even as it is in the natural body so likewise in the mystical body there is a sympathy between the members Likewise they partake of the sufferings of others by way of proportion they suffered in their kind and proportion as he suffered though perhaps not in the same very individual kind There is a portion of suffering in the Church some suffer one way and others another but all partake of sufferings in some degree or other Then again they did partake of St Pauls sufferings in preparation and disposition of mind howsoever now they did not suffer as much as he yet saith he I know as farre as the spirit of God is in you you are prepared to suffer and what we are prepared to doc that we do Christ saith we sell all for the Gospel when upon serious examination of our hearts we find we can part with it when we set our selves to examination what cannot I part with for Christ can I part with my goods Can I part with my life if we can once come to resolution it is done as Abraham is said to sacrifiee his Son because he resolved to do it and David is said to build the Temple because he intended to do it God looks upon us in our resolutions and preparations what we resolve to do that is done So saith he you are partakers of my sufferings not onely by sympathy and in proportion of sufferings but you are prepared he speaks charitably and lovingly to suffer whatsoever I suffer if God call you to it And the ground of Christians partaking of the sufferings one of another it is the communion that is between Christians they are all Members of one body if the hand suffer the head suffers the head thinks it self wronged when the hand or the foot is wronged by reason of the sympathy between the Members as I said and so it is in the mysticall body of Christ. There are these three unions which depend one upon another The union of Christ with our nature which is inseparable it is an eternali union he never laies that blessed mass of our flesh aside which he took which is the ground of all our comfort for God is now at one with us because God hath taken our nature on him and satisfied the wrath of God his Father Next the union of Christ with our nature is the union of Christ mysticall Christ and his Members when they suffer Christ suffers their sufferings are the sufferings of Christ. The third is the union of one Member with another that what one Member suffers another doth suffer therefore the Corinthians were partakers of Christ because their sufferings were the sufferings of Christ and they were partakers of St. Pauls sufferings because his sufferings were their sufferings They were partakers of Christs sufferings because of the communion between the head and the Members and they were partakers of St Pauls sufferings because of the communion of one Member with another And surely there is not a heart that was ever touched with the Spirit of God but when he heares of any calamity of the Church whether it be in the Palatinate in France in the low Countries or in any Country in the world if he heare that the Church hath a blow it strikes to the heart of any man that hath the spirit of God in them by a sympatheticall suffering It is one good signe to know whether a man be of the mysticall body or no to take to heart the grievance of the Church As good Nehemiah did he would not take comfort in the pleasures of a Court in the King of Babylons Court when it went not well with his Country when the Church was in distress he took their grievance to heart So Moses the very joyes of Pharaoh's Court could not please him when he considered the abasement of his Country-men he joyned with them and it is called the rebuke of Christ. So it is with all the people of God there is a communication of suffeings As you are partakers of the sufferings so you shall be also of the consolation Wherein two things are observable First That a necessary precedent condition of comfort is sufferings And then the consequent of this that those that suffer as they should are sure of comfort These two things unfold the meaning of the spirit of God here Before there be comfort there must be suffering for God hath established this order even as in nature there must be a night before the day and a Winter before a Summer so in the Kingdom of Christ in his ruling of the Church there is this divine policie there must be suffering before comfort God will sooner break the league and the Covenant between day and night then this league of suffering and comfort the one must be before the other it was so in our head Christ he suffered and then entred into his glory so all his Members must be comfortable to him in suffering and then enter into their glory The reasons of this are diverse First of all this method and order is first suffering and then comfort because God finds us in a corrupt estate and something must be wrought out of us before we can be vessels to receive comfort therefore there must be a purgation one way or other either by repentance or if not by repentance by affliction to help repentance there must be suffering before comfort The soule is unfit for comfort Secondly This order commends and sweetens comfort to us for fire is sweet after cold and meate is sweet after hunger so comfort is sweet after suffering God fits us to comfort by this by purging out what is contrarie to comfort And he indeares comfort by this those that have felt the cross comfort is comfort indeed to them heaven is heaven indeed to him that hath had a hell in his conscience upon earth that hath been afflicted in conscience or outwardly persecuted it set a price and value upon comfort Partly likewise to sharpen our desire of comfort for suffering breeds sence and sence that stirs up desire and desire is eager now suffering it makes comforts pretious and sets us in a wondrous strong desire after them And by this meanes likewise God comes to his own end which is that our comforts may be eternall therefore we have that which is ill in the first place Woe to us if it should be said to us as to Dives in the Gospel Son son thou hadst thy good here and now thou must have thy ill God intends not to deale so with his Children but they tast the worst wine first and better afterward because he intends eternall happiness to them he observes this method first ill and then good the best at last If this be so then why should we be offended at Gods order why should we not take it not onely gently and meekly but joyfully the afflictions that God sends to prepare and fit
uncharitable men judge amiss of the generation of the righteous Whereas they should set the Court in their own hearts and begin to censure there and to examine themselves they goe out and keep their Court abroad but I say passe not a harsh censure upon others or on thy selfe no not for extream dangers for God now is making way for great comfort let God go on his way without thy censuring of him Again This should teach us that we should not build overmuch confidence on earthly things on the things of this world neither on health of body or on friends or on continuance of life alas it is Gods ordinary course to strip us of all in this world we think of great reputation but saith God I will take that from you you shall learn to trust in me You think you have strong and vigorous bodies and you shall live long and therefore you will venture upon such and such courses I but God suffers his children to come to extream dangers and hazards that they think the sentence of death is passed upon them And since this is Gods course with the body and with the Members and with our head Christ himself shall we think to have immunitie and to escape and not looke to Gods order The Church is in great miserie and we are negligent in prayer we think there are many good people and there is strong munition c. As if when Gods people are in security and forget him and his blessings it were not his course to strip them of all to suffer them to fal into extream dangers have we not the Church before our eyes to teach us Let us trust therefore in nothing in this world So much for that point The second thing in the first part is this that As Gods Children are brought to this estate so they are sensible of it They are flesh and not steele they have not the strength of steele as Job saith they are men they are not stones they are Christians they are not Stoicks Therefore St. Paul as he was in extremity so he apprehended his extremity and with all his heart he would have escaped if he could he looked about to all evasions how he might escape death Gods children are sensible of their crosses especially they are sensible of death as he speaks here of himself We despaired even of life it self The word is very significant in the originall we were in such a strait that we knew not how to escape with life so that we despaired of life we would have escaped with our lives but we saw no way to escape To make this clear there are 3. things in Gods Children There is Grace Nature Corrupt nature nature with the tang of Corruption Grace that looks upward to glorie and comfort Nature looks to the present grievance nature looks not to things to come to matters revealed in the Word to supernatural comforts nature looks to the present crosse even nature without sin Corrupt nature feeles and feeles with a secret murmuring and repining and heavinesse and dulnesse as indeed corrupt nature will alway have a bout in crosses it will alway play its part first or last There are alway these three works in the Children of God in all extremities Grace works and that carries up up still trust in God it looks to heaven it looks to the end and issue that all is for good Nature it fills full of sense and pain and makes a man desire remedy and ease Corrupt nature stirs a man up to fret and say what doth God mean to do thus it stirs a man oft-times to use ill meanes indirect courses St. Paul was sensible from a right principle of nature and no doubt here was some tang of corruption with it he was sensible of the fear of death Adam in innocencie would have been affected and exquisitly sensible no doubt if his body had been wronged for the more pure the complexion the more sensible of solution as Physicians say when that which should be knit together if any thing be loosed by sicknesse or by wounds that should by nature not be hurt but continue together it breeds exquisite pain As to cut that which should not be cut to disjoyn that which should be together this is in nature The Schoolemen say and the reason is good that Christs paines were the greatest paines because his senses were not dulled and stupified with sensuality or indirect courses he had a body of an excellent temper and he was in the perfection of his years when he died therefore he received such an impression of grief in his whipping and when he was crowned with thornes that was it that made him so sensible of grief that when he sweat he sweat drops of blood and upon the crosse it made him cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Gods Children out of a principle of nature are sensible of any grievance to this outward man of theirs to the body especially in death as we see here St. Paul And there is most patience where