as he had it in the Promises so he had it likewise in the Performance and the accomplishment of that promise to him as we may see in 2 Tim. 4 16 17. All men forsook me but the Lord stood by me and strongthned me There was the Lord in the top of the Ladder In the Multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my Soul in Psal 94. vers 29. And so much of the First reference of this Passage as it respects the Ladder it self in the full Latitude and extent of it whether of Christ or of the Church or Jacob. The Second Reference is to the Motion of the Angels that passed upon it The Lord stood above them also as ordering and guiding and disposing and governing of them The Angels as Great as they are yet they are still but Creatures and at the Command of God himself who is the Lord and Creator of them And so the Scripture testefies of them in Psal 103.20 Bless the Lord ye his Angels that excell in strength that do his Commandements hearkening to the Voice of the Lord. It was a great Comfort and Advantage to Jacob that he had the Angels to waite upon him in this his present Condition to ascend and descend upon his Ladder Oh but this was the main of all that God himself stood above it for the ordering and regulating of them The greatest means of Comfort without God are altogether uncomfortable and helps which have no help in them it is he who alone give virtue and Efficacy to any Creature and that makes it advantagious in him and without which it can do us no good nor benefit us at all be it in its own Nature never so excellent This was that which was the Glory of this Vision and that put an Eminency upon it which as I may say is a Ladder it self and consisting of its several steps and gradations in it and neither of them could be wel spared Here 's the Ladder and the Angels and the Lord. If Jacob had not seen the Ladder as a pledge unto him of the happiness of his Conveyance he would have been at some loss within himself If he had seen the Ladder and had not seen the Angels ascending and descending upon it he would have been to seek still And if further had seen the Angels upon it and had not seen the Lord stand above it he would have been very miserable for all this This is that which is the excellency of Angels that they are the Angels of God and this is the good that comes by them That the Lord stands above them This is true and holds good not onely of Angels Properly but of Angels Metaphorically not onely of Angels by Nature but also of Angels by Service and imployment which are the Pastors and Ministers of the Church who have sometimes this appellation of Angels fastned upon them and are so denominated we may apply it even to them also by way of Analogy The Pulpit it is as I may so call it Jacobs Ladder that reaches from Earth to Heaven It has its footing on Earth for we have this Treasure in Earthen Vessels But the top of it is in Heaven for we bring with us the glad tidings of Salvation The Angels of God they ascend and descend upon it in the exercise of their minesteriall Imployment But it is the Lord that must stand above it and give virtue and Efficacy to it or else all is in vain and to no purpose It is he that must give us Assistance and it is he that must give us Success and a blessing upon all our undertakings or else it will go but very ill with us nor with you neither If thy presence go not with us carry us not up hence as Moses said in the like case Exod. 33.25 Who is Paul and who is Apollo but Ministers by whom ye beleived even as the Lord gave to every man I have Planted and Apollos has watered but it is God that gave the Increase as the Apostles speaks 1 Cor. 3.5 And so I have done with this first General part of the Text which is the Vision it self in the three several Branches of it The erection of the Ladder The Motion of the Angels and the Superintendency of God himself The Second is the Provocation of Attention or the Proposal of this Spectacle to view in the word BEHOLD which is now breifly to be dispatch'd by us This though it be first in the Text yet it is last in our handling of it as it is also in the Nature of the thing For first of all the sight is prepared before the Spectators are call'd into the vewing of it And so here this word Behold as it lies in the Text is very Emphaticall and more then ordinary in other Scriptures where also sometimes we meet with it as we may observe in the Multis lications of it for we have it here under a Threefold Repetition the more to awaken our attention to it Behold Behold Behold Behold the Ladder and behold the Angels and behold the Lord. All are to be Beheld by us And the Viewing and beholding of them all will serve as the Application of all that heitherto has been delivered about them There are divers sorts of Looking and beholding which are here required of us in order to this Spectacle before us First So behold it with an Eye of Wonderment and Admiration as a very Great and Glorious Mistery especially so far forth as it concerns Christ himself Here 's that which calls for special heed and attention from us we heard before how the very Angels themselves looked upon it with Astonishment and how much more then should then Sons of Men who are themselves so deeply Interested and concern'd in it There 's nothing which belongs to Christ but it is worth the beholding and has commonly the Provocation of it affix'd unto it Behold a Prophet Behold a Virgin Behold the Lamb of God still behold when there 's Speech of Christ and so here Forasmuch as he is pleased thus to offer and Exhibit himself to our view we should not take off our Eyes from him but fasten them upon him Look upon him in both his Natures and look upon him in all his Offices as they are laid before us It is that which is here required and expected from us This Vision it was not onely for Jacob but also for us and it does very much belong unto us This Ladder is still standing even to this present day and is not removed or taken down but we may look upon it Not in a Dream but waking nor in the Shaddow onely but in the Substance We all now may with open face Behold as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord c. as it is 2 Cor. 3.18 Secondly With an eye of Faith we are to behold it so also as improving it to our own great Comfort and Consolation in the greatest Troubles and perplexities that may befall us
own infinite Majesty and Glory what are all Nations and Kingdoms of the World Surely as the Prophet Isaiah speaks of it Isa 40.21 Behold the Nations are as the drop of a bucket and are accounted as the small dust of the ballance Behold he taketh up the Isles as a very little thing The Lord is high above all Nations and his Glory above the Heavens Psal 113.4 He encreaseth the Nations and destroyeth them he enlargeth the Nations and straitneth them again Job 12.23 Who smote great Nations and slew mighty Kings Psal 135.10 Secondly The Importunity of Sin and Guilt that makes for this likewise Nahum 1.12 Though they be quiet and likewise many yet thus shall they be cut down when he shall pass through says the Lord there by his Prophet because their Sins call for Vengeance As we see it was with the Sodomites and tâ—â— Cities round about them whilst the Cry of their Wickedness ascended and came up to Heaven in their committing of Fornication and going after strange Flesh it is said That even they suffered the vengeance of eternal fire And so the Cananites and the rest of the Nations which opposed and fought against Gods People we hear what a quick and speedy riddance the Lord made of them for it in their Universal overthrow and ruine and destruction And so he is ready to do with many more in the like circumstances Who would not fear thee O King of Nations as it is in Jer. 10.7 What cause have all the People and Kingdoms of the Earth to tremble before this great God who is able thus to crush them in peices and to destroy them even in Hell it self if they provoke him as he here threatens them We should here learn to satisfie our selves in this great Mystery both of Prudence and Religion It seems to be a strange thing to reason that God should damn whole Nations And therefore such Persons as make Reason to be the Rule of Faith they do much doubt of it and call it into Question For which purpose they have found out salvation even for the Heathen that know not God nor ever heard word of Christ But we see here how the Scripture it self expresses it self in this particular whereby it tells us that whole Nations shall be turned into Hell That so we may not be wiser or mercifuller than God himself But submit our own reason and the Dictates of our own understanding to his Discoveries and Proposals And in the mean time bless God our selves if he hath exempted us out of the number of those Nations which shall be thus dealt withal by a more peculiar manifestation and dispensation of himself unto us Thus for the Subjects here mentioned in reference to this Punishment All the Nations The Second is the guilt which is fustned upon those Subjects as the Ground and Foundation of this Punishment and that is Forgetting of God This now does a little qualifie it and restrain it and take it in It is not all Nations Absolutely and Indefinitely and without exception howsoever qualified but under this Notion of Impiety God does not in this case proceed in a way of Soveraignty but in a way of Justice It is true he might if he pleased do the former forasmuch as all the Nations of the World they are his own Creatures and the Workmanship of his own hands therefore if he saw good he might deal with them as the Potter with his vessel And no man might say unto them what dost thou But he has thought fitting to take another course than this with them and that is by proceeding upon the account of their own guilt as it is here declared unto us Therefore this Punishment and Destruction it is here limited and restrained to Sinners And so we find it to be also in other places as Psal 79.6 Pour out thine indignation upon the Heathen that have not known thee and upon the Kingdoms that have not called upon thy name Not upon the Heathen considered Absolutely nor upon the Kingdoms considered Indefinitely But upon those Heathens and Kingdoms which have not known God Nor called upon him And so likewise here in the Text All the Nations that forget God This is a Particular Character whereby a wicked People are distinguisht viz. Forgetfullness of God as that which carries the very root of all wickedness in it For hence it is that any Persons do make so bold with God as commonly they do by offending him and rebelling against him because indeed they are such as do forget him and think not of him This forgetfulness of God which wicked men are thus guilty of to explain it a little to you it extends to Sundry Particulars First To the Essence of God They forget God that is they forget that there is a God They have heard of it it may be and have seen Habitual Notions of it yea but in such and such cases and circumstances they do it or reflect upon it They do not Actually mind or consider it which makes them so to carry it as if indeed they did not beleive it Secondly To the Nature of God They forget God that is they forget who or what manner of one God is They forget him in his Properties and Attributes and such Expressions of him as whereby he has revealed and made himself known In his Holiness and Justice and Power and Omniscience and Omnipresence and the like In these they do not remember him but plainly forget him Wicked Men they frame to themselves such a God as is suitable to themselves and their own Fancies and Imaginations As he tells that wicked Man in the Psalm 50.21 Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thy self As if that which pleased them it were pleasing to him also Thirdly To the Word of God They forget God that is They forget what God does command or commend unto them They forget his Instructions and they forget his Injunctions and so in that respect they forget God himself for as much as he accounts himself interested and concerned in such things as these are as a Prince in his Laws David resolved with himself that he would never forget God's Precepts But this is that which such Persons as these do continually though they may seem to remember God Notionally yet they forget him Practically And though they profess that they know him yet in works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and to every good work reprobate Tit. 1.16 Lastly To the Providence of God They forget God that is They forget what God has done and brought to pass in the World As it is charged upon the Israelites that they forgat the works of the Lord aad the wonders that he had shewed them Psal 78.11 His Works of Mercy they forgat them They remembred not his hand nor the day when he delivered them from the Enemy Psal 78.42 They forgat God their Saviour which had done great things for them in Egypt Psal 106.21 And
but the Thought and the Practise in Thought And so we may see by our Saviours Sermon upon the Mount where undertaking the Exposition of the Law he carries the Breach of it not to the outward Acts only but also to the Thoughts Secondly The Thoughts of men are the proper Issue and Emanation of their Souls and so for that reason more especially to be rectifyed in them There 's nothing so much a man as his Mind Nor there is nothing so much of a mans Mind as his Thoughts that do spring from it Look therefore how much a man is to be judged of so much is he to be judged of by his Thoughts Thirdly The Thoughts are such as whereto the Gospel and Ministery of the Word does especially and in a singular manner extend it self Heb. 4.12 The word of God is powerfull and quick and sharper than any two-edged Sword peircing even to the dividing asunder of Soul and Spirit and of the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart And so 2 Cor. 10.5 Bringing into Captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ Now so far forth as the Ministery does extend so far does Religion extend and the ordering and framing of a Christian Fourthly and Lastly God himself is a Searcher and Trier of the Thoughts and Inward man And therefore is regard to be had still to them Look how far he hath an Influence so far accordingly should we have a Care and Respect to our selves Now thus he has to the Thoughts and Cogitations and therefore he is usually described by such a Title as this is of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That searcheth the heart and tryeth the reins Men may sometimes ghess and conjecture but God he has absolute and certain knowledge He knows what is in man as was said of Christ All this shews how Religion does reach it self and extend to the Thoughts This therefore meets with the conceits of such Persons as confine it only to the Outward man who think that Thoughts are free as they express it and that they may think what they please without any care to give any account of it First It is not so The unrighteous man must forsake his Thoughts Not only his evil wicked ways whereby he is odious and abominable to men but also his Evil Affections wherein God Himself takes notice of him If ye shall ask now in particular what those Thoughts are which an unrighteous man is to forsake I Answer in a word all such as are proper and peculiar to a man in the state of Nature To a carnal and unregenerate Person precisely so taken who is here Emphatically called as I hinted before a man of Iniquity such an one as the Scripture tells us his Thoughts are wholly Evil Gen. 6.5 Col jetser The whole Frame of the Thoughts of the heart of man is only Evil and that continually And 2 Cor. 3.5 We are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing that is good as of our selves c. Now these Evil thoughts which we now speak of an which accordingly are to be forsaken they may be ranked into three sorts especially 1. As to matter of Opinion 2. Of Contemplation 3. Of Designs First As to matter of Opinion Take a man in his natural Condition and he has many strange conceits in his head whilst he so remains as it is said concerning the Gentiles Rom. 1.21 They became vain in their Imaginations and their foolish heart was darkned Even so is it with such Persons They bring Religion oftentimes to their Carnal and Corrupt Reason and confine it to that But now Converting Grace where it comes it overthrows them all Casting down Imaginations c. 2 Cor. 10.5 To instance in some few particulars First The Thoughts of sin when a man 's converted he forsakes these and it concerns him to do so Take a man in his Natural Condition and he many times makes nothing of Sin He thinks it a very trifle and bauble and there 's no great matter in it why a man should trouble himself for it He thinks that there is no great hurt which can come to him by it Nay he thinks it the greatest delight and contentment that may be Fools make a mock of Sin and it is a sport unto them to do evil as Solomon tells us Yea but when God opens their eyes and begins a little to awaken Conscience and to reduce them and bring them home to himself then they come to be of another mind and it concerns them to be so To look upon Sin as the basest and vilest thing in the world and as carrying the greatest evil and malignity in it in the midst of all the appearing pleasures and contentments of it It alters a mans thoughts of Sin So again also his Thoughts of Grace and Godliness and Godly men When a man is in his Vnregenerate State he has low Thoughts and Conceits of Goodness and of those who are the followers of it Thinks Religion to be an empty business and strictness and exactness of Conversation to be meer folly and Godly men themselves to be so many Fools and Idiots That it is in vain to serve God and no profit to walk mournfulty before him as they said of it in Malach. 3.14 And in Job 21.15 Thus it was with Paul himself before his Conversion Act. 26.9 I verily thought with my self says he that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazzareth And so our Saviour tells his Disciples that there were some who would think that they should do God service to kill them Joh. 16.2 These are the Thoughts which men are subject unto in their Natural Estate But now in Conversion they must be all un-thought and laid aside So again farther For his Thoughts of God himself he must forsake these also and think otherwise of him What Thoughts have men commonly of God in such a Condition Surely such as are very strange and irregular and that in reference to any of his Attributes whether one or other Wee 'l but instance these two amongst the rest His Justice and His Mercy They have very sinister Apprehensions here sometimes they question his Justice and think he has little of that in him Think him to be an indulgent God and one that will let them do as they list without Controul as it is in Psal 50.21 Thou thinkest that I was altogether such an one as thy self God speaks there to an unrighteous Person who presumed upon his Patience towards him but withall he tells him that in the Event he should find it otherwise But I will reprove thee and will set thy sins in order before thine eyes So again on the other side for Gods Mercy there is sometimes in another extream now and then questioning of that and a thinking that it is no purpose for them to repent and be better for it shall notwithstanding be as bad with them for time
was considerable in that and that as it may be drawn out by us into these branches First A speculative knowledge of the Truths and Doctrines of Religion This was the Righteousness especially of the Scribes which were famous as I hinted before in this respect They were men of great knowledge and understanding in Divine matters And this I call Righteousness in them by taking this word in the Text with Chrysostom in the greatest latitude for the whole compass and extent of Vertue whether in reference to Judgment or Practice But yet such as will not serve the turn to bring a man to Heaven A man may have a great deal of Illumination and yet never be partaker of Salvation He may know very much of the Scriptures Word of God and of the Theory of Religion and yet for all tha go to Hell We shall find if we look into Rom. 2.17 how the Apostle takes up such a person as this is Behold thouart called a Jew and restest in the Law and makest thy boast of God and knowest his will and approvest the things that are more excellent being instructed out of the Law and art confident that thou thy self art a guide of the blind a light of them which are in darkness an instructor of the foolish a teacher of babes which hast the form of knowledge and of the Truth in the Law See here what a company of expressions are here joyned and gathered together for the description of such a kind of person whereof we now speak but yet still with a disparagement upon him where there is nothing else besides which accordingly is observable of us And so the Apostle James he argues after the like manner against those who preended to Faith and Knowledge without the fruit of it in good works is a vanity and conceit in them and wherein they went no further than even the Devil and evil Angels themselves who had more knowledge than any men in the world and that also even in the things of Religion yet not having hearts answerable to their knowledge nor wills or affections suitable and agreeable to their understandings but rather fighting and rebelling against them are from hence damned Creatures And that 's one branch of this Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees to us viz. a speculative knowledge of Religion and the Truths of the Scripture Secondly This Pharisaical Righteousness it consists in a freedom from gross and notorious sins such as are Whoredom Theft Drunkenness Murther and such like This we may see in the account which that Pharisee there in the Gospel gives of himself as a ground of his Justification Luk. 18.11 God I thank thee that I am not as other men are extorioners unjust adulterers or even as this Publican And so it is with many others besides They glory and rest themselves in this that they keep themselves free from greater and more scandalous sins and think that from hence they have a very good title to Heaven but they are mistaken in so thinking It is not this which will serve the turn to bring them thither Though it is their duty to keep from such sins and commendable in them whenever they do so yet this is not enough for them nor all which is required of them they must have somewhat more in them than so as ever they desire to come and enter into that holy place Thirdly In Acts of Devotion and the external part and practice of Religion Those Pharisees they were very famons for this and it was a great part of their Righteousness to conform hereunte Prayers and Fasting and Reading and Hearing and the ceremonious observation of the Sabbath they were very strict and exact in such things as these are and more than any others besides and yet all this was very short and defective in their being nothing else with it and is likewise in any others whatsoever Though such duties as these are to be performed and they are accountable which are neglective of them yet if men have nothing to say for themselves but only these they may for all that be but in a sad condition and still liable to eternal condemnation as these Pharisees were Men may be very diligent in publick and in private prayers in hearing and conversing and repeating of Sermons in keeping up family-duties and the performance of all the exercises of Religion in all kinds whatsoever which I do by no means speak against or detract from but rather incourage and think them to be highly guilty and obnoxious who are careless and omitting of them and yet for all that they may never know what belongs to salvation but may perish eternally in the midst of all these Religious Performances Fourthly In Acts of Justice and Equity betwixt man and man and the duties of the Second Table of the Law The Pharisees they were also observant of these in paying of debts in giving of alms in yielding to every one that which was his due and it was commendable in them to be so There was no fault to be found in them for it but rather the contrary God required and expected this from them as he does also from others with them But this was that which undid them that they took care of nothing else besides that the weightier matters of the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were but little regarded by them and especially that their hearts in all these things were not right in them And so much may be spoken of the Righteousness of these Pharisees as to the matter and substance of it The second is as to the manner and circumstances which was also very remarkable For they carried this their Righteousness in a very great and high strain in the frequency and multitudes of their performances in the accurateness and exactness in the transcendency and supererrogation doing a reat deal more than was indeed required of them for so did they as we have it recorded to us both in Scripture and other writings of them They were as I may say excessive in their Righteousness and yet for all that were defective And this Righteousness was such as is to be exceeded by all that will be saved Though it carried a great speciousness and shew of excellency with it yet it was such as did not render them who were the subjects of it acceptable or well-pleasing to God No more does any other Righteousness of the like nature or condition with it the Righteousness of meer civil and moral persons it is not that which will do the deed or serve the turn at God's Tribunal so that any should rest themselves in it and that the first thing that I here propounded to be considered now of us what this Pharisaical Righteousness is and wherein it consists both for matter and manner The second is the Defectiveness or Insufficiency of it in order to Eternal Salvation and that which makes it to be so Now this we may likewise take notice of in these
