.4 5. But there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his word do I hope and so in Psal 103. Speaking at large of the grace mercy and goodness of God in the 8. verse he saith The Lord is merciful and gracious slow to anger and plenteous in mercy but what is the conclusion Bless the Lord all ye his hosts bless the Lord all his works Bless the Lord O my soul The very last words are bless the Lord O my Soul from the consideration of the freeness of the grace of God in general he draws up this Conclusion bless the Lord O my Soul But you may say Though God will save by grace yet surely all shall not be saved by grace shall all men be saved is God so free No all men shall not be saved for saith the Apostle Gal. 5.15 We through the spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith for in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but the new creature but shall not all be saved No saith the same Apostle Eph. 5.6 Let no man deceive you for no whoremonger nor unclean person c. hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God There is no place for unclean things in Heaven you know what the Apostle saith to the Galathians The inheritance is not to the bondwoman nor to her children So that I say that God doth not save all but those he doth save are saved by free grace But you would know who those are that are saved or that shall be saved for ever why thus briefly only to name things First Look who those are that are justified they shall be certainly saved Secondly Those that are willing to part with all for Christ and for the service of Christ they shall certainly be saved Mat. 19.29 And every one that hath forsaken houses or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my name sake shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit everlasting life Thirdly They that stand at Christs right hand here they shall be sure to stand at Christs right hand at the day of judgement and so be saved 2 Cor. 5.5 Now he that hath wrought us for the self same thing is God who also hath given unto us the earnest of his spirit he that hath wrought us for the self same thing it is the very same word which is used for work out your own salvation c. So that there is a working up of the soul unto eternal glory and if Christ hath wrought
to go forth against this Nation you may observe how he stands hovering as it were over the Nation but if God should resolve to go out against us would you know how to prepare to meet with God Then you must observe what those evils are that do provoke God and labour and strive against them till they be removed and in order hereunto First If you would meet with God in the way of his Justice and Anger then you must get Christ into your Arms as I may say and so go forth and meet God It is written of one that when he would gain favour of his King he use to get the Kings son in his Arms and so he got the favour he desired so if you would find favour with God get Jesus Christ into your arms and so go forth to meet him Secondly If you would meet with God in the way of his anger and Justice then you must humble your self before him and submit unto him There are two parts in Humiliation Sorrow for sin and submission to God now it may be you are wanting in one of these therefore labour to abound in both and so go forth to meet God Thirdly If you would meet with God in the way of his anger and Justice then do you live justly and deal justly and righteously He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God Micah 6.8 O my friends labour to do what God commands and what God expects Now when he comes out against a people in the way of his Justice he expects that they should be found doing Justice read the 9. verse The Lords voice cryeth unto the City Hear ye the rod and who hath appointed it Gods voice is to scare us and to cause us to leave sin and to turn unto him and therefore he sayes Hear ye the rod and who hath appointed it Fourthly If you would meet with God in the way of his anger then present unto God your free-will offerings and pray unto him and seek his face when Jacob went forth to meet his brother Esau he sent presents to him and his brothers face was changed O what will become of those that never prayed one prayer more in private for all this anger and wrath of God that seems to be coming out against us Fifthly If you would meet with God in his anger then get suffering grace How can you be able to meet with God in the way of his anger in suffering Times if you have not suffering grace Sixthly If you would meet with God in his anger be sure to be doing the work of your present day shew mercy to those that want mercy They that are merciful shall obtain mercy with God what will your money avail you in the day of Gods wrath The only way to meet with God in his wrath is to shew mercy Seventhly If you would be able to meet with God in the way of his anger then wait upon God in the way of his Judgements and in due time you shall be able to say This is our God Loe this our God we have waited for him and if God be going lay hold of him take hold upon him for so we are commanded Haiah 27.4 5. Fury is not in me c. Or let him take hold of my strength that he may make peace with me and he shall make peace with me Eighthly If you would meet with God in the way of his anger then lay aside your particular Interests and think it your duty and desire to do it Lastly If you would prepare to meet with God in the way of his anger then now whilst you have