Atheists in Opinion likewise they say in their Hearts though they don't speak it out with their Tongues that there is no God Psal 14.1 they have not a thorough belief of a Deity or of a future State of Rewards and Punishments Or else it is in the last place because of their great Security Multitudes of professed Christians are fast asleep in their sins they give up themselves sinfully and many of them are given up of God judicially to a spirit of slumber and of deep sleep And when this is the case with men no wonder they are without any dread of Death or Hell or any thing else You know when a Man is in a deep sleep he fears no danger whatsoever These and such-like are the reasons why many carnal persons do spend their days in mirth and sensuality without any actual fear of Death or of it's dreadfull consequents But then it must be remembred that these very persons are subject or liable thereunto and if God awaken their Consciences and rouze them out of their security Job 24.17 Psal 55.4 5. then they are as 't is in Job in the terrors of the shadow of death horror overwhelmes them as 't is in that Psalm and the terrors of death fall upon them Like Foelix they fall a trembling and like Belshazzar their knees are ready to smite one against another 'T is time now that I should come to the second branch of the Question which is By what Means and Methods are the Children of God deliver'd by Christ from the fear of Death To this I shall return an Answer First By shewing you what Christ hath already done and then Secondly What he continues still to do in order to this end 1. I shall shew you what Christ hath already done to deliver or free the Children of God from the fear of Death He himself in his own Person hath suffered or tasted death for them This is every where declar'd in the New Testament and 't is hinted to us in the Text. Christ by death that is by his own death hath delivered the Children from the fear of death The death of Christ hath made Death to look with another face than formerly it had As the Wood that Moses cast into the waters of Marah did alter their property so the Death of Christ hath alter'd the property of Death and taken away the bitterness and formidableness thereof hence 't is that the death of Believers in Scripture is call'd a Sleep It is said of Stephen when he dyed though it was by a violent death That he fell asleep Acts 7.60 And the Apostle Paul says 1 Thes 4.14 That as Jesus dyed and rose again even so them that sleep in Jesus will God bring with him It is well observed by some that the Apostle doth seem purposely to vary the Phrase he says that Jesus dyed and that the Saints sleep in Him and the reason is because that he sustained Death with all its terrors that so it might become a calm and quiet sleep unto the Saints The Death of Christ must needs sweeten the fore-thoughts of death to the Children and Chosen of God because that he dy'd in their stead he did not only dye in their Nature but in their Room not only for rheir good but also in their stead You know how it was with the Sacrifices of old they were put to death in the room of the Sacrificers So it was with Christ the truth of those Sacrifices he was put to death in the room of Sinners and they dy'd in him as their Representative Now this serves to free them from an enthralling fear of Death why should they fear that which Christ hath undergone in their place and room There are two things more to be considered under this Head 1. Christ by his Death hath taken away the true Reason of the fear of Death that is the Curse and Condemnation of the Law of God The Apostle Paul says That the sting of death is sin 1 Cor. 15.56 and the strength of sin is the Law Death hath it's wounding power from sin and sin hath it's condemning power from the Law 't is the Law that discovers the nature of sin that enhanceth the guilt of sin that denounceth condemnation against him that commits it and 't is this condemnation of the Law that torments the Sinner with the fear of death Now Christ having in our stead subjected himself to death and so undergone the penalty of the Law he hath taken away the Curse and condemning power thereof He hath says the Apostle Paul redeemed us from the curse of the Law being himself made a Curse for us Gal. 3.13 There is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 The death of Christ hath satisfi'd every demand of the broken Law The Law of God hath nothing now to lay to the charge of God's Elect it owns the Blood of Christ to be a sufficient compensation for their violations of it there are no petty satisfactions to be made by themselves since Christ hath made compleat satisfaction for them and in their behalf The Law now is ready to acquit the Believer it says Thou mayst live for all me and live eternally I require not thy death as being satisfied with the Death of Christ When thou dyest a natural death it is rather to comply with the appointment of God and in order to the raising up hereafter a better and more curious Fabrick of thy Body than to satisfie any demand of mine 2. Christ by his Death hath deprived the Devil of the power of death and by this means also he hath deliver'd the Children from a servile fear of Death The Devil as I said before hath a power to terrifie the Consciences of men with the apprehension of death and the dreadful consequents thereof you see into what bondage he brings men upon this account many times he brings the Children themselves into the suburbs of Hell and lays them under dreadful terrors and horrors the pains of Hell says one of them gat hold of me I found trouble and sorrow Psal 116.3 2 Sam. 22.6 and again at another time the sorrows of death compassed me about Now this power of Satan is taken away by the Death of Christ The Blood of Christ hath cancel'd or at least contracted and lessened his Commission So that when he assaults a Believer in this kind he is easily resisted the Devil gives ground if the Believer stands his ground he can't prevail against a Child of God unless God give him a special Commission or unless he yields to his Temptation being justified by Faith in the Death of Christ we have that peace which all the Devils in Hell are not able to disturb the weapons of his power and warfare in this way are wrested out of his hands by the Death of Christ Thus you see what Christ hath already done 2. Let me proceed to shew you what he