called effectually for we must know that there 's a double Call outward in the exhibition of the means and inward in the drawing of the heart to be wrought upon by the means Now it is not the former only but the latter which the Apostle here speaks of Those that are called that is such as have answered the Call of God in his invitation of them to himself and have actually closed with him That which we may chiefly take notice of from this passage in the Text is briefly thus much That there is a number and generation of such persons as these in the world there is such a party in the world as is indeed called out of the world and that is that which we call the Church which has its Denomination from calling out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the notation of the word implies I shall not need to heap up many Testimonies for the warranting of this Expression ye have it every-where almost in Scripture in sundry places besides this Rom. 1.6 The called of Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 1.2 To them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus called to be Saints Jude's Epist ver 1. Preserved in Jesus Christ and called c. For the further opening of it to you there are these three things especially considerable of us in it First the Author of it who it is that calls Secondly the subjects of it who they are which are called Thirdly the Terms of it from whence and to what this call is First For the Author of it who it is that calls that is no other than God himself Thus in ver 9. of this present Chapter God is faithful by whom ye were called c. And 2 Thes 2.14 Whereunto he called you by our Gospel speaking of God And 2 Pet. 1.3 Through the knowledg of him that hath called us he speaks of God still It is God and he alone that is the Author of our effectual calling He who calleth things which are not and makes them to be that which they are No man cometh to me says Christ except the Father who hath sent me draw him Joh. 6.44 Calling it is set forth to us in Scripture by the terms of Creation and Resurrection Now as these are such actions as are proper to God alone so is that also which is signified by them Thus 2 Cor. 4.6 God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness c. Psal 51.10 Create in me a clean heart c. Therefore let us learn to give him the praise and glory of all and shew forth the vertues of him that hath called us as the Apostle Peter advises And let us look upon his Call as the spring and fountain of all the good which comes from us Nemo dicat ideo me vocavit quia colui Deum quomodo coluisses st vocat us non fuisses says Austin Let no man say that therefore God has called me because I served him How couldst thou have served him except thou hadst first been called by him this calling of Gods it finds every man out of the way till he pleases to reduce him either wickedly or at least vainly imployed either in the ways of absolute sin or at the best of no more than meer civil and moral conversation and this every one that examines it shall find it to have been so indeed for his own particular God says unto us whiles we are in our blood live And 't is he and none else to speak of that says thus unto us Men they may call us ministerially in the Preaching and Dispensation of the Gospel but it is God that calls us effectually by the inward working and operation of his Spirit And that as might be set out to us at large in sundry modifications First Freely of his own accord none moving or perswading him hereunto And secondly sweetly in the preservation of the natural liberty of the will in the exercise of it And thirdly yet strongly in an irresistible drawing of the heart to the imbracing of his heavenly motions Thus our Call it is from God and in this manner he is the worker of it And thus for the Author Secondly For the Subjects of this calling who they are which are called this we have from God to be only the Elect whom he hath predestinated them he hath called them he hath called and them alone Rom. 8.30 And so they are the called according to his purpose v. 28. There 's a threefold distinction which is made betwixt man and man The first is in Gods eternal counsel before the world begun The second is in his effectual calling here in this world And the third is at the last day when he shall separate the sheep from the goats The second follows from the first as the third follows from the second as those only shall be set at his right hand which are effectually called by his Grace so those only are called effectually by his Grace which are appointed to life by his Decree Predestination is the ground of Vocation Those which he hath called he hath chosen This now accordingly takes it off from any personal Qualification in our selves as to be the original and cause hereof unto us yea we may observe in the course of Gods Providence how God rather goes a contrary way with us he is so far from calling us therefore because we have some eminency in us especially in reference to the world as that he calls rather those which are most defective in such things as these are This the Apostle expresly notes unto us in this very Chapter in hand ver 26. Brethren ye see your calling how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wife c. There are of such as those which are called too the Apostle does not exclude them out of this priviledg but he hints thus much unto us That they are not the greatest number or at least that God does not call men therefore and upon this ground because they are so qualified he does not look upon men in order to their temporal condition but in order to their eternal predestination And this for the subjects of this calling who they are for the general they are the elect The third is the terms from whence and to which This the Scripture sets forth unto us in sundry expressions as first from darkness to light Col. 1.12 13 who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of Saints in light Every man by nature is in the dark in a blind and uncomfortable condition having his understanding darkned through ignorance as the Apostle speaks Now this calling it brings him into the light and restores sight to the blind Take a man after conversion and he sees things in another manner than before conversion he saw them and therefore it is called a commanding
things which they ought not for filthy lucres sake And the Apostle Peter in like manner does testifie against them also 2 Pet. 2.1 But there were false prophets among the people even as there shall be false teachers among you who privily shall bring in damnable herestes even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction False Prophets of old and false teachers now answerably to them So likewise our blessed Saviour Matth. 5.19 Whosoever shall break one of these least Commandments and teach men so shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven This corrupt teaching it is such as is on all hands condemned Seconly It is not Preaching at large neither but Preaching to you there 's an Emphasis upon his Heaters and persons Preached unto If these false teachers which the Apostle aims at had Preached their Errors only to the Gentiles or unconverted Jews it had not been so great a matter nor of so high an aggravation but to Preach thus to the Galatians which were now Christians and brought home to the faith this made it intolerable of all false teachers that are there 's none like to them who are seducers and who indeavour to make people to apostatize and to fall back from the truth received such were these here which St. Paul declared against and therefore deserved in a special manner to be accurst It 's bad enough an too bad to keep off others from the faith in a way of prevention but to turn them from it in a way of corruption this is hainous and grievous indeed This was that which the Apostle in another place did so abhominate in Elimas the sorcerer who sought to turn away Sergius Paulus from the faith Act. 13.8 9 10. O full of all subtilty says he and all mischief thou child of the devil thou enemy of all righteousness wilt thou not cease to pervert the righteousness of the Lord It is a mischievous and devilish disposition savouring of Hell it self to go about to put others out of the way of Truth and Righteousness This was that which Elimas did there and which the false teachers also did here in the Church of Galatia And therefore if there be any such as these let him be an Anathema though an Angel from Heaven Thirdly There 's an Emphasis also upon the Doctrine Si quis Evangelizaverit if any one Preach another Gospel every Doctrine that is Preach'd is not Gospel nor Preach'd under the notion of Gospel As the Law of Moses speculations of Philosophy and the like there were some which taught these barely and simply considered in themselves which the Apostle at this present did not trouble himself withal But those which obtruded these things as Gospel and as points necessary to be believed to salvation as some of them did such as these they deserved an execration and accordingly does St. Paul here inflict it and fasten it upon them If any one shall do thus let him be accursed In brief togive you a full account of the scope and main drift of this Scripture there are two things especially which are here excepted and protested against according to a double notion of the Praeposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which notes either against or besides as it denotes against so it is a caution against false Doctrine If any one teach contrary as it denotes besides so it is a caution against new Doctrine If any one add or put in their Preaching either of these are challenged and condemned here in the Text. First The Preaching of false Doctrine If any one Preach contrary the Apostle lays a Caveat against such which did expose the Doctrine and Truth of Christ which had been taught by himself and the rest of the Apostles This he signifies in the Verses immediately before the Text the sixt and seventh of this Chapter I marvel that ye are so soon removed from himthat called you into the Grace of Christ unto another Gospel which is not another but there be some that trouble you and which would pervert the Gospel of Christ But though we or an Angel c. By which connexion it is evident this that the Apostles aim and main intent is thus much to deal with them which did thwart the Gospel and set against that as appears further by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we toucht upon before such Doctrines and Teachers as those are which do go cross and contrary to the Gospel they are such as are not to be endured in the Church of Christ This is the point which we have here before us drawn from these words as which is principally observable in them By the Gospel that ye may know what we mean is to be understood the Doctrine of Gods free grace in Christ by whom he hath been pleased to reconcile the world to himself that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word of reconciliation as the Apostle calls it in another place 2 Cor. 5 19. That 's the Gospel which is here spoken of Now whosoever shall nullifie this or impair it and diminish from it they are such as are here censured in this Scripture and not only here in this but likewise in somer others besides as we may observe if we search into them The reason of it is this because the Gospel is such a Doctrine as wherein God is more magnified and advanced than any other therefore to Preach down that that is in effect to Preach down God himself which he will not away with It is to disparage him in his sweet and gracious Attributes of mercy and goodness and loving kindness and such as these which are unseparably in him It is to frustrate him in his great design which he does propound to himself in the world and for the accomplishing whereof the whole world it self is continued Therefore let us by all means take heed of such points as those are which are injurious hereunto as the Doctrine of Papists teaching Justification by the Law The Doctrine of Socinians denying the Satisfaction of Christ The Doctrine of Antinomians introducing licentiousness of life and conversation All such as these and the like are contrary and directly opposite to that Gospel which was preached by Paul an the rest of his Brethren being a Doctrine of Grace ond sufficiency of strictness and exactness of obedience which is taught and held forth in it So much for that as here 's a caution against false Doctrine and preaching against the Gospel The second is a Caution against new Doctrine and preaching besides the Gospel the Spirit of God provides against this that there be no addition made to the Gospel but it be preserved whole and intire Add thou not unto his words lest he reprove thee and thou be found a lyer Prov. 30.6 It holds not only of the Law but of the Gospel Therefore in Jude v. 3. It is called the faith which was once delivered to the Saints Once and once for all as
made unto it The Vow or Prayer that we have in the beginning of the Verse And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying c. The Answer of the Prayer that we have in the close And God granted him that which herequested We begin with the first namely the Prayer or Vow Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed and enlarge my coast c. I give it either Appellation whether of a Prayer or Vow because the words are so propounded in the Text as will carry either Imbareh tebarkeni If blessing thou wilt bless me c. Wee 'l begin the first as a Prayer Oh that thou wouldst bless me indeed c. Now here again we have three particulars more First the Person Praying and that is Jabez Jabez call'd c. Secondly The Person prayed unto and that 's the Lord Jehovah the true and onely God He call'd on the God of Israel Thirdly the matter of the Prayer consisting of a twofold head First his request in General O that thou wouldest bless me indeed c. Secondly his Particular Explication of that General in three branches more First Inlarge my coast Secondly thine hand c. Thirdly keep me c. For the first thing considerable in this Prayer is the person Praying Namely Jabez Jabez called Who this Jabez was it is not set down in this Scripture nor indeed any where else onely in the verse before the Text the 9th verse of this Chapter we have a double account of him the one from his Quality and Condition and that is that he was more honourable then his Brethren And the other from his Birth and the original occasion of his Name His Mother called his name Jabez saying because I bare him with sorrow these are the onely intimations about him Wee 'l speak a word or two unto them and but a word as preparatory to our insuing discourse in the handling of this Text. First For Jabez his Condition it is said here that he was more honourable then the rest of his Brethren Thus he was in all probability upon a twofold Ground First In a civil respect as one who was one of the heads of the Familyes mentioned in this Chap. And Secondly in a Religious respect as one that was eminent for his Piety and calling upon God First He was an Honourable Person and had more Dignity belonging unto him in a civil respect and Consideration as one of the Heads of the Familyes which he reckoned up where we see that all are not alike without any difference or distinction at all to be made of Persons but here in this World there is a just and comely observation of several ranks and degrees to be taken notice of by us And we are Commanded else-where in Scripture to give Honour to whom Honour does belong But Secondly As he was more Honourable in a civil respect so he was also more Especially in a Religious for his Piety and calling upon God which two do exceedingly well when they go hand in hand together Religion is never more illustrious then when it puts it self forth in persons of Eminency and Place And persons of place are never more truly Honourable then when they are Favourers and Followers of Religion Thus was Jabez here in the Text as it is noted Concerning the Bereans in Act. 17.11 That they were more Noble then those in Thessalonica to wit for their Virtue and Godliness in that they search't and inquired into the Scriptures and studied the will of God exhibited in them For some such Business as this was this Person here before us so Honourable and preferr'd above the rest of his Brethren Certainly Grace and Riches and Religion it does put a special Excellency upon those which are the Subjects of it Since thou wast Precious in my sight thou hast been Honourable sayes the Lord there to his Church and People in Esay 43. vers 4. And so indeed it is as on the other side Vice and Wickedness it does make men very Ignoble and Base and cause them to Degenerate into reproach and Contempt it self But so much for that The Account of Jabez his Condition He was more Honourable The Second is the account of his Birth and the original occasion of his Name that we have also in the 9. vers of this Chap. Jabets which signifies Sorrowful from Gnatsad by a Transposition of letters which in the Hebrew Language signifies to Greive His Mother called him Jabez because she bare him with Sorrow As Rachel upon the like occasion call'd her Son Benjamin Benoni which signifies the Son of my Sorrow Gen. 35.18 And Phinehas's Wife her Son Ichabod which signifyes where is the Glory 1 Sam. 4.21 So here the Mother of Jabez it seems her Travail was grievous that she desired to remember it her self and that her Son should remember it to in the name that was put upon him and so both of them according to their place to be duly affected with it Both the Mother and the Son which they are ready sometimes too much to forget and to put out of their minds As our Saviour has it in the Gospel Joh. 16.21 A Woman when she is in Travail hath Sorrow because her Hour is come but assoon as she is delivered of the Child she remembreth no more the anguish for joy that a man is born into the world This Jabez his Mother would not do so she desired to remember her pains that so she might increase her thankfulness for her deliverance and be more ingaged in a care of his Education And so she calls her Sons name Jabez which has Grief in the signification of it onely we may observe further thus That he proved better then he was now at first he was sorrowful to his Mother in his Birth But yet he was Comfortable in his Life which is the chiefest of all Sometimes it proves Contrary the greatest Sorrow comes afterwards so much for the Persons Praying The Second is the Person prayed unto The God of Israel we see here two things more First To whom alone Prayer is to be made and that is to God himself To thee shall all Flesh come Psal 63.2 How shall they call on him on whom they have not beleived Rom. 10.14 But I purpose not to insist upon this Secondly We see here from whom Blessing is to be fetcht and derived namely from the same Person still who is the Spring and Fountain of Blessing For Jabez when he would here be Blest he goes to the God of Israel for it and calls upon him And surely there is no Blessing indeed which was that which Jabez here desired but it must come through his hands And this also from the second Particular to wit the person prayed unto The God of Israel The third is the Matter of the Prayer And this as I said is propounded and laid down two manner of wayes First more Generally and at large Oh that thou wouldest bless we indeed Secondly more particularly and
and given up to besides that natural Darkness which is in all unregenerat Persons yea and regenerate likewise by Natural There is a Super natural and Judicial which some especially in the just Judgement of God have inflicted upon them Thus Rom. 1.28 It is said of the wicked Gentiles That as they did not like to retain God in their Knowledg God gave them up to a reprobate Sense or mind void of Judgment to do those things which are not Convenient Thus in all these respects are wicked men in Darkness Darkness it is the privation of light And so it is in such kind of Persons now we must know what Light this is Namely the Light of the Spirit As for the common Light of Nature the Light dime Light of Reason that even Natural men may have and in some Competent measure as the Heathen Philosophers had many of them in great Abundance But this Light of Grace and of the Spirit it is such as they are not acquainted with nor know not what it is This accordingly gives us an account of so many Stumblings and Miscarriages as there are in the World Here 's an account of the Diversity of Errours and false Opinions in matters of Judgment And here 's an account also of the Diversity of Outrages and Wickedness in matters of Practise whence there are so many Abomintions as do continually raigne amongst us it is from hence that men are in Darkness There is a mist of Spiritual Blindness which hath Surprised them and Over-spread them and therefore it is that they fall into such Miscarriages as these are And this for the Darkness of the way that Darkness which wicked men are incompast with here in this present life The Second is the Darkness of the End That Darkness which they are subject unto in another World This is of two sorts either the Darkness of Death or Judgment First Of Death that is common to all both good and bad And it is represented in Scripture to us under the notion of Darkness Thus in Job 10.21.22 Before I go whence I shall not return Even to the Land of Darkness and the shadow of Death A Land of Darkness as Darkness it self and of the shadow of Death without any order and Where the Light is as Darkness Thus it is spoken of the Grave and the condition of Bodies lying there So Job 17.13 If I wait the Grave is mine House I have made my Bed in the Darkness And so likewise in Eccles 11.8 The days of Darkness they shall be many It is spoken still of abode in the Grave this is common to all viz. The Darkness of Death The Second Is the Darkness of Judgment and Hell it self which is call'd in Scripture Vtter Darkness This is that which is especially proper to the Wicked Bind him hand and foot and cast him into utter Darkness sayes Christ Matth. 22.13 And Psal 9.17 The Wicked shall be turned into Hell and all the Nations that forget God This is that which is made to be their Portion And so much for the First particular viz. The state of Darkness which the Wicked and Vngodly of the World are Exposed unto The Second is the state of Silence in order to this Darkness They shall be silent in Darkness Thus it may admit of a various Emphasis which is involv'd in it we may reduce it to these following Particulars First That Grief and Horrour and perplexity of mind which shall seize upon them in this Condition Silence it is an attendant upon Grief and Astonishment in the Extremities of it Curae leves loquunter ingentes stupent so that where Grief is any thing moderate there it expresses it self in speech where 't is Excessive there 't is stupifying and Obstructive Vox faessi hucibus A mans words there stick in his Teeth and therefore great Grief is exprest to us in Scripture by Silence in sundry places thus Esay 15.1 The burden of Moab Because in the night Ar of Moab is laid waste and brought to silence because in the night Kir of Moab is laid waste and brought to silence Brought to silence that is Cut off and destroyed as the word Nidhmah also signifies Destruction it is signified by Silence So Jer. 8.14 Why do ye sit still Assemble your selves and let us enter into the defenced Cities and be silent there for the Lord our God hath put us to silence and given us waters of Gall to drink because we have sinned against the Lord. Hath put us to silence that is hath brought us into a distracted Condition so that we know not what to do or say So Jer. 47.5 Baldness is come upon Gaza Ashkelon is silent and Cut off Where Baldness and Silence are put for Sadness and Grief in the Philistians Again Lament 2.10 The elders of the Daughters of Sion set upon the Ground and kept silence Namely so far overcome with Grief as unable by speech to abate it And Job's Friends in simpathy with him in his great Grief thus sat down and spake not a word unto him in seaven days c. This shall be the Condition of Wicked men former or later they shall be full of Horrour and Grief unexpressible They that now are full of Jocunness and Joviality and Clamour and make a noise in the World there is a time a coming when they shall be filled with Anguish and perplexity of Spirit which they shall not know how to help in themselves Secondly Silence it is a note of Conviction They shall be silent that is they shall have nothing to say for themselves Wicked men as they shall be full of Grief so likewise of Confusion When God shall charge them with such and such Sins and Abominations whereof they are guilty they shall have nothing here to answer him Either by way of Apology for themselves or Censure of his proceedings against them That every mouth may be stopped and all the World become guilty before God as it is in Rom. 3.19 Thus it was with him in the Gospel Which came to the Marriage-Supper not having on him his Wedding-Garment when the King aâ—kt him how he came thither it is said he was speechless Matth. 22.12 That is he knew not what to say for himself God will one day non-plus and Convince and Confound all impenitent Sinners They shall be in Darkness that is in Extremity of Misery and silent in it that is Convinced and perswaded of Gods design in his proceedings Thirdly It is a note of Abode and of Continuance in this miserable Condition They shall be kept and bound up in it As the Egyptian Darkness it was such as wherewith they were fastened and contained in their places as not knowing how to stir out of them They saw not one another neither rose any from his place for three Days And Wisd 17. vers 17. There is an Expression sutable where t is said They were all bound with one Chain of Darkness Sutable whereunto is that of Jude 1.6
which know not what it is to have they know not what it is to want nor to be deprived of that which they might have And this is the great difference betwixt the children of God and others when we speak of such things as these to carnal persons which never knew what these things meant we seem to speak very riddles and mysteries and fables to them The greatest part of people in the world are not troubled with such a thing as this is Gods strangenesse and hiding his face from them because they never yet were acquainted with his presence and familiarity and drawing near unto them but those which are acquainted with the one are affected with the other Those which know what it is to injoy God and to have him comfortably shining upon them they quickly feel what it is to want him and to have him hide his face from them This should therefore teach us still to keep our selves in such a State of Soul as that God may take delight in us and be continually pleased to impart himself unto us in the most comfortable expressions of his love and favour towards us we should resign and submit our selves to the blessed guidance of his holy Spirit and let him be all in all to us be affraid of doing any thing which may offend so sweet a friend and companion as he is especially that I may still drive it to the season in such times as these are wherein if ever God's countenance were precious now it is when is there more sweetness in friends and the mutuall injoyment of one another then there is in sad conditions Friends are then friends indeed and the delight which they have one in another is doubled to them Beloved when God hides his face from us in the greatest outward Prosperity that the World can possibly cast upon us we are but in a very ill-case when 't is so with us but what is it then when other things shall be taken away to to have trouble from without and trouble from within to this is sad to purpose when Boys shall fall out with one another and their Father frown upon them to this is c. Secondly This hiding of God's face may be taken in a more rigorous Construction not onely for the withdrawing of his Countenance but likewise for the Manifestation of his wrath this is terrible as to an whole Nation so likewise to a man also This is that which some of Gods dearest servants have sometimes been exrcised withal God has not onely carryed himself as a stranger but moreover as an enemy to them Thus he did to David when he complain'd of the broken bones Psal 51.8 And thus he did to Heman when he complain'd of Gods terrours upon him Psal 88.15 And thus he did to Job when he complain'd of the arrowes of the Almighty in Job 6. ver 4. When God hides his face in this manner who then can behold him indeed This is a resemblance of Hell upon earth when God expresses himself thus to any soul as sometimes he does In such a case as this is none can help but God himself It is not all the outward comforts in the world which are able to give a man comfort in such a condition No nor spiritual comforts neither any further then it pleases God to concurr with them and breath upon them not the Word not the Sacraments not Ministers not Christian Friends Nothing can support that soul which lyes under the wrath of the Almighty but onely the hand that wounded it Indeed we are to use the means but not to rest and rely on them There is the tongue of the Learned to speak a word in due season to the weary soul and God hath honoured his servants in Ministery to be Ambassadors of peace and reconcilement in such cases as these are But it must be he himself that must give quietness if ever we have it I create the fruit of the lips peace peace to him that is a far off and to him that is near saith the Lord and I will heal him Isa 57.19 It is the fruit of the Lips but it is God himself which must Create it therefore the word is doubled peace peace It is not enough to be peace in our mouthes except it be also peace in his we extract and draw out the promises but t is God himself that sets them on If he be resolved to hide his face there is no beholding of him This should teach us to stand in awe of this great and terrible God who would not fear thee O King of Nation It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the ever living God For our God is a consuming Fire who amongst us shall dwell with the devouring Fire Who amongst us shall dwell with the everlasting Burnings Do but lay these things together and think of them when ye are tempted at any time to Sin Sins against Knowledge and Sins against Conference and Sins against Conviction Sins against Vows and Prayers and Covenants and Resolutions to the Contrary if nothing else will work upon you yet at least think this with your selves what it is for God himself to hide his face from you not onely by withdrawing his Countenance and the expressions of his Special favour but also by setting his Countenance against you and filling your Souls with horror and perplexity of Spirit And thus now I have done with these words in their Second reference and so also with the whole verse it self When he gives Quietness c. And when he hides his face who c. Whether it be against a Nation or against a man onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 SERMON XIV 2 Kings 7.2 Then a Lord on whose hand the King leaned answered the man of God and said behold if the Lord would make Windows in Heaven might this thing be And he said behold thou shalt see it with thine Eyes but shalt not Eate thereof There 's no Sin whatsoever that hath more of Ingratitude in it then Unbelief which returns Evil for Good and where God is most Gracious to us makes us to be most Undutiful to Him The Lord in giving us his Promises intends our Comfort and Incouragement while we in the Questioning of those Promises detract from his Honour and Glory which is the unworthiest thing that may be and such as accordingly calls for the greatest Wrath and Indignation An Instance whereof we have here in this Scripture which we have now before us and the Connexions of it There was now at this time a very sad and grievous Famin in the City of Samaria the Lord out of his Goodness to them sends them by his Prophet Elisha a blessed and comfortable Message of their relief and speedy Deliverance from this fore Affliction This instead of being received and entertained with Thankfulness and Submission as indeed it ought to have been is rather repulsed with Scorn and Disdain and an Opprobrious inquiry by a Stander-by