a little time Goe and set your self and your house in order that whatsoever may come you may have nothing else to do but to dye And then if God do come in Judgement and Anger you may be able to say I have heard the Rod and have trembled and have prepared to meet with God And if God should not come in wrath but some other way yet you will have great comfort in your preparing to meet with God For either God will come out against the Nation in anger or he will not if he do not you will not lose by your preparing to meet him but if he do and you are prepared to meet with him then will God meet with you in Love because you have prepared to meet with him in Anger Therefore as you desire to be found doing the work that God would have you to do in this Case Think of and remember what hath been spoken All you that hear this word of God prepare to meet with God you know not how soon the Lord may come out against you in wrath his dispensations in the world seem to run backward and forward Therefore be alwayes ready and prepared to meet with God which way soever he may come according to this of our Text Thus will I do unto thee O Israel and because I will do thus unto thee prepare to meet thy God O Israel â—INIS Bridgs seven Sermons
had may be Eclipsed Restore to me the joy of thy salvation Psalm 51.12 saith David his glory and comfort was eclipsed yea possibly a gracious soul may live a long time without comfort How long wilt thou forget yea forget me O Lord what for ever Psalm 13.1 I say a man may live a long time without any considerable comfort There is a time when God will try his people and see whether they will take comfort from his hand or from another hand it may be it may be so with you sometimes God may try whether you will wait upon him and believe in him and rest upon him for comfort 3. As a man may live long without comfort so it is not in the power of any thing on this side God and Christ to give comfort to a poor drooping soul this is the Lords prerogative I am the Lord that comforteth This is his name Father of mercies and God of all comfort and consolation and 2 Cor. 7.6 Nevertheless God that Comforteth those that are cast down comforted us c. It is Gods prerogative only to do it comforting work is creation work it is not in the power of the creature but of the Creator Isa 57.19 I create the fruit of the lips peace peace to him that is afar off and to him that is near saith the Lord and I will heal him It is Gods work to comfort and not in the power of any other Man may be instrumental to comfort but it is none but God alone that can do the work But some may object and say can none but God alone comfort No none but God alone can rate off Satan If a great dog or mastiff be worrying a child or a sheep a stranger comes and strikes him and calls him off but the dog takes no notice of him but when the Master comes he rates him off presently none but the Master can do it So here it is none but God that can rate off Satan from worrying the poor drooping soul when it is under temptation none but God the Master It is not in the power of any creature but in the power of God alone it is in the power of none but the third person in the Trinity the spirit of God what needed the third person in the Trinity to have come into the world as he is now if any other could comfort As none can redeem but Christ the second person of the Trinity because the second person came from Heaven on purpose to redeem So none can comfort but God and his spirit because the third person came from Heaven to do it there is none but God alone that can comfort a poor soul That is the third particular 4. When God doth bestow comfort he bestows it and gives it in a way of free grace in a way of free love and grace See but how they go together in the Text Who hath given us everlasting consolation through grace I will give you one Scripture more to prove it and consider it well Job 33. you have there the draught of a mans Conversion First he goes on in his sin and all on a sudden God gives in a word to him at 14 15 verses For God speaketh once yea twice but man perceiveth it not In a dream in a vision of the night when deep sleep falleth upon men in slumberings upon the bed Then He openeth the ears of men and sealeth their instruction and then the soul is filled with horror of conscience as in verse 19. He is chastned also with pain upon his bed and the multitude of his bones with strong pain And when God hath done thus then he justifies him and gives him faith and shews him true righteousness as in verse 23. If there be a messenger with him an interpreter one among a thousand to shew unto man his uprightness This is justification and when this is done then the Lord comforts him as in verse 25. His flesh shall be fresher than a childs he shall return to the days of his youth You see God comforts him in a way of free love and in the 26. verse He shall pray unto God and he will be favourable unto him and he shall see his face with joy for he will render unto man his righteousness God comforts in a way of free love he comforts how he pleaseth and as far as he pleaseth but whensoever he comforts it is still I say in a way of free love You may see it in Isaiah 65.14 It is said Behold my servants shall sing for joy of heart but you shall cry for sorrow of heart and shall howl for vexation of spirit and thus also saith the Lord in the former verse Behold my servants shall eat but ye shall be hungry behold my servants shall drink but ye shall