sence of the believing World Believers generally know as having found it by experience that they are naturally impotent to spiritual good They find much weakness in themselves after grace is wrought in them and nothing but weakness before God work it They acknowledge they cannot work any degree of grace in themselves when some already they have much less could they work it in themselves when they really had none And how come others to have more strength than they Did not they fall in Adam Or had his Apostasie a less malignant influence upon them than upon others How come they to have such a reserve of Spiritual strength when the rest of the World hath lost it 4. If they can work repentance in themselves why do they not do it sooner Why do they defer it so long when they cannot deny but one time or other it must be wrought Is it a fit return to God for the goodness he hath shewn them all their days to live in sin all their days and turn to him when they can live no longer in it Or will it be an acceptable answer to him when he calls them to a reckoning that they had not served sin long enough nor had their fill of their lusts or else they would have turned to him sooner 5. And how many be there who to encourage themselves in their present impenitency and the enjoyments of their sinful pleasures fancy they can turn themselves when they please yet if God open their eyes and awaken their Consciences and they begin in good earnest to set themselves to labour after repentance they are soon convinced of the hardness and deadness of their Hearts and their utter disabilities to such a work and are fain in spight of all their high thoughts and conceits of themselves to look up to God and implore his assistance and depend upon him for the working of that grace in them which they fondly imagined they could work in themselves 5. God may not give them grace to repent when they come to die Admit they have time and means yet God may not give a blessing to the means Let it be considered First To how few God ever gives repentance at the last even of those who have as good means and helps as their weak and dying condition will admit of It is one of the saddest parts of a Ministers work to visit dying sinners How few do they leave any better than they find them How few give any hopes of a through change wrought in them How few can they perswade to believe in Christ when they have an hundred times before rejected him How few can they bring to repentance then when they never minded it before Ministers even the best are but Men and not God flesh and not Spirit and means instructions exhortations are but means whose whole efficacy depends on Gods co-operation with them and when he with-holds his Blessing they are altogether ineffectual When they judge of man's eternal State though their judgment is not to be rash nor peremptory yet it should be reasonable some good grounds they should have for it But alas if they keep to Scripture-rules in how few of them that never repented before do they find when dying so much as a foundation for a charitable judgment of their Spiritual state 1. If we set aside those that die in gross ignorance of the things of God of the very first Principles of Religion the nature of God the Offices of Christ the ends of his Death the necessity of satisfaction for sin the nature and use of Faith the terms of the Covenant c. Ignorant indeed of those truths some knowledge of which is necessary to the very being of saving Grace How many such do we find and what hope can we have of the truth of their Repentance and so of their Salvation How can their Hearts be holy when their Minds are so blind What Heavenly heat can their be in there affections when there is such an hellish darkness in their understandings Such may read their doom Isa 27.11 2. Set aside those that die stupid without any awakenings of Conscience any sense or concernedness about their spiritual state and so die as much like Beasts as they lived 3. Those that die despairing fill'd with horror and void of hope overwhelmed with the sense of sin the thoughts of approaching vengeance and a fearful expectation of appearing before the Tribunal of that righteous God whom they cannot escape and dare not trust They have not hearts to pray to him hope in him or commit their Souls into his hands when they die having never loved nor served nor regarded him while they lived 4. Those that die presuming Such are the ignorant before mentioned such are Formalists Moralists proud Pharisees conceited self-justifiers The Innocency of their Conversation the Profession they make or the Duties they perform are the righteousness by which they expect to be justified Nay how many after a Life of sin hope to be saved meerly by the mercy of God without respect to any righteousness at all either of Justification or Sanctification either imputed to them or inherent in them either that whereby they may have a title to glory or meetness for it Sure I am such as these are void of repentance and when the greatest part of dying Sinners may be reduced to one or other of these sorts to how few doth God give repentance at the last of those who did not before seek it of him Secondly With how many is the day of Grace past and the time of God's patience run out and then we may be sure God will not give them repentance They have so many times rejected the counsel of God against themselves Luke 7.30 refused the Offers of Grace turned a deaf ear to the calls of the Gospel stiffned their necks and refused to return that now they are past it God that waited on them so long will wait no longer They had a time of acceptation a day of salvation 2 Cor. 6.2 but that being over they are to have no more God was nigh to them and might have been found of them Isa 55.7 but is now withdrawn from them and they may seek Christ and die in their sins John 8.21 the may seek and not find call and God give them no answer Prov. 1.28 Thirdly God may have judicially hardned their Hearts when they had sinfully hardened them before And this seems to be one great cause of that stupidness and insensibleness we so often find in Sinners at the time of death True God infuseth no sin into them yet he may wholly abandon them to the power of the hardness they have contracted and give them up into the Devils hands to delude and blind to act and manage them according to his pleasure and their own corrupt inclinations They may not have so much as an heart to desire to repent or pray to God for Grace to enable them to to it all those
