the great work next to the glorifying of his Father and therein he did glorifie his Father that was in his heart to accomplish in and by that mysterious work of his Incarnation in taking upon him Man's nature and for which he made himself of no reputation in the World for which he suffered so much and still doth so much by his intercession in Heaven to this day that as Isa 53.11 he might see the Travel of his own Soul and be satisfied in the complete and Eternal prosperity of all their Souls which God the Father gave unto him and for which he engaged himself John 6.38 39 40 For I came down from Heaven not to do my own will but the will of him that sent me And this is the Fathers will which sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day In 1 Pet. 2.25 Christ is said to be the Shepherd of Souls Now a faithful Shepherd though he will be ready to do his Master what good service he can in any thing yet his chiefest care is for his Master's flock Such a faithful Shepherd is Jesus Christ he highly minds the meanest thing wherein any of his are concerned Satan to his own great vexation cannot overlook this Job 1.10 Hast thou not made an hedge about him and about his house and about all that he hath on every side And we know that when he was visibly in the World he was exceeding helpful to the Bodies of Men yet his chiefest care was over his peculiar flock as the Shepherd of Souls He laid down his Natural life to procure their Spiritual life That dead Souls might live and living Souls prosper That they might have life and live in abundance Joh. 10.10 11. For this end he ever lives to make intercession for those that come unto him that they might be saved to the uttermost Heb. 7.25 And as the effect of his intercession according to his promise Joh. 16.16 he sends the Spirit of Grace into their hearts to work in them all the graces that accompany Salvation And to abide in them to preserve what he hath wrought that in believing their Souls might be saved Heb. 10.39 And that they might receive the end of their Faith the Salvation of their Souls 1 Pet. 1.9 This is the first thing that Jesus Christ minded this most in our behalf that for this cause he came into the World to seek and to save lost Souls Luk. 19.10 2. This is the great end he aims to carry on by all his Ordinances The Law of God that is the whole Doctrine revealed in the word is for the Conversion of Souls Psal 19.7 And for Edification of Souls Act. 20.32 I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up The Sacraments are Spiritual Food for Souls 1 Cor. 10.3 4 And did all eat the same Spiritual meat And did all drink the same Spiritual drink Yea Excommunication that dreadful Ordinance so it be managed according to the mind of Christ for it is a delivering a Man to Satan yet it is with reserence to the good of his Soul 1 Cor. 5.5 To deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus For this end he appointed the Ministry to be a standing Ordinance unto the end of the World that they might watch over Souls Heb. 13.17 This was that which the Apostles aimed at according to their Commission from Christ Paul saith That he was made all things to all Men that by all means he might save some 1 Cor. 9.22 In his removal from one place to another he aimed at the conveying of some Spiritual gift where ever he came for the good of Souls Rom. 1.11 For I long to see you that I may impart to you some Spiritual gift In all his prayers for those to whom he wished all the good that might be this was the great thing he desired in their behalf that their Souls might prosper Eph. 3.14 15 16 17 That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner Man That Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith c. Gal. 6.18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your Spirit Prospering Souls were his joy and Crown Phil. 4.1 3. This was and is the great end of all his Providential Dispensations They are or may be all them either Food or Physick for the Soul Thriving in holiness as ye have heard is Soul-thriving Now this is the end that all comforting desirable Providences seem to drive on Obad. vers 17. But upon Mount Zion there shall be deliverance and there shall be holiness All afflicting saddening Providences are for the same purpose Heb. 12.10 God chasteneth us for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness Yea for this very cause it often goes very ill with many of those that live highly in the love of God in their outward condition that their spiritual condition may prosper and flourish Isa 27.9 By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin Which is the sickness and otherwise would be the death of the Soul and its destruction Psal 119.71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy Statutes And therefore he acknowledgeth to the praise of the wisdom and rich grace of God that in very faithfulness to the interest of his Soul the hand of the Lord had been upon him so as it was Now lay all this together That this was the great end of Christ's Incarnation Death and Suffering and Intercession The great end for which all Ordinances and Providences are appointed to be subservient unto and it will evidently appear that this was and is above all things else most upon the heart of Christ in our behalf that our Souls might prosper therefore it ought to be most upon our hearts and it is most rational it should be so 3. It is every way most agreeable to the best and highest principles of reason with all possible diligence and seriousness to mind that the neglect whereof will be our utter undoing to all Eternity and bring both Body and Soul under the most absolute and unavoidable wo and misery that ever befell or possibly can befall any Creature that ever God made next unto the Devil himself That principle of self-preservation planted in the heart of Man by Nature if improved cannot but teach him this That it is most rational for him to mind that the neglect whereof would bring this ruine upon him Now what wo and misery is laid up for a neglected perishing unprospering Soul ye have fully expressed beyond what can be conceived in one verse Matth. 25.41 whereof I shall mention but these two particulars