be thirsty behold my servants shall rejoyce but ye shall be ashamed God comforts whom he pleases and as far as he pleaseth and it is all free out of free love John 14.20 At that day you shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you and at verse 16. And I will pray the Father and he will give you another comforter that he may abide with you for ever This work of comforting is properly the work of the Holy Ghost and the Holy Ghost breathes as the wind where it listeth and therefore I say comforts whom and how he pleaseth and all in a way of free love and free grace That is the fourth particular 5. Wherein is the love the free love of God manifested to us in the matter of our comforts I answer in many things I will pitch but upon three only 1. The greater he is that giveth and the greater the thing is that is given and the lesser or meaner the person is that the thing is given unto the more free is the love of him that gives and bestows the thing Now this comfort and consolation is a great thing it is a very great matter it is a birth of the Holy Ghost Is that a small thing It is part of the Kingdom of God Is that a small matter It is both duty and reward Is that small It is that which exceeds all the Joy of the world Lift up the light of thy countenance upon me Thou hast put more gladness into my heart more than in the time that their oyle and their wine Increased Psalm 4.7 Ask a poor drooping soul and he will tell you that it is a great thing for it comes from a great God Isaiah 57.15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity whose name is holy I will dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite Ones Unto that soul that trembles unto that soul will God bring comfort and will be nigh unto him Now if a Prince should rise from his Throne to
they do not receive an answer presently they are gone but be sure you do willingly stay Gods leasure Thus I say would you have comfort you must observe these things to go to Gods Office to shut your eyes and to cast your selves at adventure upon the free grace of God and then you must stay Gods leasure Thus doing you shall be truly comforted and when you have obtained this comfort and are thus truly comforted Then take these few rules with you and so I conclude First Take as much pains to keep your comfort as ever you did to get it Secondly Labour more and more to increase it for if it do not increate it will certainly decrease Thirdly Be comfortable to and comforting of others for how do you know but that God hath comforted you to this very end that you might comfort others Paul was so and be sure to shew comfort for comforts sake Brethren and Beloved in the Lord Do not receive this grace in vain But go all you that have this comfort and magnify the riches of Gods grace the freeness of the grace of God that hath comforted you and say What such a one as I comforted Others of thy Children Lord have walked closely with Thee but I have walked loosely and shall I be comforted and not they O what free grace is this I have been a great sinner Lord and what am I comforted O what free grace is this There are some that have walked in the light and they are now in darkness but I have walked in the dark and yet am now in the light O what free grace is this Go away therefore and magnifie the riches of Gods grace in the matter of your comforts Thus you have heard how the freeness of the grace of God is written upon all your comforts your comforts and consolations are all deeply inamelled with the free grace of God and that much of his free love is laid out in your comforts and consolations And thus I conclude with the words of my Text Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God even our Father which hath loved us and given us Everlasting Consolation and good hope through grace Comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work SERMON III. EPHES. 2.8 For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God IN the former exercise I have been shewing you the freeness of the love and grace of God in the matter of our comforts and divine consolations I shall now in the third place shew you the freeness of the grace of God in reference to our salvation and eternal glory and therefore follow these words which the Apostle speaks at the latter end of verse 5. By grace are ye saved and so you see the same in verse 8. For by grace are ye saved and that not of your selves it is the gift of God But why should he say the same words again in so short a compass Why it was to shew not only that his heart was full of the free grace and love of God but to shew also that he thought he could never speak enough of it and therefore he repeats it by grace ye are saved For by grace are ye saved that is to say from first to last you are saved by the free grace and love of God From whence then I take up this Doctrine Doct. That there is much of the free love and grace of God laid out in the matter of our salvation and eternal glory For the clearing of this point I shall endeavour to shew you First That it is a matter of infinite happiness and of great concernment to go to Heaven and to be saved for ever Secondly To shew you how this mercy is obtained this mercy of salvation and eternal glory I shall shew it is of free grace and free love Thirdly I shall answer two Objections Fourthly I shall shew you wherein the free grace and love of God appears in the matter of our salvation Fifthly Shew you why God chuseth to save the children of