is a Cup full of mixture How may we reconcile these two Expressions one with another in one place without mixture an aggavation and in another place an aggravation that it is full of mixture This is according to the nature of the things themselves which are related unto without mixture in the former place that is without mixture of Grace and Goodness whereby the Affliction might be allayed unto them Judgment without Mercy Correction without Mitigation Again full of mixture here in this Text that is of the Wrath and Anger of God with the Evil and Affliction it self which several phrases being thus explain'd we may here learn how to take this present Expression here before us which according to a double reference may admit of a double sense There is a mixture of Strength and Patience There is a mixture of Comfort and Goodness We may take it either way and first of the former of these two as it carries a reference to the Godly and children of God This Cup of red wine and affliction which is tendered to them it is full of mixture in this sense as it is mitigated and mollifyed unto them Forasmuch as their Corrections are dispenst in much Mercy and Love unto them In all the Afflictions of Gods people there 's an intermixture and temperament of love and favour which shews it self in them The cup is full of mixture to them as may be made good in sundry particulars which are Ingredients into it As First of all There 's a mixture of Strength and Patience for the bearing of it God never lays any thing upon his Servants though it be never so harsh and terrible but he gives them some ability to indure it and to wrastle and buckle with it this is called in other places of Scripture a Correcting in measure which God does often make promise of that he will be sure to take care off The Lord is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which ye are able but will with the Temptation find a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it The Lord as he strikes with one hand so he still supports and holds up with another that 's one friendly intermixture Secondly There 's a mixture of Comfort and Goodness as to the things themselves God is not altogether in Affliction but he is very much in Mercy with it and as he is pleased to exercise his Servants with several troubles so he does likewise vouchsafe them many blessings together with them which he does comfort them withall He turns his Anger away and does not stir up all his wrath as it is in Psal 78.38 But as in one kind he brings Evil so in another kind he brings good with it His work is Checker-work as we may so call it of black and white Indeed this mixture is not always so taken notice of by them as it were fitting to be No if at any time we have any Troubles or Afflictions upon us we do not for the most part observe the many Mercies which we injoy with them but yet they are never a whit the less for all that There is a mixture of bad and good together in regard of Gods Dispensation And then Thirdly There 's another thing also which is much observable in the Afflictions of Gods People which makes up this Temperament Compleat and that is a mixture of Improvement and Edification God is still doing his Children good by all the Evil which he brings upon them He Chastises them for their profit that they may be made partakers of his Holiness as it is in Heb. 12.10 There 's the Excellency of it That so now though no Chastening for the present be joyous but grievous yet nevertheless afterwards it yeilds the peaceable fruit of Righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby What a sweet mixture is this And that 's now the First sense of the words according to the first reference of them to wit as to the People of God and so full of mixture that is full of Love and Mercy which is mingled and temper'd with it Secondly We may take it in reference to the Wicked the Enemies of God and his People and so full of mixture that is full of Wrath and Revenge which does mingle it self in the Judgments which here fall upon them This is considerable in the Miseryes which they indure not onely the Evil of the Affliction in its own Nature whatsoever it be but of the Hatred and Fury and Vengance of God Himself which is intermixt with it He Distributes Sorrows to them in Anger as Job speaks Job 21.17 This is that which is considerable in them this cup of red wine it is without the mixture of Sweetness and it is full of the mixture of Bitterness which is added unto it Thus we have it in Psal 11.6 Vpon the Wicked he shall Rain Snares Fire and Brimstone and an horrible Tempest this shall be the portion of their Cup. And Rom. 2.8.9 Indignation and Wrath Tribulation and Anguish upon them that obey Vnrighteousness And Revel 14.10 They shall drink of the Wine of the Wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the Cup of his Indignation These are the Phrases and Expressions by which the Scripture uses to set forth the Misery of wicked men in this particular And so the Terrours of the Almighty and the Arrows of the Almighty and the Gall and Vinegar and Wormwood and such as these What does all this come to but from hence so much the more to awaken men out of their natural Condition and especially as they do any thing abound and overflow with Sin that the Judgments of God they do not come singly or simply to them but with very sad and grievous intermixtures even of Gods wrath and fierceness with them which does aggravate and extend them and set them out so much the more this is their great Misery and Unhappiness that as the Comforts which they partake off they have them without the rellish of Gods Love and Favour in them so likewise the Judgments which light upon them they have them mingled with his Anger and Indignation and the Portion of their Cup. Comforts are less Comfortable and Afflictions are more Afflicting to them this is their Lot and Condition and so ye have also the Second particular considerable in this Resemblance namely the Liquor or matter which is here first in the simple Nature of it which is red Wine And Secondly In the Composition It is full of mixture The Third and last is the Posture and Situation of this cup or the Orderer and Disposer of it In the Hand of the Lord. All things are in the hand of God as the Scripture does all along signify unto us and among the rest these Judgments and Punishments which are sent abroad into the World This cup of red Wine it is in the hand of God Himself It is so and it is said to be so
them of the Contrary by manifest Experience as we have an express place to this purpose in Deut. 29.19.20 The Lord will not spare him but his Anger and Jealousy shall smoake against him This was the Condition of the old World They were Eateing and drinking and then the Flood came upon them and swept them all away And so t is still to this present day when men cry Peace and Safety then Destruction comes upon them as Travail upon a Woman That 's now the first thing here considerable viz. The time of this Dispensation now he powreth out of it The Second is the Measure of it It 's in Abundance Effundit he powreth it forth Here are not onely Drops but Showers Waters of a full cup are wrung out unto them and so the Scripture still sets it Pour out thy Wrath upon the Heathen that have not known thee and upon the Kingdoms that have not called upon thy name Psal 79.6 And upon the Wicked he shall rain Snares c. This is sutable to the carriage of wicked men in regard of Sin For they commit Sin with greediness and add Drunkenness to Thirst and drink down Iniquity like water as the Scripture speaks They put no bounds at all to their wickedness but are unsatiable and unmeasureable in sinning and accordingly is it fitting that they should be so dealt withall in regard of Punishing as it is said concerning Babylon By how much She hath Glorifyed her self and lived deliciously so much Torment and Sorrow give her Rev. 18.7 This is that which we may oftentimes observe in the Dispensation of Gods Judgments the full current and carrear of them with which they proceed Methinks this word Powreth-forth it carries many things in it at once the Suddenness of the Judgment the Violence and the Excessiveness As when God has a mind to be Gracious he tumbles in Blessings upon his People in a great measure and abundance So likewise when he has a mind to be Revengeful he powers forth wrath and Indignation upon those which are Obnoxious to him that 's the Second this the measure The Third is the Subjects or Persons upon whom this cup of Vengance is poured forth now this it is not exprest but implyed and it refers to two sorts of people both good and bad both the people of God and his Enemies the Godly and wicked men both each have a share in these Judgments As in Ezek. 21.3 Behold I am against thee and will cut off from thee both the Righteous and the Wicked And Eccles 2.16 There is no Remembrance of the Wise more then of the Fool all things fall alike to all As for the Godly and Righteous to speak of them first for the other will come in afterwards in the latter clause of the verse Even these have this wine of Gods Judgments now and then poured out unto them God afflicts even his own People and that in a most heavy manner now and then Yea he begins with them first of all they drink of the cup first Ezek. 9.6 Begin at my Sanctuary in his charge to the destroying Angel And 1. Pet. 4.17 The time is come that Judgment must begin at the House of God And Jer. 25.29 49.12 I begin to bring Evil upon the City which is called by my name Here 's the order which God now observes in his Judiciary Dispensations to inflict Correction first of all upon his own people This is that which he does for sundry Reasons First That so by this means he may the more warn wicked men and teach them what to expect for themselves For if it be thus with the Green-Trees what shall be done to the dry if they drink of the cup which it belongs not to surely those to whom it does belong especially they shall not escape it as it is there again Jer. 49.12 Here 's matter of Terror and Trembling and Amazement to all wicked and ungodly persons they for the most part do very much Rejoyce and Glory in the sufferings of Gods people well but if they did rightly consider it they would see that they had no cause to do so for this makes so much the worse for themselves when they which stand in the gap are once removed the Judgment and wrath of God will now break in so much the fiercer and faster upon the rest that stay behind The reason why God sometimes does not punish wicked men is because his Children stands in his way and he cannot come at them Secondly God afflicts also his people as being most provoked by them of any other The sins of Gods Servants have the greater Aggravation in them as being against greater Bonds and Obligations and Ingagements which lie upon them You onely have I known of all the Families of the Earth therefore I will punish you for all your Iniquities Amos 3.2 Thirdly To prevent Scandal and hereby to stop the mouthes of wicked and ungodly men that they from hence forth may not charge the Lord with Injustice and Partiality towards his own as if he allowed and favoured Sin in any which he does not do for these and the like Considerations does he poure his Judgments even upon his own Servants And so much also for the Second General in the Text as to the Discription of Gods Judgments to wit in the Execution he punishes The Third and Last is the Participation of it in these words But the Dregs thereof all the wicked of the Earth shall wring them out and drink them In which passage we have two things more considerable of us First The persons mentioned and they are the wicked of the Earth Secondly The Evil denounced against them and that is That they shall wring out the Dregs of the cup of Gods wrath and shall drink them up we may take notice of both First I say here are the persons mentioned The wicked of the Earth He might have said onely the Wicked and added no more but he joynes the Earth unto it to make it so much the more Emphatical and fuller of it's Signification as indeed it is by this Expression which for the opening and explaining of it to us does contain these Intimations in it First The place and Seat of Wickedness and that is this World here below Wickedness it springs out of the Earth and there it resides there 's no place for it in Heaven it comes not there at all No unclean thing shall enter thereinto for there dwelleth Righteousness as it is in 2. Pet. 3. Not in the old Earth but in the new which is all one with Heaven it self and belongs unto it Secondly The Wicked of the Earth to denote unto us both the Affection and the Portion of Wickedness For their Affection its set onely upon the Earth and the things of it They mind Earthly things and nothing but them Philip. 3.19 If ye could Anatomize and rip up the heart of a carnal Person ye should find nothing but earth in it There
Lord shew us the Father and it sufficeth us Jesus spake unto him have I been so long time and yet hast thou not know me Philip He that hath seen me hath seen the Father and how sayest thou then shew us the Father And Apostle Paul in the 2 Cor. 4.6 God who Commanded the Light to shine out of Darkness hath shined in our Hearts to give the light of the Knowledg of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ Secondly To seek the face of God is to seek the presence of God this follows upon the former as when we know a man we desire to have his Company if he be such an one as we approve off and may be useful to us even so it is here Besides Gods Common and General Presence which extends to all sorts of Persons there 's a special and Gracious presence which is peculiar to his People and is accordingly sought after by them which is here called his face This is desireable of us in reference to two things especially The Creatures and the Ordinances First To seek the presence of Christ in the Creatures and the Comforts which are conveyed by them without which they are not truly Comfortable It is not the things themselves which we partake off that are able to chear and refresh us unless it pleases God Himself to appear in them and with them It is his presence which is the Happiness and Blessedness of every Condition and that puts a liveliness and chearfulness into every Comfort It is the Face of God that puts a Comfortableness into the face of Friends the face of Friends is very pleasing and Delightful one to another as Iron sharpens Iron as Solomon tells us but it is Gods face that makes it to be so as joyning with them and so it is as to any other Comfort or Refreshment besides Therefore seek his presence in the Creatures that 's the first Secondly Seek his face in the Ordinances and the Duties and Exercises of Religion This is that which we should cheifly look after we should not come to such matters as these are onely out of fashion and custom and formallity but to injoy communion with God in them thus David in Psal 63.1 2. O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is To see thy Power and thy Glory so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary There are many that come to the Sanctuary and to the Publick Assemblies of Gods people but it is to seek for other faces it is not to seek for the face of God they come hither onely to stare and gaze and look about them to look upon this face and to look upon that to see and be seen This is an high profanation of the Ordinance of God and a perverting it from the proper end and intendment of it but we see here what is the main scope of every Gracious and Religious soul in such approaches as these are Thy face Lord will I seek that I may have sellowship and converse with thee in thine own ordinance as we have it expressely in the 4th ver of this present Psalm One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire into His Temple In the word in the Sacraments in all the Ordinances to have the presence of God that 's the second Explication to seek the face of God that is to seek the presence of God Thirdly To seek the face of God that is to seek the favour of God Men commonly shew their Affection in their Countenance and therefore the one is put for the other And so here thus Psal 24.6 This is the Generation of them that seek thee of them that seek thy face O God of Jacob so Psal 105.4 Seek the Lord and his strength seek his face evermore And Psal 4.6 There be many that will say Who will shew us any good Lord lift up the light of thy Countenance upon us and Gods Gracious favour and countenance is that which it concerns us above all other things to seek after First That we may walk more serviceably and do that which God requires of us with greater intention It is the Masters countenance which puts a nimbleness into the servants work and makes it to come off the more freely and readily from him Assurance it hath a great influence upon obedience and in that respect to be pursued by us Secondly That we may walk more chearfully and have more peace and comfort in our selves Psal 30.5 In his favour is life yea his Loving-kindness is better then life as it is in Psal 63.3 Look as the face of the Sun puts a clearness and liveliness into every thing which before was dead and disconsolate so does the face and gracious presence of God into the hearts of his poor servants which were before as it were in a dead and a dark condition It quickens them and raises them and revives them and puts life into them This is that which makes an Heaven upon Earth as the contrary is no better then Hell That 's Hell where God withdraws his Gracious presence That 's Heaven where he is pleased to shew his face Thirdly That we may walk more Profitably and beneficially towards others the more that we are sensible of Gods Favour to our slves the better shall we be able to comfort and chear up our Brethren and to comfort them with the Comfors wherewith we are comforted of God Therefore above all things we should pursue it and seek after it we see how desirous men are usually of the favour of great ones many seek the Rulers favour or the face of the Ruler as the words run in the Text Pene mashal But every mans Judgment cometh from the Lord Prov. 29.6 And therefore there is reason to seek his favour above any one else Therefore says St. Paul do we labour or are ambitious to be accepted of Him Because we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ We should seek for Gods favour now that we may injoy it hereafter when we shall most stand in need of it Thi is that which concludes and comprehends every thing in it It is the most compendious way to Happiness that is in the Word our usual manner and practise is to pitch upon some particular comfort which we have a mind unto as Riches or Health or Peace or some such things as those let us but seek the Favour of God and we shall have all these things in it to the bargain And that 's the Third Explication to seek his face i. e. to seek his favour Fourthly and Lastly To seek the face of God that is to pray and call upon Him If we look into Scripture we shall finde how the work
upon these Gifts as they are here presented to us in the Text three manner of ways First In their Distinction Secondly In their Connexion And Thirdly in their Order In their Distinction Grace considered by it self and Glory by it self In their Connexion Grace and Glory united and put both together In their Order Grace going before and Glory following after For the First To look upon them distinctly here that which does first offer it self to us is Grace The Lord will give Grace and Glory Grace is a large word which does comprehend many things under it but we will here in this place confine it as the Holy Ghost Himself seems to do and understand it especially of the Grace of Sanctification This is that amongst the rest and more particularly which God promises here to give And we must know whom he means as the persons to whom he will give it namely to those which have it already To him that hath shall be given It is true that God will also give Grace to those that want it to all those that belong to the Election of Grace but are not as yet effectually called God will bestow Grace upon them and he has Grace in store for them and so he will give Grace i. e. the first beginning c. But that 's not that which is here intended so much in this present Scripture No but rather the Improvements of Grace to those in whom it is already For we must still remember that all these Expressions in this Text they do properly belong to the people of God and to none but them To them he is a Sun to them he is a Shield to them he will give Grace c. Now when it is said that he will thus give Grace to such as these for time to come we may take it according to the notion of a double Improvement First Perseverance in that Grace which already they do partake off And Secondly Inlargement and an Addition and further Augmentation of that which they have received First The Lord will give Grace to them that fear him that is the Grace of Establishment and Perseverance This is one kind of Grace which God will give and that in order also to Sanctification He will inable us to sustain and hold out and continue still to the end in the Grace which we have received Where he has once wrought Grace in the Heart hee 'l preserve it and keep it still alive there where he hath wrought it And it is that which he has promised and ingaged Himself to do for us I will put my Fear into their Hearts that they shall not depart from me It is a Branch of the Covenant of Grace which God makes with his people that he will not onely sanctify them and change their Natures with his saving Grace but that he will likewise keep this Grace in them This Seed it shall abide and remain in those which are his Children and be a constant principle in them Indeed it may admit of Variations for the Expressions of it which may prove sometimes to be more and sometimes to be less but for the thing it self it shall be always the same A Christian shall be like an Oak whose Substance is in him when his leaves fall Esay 6.13 When the Branch of Grace may decline yet the Substance and truth of it shall remain yet this so as to be the Gift of God in all this Here 's the Ground of all I mean of this Grace of Perseverance and Continuance in the Faith because God gives it it is from Grace that we hold out in Grace which otherwise we should not do it is not from our own Stability but from the Goodness and power of God towards us And that 's the first Explication The Lord will give Grace that is the Grace of Perseverance and Establishment where he hath begun it Secondly The Grace of Increase and Inlargement The Lord will give Grace that is he will give more grace He will give a greater measure of grace in addition to that which he has given Thus Phil. 1.6 He that has begun a good work in you will finish it until the day of Jesus Christ He giveth more grace as it is in Jam. 4.6 in the world men are never contented but are still desirous of more This is that which is promised here that is more grace This may be drawn out by us according to the several improvements and specifications of it As first of all The Lord will give grace that is he will give conquering Grace for the subduing of lusts and Corruptions and for the resisting of speritual Conflicts and Temptations This suites very well with that which we had before about a shield and Gods resemblance to that He does bear a proportion to it in nothing more then he does in this particular by inabling his servants to quench the fiery darts of the Devil This was the grace which He gave to Peter Luk. 22.31 Simon Simon Satan hath desired to have you and to winnow you as wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not this was the Grace which he gave to Paul when the Messenger of Satan was sent to buffet him 2 Cor. 12.9 My Grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness And this is the Grace he will likewise give to the rest of his servants He will tread Satan under their feet He will subdue their iniquities for them He will every day more and more exterpate and work out those remainders of corruption which are yet in their hearts And it is that which those which are Gods children may expect and depend upon him for If there be any one which hath any strong lust which is too hard and difficult for him which he cannot overcome let him remember this truth here before us that God will give Grace and let him improve it and make use of it to this purpose There 's no sin or corruption whatsoever which is too hard for the grace of God which the Spirit of Christ cannot master and vanquish in us yea eject and thoroughly dispossess and cast out of the heart Therefore we should with courage set upon the resisting of Temptations If we indeavour God will give grace and glory Secondly Quickening and strengthening grace for the performance of our Duties The Lord will gives such grace as this Grace for our several Callings Relations places and services which do belong unto us This is another branch of this Bounty in God which is commended to us and which is very sweet and comfortable in the consideration of it It is a very great incouragement as to the undertaking of any special business or imployment which God does call us to that he will give grace for it He will give us the grace and assistance and special inablement It was that which he promised Moses when he call'd him forth to the work of the Ministery which he was very