he apprehend himself at present to be Spiritually dead that his Soul shall never live So there is no sufficient reason for any Man to doubt who is really though weakly alive to God but that waiting upon God and keeping his way his Spiritual life may grow to be lively and his Soul may prosper as much as ever the Soul of Gaius did Therefore let us up and be doing and the Lord will be with us Phil. 2.12 13 Work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure This is that which slackens many Mens endeavours that because they think they shall never attain to such an height of Soul-prosperity as others have attained unto therefore they stir not up themselves to reach after any prosperity at all as is charged on them Isa 64.7 There is none that calleth upon thy name that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee As some poor Men because they think they shall never get beforehand as many of their Neighbours do whatever others get they shall never be worth a Groat and therefore mind no more then to live from hand to mouth But we have not so learned Christ This is all that I shall say by way of argument to perswade I now proceed to speak of the former of those two Particulars mentioned but now That those that are spiritually alive ought to see to it that their Spiritual life be lively and prosper because therein the prosperity of their Souls consisteth The great matter to be enquired into is to shew what is to be done in order to the carrying on of this holy and blessed design In speaking unto it Let this be considered That there is a Rule for and a Regiment of Health for the Soul as there is for the Body And what in a natural way may be prescribed and ought to be made use of for the wel-fare of the one may be prescribed and ought to be made use of in a Spiritual way for the well-fare of the other Of this kind there are five several things which I shall speak to in order 1. In reference to Bodily health upon good advisement the seasonable use of Physick is necessary This is an Ordinance of God and ought to be used in faith and obedience to God Sometimes for preventing of Diseases which otherwise might prejudice our health and sometimes for curing and removing of them which otherwise may endanger our life Answerably to this we find in the Scripture which is the Magazine and Store-house for all Spiritual Receipts Physick prescribed for the Soul by Jesus Christ himself the great Physician of Souls without the due and seasonable use whereof it is impossible the Soul should prosper Before I tell you what it is it is fit to premise these three things 1. That the Soul of every Man Spiritually alive to God is as subject to Spiritual Diseases as the Body of any living Man is to Bodily Diseases And it is sin alone and nothing else but sin which is the sickness of the Soul and which if it be not cured will be the death and destruction of the Soul It is the resemblance by which it is frequently set forth in the Scripture and that most fitly as all Scripture resemblances are For as sickness hinders the operation of Nature wasting and consuming by degrees both the Natural heat and Radical moisture often changing and altering a Man's countenance as Job 2.12 And when they lift up their eyes afar of and knew him not Often causing much pain so as the sick Man grows worse and unless happily recovered by the blessing of God upon the use of Means untill death seize upon him So that sickness upon this account is truly said to be contrary to Nature an Enemy to Nature Even such a thing is sin to the Soul It is contrary to the well-fare and prosperity of it It Wars against it 1 Pet. 2.11 It hinders the gracious actings of it Rom. 7.21 I find a Law then that when I would do good evil is present with me It puts even living and good Souls under such a disguise that they neither speak nor do like themselves As Job's Wife though it is believed that she was a good Woman yet she spake as her Husband told her as one of the foolish Women Job 2.10 So 1 Cor. 3.3 Their unmortified lusts put them under such a disguise that they walked as Men as those that were still dead in sin and never had received any principle of Spiritual life And farther As sickness causeth pain so guilt following of sin often causeth intolerable pain in the anguish and chargings of Conscience In a word sin being indulged consumes and wastes what is of God in the Soul so as it is said of the worst of Men 2 Tim. 3.13 it grows worse and worse and if not happily prevented it ends at last in Eternal death Rom. 8.13 If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye 2. As in all these respects sin is such a thing to the Soul as sickness is to the Body So that we may be the more affected and take the more notice of it It is fitly expressed by the same name As Pride is fitly compared to a Tympany Earthly-mindedness to a Dropsie Carnal security to a Lethargy Unruly passions to a Frenzy Apostacy and Back sliding from the ways of God to the Falling-sickness Envy to a Consumption An unquiet discontented Spirit to the grief of the Bowels Sore Diseases all of these are And besides all these Original sin is as a Leprosie over-spreading the whole Soul This evil Disease which is indeed all Diseases in one cleaves unto all Adam's posterity as Gehazi's Leprosie did to all his Seed for his Son if he had any and his Son's Son and so from generation to generation were all Lepers 2 Kings 5.27 3. Though this be generally acknowledged That sin is the sickness of the Soul therefore the Soul prospers only so far as it is well rid of it yet this would be farther observed That though sin have such evil effects upon the Soul as Diseases have upon the Body and that the names of Bodily Diseases do so fitly resemble the Diseases of the Soul yet the difference is great as to that which is required to dispose the sick in Soul and the sick in Body toward a recovery In the Diseases of the Body it matters not much it may perhaps something but much it doth not whether the sick Man know the name or nature of his Disease so he have a faithful and skillful Physician Nor whether he know the virtue of what is prescribed him or the composition of it Or whether he be able to judge of the increase or declining of his Disease by the beating of his Pulse Though perhaps some insight into these things might afford to some persons at least some satisfaction yet they are left specially to the care and wisdom