there is most sense it is stupidity and blockishnesse else Why are Gods Children so sensible in grief especially in death Oh there is a great cause indeed in some regards they are not afraid of it for death is an enemy to nature it is none to Grace but when I speake not of Grace and Glory but of nature hath not nature great cause to tremble at death when it is an enemy to nature even to right nature It is the King of fears as Job saith it is that Tyrant that makes all the Kings of the earth to tremble at him when death comes it is terrible why because it strips us of all the contentments of this life of all comforts whatsoever we have here Nature without â—…n is sensible of earthly comforts that God hath appointed for nature and when nature sees an end of them nature begins to give in and to grieve Again death parts the best friends we have in this world the body and the soul two old friends and they cannot be parted without exquisite grief If two friends that take contentment in each other common friends cannot part without grief how shall these bosom-friends these united friends body and soul part without grief This marriage between the soul and the body cannot be disunited without exquisite pain being old acquaintance Again nature abhors death it hinders us of all imployment it hinders of all service of God in Church and Common-wealth And so grace which is beyond nature doth a little desire the continuance of life But nature even out of no sinful principle it sees that now I can serve God no longer I can do God no more service I can do good no longer in this World and therefore it takes it to heart Our Savour saith While you have light walke the night cometh when no man is able to work the night of sicknesse and death So
it breeds discomfort and is terrible that way Again in death we leave those that cast their care upon us we leave oft times Wives and Children without Husband or Father those that had dependance upon us and this must needs work upon nature upon a right principle of nature indeed the excesse of it is with corruption alway Again in death there is great pain They say Births are with great pangs and so they are Now death is a birth the birth of immortality no wonder then if it have great pangs therefore nature fears it even for the pangs the concomitants that are joyned with it And then in death nature considers the state of the body presently after death that that goodly body that strength and vigour I enjoyed before must now be wormes-meat I must say to the worm Thou art my brother and to corruption Thou art my mother and the like as it is in Job That head that perhaps hath ruled the Common-wealth the place where I lived it must lie level with others and that body that others were inamoured with it must now be so forlorn that the sight of it will not be indured of our best friends Nature considers what the estate will be there that it shall turn to rottenesse ere long that the goodliest persons shall be turned to dust and lie rotting there till the day of the Resurrection Faith and Grace looks higher but because we have nature as long as we are men these and such like respects work upon nature and make death grievous But besides the glasse of nature and these things here in the World look upon it in the Law of God in that glasse and so nature trembles and quarrels at death Death what is it It is the wages of sin it is the end of all comfort and nature cannot see any comfort after that it is beyond nature Nature teacheth us not that there will be a Resurrection of the body nature teacheth not that the soul goes to God here must be a great deal of Grace and a great deal of Faith to convince the soul of this nature teacheth it not Now when besides this the Law of God comes and faith Death came in by sin and sin is the sting of death death is armed with sin and sin comes in with the evidences of Gods anger here unlesse there be Faith and Grace a man is either as Nabal a stone and a fot in death or as Judas and Cain swallowed up with despaire It is impossible for a man that is not a true Christian that is not a good man but that either he shouldbe as a stone or desperate in sicknesse and Death without Grace he must be one of them If he be a wise man he cannot but despair in the hour of Death For is it a matter to be dallied with or to be carried bravely out as your Roman spirits and Atheists think they account it a Glory to die bravely in a stout manner Is it the terrible of terribles so to be put off when all the comforts in this world shall end and all imployments cease when there is eternity before a man and after death hell and eternall damnation of body and soul Are these matters to be slighted it would make a man look about him if a man have not faith and Grace he must eitherr despaire or die like a stone none but a good Christian can carrie himself well in the hour of death nay a good Christian is sensible of death and till he see Gods time is come he labours to avoid it by all meanes as St. Paul doth here But St. Paul had another ground beyond nature to avoid Death He knew himself ordained for the service of the Church therefore he desired to escape that he might serve God a longer time for the good of his Church Are Gods Children sensible of Death and the danger of it and out of a principle of nature and Grace too How then should carnall wretched men look about them that have not made their accounts even with God the report of Death to them should be like the hand-writing upon the wall to Belteshazer it should make their knees beat together and make their countenance pale it should strike them with terrour and like Nabal make their hearts to die as a stone within them But it is a Use of comfort to poore deluded Christians they think alas can my estate be good I am afraid of Death I tremble and quake at the name of Death I cannot endure to hear of it but it most of all affects me to see it therefore I fear I have no Grace in me I fear I have no faith in me Be not discomforted whosoever thou art that sayest so if thou labour to strengthen thy faith and to keep a good conscience for thou mayest do thus out of a principle of nature nature trembles at Death A man may do two things from diverse principles from diverse respects both without sin For example in fasting nature without sin desireth meat or else fasting were not an afflicting of a mans body but Grace that hath another principle and that desires to hold out without sustenance to be afflicted so here is both a desire and not a desire and both good in their kind So a man in the time of sicknesse and death he may by all meanes desire to escape it and tremble at it out of a principle of nature but out of a higher principle he may triumph O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory and they that believe in Christ shall never die We are in heavenly places together with Christ we are as sure of heaven as if we were there So out of such kind of principles we may triumph over Death by Faith and Grace So let none be discouraged nature goes one way and faith and grace another a man may know when it is nature and when it is grace when grace subdues nature and subordinates it to a higher principle a man need not be much troubled Christ himself our head he was afraid of death when he looked on death as death but when he looked upon death as a service as a redemption as a sweet sacrifice to God so with a thirsting I have thirsted saith he he thirsted after death in that respect looking to his humane nature to the truth of his manhood then saith he Oh that this cup might passe from me but in another consideration he willingly gave his soul a sacrifice for sin to God The desire is as the objects are presented let heaven and happinesse be presented so death is a passage to it so death is the end of misery and the beginning of happinesse so Gods Children desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ as St. Paul did But look upon death otherwise as it is an enemy to nature as it is a stop of all imployment in this world and of all service
the soul as the soul is in the body for as all beauty and motion comes from the soul to the body so to the soul from the Spirit all comes of the Spirit and therefore every saving grace is a sign that the Spirit is in us In a word the Spirit is in us in the nature of fire as in other things so in this in transforming wheresoever the Spirit dwells he transforms the soul he transforms the party like himself holy and gracious Those therefore that find the Spirit transforming and changing them in the use of the Ordinance of the Word they may know that they have the Spirit sealing them and being an Earnest to them They may know likewise that they have it wrought by the Spirit for every one grace you may knowspiritual graces are with conflict for what is true is with a great deal of resistance of that which is counterfeit Comforts and graces that are not the Earnest of the Spirit are with little conflict but where there are true comforts and graces of the Spirit wrought by the Spirit it is with much conflict with Satan and with himself for there is a great deal of Envy in the Divell against the man that walkes in the Spirit Thinks he what such a base creature as this is to have the Earnest of heaven to walk here as if he were in heaven already and to defie all opposite powers Nay I will trouble his peace he shall go mourning to heaven if he go there this is the reasoning of the cursed spirit and hereupon he labours to shake the assurance and perswasion and the grace and Comfort of a Christian it is with much conflict and temptation not onely with Satan but with his own heart Our hearts misgive us when we are guilty of some sins as alwaies there is guilt on the soul so much guilt so much doubt till the soul be free from giult it wil never but be casting of doubts and therefore there is alwaies resistance in us and there must be a higher power then the heart and soul of a man to set the heart down and quiet it It is alwaies in conflict And the gracet and comforts of the Spirit wrought by the Spirit are alwaies in the use of meanes holy means and it carries a man above the strength of nature it carries a man to the practice of that which he could not do by nature to pardon his enemies to pray for them to overcome revenge and to enjoy prosperity without pride in a comfortable measure and it enables him to practise the last Comandement That he shall be content with his estate and not lust after others and the first Comandement the graces of the holy Spirit enables a man to love God and to rejoyce in him above all as his best portion it makes his joy spiritual and it makes him delight in all connatural things that are like the Spirit as whatsoever is spiritual is connatural to the Spirit If a man have the graces of the Spirit he joyes in spiritual company he joyes in the presence of God he hates sin as being contrary to the Earnest of the Spirit he hates terrour of conscience and the way unto it he will look on good things as God lookes on them and as the Spirit looks on them and every thing that is spiritual he relisheth he savours the things of the Spirit Now be cause I will not detract