men in a way of free love and grace 1. I shall speak a little by way of Introduction It is a great matter and of infinite concernment to be saved and to go to Heaven forever For First You are thereby saved from wrath to come you count it here a great matter to be delivered from the wrath of man but it is a far greater mercy to be delivered from the wrath of Devils to be delivered from their fury and malice and not to lye at their mercy to all Eternity Yea Secondly You shall be delivered from all sorrow both inward and outward and if so how blessed and happy are you for you shall die in the Lord And blessed are the dead that die in the Lord for they rest from their labours c. Rev 14.13 It is a mercy to have meat and drink and a bed to lye on but it is a greater mercy not to need them in Heaven you shall be freed from these needs and necessities You walk here but it is with a burden you hear now but it is with a burden you repent now but it is with a burden But in Heaven you shall be freed not only from the guilt of the neglect of duty but from the burden of duty also Heaven knows of no duty that hath a burden with it Thus you shall be freed Again Thirdly You shall not only be freed from these troubles but you shall also be brought into a possession into an inheritance that is incorruptible that fadeth not away where you shall enjoy the company of Saints and Angels and that without suspicion or jealousie one of another here you have the company of Saints but either you suspect them or they you either they are jealous of you or you of them but Heaven knows no suspicions no jealousies Saints live there without suspicions Fourthly If you go to Heaven and be saved you shall then be filled with glory if you have but a little taste of glory here you are ready to break under it under a little glory but the time will come when you shall be filled with glory and your hearts shall bear up under it your bodies shall be changed your vile bodies shall be changed and made like unto Christs glorious body you shall be filled with glory soul and body both Yea Fifthly If you be saved your graces shall be alwaies in Act alwaies in exercise your understandings shall be fully inlightned your difficulties shall be renewed and you shall see them all little and easie unto you and your wills hearts and affections shall be drawn out to God with infinite satisfaction and infinite delight I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness Psalm 17.15 All delight ariseth from enjoying things suitable now what is more suitable for a rational creature than to enjoy his ends when a Husband hath been at sea from his wife half a
their eating and drinking and recreation Job 1.5 And it was so when the dayes of their feasting were gone about that Job sent and sanctified them Job sanctified them and so cannot a wicked man do but a man that fears the Lord can do this And Lastly A man that truly fears the Lord cannot do as others do in the matter of right and propriety they that fear not God will take advantage upon others in the matter of their right and propriety You may see what Abraham did Lot would not let Abraham have his right though it was his right yet Abraham because he feared God and for peace sake gives up his right but those that fear not the Lord cannot do so Thus you see that those that truly fear God cannot will not do as others do in the matter of his choice of his worship of his calling of his afflictions of his refreshments or of his right and propriety And that is the second general But. Thirdly What is there in this fear of God that should ballance the soul and cause it not to do as others do Why First By the fear of God a man is inabled to depart from evil as the Psalmist saith There are two seeds in the world the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent now these two seeds rule in the whole world in some the seed of the woman rules and in some the seed of the serpent now they that are of the seed of the woman can fear the Lord but they that are of the seed of the serpent cannot fear the Lord and therefore no wonder that they that fear the Lord cannot will not do as others do why it is because they are of another seed they are of the seed of the woman Secondly As they that fear the Lord are of another seed so they are also of another Principle and therefore they cannot do as others do Principles are the springs of all actions and every man acts according to his principle according to the principle that is in him Now he that fears the Lord differs from another man in his principles and so he doth also in his actions and in his ends Thirdly Look into his ends and you shall see how they differ from other mens ends are the seeds of actions and if so a man that fears the Lord his ends differ from other mens and then no wonder that he cannot will not do as others do Again Fourthly As he differs in his ends so also in his conscience every man is according as his conscience is Take a man that fears the Lord and he is tender of his conscience but others that have their consciences burnt and seared are not so and if so then no wonder that he that fears the Lord cannot will not do as others do Fifthly As he that fears the Lord differs in the the matter of his conscience so he differs also in the matter of his restraints A wicked man abstains it may be from one evil to commit another but he that fears the Lord abstains from all evil because of the fear of God which the other doth not A wicked man is bad