proportioned and that is his Soul-prosperity Surely this Gaius was a very rare Man It is hard to find such among all those that bear the honourable name of Christians How many are there Christians in profession and it may be according to some measure indeed and in truth who prosper in their Estates and prosper in their Bodies They are well and lively as David's Enemies were Psal 38.19 but they have poor lean withering Souls So that we may very well in the behalf of many invert the Apostle's wish and wish that their Souls might prosper as their Bodies prosper and as their Estates prosper If we should pray for some that their Bodies might be as their Souls are we should curse them instead of praying for them We must say let their Bodies be filled with noisome Diseases and let them pine away for so their Souls do But it was not so with Gaius Hence observe Note Though a person of a sickly and weak constitution be under many disadvantages yet under them all it is possible his Soul may thrive and prosper 2 Cor. 4.16 Though our outward Man perish yet our inward Man is renewed day by day Here take notice that when I say such a Man is under some disadvantages I mean in respect of the outward Duties of Religion but not as to the inward and spiritual Duties as living by Faith exercising the Love of God and the Fear of God and desires after the enjoyment of God Herein consists true Religion Wo be to that Man that hath no more Religion then can be seen Religion is not all Outside the Lining is the best part of it The Text bears the Doctrine mentioned in the first place thus John wisheth that Gaius might prosper in all things as his Soul prospered we must understand him in subordination to Soul-prosperity John wisheth that Gaius might prosper in all things so that his Soul might still prosper If Gaius's Soul had received prejudice John had wished him a great loss So that the observation is clear That of all prosperities Soul-prosperity is the most desirable prosperity SERMON II. I Now proceed to that Observation I first intended in the choice of the words But take notice first That the Text gives a fair and full occasion to speak to it though perhaps not discerned at first John ye see wisheth all prosperity to his friend Gaius but this must be understood in a way of subserviency to the prosperity of his Soul Otherwise he had wished him far more hurt then good If he had wished him any thing that in the least had been to the prejudice of his Soul It is then beyond all controversie That as he wished that he might prosper in all things as his Soul prospered he would be understood that his desire was That his Soul always might prosper Hence observe Doct. Of all prosperity the prosperity of the Soul is the most desirable prosperity For the Explication three things are to be spoken too 1. What the Soul is in its natural constitution and what it is in its unregenerate state by reason of Original corruption 2. Wherein the prosperity of the Soul consisteth and when it may be said to prosper 3. What are the Reasons whereby it may be made to appear that the prosperity of the Soul is the most desirable prosperity For the first of these there are two things to be taken into consideration and to be spoken to apart 1. What the Soul is in its natural constitution Ans It is hard to tell you for it is a thing which no Man ever saw But this I may say that it is that which the Scripture sometimes calls The Spirit of Man which is in him 1 Cor. 2.11 Sometimes and indeed most frequently The heart of Man Prov. 23.26 My Son give me thine heart The inward Man 2 Cor. 4.16 The hidden Man of the heart 1 Pet. 3.4 The Candle of the Lord Prov. 20.27 And this I may say farther That it is a most excellent piece of God's Workmanship and indeed well worth the tongue and pen of an Angel to describe it The Body of Man though it was of mean extraction made at first but of the Dust of the Earth and liable every moment when God will to tumble into the grave to rot and putrifie and to be resolved into its first original Dust thou art and unto Dust shalt thou return again Gen. 3.19 Yet that it is a very curious piece David speaking of his Body Psal 139. saith vers 13 14 That he was fearfully and wonderfully made When I think thereof saith he as I do sometimes it striketh me with astonishment yea with a dread and fear of the incomprehensible wisdom and power of God manifested therein This my Soul knows full well yet this is but the Case the Cabinet The Soul is the Jewel that is in it If that be as the Ring this is the Diamond in the Ring I shall not undertake an exact definition of it but only this description It is a Spiritual Immortal substance united to the Body yet existing when it is separated from the Body capable of doing more service unto God and of receiving more good from God then all the Creatures that ever God made the glorious Angels and the Human Nature of Christ only excepted I shall not insist upon the proof of the particulars of this description Some of them may possibly come to be spoken to hereafter Only for the present take notice that it is endued with three most excellent Faculties which will go far if no more should at any time be said in proving this to be so 1. With the faculty of Vnderstanding capable of knowing Good from Evil Truth from Falshood of knowing God in Christ the knowledge of whom is Eternal Life Job 32.8 There is a Spirit in Man and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth him Vnderstanding Every Soul hath this faculty though this faculty in every Soul be not so furnished yet it is capable of the inspiration of the Almighty so as to know the truth as it is in Jesus and every truth as it ought to be known without which Man were no more capable of such knowledge then the Beasts of the field as Elihu expresseth himself Job 35.11 Who teacheth us more then the Beasts of the Earth and maketh us wiser then the Fowls of Heaven Therefore Nebuchadnezer upon the highest grounds of reason praiseth and magnifieth God for restoring his understanding unto him Dan. 4.34 2. Endued it is with the admirable faculty of Conscience which hath a power to make a Man stand in awe of God though he does not see him yea and of himself too when no Body knows where he is nor what he is doing For it taketh knowledge and can or at last day will bear witness what a Man hath thought or spoken or done even from his Cradle to his Grave So that no Man need to call for a Candle to see what he hath done in the dark
