to be in Prayer if we be not careful to glorifie his Name zealous to promote his Kingdom ready to do his Will earnest for pardoning Grace watchful against Temptations A Christians life is a Comment upon his Prayers and his Prayers do interpret his life We understand the one by the other Our endeavours and diligent use of means do shew what we really desire For what we pray to God for we bind our selves to seek after Secondly There is a Watching with respect to our future Estate that we may be ready to meet Christ at his Coming Now this consisteth 1. In a deep and lively sense of Christs Appearing and the whole state of the World to come We look for nothing but what we believe Faith is a realizing sight of things not yet in being and maketh them in some measure to work as if they were at hand and ready to be enjoyed Now the more lively sense we have of the concernments of the other World the more diligent and serious shall we be in our preparation when we have a deep sense of these things as if presently to be Arraigned and walk as before the Judge to whom we are to give an account of all our actions Most men live as if there were no day of reckoning no God to see and punish no Books to be opened the careless spending their time sheweth they have no deep sense of these things no sound belief of them But Faith looketh upon these things as great sure and near and so keepeth the Soul awake and alive It greateneth our Apprehensions of these things For 't is no slight matter for the Creature to meet with his Creator the Sinner with his Judge from whom he must now receive his final doom Faith doth speak aloud to a sluggish Soul Thou must be judged Rom. 14.12 So then every one of us must give an account of himself to God And as 't is sure so 't is near The Judge is at the door Phil. 4.5 You must hear of what you now speak and do another day Mat. 12.36 For every idle word that a man shall speak he shall give an account of at the day of Judgment It suppresseth sin and quickeneth and awakeneth to Duty 2 Pet. 3.11 12. Without Faith we have no sensible awakening practical knowledge of these things The sight of Faith differeth from the sight of Sense Sense can discern little more than we see taste smell hear and feel We are affected with these things so are the Beasts who only see things before their eyes by the eye of sense We see nothing but what Dogs may see and Beasts may see that 't is comfortable to eat well and drink well and sleep well and be well cloathed and walk up and down at pleasure and pursue the advantages of the Animal life There is a mist upon Eternity How acute soever men be in worldly things they are blind here 2 Pet. 1.9 He that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off Sharp-sighted in things that concern the back and belly and this present World but know nothing of the hazard of perishing for ever or the worth of Salvation their need of Christ and making serious preparation for their great account Faith is a Perspective by which we look into the other World None have such a sharp sight as Believers have for they can see beyond the limits of time the corruption and changes of all things that are in the World even to that blessedness which God hath reserved for them that love him And the light of Faith differeth from Reason That can only see things by ghess or see things in their Causes and that as probable but Faith can look thorough the mists and Clouds of intervening Ages Heb. 11.13 Having seen them afar off embraced them and with certainty and such a sure perswasion as if the things we are perswaded of were in hand and actually enjoyed Reason corrects Sense A Star to the eye of Sense looks to be no bigger than a Spangle but Reason sheweth it must be of a vast bigness because of its distance from us But Faith is an higher light and compare it with the light of Prophesie Rev. 20.12 they agree in the common Object divine Revelation They agree in their common Nature that they are both for things future and things future to us but they differ that Faith depends upon the common Revelation which God hath made to all the â—aints whereas Prophesy hath more of Extasie and Rapture in it and the light is like the lumen Gloriae the beatifical Vision in some measure and degree We do not see him face to face but are desirous of this blessed Estate and perswaded of it and are affected with it as if we saw it The sight of Faith is not a full enjoyment but as sure and so proportionably affects the Heart Nay this lumen Fideâ— is somewhat like the sight God hath of things God seeth all things in his own design and Faith seeth them so far as they are manifested in the Promises of the Gospel There is no hope to get rid of our dead-heartedness and security till we have this reallizing light of Faith 2. This Watching consisteth in Preparation If we expect a thing to come and do not prepare accordingly we do not watch for it but neglect it Now this Preparation must be speedy thorough and constant 1. Watching implyeth a speedy Preparation That we may be in a fit capacity to receive Christ at his Coming we must take the next advantage lest we be surprized and called home before we are ready This is not a work to be put off to Age or Sickness Why should we provide a burden for that time when we are weakest and least able to bear it And therefore now we