in good company and a good man is good in bad company yea he is the same in all company therefore he that fears the Lord cannot will not do as others do But Fourthly Is it possible for a man that fears the Lord to do sometimes as others do Yes he may For the Apostle speaks plainly concerning the same Rom. 12.1 Mark what he saith I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God That ye be not conformable to this present world c. But now observe this That it is one thing what a man doth in a sudden passion and another thing what he doth in his serious consideration For take a man that fears the Lord and in his sudden passion he shall deny Christ as well as another but in the way of serious consideration he shall never do it And further take notice that it is one thing what a man doth in a particular action and another thing what he doth in his common practice for you may find in Scripture that Gods people have sometimes run away from God as to a particular Action but yet in their constant course they feared the Lord and therefore those that fear the Lord do not do as others do because if they turn aside they repent of their so doing and turn to God again So I say there is still a difference between them that fear the Lord those that do not But Fifthly Suppose a man do truly fear the Lord what is the Issue and consequence thereof why the Issue will be this If you fear the Lord God will deal well with you he will deal well with you in a special manner he will make a difference between you another in his dispensations Psal 1. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly nor standeth in the way of Sinners nor setteth in the heat of the scornful But his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth its fruit in his season his lease also shall not wither but whatsoever he doth shall prosper the ungodly are not so but are like unto the chaff which the wind driveth away Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in Judgement nor Sinners in the Congregation of the Righteous But the way of the ungodly shall perish Thus you see how Gods dispensations shall be to them that fear him it shall go well with them but not so to the wicked It is said that those that feared the Lord spake often one to another And it is said in Isa 8.11 12. For the Lord spake thus to me with a strong hand and Instructed me not to walk in the way of this people c. Psal 112.6 7 8. You may find there that there will be a great difference one day between them that fear the Lord and they that do not Surely he shall not be moved for ever the Righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance He shall not be afraid of evil Tydings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord his heart is established he shall not be afraid untill he see his desire upon his enemies he hath dispersed he hath given to the poor his Righteousness indureth for ever his horn shall be exalted with honour The wicked shall see it and be grieved he shall gnash his teeth and melt away the desire of the wicked shall perish yea God will do great things for them that fear him he will put his law into their Hearts that thereby they may keep his Commandments He will do greatly for them for his eye shall be upon them The eye of the Lord is upon the righteous and his ear is open to their cry He is ready to answer those that fear him upon all
accounts Read what the Psalmist saith Psal 31.19 O how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee that thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the Sons of Men. Yea further if you truly fear the Lord The eye of God shall be upon you for good unto him will I look that trembleth unto him will I look that feareth saith the Lord. Again if you truly fear the Lord the Lord will delight in you Yea God will be a God unto you God will be a strong Tower to you and he will sanctify all unto you and to say no more They that fear the Lord shall want no good thing O what a blessed thing is it then to fear the Lord for from him God will with-hold no good thing and thus you see the Issue of this fearing of God Consider it consider I say the consequence and Issue of it and let it be so many motives to stir you up more and more to fear the Lord. So much shall serve for the Doctrinal part Now then by way of Application Here we may see what a sad excuse that will be which many make That say they do but as others do but Alas this is an excuse fit for the lips of those only who fear not God at all But Secondly If this Doctrine be true then here you may see who those are that fear God in truth there are many pretenders to it but we find here that those that truly fear the Lord cannot will not do as others do They will not do as others do in the matter of their choice in the matter of their worship nor of their calling nor in what they are intrusted with nor in their refreshments nor in their Afflictions nor in their right and propriety and if it be so how few are there that fear the Lord in Truth They that truly fear God say always as Nehemiah But so did not I because of the fear of God There are many that lie quiet under sins of Omission and under sins of Commission too but so will not I because of the fear of God Do others sin and do others act contrary to the will of God yet let us not do so but let us say with Nehemiah But so will not I because of the fear of God O therefore let me desire all to fear the Lord And for you that do fear the Lord be you comforted for comfort