in his Fatherly care for them remembring them in their low estate and the workings of their own hearts toward God in that through grace they are enabled to reckon upon it That God's allowance is best for them and that by faith they can live upon him for their livelihood when they have little in sight to live upon So that they can subscribe to what the Apostle saith 1 Tim. 6.6 as a true saying and worthy of all acceptation That godliness with contentment is great gain They have the clear gain of a quiet and well-composed spirit so that their Souls dwell at ease as Psal 25.13 And is not this real prosperity Verily it is so Are not these prosperous persons Surely they are so Thus we see the first branch of the first reason is confirmed That the prosperity of Mens outward condition in the general depends upon Soul-prosperity 2. The other branch will be as clearly made good That the health and well-fare of the Body stands upon the same bottom No Man therein ever did or ever shall truly and really prosper but in conjunction with Soul-prosperity This may seem at the first mentioning as great a Paradox as the former But it is a just and measured truth and cannot but be acknowledged to be so if we consider the state of the Body either in reference to this World or the World to come 1. In reference to this World Though it be true that many whose Souls are death-struck sinfully sick unto death the second death eternal death in respect of their bodily health live to a great old age in great health scarce knowing for a long while together what a days sickness means As Job observed in his time Job 21.23 One dyeth in his full strength being wholly at ease and quiet yet Bodily health as a blessing is certaninly annexed to Soul-prosperity Prov. 3.7 8 fear the Lord and depart from evil The Soul prospers that doth so and while it doth so And what then It shall be health to thy Navel and marrow to thy Bones Now according to the store of marrow which moistens and feeds the Bones so is the strength of the Body And then it shall be health to thy Navel This is expressed because as Physicians say Bodily health in a natural way depends chiefly on the vital parts and entrails which are comprehended under the Navel because there they are knitt up and fastened The meaning then is this Fear the Lord and depart from evil and thy Body shall be strong and healthy This shall be health to all thy flesh as Prov. 4.22 For they are life unto those that find them and health to all their flesh Thus it is and will be till sickness and weakness be better for the well fare of the Soul as it was to Gaius in the Text whose Soul prospered the better under his Bodily weakness And when sickness and weakness grow upon us the gracious workings of a healthy and prosperous Soul are in some sense the best Physick and the most cherishing Cordials to a weak and languishing Body When the Soul can say as Psal 73.26 My heart and my flesh faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever Isa 38.2 3 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed unto the Lord and said Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked in truth before thee and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight It is observable what ye may read in the Book of Martyrs concerning Mr. Saunders that whilst he was in examination before the Bishop of London he felt a most ravishing sweetness from every part of his Body come together to the place and seat of his heart and from thence it did ebb and flow to and fro to every part of his body to his marvellous consolation This he told to one of his friends Thus far this branch of the reason is made good That the health and wellfare of the Body as it is a blessing may be expected and cannot otherwise be expected then in conjunction with Soul-prosperity Whatever Men think of it this is true That though Nature be an enemy to Grace yet Grace especially thriving and prospering is a friend the best friend to Nature 2. In reference to the World to come the well-being of the Body to all Eternity depends absolutely upon the well-being of the Soul That fares as the Soul fares If the Soul perish and be undone the Body is undone and perisheth too We read Luk. 16.24 25. that when the Soul of the rich Man was in Hell not the least refreshment could be had for his Body not a drop of water to cool his Tongue Therefore as Job 27.8 He hath no hope of all that he hath gained when God taketh away his Soul But if the Soul prospers while it is in the Body as it doth when it doth lay up its treasure in Heaven and hath its conversation in Heaven then the Body when it is laid in the Grave as it is still a Member of Christ death doth not dissolve that union It sleeps in Jesus 1 Thes 4.14 And by virtue of that union it shall be raised up and made like the glorious Body of Christ Thus ye have the first reason made good in both the branches of it that Soul-prosperity is so far all in all c. 2. Of all prosperities Soul-prosperity is the most desirable prosperity because it is made up of the most desirable materials Those goods whereof it consisteth are the best things the most desirable blessings It 's true the materials whereof Worldly prosperity consists are good things too We read Luk. 16. that the rich Man's purple Garments and fine Linnen which were his every-days-wearing and his sumptuous fare wherewith his Table was furnished every day and his great estate which maintained all this were good things in themselves and might have been good to him if he had used them well So they are said to be vers 25. But what are these things to the principles of Spiritual life thriving and increasing in the Soul Verily great heaps of Gold and Silver are but great heaps of Dust and Dirt to the least grain of grace The price of it is far above rubies Job 28.18 The Apostle speaking of one particular grace the grace of Faith one of these choise materials which make up soul prosperity saith That the Trial of it when it is exercised is much more pretious then Gold 1 Pet. 1.7 No marvel then if Solomon who knew the worth of every thing as much as ever any Man did saith of it That the Merchandize thereof is better then Silver and the gain thereof then fine Gold But of the excellency of the materials of Soul-prosperity I need say no more then what hath been said in the explication of the point only I shall shew you a little of that exceeding much which the Scripture speaks of the materials of Worldly prosperity