of that Chap. Your Heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things There are three or four arguments at once in those words to take us off from anxity and perplexity in this matter First From Gods Relation to us he is our Father and a Father will not be wanting to his Children in providing for them in regard of his great nearness and affection to them Children that have a Father to take care for them they take so much the less care for themselves But then Secondly Our own Necessities we stand in need of all these things A Father though he will provide for his Children yet he will not provide all kind of things for them there are many things which they may as well want as have and he will not trouble himself about them but ye have need of all these things and therefore he will not fail you Thirdly His Cognizance of our Condition that 's another Consideration A Father may be willing enough to provide for his Childrens necessities if he knew that they were in necessity indeed but this perhaps he may not do and sometimes he does not Yea but your Father knows that ye have need of all these things and he knows it before ye ask him to verse 8. of this Chap. Lastly His Ability to supply us that 's signified in the Epithet which is given him your Heavenly Father who is full of Riches and Goodness and Power and has nothing wanting to him and so will not suffer any thing to be wanting to you neither All these taken together shew the unreasonableness of these distracting thoughts which yet we are all for the most part subject unto and that 's in point of Temporal Provision So likewise Secondly in point of preservation and deliverance from any danger which at any time we are subject unto There 's a Multitude of the like thoughts here to which we are infested with all We never think our selves safe even then when we are under the safe-guard of the greatest protection David himself still to keep to the Text was thus distracted especially at that time when he was in danger from Sauls persecutions although he had but newly escaped and had been made partaker of a most eminent experience of Gods goodness to him yet he presently again thinks with himself I shall one day perish by the hands of Saul 1 Sam. 27.1 Look how many dangers we are any of us capable of so many perplexing and solicitous thoughts are we likewise subject and inclinable unto occasionally from those dangers which are upon us And then thirdly As concerning our imployments and ordinary affairs what a Multitude of thoughts here does there daily increase upon us There 's none can have many businesses but they will consequently have many thoughts which those businesses will produce in them especially those whose businesses lye in their thoughts these must needs have thoughts about them if they be sensible and apprehensive of them and consider what they are and that according to the nature of the things themselves and the imployments which they are taken up in such as Davids for his particular were He that had the care of a kingdom and State and Common-wealth lying upon him he could not be without such thoughts and that a Multitude of them too which he was troubled withall Great Places and Offices they are accompanyed with great thoughts as attending upon them Thoughts how to discharge them and to perform the Duty of them and thoughts how to sustain them and how to undergo the miscarriage of them still there will be thoughts on work where there is any work at all to be done if those to whom it doth belong do well consider and advise with themselves whether in the Church or Common-wealth we see how St. Paul was affected as concerning those great businesses which lay upon himself for the Church in 2 Cor. 11.28 29. Besides those things that are without that which commeth upon me daily the care of all the Churches who is weak and I am not weak who is offended and I burn not This blessed vessel of God was even almost crackt and broken with those thoughts with were upon him And it is not otherwise in a proportion with many others besides though they may be free from troublesome thoughts otherwise yet they have enough in regard of their very work and this makes up to us the second Explication of this multitude of thoughts in the Text which the Prophet David was here troubled withall namely thoughts for his own Provision and Preservation and business in the World The Third is Thoughts as concerning the Publick state and condition of the Church and Common-wealth not onely in reference to himself and as a part of his own imployment consider'd as a Publick person but absolutely and simply in itself where himself had nothing to do for the managing of any affairs This is another property and disposition of a good man to be much affected and troubled in this respect when we once come to be Christians we come to have thoughts for more then our selves or such as belong unto us in a civil or natural Relation which call to us to have thoughts also for others namely the Church and people of God we have divers instances hereof of Godly men in Scripture and elsewhere who have had many solicitousthoughts in them in this particular Thus it was with good old Eli ye know how the case was with him It is said of him that he sate upon a seat by the way side watching for his heart trembled for the Ark of God 1 Sam. 4.13 He was very anxious and sollicitous in himself what would become of the Ark which was a Testimony of Gods special presence forasmuch as it was now in danger of being surprized by the Philistims and his Daughter in Law Phinehas's wife when she heard that it was taken indeed she regarded not the Birth of a Son in comparison when she consider'd the sad condition which the Church was now in And so for Nehemiah though himself was well and in a good condition being in favour and honour in the Court of Artaxerxes and no sickness upon him as the King himself took notice of him yet he looked very sad and discontented in regard of the affliction of Gods people and he had a multitude of disquiet thoughts because the City the place of his fathers Sepulchers lay waste and the gates thereof were consumed with sire as himself expresseth it Neh. 2.3 And so again it was likewise with Mordecai when he perceived what was done by Haman in conspiracy against his people the Jews he had no rest nor quiet in his spirit but was full of thoughts and care within himself how to free them from that ruine which was advised upon and consulted against them And he had brought Queen Hester likewise into the same condition and disposition with him Esth 8.6 How can I indure to see the evil that
Fining Pot is for Silver and the Furnace for Gold but the Lord tryeth the Hearts Those things which we look upon as matter of Greatest Consequence we think we have need to exercise the Greatest Care and Caution about them Hence it is that in Civil Affairs and Businesses of our ordinary Concern our Gold and Silver and Coin And such things as these they do not usually pass us without some tryal and probation of them We have our Touch-Stone for the discovery of the Truth of them and our Ballance for the discovery of the Weight of them and our Furnace for the separating of the Dross Neither does it less behove us to be wary in Spiritual Matters where by how much the greater is our Concernment by so much the more dangerous is our Miscarriage and the better the things themselves are in their own nature the worse will it be for us to mistake about them For this reason does the Spirit of God in this Scripture which we have now before us lead us from the one to the other and from the care which is used about our Metals carry us to the care of our Minds yea God himself his care for us The Fining Pot is for Silver and the Furnace for Gold but the Lord tryeth the Hearts THe Text is a Parabolical Description of God's Almighty Power and Wisdom for the discovery and Reformation of the closest and subtilest and perfectest thing in the World which is the Heart of Man set forth by a Similitude taken from things of ordinary use amongst us The refining of Silver and the purging and purifying of Gold The words they do at the first hearing carry in them the form of an Opposition but they have indeed the force of a Comparison wherein the Lord 's dealing with the hearts and spirits of men as to the tryal of them is resembled and illustrated by the Gold-Smith's dealing with his Silver and Gold And we may in the for Order's sake take notice of these two general Parts the Proposition the Reddition The Proposition in the first part The fining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold The Reddition in the latter But the Lord tryeth the hearts We begin with the First viz. The Proposition in these words The fining pot is for silver and the furnace for Gold but the Lord tryeth the hearts Wherein two things more First The Metals mentioned and they are Silver and Gold Secondly The Instruments which are made use of in reference to them and they are the Fining Pot and the Furnace Each of these have their proportionable resemblance First For the Metals here mentioned we have Silver and Gold which hold analogy and correspondency with the hearts of the Sons of Men which follows afterwards in the Text they are set out very properly and fitly by these expressions and that especially in regard of the price and value of them we know that these are for the most part of greatest esteem of any thing else What ever is of Account in the World it is commonly set forth by these two Silver and Gold as ye may see in divers instances The Excellency of Seasonable Language it is like apples of gold in pictures of silver Prov. 25.11 The several Gifts and Graces of the Church Borders of Gold with Studs of Silver The Return of the Churches Captivity Wings of Silver and Feathers of Gold Psal 68.13 Sacred and substantial Doctrine is called Gold and Silver and Precious Stones 1 Cor. 2.12 And so here the hearts of men silver and gold This it is true of all men's hearts whatsoever considered at large in the natural consideration of them being of a finer and purer frame than the rest of the Creatures But it is tue of those who are gracious and regenerate especially above the rest The tongue of the just is as choice silver whilst the heart of the wicked is nothing worth Prov. 10.20 Good men they are like Gold and Silver in sundry regards First From the Solidity and Substantialness of their Principles They are such as have some strength in them Take some men in the World and consider them in reference to Religion and they have no bottom nor weight in them at all they are flashy and empty Christians who have nothing at all in them but Profession But the Saints and Servants of God they are solid and substantial which makes them so much the better to persist and to hold out to the end They are like Gold and Silver thus which are the solidest Metals of any other Secondly From the Purity and Sincerity of their Conversation They have not those Mixtures and Adulterations which many others have There are divers which as God calls them by his Prophet Jeremy Jer. 6. ult Reprobate silver Their silver is become â—roâ— Isa 1.22 If they have any seeming good in them it is daubed and very much defiled little of that plain-heartedness and simplicity of Christ which the Scripture here commends unto us But for Good Christians this is their Character that they are pure and undefiled in their way Psal 119.2 Thirdly From the Splendor of their Example Gold and Silver they are such Metals as which does carry the greatest lustre in them of any other besides And so do good Christians They shine like lights in the world in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation among whom they live And Their light so shines before men as that they seeing their good works are hence provoked to glorifie their Father which is in heaven And so much briefly of the first Particular in this first General viz. The Metals here mentioned Silver and Gold The Second is the Instruments which are made use of in reference to them and they are the Fining Pot and the Furnace Whereby is signified to us the state and condition of the best men that are Their hearts are like Gold and Silver but it is like Gold and Silver in the Ore which has a great deal of Dross mingled with it and must be separated from it by God's Instruments of Purification which he has appointed for such a purpose as this is There is nothing almost in nature which is presented to us with that perfection but that it is a fit Subject for Art and Skill to work it self upon Even the best Metals that are they are not right till such time as they are refined nor the most precious Stones that are they do not attain to their splendor till they be polished And if it be so in Naturals it is so in Spirituals more especially Take those persons which for the present are the best and holyest that are and look upon them in massa corrupta in the principles of their unregenerate condition and there is little or no loveliness in them in the midst of the best natural Parts and Qualifications Besides we are all by nature the Children of Wrath and Bond-slaves of Sin till God puts us into his Fining Pot and his
There are many devices in the heart of man The Second is the Qualification of this Propostion or the Check as I may so call it which is put upon it in these words Nevertheless the counsel of the Lord that shall stand Wherein again two Branches more First The simple Assertion Secondly The Additional Opposition The Simple Assertion that is in these words The counsel of the Lord that shall stand The Additional Opposition or Correction that is in the word Nevertheless We begin with the former viz. The Simple Assertion The counsel of the Lord that shall stand The Counsel of God in Scripture as before the Devices of Man does admit of a Double Acception and Interpretation in which it is taken Either First For the Word and Truth of God Or Secondly For the Purpose and Decree of God Now according to either of these Notions does it hold good that God's Counsel shall stand And that also as pertinent to this Scripture First For God's Word and Truth This is sometimes called his counsel Act. 20.27 I have not shunned to declare unto you the whole counsel of God says St. Paul to the Ephesians And Luk. 7.30 The Pharisees and Lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves where the same word also is used and that likewise to the same effect as applyed to God's Word and Truth which is called his Counsel as depending much upon his Counsel for the discovery and manifestation of it As Ephes 3.9 10 11. speaking concerning the Gospel The Mystery which from the beginning of the World hath been hid in God but now made known by the Church According to the Eternal Purpose which he Purposed in himself This Counsel of God taken for his Doctrine and Truth it shall be sure to stand and that in Opposition to all the Fansies and Devices of men which labor to obscure and pervert it Veritas magna est prevalebit The Truth is great and so shall prevail as it is commonly declared Heaven and Earth shall pass away but not one Jot or Tittle of God Word shall pass away The Reason of it is this because it is an Emanation of himself As God himself is so is his Word All flesh is grass and all the glory thereof is as the flower of the field The grass withereth and the flower thereof fadeth away but the Word of the Lord endureth for ever And this is the Word which by the Gospel is Preached unto you says the Apostle Peter in 2 Pet. 1.24 25. And so the Apostle Paul to the like purpose 2 Cor. 1.18 As God is true our word towards you was not yea and nay but in him was yea For all the Promises of God in Him i.e. in Christ are yea and Amen c. Therefore let us stand for this Truth and hold to it all that may be which the more we stand by it the more it will stand by us yea and make us our selves to stand at another Day Humane Error it shall fall before Divine Truth as Dagan sometime before the Ark. And so it needs must in regard of the different basis and Foundation on which each of them stand Look what difference there is betwixt God Himself and man the same difference is there also betwixt mans Conceits and Devices and betwixt Gods own Counsels and Discoveries which should teach us therefore to hearken unto these rather than unto them And so for Gods Doctrinal Counsel and that Truth which he propounds to be beleived So for his Praeceptive Counsel likewise and that Law which he propounds to be obeyed This may be referred to this Head also of the Counsel of his Word and has the Name given unto it As Prov. 1.25 Ye have set at naught all my Counsel and would have none of my Reproof And so Jer. 23.22 If they had stood in my Counsel In his Counsel that is in his Commandments As God will make good the Counsel of his Truth against mens Errors and Corrupt Devices So he will make good also the Counsel of his Commands against mens Lusts and Corrupt Practises And thus much for his Counsel in the First Notion as it may be taken for the Counsel of his Word either in its Propositions or Injunctions either of which are in Scripture called his Counsel and said also to stand The next and which I conceive is more agreeable to the Scope of the Text which therefore I will insist upon though the other is not to be excluded is the Counsel of Gods Purpose and Decree and which most usually and commonly is exprest by this Appellation The Counsel of his Will as it is called in Eph. 1.11 This especially is sure to stand indeed And so the Scripture does signifie to us in sundry places of it as to instance in one or two amongst the rest Thus Psal 33.12 The Counsel of the Lord stands for ever the thoughts of his heart to all Generations Esai 46.10 11. My Counsel shall stand and I will fulfill all my Pleasure I have spoken it I will also bring it to pass I have purposed it I will also do it In Job 23.13 He is in one mind who can turn him And what his soul desireth even that he doth And Psal 115.3 Our God is in Heaven he hath done whatsoever he pleased And again in Psal 135.6 Whatsoever the Lord pleased that he hath done in Heaven and in Earth in the Seas and in all deep places Thus is the Scripture sufficiently pregnant in the Assertion of this Point before us This is a General Truth and may be extended to two Particular Heads Either First As to matter of Predestination and the Concernments of the Life to come Or else Secondly As to matter of Providence and the Transactions of this Life Present If we take it in either of these References The Point holds good as a clear and undenyable Truth That the Counsel of the Lord shall stand First In matter of Predestination Gods Counsel it shall stand here in Rom. 9.11 That the Purpose of God according to Election might stand And 2 Tim. 1.19 The foundation of the Lord standeth sure having this Seal The Lord knows them that are his Ephes 2.11 In whom also we have obtained an Inheritance being Predestinated according to the Purpose of him that worketh all things after the Counsell of his own Will In Rom. 11.7 The Election hath obtained it and the rest were blinded This is a Point which I shall not stand long upon at this time as being not the main drift of the Text although it be not excluded neither yet I cannot but give an hint of it It is that which we should hold fast and keep close to notwithstanding the many Devices which are in the heart of man to frustrate it and bring it to nothing We should cherish it as our great Comfort and Support in Spiritual Desertion and the many faylings which are in our selves whilst bewayled and striven against our uncertainty and infirmity and
of the strength of Beleivers in general Secondly A Particular Demonstration of this Proposition taken from the Consequences and Effects The Proposition in General That ye have in these words They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength The Demonstration of this Proposition in the Particular Ye have in these words They shall mount up with eagles wings they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint We begin with the first viz. The General Proposition They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength Wherein again we have two Branches more First The Persons spoken of and they are Those which wait upon the Lord. Secondly The thing it self which is spoken of them and that is that They shall renew their strength For the First The Persons mentioned or spoken of they are Those that wait upon the Lord. This is here made the Description of God's People of Believers the Saints and Servants of God They are such as wait upon God This is a Duty often called for in Scripture and so considerable a Duty it is as that thereby the whole Race of Godly Men is expressed and signified to us As if there were nothing else almost which were pertinent hereunto but that It is a Phrase which we often meet with in Scripture to this purpose Thus Psal 25.3 Let none that wait on thee be ashamed Isa 30.18 Blessed are all they that wait for him So again Lamen 3.25 The Lord is good to them that wait for him to the soul that seeketh him Where they that wait for him and that seek him are all one both Descriptions of his Children There are two things eminent in Waiting and so in Waiting upon God Expectation and Patience There is Looking for somewhat from him And there is a quiet Resting and Tarrying till it be bestowed And both Properties of true Believers First There is Expectation from God there is Looking for somewhat from him to be bestowed upon them This is always in the Servants of God Psal 123.2 Behold as the eyes of Servants look unto the hand of their Master and as the eyes of an handmaid looks unto the hands of her Mistress so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God until he have mercy c. All Good Christians they do certainly expect somewhat from the hands of God and that which is worth the expecting Even glory and honour and immortality and eternal life as we have it exprest unto us Rom. 2.7 Other matters there are which they do sometimes look for and very well may but these things they look for especially as their reward and their portion and their inheritance and such as may not be denyed them They wait for these absolutely Secondly As they have the Waiting of Expectation so they have likewise of Patience They are content to stay Gods time and leisure for the obtaining of any thing which they look for and expect from him He that believeth maketh not hast Isa 28.16 He doth not prevent or out-run God in HIs Providence towards him but stayes till he thinks fitting to help him This is the right Temper of a true Christian and Believer Prophane and desperate persons they flye off in a discontent and impatience like that wicked king Jehorum 2 King 6 ult Why should I wait on the Lord any longer but his people they wait for him and they are contented so to do The Reason of it is because they are sure to speed at last There 's none that wait upon God shall be ashamed that is shall be disappointed which is many times the cause of shame As we see sometimes in waiting upon the Creature in waiting upon vain men As we have it exprest unto us in Job 6.19 20. The Troops of Tema looked the Companies of Sheba waited for them They were confounded because they had hoped they came thither c. thus it falls out in waiting upon such as these but now in waiting upon the Lord it is otherwise They that wait upon him they shall be sure not to want success Nay They shall speed the better for waiting there 's that also considerable The more willing we are to wait upon God the better it is for us for He he payes for time and gives us the more because we have waited This the servants of God considering are therefore content to wait and that with patience Thus David Psal 40.1 I waited patiently for the Lord or as it is in the Hebrew Text. I waited in waiting But so much briefly of the first branch of the first General viz. The Persons here mentioned Believers They that wait upon the Lord. The Second which I chiefly aym at in this Text is what is said of them and that is they shall renew their strength By strength here we are to understand spiritual strength strength in reference to Religion and Christian Conversation That 's the strength which is here pointed at in this place by the prophet Isay And when is is said they shall renew it there are three things intimated to us in this Expression First Their Duty Secondly Their Disposition Thirdly Their Priviledge Their Duty they ought to do it Their Disposition they are ready to do it Their Priviledge they may do it or 't is that which shall actually and indeed happen unto them First Here 's their Duty they ought to do it this is that which which lyes upon a Christian as a Duty belonging unto him to improve still in spiritual strength every day to grow stronger and stronger in his inward man To go from strength to strength as it is Psal 84.7 This is that which the Scripture still calls for as Ephesi 6.10 Finally brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might And Colos 1.10 11. Being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God strengthened with all might in the inward man A Christian must be like a tree not only growing to bear more fruit but also growing to more strength We need a great deal of strength not onely to overcome our own weaknesses but also to bear with the weaknesses of other men Whiles we are here required to renew our strength there are two things which may be pointed out to us in this Expression First Recovery of strength there where it is in some measure lost and abated in us To renew it that is to regain it to require it and fetch it up again after some diminution Secondly The Improvement of strength to renew it that is to increase it and to add new strength unto it Each of these are here imployed and both to be practised by us in reference to our Christian Conversation we must renew our strength to each purpose First In a way of Recovery we must renew it that is repair it Those which have lost any measure and degree of Grace which they have formerly had they must indeavour to restore it again It is an ill thing for a
to sin there is not onely Privative evil in it but a Positive He that toucheth Pitch shall be defil'd and so here srequent converse and society it does convey a similitude of disposition which goes along together with it nay this fire it does quickly take but upon a little mingling and joyning in this particular We see here then what to think of such persons as are for all companies and Societies whatsoever they be that care not with whom they converse and associate themselves it is a sign that they have little of true grace or goodness in them for if they had they would be a little more wary in this respect they would consider where they went and whom they joyn'd and appli'd themselves to in regard of their intimacy and intireness We see how it is with men which regard the health of their bodies they will not go into infectious places but as they desire to avoid the plague so they will shun and avoid the house which is visited with it They that would keep themselves from Leprosic they will take heed of coming near the Leper The same should it like wise be with them in regard of their Sould when it is not it is so far taxable in them as here in Ephraim He hath mingled himself among the people it was a fault in him to converse with them no more but so That 's the first Explication as we may understand a mixture which is Local The second is a Civil mixture a mixture of Affinity and Alliance this is another thing forbidden in the People of God with Heathen and Idolaters that they mix not themselves with them thus Thus Exod. 34.15 16. Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the Land and thou take of their daughters unto thy sons c. So Deut. 7.34 Neither shalt thou make marriages with them c. Again 2 Cor. 6.14 Be ye not unequally yoked with unbelievers for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what communion hath light with darkness and what concord hath Christ with Belial Such unsuitable mixtures as these are of Gods People and those which are either enemies or strangers to Religion they are not without a great deal of mischief and hazard in them they are like the lying of a living and a dead body together which was wont to be accounted of the greatest punishments that could be But thirdly which seems here chiefly and principally to be intended a mixture Spiritual or Moral Fphraim hath mixed himself with the people that is Israel hath shared in the iniquities and abominations of the Heathen And so it seems not to be much unlike to that in Hos 4.17 Ephraim is joyned to idols For Gods people to comply with those which are wicked and ungodly in their practises and to conform themselves to their customs and manners is a thing very grievous and unsufferable This is that which the Prophet especially condemns here in this place and it is that which the whole Scripture besides does almost every where set it self against in sundry passages as Rom. 12.2 Be not conformed to the world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds c. So 1 Cor. 8.6 A little leven leaveneth the whole lump Purge out therefore the old leven c. And Eph. 5.11 Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them And many such places as these are This we have cause to take care of upon sundry grounds and considerations First as contrary to our Election and Gods special designation of our persons to eternal life Those whom God has separated from others in regard of their end and final condition they should be separated from them likewise in regard of their way and present conversation Now thus is it with those which are the Saints and Servants of God God has appointed them to another end than he has done those which are not his people and therefore their course especially should be varying and different from them This is the very argument and reason of the Scripture it self as 1 Thess 5.6 Therefore let us not sleep as do others but let us watch and be sober Why upon what ground it follows in verse 9. of that chapter For God hath not appointed us to wrath but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ Because we are not appointed to wrath as others are therefore let us not walk in ways of wrath as others do that so the Way may be suitable to the End So Ephes 1.4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love God hath chosen us that therefore we might be holy So again Rom. 8.29 Whom he did foreknow he did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son as in glory so also in suffering and in holiness tending to glory And 2 Tim. 2.19 The foundation of God standethsure having this seal The Lord knoweth them that are his And Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity Gods peculiar interest in our persons by reason of Election calls for a peculiarity of carriage from us towards him again as to our holy life and conversation Secondly This conformity of Gods people to the fashions and manners and corruptions of men of the world as it is contrary to their Election so it is likewise opposite to their Redemption we are redeemed for another purpose than this is Thus Luke 1.74 75. That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life And Tit. 2.14 Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works So Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God And 1 Pet. 1.17 18 19. And if ye call on the Father c. pass the time of your sojourning here in fear forasmuch as ye know that ye were redeemed from your vain conversation not with corruptible things as Silver and Gold but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb c. Thirdly Our effectual Calling and Vocation This is another thing which restrains us herefrom we should not therefore be mingled with the world because we are call'd out of it and God hath thereby distinguisht us from other men which are in it This the Scripture does likewise with other arguments press upon us to this purpose As Eph. 4.1 I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech ye that ye walk worthy of the Vocation wherewith ye are called So 1 Thes 4.7 God hath notcalled us to uncleanness but unto holiness And Heb. 3.1 Holy Brethren partakers of the Heavenly Calling And 2 Tim. 1.9 Who hath saved us