belongs to you Everlasting mercy belongs to you who fear the Lord Jer. 31.3 I have loved you with an Everlasting love But it may be some will say I am afraid I do not fear the Lord and so this comfort doth not belong to me why consider First Do you make conscience of what you do doth your conscience accuse you or not for what you do do you find conscience accuse or excuse Secondly Have you not sinned in the dark when none could accuse but God only and do you Act and walk and live and labour as if you were in the presence and sight of God if you do thus then you do fear the Lord And then it shall be well with you Eccles 8.12 Again Thirdly Do you run and speak one to another if so then this is to fear the Lord for it is said that they that feared the Lord spake often one to another Mal. 3.16 And Fourthly Do you truly desire to fear the Lord then look into Nehemiah and observe his spirit well and do accordingly And to say no more Have you had advantages to make you rich in this world and would you not take them because of the fear of God then certainly you have received free grace and you have the Spirit of God for this is a true sign that you have true grace in your hearts and that you are one of them that truly fear the Lord and therefore be you comforted for comfort belongs unto you everlasting mercy belongs unto you But it may be some will say Suppose I do not fear the Lord what shall I do that I may fear the Lord fear him as I should do fear him more and more For answer If you would fear the Lord in truth Then First Be humbled for want of this fear That man is not far from grace who is humbled for the want of grace a man will never be humbled for unbelief unless he be humbled for the want of it Secondly Go to God and beg of him to fulfil his promise God hath said I will put my fear into their hearts Now go to God I say and beg and desire him that he would make good this promise to you Thirdly If you would fear God in truth then observe what that is that is neerest and dearest to you and give that up to God You know Abraham offered up Isaac his only Son and saith God By this I know thou fearest me And further Fourthly If you would fear the Lord in Truth then worship God according to his own appointment take heed of mingling of Gods worship with any of mans Inventions for he that doth so feareth not God nor worshippeth him according to his own appointment And then Fifthly If you would fear the Lord in Truth then take heed of sinning when you have an opportunity Again Sixthly If you would fear God more than love the Lord more labour to strengthen your love to God Again Seventhly If you would have your fear strengthned more and more then study much the free grace of God in giving out his mercy to one more than to another Two in a field the one taken and the other left Two walking together the one taken and the other left If you would strengthen your fear study much the free grace of God Eightly If you would fear the Lord in Truth Live much in and study much upon dependance wholly upon God it is our great duty to depend upon God If a man be upon a high Tower and another holds him from falling by the hand only he will certainly be very fearful of offending him that holds him so why we are thus in the hand of God and our dependance is upon him for every thing how fearful ought we then to be of offending this God O study your dependance upon God more and more and Again Use the world as using it not deal with men as in the presence of God and when you are dealing with men be sure to deal with God before all the men of the world Again Let your eye be very much upon the Severity and Justice of God upon his severity and Justice consider Gods severeness to Adam in eating the forbidden fruit and his severeness to Moses for a word that for one word God would not let him enter into the promised land and consider his severity to David for numbring the people Yea Again consider That God cannot only destroy the body but soul and body too Therefore O man fear him that can destroy both body and soul when
willingly give up your right and render up your own right to preserve peace and Unity one with another O friends love one another that you may declare your selves to be heavenly children to be children of your heavenly Father consider Phil. 1.27 Only let your Conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ that whether I come or be absent I may hear of your affairs that you stand fast in one Spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel O friends let me beseech you to love one another and to take all advantages that may increase your love how can you shew your face before the free love and grace of God if you do not love one another with what face can you go to God for free grace and love when you your selves have no love for your brethren If a poor man should do a rich man a great deal of prejudice and if this rich man should nevertheless invite this poor man to a feast and welcome him and do him abundance of good would you not say that this is wonderful love and kindness because the poor man is no way able to gratify him or to make any requital for what he receives but only by thankfulness it may be he may be thankful to him why thus it is with us now this is our own case for we have done great injury to God and yet God hath loved us and hath given us blessings and riches and what doth he expect for it all surely no reward from us for he knows we are poor and not able to gratify him no he expects