so doing though very ill requited for it this is high and noble indeed this is an honour not vouchsafed to the elect Angels who are not capable of suffering this is to be a Christian in truth and eminency and to resemble Christ himself who suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps In the words which I have read you may take notice 1. Of one end of Christ in Suffering and that is that he might leave us an example To say that this was the principal end of his passion to deny his satisfaction as if it were impossible or needless is heretical in a very high degree to deny the Blood of Christ to be the price of our redemption is to deny the Lord that bought us And truly the only propitiatory Sacrifice for Sin being rejected there is no other remaining but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and of fiery indignation which shall devour the Adversaries And yet though Christ bare our sins in his own body on the tree He is not only our Redeemer but our Example He hath bequeathed Blessings never enough to be valued in his Testament he has also left us an incomparable Example The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Example is either taken from excellent Writing-Masters who set a fair Copy for their Scholars to write after or 't is taken from Painters who draw a curious Masterpiece for inferiour Artists their Admiration and Imitation 2. They were remarkable steps that Christ took when he was here in the days of his flesh and among them all he did not take one wrong one He was made of a Woman made under the Law and he did not in the least transgress the Law He came upon this Earth to do his Father's Will Heb. 10.7 Lo I come in the volume of the Book it is written of me to do thy will O God And never did he any thing that was in any degree contrary to it 3. The Steps of Christ are to be followed Good men in Scripture are our patterns whose Faith and Patience we are to follow Heb. 6.12 That ye be not slothful but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promise The Cloud of witnesses is to be minded and the bright side of it gives a good light unto our feet but there is a dark side of the Cloud which may make us cautious we must take heed of resembling the best of Men in that which is bad in their falls and infirmities Abraham is renowned for his faith yet not to be imitated in the carnal shifts he made for the saving of his life Barnabas was to be blamed for being carried away by Peter's dissimulation But Christ is such an example as to walk according to it and to walk by the strictest rule is all one for our Lord did whatsoever became him and exactly fulfill'd all righteousness 4. Here is a special intimation as appears by the context of a Christian's Duty patiently to bear injuries and to take up the cross Though the Gospel be the gladdest tidings yet Suffering is a word that sounds very harsh to flesh and blood But the Apostle bids us behold Christ in his Sufferings and not think mâ—ch of our afflictions which were but a drop compared with His which were a vast Ocean The Sufferings of Christ the Head were unconceivably greater than those which any of his Members at any time are called to undergo And indeed when he drank the Cup his Father gave him he drank out the Curse and bitterness of it so that it is both bless't and sweetned to the Lambs followers who are to drink after him 5. The Sufferings of Christ and his Example being joyned together in the Text here is a signification that by his Death he has purchased Grace to assist and enable us to follow his example Our Lord knows our natural impotency nay averseness to follow him or so much as to look to him His death is effectual therefore to kill our Sin and to heal our depraved Nature his power rests upon us that we may tread the Path in which he is gone before us I am able to do all things says the Apostle through Christ strengthning me I am desired this Morning to speak of Christ as our Example and to shew how Christians are to follow him This is a Theme that commends it self to you by its excellency usefulness and seasonableness in such an Age wherein there is such a sinful sad and almost universal degenerating from true and real Christianity Glorious Head had'st thou ever on earth a Body more unlike thee than at this day How few manifestly declare themselves the Epistles of Christ written by the Spirit of the living God! Few Professors have his Image who yet bear his superscription In the handling of this Subject I shall 1. Premise some things by way of Caution 2. Shew you in what respects Christ is an Example to be followed 3. Produce some Arguments to perswade you to the imitation of him 4. Close with some Directions how this duty may be done effectually In the first place I am to premise some things by way of Caution 1. Think not as long as you remain in this world to be altogether free from Sin as Christ was He indeed was from his Conception in the Womb to his Ascension far above all visible Heavens altogether immaculate and without blemish Some have fancied spots in the Sun but sure I am in the Sun of righteousness there is none The Sins of all that are saved were laid upon him but no Sin was ever found in him or done by him The Apostle tells us that he was holy harmless and undefiled Heb. 7.26 You are indeed to imitate Christ in Purity but perfect Holiness you cannot attain to while you carry such a body of Death about you and are in such a world as this It may comfort you to consider after the fall of the first Adam and the sad consequences of it how the second Adam stood and conquer'd and kept himself unspotted from the world all the while he conversed in it But as long as you remain on Earth some defilement will cleave to you to admonish you where you are and to make you long for the heavenly Jerusalem More and more holy you may and ought to be but to be compleatly holy is the happiness not of Earth but Heaven 2. Think not that Christ in all his actions is to be imitated There are Royalties belonging to our Lord Jesus which none must invade He alone is Judg and Lawgiver in Zion and that worship is vain which is taught by the Precepts of Men. Christ is all in all he fills all in all Eph. 1.23 When the Fathers of the last Lateran Council told Leo the Tenth That all Power was given to him in Heaven and Earth As it was blasphemous flattery in them to give so it was blasphemous pride and right Antichristian arrogancy in