your thoughts there are some six or seven properties of the Spirit in one Chapter that you may have them all together in Rom. 8. I will not name all but such as are easie First of all it is said in the 9. ver that the Spirit where it is it dwells as in a house now wheresoeve the Spirit is he is dwelling and ruling for the holy Ghost will not be an underling to lusts and he repaires and makes up the breaches of the soul where the Spirit dwells all the breaches are made up Ignorance to knowledge he begets knowledge and affection and love he prepares all he prepares his own dwelling and it is familiar and constant to the Spirit a dwelling implyes familiarity and constancy he is not in us as he is in wicked men that have the Spirit As Austin saith The Spirit of God knocks at their hearts but he doth not dwell there To go on that is the first The Spirit dwells in us if we have the Spirit And then the Spirit doth subdue the contrary for the Spirit when it comes into a man it pulls down all the strong holds it makes way for it self and therefore it is said to mortifie the deeds of the flesh ver 13. If you mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit you are led by the Spirit Those therefore that by the help of the Spirit by spiritual reasons subdue their corruptions they are led by the Spirit those that cherish corruptions or mortifie them not by spiritual reasons but out of civil respect to carry authority among men and therefore they would be free from aspersions as might disable their reputation they have not the Spirit Thirdly as many as are led by the Spirit are the sons of God the Spirit leads them as the Angel that went before the Israelites from Egypt unto Canaan so the Spirit of God like the Angel goes before us and leads us the way and removes the lets it doth lead us I say sweetly and not violently as the Devil leads his that are possessed with his spirit So that those that have the Spirit working grace and comfort in them sweetly he leads them and yet strongly too for it is strongly because it is against corruption and opposition from without but yet sweetly preserving the liberty and freedom of the soul. We by nature are like children or blind men we cannot lead our selves and therefore the Spirit leads us Those therefore that have the Spirit it leads them they submit themselves to the guidance and leading of the Spirit That is another evidence A fourth is this That it is a Spirit of adoption it assures us that we are the sons of God it gives us assurance of our adoption that we are the sons of God the same Spirit that sanctifieth us it witnesseth to us it makes us holy it witnesseth to us that we are the sons of God And then again the Spirit stirres up sighs and groans that cannot be expressed when we are not of our selves able to pray this is an evidence of the Earnest of the Spirit when we can send our sighes and groans to God I say God will hear the groans the voice of his own Spirits for whence come those sighes and groanes to God why should we not rather sink in despair in troubles but because the Spirit is in us Those therefoore that in extremity having nothing to comfort them and yet are able to send forth sighes and groans to God they may certainly know that they
him up blesse God for raising us up Blessed be God who hath raised us up to an immortal hope by the Reserrection of Christ saith St. Peter blesse God for the ascension of Christ that our Head is in heaven Let us blesse God not for personal favours only but go to the spring blesse God for shewing it to Christ and to us in him This point the Apostle had learned well therefore he begins with praise Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. If the Virgin Mary thought her self blessed and all Generations should call her Blessed for bearing our Saviour in her Womb and so being his Mother then all Generations must needs do this duty to call God blessed because he is the Father of Christ. So God the Father is to be blessed as the spring of favours for he gave Christ. All Generations call the Virgin Mary blessed because she was the Mother of Christ but that was in a lower degree then God was his Father This point ought to take up our meditations to think we have all in Christ first to think of our selves in Christ it is comfortable and Christ shall have more glory by it God the Father and the Son shall have glory by it and we shall have comfort The second consideration of God is not only as he is the Father of Christ but as he is The Father of Mercies God is the Father of Christ and our Father and the Father of mercies but as I said before in this method he is first the Father of Christ and then our Father and then the Father of mercies For he could never be the Father of mercies to us except he were the Father of Christ For mercy must see justice contented one attribute in God must not devour another all must have satisfaction his Justice must have no wrong nor it hath not now it is fully satisfied by Christ. Therefore God is the Father of Christ that Christ in our nature might die for us and so he might be our Father notwithstanding our sins having punished our sins in our surety Christ. So being the Father of Christ and our Father he is the Father of mercies his justice hath no losse by it If God had not found out a way out of the bowels of his mercy how he might shew good to us by reconciling mercy and justice in the Mediator Christ in punishing him for our sins to let us free he had never been a Father of mercy if he had not been the Father of Christ first for we being in such contrary terms as God and we were he being holinesse and we nothing but a masse of sin and corruption without sufficient satisfaction of an infinite person there could be no reconciliation therefore he is the Father of Christ who died for us he took our nature upon him to satisfie Gods justice and then Father of us and so Father of mercy to us He may well be the Father of mercies now being the Father of Christ of our nature in Christ for as I said he is the Father of Christ as man as well as he is God being the Father of our nature being taken into the unity with his own Sons Nature for both make one Christ he becomes the Father of mercies he is a Father to him by nature to us by Grace and Adoption The Father of Christ and Father of mercies It is a necessary method for God out of Christ is a fountain indeed but he is a 〈◊〉 sealed up he is a God Merciful and Gracious in his own nature but there is sin that stops the fountain that stops the current of the mercy there must be therefore satifaction to his justice and wrath before there can be reconciliation before there can any mercy flow from him He is first the Father of Christ and then the Father of mercies we have all from Christ. If he were not the Father of Christ he should be the Father of no body for immediatly no man is able to appear before God without a mediator Father of Mercies By Father which is a kind of Hebraisme is meant he is the Original the spring of mercies he is the Father of mercies He doth not say the Father of one mercy but the Father of mercies His mercy is one it is his Nature it is Himself as he is one so mercy in him is one it is one in the fountain but many in the streames it is one in him one nature and one mercy but because we have not one sin but many sins we have not one misery but many that lies upon this fraile nature of ours therefore according to the exigences of us wretched Creatures according to our sins and miseries his mercies stream out they are derived and run out to all kind of sin and misery whatsoever The Father of mercies If all mercies were lost they must be found in him he is the Father of mercies they are his bowels as it were and mercy pleaseth him as a man is pleased with his own natural Child The Father of mercies he doth not say the Author of mercies but the Father of them he gives them the sweetest name that can be he doth not say the Father of revenge or of judgement though he be the father of them too but to his Children the father of mercies A sweet name under which none should despair But to shew some reasons why he is so stiled There is good reason being the Father of Christ his justice being fully contented sin being taken away that stopped the current of his mercies he being naturally merciful his mercies run freely Father of Christ and Father of mercies it followes well he is the father of mercies because he is the Father of Christ and because his justice is satisfied in him and he being naturally merciful what hinders but that mercy may run amain freely and abundantly upon those that are in covenant with him in Christ that are members of Christ that is one reason because his justice is satisfied And because he is naturally merciful therefore he is the Father of mercies The Sea doth not more naturally flow and is moist and the Sun doth not more naturally shine the fire doth not more naturally burn heavy bodies do not more naturally sink to the center then God doth naturally shew pitty and mercy where his justice is satisfied for it is his nature it is himself The Apostle doth not name other attributes for alas other attributes would scare us As for example if the guilty conscience consider him as a God of justice it will reason thus what is this to me I am a sinner and he will be just in punishing if he consider he is a God of Wisedome the conscience considers he is the more wise to find out my windings and turnings from him and my covering of my sins he is the more wise to find me out in my courses and to shame me he doth not say