nothing but only that we should love one another saies God you can do nothing for me all that I desire is that you would love one another in Truth How then I say will you be able to shew your faces before the God of heaven if you love not one Another O look after this love which is so much commended in this little Psalm O how sweet and perfuming it is it is as sweet as honey is is like unto the Oyl that ran down Aarons beard like the dew upon Hermon and as the dew that fell down upon the mountains of Zion yea this is that which is sweet and profitable that which will perfume you now if you do desire that Gods perfumes may come upon you and that the dew of Gods blessings may fall upon you labour more and more to love one another and let not love be wanting I cannot tell how it may be with you yet let me desire you as you would honour your selves now and as you desire happiness in this life and also to be blessed hereafter to all Eternity observe this new Commandment to love one another and as you do desire to declare that you have received free grace and that you have that seal with which God seals the soul for his own to live with him for ever be exhorted to be of one mind and love one another Rejoyce in the Lord and be of one mind be united one to another and let your hearts abound in love more and more one toward another SERMON VI. MICAH 6.9 The Lords voice cryeth unto the City and the man of Wisdom shall see thy name hear ye the rod and who hath appointed it MEthinks I see a great rod ready to be layd upon the back of this Nation and I would therefore at this time endeavour to inform you what the voice of this Rod is and have to that end chosen this Scripture to speak unto In this Chapter then you have Gods controversy with his own people set down at the end of the 2. verse For the Lord hath a controversy with his people and he will plead with Israel And then he chargeth them with First Unthankfulness for many years in the 3.4 5. verses O my people what have I done unto thee and wherewith have have I done unto thee and wherewith have I wearied thee testifie against me for I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt c. Secondly He Chargeth them with formality and shews them the evill of it in the 6. and 7. verses Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams c. And then Thirthly He pleades against them in the 8. verse He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justice and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God And then Fourthly He seals up the Sentence in this verse of my Text. The Lords voice cryeth unto the City and the man of Wisdom shall see thy name hear ye the rod and who hath appointed it Wherein you have three things especially remarkable First The people the Lords voice cryeth unto and that is unto the City the Lords voice cryeth unto the City Secondly You have en exhortation to hear the voice of the Rod. Hear ye the rod and who hath appointed it Thirdly You have an Argument to press you so to do It is your wisdom the man of wisdom shall see thy name The Lords voice cryeth unto the City that is unto Samaria and Jerusalem the Chief Cities And the man of wisdom shall see thy name The dispensations of God in the way of his mercy or Justice are his name As a man is known by his name so God is known by his dispensations which though they be dark to the world yet the man of wisdom shall see them and discern them Therefore hear ye the Rod and who hath appointed it the Rod that is the Rod of Correction Now there is First The Rod of power and dignity He shall send his rod out of Zion Secondly There is a rod of Discrimination Ezek. 20.37 I will cause you to pass under the Rod and I will bring you under the bond of the Covenant Thirdly There is the rod of direction Thy rod and thy staff they shall comfort me Fourthly There is a rod of Government both Ecclesiastical and civil As for Ecclesiastical saith Paul shall I come unto you with a rod and as for civil he that spareth the rod hateth the Child Fifthly There is a rod of Destruction thou shalt break them with a Rod of Iron and dash them to peices like a potters vessel Psalm 2.9 Now it is a rod of Correction that we are to understand here from whence I take up this Observation That when God visits the transgressions of his people with a rod it is their best wisdom to hear the rod and who hath appointed it It is their true Interest and best wisdom so to do For the opening and cleering hereof I shall speak to these 4. or 5. Propositions First That God doth not steal upon a people with his Judgements but he first warns them before he smites them Secondly When God smites his own people he deals with them in the way of rod. Thirdly That Gods Rod is a teaching Rod. Fourthly That the message of the Rod is commonly sent to the