as ever we desire that our Souls should prosper and thrive as a watered Garden according to that promise Jer. 31.12 See that these waters have a free passage Let faith be exercised upon those truths which hold forth the freeness and riches of the grace of Christ For those are the truths the Prophet saw in his Vision represented by those waters And let this be in conjunction with the exercise of Repentance This is the way by the Spirit of grace working with these truths whereby Souls are healed and purged 1 Pet. 1.22 Seeing ye have purified your Souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit These were the truths by obedience whereunto their Souls were purified This is the way whereby the Lord first begins to heal and purge the Soul For this I shall give you but one place of Scripture but it is a place to be taken notice of It is 2 Corinth 5.19 Wherein note three things 1. God intending according to his Eternal purpose to heal some sick quicken some dead save some lost Souls declares his purpose to do it by way of Reconciling them to himself This he will do before they shall be possessed of that Salvation he hath chosen them unto His method is first to purge their Souls mortifying that enmity that is in their hearts both against his ways and their own good and so to reduce them to terms of Reconciliation with himself and make them willing to be Reconciled unto him 2. How God will do this God was in Christ The Divine Nature assumed the Human Nature and so in and through Christ God-Man in one Person offers terms of Love and Peace to them as the most effectual way to prevail upon them and to bring their Souls about to him 3. But in what peculiar way will he more transcendently manifest this grace and mercy The Text tells us he will do it in not imputing their iniquities proposing and promising a full and everlasting pardon of all sin never to be called in if his terms be accepted of And the sinner being made willing to be Reconciled unto God Thus he subdues the heart conquering it by Love And thus the work of purging and cleansing the Soul is begun Luk. 7.47 Her sins which are many are forgiven for she loved much And as thus it is begun so upon a failure it is renewed and continued When a Soul that is Diseased and polluted is awakened to apply himself to Jesus Christ the Sun of Righteousness in the exercise of Faith and Repentance making way that the waters of the Sanctuary the Spirit of grace and the Gospel of grace may not be stopt in their course but have a free passage into the Soul the hope of Reconciliation with God is raised greatly and that stirs up the Soul to purifie himself 1 Joh. 3.3 Every one that hath this hope purifieth himself Observe that He purifies himself This is necessary For as Physick is most effectual to purge out corrupt humours when Nature works with it for it is to no purpose to give it to a dead Man and when Nature is quite spent in a sick Person it comes too late So it is here The Soul that thus applies it self to Christ will find his blood to be a healing purging sin-mortifying blood But in applying our selves thereunto our own thoughts and affections our own endeavours and resolutions against all occasions of sin against the first risings of sin and we must apply our selves to what mortifying means we find prescribed and have been found to be of use to others All these we must set on work and then the Spirit of God will work with us Rom. 8.13 if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the Body ye shall live And doing thus we may be said To purge our selves as 2 Cor. 7.1 2 Tim. 1.21 If we do thus We shall be Vessels of honour fit for the Master's use That is our Souls shall prosper This is the first thing that I have to commend unto you as ye mind the well-fare and prosperity of your Souls to mind this There is another kind of Physick to be made use of as the matter requires and that is Cordials for the healing of a fainting Soul This may be spoken unto hereafter when I have first spoken unto what is most times to be made use of betwixt this of Purging and that of Cordials SERMON VIII 2. THe next thing that I shall take notice of as necessary for the health and well-fare of the Body which as the Lord shall enable me I shall apply to the point in hand is the observing of a good Diet with respect to the choice of meats such as by experience have been found best agreeable to the Nature and Constitution of the Body and in proportion suitable to the natural heat of our stomachs for Concoction and Digestion This is a great means of health especially for such as are naturally weak and infirm For usually as is our Food so is our Blood as is our Blood so are our Spirits and as are our Spirits so are our Bodies for health or sickness for strength or weakness Now as I told you what in a natural way is for the health and well-fare of the Body is in a spiritual way applicable to the health and well-fare of the Soul I shewed you that it was so in that which I spake last unto I am now to shew it is so in this In order hereunto we must take notice that as God hath provided and that with great variety Food and nourishment for the preservation of the Natural life of our Bodies So he hath for the preservation of the Spiritual life of our Soul and that suitable to the degree that our Souls have attained unto Heb 5.13 14 Milk for Babes Meat for strong Men. Food that endures to Eternal life Joh. 6.27 Such Food as is a Feast whereupon the Soul may feed and fare deliciously every day Isa 25.6 a Feast of fat things a Feast of Wine on the Lees c. This is a matter we are much concerned in That we know both our Priviledge and our Duty herein something must be said to each of these four Particulars 1. What that Food is which God hath provided for the health and prosperity of our Souls 2. What those Means are whereby that Food is conveyed unto us 3. Something by way of argument to quicken our Spiritual Appetite after it 4. Something by way of Direction how to feed upon it so as to receive that nourishment from it which our Souls stand in need of 1. For the first of these That Food which God hath provided for us is Jesus Christ himself but Jesus Christ especially as Crucified 1. This Food is Jesus Christ himself For the proof of this consider that Jesus Christ is said to be The tree of life Revel 2.7 And the Hidden Manna vers 17. Both which were Types of Christ 1. He is said to be The tree of life in