the greatest excellencies are adds some imperfection to balance them Because they should not trust in themselves What is the reason that in the Church God chooseth men of meaner parts and sufficiencies the Disciples Fisher-men If they had been great men men would have said place had carried it if they had been Scholars men would have said that their learning had carried it if they had been witty men they would have said their wit had carried it it had been no marvell if they should win the world but when they saw they were mean men fisher-men sitters at the receit of custome and perhaps their parts were not great then they might attribute it to the divinenesse of the Gospel to the divinenesse of Gods truth and to Gods blessing upon it What is the reason that God suffers excellent men to fall foully sometimes St. Peter himself and David c. because they should not trust in themselves not trust in their grace not trust in any thing no not in the best things in themselves What is the reason that God goes by contraries in all the carriage of our salvation That we should not trust in our selves In our calling he calls men out of nothing He calls things that are not as if they were In Justification he justifies a sinner he that despaires of his own righteousness that no man should trust in any thing he hath or despaire if he want any perfection God justifies a sinner that despairs of himself In sanctification God sanctifies a man when he sees no goodness in himself most of all then he is a vessell fit to receive grace And he doth sanctifie him sometimes by his falls he makes him good by his slips which is a strange course to make a man better by Saith St. Austin I dare say and stand to it that it is profitable for some men to fall they grow more holy by their slips As Peter he grew stronger by his infirmitie this strange course God takes Why so That we should not trust in our selves In our calling in our justification from our sins that we should not trust in our selves nor despaire In Sanctification nay he takes a course that we shall grow better by our falls that we may be ashamed of them and be more cautelous and humble and more watchful for the time to come In glorification he will glorifie us but it shall be when we have been rotten in our graves before we must come to nothing So in every passage of salvation he goes by contraries and all to beate down confidence in our selves and that we should not distrust him in any extremity for then is the time for God to work his work most of all That we might not trust in our selves To help us further against this self-confidence let us labour to know our selves well what we are distinct from the new creature distinct from grace and glory Indeed in that respect we are something in God If we go out of our selves and see what we are in Christ we are some body for we are heires of heaven we are Kings and Rulers over all all things are subject to us hell and sinne and death we are some body there But in that wherein our nature is prone to put overmuch confidence what are we what are we as we are strong as we are rich as we are noble as we are in favour with great ones alas all is nothing because ere long it will be nothing What will all be in the houre of death when we must receive the sentence of death what will all favours do us good they will be gone What will all relations that we are stiled by this and that title what good will it do alas these end in death all earthly relations shall be laid in the dust All the honours in the earth all riches and contentments all the friends that we have what can they do nothing all shall leave us there And for us to trust in that which will faile us ere long and which being taken away we receive a great foile for he that leans to a thing if that be taken away down he falls what a shame will it be As the Heathen man said that great Emperour I have been all things and nothing doth me good now when he was to die indeed nothing could do him good Let not the rich man glorie in his riches nor the wise man glorie in his wisdom nor the strong man in his strength saith the Prophet Jer. 9. 22. but let him that glorieth glory in the Lord. Consider what the best thing is that we have of inward things our wisdom wisdom if it be not spirituall it is onely a thing for the things of this life and we are oft times deceived in it It makes God to disappont us oft times to make us go out of our selves an excellent place for this we have in Isa. 50. the last verse Behold all ye that kindle a fire and compasse your selves about with sparkes walk in the light of your own fire c. It is a kind of Ironia and the sparks that you have kindled this you shall have of my hand ye shall lie down in sorrow Walk in the light of your own fire walk according to your own devises and projects this ye shall have at my hand ye shall lie down in sorrow God catcheth the wise in the imagination of their own hearts he disappoints the counsel and the projects of Achitophel God takes a glory in it to shame the policies and projects of those that will be wittie in a distinct way against God the best policie is to serve God and to walk uprightly That we should not trust in our selves But in God who raiseth the dead This is the other branch what we should trust in In God all this humbling of the blessed Apostle even to deaths door that he received the sentence of death it was first to subdue carnall confidence in himself he was prone to think himself stronger then he was or that he should be upheld that something or other should keep him from death that he might subdue carnal confidence and then that he might trust in God it was all for these two ends That we might not trust in our selves or in any means but in God that raiseth the dead VVas St. Paul to learn to trust in God that had been so long a Scholar in Christs School nay a Master in Israel was he to learn to trust in God Yes doubtlesse he was it is a lesson that is hardly learned and it is a lesson that we shall be learning all our life to go out of our selves and out of the creature and to go further into God to relie more and more upon him it is a lesson that we can never learn as we ought Therefore weak Christians ought not to be discouraged when they find defects and weaknesse in their trust our hearts are false and prone to trust
death yet I shall sleep in the Lord as when I goe to sleep I hope to rise again so I trust when the resurrection shall come that my body shall waken and arise I trust in God that raiseth the dead because he raiseth the dead he can recover me if he will if not he will make this body a glorious body afterward so every way it was a strong argument with Saint Paul I trust in God that raiseth the dead The Apostle draws an argument of comfort from Gods power in raising the dead And it is a true reason a good argument he that will raise the dead body out of the grave he can raise out of miserie out of captivity the argument is strong Thus God comforts his people in Ezek. 37. in that parable of the drie bones that he put life in So the blessed Apostle St. Paul he speaks of Abraham Rom. 4. 17. He looked to God who quickneth the dead who calleth things that are not as though they were What made Abraham to trust in God that he would give him Isaac again he considered if God can raise Isaac from the dead if he please he can give me Isaac back again and though Isaac were the sonne of promise yet he trusted Gods Word more then Isaac the sonne of his love Why he knew that God could raise him from the dead though he had sacrificed him he trusted in God who quickneth the dead The resurrection then is an argument to stengthen our faith in all miseries whatsoever It strengthens our faith before death and in death I will not enter into the common place of that point concerning the resurrection it would be tedious and unjust beause it is not intended here but onely it is used as a special argument Therefore I will but touch that point God will raise us from the dead Nature is more offended at this then any other thing But St. Paul makes it cleare that it is not against nature that God should raise the dead 1 Cor. 15. To speake a little of it and then to speake of the use the Apostle made of it and of the use that we may make of it Saith the Apostle in that place speaking to witty Atheists that thought to have cavilled out the resurrection from the dead Thou fool thou speakest against nature if thou think it altogether impossible Look to the seed do we not see that God every spring raiseth things that were dead We see in the silk-worm what an alteration there is from a flie to a worm c We see what men can doe by Art they make glasses of what of Ashes We see what nature can doe which is the ordinary providence of God we see what it can do in the bowels of the earth What is gold and silver and pearle is it not water and earth excellently digested exquisitely concocted and digested That there should be such excellent things of so base a creature We see what Art and nature can do If Art and nature can do so great things why do we call in question the power of God if God have revealed his Will to do so why do we doubt of this great point of Gods raising the dead The Ancients had much adoe with the Pagans about this point they handled it excellently as they were excellent in those points which they were forced to by the adversaries and indeed they were especially sound in those points I say they were excellent and large in the handling of this but I will not stand upon that it is an Article of our Creed I believe the resurrection of the body Indeed he that believeth the first Article of the Creed he will easily believe the last he that believes in God the Father Almighty maker of heaven and earth he will easily believe the resurrection of the body But I will rather come to shew the Use of it God will raise the dead Therefore Gods manner of working is when there is no hope in extremity as I touched before he raiseth us but it is when we are dead he doth his greatest works when there is least hope So it is in the resurrection out of troubles as in the resurrection of the body when there is no hope at all no ground in nature but it must be his power altogether that must do it then he falls to work to raise the dead Therefore our faith must follow his working he raiseth the dead he justifies a sinner but it is when he is furthest from grace a sinner despairing of all mercie then he hath the most need of justification He raiseth the dead but it is then when they are nothing but dust then it is time for him to work to raise the dead He restores but it is that which is lost God never forgets his old work this was his old manner of working at the first still every day he useth it he made all of nothing order out of confusion light out of darkness This was in the creation and the like he doth still he never forgets his old work This St. Paul being acquainted with he fastneth his hope and trust upon such a God as will raise the dead Therefore make that use of it that the Apostle doth when the Church is in any calamity which is as it were a death when it is as in that 37. of Ezekiel drie bones Comfort your selves God comforted the Church there that he would raise the Church out of Babylon as he raised those dead bones the one is as easie as the other So in the government of the Church continually he brings order out of confusion light out of darkness and life out of death that is out of extream troubles when men think themselves dead when they think the Church dead past all hope then he will quicken and raise it so that he will never forget this course till he have raised our dead bodies and then he will finish that manner of dispensation This is Gods manner of working We must answer it with our faith that is in the greatest dejection that can be to trust in God that raiseth the dead Faith if it be true it will answer the ground of it but when it is carried to God it is carried to him that raiseth the dead therefore though it be desperate every way yet notwithstanding I hope above hope I hope in him whose course is to raise the dead who at the last will raise the dead and still delights in a proportion to raise men from death out of all troubles and miseries Well this God doth and therefore carrie it along in all miseries whatsoever in soul in body or estate or in the Church c. God raiseth from the dead therefore we must feel our selves dead before we can be raised by his grace What is the reason that a Papist cannot be a good Christian he opposeth his own conversion what is conversion It is the first resurrection the resurrection of