The Judgement Threatned and that is in the second and third verses The Lord hath sworn by his holiness that to the dayes shall come upon you that he will take you away with hooks and your posterity with fish-hooks As if he should say I will send Anglers among you that shall pull you out of your houses as the little fishes are pulled out of the water and then he goes on in the third verse And ye shall go out at the breaches saith the Lord Though you be great and strong yet will I make breaches among you saith the Lord this is the Judgement threatned Secondly Here is the cause of the Judgment and that is therefold First Oppression as at the first verse Hear this word ye kine of Bashan that are in the mountain of Samaria which oppress the poor which crush the needy and so forth Secondly Another cause is Idolatry and Superstition as at the 4. and 5. verses Come ye to Bethel and transgress at Gilgal multiply transgression Proclaim and publish the free offering for this liketh you O ye children of Israel saith the Lord God Thirdly The third cause is their Incorrigableness as at the 6. verse I have given you cleaness of Teeth in all your Cities and want of bread in all your places yet have ye not returned to me saith the Lord. And at the 7. verse And also I have with-holden rain from you and I have caused it to rain upon one City and not upon another City so two or three Cities wandred unto one City to drink water but they were not satisfied yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord and at the 9. verse I have smitten you with blasting and with mildew when your gardens and your vineyards and your figtrees and your olive trees increased the palmer worm devoured them yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord and at the 10. verse I have sent among you the Pestilence after the manner of Egypt your young men have I slain with the sword and have taken away your horses and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord and at the 11. verse I have overthrown some of you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and ye were as a firebrand pluckt out of the burning yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord. Thirdly Therefore by way of Inference he concludes Therefore this will I do unto thee O Israel and because I will do this unto thee prepare to neet thy God O Israel In these words you have a double Inference which God makes First Therefore thus will I do unto thee I have been a long time striving with you as if he should say and I have been at a stand whether I should punish you or not yet have ye not returned unto me therefore now I am resolved thus will I do unto thee And then Secondly Now I am resolved prepare to meet thy God O Israel therefore do thou prepare to meet thy God O Israel I do not send you a challeng saith God that you should prepare to meet with your God to fight with him or to resist him not to meet God in his anger and to oppose him no but prepare to meet thy God by preventing his Judgements with your Repentance and returning unto him If a man be coming to your house and you go out to meet him why then you prevent him by meeting of him So when we prevent Gods Judgements by our Repentance we are said to meet with God From hence then I take up this Observation or Doctrine That when God is resolved to come out against a Nation or people it is their duty to prepare to meet with God For the opening and prosecuting hereof I shall labour to shew you First That God doth seem sometimes to be at a stand concerning a people whether he should trust to them any longer or not or whether he should punish them or not Secondly That if they do not come to him and meet with him he will then resolve to go out against them in his wrath Thirdly That when God doth resolve to go out against a people in his wrath it is their duty to prepare to meet him Fourthly I shall labour to shew how a people or family or person may prepare themselves to meet with God in the way of his anger when he is going out against them First Though God is alwaies resolved in himself what to do with a people yet he seems to us to be at a stand whether he should deliver them or not or whether he should punish them or not whether he should shew mercy to them or not as you may see Exod. 33.5 For the Lord said unto Moses say unto the children of Israel ye are a stiffnecked people I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment and consume thee therefore now put off thy Ornaments from thee that I may know what to do unto thee that I may shew or make known what to do unto thee as it is in the Hebrew this is speaking after the manner of men and so in Gen. 18.21 I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it which is come unto me and if not I will know And Again Gen. 22.12 Lay not thine hand upon the Lad neither do any thing unto him for now I know that thou fearest God speaking after the manner of men And Again Hosea 6.4 O Ephraim what shall I do unto thee O Judah what shall I do unto thee And in Hosea 11.8 How shall I give thee up O Ephraim how shall I deliver thee Israel how shall I make thee as Admah how shall I set thee as Zeboim Here are four How 's in our Translation though but two in the Hebrew How shall I give thee up How shall I deliver thee How shall I make thee as Admah How shall I set thee as Zeboim As if the Lord to speak after the manner of men were in a great streight and knew not what to do was not resolved what to do So I say though God is alwaies resolved in himself yet he seems to us to be at a stand sometimes whether he shall shew mercy or no. But you will say how doth this come to pass that God doth sometimes seem to be thus at a stand I answer you know how it is with a tender Father that hath a rebellious Child saith the Father I will thrust him out of doors I will utterly cast him off I have often admonished him and threatned him and corrected him and yet he is never the better therefore I am resolved even to turn him out of doors I but then he reflects and thinks again He is my child he is the Son of my bowels how shall I how can I give him up how can I turn him out of doors why now God is more tender to his