should begin it Every day brings burden enough for it self He is an unthrifty Tenant that suffers the Rent of one year to run into another How shall that Crop discharge two years Rent that cannot pay one If it be tedious now to turn to God it will be more tedious when thou art hardened in sin and thy neglects of God and Christ will provoke him to deny his Grace And what assurance have we of another year we have this by the favour of Providence Our life was forfeited and lost in Law the first moment and therefore we have but a Reprieve during pleasure What warrant have I to expect another day but my own hope and fancy He that is Security for himself to himself is no whit the better secured he doth but take the word of a Spend-thrift If we had a Lease of our Lives yet what hope of Grace when we have resisted the Spirit of God all our lives what hope that he should assist us at death we do but provide matter of Despair to our selves Every day will prove worse and worse A Traveller may easily pass over the Head of a Brook but when he goeth down thinking to
on his head nor the Entertainments made him when he lived upon earth but the feeding and cloathing of his hungry and naked Servants The greatest part of Christians never saw Christ in the Flesh But the Poor they have alwayes with them Kindness to these is Kindness to him Again Among these he doth not mention the most Eminent the Prophets and Apostles or the great Instruments of his Glory in the World but the least of his Brethren even those that are not only little and despicable in the esteem of the World but those that are little and despicable in the Church in respect of others that are of more eminent Use and Service Again The least Kindness shewn unto them Mat. 10.42 Whosoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones a Cup of cold water in the name of a Disciple verily I say unto you he shall in no wise lose his reward He had spoken before of kindness to Prophets and righteous Men Men of Eminent Gifts and Graces then ordinary Disciples among these the least and most contemptible either as to outward Condition or State of Life or to Use and Service and it may be inward Grace Now all this sheweth what value Christ sets upon the meanest Christians and the smallest and meanest Respect that is shewed them The smallness and meanness of the Benefit shall not diminish his Esteem of your Affection any thing done to his People as his People will be owned and noted When the Saints that newly came from the Neglects and Scorns of an unbelieving World shall see and hear all this what cause will they have to wonder and say Lord who hath owned thee in these Alas in the World all is quite contrary Let a Man profess Christ and resemble Christ in a lively manner and own Christ thoroughly presently he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set up for a Sign of Contradiction and that not only among Pagans but Professing Christians yea by those that would seem to be of great note in the Church as the Corner-stone was refused by the Builders 1 Pet. 2.7 And therefore when Christ taketh himself to be so concerned in their Benefits and Injuries they have cause to wonder Christ was in these and the World knew it not 3. At the Greatness of the Reward That he should not only take notice of these Acts of Kindness but so amply remunerate them In the Rewards of Grace God worketh beyond humane Imagination and Apprehension 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither have entred into the Heart of Man the things God hath prepared for them that love him We cannot by all that we see and hear in this World which are the Senses of Learning form a Conception large enough for the Blessedness of this Estate Enjoyers and Beholders will wonder at the Grace and Bounty and power of their Redeemer 'T is transcendent hyperbolical weight of Glory 2 Cor. 4.17 Where is any thing that they can do or suffer that is worthy to be mentioned or compared with so great a Recompence When these Bodies of Earth and Bodies of Dust shall shine like the Stars in Brightness these sublime Souls of ours see God face to face these wavering and inconstant Hearts of ours shall be immutably and indeclinably fastned to love him and serve him and praise him as without Defection so without Intermission and Interruption and our Ignominy turned into Honour and our Misery into everlasting Happiness Lord what Work of ours can be produced as to be rewarded with so great a Blessedness VSE That which we learn from this Question of theirs supposed to be conceived upon these Grounds is 1. An humble Sense of all that we do for God The Righteous remember not any thing that they did worthy of Christ's Notice and we should be like-minded Nehem. 