all the Saints in the world that say Our Father praying for him He must needs be rich that hath a world of factors that hath a stock going in every part of the world A Christien hath factors all the world over he is a member of the mysticall body and many prayers are made for him it is a great comfort And it is a great encouragement for us to pray for one another considering that God will so far honour us St. Pauls health here it was a gift by the prayers of many But thou wilt object I am a weak Christian a sinful creature what should God regard my prayers Alas my prayers will do you little good Yes they will do much not onely for thy self but for others what are prayers are they not incense kindled by the fire of the blessed Spirit of God Are they not in themselves good motions stirred up by the Spirit themselves in their nature are good though they be imperfect and stayned The Spirir that stirs them up is good the good Spirit of God We know not how to pray but the Spirit teacheth us The Mediator through whom they are offered who mingles his odour with them Revel 8. 3. He is the Angel that mingleth odours with the prayers of the Saints and makes them acceptable to God The person likewise that offers them is good what is he 〈◊〉 is he not Gods Child do not parents love tohear the voyce of their Children if therefore the person be good though weak and the prayer be good and the Spirit good and the Mediatour so good then let no man be discouraged not onely to pray for himself but to pray for others God would hear the Corinthians though they were stained with Schisme and with other weaknesses they were none of the most refined Churches that Saint Paul wrote to as we may see in the first Epistle yet saith Saint Paul my health and deliverance is a gift and a gift by the prayers of many weak and strong joyning together It is the subtilty of Satan and our own hearts joyne with him in the temptation What should I pray my conscience tells me this and that Doest thou mean to be so still then indeed as it is Psal. 66. If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not heare my prayer but if thou have repented thee of thy sins and intenedst to lead a new life for the time to come God will heare thy prayers not onely for thy self but for others God will bestow gifts upon others by meanes of thy prayers To go on Thanks may be given by many persons Gods end in delivering St. Paul by prayer was that he might have many thanks for many prayers when they were heard once that thanks may be given by many on our behalfe that is because we are delivered and restored to health and strength again to serve the Church as we did before you see here how Prayse follows prayer Many prayers and then many praises these follow one another Indeed this is Gods order and we see in nature where there is a receiving there is a giving We see the earth it receives fruit it yields fruit as Christ saith of the good ground sixty-fold many-fold You see bodies that receive the Sun they reflect their beams back to the Sun again The streams as they come from the Sea so by an unwearied motion they return back again to the Sea And men do eate the fruit of their own flocks they reap the fruit of their own Orchards and Gardens In nature whatsoever receives it returns it back again The influence and light that those heavenly bodies the stars and the Planets c. have from the Sun who is the chiefe light of all they bestow it upon the inferiour bodies you see it in nature much more is it in grace what we receive from God by gift obtained by prayer he must have the praise for it many prayers many praises As soon as ever a benefit is received presently there is an obligation a natural obligation and a religious obligation upon the receipt of a benefit there must be some thought of returning something presently It teacheth us what a horrible sin ingratitude is It is the grave of all Gods blessings it receives all and never returns any thing back again As those Lepers they never came back again to thank Christ but only the tenth a poore Samaritan Men are eager to sue to God restlesse till they have that they would have but then they are barren and unfruitfull they yield nothing back again After prayer there must be praise and thanksgiving It condemneth our backwardnesse and untowardnesse in this kind like little Children they are ready to beg favours but when they come to thanksgiving they look another way as if it were irksome to them So it is with our nature when we go about this heavenly duty we give God a formall word or two Thanks be to God c. But we never work our hearts to thankfulnesse That thanks may be given By many As the prayers of many are mighty with God to prevail so likewise the praises of many are very grateful and acceptable to God Even as it is with instruments the sweetnesse of musick ariseth from many instruments and from the concord of all the strings in every instrument when every instrument hath many strings and all are in tune it makes sweet harmonie it makes sweet concord So when many give God thanks and every one hath a good heart set in tune when they are good Christians all it is wondrous acceptable musick to God it is sweet incense more acceptable to God then any sweet favour and odour can be to us That is one reason why God will have many to pray to him that he may have many praises God doth wondrously honour concord especially when it is concord in praising of him It is a comely thing for Brethren to live in unity as it is Psalme 131. If to praise God be a comely thing and if concord be a comely thing then when both meet together it must needs be wondrous beautifull and wondrous acceptable to God when many brethren meet and joyn to praise God Therefore it is said Act. 2. in the Churches new conversion they met all together as one man they were of one heart and one soul and they were given to prayer and to praising of God a blessed estate of that beginning Church they were all as one man of one heart of one spirit of one soul. As the blessed Angells and blessed spirits in heaven they all joyn together as it is in Revel 14. The blessed man heard a voice in heaven as the voyce of many waters and of great thunder and he heard the voice of harpers and they sang a new song there were many harps but one song one thanksgiving one Heart one spirit in all wondrous acceptable to God This should make us in love with
we should be able to offer willingly after this sort All things come of thee of thiue owne I have given thee So he humbled himself in thankfulnesse to God For ill actions a true sincere Christian before-hand he intends none he regards none in his heart Psal. 66. If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my prayers His disposition is to regard none he is in league with none if he were his heart were false his conscience would tell him he were an hypocrite He is subject to infirmities but he doth not respect them he doth not regard them he intends not in his heart to live in them Again if he fall into any sin he is sincerely grieved for them his heart is tender and he sincerely confesseth them without guile Psal. 32. Blessed is the man in whose spirit there is no guile who when he sees he hath sinned he doth not guilefully cloak and extenuate his sin As we see Saul he had many evasions and excuses for himself A true Christian will lay open his sin with all the aggravations that his conscience tells him of As David saith what a foole and what a beast was I what an unthankful creature was I to sin against so many benefits and favours he will be ashamed and confounded in himself And of all sins a sincere Christian is most carefull to avoid his personal sins you may know sinceritie by that He that takes not heed to that which he is most inclined unto he shall be tripped in it An hypocrite and false-hearted man he doth good but it is with a purpose to be favoured in some sin wherein he strengtheneth himself he will doe something that God may be favourable to him in other things But a true sincere Christian though he be inclined by temper of body or by his calling or by the former custome of his unregenerate life to some sin more then another and he hath not shaken some sin wholly off he hath not purged himself wholly of the dregs of it but he findes still a propensenesse in his nature to it yet as far as he is sincere he gets strength especially against that A false-hearted man favours himself especially in those sins and will swell if he be found out in them he will not bear a reproofe But a Christian that is sincere that intends amendment that intends to be better he would reform his heart if it be amisse and is willing to be discovered in his most particular and personall sins that he is prone to We may trie our selves by this not onely by hating sin in generall and at large but how we stand affected especially to those particular sins we are most prone to sincerity as it hates all wicked waies so it hates those sins that are most sweet that we are most prone to as well as any other nay more then any other because those especially indanger the soul. A Child of God will abstain from all evill he will be carefull not onely that others abstain from sin but he will abstain from sin himself most of all Noysome things we hate them alwaies but we hate them most when they are nearest us As a Toade we hate it a farre off much more when it is neare so a sincere Christian hates sin most in his own breast Now because sincerity hath an eye to God I must hate all sin as well as any or else I am not sincere A man that hath the point of his soule to God-ward he will hate all manner of ill little ills as well as great because all sin agrees in this all sin is against God it is contrary to the mind of God and all sin is pernicious to the soule all sin is against the pure Word of God and considering it is so therefore I must hate all sin if I hate any because God hates all and all sin is contrary to the Image of God and not onely contrary to the Image of God but contrary to the revealed will of God contrary to my soules comfort contrary to communion with God and contrary to the peace of my conscience those regards come in every sin every sin hinders that Again where the soule and conscience is sincere there will be a special care for the time to come of the sins we have been overtaken with all So we see how this sincerity may be tryed in abstaining from evill as well as in the good we do For actions that are of a more common nature that in themselves are neither good nor ill but as the doer is and as the doer stands affected a true Christian may be tryed by them thus For the actions of his calling though they be good in their kind yet they be not religious thus he stands affected if he be sincere he doth them as Gods work Common actions are as the doer is affected A sincere man considers what he doth as Gods work he is eommanded to serve God in his calling as well as in the Church and therefore he will not doe it negligently For cursed is he that doth the work of the Lord negligently He will not do it falsely he will not prophane his calling I will not prostitute my calling to serve my lust or to serve my gain doth not God see it is not he the authour of my calling is it not his work saith conscience Yes and therefore he doth common actions with an eye to God and so he makes them good and religious actions For the Grace of God is a blessed Alcumist where it toucheth it makes good and religious though the actions be not so in their own nature it raiseth the actions it elevates them higher then themselves It makes the actions of our calling that are ordinary actions to be holie when they are done with an eye of sincerity to God As Saint Paul saith the very servant serves God in serving his master And so for actions that we account most indifferent as recreations and liberty to refresh our selves a sincere man considers of them as a liberty bought to him by the blood of Christ and considers himself in the presence of God And therefore whatsoever he doth whether he eate or drink c. he still useth his refreshings as in the presence of God and doth all as in the sight of God His conversation that is his whole course whatsoever he doth is sincere with an eye to God He knowes his corruption is such that it most watcheth him in his liberties for the more lawful a thing is the more we are in danger to be intangled in it In excesse in open ills there is not so much danger as in things that seeme indifferent lawfull recreations c. Recreations and such things are lawfull but to spend whole nights unthriftily basely scandalously this way it is not onely against Religion but against civility in a civill mans judgement it is a scandall to the place and person