themselves and their Families Eccl. 6.7 All the labour of Man is for his mouth and yet the appetite is not filled But it is not so here this is prepared ready for us Matth. 22.4 I have prepared my Dinner mine Oxen and my Fatlings are killed and all things are ready And freely offered it is but Come and eat Isa 55.1 2. 'T is true we are commanded to labour for this food more then for any thing else that the World affords what need soever we stand in of it Joh. 6.27 Labour not for the meat that perisheth but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life which the Son of Man shall give unto you But it is with a labour like that of Adam in Paradise sweet easie and delightful The very labouring after it affords more content and satisfaction to the Soul truly so called then any Creature-comfort whatsoever Prov. 3.15 16 17. 2. There is no other food for our Souls but this we must feed upon it or starve Any thing that God appoints may supply the want of bodily food Deut. 8.2 3 Man doth not live by Bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth Man live But nothing can supply the want of Christ They that feed upon any thing else expecting any Soul-nourishment do but as they Isa 44.20 feed on ashes And indeed the complexion of some Mens Souls shews what their diet is so Earthly c. As young folks under some bodily Distemper eat Chalk or Lime c. How ill do they look Make the best of it To feed upon any thing else is but perishing food Joh. 6.27 And as well may we think that fishes of the Sea may live in the Air or the beasts of the Field in the bottom of the Sea as that the Soul may live and prosper by any thing either Providences or Ordinances without feeding upon Christ in them 3. There needs no other food Joh. 6.55 For my flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed And as all the sweetness desirableness and matter of nourishment that is in the meat is for the health and wellfare of the Body So whatever is in Christ and whatever Christ is and Christ is altogether lovely quantus quantus est all is for the life and health strength and prosperity of the Soul Joh. 10.10 It is said He came into the World that is to live and dye in the World to do and suffer what was to be done and suffered that dead Souls might live and living Souls have life in abundance that is might live and prosper Whether we consider Christ in his Person or in his Offices we shall see in both that there and there alone food is to be had for our Souls Before I mention either of these I shall first lay before you this Proposition That whatsoever may encourage a doubting Sinner experimentally under clear convictions that there is no possibility of Salvation in an Unregenerate state and fully satisfieth him that all Salvation is to be had in Christ and without him no Salvation at all whatsoever I say may encourage such a Person under great uncertainties whether Christ will accept of him or no to come unto him to cast himself down at the footstool of his grace into the arms of his mercy to depend upon him and abide in him for all that may give him a Title to and a fitness for Heaven And 2. Whatever may establish such a Perfon having thus adventured his Eternal estate in the hands of Christ in a good hope through grace that he shall receive such help and assistance from the Spirit of Christ that he shall persevere unto the end both in the love that God bears unto him and in the grace that he hath wrought in him so as the good work begun in him shall be perfected Where that is to be found which hath an influence into all this there certainly food is to be had for the life health and prosperity of our Souls This needs no proof ye will all assent to it Now that all this is to be found in Christ and in him alone will appear whether we consider him in his Person or in his Offices 1. In his Person as God and Man in one Person This is the great mystery of Godliness as hath been heretofore at large opened unto you from 1 Tim. 3.16 Of all Gospel-mysteries this is the greatest That a lost sinner should have such a Saviour that is as verily Man as God and as verily God as Man That the Divine and Human Nature that were at first at such a distance should meet in one person The serious consideration of this hath much of Spiritual nourishment in it It will appear to be so when we have weighed these two things 1. What the work was which Christ came into the World to do It was to be a Mediatour between God and Man A Mediatour of Reconciliation between a most holy God most highly provoked and Rebellious sinners still continuing in their provocation This was his great work that was upon his hands 2 Cor. 5.19 To wit that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them 2. That this affords great encouragement so to come to Christ as being upon this account able to save to the uttermost Hereby we see that what he either did or suffered though but in his human Nature though but for a little while the whole time of his continuing visibly in the World being but 33 years rather to speak exactly but 32 years and a half was of infinite value and efficacy which did arise from the Union of his two Natures because the Person though in the form of a Man was the mighty God that Did such things and Suffered such things Now this is a great relief to Faith yea such may be the temptation that a humbled sinner may be under that nothing else can relieve or afford any nourishment so much as we use to say to keep Life and Soul together For suppose this to be the case Mr. John Hardy of Symondsbury as once it was of a godly Minister in this County who dyed but this last Summer I had the Relation of it from himself who was for a time in a great Agony and this was his temptation Why said Conscience and Satan too who stood behind the Curtain Thy sins deserve an infinite punishment for thou hast sinned against an infinite God and thou deservest Eternal death And that Christ in whom thou trustest he being Man and suffering only in his human Nature he could suffer only that which is finite And the time of his suffering was but short How then can he by suffering so short a time deliver from infinite suffering and Eternal death This as he told me was the temptation that lay upon him and how he was relieved Even thus The Lord brought it to his remembrance and set it home with a Divine