judgment This passage may be looked upon by us as it lies here in the Text two manner of ways First in the general proposition of it as it stands in it self Secondly in the particular scope of it in reference to that which went before and the persons to whom it is directed First Take it simply and absolutely as it lies in it self and in the general proposition which is here exprest in a twofold representation First in the Affirmative what it is and that is that it is darkness Secondly in the Negative what it is not and that is that it is not light First To speak of the former and that is the Affirmative The day of the Lord is darkness Thus we find it to be called in some other places besides as Joel 2.1 2. The day of the Lord cometh and is nigh at hand A day of darkness and of gloominess a day of clouds and of thick darkness And so also in Zeph. 1.15 A day of wasteness and desolation a day of darkness and gloominess c. This is true of the day of the Lord in the full extent of it whether we take it of personal desolation the day of death or of national desolation the day of captivity or of general resurrection the day of judgment But still with this restriction as it referr'd to ungodly persons and to impenitent sinners with respect had to such as these are is this day that which it is said here to be But especially as I said does it refer to the day of death and final judgment which is here intended This is called a day of darkness that is to say a day of extreme misery and perplexity Darkness and light they do in the usual acception of Scripture where they are used metaphorically denote sorrow and gladness as it were easy to give instance of it and so here in this place amongst the rest Forasmuch as darkness does contain in it all kinds of sadness in which is fear and horror and solitariness and all kind of misery Such is this day of the Lord to the fore-mentioned persons not only dark in the conerete but also darkness even in the very abstract it self Take the unprofitable Servant and cast him into outer darkness Matth. 25.30 The ground hereof is this Because wicked men they are darkness themselves therefore is this day of the Lord darkness They are in the darkness of sin and ignorance whiles they live here in the world delight in works of darkness and which are opposite to the light of Grace and therefore go into a place of darkness and which is opposite to the light of Glory Their understandings are darkened and therefore their conditions are darkness also Being led and carried from one kind of darkness to another It is a day of darkness that is a day of fearfulness and terribleness and horror and consternation of mind There 's every thing terrible in it and adding to the astonishment of it The sound of the Trumpet the appearance of the Judge the opening of the Books the passing of the Sentence the dissolution of the whole frame of Heaven and earth the Sea and the waves roaring the Heavens passing away with a great noise the Elements melting with servent heat the Earth and all the works that are therein burâ—â— up the Sun darken'd the Moon withdrawing her light the Stars falling from Heaven and the powers of Heaven shaken What a terrible day must this be to such as are not provided for it that has all these concurrences in it That 's the first expression here considerable viz. the Affirmative The day of the Lord is darkness The Second is the additional Negative and that is that it is not light which is added for the greater emphasis of it Therefore we find it to be reiterated in the verse following darkness and not light even very dark and no brightness in it And it is agreeable in the like form of speech in reference to other matters which we meet withal in Scripture Thus Deut. 32.4 speaking of God A God of truth and without iniquity just and right is he And Joh. 8.44 speaking of Satan He is a liar and there is no truth in him c. In 1 Joh. 1.8 If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us In all which places and the like the Negative is joyned with the Affirmative to make it more emphatical and so here To take a more particular account of it It is said here darkness and not light as we may conceive for these reasons First by way of opposition darkness and not light that is it is not light but darkness as expressing the simple nature and condition of that day Take the word day and it does in the ordinary and common acception of it denote light Whensoever it begins to be light it begins to be day and whensoever it ceases to be light it ceases to be day as that which does give the proper notion and denomination unto it and which distinguishes the one from the other God called the light day and the darkness he called night Gen. 1.5 Yea but here now in the Text it is day and yet not light day and no light in it This by way of opposition Secondly By way of intension and to shew the greatness of this darkness It is dark and dark entirely without the mixture of any thing to qualify it or to take off from the severity of it without ease without comfort without direction or any good counsel which are such things as are sometimes exprest to us by the name of light This is the misery of Hell and of the judgment which passes upon wicked men that it is absolute and compleat and entire The wrath of God without mixture as the Scripture calls it that is without any mixture of favour or refreshment in it Take any day whatsoever here in the world whether in the proper sense or in the metaphorical and it is not so over-darkned with darkness but has some kind of glimmerings of light in it The day which is fullest of clouds the rainiest and most tempestuous day yet it partakes of some light And the day which is fullest of troubles the saddest and most disconsolate day it has some mixtures of refreshment in it likewise which do serve to allay it Yea but this day of the Lord here spoken of it has none of this it is darkness and no light it is sadness and no comfort Thirdly By way of perpetuity and continuation Darkness and no light that is darkness and always dark There are some days which though they may be dark for a while yet they do not abide and continue to be so but do at last overcome that The Sun it breaks through the clouds and the day recovers its light at last though perhaps it be long first ere it does it Yea but here it does not do so Dark and no light this is a continual and
what is the only folly to speak of that is in the world which is as I have hitherto shewn the neglect of a man 's own soul Neglect of a man's soul may some say yea but who is guilty of that is any man such a fool to do so that lives within the Church that is in the sound and noise of the Ordinances That comes to the hearing of the Word and partakes of the outward means of Salvation and Grace How can he be said to neglect his own soul that is careful to make use of these It is true he cannot be said so that makes use of them so as he should and is conscionable in them But it is an easie matter any man to rest himself contented in the means and yet to have none of that comfort and benefit which he should draw from them Nay let me add and put in this to the rest by way of aggravation that none do more prejudice their souls many times than such as these I mean them which have blessed opportunities and take not the advantages of them nor improve them to the utmost that enjoy the Means of Salvation but do not use them as the means from whence Salvation should be had that hear but hear carelesly that pray but pray superficially that come to the Lord's Table but partake of it without preparation or discerning the Lord's body These they do procure to themselves the greater damnation and so consequently do incur the censure of the greatest folly which do not so befall any man that is out of the reach of any comfort against his will that would have it but cannot no we rather pity and bemoan him But a man that will voluntarily deprive himself of it when it 's ready at his hand or neglects to use it as he should it is he which most properly deserves the name of any other The second general Observable is the disgraceful Compellation Thou Fool 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This was a round salutation fool at first word and especially to a man who was so well opinionated of himself Call an humble man fool and he thinks ye tell him no news he is ready himself to profess it before you can say it But this man here in the Text was one who applauded himself in his own projects and thought highly of that which he had done and yet the Lord calls him fool The Observation from hence may be this That wordly and carnal minded men which give themselves wholly to the earth and earthly meditations however they may think of themselves or however others may flatter them yet in truth in God's account and estimation they are no better than fools But God said unto him Thou Fool c. When we say that God saies it it is as much as if we said thus much that they are absolute fools indeed God's understanding it is the direct rule of Truth whatever he speaks he thinks and whatever he thinks it is so as he thinks it therefore God's appellatio non c. dicit ' Deus stulte quomodo homo dicit God calls not fool as man calls Austin makes it all one with reality Men may call fool in jest nay more they may call fool in passion and fury and unadvised anger there 's a great deal of rashness and ignorance and pride and prejudice in their calling fool because they are fools themselves And sometimes there is no great heed nor regard to be had unto it but for the great God himself to call fool he who is Wisdom and Truth I can tell ye 't is more than if all the men and Angels in the world had done it besides And it makes a man a fool eo nomine It was an excellent speech of Socrates an Heathen Philosopher which I cannot but name to the shame of many Christians It 's no matter how many call us but how one calls us Why thus now are all worldly men muck-worms and toilers in the earth they are fools in God's account and so ye shall find them set out divers times in Scripture We meet with one which has this name given him on purpose in 1 Sam. 25.25 Nabal is his name and folly is with him He was called fool 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Indeed his manner and his carriage imported as much And so indeed are all other worldly men of the stamp with him The Scripture calls them fools O ye fools when will ye learn wisdom I said unto the fools deal not so foolishly O ye fools and blind and such phrases as these are we meet with them almost in every page and line And I need not stand heaping up instances and quotations unto you they do so often every where occur This they are among others which might be named upon a twofold consideration First Because they think themselves otherwise Rom. 1.22 Professing themselves to be wise they became fools Every man is so much a fool as he thinks himself a wise man for it is a part of wisdom to be sensible of a man 's own folly and to see when a man is at the best that he is then but imperfect Why thus it is with worldly-minded men they think themselves wonderful wise and that none are so wise as they The rich man's wealth saies Solomon is his strong Tower It is that which he betakes himself to and repairs to in any distress and wherein he principally glories Thus ye may see it was here with this man in this present Scripture Soul thou hast goods laid up fo thee for many years eat drink and be merry as if he should have said Thou hast provided well for one and therefore now mayest be quiet there 's no more for thee to look after This is the humour of such people they pride themselves in their worldly projects As we have it signified unto us in Psal 49.18 Whiles he lived he blest himself speaking of the wicked rich man he blest himself that is in his own thoughts and apprehensions and estimations It 's a wonderful thing to consider what a great deal of vanity and folly there is in the minds of many men in this particular How they applaud themselves in the abundance of their wealth and how scornfully they account of all other people that want it They think all men fools which go not that pernicious way which they with so much vehemency pursue and walk in It cannot be thought and imagin'd but that they now and then express it what low and undervaluing thoughts many carnal wretches in the world have of grace and of the waies of godliness and what fools they think them to be which are earnest and forward in those waies The greatest fools in their opinion that are in the world Well but see what God thinks of them now for their labour as it is in Psal 49.13 This their way is their folly though their posterity approve their saying Those which came after them may commend them because
thee in the daies of thy youth and walk in the waies of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know that after all these things God shall bring thee to judgment Preached at Mr. Bacon 's Reading at Gray's-Inn SERMON IV. LUKE 13.8 9. And he answering said unto him Lord let it alone this year also till I shall dig about it and dung it And if it bear fruit well and if not then after that thou shalt out it down Our blessed Lord and Saviour whiles he was conversant here upon earth was careful to apply himself to these persons whom he converst withall with the greatest Advantage that might be to their spiritual good not only by putting of them in mind of that which was to be done by them but also by calling them to an account of their Improvement of such Intimations And this is that which he does here in this Scripture which we have now before us where for the better and more effectual insinuating and working of his doctrine into them he does represent unto them spiritual Truths by common and ordinary resemblances and such kind of expressions as they were most familiarly acquainted withall These words are the speech of the Vine-dresser interceding with the Lord of the Vineyard in the behalf of his barren Fig-tree They are a Parable and so do carry somewhat more in them than is in the bare letter and sound The Exposition and Interpretation whereof is briefly this The Vine-dresser that 's the Minister The Vineyard that 's the Church The Lord of the Vineyard that 's God himself The barren Fig-tree that 's any fruitless and unprofitable soul within the vail of the Church or person or people which have not thriven under the Means of Grace and opportunities of being better which God hath been pleased at any time in his providence to afford unto them IN the Text it self there are two General Parts considerable First The Vinedresser's Petition and Request it self which he here notes Lord let it alone this year also Secondly The Terms or Conditions which his Petition proceeds upon and these are twofold The one is taken from himself Till I shall dig about it and dung it and the other is taken from the Fig-tree upon the supposition either of Amendment or Incorrigibleness If it bear fruit well if not then after that thou shalt cut it down These are the parts of the Text. We begin with the first of these parts viz. the Vinedresser's Request and Petition it self wherein again observe two things more First The matter of the Request or the thing it self which is sued and petitioned for and that is mercy and forbearance towards it Lord let it alone Secondly The Determination of the Time for the exercise and continuance of this forbearance and this for one year more This year also First To speak of the former viz. The matter of the Request or the thing it self petitioned for and that is the forbearance of the Fig-tree Lord let it alone This was begg'd and begg'd by the Vine-dresser in the behalf of it From whence we may observe thus much That it is the special work of faithful Ministers and Pastors and Labourers in God's Vineyard to divert and keep off that wrath and vengeance and judgment which he threatens and which is near to their people Thus does the Vine-dresser here in the Text The Owner of the Fig-tree which was God himself He had threatned it with destruction as he justly might for it's great unfruitfulness after so long and continued expectation These three years I come seeking fruit on this Fig-tree and find none Cut it down why cumbreth it the ground Now comes in the Dresser of the Vineyard with this seasonable Motion and Request in the very nick of time Lord I beseech thee let it alone and for this once be more favourable to it This is that which belongs to Ministers and Pastors in regard of their Office not only to be the Conveyers of Instruction but also of Protection Nor only to defend from sin but also from punishment This is that which we shall observe and find all along in Scripture as Joel 1.13 when there was a Famine brought upon the Land the Vine dried up the Fig-tree languished the Pomegranate withered c. Who are there invited to bewail it and lament it and mourn under it why ye shall see it is the Dressers of the Vineyard And that which were so not in the literal sense but in a spiritual Gird up your selves and lament ye Priests Howl ye Ministers of the Altar Come lie all night in sackcloth ye Ministers of my God These were they who were called upon to be sensible of the present Judgment And so again in the second Chapter of the same Prophecy of the Prophet Joel and the 17th verse c. Let the Priests the Ministers of the Lord weep between the Porch and the Altar and let them say Spare thy people O Lord and give not thy heritage to reproach Wherefore c. So Isa 62.6 7. I have set watchmen upon thy walls O Jerusalem which shall never hold their peace day nor night ye that make mention of the Lord as ye that are the Lord's Remembrancers keep not silence and give him no rest till he stablish and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth This was the practice of Moses that faithful servant of the Lord and Governour of God's people still upon all occasions when God's anger was kindled against his people he comes in and intercedes for them and speaks in their behalf that the Lord would be pleased to spare them and forbear them and shew pity towards them This was the practice also of Samuel as we may see an instance of it 2 Sam. 12.29 When the Israelites had committed a great sin and God had exprest his displeasure against them for it they desire him to pray for them and he does not refuse it as thinking himself engaged to it upon the account of that Office and place which he sustained as a Prophet amongst them God for bid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you The ground hereof is this First Because Ministers are middle persons as it were betwixt God and the people They mediate and deal betwixt both as it is declared expresly of Moses Exod. 19. v. 1. He told God the words of the people and he told the people the words of God He is a Prophet and he shall pray for thee as God said of Abraham to Abimelech in Gen. 20.7 This is one thing which makes for this work to be performed by them and then which we may add hereunto the Affection which does belong unto them from this Relation This it makes for it also When a Child is in any danger who should sooner speak for it than the Father When a Sheep is ready to be swallowed up who should sooner interpose than the Shepherd When a City is ready to
Faith and that was justifying They believed on him There 's a threefold Faith as Divines distinguish it The first a believing of God Credere Deum to believe that there is a God The second a believing to God Credere Deo to assent to that which God says The third a believing in God Credere in Deum that is to rest and cast our selves upon God as he has revealed himself to us in the Scripture Now the latter of these is that which is here recommended unto us in these present Jews Many believed on Christ. And indeed this if we well consider it is the main of all And it hath a threefold eminency in it as peculiar to it First that it is the Faith of the Scripture and proper to the word of God Secondly that it is the Faith of the Gospel and proper to the New Testament above the Old Thirdly that it is the Faith of Salvation in the exercise whereof alone we are made partakers of the righteousness of Christ All these three eminencies are in it First This Faith of Recumbency whereby we rely and cast our selves upon Christ and believe in God it is proper only to the Scriptures and those Writings which are taken from it it is not to be found in any other Writings besides This phrase to believe in another it does not occur in any Heathen Author whatsoever that ever I could meet with It is an expression which God hath reserved as the proper language of Christian Religion There 's somewhat in that As the thing it self is purely Divine and Christian so is the form and manner of speaking Secondly As it is the language only of Scripture so it is especially the language of the Gospel and more proper to the New Testament To believe in God it is not a Legal business but an Evangelical The Law represents God unto us as an angry Judge as a consuming Fire as an avenger of all unrighteousness It is the Gospel only which propounds God as pacified and reconciled in Christ and so at such terms with us as for which he may be relied upon by us and therefore is called by the Apostle The ministry of reconciliation 2 Cor. 5.19 Thirdly It is the Faith of Salvation and in the exercise whereof alone we are justified in the sight of God as being that alone which does knit and unite us to Christ and make us one with him And so the Scripture sets it Joh. 1.12 As many as received him to them he gave power or priviledg to be the Sons of God even to them that believed on his Name Where the receiving of Christ is explained by believing in him as that whereby alone we do receive him So Joh. 6.40 This is the will of the Father who hath sert me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life Where there seem to be two main acts required for the obtaining of Justification and Salvation by Christ The one is to see the Son that is to acknowledg Christ Preached for the Son of God and Redeemer of the World by which act we do discern the Fountain of eternal life and make towards it The other is to believe on him by which act we do draw life from the true Fountain of life and immerse our selves wholly into him This must needs be that Faith alone which saves us because it is that whereby God in Christ is so much honoured and advanced by us for God has joyned these two both together in his wise contrivance for his own Glory and our Salvation so that that whereby God himself is chiefly glorified we also are more particularly saved This is done by such a Faith as this is which is therefore justisying and saving Therefore let us especially labour to find this Faith in our selves A Faith of reliance upon Christ and adherence to him As for the other two kinds of Faith which we mentioned before to wit the Faith of acknowledgment and bare assent they are such as in their place we may bestow upon the creature it self and ascribe to meer men we believe that they are such and such persons and acknowledg them to be in being we assent and give credit to their words and receive that which comes from them Thus we may and do believe them But to rely and cast our selves upon them and to place our assiance in them that we may not do There 's a difference in regard of the object Again Secondly In regard of the subject Take the two other kinds of Faith and that even referred to God himself yet they may be found in reprobate persons even the Devils themselves they may and do believe both that God is and that it's truth which is said by God As the Apostle James plainly expresses it Jam. 2.19 Thou believest there is one God thou doest well the Devils also believe and tremble Where their trembling denotes their assent But now this Faith of relyance and recumbency it is proper only to those which are elect and born again Thirdly Consider'd also in the effects The other two kinds they are but common here neither for they work not any great change in the hearts of those in whom they are notwithstanding which men may still be as bad as ever they were before they had them But this Faith which we now speak of that does it it sanctifies and purifies the hearts of those persons in whom it is We have two express places for it the one Acts 15.9 Having purified their hearts by Faith And the other in Acts 26.18 Which are sanctified by faith that is in me And so much of the second Particular in this first General which is the nature of that Faith which was here commended in these Converts of Christs it was justifying and saving they believed on him The third is the Subject of this Conversion and they are here exprest to be many many believed on him Now this it hath a twofold significancy or Emphasis in it First an Emphasis of Restriction Many but not All. Secondly an Emphasis of Inlargement Many and not a Few First it has an Emphasis of Restriction or Limitation Many but not All. Christ could if he had pleased have so ordered it that it might have been All but he did not do so as being free in the working of his Grace in whom he pleases The Gospel is offered to All but all do not receive the Gospel no not of those which are the Auditors and Hearers of Christ himself As there were many that believed on him so there were many also that opposed themselves against him All men have not faith says the Apostle 2 Thes 3.2 it is true both of common Faith and of Justification c. The Gospel was preached unto us as well as unto them but the Word preached did not profit them not being mixed with Faith in them that heard it Heb. 4.2 There hath been and always will be a difference of Hearers