there was Achitophel and Doeg which were bad companions yet in his Generation he served the purpose of God So every man in his time may live and converse in the world and yet not be carried away with the corruptions of the times What is the reason The reason is That a true Christian hath a spirit in him above the world As Saint John saith The Spirit that is in you is stronger then he that is in the world The Child of God hath a Spirit in him a new nature that sets him in a ranck above the world Christians are an order of men that are above the world they are men of another world and therefore having a principel of grace that raiseth them above the base condition of the world they can live in the world without the blemishes and corruptions of the world they are men of a higher disposition Even as sicknesse in the body hurts not the reasonable life so any thing that a Christian meets with in the world it hurts not his Christian life which is his best life because it is a life of a higher respect of a higher nature Saint Paul's conversation was in heaven it was above the snares here below He was crucified to the world he was a dead man to all that was evil in the world and to that which was good and indifferent in the world For pleasures for honours for meat and drink and such necessaries the counsel that he gave to others he practised it himself for worldly callings and refreshings and the like 1 Cor. 7. The time is short let us use the world as though we used it not He used indifferent things in the world which are good or evil as they be used as if he had not used them He lived in the world as a traveller or passenger he knew he was not at home he knew he had another home to go to Here we have no continuing City and therefore he used the world as though he used it not As a Traveller useth things in his way as far as they may further him but let his very staffe trouble him he throwes it away So a Christian useth indifferent things in the world which are good or evil according as himself is he useth them well because all things are pure to the pure he useth them so as that he doth not delight in them because he hath better things to solace himself in he doth not drown himself in these as worldlings do And for the ills of the world a Christian in a good measure is crucified to the world and the world to him And he hath his conversation in heaven Philip. 3. 20. But our conversation is in heaven Many serve their bellies whose end is damnation but our conversation is in heaven Now his conversation being heavenly that is the reason that he can converse in the world in sincerity though the world be of another strain So you see then that a Christian is of a higher nature of a higher condition then the world and he is crucified to the world and he knowes himself to be a passenger and a traveller in the world and therefore he useth the world as though he used it not And withal he hath his imployment above the world The birds that have the ayr as long as they are there they are not catched with snares below and Christians that have their conversation above they are not ensnared with the things of the world as other men are We see Saint Paul conversed in the world in sincerity I observe it the rather because it is the common exception of weak and false spirits We must do as the world doth or else we cannot live He that knowes not how to dissemble knowes not how to live And the times are naught so that which is naught and grounded in themselves they lay all the blame of it upon the times Indeed the times are naught like themselves As he said There is a circle of humane things the times are but even as they were things come again upon the stage the same things are acted the persons indeed are changed but the same things are acted in the world to the end of the world The times were naught before they are naught and they will be so Villany is acted upon the stage of the world continually The former actors are gone but others are instructed with the same devices with the same plots The Corruption of nature shewes it self in all Onely now we have the advantage for the acting of wickednesse in the end of the world because besides the old wickednesse in former times we have the new wickednesses of these times all the streams running into one make the Channel greater Men say alas alas the times are ill were they not so in Noah's time were they not so in David's time were they not so in S. Paul's time Men pretend conformity to the world upon a kind of necessity they must do as others do If they were true Christians it would not be so for Noah was good in evil times Nehemiah was good in the Court of the King of Babel Joseph was good even in Egypt in Pharaoh's Court this can be no plea. For a Christian hath a spirit to raise him above the corruption of the times he lives in he hath such a spirit likewise as is above prosperity or adversity which will teach him to manage both and to govern himself in all occasions and occurrents of the world I can do all things saith S. Paul through Christ that strengtheneth me As we say the Planets have one course whereby they are carried with the first mover every twenty four houres from East to West as the Sun is whereby he makes the day but the Sun hath a course of his own back again and so by creeping back again he makes the year in his own course So the Moon hath one course of her own but yet she is carried every day another course by the first mover So a good Christian that lives in the world he is carried with the world in common things he companies and traffiques and trades and deales with the world but hath he not a motion of his own contrary to all this at the same time yes though he converse in the world yet notwithstanding he is thinking of heaven he is framing his course another way then the world doth He goes a contrary course he swimmes against the stream of the world There are some kind of Rivers they say that passe through the Sea and yet notwithstanding they retain their freshnesse It seems as an emblem to shew the condition of a Christian he passeth thorow the salt waters and yet keeps his freshnesse he preserves himself Therefore I say it is no plea to say that times are naught and company is naught c. A man is not to fashion himself to the times An hypocrite Camelion like can turn himself into all colours but white And as the water
and serious and weighty and firm in their resolutions that they may build on them and know where to have them as we say it breeds authority and maintains authority For then what they say is regarded and how their affections stand if it be love it is much sought after if displeasure it is much feared for they are men of a fixed disposition it gains wondrous respect Let men be never so great if they be such as S. Paul here declines from himself that they use lightnesse they lose their authority Authority is the special help that Governours have to rule and that Ministers have to prevail now nothing weakens esteem and authority more then when men are tossed between the waves of contrary affections when men are such as we know not where to have them as we say off and on fast and loose one while fitting another standing no man will build on them or much regard their love or hatred Now you know Authority is a beam of Majesty and God hath put it upon Magistrates above others and imprinted likewise the respect of it in the peoples hearts to maintain the World the pillars of the earth will shake else as the Psalmist saith What would become of the Pillars of Government if it were not for Authority in them that are above and respect of that Authority an impression of it in them that are under Now there are many grounds of Authority as successe when God blesseth them with it wonderfully to admiration and good parts c. but one main Ground of Authority is Constancy and firmnesse this raiseth a high respect in the hearts of the people I will not multiply reasons why those that are in place should avoid the imputation of lightnesse Ministers especially should take heed of it because they are Ministers of Gods truth and if they take not heed of it people will be ready to go from their moral civil carriage to their doctrine and think there is an uncertainty in that they speak because they do not regard what they say But let me adde this by the way Mater erroris similitudo Likenesse is the mother of errour so there is somewhat like Constancy in Governours and others when they are nothing lesse but meerly refractory and obstinate to maintain the reputation of constancy they will run into the fault of wilfulnesse Such as are subject that way had need of strong wits to rule their strong wills to guide them or else wo be to those that have to deal with them that I thought good to adde left we mistake We should all labour to avoid inconstancy and lightnesse in our resolutions in our purposes and affections If we ought to avoid it how shall we come to know it what is the ground of lightnesse The grounds are many Sometimes from the temper of the body some are of a moveable temper of a moveable quick spirit that they cannot out of their constitution fix long except they set weights upon nature I am by disposition thus but my resolution shall be otherwise as where Grace and wisdome is it will fix the temper and fix the resolution and the thoughts This I could not do if I should yield to my own disposition but this I will do and I should do there are many resolutions as in the younger sort and some out of their very temper are more fixed and resolved But now consider it as it is in Religion Lightnesse comes out of the disposition of the mind Inconsideration oft-times is the ground when we do not see the circumstances of a thing that we promise or purpose You know there is nothing comes to action