Jesus You are espoused to Him and should you not consent to be like to him who has betrothed you unto himself in Loving-kindness Mercy and Faithfulness for ever Hos 2.19 20. Nay you are members of his body Therefore you should grow up into Him in all things which is the Head even Christ Eph. 4.15 You should discover such a mind as Christ had you should manifest the same Spirit and act as he acted when he was here in the World 3. Consider that God did fore-ordain you that are Believers to a conformity to the Lord Jesus Rom. 8.29 For whom he did fore-know he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son that he might be the first-born among many Brethren If you would appear with Christ in Glory you must be now changed into his Image Holiness and patient suffering will make you like him and is the decreed way unto his Kingdom 4. Walking as Christ walked will make it evident that you are indeed in him 1 Joh. 2.6 He that saith he abideth in him ought to prove what he saith and himself so to walk even as he walked To be in Christ is to be a new creature And these new Creatures do all resemble him for he is formed in them Naming the name of Christ will never demonstrate your Christianity unless you depart from iniquity which makes you so unlike unto your Lord. But likeness to him will prove you His in Truth And an evidence of this what strong consolation will it afford If you are in Christ how safe are you you are secured from the curse of the Law the stroke of vindictive Justice the wrath of the Destroyer the bondage of Corruption and Sin the sting of the first Death and the power of the second If you are in Christ His God is your God his Father your Father Joh. 20.17 You are loved as He is loved Joh. 17.23 That the World may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me And v. 26. That the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them You are joint-heirs with Christ unto the same incorruptible inheritance how firm and sure is your title how certain and soon will be your possession and after possession is taken you shall not be dispossess'd unto Eternity 5. Your following the Example of Christ very much honours Him and credits Christianity 't is a sign that Christs death has a mighty vertue in it when it makes you to die to Sin and to be unmoved by the biggest offers that Mammon makes to you 'T is an argument that He is truly Christ when you are truly Christians that He is indeed alive when he lives in you and makes you to live to him and like him 'T is a demonstration that our Lord is risen indeed when you rise with him and seek those things that are above Col. 3.1 Christ is very much unknown and being unknown is undesired and neglected because so little of him is seen in Christians conversation How few deserve digito monstrari to be pointed at and to have such a Character given them There go the persons who discover such a Spirit who talk and walk too after such a manner that 't is evident Christ dwells and speaks and walks and works in them Be all of you prevailed with to honour your Lord Jesus by shewing the world what he was when here upon Earth and how powerfully he works in you though now he is in Heaven Chrysostom with great reason does call good works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unanswerable Syllogisms and demonstrations to confute and convince Infidels The World would flock into the Church being struck with the Majesty and Glory shining forth in Her if She were but more like unto her glorious Head But when they who are called Christians are so like unto the World 't is no wonder if the men of the World continue still as they are 6. Christ frequently speaks to you to follow him and observes whether and how you do it His word is plain that you should learn his Doctrine and live after his example And his eyes which are as a flaming fire are upon Professours ways His Omniscience should be more firmly believed and seriously considered by the Church it self Rev. 2.23 All the Churches shall know that I am He which searcheth the Reins and Hearts and I will give to every one of you according to your works I shall here by a Prosopopeia bring in our Lord Jesus speaking to you and himself propounding his own Example that you may hear and heed and follow the Lamb of God To this effect Christ speaks to you Look unto me and be ye saved all ye ends of the Earth Look unto me and become like me all you that profess your selves to be my Members What Do you see in me that in any reason should turn away your faces or your hearts from me Blessed is He whosoever shall not be offended in Me. The Father is well pleased in Me and so should you as you value his favour and would consult your own interest I never took so much as one step in the ways of misery and destruction be you sure to avoid them I always trod in those paths which to you will prove pleasantness and peace though to satisfy for your deviations and going astray I was fain my self to be a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief Consider your Lord and Master you that call your selves my disciples Many look upon you that will not look into my word and will judge of Me by your practices Be not so injurious to Me by misrepresenting Me as if I allowed those evils which you allow your selves in Why should I be wounded in my honour in the house of my Friends Why should you crucify me afresh And put me to an open shame When you yield to Satans temptations are you like to me When you are eager after worldly wealth the applause of men and flesh-pleasing delights are you like to me When you are proud and haughty bitter envious and revengeful do you at all resemble Me When you seek your selves and please your selves and matter not how much God is forgotten and displeased Am I in this your example O all you upon whom my name is called content not your selves with an empty name Be my disciples in truth and let the same mind that was in me be in you also be my disciples indeed live as I did in the World to honour God and to do good to man let it be your business for I have left you an example that you should follow my steps 7. Follow Christs Example that you may enter into his glory For if we be dead with him says the Apostle we shall live with him if we suffer with him we shall also reign with him 2 Tim. 2.11 12. Be of good courage and conflict but do it in his Strength with your Spiritual enemies and