God bowels of mercies kindness humbleness of mind meekness long-suffering c. That 's health when the whole Body thrives 2. It is such a principle as inclines the heart seriously to endeavour to submit to every known truth though contrary to former apprehensions Act. 11.18 When they heard these things they held their peace and glorified God c. Joh. 1.47 Behold an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile Weigh it well and I suppose you will find the reason of it to be this why Christ so highly honours him Philip came and told him We have found the Messiah Nathaniel being possessed with prejudice argues against it Can any good thing come out of Galilee Come and see saith Philip and he did so He took the right way to be informed And notwithstanding his prejudice is glad to find out the truth and accordingly acknowledged it That Christ indeed was the Messiah This was a Man in whom the Heaven-born principle wrought according to its nature endeavouring to submit to every known truth 3. That every grace may be exercised in its season Herein as in all things else it willingly complies with the whole Will of God which when the principle is infused commands the exercise 1 Joh. 3.23 And this is his commandment that we should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another It is the exercise of faith and love that is there enjoyned 4. Every Corruption mortified Gal. 5.24 They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affection and lusts They are said To have done it because it is part of their every days work 5. Duties performed Of our general Calling what relates to the worship of God so as God may be served acceptably Heb. 12.28 Let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear And Duties of our particular Calling and that with diligence The same principle that inclines To be fervent in Spirit in duties of worship inclines not to be slothful in the business of our Calling Rom. 12.11 And not only with diligence as some are They work hard but do not pray hard This is not diligence upon principles of Conscience But this Heaven-born principle we are speaking of inclines to diligence upon a Religious account that we may abide with God in our Calling 1 Cor. 7.24 Doing the work thereof heartily as unto the Lord Col. 3.23 6. Conversation rightly ordered When the root of it is in the heart but the fruits of it are to be expressed in our conversation Phil. 1.11 Being filled with the fruits of Righteousness which are by Jesus Christ c. Those that have this principle within have this character That they are upright in their conversation Psal 37.14 to slay such as be of upright conversation This is that which the Apostle means by walking with a right foot Gal. 2.14 Ordering our steps aright Prov. 4.26 Making even paths for our feet Heb. 12.13 That is that one action bear proportion to another and all good according to the rule Gal. 6.16 Not turning aside to any crooked path Psal 125.4 5. In order to this those that do indeed mind their Soul-prosperity will or should propound to themselves these three questions 1. An liceat May I do this and not sin 2. An deceat Is this becoming a Christian May I do this and not wrong my profession 3. An Expediat May I do this and not give offence to others This Heaven-born principle let it have its full liberty of working it will incline the heart to this And this is the way to order the conversation aright So as to inherit that promise Psal 50.23 To him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God 7. Providences improved Psal 107.43 Whoso is wise and will observe these things even they shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord. Puzled and astonished such a Soul may be sometimes at the strange dispensations of God but not offended so as to face about Still he holds on his way in the paths of Righteousness Mic. 6.9 The Lord's voice cryeth unto the City and the Man of wisdom shall see thy Name hear ye the rod and who hath appointed it 8 All this in the sight of God 2 Cor. 2.17 But as of sincerity but as of God in the sight of God speak we in Christ That God may be pleased 1 Thes 4.1 And we approve our selves to God 2 Cor. 5.9 2. It is impossible the Soul should prosper or be indeed in any capacity of prospering that is not clothed with it For where this Inner is not the other Outer garment is not It is so as I told you that this Garment of Righteousness wrought in us and that the Righteousness wrought for us are never separated the one from the other so that the Soul that is altogether destitute of it is in a Christless state naked and destitute of all spiritual clothing Rev. 3.17 God at first sent forth Man into the World compleatly apparelled with it being created in righteousness and true holiness but Satan by his subtilty stript him of it and he became naked Gen. 3.7 And thus he continues till by the powerful Word and Spirit of Christ his heart is made willing to come unto Christ to receive him rest upon him and abide in him Till then he is utterly destitute of all the materials of this garment Some indeed of whom there may be some hopes that they have obeyed the Call and are come to Christ are but poorly clad even half naked which is a sad sight But these have none at all they are naked all over though insensible of it They have no life at all nothing of this principle 1 Joh. 5.12 He that hath not the Son hath not life 3. The better the Soul is clothed with this garment the more it doth and the better it will prosper For consider 1. The more we have of this Garment of Righteousness the more the Soul is brought into and preserved in its right temper The health of the Body consists much in its right constitution when it is not so oppressed with corrupt humours but that it can relish its ordinary food and can do that work that is to be done by God's appointment wherein it is set and is not indisposed by sickness or weakness Into such a right temper this righteousness when the principles of it are exercised doth bring the Soul This prevails against the ill humours the Soul is subject unto It prevails against those noisom lusts that war against the Soul as the Apostle speaks 1 Pet. 2.11 It is compared Eph. 6.14 to a Breast-plate which if it be good preserves the principal parts of the Body the Breast wherein the vital parts of Man are closely coucht together So this righteousness preserves the principal part of a Christian it keeps the Conscience pure the Soul undefiled so far as it is exercised it will keep a Man from his own