but it is beset with circumstances there are advantages of it and there are stops and hinderances of it somewhat may fall out Every thing that comes to action is besieged with circumstances circumstances you know have their name of standing about a businesse about a thing now when the things that are about the impediments and the hindrances and le ts are not weighed a rash man sees not the things he considers not the things that he enters upon he resolves without considering the circumstances that beset the thing he never considers what oppositions he may meet with or what advantages there be which perhaps he neglects but he thinks of the thing it is good and suitable to his purpose he resolves and never considers the circumstances about a thing but runs on in confidence of his own wit and parts and thinks to rule all by the strength of his wit not foreseeing not casting in his mind to prevent before-hand what may fall out It is just with God to shame such men frustration of their purposes it is a just reward of their folly Therefore we should take heed of Inconsideration and have our eyes in our heads to set the soul to foresee what possibility there is of the businesse and what may fall out this is the right way if we would avoid imputation of lightnesse Again another ground of lightnesse and of that decay in authority and respect that comes from it is the passion of men therefore they are light they are carried with the hurry and wind of their passion And Satan joynes with passion A passionate man is subject to Satan more then a man that is led by reason or with grace For that is a beam of God even reason it self judgment it is an excellent thing and it prevents many temptations Give not way to passion for those are unreasonable things As we see Saul in his passion Satan the evill spirit mingled with his passion of anger So let men be in any passion over-joy or be over-angry let them give the rains to unruly passion and they give advantage to Satan that we cannot settle our soules in any good resolution Again in the things themselves there is cause of lightnesse and inconstancy from the nature of the things and then it is not so great a fault to change then it is not properly inconstancy but it is inconstancy when the things are mutable and variable and we do not think of it as we should Now the things of this life are variable and uncertain the event of things in this life is wondrous variable Grace and glory they are certain things and the way that God directs us to heaven they are certain promises and certain grounds but the things of this life are subject to much change God takes a great deal of liberty in altering things in this world they fall out divers wayes But now therefore we must take heed that we take not inconstancy for that which is not Every change of opinion and purpose is not lightnesse It is not inconstancy for a man to change his mind and purpose when it is from the things Men are men and the things that we deal with in the world are subject to variety and inconstancy and for a man to alter according to the
see our interest in his humiliation and exaltation in glory because he is the second Adam These things should raise up our thoughts wondrously to think of his humiliation and his exaltation and of the love and mercy of God in him And then think of what you will nothing is discouraging think of death of hell of the day of Judgment think of Satan of the curse of the Law they are terrible things I but think of the Son of God of Christ anointed of God the Father to satisfie the Law to satisfie his Justice to overcome Satan to crush his head to be our Saviour as well as our Judge at the day of Judgment these things will make all vanish Things that are most tetrible to the nature of man without the consideration of Jesus Christ the Son of God all are most comfortable when we think of him Now when we think of Satan we think of one crushed and trod under foot as he shall be ere long When we think of Judgment we think of a Saviour that shall be our Judge when we think of God we think of God reconciled in Christ. We have accesse by Christ to the Throne of grace he is now in heaven and makes intercession for us When we think of death we think of a passage to life where we shall be with him I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ. So the things that are most uncomfortable yet bring the consideration of them to Christ exalted in heaven having triumphed over all these in our nature and sits at Gods right hand The thoughts of these things are comfortable meditations Nay think of that which is the most terrible of all the Justice of God his anger for sin it is a matter of comfort above all other God is just to punish and revenge sin what then because he is just he will not punish â—…hing twice but his justice is fully satisfied aad contented in his Son Christ Jesus whom he hath anointed and predestinate and sent himself and he must needs acknowledge that satisfaction that is done by him that he hath sent himself hereupon we come to think comfortably of Gods Justice God out of Christ is a consuming fire there is nothing more terrible then God without Christ but now in Christ we can think of the most terrible thing in God with comfort Therefore S. Paul makes it the main scope of his preaching and so should we of ours and you should make it your main desire in hearing and the main subject matter of your meditating something concerning Christ. Let us often think of our nature in him now exalted in heaven and that we shall follow him ere long our head is gone before and he will not suffer his body alwayes to rot in the earth let us think of his natures and his offices and all the blessed prerogatives that we have by him and all the enemies that are conquered by him that in him we have God reconciled and the Devil vanquished we have heaven opened and hell shut we have our sins pardoned and our imperfections by little and little cured in him we have all in all There are four things that the Apostle speaks of which includes all 1 Cor. 1. 30. Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made to us wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Christ Jesus is all in all if we be ignorant he is our wisdome if we want righteousnesse and holinesse to stand before God he is ouâ—… righteousnesse we stand righteous being cloathed with his righteousnesse If we want Grace Of his fulnesse we receive Grace for Grace he is sanctification to us If we be miserable as we shall be to our sense our bodies shall be turned to rottennesse he is our redemption not onely of the soul but of the body he shall make our bodies like his glorious body as he makes our soules glorious by his Spirit conforming them to his own Image here he means here redemption of our bodies from corruption as well as of our soules from sin He is all in all in sin he is sanctification in death he is life in ignorance he is wisdome there is nothing ill in us but there is abundant satisfaction and remedy in Christ. I speak this the rather to shew what reason S. Paul had to stand on this That all his preaching was to bring Christ Jesus among them I go on The Son of God Jesus Christ preached among you All the good we have by Christ is conveyed by the Ministery Despise that and despise Christ himself Therefore whatsoever benefits we have by Christ they are attributed to preaching they are attributed to the Gospel as it is preached and unfolded therefore it is called the Gospel of the Kingdome The Word of reconciliation The Word of life The Word of faith all these are by Christ but it is no matter whatsoever we have by Christ we must have it by Jesus Christ unfolded in the Ministery of the Word despise the Ministery that is contemptible to flesh and blood and despise Christ himself despise the Kingdome and life and all for Christ preached is that we must relie on Christ unfolded the bread of life must be broken the sacrifice must be anatomized and laid open Christ Jesus the Son of God must be preached he profits not but as he is preached his riches must be unfolded The unsearchable riches of Christ. Therefore God that hath appointed us to be saved by Christ hath appointed and ordained preaching to lay open Jesus Christ among us But to come to the third Point why doth he bring in consent to help By me and Silvanus and Timotheus would not his own authority serve the turn I answer no it would not sometimes In it self it will but in regard of the weaknesse of men it is necessary to joyn the consent of others S. Paul was an Apostle of Christ but he knew that they were so weak that they would regard his testimony the more for the joynt testimony of Timotheus and Silvanus and the rest God considers not so much what is true in it self as how to stablish our faith in it As in the Sacrament would not God give Christ and his benefits is he not true of his Word Yes but he gives the Sacrament for us his promises are sure enough yet he condescends to our weaknesse to adde Sacrament and oath and all the props that may be So the men of God that are led by the Spirit of God though their own authority were sufficient yet they condescend to the weaknesse of others Therefore S. Paul alledgeth with himself Silvanus and Timotheus to strengthen them the better Then again consent is a lovely thing and proceeds from love how sweet a thing is it for brethren to dwell together in unity therefore we ought to stand much upon consent if it may perswade us But as Cyprian saith well it must be consent in the truth Consent that is not