against will be Hell-fire in their Consciences for ever and the clearer light the hotter fire And the higher they have been lifted up by the opportunities of Grace towards Heaven the lower they will fall under the weight of Guilt and the rebukes of Conscience 2. They will suffer more than others from the Devil and his Angels For that they are the Executioners of God's wrath upon the wicked in this world is out of question and so some think they will be in the world to come but only as under God's Commission which they ground upon that Text Agree with thine Adversary quickly lest he deliver thee to the Judge and the Judge to the Tormentours c. by whom they understand Evil Spirits Matth. 18.34 3. Christ himself will appear in greatest severity against such He is said to be revealed in flames of fire against such that know not God and obey not the Gospel 2 Thess 1.8 By both which expressions are meant impenitent Sinners under the Gospel His first Coming was in a flame of Love to save Men but when Men are impenitent and reject his Salvation he will come next in flames of Wrath to take Vengeance And in the first place against these To the Jew before the Gentile Rom. 2.9 and to the impenitent Christian before both 4. Witnesses will rise up against these more than any other sinners The Heathen will come in against them as our Saviour speaks The men of Niniveh shall rise up against this generation and condemn it The Queen of the South shall rise up and condemn it Matth. 12.41 The Heathen who have gone further by the Light of Nature than many who have lived under the Light of the Gospel will come in as Witnesses against them The Jew may come in as a witness also who under the darker Light of the Law hath out-stripped many that were under a Gospel ministration The good Angels may come in as Witnesses who having been present in the Church-assemblies have heard the Calls there given to Sinners to repent The bad Angels may come in and plead against them that they never refused the Calls of the Gospel to believe and repent for they never had any Ministers may come in as Witnesses who spent their pains and strength upon them to invite and call them to Repentance but they would not hear Many of their Neighbours and Fellow-Christians may witness against them who did believe and repent under the same means whenas these did not All which will contribute to make their Damnation the more intolerable The APPLICATION Vse 1. We may hence learn what to judge of the Heathen who have not heard of Christ I shall not dispute whether any of them may be saved or not yet this I can say that their Damnation will be more tolerable than of many others Those that sinned without the Law shall have more favourable Judgment than those that sinn'd under the Law and those that detain'd only natural Truth in unrighteousness as the Heathen Rom 1.18 shall fare better than those that so detained Truth supernatural And among the Heathen Diogenes may fare better than Dionysius Cato than Cataline Vespasian than Dioclesian The last Judgment will be exactly righteous Vse 2. Hence it appears that what is in it self a great Favour and Priviledge to a People may be the occasion of the greatest Evil. As the Gospel is in it self yet will be an occasion to many of a Damnation that will be most inexcusable and most intolerable Christ was first preached to the Jews which was their priviledge but they rejecting him it brought sorer Calamities upon their Nation than ever before And wrath came upon them to the utmost And that Christ that is a Corner-stone to his Church they first stumbled at and then it fell upon them and did grind them to powder And how it will fare with them in the day of Judgment he tells them John 12.48 The words that I have spoken the same shall judge you at the last day And what Judgment will be more severe than theirs who have refused and rejected words that came immediately from the mouth of the Son of God Words so full of Grace and Mercy Truth and Faithfulness Wisdom and Understanding so that never any Man spake as this Man As the men of Bethshemesh rejoyced and offered Sacrifices of Thanksgiving at the Coming of the Ark to them but it proved an occasion of the destruction of many Thousands of them 1 Sam. 6.19 Vse 3. We may hence take notice how ineffectual the best outward Means are of themselves to bring a people to repentance Could any City have greater means for it than Capernaum Here Christ wrought Miracles that did amaze them and preach'd Doctrine that did astonish them but not bring them to repentance The Gospel doth sometimes make some impressions upon the Minds of people that may still continue impenitent in their sin Some when they have heard a Sermon will applaud it but not repent Whether it be from a Conforming or Non-conforming Minister yet by neither are brought to repentance John Baptist preached Repentance and Christ came and preached Repent and yet the Jews for the greatest part repented not by the one or the other Some are for Gospel-preaching some for preaching the Law and yet hold fast their sins under both Such is the stupidity that is fall'n upon Man and such deceitfulness in his Heart and is so fast bound by the Chains of his Sin Obj. But God can bring Man to Repentance if he will Ans God hath a twofold Power Potestas absoluta ordinata A Power that he exerts immediately or in the use of means God can by his absolute Power preserve Man's life without eating or drinking but he maintains it ordinarily in the use of means which Man is obliged to use and if he reject them will be guilty of his own death God affords Sinners means to bring them to repentance and if they reject them God is not obliged to work by his immediate Power Hereupon God is said to be willing that all should be saved and come to repentance 2 Pet. 3.9 by his calling them and affording means to repentance Q. But why doth God make these means effectual to some not to others by giving special Grace A. When he that makes this Question can resolve me why Christ wrought his mighty Works in Corazin and Bethsaida and not in Tire and Sidon when he foresaw that Tire and Sidon would thereupon repent in dust and ashes and Corazin and Bethsaida would not repent I shall then answer him in his Enquiry Secret things belong to God but tâ—ings revealed to us and our Children Let Sinners use the means and wait there for God's special Grace And can Sodom justly complain that Christ came not to do his mighty Works in it and brought not the Light of the Gospel to it when she offer'd such Violence to the common dictates of the Light and Law of Nature Vse 4.