the surface of things but we do not dive into the bottom and foundation of them We see things sometimes in their beginnings but we do not see what they will be in the close and latter end and conclusion of them There 's a various account which may be given of this truth and observation to us as First from the intricacy and difficulty and perplexity of the things themselves God's ways themselves many times are very dark and obscure and mysterious As there is a mystery in the truths of Christ the mystery of the Faith and the mystery of Godliness as it is sometimes call'd in Scripture so there is a mystery in the actions of Christ likewise His Providence it has secrets in it His way is in the Sea and his path in the great waters and his footsteps are not known Ps 78.19 Oh the depth of the riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledg of God! how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out for who hath known the mind of the Lord says the Apostle Rom. 11.33 And the Prophet Isaiah in Isa 55.8 9. My thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways saith the Lord For as the Heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts There 's an involution of one thing in another so that they do not presently appear what they are As in the Prophet Ezekiel there were the wheels within the wheels He does great things and unsearchable marvellous things without number Job 5.9 Secondly As there 's an intricacy in the things so there 's likewise a difficulty upon our understandings yea even the best that are they are but short-sighted in this particular And that according to a twofold principle First the dimness of natural reason and Secondly the imperfection of supernatural illumination Reason that 's blind And Grace that 's but weak and imperfectly wrought in us First There 's a dimness upon reason even in those who have the greatest measure and proportion of it from whence they are unable to reach the deep things of God either as to matter of Doctrine or Practice Worldly wisdom it counts the ways of God to be foolishness and such things as are inconsistent to themselves And Secondly As for Grace and the light of the Spirit of God himself it is but in such a measure and degree communicated to us from whence it might do this in us Therefore even holy persons such as Peter in the Text here was have been sometimes short in this particular and still are From a deficiency in their own understandings Thirdly This proceeds from special and Divine Dispensation God does of purpose order it that even his own Servants shall sometimes not be able to apprehend his own ways nor know what he does in the World And that for divers reasons also As First Because it may be they are not as yet capable of them nor sit to receive them Thus we know how in other places our Blessed Saviour forbore to discover some things to his Disciples because as yet they were not able to bear them as himself tells them Joh. 16.12 I have yet many things to say unto you but ye cannot bear them now It is a great part of wisdom in a Teacher to impart and communicate his notions answerably to the capacity of the Learner And so it is also with Christ in his dispensations As Paul to the Corinthians I could not speak unto you as unto spiritual but as unto carnal even as to Babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk and not with meat for hitherto ye were not able to bear it neither yet now are ye able And so to the Hebrews Heb. 5.12 Of whom we have many things to say and hard to be uttered seeing ye are dull of hearing God's people whiles they are here in this world have neither heads nor hearts fit for some kind of discoveries not heads sit to apprehend them nor hearts fit to digest them If they be evil they would be apt too much to be dejected if they be good they would be apt too much to be exalted and lifted up They would be ready to bear neither so as they should do And therefore does God think it fitting in wisdom to keep them ignorant of them that so as yet they might not know them or be acquainted with them That 's one reason of this concealment because as yet they are not capable of them Secondly God will not have his people presently to know what he does that so hereby he may take occasion for the better exercise and improvement of their Faith and dependance upon himself The more at any time we see the less we do commonly believe Faith it is most vigorous and conspicuous in cases of obscurity and disappearance Now blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed as our Saviour speaks Joh. 20.19 It is no great thanks to trust God when we see all clear before us But in difficulties there 's the trial As Abraham Even against hope to believe in hope And as Job Though he slay me yet will I trust in him And as Paul We despaired even of life and yet trusted in the Living God which raises from the dead And as Habakkuk Although the Figtree blossom not nor fruit be in the Vine c. yet will I rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my Salvation This is enough for Christians to know that they have to deal with a Gracious and All-sufficient God to whem they may with a great deal of safety and considence commit themselves in the greatest outward uncertainties And so long as they can do so they need not be any further troubled in their own thoughts as concerning future events Yea God himself delights that it should be at this pass with them as whereby himself is so much the more honoured and advanced by them Abraham whiles he was strong in Faith he is said to give Glory to God and so indeed he did Rom. 4.20 Because he stagger'd not at the promise of God through unbelief He that believeth not he makes God a liar which amongst men is counted one of the highest pieces of dishonour But he that believeth he sets to his seal that God is true for which cause God is pleased so much in the improvement of Faith He comes to see of what credit and esteem he is with us where there is a failing of outward helps Thirdly The Servants of God do not always know what he does nor he will not have them to do so for the preferring of his own liberty and soveraignty amongst them that they may not by this means teach him and follow him and set limits unto him His ways as we said are unsearchable and he delights to have them be so for his own greater glory and renown It is fit for creatures to be in the condition of creatures and to keep
of Vtterance a third has a gift of Interpretation one is better in the Applicatory part another is better at the Expository This diversity and variety of gifts wherein all are excellent and it is very hard to say which is best it comes from the Spirit of Christ as the same Apostle also tells us in the same Chapter All these worketh one and the self-same spirit dividing to every man severally as he pleaseth 2 Cor. 12.11 Secondly As for the various Distribution so likewise for the Succession As these gifts in several persons so likewise in Ages and Periods of Time and Generation one after another It is very considerable this That Christ does so order it in his Providence that his Church shall still one way or other be furnished and provided for in the world the Prophets in their Age the Apostles in theirs succeeding Ministers in theirs and that in each of these in the withdrawing of one there hath still been the substitution of another for the preservation and upholding of the work Elijah translated but Elisha left behind him Jeremy imprisoned but Baruch inlarged Paul in bonds but Timothy at liberty John the Baptist removed but Christ continued Christ himself departed but his Spirit coming in his room I will not leave you comfortless but I will thus come unto you The Use of all this to our selves is with thankfulness to acknowledge the love and goodness of Christ in this particular and to improve it to our best advantage not to carp or cark or quarrel with the gifts of our Ministers or to compare them or set them one against another as we are apt to do but rather to bless God for them in the various ordering and distribution of them and to partake of that good from them which God affords us for the good of our Souls which is to walk answerably to Christs dealing with us in this particular And that 's the first conveyance of Christ's Spirit to wit In the distribution of the gifts of it The second is in the Distribution of Graces Christ comes by his Spirit in them not onely in his gifts of Edification but in his gifts of Sanctification Faith and Love and Patience and Humility and the like We find that after Christs Ascension there was a greater measure and abundance of these Religion was now more Spiritualiz'd and Christians themselves were now raised to a more heavenly and spiritual frame of Soul than before they had been As the Word of God grew and multipi'd so likewise the Improvements of it and the Graces of those who had the priviledge of being partakers of it It is said of the Romans that their faith was spoken of throughout the world Rom. 1.8 Of the Corinthians that they were enriched in all graces 1 Cor. 1.4 5 c. The Apostle commends the Colossians for their faith in Christ and love to all the Saints in Col. 1.4 c. Thirdly In the distribution of Comforts Thus did Christ come by his Spirit especially not onely as he was a qualifying Spirit furnishing them with all Gifts not onely as he was a sanctifying Spirit induing them with Graces but also as he was a comforting Spirit filling their hearts with joy And thus he did This is that which is principally stood upon here in this Scripture as we may see in the Connexions of it thus in verse 16 17. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of truth c. The sadness of Christs departure it was scattered by the presence of the Comforter which was interpretatively his own presence with them Thus in all these respects did Christ himself come to them by his Spirit in its Gifts and Graces and Comforts Now to improve this still so much the more and that it might be a full Argument to them for the pacifying of them I will not leave you comfortless I will come unto you we may take this in further with it that it is considerable under a two-fold Emphasis the one Discretive and the other Consequential The Discretive Emphasis is this Ye have no cause to be very sad or uncomfortable for though I go from you yet I will come unto you The Consequential Emphasis is this Ye have no cause to be sad or uncomfortable for because I go from you therefore I will come unto you my coming to you is both the consequent of my departure and following upon it And again my coming to you is also the effect or result of my departure and flowing from it First Take it in the Discretive Emphasis Though I go away yet I will come There was good reason why they should be satisfied from that that he was not quite and utterly lost or gone irrecoverably but cum animo revertenti with a full purpose of coming again or if not of coming in his Person yet of coming in that which was better at least for them and that was of coming in his Spirit which he here intends and which we have spoken to all this while His going had no cause to disquiet them whiles it had his coming following upon it to them Secondly Take it in the Consequential Emphasis Because I go away therefore I will come This was that which was here also considerable as it follows afterwards Christs going in his Person was the cause at least sine qua non of his coming in his Spirit if he had not gone that way he had not come this Thus we have it in Joh. 16.6 7. Because I have said these things to you namely of my going from you therefore sorrow hath filled your hearts Nevertheless I tell you the iruth it is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you But if I depart I will send him unto you That is if I do not go I shall not come but if I do go I then shall And that 's the second Explication of his coming the coming of him in his Spirit To this last of all we may add a Third with which I conclude and that is his coming in Glory at the last day This is very frequently and emphatically call'd in Scripture the coming of Christ and it is that which may very much pacifie and satisfie Believers in his present absence and keep them from being sad and comfortless that he will come thus This is that which he makes mention of in the three first Verses of this Chapter and wherewith he does labour to comfort them Let not your heart be troubled c. I go to prepare a place for you And if I go to prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto my self that where I am there ye may be also This is in other words call'd his Appearing and Revelation and such like phrases as these This in the meditation of it is very comfortable to all true Saints and Members
of light out of darkness c. 2 Cor. 4.6 Again secondly From the power of Satan to God Thus Act. 26.18 We have both these expressions joyned together To open their eyes to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God Men before their effectual calling they are under the power and thraldom of Satan and led captive by him at his will whithersoever he pleases But now conversion it is a recovery out of this snare as it is called 2 Tim. 2.26 This it strikes off the Fetters and Bolts and Chains which a sinner was held with as it was with him possest in the Gospel Thirdly From the world to the fellowship of Christ and the Saints 1 Cor. 1.9 By whom ye are called into the fellowship of his son A man by his effectual calling is made member of another Society and Corporation than he was of before and he has a spirit given him answerable to that Society to converse withall a natural man he is unfit for holy communion conversion it does mightily raise him up hereunto Lastly From a state of Hell and Wrath and Death to a state of Life and peace and salvation Thus as we are said in some places of Scripture to be called to grace so in others to be called to glory and such terms as these are as not to be called to uncleanness but unto holiness 1 Thes 4.7 so not to be called to wrath but to obtain salvation 1 Thess 5.9 And again 2 Thes 2.14 He hath called you by our Gospel to the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ These are the terms from whence and to which And this sets forth unto us the excellency and dignity of our calling considered in it self when we are called to be Christians and Believers we do not change for the worse but for the better we are advanced and promoted and set up to a more noble condition than we were in before and accordingly does the Scripture here put such denominations upon it of an high calling Phil. 3.14 Of an holy calling 2 Rom. 1.9 Of an heavenly calling Heb. 3.1 And so much of the parties here spoken of in their personal qualifications Them which are called I come now to them in the second place in their natural qualification both Jews and Greeks this must be taken in connexion with the former and in reference to it the Apostle had in the verse before laid a disparagement upon such of these people as concerning their rejection and ill entertainment of the Gospel affirming it to be to the Jews a stumbling-block and to the Greeks foolishness Now that he might not be here mistaken as condemning these whole Nations at large he here limits and qualifies this censure But unto them which are called both Jews and Greeks c. Before we come to the main point observe here first of all a profitable instruction in general and that in reference to practise which is briefly this That in the laying of censures at any time upon a generality and community of persons whether Nations or Societies of men we must take heed whiles we find fault with some that we do not indefinitely condemn all This was St. Paul's care here whiles he censured Jews and Greeks he would exempt some of them from this censure and so he does also in other places As to the Corinthians when he writes unto them and makes mention of strange kind of sinners Such were some of you 1 Cor. 6.11 He does not say all but some So 1 Cor. 4.18 Now some are puffed up as though I would not come unto you And to the Thessalonians 2 Thes 3.11 We hear that there are some among you which are disorderly c. He restrains and confines his censure to some and so our blessed Saviour to his Hearers There are some of you that believe not John 6.64 And so again more expresly John 13.18 I speak not of you all I know whom I have chosen c. This restriction and limitation is requisite First To prevent discouragement in the condemned that so we may not grieve and trouble the minds of those which are innocent and guiltless When those which are good and holy shall conceive themselves to be wrapt and involved in the same censure with those that are otherwise this is a great discouragement to them and a grieving of their spirits which we should be especially tender of Not break the bruised Reed c. Secondly To prevent scandal in the standers by and that others may not be offended at them for it when those who are strangers to the persons shall hear all at large to be condemned this may be an occasion sometimes to make them think ill of those which are blameless thereby to bescandaliz'd Thirdly To prevent injustice in our selves and that we may not give wrong judgment He that justifies the wicked and he that condemns the just both of them are an abomination to the Lord says Solomon Prov. 17.15 Now this latter we must here take heed of which we fall into by indefinite censure This does therefore meet with the reshness or malice or what you will of many persons in this particular ye shall have some people so to condemn an whole company as that they except and spare none at all in it If some are it may be many of them faulty why in this case condemn all without any exception or limitation They are all so without difference This is the practise of envy and folly In the Ministry fall upon the whole Tribe for the miscarriage of some In the Magistracy upon the whole state-Government because some are amiss in it in any Calling or undertaking whatsoever fly in the face of the whole profession for the fault of some which are irregular in it This is contrary both to Religion and Reason a senseless and a malicious business The Apostle Paul in this present Scripture gives us a better example But with them which are called both Jews and Greeks c. As who should say Though I condemn some and most yet I do not censure all and this may be observed in General But to speak more particularly to the Words To them which are called both Jews and Greeks We see here that God has his Numbers and Lot and Portion more or less in all People and Nations without any difference Jew and Gentile both may be called and so are In Christ Jesus there is neither Jew nor Greek Col. 3.11 That is there is no difference of either as concerning the priviledges of Salvation they have each of them an interest in them This is that which the Apostle Peter takes notice of in his discourse to Cornelius Acts 10.34 Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons But in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted of him This may be made good unto us from these considerations First Both Jew and Gentiles they are the subjects
Thes 1.5 This is that which becomes a servant of Christ as the best principle of all to work upon namely his own knowledg and experience of those things which he speaks of But of this we may have occasion to treat more anon out of the words themselves 2. As here 's an account of his practice from the principle of it so likewise from the matter and the thing it self which was handled by him which is by beginning with terror and laying judgment before them and the last judgment in particular This is the course which is taken by him for the more effectual progress of his Ministry to lay the ground-work and foundation in this And it so was likewise with him elsewhere Thus he dealt with the men of Athens Act. 17. 30 31. And the times of this ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all men every-where to repent because he bath appointed a day in which be will judg he worlds So he began likewise with Felix Act. 24.25 He reasoned before him of righteousness and temperance and judgment of come So Heb. 6.2 Amongst the rest of the first Elements of Christain Religion we find there reckoned eternal judgment as that which is mainly and principally to be known and studied by a Christian as preparatory and introductory to many other Doctrines besides 3. We may likewise here take notice of the order and method which is observed by him in all this which is first of all informing himself and then instructing of others Here 's scientes prinsquaâ—â— suademus First Knowing and after that perswading There are some which invert this order Begin first with perswading and then come to knowing aftewards Which will be teachers before they are learners which will take upon them to instruct ere themselves are sufficiently instructed But this is not the Apostles method here in this place who begins at the right end and that which is most natural and probable to know before he makes known And thus much by way of preparation of these words in their dependance and connexion We come now closer to the parts themselves Where we have these two particulars considerable First The work it self and that is we perswade men Secondly The principle of this working or the Motive that put them upon it Knowing the terror of the Lord. We begin with the last first which is first in the order of the words as it is also in the nature of the thing and that is the nature or principle of working Knowing the terror of the Lord. Wherein again two particulars more First The object propounded and that is the terror of the Lord. Secondly The apprehension of this object in reference to the mind c. Knowing the terror of the Lord. The Vulgar Latine gives it Timorem Domini the fear of the Lord which is a little more mollified and restrained The Arabick Interpreter for fail puts them in both Timorem reverentiam Domini Terrorem takwi trabbi wa-hashaitiho Erasmus simpliciter terrorem which is also followed by our own Translators as best agreeing with the drift of the place which is that which we will now keep unto 1. I say here 's the Object propounded The terror of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This was that which the Apostle knew and desired also to make known unto them for their edification and spiritual improvement It 's called the terror of the Lord emphatically and exclusively as hereby shutting out any other terror besides which does not so well consist with this for we must know that there are sometimes false terrors as well as true There are terrores Satanae as well as terrores Domini and these are very cautelously to be distinguish't one from the other The Devil as he has his false comforts and raptures and elevations so he has likewise his false fears and astonishments and dejections whereby he does sometimes depress and keep down the hearts of Gods People in his uncomfortable representations in his suggestions to despair in his dreadful prognostications and the like These are such kind of things as are very sad and terrible and which St. Paul also knew well enough and was sufficiently acquainted withal He was not ignorant of Satans devices whereby he labours to affright men and to take them off from doing of their duty and that work which does belong unto them through their too much attendance hereunto But he does not make any of these to be a ground for his ministerial perswasions no but the terror of the Lord those terrors which God himself makes and which are of his allowance and approbation What kind of terrors are those may it be here demanded Let us hear of them what they are and what is meant here by them in this expression which we here meet withal in the Text. For these there are divers kinds of them we may reduce them briefly to three heads which as I think will reach this phrase in the full extent and latitude of it 1. The terror of the Word in the threatnings and comminations of it wherein is revealed from Heaven the wrath of God against all unrighteousness as the Apostle speaks in Rom. 1.18 This is one terror of the Lord and a very great terror it is if it be duly considered there 's a mighty power in the work of God set on by the assistance of Gods Spirit for the terrifying of the most secure sinner and driving him out of that condition and presumption and stupidity of mind in which he lyes The Word of God is powerful sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit c. Heb. 4.12 And the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God c. says the Apostle 2 Cor. 10.4 This we see in Paul to Felix who whiles he Preach'd before him astonish'd him and caused him to tremble 2. The terror of Divine Impression upon the heart and conscience This is sometimes called in Scripture the terror of the Almighty which Joâ— and David Heman and such as these did sometimes partake of when God himself appears as an Enemy and does immedlately wrestle and conflict with the inwards of any poor soul and write bitter things against it This is likewise the terror of the Lord and such as does indeed carry a great deal of terribleness with it but yet that 's not all which is meant here in this place 3. The terror of Judgment and more especially of the day of Judgment that 's likewise the terror of the Lord and it is that which is also principally intended here in this present Scripture which relates to that which was mentioned in the verse immediately preceding We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ that every one may receive c. Now knowing the or as some that terror of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the demonstrative particle we do therefore perswade so that the terror of the Lord is as
whereof there is to be no alteration and whereunto there is to be no addition If any man shall add unto these things God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this Book Rev. 22.18 Hence Heb. 13.9 Be not carried about with divers and strange Doctrines 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Divers and strange divers in regard of their multiplication strange in regard of their innovation It this present Text before us there are two phrases or expressions whereby this newness or strangeness of Doctrine is set forth unto us First Other than as we have preached in the eighth verse Secondly Other than as you have received in the ninth which though at the last they come both to one and the same effect yet have a different notion in them considerable of us First Other than as we have preached the Apostle Paul reduces all Doctrine to what himself and other of the Apostles of Christ had delivered making that the measure of all the rest This he might very well do without any rigor at all and it was that which did very well become him considering who he was namely the Apostle of Christ who had received what he taught by the Revelation of Christ himself as he signifies afterwards He does not stand upon that which he had preached as purely his own but as Christs whose Minister he was and from whose authority and in whose name he delivered what he did unto them So that though it be what we have preached as to the expression yet it is indeed what we are commanded to preach for the intention and meaning of it The stress and strength of the phrase does not lye so much in his own performance as in Gods allowance and warranting of him to what he performed as doing it by Divine commission Where again we may be the way further observe that this restriction here of the Apostle Paul's which he does fasten upon others in reference to himself is not so much to the manner of his Preaching as rather to the matter it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There are divers Improvements and Modifications of the same Truth acccording to the various Gifts and Abilities which God communicates to his servants some in one kind and some in another Ye shall have some kind of persons who would confine all kind of Preachers to one and the same kind of way and method of Preaching This is a business which is not to be expected neither does the Apostle urge it in this Scripture but in the allowing to every one that gift and manner of Preaching which is most agreeable to himself so it be grave and sober and proper and becoming the Majesty of the Gospel he does limit them only for matter to the Doctrine of the Scripture that there be nothing delivered but what does consist with that and which either directly or by consequent is to be found in it Upon this account there are two sorts of Persons which seem to be cashiered by St. Paul as to this matter of Preaching the one is Papists with their unwritten Traditions the other is Enthusiasts with their new Discoveries and Revelations forasmuch as either of these do preach besides that which hath been preacht by Paul an the rest of the Apostles they seem hereby to be condemned First Papists with their unwritten Traditions The Church of Rome besides that which is commended to us in the Holy Scriptures would impose upon us to be believed by us and that as necessary also to Salvation what they call unwritten Verities and do equal their own Cabala to the Bible and Book of God it self Credunt sine Scripturis ut credant adversus Scripturas Tert. p. 207. Now we see here what to think of them by what is here said by the Apostle Paul If either we or an angel preach besides c. There 's nothing now which is to be preached or entertained besides the Scripture And Tertullian's rule holds good Non credimus quia non legimus We believe it not because we read it not Read it not where namely in the Scripture and written Word of God And St. Ambrose to the like purpose in his first Book de fide ad Gratianum Scripturas interrogemus interrogemus Apostolos interrogemus Prophetas c. I would not says he that ye should so much relye upon us and our argument let us ask the Scriptures let us ask the Apostles let us ask the Prophets yea let us ask Christ himself speaking in them resolving all into the Word of God Secondly Enthusiasis with their new Discoveries and Revelations they seem hereby also to be excluded If nothing may now be preached besides that which hath been already delivered by St. Paul and the rest of the Apostles then certainly there can now be no new Article of Faith in Religion obtruded upon us I say no new Article of Faith nor any such point as is necessary to be believed upon the Terms of Salvation there 's no room for such things as these as may appear by St. Paul's Anathema here in the Text. Indeed we do not deny but there may be and daily are new clearings and explications and enlargements of those former Truths which have been taught and received in former times and so new light subjectivè but not any new Truth it self which has not already been made known to the Church and so new light objectivè or in Propositions There may be discoveries of new Truths in Philosophy but not in Religion and in Divinity as to some Points which are purely Speculative Theological but not which are Fundamental and Practical no the Gospel it is Aeternum Evangelium it is the Everlasting Gospel as it is called Rev. 14.6 From whence there is to be no substraction and unto which there is to be no Accumulation The once thinking of this since the consignation and sealing up of the Canon has been exploded in all times of the Church Mos iste semper in Ecclesiâ viguit says Vincentius Lyrinensis ut quo quisque foret Religiosior eo promptius novellis adinventionibus conrairet This has always been the custom and fashion in the Church of God that by how much any one hath been more Religious than others by so much the more readily hath he set himself against any strange and novel inventions Thus he a learned and ancient Writer which he does illustrate by divers examples And again to the same purpose Nove dicendum sed non nova We may speak in a new manner but not new things And he sets it forth by a very lively and elegant comparison Imitetur animarum Religio rationem corporum quae licet annorum processu numeros suas evolvant expleant eadem tamen quae erant permanent Let the Religion of the Soul herein imitate the condition of the Body which though in process of time it does extend it self to a greater magnitude and fulness yet for the subtance