was the creditor for the payment of that 4000 years after let them go so Christ was yea to them they had benefit by Christs death Hereupon the Prophets spake of him as a thing present To us a son is born to us a Child is given Faith mounts over many years 600 years before Christ in the Prophet it mounted and made the time of Christs coming and his death to be present because they had benefit by him as if he had been present Onely with this difference in the time present when Christ came in the flesh they had some comfortable inlargement of Grace When he came in the flesh I say there was a new world as it were there was grace poured out in abundance So you see that all the promises concerning Christ they were performed They were Yea and Amen and the good things by Christ. Saint Paul saith excellently Heb. 13. Christ yesterday to day and the same for ever Yesterday to the Patriachs to day for the present time he is Yea and for the time to come he is Yea the same alway He is yea to all ages he is yea to us as well as to those that were in Christs time Christ is then crucified to thee when thou believest in Christ crucified If we now by faith look to Christ crucified and sent from his Father to take our nature on him we have as much benefit by Christ as those that beheld him crucified As they before looked forwards by the eye of Faith so we look backward we have benefits by Christ he is yesterday to day and the same for ever All the promises are yea in him that is they are constantly yea for all ages The promises of Christ as the spirits in the body they run through all ages of the Church Without him there is no love nor mercie nor comfort from God as I said before God cannot look on our cursed nature out of Christ therefore whosoever will apprehend any thing mercifull in God must apprehend it in Christ the promised seed All the promises in him are yea He is called Logos the Word why is he so both actively and passively Actively the Word because how should we ever have known the mind in the breast of God hidden and sealed there unlesse Christ had been the Logos the Word For a word is exprest from reason and there is a word that is essentiall that is reason Logos and so the word coming from it speech the issue of reason So Christ is the essentiall Word by nature and by office the Word to discover the inward will and purpose of God to us All the promises of God are discovered by Christ as the Angel of the Covenant And passively he is the Word Logos of whom all the Prophets spake as Peter saith Act 3. who was fore-signified by all the types as I shewed Christ he is truly all in all It is a comfortable way to study Christ this way to see him foretold in the Old Testament and to see the accomplishment in the New to parallel the Old and New Testament it is an excellent way of studying the Gosspel For we know men are delighted to know divers things at once when a mans knowledge is inriched diverse waies at once it delights him as when a man knowes the history of a thing and the truth with it when he knowes a promise and the truth a type and the ttuth how doth it delight When a man sees the type in the Old and the truth in the New the history there the promise and the accomplishment here it is a wondrous delightfull thing For why doth proportion delight the eye but because it is an agreement of different things a sweet harmony of different things Why doth musick so please the ear because it is a harmonie of different things When we see a type different from the truth performed and a promise different from the performance and yet a sweet agreement from agreement a man is delighted A man is not delighted with colours at colours but as they hold proportion with the rest of the body he is not delighted with a limb as a limb but as it holds proportion with the man if there be no proportion and comelinesse it delights not So in this case it is good to consider both together God therefore for this end and purpose would have truths conveyed in the Old Testament by way of types and prophecies and promises that it might delight us now to hear them and to study them the more for as I said when we know many things at once it is delightful That is the reason why comparisons and allusions are so delightful because we know the comparison and the thing to which it is compared And that is the reason why our Saviour Christ besides types and figures and promises and prophecies is set out by whatsoever is excellent in nature in the Scriptures There is nothing in nature that is excellent but there is something taken from it to set forth the excellencie of Christ. He is the Sun of righteousnesse he is the water he is the way he is the bread he is the vine he is the tree of Life Whatsoever is excellent in nature either in heaven or earth it serves to set forth the excellencie of Christ why to delight us that we may be willing and chearful to think of Christ that together with the consideration of the excellencie of the creature some sweet meditation of Christ in whom all those excellencies are knit together might be presented to the soul. When we see the sun oft to think of that blessed Sun that quickens and enlivens all things and scatters the mists of Ignorance When we look on a tree to think of the tree of righteousness on the way to think of him the way of life of him that is the true life When we think of any thing that is excellent think of Gods love in Scripture to set out Christ that he would shadow him in all for he is the true Sun all creatures must vanish ere long and whatsoever is excellent in the creature and what will stand then only he in whom all these excellencies are comprised in one All the promises in him are Yea and Amen If this be true then that the promise of Christ himself who is the chief good promised is in the New Testament Amen all of him is Yea and Amen then comes this as a deducted truth all other promises must needs be Yea and Amen for God he that performed the grand promise in giving Christ in the fulness of time will for Christs sake perform all other promises Therefore the incarnation the life the death and resurrection of Christ our blessed Saviour it is a pawn and pledge to us of the performance of all things to come God promised to the Jewes that they should come out of Babylon he promised that he would deliver them from the enemy and he usually prefixeth
that he loves Christ with he loves us in his beloved He hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in him he hath made us sons in him that is the naturall Son and as his love is unchangeable to his Son so it is to us in Christ. If a Princes love to any man be founded and grounded upon the love he bears to his son if he loves his son he loves such a man because his son loves him surely he may have great comfort that it it will hold because his affection is naturall and unalterable he will alway love his son therefore he will love him whom his son loves alway Now Christ is the Son of God he loves us in his Son he hath given us rich promises in his Son He hath given him the first promise and all other promises of forgivenesse of sins and life everlasting in and through him As long as he loves Chrst he will love us and as sure as he loves Christ he will love us Nothing in the world can separate his love from his own Son and nothing in the world can separate Gods love from us because it is in his Son Christ loves his mysticall bodie as well as his natural bodie and God loves the mysticall bodie of Christ as he loves his naturall bodie he hath advanced that to glorie at his right hand and will he leave his mysticall bodie the Church will he not advance that Doth he not love whole Christ Yes God loves whole Christ. Our nature that he hath taken to him it is the chief thing the most lovely thing in heaven or earth next to God And he loves all that are in him his mysticall body For indeed he gave us to Christ he hath sealed and anointed him he is anointed by God the Father for us Upon what an unchangeable eternall ground is the love of God built and the faith of a Christian How can the gates of hell prevail against the Faith of a Christian when it carries him to the promises and from the promises to the love of God and from thence to Christ upon whom the love of God is founded Before the faith of a Christian can be shaken the promises must be of no effect they must be yea and nay and not yea and if the promises be shaken the Love of God must be uncertain and Christ uncertain heaven and earth must be overturned to overturne the faith of a Christian. There is nothing in the world that is so firme as a believing Christian that casts himself on the promises that are alway yea and to make them yea they are founded on Christ the Son of Gods love Well these promises comming from such love may be ranked into diverse ranks I will touch some of them to shew how we are to carrie our selves to make comfortable use of this that All the premises are yea and amen in Christ. There are some universall promises for the good of all mankind as that God would never destroy the world again Or promises that concern more particularly his Church And those are promises either of outward things or of spirituall and eternall things of Grace and glory Now for the manner of promising they admit of this distinction All the promises that God hath made to us either they are absolute without any condition so was Christ. God promised Christ let the world be as it will Christ did and would have come And so the promise of his glorious comming he will come let men be as they will there will be a resurrection Some promises be conditional in the manner of propounding but yet absolute in the real performance of them As for example the promises of Grace and Glory to Gods children the promise of forgivnesse of sins God will forgive their sins if they believe if they repent they are propounded conditionally but in the performance they are absolute because God performes the Covenant himself he performes our part and his own too For since Christ though he propounded the promises of the Gospel with conditions yet he performes the condition he stirs us up to attend upon the meanes and by his Spirit in the Word he works faith and repentance which is the condition faith and repentance is his gift He writes his law in our hearts and teacheth us how to love So though they be conditionally propounded for God deales with men as men by way of commerce he propounds it by way of Covenant and condition yet in the Covenant of Grace which is truly a gracious Covenant he not onely gives the good things but he performs the condition by the Spirit working our hearts to believe and to repent Again there are promises not only propounded conditionally of Grace and comfort but of outward things All outward things are promised conditionally as thus God hath promised protection from contagious sicknesses from war and troubles Generall promises there are of protection every where Psal 91. God will be a hiding place and he will deliver his Children there are privative promises and then positive promises that he will do this and that good for them but these are conditional so far forth as in his wise providence he sees it may serve spirituall good things Grace and the inward man for God takes liberty in our outward estate and in our bodies to afflict them or to do them good as may serve the main For do what we will these bodies will turn to dust and vanity and we must leave the world behind us but God looks to the main state in Christ to the new Creature Therefore as far as outward blessings may incourage us and as far as deliverances may help the maine so far he will grant them or else he denies them he takes libertie in outward things Therefore that sort of promises they are conditionall with exception of necessary affliction For we cannot have the blessings of this life positive or privative we cannot be delivered alwaies and have blessings but our corrupt nature is such that except we have some what to season them we shall surfet of them we cannot digest them and therefore they are all with the exception of the crosse As Christ saith he that doth any thing for him he shall have an hundred-fold here but with affliction and persecution he shall be sure of that whatsoever else he hath let him look for that All the crosses we have in the world are to season the good things of this life Many other distinctions and differences we might have to lay open the kinds of promises in Scripture but this shall suffice to give you a taste Now all these are made in Christ and performed in Christ so far forth as is for our good Are all the promises of what kind soever spirituall or outward temporall and eternall are they all made to us in Jesus Christ and are they certain Yea and Amen in him Then make this use of it let us renew