his Royal Captives who helped to draw his Charlot looking wistly on the Wheel how the part now lowest was presently uppermost so that he considering the mutability of these sublunary things released him from that bondage And however forget not what the Holy Ghost saith Jam. 2.13 He shall have judgment without mercy that sheweth no mercy and mercy rejoyceth against judgment 10. My last Advice is to Pray for the peace of Jerusalem This every one may do and this every one ought to do Psal 122.6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper that love thee Peace be within thy walls and prosperity within thy palaces There are few greater Reasons for our solemn Fasting and Prayer than this If some Plague or War or Drought come upon us we reckon it 's high time to Fast and Pray But alas those are in themselves but Miseries but our Contentions are so our Miseries that they are our sins also Those will but destroy some of our People but Uncharitable Contentions will consume us all But whatever Others do herein let it be every sincere Christian's care to lay holy violence to Heaven upon this Account You have done all that is in your Power to restore Love and Peace and it is in vain try thâ—â— what God can do Abi in cellam dic miserere Deus He can make Men to be of one mind in a House City and Nation He can bow the Hearts of a whole Nation even as the Heart of one man and that in a moment of time He can bring the Wolf and the Lyon and the Lamb to feed together so that they shall not hurt nor destroy in all his holy mountain Isa 65 25. And O that the Prayer of our most Blessed Saviour Joh. 17.21 may yet prevail with God to pour down a spirit of Love and Peace into us all In the mean time let all those that are passive that are upright humble and quiet comfort themselves with Salvian's saying Insectantur nos in nobis Deum Christ is a fellow-sufferer with all that suffer as Christians and their design is against God himself that devour his servants And then pergant nostrae patientiae praecones 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beatos nos hoc modo facient dum vellent miseros They that speak and write all manner of evil of you so it be falfely while they endeavour to render you miserable do thereby make you happy True Virtue and Piety shines most in the fire and therefore in Patience possess your Souls if you can possess nothing else And for Others if after all Warnings and Endeavours their Hearts be still fill'd with Rancour and bent upon mischief we must leave them to St. Augustine's Sentence Quos Deus vult perdere prius dementat There is a God who tells his Servants wandrings and puts their tears in his bottle and who will execute judgment upon all that have spoken or done hardly toward them and though they may support themselves with their present impunity and prosperity yet the Lord of that servant that began to smite his fellow servants will come in a day he looked not for him and in an hour that he is not aware of and shall cut him asunder Matth. 24.50 And though they may think it a long time to that day they will find there is a longer space after it They that choose the Fire shaâ—â— have their fill of it For to them that are contentious there remains indignation and wrath and Fire that is everlasting But I despair not of so much Remorse in such as have without Prejudice and with Consideration read these Pages but that they will awake and shake off the Inchantment which hath possess'd them and discerning their Sin and our common Danger they will embrace all their faithful Brethren and become sincere lovers of Truth and Peace which effect the God of Love and Peace work in us all by his Holy Spirit for the sake of the Prince of Peace Jesus Christ our Redeemer Amen Amen Quest From what Fear of Death are the Children of God delivered by Christ and by what Means doth He deliver them from it SERMON IV. HEB. II. 15. And deliver them who through fear of Death were all their life time subject unto bondage IN this and in the foregoing Verse you have some Account of the design and end of our Lord Jesus Christ in his Incarnation and Passion There were divers weighty Reasons why he assum'd our Nature and therein subjected himself to Death and two of them are told us in this Context 1. That he might destroy the Devil 2. That he might deliver the Elect People of God 1. That he might destroy the Devil who is describ'd to be one that had the power of Death not the supream but a subordinate Power of Death a Power of Death as God's Executioner to inflict it and affright men with it to make it terrible and formidable to them by heightning their guilty Fears and representing to them its dreadful consequents In these and in divers other respects that might be mentioned the Devil is said to have the Power of Death Him as it follows hath Christ destroyed That is disarm'd and disabled Christ hath not destroy'd him as to his being and substance but as to his Power and Authority over the Children and chosen of God And this Christ did by his own Death Through or by death he destroy'd him that had the power of Death viz. The Devil It was upon the Cross that be spoil'd Principalities and Powers and made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in it 2. To come to what I intend another End and reason of Christ's Incarnation and Passion was that he might deliver the Elect People of God These he calls the Children in the foregoing Verse not the Children of Men as some expound it but the Children of God Such Children as the Father had given the Son so they are said to be Ver. 13. Behold says Christ I and the Children which thou hast given me such as were predestinated to the adoption of Children as it is phras'd Ephes 1.5 These the Text also describes and tells us in what Condition they were by Nature Through fear of Death they were all their life-time subject to bondage By all their Life time you must understand all that time which they liv'd before they were deliver'd This is the Condition of the Elect of God as they come into the World they are not only subject unto Death but unto the Fear of Death and unto bondage by reason thereof The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is render'd subject signifies they were held fast and manacled as Birds that are taken in a snare or as Malefactors that are going to their Execution The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is rendred bondage signifies a state of servitude or slavery such as men dislike but cannot avoid One calls it a poenal disquietment or perplexity of mind that ariseth from a