13.22 Remember me O my God concerning this also and spare me according to the Greatness of thy Mercy When we have done our best we had need to be spared and forgiven rather than rewarded On the contrary Luk. 18.11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus to himself God I thank thee that I am not as other Men are Extorioners Vnjust Adulterers or even as this Publican And those Isa. 58.3 Wherefore have we fasted say they and thou seest not wherefore have have afflicted our Souls and thou takest no Knowledge They challenge God for their Work None more apt to rest in their own Righteousness than they that have the least Cause Formal Duties do not discover Weakness and so Men are apt to be puffed up they search little and so rest in some outward things 'T is no great Charge to maintain painted Fire The Substantial Duties of Christianity such as Faith and Repentance imply Self-humbling but external things produce Self-exalting They put the Soul to no stress Loaden Boughs hang the Head most so are holy Christians most humble None labour so much as they do in working out their Salvation and none so sensible of their Weaknesses and Imperfections Old Wine puts the Bottles in no danger there is no Strength and Spirits left in it So do formal Duties little put the Soul to it On the other side they are conscious to so many Weaknesses as serious Duties will bring into the View of Conscience and have a deep Sense of their Obligations to the Love and Goodness of God and a strong Perswasion of the Blessed Reward None are so humble as they They see so much Infirmity for the present so much Obligation from what is past and such sure Hope of what is to come that they can scarce own a Duty as a Duty None do Duties with more Care and none are less mindful of what they have done They discern little else in it that they contribute any thing to a good Action but the Sin of it This is to do God's Work with an Evangelical Spirit doing our utmost and still ascribing all to our Mediator and blessed Redeemer 2. What Value and Esteem we should have for Christ's Servants and Faithful Worshippers Christ treateth his Mystical Body with greater Indulgence Love and Respect than he did his Natural Body for he doth not dispense his Judgment with respect to that but these He would not have us know him after the Flesh 2 Cor. 5.16 Please our selves with the Conceit of what we would do to him if he were alive and here upon Earth but he will judge us according to the Respect or Disrespect we shew to his Members even to the meanest among them To wrong them is to wrong Christ Zech. 2.8 He that toucheth you toucheth the Apple of his Eye The Churches Trouble goes near his Heart which in due time will be manifested upon the Instruments thereof To sleight them is to sleight Christ He that despiseth you despiseth me To grieve and offend them is to grieve and offend Christ. Matth. 18.10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little Ones for I say unto you That in
groans which the spirit exciteth in his own children he knoweth what cometh from the natural what from the carnal what from the divine Spirit to what principles these motions belong For he weigheth the spirits Prov. 16.2 That is he doth so exactly know them as if they were put into a ballance What principles motives and aims we are acted by and observeth not only the matter of the prayer but the disposition of the petitioner whether the frame of his heart be Christian and gospel-like humble holy and heavenly or else it hath a carnal bias upon it 2. He knoweth by way of approbation that he doth regard and accept the groans of the spirit for words of knowledg imply allowance respect approbation as Psal. 1.6 God knoweth the way of the righteous but the way of the wicked shall perish Approveth favoureth prospereth as the opposite clause manifesteth As Christs not knowing the wicked implieth their rejection Matth. 7.23 So he knoweth the mind of the spirit he doth regard and accept of what is of the spirit in prayer The groans of believers are more than the pompous petitions of hypocrites 'T is not luscious eloquence which God regardeth but serious devotion if there be holy breathings after communion with him If your prayers be not sensless without a due feeling of your necessities and wants nor heartless without a desire of the graces and mercies you stand in need of God will accept you 3. Why this is such a comfort and benefit to the children of God 1. Gods knowledge by way of distinction between the moans of nature and the groans of the spirit 1. Because sometimes they do not speak in prayer but join with others you make it your prayer if you accompany it with your sighs and groans 'T is not the speaker only but all that consent by the serious motions of their hearts When the gifted prayed in the primitive Church the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the private person we translate it the unlearned was to say Amen 1 Cor. 14.16 And then was his prayer as much as the prayer of him that spake Their hearty Amen was signaculum fidei votum desiderii an hearty assent to the prayer or an hearty expression of their earnest desire 2. Sometimes they cannot speak and put their desires into a language as oppressed with troubles God knoweth the secret groans of our hearts when you cannot give them the vent of expression Psal. 38.9 Lord all my desire is before thee my groaning is not hid from thee The soul is so confounded that we cannot put our desires into distinct thoughts and words but yet they are as formal speech before God for he can interpret the most secret motions of our hearts Exod. 2.24 God heard their groans and remembred his Covenant Psal. 12.5 For the oppression of the poor for the sighing of the needy now will I arise saith the Lord. Psal. 6.8 For the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping Such sighs groans tears have an intelligable language in Heaven 3. Sometimes they dare not speak for