iniquity Psal 18.23 That which by nature he was more prone unto then to others 2. The more we have of it and the better we are clothed with it the more the Soul will be carried after God It raiseth the heart above all worldly enjoyments so that it cannot settle upon them as others do Psal 4.6 7 There be many that say who will shew us any good Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us When David's heart was brought into its right temper he could really and truly and â—â—th much warmth and strength of affection say Whom have I in Heaven but thee And there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee Psal 73.25 26. 3. The more we have of it the more the Soul is fitted for Communion with God By the first principles of it a man is brought into a saving relation to God but by their exercise and increase of it it is fitted for a more sensible Communion with God There must be a suitableness between neighbours that enjoy Communion together Now the more we have of this the more suitableness there is in us to the holy nature of God 1 Joh. 1.7 But if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another 4. The more we are clothed with it the greater worth and excellency is put upon all natural and civil righteousness Every action so much as of this principle is exercised in it so much it turns to the wellfare and prosperity of the Soul Duties of the second Table are turned as it were into duties of the first as Heb. 13.16 To do good is a duty of the Second Table and Sacrifice whilest it was a part of God's worship a duty of the First But when in doing good to others we act upon principles of Religion and what we do to Man is out of â—â—ve to God and out of respect to his authority over us and to testifie our thankfulness for his goodness unto us it is through Christ acceptable to God as an act of Religion and so as advantageous to keep the Soul in a thriving prospering frame Jam. 1.27 Pure Religion before God and the Father is this to visit the Fatherless and Widows in their affliction 5. The more we have of it the better evidence we have for Heaven True though we had as much as any Man living it could not be our Plea for Heaven The honour of that is reserved to the righteousness which Christ hath wrought for us But it is our evidence 2 Tim. 4.7 8 I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith Henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness And when we are under the apprehensions of death next unto the Righteousness of Christ this will be of greatest use unto us when all things else fail us Isa 38.3 Remember O Lord how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart 4. A few words of the last part Some Directions in reference to the well-clothing of our selves with and well using of this garment Consider 1. The desires of our Souls should be working still after this clothing There is a blessing promised to them that hunger and thirst after Righteousness Matth. 5.6 1. These desires ought to be unlimited Our desires should be stinted as to what is necessary and comely for the clothing of our Bodies but not so after this clothing for our Souls we should be filled with the fruits of righteousness as the phrase is Phil. 1.11 This is the most genuine property of this principle To desire as we are still under the command to grow 1 Pet. 2.1 2 That ye may grow thereby 2. These desires ought to be ruling desires Whatever in the World the Soul desires with greatest earnestness our desires after this Righteousness must rule it If desires after any thing else be prejudicial to these desires they ought to be mortified as irregular desires Yea a gracious heart will bless God if he cross them in it as heartily as ever David did 1 Sam. 25.32 33 Blessed be the Lord which hath sent thee this day to meet me And blessed be thy advice and blessed be thou which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood Still maintaining that resolution that we ought not we cannot we dare not do any thing against this Righteousness but for it 2 Cor. 13.8 3. These desires ought to be constant and not as some as we say when they are in a good mood but as David saith Psal 119.20 My Soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times The righteousness of many is but like the morning dew Hos 6.4 2. This garment should be put on and worn every day otherwise the moths will eat it the corruption that is in the heart will spoil the beauty comeliness and usefulness of it Therefore though it was a vanity in that rich Man to cloth himself in Purple and fine Linnen every day yet it is our duty that our Souls be clothed every day with the best garments we have Luk. 1.75 That we should serve God In holiness and righteousness all the days of our life And then every day to our dying day that so they may be best at last For this garment is like the garments of the Children of Israel in the Wilderness which were never the worse for wearing no more is this For to him that useth well that which he hath more shall be given Matth. 25.29 3. If at any time there be any rent made in this garment it must be immediately stitcht up and mended else the rent will be made worse Thus understand me If there be any rent made in our humility by pride in our meekness by our passionate Distempers the like may be said of every piece of this garment of every particular grace this must be made up by humbling our selves before God applying our selves to Christ both for pardon and more supplies from his fullness So David when his faith failed in the exercise as he confesseth Psal 73.2 My feet were almost gone my steps had well-nigh slipt He had lost his standing by faith and judged by sense ver 2. For this immediately upon the discovery he humbles himself ver 21.22 Thus my heart was grieved so foolish was I And this made up the rent and then his heart was carried out as strongly after God as ever vers 25.26 Whom have I in Heaven but thee c. 4. By way of encouragement To get all we can and to preserve all we get and to make the best use of it every day consider 1. Though this garment be not such a covering as that garment of righteousness which Christ hath wrought for us for that covers from the guilt of sin yet this is a covering garment too 1. From that dis-respect which meanness of Birth or breeding which deformity of Body or a poor and low condition