which accordingly may be appliedby us to this present Verse here before us which is the Sum as it were and Reversion of that which went before and has been hitherto handled by us Wherein the Apostles going over the same thing once again was not frivolous or superfluous in him but to very good purpose There are three things especially which are pertinently considerable in it First His confidence and firm perswasion of the Truth which he had taught and delivered It is a sign he was no Sceptick in his Religion nor yet in his Ministry but was well assured of that which he both belived and imbraced himself as also preacht and commended to others Those things whichmen are doubtful of they think it is enough to speak but once and hardly that It sticks for the most part in their teeth and comes difficultly from them they do but whisper it or lisp it out as well as they can but where they are certain here they are more free and bold in the uttering of it And so it was here with St. Paul he was confident and therefore he stuck not again to repeat it And we see from hence what it becomes every one else to be upon the like occasion Those which are Preachers and Teachers of others they had need to be well assured of the Truth of that which they preach and vent in their Ministry not to speak things at random or at a venture they care not how but deliberately and upon grounds of confidence First Because they deal in matters of great importance and the highest concernment As it is in the affairs of the world where men speak upon life and death they had need to be sure what they speak forasmuch as otherwise their miscarriage will be such as is irrecoverable Even so it is likewise in these spiritual matters and the subjects of the Ministerial Dispensations because they are such as concern mens souls and their well or ill being to all eternity therefore we had need so much the rather to take heed what we say To say no more than we are able to prove and make good if we should be questioned about it especially if we shall add the threatnings which they join with it as here Let him be accurst He that curses another for not being of his opinion had need to be sure of that opinion Secondly Because there are many more whose judgments do depend upon it If a Minister or Preacher mistake many others mistake with him It is not a single miscarriage but a multiplied for which cause it concerns him to have good ground for that which comes from him For if the blind lead the blind they shall loth fall into the ditch as our Saviour himself has told us Thirdly For the better inforcing of the Truth and Doctrine it self The confidence of the Preacher stirs up belief in the Hearer and makes him so much the more ready to assent to the things which are propounded As we see Agrippa to Paul Almost thou perswadest me to be a Christian Perswaded him how did he so namely from that confidence and resolution which he did discern to be in him Whereas now on the other side as he that asks coldly we use to say teaches to deny so he that teaches coldly he does in like manner teach to mistrust and makes men to call in question the truth of that which is taught by him This the Apostle Paul here in this Scripture did not do but the contrary by that confidence which he exprest in himself Indeed this Point which we are now upon it both may be and often s abused by some kind of persons for we shall find by daily experience that there are none which are more confident than those which are most ignorant Truth it is for the most part modest and ready to suspect it self whereas error is bold and dark There are some kind of people in the world which are as stiff and resolute and peremptory in the assents of their private fancies and the imaginations of their own brain as if they were Divine Oracles and the very Articles of Faith it self neither Paul nor an Angel from Heaven could take them off from them The Devil the God of this world does two things with them first blinds their eyes from seeing the truth and their ears from hearing the errors and mistakes about it But what shall we now commend or imitate such a confidence as this no in no hand at all Neither is this that which was here observable in the Apostle this confidence of his it was of another strain and tincture which was in it It was not a confidence of presumption but a confidence of well grounded knowledg It was not a confidence of fancy or conceit but a confidence of assurance He knew and understood what he said and because he did so was therefore confident about it He that heareth speaketh constantly Prov. 21.28 And this Confidence is such as is commendable in any other besides when first of all we labour to be satisfied and well-grounded in the Truths of Religion and then keep our selves to them and stand stiffly and resolutely upon them in this case we should not cast away our Confidence which hath great recompence of reward as it is Heb. 10.35 Whether private Christians or Ministers private Christians as concerns the imbracing of the Truth and Ministers as concerns the spreading of it we should both of us so order our selves in this business as that nothing may be able to unsettle us or divert us from that which we have undertaken or discourage us in the prosecution of it For though some as I said are confident causelesly yet it is not so therefore with all There is a great deal of difference in reality between a presumptuous confidence and a rational as between one which is asleep and which is awake Both persons seem alike assured but in the thing there 's a wide distance betwixt them even so it is here But that 's the first Particular here considerable namely the Apostles confidence he was well perswaded of what he delivered The second is the Apostles zeal in the cause and truth of Christ There was a great deal of earnestness which was here exprest by him not only in the expression which he used in the simple Proposition Though we or an angel from heaven mentioned in the eighth verse but also in the additional repetition of it here again in the ninth verse What we said before c. that which men often speak of and repeat their affection is much in it and that which mens affection is much in they can never have done with it and so it was here with this blessed Apostle and holy man of God his heart it was very much raised and transported now in him when he considered how the Truth of God was now in danger to be impair'd on the one side and when he considered how the people of God were now in danger
general and ordinary dispensation And especially be careful not to improve them to security and presumption and sinning so much the more as God does any thing spare thee and forbear to proceed against thee for this will increase thy guilt so much the more and make more for thy condemnation This sinning upon mercy received as it is laid here in the Text has a double iniquity in it First As it is a trespass against God in despising of his goodness And secondly as it is a trespass against our selves in the neglecting of our own salvation so far forth as it is a neglect of repentance in the mean which tend unto it and so in either respects is to be shun'd and avoided by us And this for our own particulars Now secondly also in reference to the Community as we are parts and members of that the Exhortation will prove very seasonable and pertinent here likewise that we despise not the riches of Gods goodness and forbearance and long-suffering but know that this goodness of his it does lead us and invite us to repentance and that in all relations and capacities in which we are considerable This Nation this City this Company this Parish and Congregation I might very well enlarge it and carry it down to all these Particulars and the rather out of the particular interest which my self hath in them all I might I say improve this admonition to each of these and shew you the engagements which we all have from the goodness of God But I will especially at this time insist upon the two first an commend them to your serious consideration and so conclude And that is this Nation and this City England and London in England it lyes upon us more especially For the Nation first what great things has God been pleased to do for us in all times and ages of the world from one generation to another As Moses sometime of the Israelites What Nation is there so great who heath God so nigh unto them as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for How wonderfully hath God bestirred himself for our Deliverance and Preservation from time to time How many blessings in all kinds have we partaked of from him And how to this very day have we a sense of his miraculous Love and Providence over us in that Peace which at present we enjoy even to admiration From the Nation in general come down to the City in particular and look upon that and tell me what one under Heaven has the like mercies that we enjoy and that in all sorts and varieties whether Spiritual or Temporal For Temporal let me mind you of one amongst the rest which can never be sufficiently minded and laid to heart and that is the abundance of Health which is continued still amongst us notwithstanding the multitude of Inhabitants that increase upon us that whereas in former times that sad Plague of the Pestilence was ever and anon almost breaking in upon us of late we have not known what it meant but have been wonderously preserved from it And for Spiritual mercies how many and great here How much of the Gospel and Word and Ordinances above all other places Now what does all this speak unto us What to be so much the more secure and hardened and presumptuous and full of provocations to be so much the more peccant as God is any thing indulgent and favourable to us Oh no take heed of that by all means but rather be more watchful and careful and fruitful than ever we have been before to repent of those sad abominations which are every where amongst us and to eject them and cast them out from us As Bradford that Holy Martyr when he was imbracing the Stake and fire Repent O England and London Repent repent This is that which we should do ad this is that which we are called upon to do from these Divine Dispensations and which also we are admonisht to do from this present Scripture Not to despise the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance SERMON XXXVIII Rom. 6.21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed for the end of those things is death There 's nothing more useful and necessary for Christians after conversion than sometimes to be put in mind of their condition before conversion and to be compared in what they are with what they have been And it is useful to divers purposes and effects First to make them more humble in the reflexion upon their former miscarriages Secondly to make them more thankful in the consideration of that blessed change which God has graciously wrought in them Thirdly to make them more fearful and careful and wary in themselves of returning back again to that condition in which they were on at least of doing any thing which might be suitable and agreeable thereunto For these and the like Considerations and especially the last which I have named does the Apostle Paul here in this Scripture and Text which I have now read unto you apply himself after this manner to these faithful and believing Romans to whom he here writes wherein he does expostulate with them about the vanity and misery and unsatisfactoriness of their former courses whiles they remained in their estate by nature and before the time of their conversion to Christ What fruit had ye c. IN this present Verse before us the Apostle Paul lays down unto us the inconvenience of the ways of sin which he does in these Particulars First In their unprofitableness What fruit had ye then Secondly In their Dishonourableness Whereof ye are now ashamed And thirdly in their perniciousness For the end of those things is death There are three things which men commonly most look after their profit and their honour and their ease and pleasure and safety now sin it disappoints them in them all Here 's sin in all the periods of time and still with a disadvantage upon it for time past for time present and for time to come For time past there 's damage and loss no fruit for time present there 's a blot and disgrace now ashamed and for time to come there 's destruction the end of those things death We 'l begin in order with the first viz. Sin in its unprofitableness for time past What fruit had ye then The Apostle here appeals to these Romans themselves for their own particular as such persons which were now able to speak out of experience they had been some of them before their conversion great and notorious sinners and had walked in the ways of vanity and ungodliness with a great deal of liberty and freedom of mind now since that they were brought home to God he bids them speak what great profit or benefit or advantage they got by those ways It is a kind of triumphing and insulting expression wherein knowing he was
are upon them those which are subject to very much hazard they had need to take very much heed Now this is the case of Christians especially according to the times in which they may live as it was the reason here intimated by St. John in this very Scripture who having in the verse before said That there were many deceivers entred into the world adds presently Look to your selves as a Caution very fitly consequent upon that intimation where there are cheaters and cut-purses in the croud people had need to look to their pockets and so it 's here There are many deceivers and seducers and false-teachers which are gone abroad labouring to corrupt men and to divert them from the Truth of Christ and therefore they have great need to beware Secondly As there are assaults upon them so themselves without better heed are too apt to be overtaken with them There is not more deceitfulness and malice in Satan and his instruments than there is likewise naturally in our own hearts to yield and comply with them therefore we had need to look to our selves As it is in matter of the body where people are more apt to take such infection or contagion in them they conceive it does more concern them to be more heedful and regardful of their health even so 't is here We are ready ever and anon to comply with every evil suggestion and temptation which is administred unto us we are like dry tinder to these sparks which are struck upon us which is the difference betwixt us and Christ Our blessed Saviour he was tempted as well as we but it could do him no hurt because he had nothing within to comply with those Temptations but we have a corrupt party within our selves and our own hearts which does joyn issue with Satan and his instruments to overthrow us which calls for our greater Caution Therefore we shall still find in Scripture these expressions promiscuously used to look to our Enemies and Seducers and to look to our selves the one in regard of their craftiness and industry to beguile us and the other in regard of our proneness and facility to be beguiled by them And then Thirdly Add also hereunto the grievousness of the miscarriage which we shall hear of more afterwards in the sequel of the Text and the great loss which we sustain by neglect every one conceives himself to be bound to take heed there where heedlesness will be in any great measure pernicious and disadvantagious to him where mens estates or their lives lye upon it they think it stands them in hand there to be regardful Now such is the condition of Christians if they fail in this particular it is as much as is afterwards implied as Heaven it self and their salvation comes to as much as all that they have done hitherto in the whole course of their lives before and as much as that reward which they make account hereafter to partake of in another world All this laid together serves to quicken us and provoke us in this business to think such words as these are not needless and superfluous to us as we are sometimes ready to think but to suffer them and to suffer our selves to be wrought upon by them and to acknowledg the good-will of them that inculcate them upon us Look to your selves But further We may take this also Emphatically Look to your selves as committing them now in a special manner to their own custody and watchfulness as who was at this present absent from them It is not to be taken Exclusively as if he himself meant no more to look after them but eminently and with special signification This is that which people answerably are to do not to lay all upon their Teachers but in a good measure to look to themselves and to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling Where they have had the seasonable Counsels and Exhortations and Admonitions of their Ministers going before it concerns them now afterwards to improve them to their own best spiritual advantage The Apostle John does in this case with these Believers as some Physician would do with his Patient who when he has done all for him that belongs to him and lyes in his power bids him now to beware and take care of his own health and to look to himself and accordingly it behoves all Christians so to do And that for this reason especially forasmuch as they may not always have other helps near unto them It becomes us so to live in the use of all spiritual means which God does afford unto us for the good of our souls as that if God should in his Providence at least for such a time restrain them and deprive us of them yet we might not be wholly at a loss or to seek what to do but might subsist in the strength of that which we have already received This is that which St. John here counsels the Elect Lady and her Children to do and we should follow the like Example Sine cortice nare c. not always to be babes and children but able to go alone of themselves This Caution here of the Apostle was not as I hinted even now a word of negligence but rather of prudent forecast for them Indeed there are some kind of Teachers who are ready now and then to say it thus Look to your selves for you are likely to have no looking to by us but St. John does not so intend it He had done his part already with them all the time before and now does but provoke them to make good use of what they heard already from him and to put those his Doctrines into practise There may such times fall out when either Ministers may be removed from their people or people kept from their Ministers and then must every one suo succo vivere live by somewhat within himself And therefore they should so other themselves that it may be thus with them The better we improve such helps as these whiles we injoy them the better shall we be able to subsist in the deprival of them And yet we may not think as if St. John did altogether remit his care of them even now at present for as he had instructed them formerly so he does still retain his affection to them and watchfulness of them even at this distance As the Mother when she bids the child to look to it self as if she took not care of it yet notwithstanding she secretly holds it up and keeps it from falling so did this Blessed Apostle with this Elect Lady and her family He was mindful and regardful of them by his prayers for them inquiry after them counsel and good advice upon occasion sent unto them even now in his absence from them And this Expression it was not so much for the warranting of neglect in himself as rather for the preventing of it in them that they might not be guilty of their own miscarriage I might
were all their life-time subject to bondage Heb. 2.14 15. And then likewise that he might sanctifie Death to all Believers and take away the sting and curse of it That 's one thing which is here intimated to us That Christ was amongst the dead The second is That he rose again from the dead he was begotten among the dead that is he was raised from death to life And this the Scripture also mentions in sundry places to be profitable and beneficial to us both in point of justification and in point of sanctification likewise The former we have in Rom. 4.25 where it is said expresly That he rose again for our justification And the latter we have in Rom. 6.4 where it is said That Christ was therefore raised from the dead by the glory of the Father that so we might walk in newness of life The third and last Point and which comes more home to the Text is That Christ was the first-begotten of the dead Thus he is call'd here in this place and also in some other Scriptures as in Col. 1.18 He is said to be the beginning and the first-born from the dead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This he is said to be according to a twofold Explication First In regard of order And secondly In regard of influence In regard of order as being himself the first in the resurrection In regard of influence as being operative and efficacious in our rising again First I say Christ was said to be the first-begotten of the dead in point of order as being first in the glorious Resurrection Therefore he is call'd in another place the first-fruits of them â—â—â—t sleep 1 Cor. 15.20 Christ is before any other in this particular And this again in a twofold respect First As to the principle of his Resurrection And secondly as to the terms of it For the principle first In that he alone rose by his own proper virtue and power others they rose from the dead but they were raised by the Power of Christ Christ he rose purely of himself Thus Joh. 2.19 Destroy this Temple and I will in three days raise it up he spoke of the temple of his body And so Joh. 10.18 I have power to lay down my life and I have power to take it again This was the Power of his Divine Nature which from hence did manifest it in him And therefore in Rom. 1.4 he was said to be declared to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead Secondly As from the Principle of his Resurrection so likewise from the Terms of it Christ was the first that rose from Death to Life eternal and so to Glory Though Lazarus and some others rose from the dead before Christ yet they rose from natural death to natural life and so as to dye again but Christ so rose as never more to dye Rom. 6.9 Christ being raised from the dead dyeth no more death hath no more dominion over him c. Thus now Christ is the first-begotten of the dead in point of order which is the first Explication The second is in point of influence so far forth as Christ's Resurrection was operative and efficacious to ours as indeed it was Christ's rising again from the dead is a cause of rising again to all his Members who rose in reference to him by way of Merit by way of Efficiency and by way of Pattern or Example Again which we may refer hereunto he is said to be the first-begotten of the dead in regard of that authority which he has over the dead obtained by his rising again We knew amongst the Jews he that was the first-born and eldest in the Family he had many priviledges and preheminences above his brethren as Lordship right of the Priesthood a double portion c. even so has Christ the like priviledg over those whom he is pleased to call his brethren And so the Apostle himself sets it That in all things he might have the preheminence But more expresly in Rom. 14.9 To this end Christ both dyed and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of dead and living Which he is therefore said to be because in his rising again he entred into the possession and exercise of that Lordship which he had purchased over us and which did now of right give this Denomination unto him Christ was Lord of us before he rose again as he was also before he dyed and in dying it self but his Resurrection put him into the actual possession of this Lordship and was a fuller and clearer discovery and manifestation of it This is a Point of singular comfort and encouragement to God's Children and that especially against the fear of Death and the horror of the Grave wherein notwithstanding they belong to him as the head of them God is in this sense not only the God of the living but of the dead and Christ is likewise their elder Brother and as the first-begotten amongst them There is an inseparable and perpetual Union betwixt Christ and every Believer and that not only in regard of their souls but also of their bodies which as they are the Temples of the Holy Ghost so they are likewise the Members of Christ as it is in 1 Cor. 6.15 And God has made a gracious Covenant with them likewise in Christ to be their God even for ever and ever and in death it self which they shall at last be also raised up from upon the account of Christs Resurrection as it is in 1 Pet. 1.3 4. He hath begotten us again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you And so I have done also with the second General Part of the Text which is the description of Christ taken from his Office of Priesthood in those words The first-begotten of the dead The third and last is from his Regal or Kingly Office And the Prince of the Kings of the earth Christ is not only a Prophet and a Priest but likewise a King Act. 5.31 The God of our Fathers hath raised up Jesus c. and exalted him to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins not only a Saviour but likewise a Prince yea a Prince of all Princes as he is here and elsewhere called Thus 1 Tim. 6.15 Who is the blessed and only Potentate the King of kings and Lord of lords who only hath immortality c. And so Rev. 19.16 He hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written King of kings and Lord of lords This Christ is said to be upon a twofold Consideration First In reference to his Nature Secondly in reference to his Office For his Nature first of all as he is God so together with the other two persons in the Sacred Trinity hath he justly this Title put upon him as being the Maker