things which we comprehend not III. That which makes believing so difficult is the seeming contradictory acts of Faith it seems not to consist with it self Here I take Faith more generally as it has for its Object the whole Word of God the Law and the Gospel the special Object of Faith as Saving is the Promise Saving Faith seeks Life which is not to be found in Commandments and Threats but in a Promise of Mercy Faith acting upon the whole Word of God seems to contradict it self for Faith believes a Sinner is to die according to the Law and that he shall live according to the Gospel Faith has the Word of God for both both for the Death and Life of a Sinner and both are true the Law must be executed and the Promise must be performed but how to reconcile this is not so obvious and easie to every one Is the Law then against the Promises of God God forbid Gal. 3.21 't is impossible both should be accomplished in the Person of a Sinner he cannot die eternally and live eternally yet both are wonderfully brought about by Jesus Christ according to the manifold Wisdom of God without any Derogation to his Law and Justice God and his Law are satisfy'd and the Promise of Salvation made good to the Sinner and so both Law and Gospel have their ends not a tittle of either falls to the ground Heaven and Earth may sooner pass away than this can be O what a mistery is Christ Flesh and blood can't reveal this to us every believer assents to the truth of the Law as well as the Gospel he knows that both must have their full course the Law is fulfilled in inflicting Death the Gospel in giving Life the Law contributes nothing to the eternal Life of a sinner but kills him and leaves him weltering in his blood is no more concerned about him for ever if God will bring this dead sinner to life again he may dispose of him as he please the Law has done its utmost against him so the Law did against Christ spared him not but killed him out-right and left him for a time under the power of Death but having slain a Man who was God as well as Man Death was too weak to hold him he swallows up Death in victory he whom the Law slew as Man rises as God by the power of his godhead the Law contributed nothing to his Resurrection the Law had the chief hand in his Death but none in his Resurrection And here begins our eternal Life in the Resurrection of him who dies no more and is the Resurrection and Life to all who believe in him IV. The reigning unbelief that is among the generality of Men even among those who are of greatest reputation for Wisdom and Learning Ay and among those who carry the vogue for Zeal and Religion are counted the Head and Pillars of the Church Some pretending to Infallibility others set up themselves and are cryed up by many as such competent Judges in all matters of Faith that their judgment is not to be questioned but readily complied with by all who would not be counted singular and Schismatical So 't was in our Saviours time the Jews who had been the only Professors of the true Religion for many ages in opposition to all Idolatry and false Worship they stumble at the Gospel the Greeks who were the more Learned sort of the Heathen World they counted it foolishness And thus was the whole World set against Christ here was the greatest outward hinderance of the belief of the Gospel that could be imagined and add to this the indefatigable pains and industry of the Devil to keep out the light of the Gospel from shining in upon us he blinds the Eyes of Men by a cursed influence upon their corrupt minds that they should not believe Is it not a hard matter under all these discouragements to embrace the Gospel and declare our belief of it Have any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him But this people who know not the Law John 7.48 49. Why should any regard what a company of poor illiterate people do Their following Christ is rather an argument why we should not follow him they are all but fools and ideots that do so A cursed sort of people This is the judgement the Men of the World have of believers There is nothing among too many self-conceited Scepticks lies under a greater imputation of folly and madness than faith in the Lord Jesus Christ O what a pass are things come too that after so many hundred years profession of Christianity we should grow weary of Christ and the Gospel V. The notorious Apostacy of many Professors this day who have made Shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience 1 Tim. 1.19 may convince you all that 't is no easie matter to believe so to believe as to persevere in the Faith VI. Believers themselves find it a difficult matter to act their Faith if their Lives lie upon it they cannot act it at their pleasure without the special aid and assistance of the Spirit 't is God must work in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure Believers are hardly put to it great is the labour and travel of their Souls in believing they meet with much opposition from flesh and blood in every act of Faith they put forth they are forced to cry out for help in the midst of an act of Faith lest they should fail in it I helieve Lord help my unbelief q. d. I am now under some light and power of Faith but I see I can't hold it if thou dost not help me I feel flesh and blood rising up against my Faith I begin to stagger already Lord help me that I may not be run down by my carnal Heart Temptations shake our Faith many times there is a perpetual conflict between Faith and Diffidence yet Faith fails not utterly there 't is still Psal 31.22 23. Psal 42.6 9. Faith upholds the Heart still Psal 116.7 Unbelievers they tremble and turn away from God but true believers in their greatest frights and fears do run to God Psal 56.3 make towards him still Were it an easie matter to believe such suddain fits of unbelief would not come so strongly upon believers themselves Secondly The Reson why many Professors count it an easie thing to Believe The main Reason is this and I will insist upon no other viz. Because they mistake a formal Profession of Faith for real believing this undo's thousands who because they are qualified as National Protestants for all worldly preferments here they rest and make no other use of their Religion as if the Articles of their Faith obliged them to nothing A formal Profession is general takes up Religion in gross but is not concerned in any one point of it But real Believing is particular brings down every Gospel Truth to our selves shews us our concernments in it Save thy self saith
Zimri and Cosbi God himself took notice of it and imputed it to his zeal and was highly pleased with it and mention'd it twice Numb 25.11 He was zealous for my sake among them And again v. 13. He was zealous for his God His heart did burn within him he was all in a flame and could not with any patience endure to see his God so unworthily dealt with and dishonoured While I am writing of this I am informed of that excellent precept against the prophaning of the Lords day sent out by the Right Honourable Sir Thomas Pilkington our present Lord Mayor which being of a more than ordinary strain I look not upon as a matter of custom but an effect of his zeal and let it be for his honour to succeeding generations and an embalming of his name and let God himself remember it for good to him both in time and to eternity One thing more Lastly Frequently seriously call to mind that account which you are at the last and great day to give of your selves and your power and all your actions to a better greater and higher than any of you even to God himself He will for certain he will call you all to a strict account therefore awe and quicken your Souls with the thoughts of it It is but a little very little time that the youngest and strongest of you have to spend in the World Death will certainly come and summon you hence And when it comes it will not stay for you till you have mended faults and supplied defects possibly it will not allow you time enough to say Lord have mercy upon me And then your places will know you no more and your power will know you no more and your comforts and enjoyments will know you no more You that now sit upon thrones and in Parliament-houses and Courts of Judicature must then stand before the divine Tribunal upon an equal level with the meanest of the people everyone of you give an account of himself to God of his trust power how he did carry himself and manage and improve his power And therefore if you have any kindness for your selves make it appear by your care so to live now so to act and rule as that you may give up a good account with boldness and comfort and hear the Judge say Well done good and faithful Servants you have been faithful in your little you have done your duty and fill'd up your places now enter into the joy of your Lord. I shall conclude this Sermon with that of the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.10 11. We must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or evil knowing therefore the terrour of the Lord we perswade men so to live in the World so to order their Conversations so to trade with those talents of interest and estates of parts and power for the present that then they may be found faultless and presented with exceeding joy Quest. How may we enquire after News not as Athenians but as Christians for the better management of our Prayers and Praises for the Church of God SERMON XVI ACTS 17.21 For all the Athenians and strangers that were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing IN the Text chosen for me to speak of and for you to hear I do observe and would have you also consider we meet with a Concourse of people who pretended to be the Virtuosi of that Age and for ought I do discern may as well deserve the Character as they do in our Age who spend their time in enquiring into useless Novelties If our Learned Men equal the Learning of these Athenians If Students from Foreign parts flock to us to perfect their course of Studies as to Athens If Merchants in equal Numbers but with unequal Riches attend the Custom-houses and fill the Exchanges with us as with them If there were some Travellers who came onely to see and talk who were the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Strangers there If each sort had business of greater Importance to mind than to spend their time in hearing what others could tell or telling what others would be pleas'd with hearing which was the Folly and Distemper of those Athenians and Strangers the same is the Epidemical Folly and Disease of our Age and of all sorts of the Beaux-Esprits refineder Spirits with us The Cure of this Disease is the design of this Discourse in this Case How may we Enquire after News not as Athenians but as Christians for the better management of our Prayers and Praises for the Church of God He that Enquires to satisfie his Curiosity or his sinful Prejudices or malicious Wishes and to boast and triumph in the Sorrows of the Church of God and He that Enquires not at all nor concerneth himself with these Works of God do both highly offend The one rejoyce in the Destruction of Sion as 't is Obad. 12. v. The other is at Ease in Sion Amos 6.1 and are not grieved at the Affliction of Joseph Amos 6.6 and each do provoke the displeasure of the Lord against themselves Amos pronounceth a Wo against the one Chap. 6.1 and an utter Extirpation is threatned against the other Obad. 18. v. Such careless ones as neither fear the Evil nor hope for the Good of Sion neither pray for its Deliverance nor do praise God for his Salvation to Sion greatly Sin and are likely to be deeply Punished Isa 32.9 10 11 12. That we may Escape both the Case warns us Not to Enquire Athenian-like but to Enquire as becomes Christians and suitably Pray for a Distressed or Praise God for a Delivered Church In stating this unusual Case it will I think be best to draw it out into some previous Propositions which shall make way for the clearer Resolution of it 1. The Casuist doth grant that in some Cases we may Enquire what is the News that is abroad Whosoever asketh Direction how to do an Action is first perswaded of the lawfulness of the thing he would do How shall I come before God implieth that I may yea ought to come before him Mich. 7.6 So here the Casuist is of opinion we may Enquire but is solicitous lest you should with the most enquire amiss and therefore would direct you the best way of doing what is lawful to be done If there were a doubt the Case should be first May it be done not How is it to be done 2. News which spreads abroad in the World is of very different Nature 1. Some Trifling Reports below the gravity and prudence of a Man to receive from a Reporter or to communicate to any Hearer 2. Others of a very particular private personal Concern and among such as are of mean and abject state which as they rise among them so 't is fit they should die