or longings after it such as these they do shew themselves to be very far from spiritual thirst which is here offered unto us Thirst it is a desire with some earnestness and vehemency and unsatiableness which is in it as David Oh that one would give me of the water of Bethlehem to drink when he longed for it And Sampson though otherwise a strong man he was ready to die and perish for thirst even so is there likewise the same proportionable impetuousness in Grace as that nothing will satisfie it but a greater measure and degree of it self and of Christ himself who is the giver of it As the Hart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God My soul thirsteth for God for the living God O when shall I come and appear before God Psal 42.1 2. And so Psal 63.1 My soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is Where thirsting is explain'd by longing as pertinent to it And so I have done also with the second General part of the Text which is the Invitation of access or seasonable Application in these words And let him that is athirst come The third and last is the Intimation of acceptance or grateful entertainment in those And whosoever will let him take the water of life freely Wherein again we have three Branches more First The benefit mentioned and that is the water of life Secondly The persons to whom this benefit is offered and that is whosoever will Thirdly The offer it self let him take of it freely For the first The benefit here mentioned it is the water of life whereby we are in a word to understand the Grace of Christ according to the full latitude and extent of it whether the Grace of Justification in the pardon and forgiveness of sin or the Grace of Sanctification in the purging and washing away of sin or the Grace of Assurance in the comfort and peace of conscience either of these are implied in this expression which we have here before us and indeed all together This water of life it is the Grace of Christ with all the appurtenances that belong unto it and means that make way for it and effects which are consequent of it It is Grace and Glory both Grace as it tends to Glory and Glory as it follows upon Grace The gift of God is eternal life both in the end and in the means and this is the water of life which is here offered and propounded unto us for our receiving of it Thus it is if we take it generally and at large But if we take it more particularly and as limited and restrained so the Scripture it self is herein its own best interpreter as we have it plainly declared unto us in Joh. 7.38 39. He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water This says St. John he spake of the spirit which they that believe on him should receive For the Holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified So then according to this reckoning the water of life should be nothing else but the Spirit of God in the Gifts and Graces of it which indeed not excluding the other is that which is here chiefly and principally to be understood by us That reconciliation which is purchased by Christ but received and applied by Faith which is a fruit and work of the Spirit and Holy Ghost in us as all other Graces are besides and so fitly and properly exprest by living water There are two words in this Metaphor to be observed and taken notice of by us the Principal and the Accessary the Principal that is water the accessary that is the water of life and the Grace of Christ it holds its resemblance and correspondency to both First It has a resemblance to water and accordingly is compared hereunto both in this Text and other places of Scripture in regard of that Analogy and proportion which it bears thereunto in sundry particulars Look what water is as to the necessities and supplies of our humane and natural life the same is the Grace of Christ as to our Divine and Spiritual We may take it in these following instances as a taste of the rest First For purifying and cleansing Water it is eminent for that and so is the Grace of Christ for the taking away of the several spots and defilements and pollutions of sin Thus Eph. 5.25 26. it is said of Christ that he gave himself for his Church that he might sanctifie it and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word So Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with a pure heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water The Grace of Christ is a spiritual Bath wherein the whole man of a Christian both outward and inward is purified and cleansed Secondly For cooling and refrigeration and quenching of thirst it is compared to water for that likewise This Grace of Christ as abating the heat of lust and allaying the terrors of conscience and extinguishing of the fiery darts of the devil as the Apostle calls them Thirdly For increase and fructification Water it makes plants to grow and flourish and sprout up and so does the Grace of God such persons as are endued with it They shall grow as the Lilly and cast forth their roots as Lebanon their branches shall spread and their beauty shall be as the Olive-tree and their smell as Lebanon as it s in Hos 14.5 Fourthly and lastly Grace is compared to water in its manner of operation as namely that it so runs as that it is always joyn'd unto its Principle Sic fluit ut semper sit conjunct a suo principio It is an Observation upon it out of Austin and so Grace in a Christian it so flows as that it always knits and conjoyns him to Christ Of his fulness we all receive and grace for grace as the Evangelist has it John 1.16 And then the ascent of it is answerable to the descent of it even so is it likewise with Grace which as it first of all comes from God so it carries us up again to him That 's the first part of this resemblance as Grace is compared to water for the Principal The second is as it is compared to the water of life for the accessary and the advancement of it Thus it is frequently call'd in Scripture living water 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This it is by way of Eminency as that which does tend to life in the scope and drift of it as also does end in life as the effect and that which follows upon it Indeed every thing which belongs to salvation it is usually in Scripture exprest and fet forth by life The word of life and the bread of life and the crown of life c. And so here now the
beginning and have nothing to do with it And so much may be spoken of the first Particular which is considerable in this Passage to wit the Speech it self Thou wilt not require it that is thou wilt not regard it thou wilt not revenge it The Second is the way or manner of uttering it and that is in these words In his Heart It is not said he hath said it with his mouth that perhaps he had not done There are many who perhaps will not do that it may be as thinking every one would be ready to cry out upon them for it to abominate them and detest them and defy them but in his heart so he has said is The Fool hath said in his heart there is no God Psal 14.1 And so here in this place This is that which is considerable and worth the taking notice of by us and there are divers things in it First His Corrupt Judgment it was a speech which his Inward Principles led him and carryed him unto His Atheism had got ground upon his understanding and tainted that men which Sin upon Judgment are a great deal worse then they which Sin upon Passion Because they go upon such a principle as does seem to justify Sin in them and so it does expose them to a renewing of it again and again And he that 's an Atheist speculatively he is ready for all kind of Sins whatsoever to be committed by him because his mind and Judgment is defiled Therefore this shews us by the way what reason we have to look to this to keep our Judgement especially right and sound in us that it be not tainted or Corrupted Because they have a stroke and influence upon the whole course and frame of our lives as to consent thereunto Secondly Here 's his Corrupt Affection also He hath said in his heart that is he hath said with his heart said it heartily and as one who was well pleased and contented that it should be so He wonderfully satisfied himself in the reflexions of it to think that for all his Wickedness God would not regard him nor search into him for it His own heart was very much in it and for it that thus it should fare with him Thirdly Here 's his vain Meditation The Contemplative part in him was also irregular and may come under the notion of his heart Likewise men are not onely what they judge and assent too but also what they muse and plod on which they study and which takes up their thoughts And thus do Athesticall Persons think upon Athestical Conclusions as it is implyed amongst the rest here in this present Text while it is said that they speak thus in their hearts Lastly Here 's his Abominable Dissimulation which is to be supposed and taken in with the rest He hath said it in his Heart as limited and confined to that with his mouth as I said before perhaps he durst not say so nay perhaps might say the quite contrary He might possitively declare it to be otherwise to other men profess otherwise in his word but yet in his heart this was his Language which did not agree with his outward Expressions of Himself and so did discover that falshood and Hypocrisie which was in his Heart as an Aggravavation of wickedness in Him All these several particulars may be intended and intimated to us in this Expression Upon the whole there is this by the way in General which may be observed by us How that the Lord takes notice not onely of mens words but of their thoughts not onely of what they say in their mouthes but what they say in their hearts Thus he does here in this Text and in other places concerning wicked men Therefore we sometimes meet with such expressions as these Thou hast said in thy heart thus and thus For God he both knows the heart and also mindes the heart It is such as he is able to discern and it is such also as is of consequence with Him being discerned by him He does judge and esteem of men accordingly whereby he is very much differenced and distinguish't from men in their proceedings As for men they can onely hear the tongue and judge of men by what comes from their mouthes But for God He has an ear in the heart and listens to what comes from that whereby he will also judge men at another day as well as by their words and will call them to an account for them Therefore it teaches us accordingly to have special heed and regard hereunto There are many who are ready sometimes to think with themselves as if thoughts were free and so as they restrain'd their lips they might say in their hearts what they pleased No but they may not do so for that even the thought of foolishness is sin as Solomon tells us and a Blasphemers heart is accountable for as it is intimated to us here in this Scripture I say a Blasphemers heart that is a mind both conceiving Blaphemy and also choosing and complying with it which must be taken in by us for the right understanding of this point that so we may distinguish betwixt a Blasphemous Proposition which is barely represented to the mind or forced upon the fancy and that which is wrought out of the soul and asserted by the Judgement and Understanding The former whereof is not Blaphemy no more then the bare hearing of a Blasphemous speech is so to be counted The latter is those unworthy apprehensions of God which are assented unto by the mind and imbraced and closed withal in the heart they have the very reality and formality of Blasphemy in them And such is this here in the Text of a wicked person That sayes in his heart God will not require his wickedness And thus much may be spoken of this Passage and second Part of the Text as it is considered Absolutely or as it lies in it self He hath said in his heart thou wilt not require it Now further Secondly we may look upon it Relatively and in connexion with that which went before Where as I said it hath a twofold notion with it either of a proof or of an account of a proof that it was so or of an account why it was so David here proves that the wicked do contemn God because he sayes in his heart Thou c. or Secondly David here shewes why the wicked contemn God Because namely as he imagines he will not require it First Look upon it as a Proof and Demonstration that it was It is plain sayes David from hence that wicked men do contemn God hence they joy in their hearts that he will not reckon with them for their wickedness And so there is this in it That misappprehension of the wayes of God is a contempt of the Majesty of God To think that God will spare and indulge and let alone wicked men in their wickedness so as never to call them to any reckoning or account for it
it does redound to a special slighting and despising of God himself which is contained and included in it This is the point now before us Therefore those that do so are in Scripture call'd emphatically Despisers Act. 13.4 Behold ye Despisers and wonder and perish For I will work a work in your dayes c. First They despise God in his wisdom They contemn him there whosoever they be that think thus of him Because it is not agreeable to his wisdom so to do If God should absolutely spare men in their sins and never reckon with them for them neither here nor in another place he would very much suffer in this and they do as good as charge him with it who are so opinionated of him We see how it is amongst men They think it not a part of wisdom in them to suffer others to injure them and wrong them and provoke them and yet say nothing to them And how then can the onely wise God even do this as some would fancy him to do Must they needs call in question His wisdom and as it were slight him as destitute of it who are so perswaded yes out of question they must and what greater argument of contemning or despising can there be then that To question any in point of wisdom is the highest slighting and contemning that may be Now thus in effect to do all such persons in reference to God who say or think that he will not punish sin Secondly It is a despising of him in his Justice which is another Attribute very eminent in Him and which he does very much set by He is of purer Eyes then to behold Iniquity as the Prophet Habakkuk speaks neither can he look upon Evil namely with any allowance or approbation of it God has ordained wicked men for Judgment and he hath Established them for Correction Hab. 1.11.12 Again as the Prophet David speaks He is not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness neither shall Evil dwell with him The foolish shall not stand in his sight he hateth all workers of Iniquity c. Psal 5.45 Now those that think Him indulgent to Sin they contemn him thus Thirdly It is a desposing of Him in his Truth it is a giving of God the Lye as we may so express it and that as I said before to his very face It is a saying of the very direct Contrary to that which is said by Him For he says I will require it and they say thou wilt not require it If we look into the book of God we shall find there how God has absolutely declared his mind against Sin He hath said that he will not acquit the wicked nor hold them guiltless but that he will certainly punish them and be avenged upon them and to the like effect now for them therefore to think or declare the contrary is a manifest contempt of him in this Lastly It touches also upon his Power and Vniversal Providence as if he sat idle in Heaven and took no notice of any thing or if he did yet were unable to do and act accordingly Thou wilt not require it is as much almost in effect as thou canst not require it according to the Apprehensions which men have in their uttering of such speeches And verily sometimes men have in their Hearts such thoughts as these though they do not express them That they carry their wickedness so closely as God cannot reveal it And that they carry their Wickedness so strangely as God cannot revenge it But these are high undervaluings of God in the ways of his Power and Providences Therefore it should teach us by all means to beware of them and to take heed that we be not found in them as we desire to be free from this charge of contemning of God which is a business of the highest aggravation It is somewhat and too much not to Love him not to honour him not to obey him not to fear him not to stand in awe of him all which he deserves at our hands But on the other side to be so far from this as moreover to slight him and despise him and contemn him this is odious and abominable and intollerable and not to be indured the highest guilt and imputation that can be Therefore Behold ye dispisers and wonder and perish as it is in the place before cited That 's the first notion of this passage consider'd Relatively as it carries with it the force of a Proof Demonstrating wicked men to contemn God because they thus speak in their hearts The Second is the notion of an Account or Reason given for their contemning of God whence it comes to pass that they are so bold and presumptuous And that we have signified in this because they say in their hearts That God will not require this scorn and contempt of them nor punish them for it We see here that wicked men have some reason for that which they do such as it is but it is very pittiful and such as will not hold water when it comes to the tryal It is not right reason but corrupted and perverted in them Vnreasonable reason and such as is contrary to the dictates of a well order'd and regulated understanding This is the reason whereupon they contemn God because they think with themselves that he will not require it so that their wickedness is in plain terms founded upon God's supposed goodness and kindness and abuse of this goodness which is in him a turning of his Grace into wantonness and a sinning so much the rather because though falsely apprehended and in their sense Grace does abound This is the true account of it which most men make so bold with Sin because they are secure as to Punishment They think that God will not require it and therefore they contemn him And they therefore contemn him because at least for the present he does not do so He for the present does it not and they think that he will not do it at all and this makes them to be so Impudent and presumptuous in Sinning as they are Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily therefore the hearts of the Sons of men are fully set in them to do Evil as the Preacher tells us in Eccle. 8.11 And yet here in the Text it is not so much as that It is not because thou dost not require it But because the sinner hath said in his heart that thou wilt not so upon the Point it is not Gods Indulgence but his Fancy it is not because God will not require it but because he thinks and says that he will not Where we see how Corrupt Principles are fruitful in Corrupt Carriages And Sinester Apprehensions are productive of Scandalous Conversations here 's the true and perfect Account of all Miscarriages in men's Lives He hath said in his Heart thou wilt not require it God winks at them for the present and therefore they cannot Imagine that he will sparem
v. 7. If I depart I will send him unto you The Holy Ghost is the Proxy of Christ that serves to bear his Bride company in the absence of Christ himself from her And he does carefully perform this office of respect unto her It was he that made her next to God Here 's the Spirit and the Bride both together And that 's the first particular in which he is here considerable of us to wit in the notion of his Presence or Personal Concomitancy The second is in the notion of Influence or operative concomitancy As it is the Spirit join'd with the Bride so it is the Spirit that is assistant unto her and what she does she does by his helping and enabling of her This is another thing here considerable of us it is the Spirit and Bride that say Come that is which make this particular request for the hastening of Christ second appearance And so there is this in general observable from it That the prayers of Gods people they are the workings of the Holy Ghost himself in them The voice of the Spouse it is all one with the voice of the Spirit they are not two voices but one and accordingly they are here in the Text join'd in one and put in a copulative expression It it not said the Spirit says come by himself and the Bride says come by her self No but the Spirit and the Bride say come both together as having the speech or action of the one transfer'd to the other We are the subjects of those actions which God himself works in us Certum est nos velle sed Deus facit ut velimus Certum est nos facere sed Deus facit ut faciamus says Austin We will but God makes us to will we do but God makes us to do And so we pray but the Spirit enables us to do so the spirit helps our infirmities Therefore we read of praying in the spirit Ephes 6.18 and of praying in the Holy Ghost Jude 20. And of the spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father in Rom. 8.15 and Heb. 4.6 c. this is called the intercession of the spirit In Rom. 8.26 27. The spirit helpeth our infirmities for we know not what to pray for as we ought but the spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered And he that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the mind of the spirit because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God c. There are two things which the Holy Ghost does for us to this purpose the one is the suggesting of the matter of our petitions by teaching us what to ask and to beg of God in prayer And the other the stirring up of holy desires and affections in us and giving us an holy boldness and confidence at the Throne of Grace and perswading us of our acceptance with God in the name of Christ He makes intercession for us by making intercession in us and helping us to make intercession The Consideration of this Point makes much for the comfort of Believers in regard of the success of their Prayers Therefore they are sure to be granted at one time or other because they are the workings and operations of the Holy Ghost himself in them whereby they are also distinguish't from the Petitions of other persons As for natural and carnal men they may sometimes cry to God out of the Dictates and suggestions of Nature or out of the Principles of custom and formality but the Holy Ghost has little influence upon them in such Applications and accordingly they cannot expect so confidently to be heard in them or to find any such benefit by them but the Prayers of the faithful being wrought in them by the Holy Ghost that does prompt them and put them upon them and help them and assist them in them they are therefore sure accordingly to have an efficacy and successfulness with them because God will be sure to hear the voice of his own Spirit and it is not so much they that speak as his Spirit that speaketh in them Where Christians pray as they should do and observe the right rules of Prayer which the Scripture does prescribe unto them their Prayers shall be followed with a blessing and good effect of them This is the confidence says the Apostle that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us and if we know that he heareth us whatsoever we ask we know that we have the petitions that we have desired of him in 1 Joh. 5.14 15. From hence also we learn to take heed of slighting such things as these are and of diminishing from them we should not think them to be of no value and to little purpose as some are ready to do But to set a price and valuation upon them there is more in the hearty prayer of the poorest and meanest Christian in the Church than the world is commonly aware of as being such as has very great Prevalence with God himself to whom it is tender'd But so much of the first of those persons which is here mentioned in the Text and that is the spirit considered both under the notion of his Presence as joyned with the Bride as also under the notion of his influence as being assistant unto her The second person is the Bride her self as she is here exprest and exhibited unto us By this title as I said we are to understand either the whole Church of Christ in General or every distinct Believer and Member of Christ in particular And according to either Consideration or Application of it it hath a twofold notion with it either of Eminency or of Diminution This word Bride as it lies before us in the Text is both a word of Excellency and a word of Extenuation It is a word of Excellency as it stands in opposition to Adultery and strange affection It is the Bride not the Whore It is a word of Extenuation as it stands in a distinction from Matrimony and compleat marriage It is the Bride not the Wife First I say The Church is here call'd the Bride as it is a title of Excellency and stands in opposition to adultery and strange affection It is the Bride not the Whore The false Church is an Harlot and a filthy and unclean adulteress it is the Whore of Babylon as she is called here in this Book of the Revelation the Mother of fornication c. And such an one as she is she never cares for the coming of Christ but rather desires he should stay away still and is glad of his staying as an Harlot is for the absence of her Husband The good man is not at home he is gone a long journey as she there expresses it Prov. 7.19 But the Bride which is the true Church as chaste and pure Virgin she longs for the coming of her beloved and calls after him as it is here declared
concerning her and the Church of Christ and every Member of it is known by this name both here and in other places of Scripture and especially in the Canticles She is called it is the Spouse and Bride of Christ Thus I say we find her to be called in sundry places as Isa 62.5 As the bridegroom rejoyceth over the bride so thy God rejoyceth over thee It is spoken of God's affection to his Church And in Rev. 21.2 I saw the holy City the new Jerusalem coming down from God out of Heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband And I have espoused you to one husband that I might present you as a chaste Virgin to Christ says St. Paul of the Church of Corinth in 2 Cor. 11.2 There 's a special Covenant and Contract drawn betwixt Christ and every true Believer which does justly fasten this Title and Denomination of a Spouse upon him every faithful soul is Christ's Bride and accordingly it concerns him to reserve his affections for him and for him alone and for none but him There 's nothing more uncomely in a Spouse than to have her eyes and heart fastned upon any other besides her beloved and so there is nothing more uncomely for a Christian than to have his heart upon any other than Christ Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee says the Prophet David Psal 73.25 Whosoever is otherwise is not Christ's Spouse but an Adulteress is not the Bride but the Harlot Ye adulterers and adulteresses know ye not that the love of the world is enmity with God says St. James in Jam. 4.4 And that is the first notion of this expression The Bride as it is a word of Excellency in opposition to an Harlot The second is as it is a word of Extenuation in opposition to a married person Thus is the Church and every Christian-soul whiles it is here in the world she is a bride and not a wife it is but the Contract only in this world the marriage it is to be consummate in another viz. in Heaven Indeed in one place it is called the bride the Lambs wife Rev. 21.9 and both titles are joyned together but that is to be understood as signifying rather what she shall be than what she is already for as for the present she is no more but contracted and in that regard in an unperfect condition which makes her here in the Text so much to long for the perfection of it when she calls to Christ to come Indeed she is not far from it as seems also to be intimated in this expression again of a bride which is a person near to marriage though short of it and so seems to be in a middle condition betwixt a simple Spouse and a Wife for in a Wife the wedding-day is past and in a simple Spouse the wedding-day is not come but a Bride is a Spouse in the confines and borders of marriage A spouse upon the wedding-day and such an one in a sort is the Church in this latter age and period of the world It is not only a simple Spouse but a Bride in the approaches of conjugal solemnity It will not be over-long ere Christ and his Church which are now but as it were only contracted shall be fully and compleatly married and in the perfect enjoyment and fruition one of another And so now I have done with the first General Part of the Text which is the persons themselves here mentioned in Conjunction one with the other and they are the spirit and the bride The second is the Action which is here attributed to these persons and that is of calling after Christ they say unto him Come Here 's the speech that comes from these speakers Now this again as it lyes in the Text may admit of a twofold Emphasis or qualification which may be fastned upon it the one as it is a word of entertainment or contentation the other as it is a word of desire or invitation Come that is thou mayest come if thou so pleasest and shalt be welcom to me I am content and well-pleased with thy coming or come that is thou must come and there 's no remedy I am impatient and unsatisfied without thy coming There is each of these impressions in it First Take it in the first sense as it is a word of simple acceptance or admission and entertainment Come that is thou mayst come as signifying the Churches willingness and contentedness to have Christ come unto her upon his own offer and tender of himself and so it is a Relative expression Christ had in the verse before to wit the seventh verse of this Chapter said of himself Behold I come quickly Now hereupon says the Church to him Come that is thou hast leave and liberty to do so I am contented with it come if thou pleasest and welcom it has a passive or permissive Emphasis with it This is one step of grace and of sincere affection to Christ to reach even to this though it is true as we shall hear afterwards it is not all which is required of us nor which the true Spouse of Christ does for her particular attain unto yet somewhat and a great matter it is And accordingly that which all Christians should labour for and endeavour after to be willing for the coming of Christ at such time as he shall please to come when he shall say I come for them to answer And Lord come To have their hearts and affections so far weaned and loosned from this present world and the things of it as to admit of Christs coming to you This is one thing here considerable By this coming of Christ here we must still remember what coming is meant namely the second coming his coming to judgment with the preparatories of it to judgment whether particular or general though the General be that which is here principally to be understood by us Christ's coming to judg the quick and the dead at the last day This is that coming which the Spirit and the Bride here aim at when they say Come and this coming in the full latitude and extent and comprehensiveness of it is that first which every Christian does desire to submit unto and could be well content to have it accomplished A good and a gracious heart does not decline this coming of Christ or wish to be exempted from it but does very really and heartily and cordially close with it This is grounded upon another coming of Christ first which it has already submitted unto which is his coming in a way of Conversion and Regeneration Those that have first admitted of Christ in his Ordinances and the effectual work of Grace upon their hearts they will not stand out against this coming whereof we now speak but very readily yield unto it And this is the difference now betwixt the Children of God and other men As for wicked and ungodly persons they