the Prophet telleth us of an evil time when the prudent will keep silence Amos 5.13 And another Prophet speaketh when a man cannot trust in a friend and must keep the door of his mouth from her that lyeth in his bosome Mich. 7.5 When they dare not speak against that which they cannot mend scarce dare peep or mutter or bemoan themselves or plead with God such is the iniquity of the times the guard is put upon them then God knoweth the desires of their hearts and smothered griefs and concealed complaints 4. Sometimes they are slâ—ndered when they speak by the scoffing Atheist or carnal world who know not the spirit and his holy motions because their heart is wholly devoted to sensual and earthly things the best strains of devotion are mocked at and all that suiteth not with their carnal way is counted folly 1 Pet. 4.4 speaking evil of you and verse 14. on their part the spirit is evil spoken of The world when they hear of believers praying in the spirit they scoff at it as those Acts 2.13 When the Holy Ghost came upon the Apostles some mocked saying These men are full of new wine so when any thing of God more than ordinary appeareth in them they deride it They are not skilled in the motions of the spirit when they are earnest Festus thought Paul mad and besides himself Acts. 26.24 The wisdom of the flesh is emnity against God and cannot judg aright of his ways and motions But now 't is a comfort that God will put another kind of construction upon the spirits working than the world doth they call evil good and good evil but God can distinguish they are incompetent judges having no savour and relish of these things Many things suit not with the corrupt sense of men that are yet agreeable to Gods holy will and that which is slandered in the world is owned by God and how much soever they are contradicted and scoffed at yet they injoy sweet and real communion with him Though the world knoweth not this spirit yet God knoweth and owneth it as the event declareth 5. Sometimes they themselves find it hard to interpret their duty and judg what is flesh and what is spirit but yet God knoweth the mind of the spirit and when they set themselves to converse with God in the best fashion they can the Lord granteth the desires of their hearts Psal. 66.19 Verily God hath heard he hath attended to the voice of my prayer We find our prayers are not rejected by God he had some doubt for it as appeareth in the verses before and after and so took it as a token of his sincerity God who cannot patronize any sin had been pleased to give him his approbation 6. The saints that are little satisfied in their work plead their desires Nehem. 1.11 O Lord I beseech thee let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant and to the prayer of thy servants who desire to fear thy name And Isa. 26.9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit will I seek thee right early 7. The children of God may be the better satisfied in his providence and favours to them for God will hear so much of the prayer as cometh from the spirit We ask natural conveniencies to a certain end God will not always give the means but the end shall be promoted he knoweth whether the means will prove a mercy yea or no or the end be promoted by these means or other now they desire the spirit may be heard not the flesh Abraham would have the promise fulfilled and pitcheth on Ishmael Gen. 17.18 Oh that Ishmael might live before thee But God intended a better way by Isaac If he give us our will 't is in anger that 's our prayer but the spirits prayer is to glorify God and according to the will of God Gods answer is
such a temper 6. Consider Gods Eye is ever upon us and beholdeth all our wayes Job 31.4 Doth not he see my wayes and count all my steps shall we sleep when the great God looketh on us How dreadful is his displeasure there is no dallying with him Thirdly Means 1. Pray to God for his quickening Spirit that he would stir us up to watchfulness David is ever and anon crying out for quickening Grace 2. We should stir up our selves Much of this temper cometh upon us because of our own laziness and ordinary indisposition 2 Tim. 1.6 Stir up the gift of God that is in thee Isa. 64.6 There is none that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee 3. We should maintain a lively sense of Christs appearing Luk. 12.35 This looking and longing and waiting keepeth the Soul alive and awake Heb. 9. ult To them that look for him Phil. 3.20 Whence we look for a Saviour Many may talk of that day but do not look for it 4. Keep these four fundamental radical Graces lively and active in the Soul Faith Fear Hope and Love Faith presents things to us as they are and puts them in being Love constraineth us 2 Cor. 5.14 Fear maketh God every where present And Hope worketh in us a desirous expectation of Blessedness to come and this keeps the Soul awake 5. Keep a sense of the Love of God upon your hearts when your drowsie fits are coming on you say as they in Jer. 35.6 I dare not my Father hath commanded me the contrary Hath not God forbidden this how can I rest in such a temper of Soul 6. Improve the Death of Christ for the destroying this sleepy temper The great design of Sathan is to lull us asleep now Christ came to destroy the works of the Devil 1 Joh. 3.8 Now shall we tye those knots the faster that Christ came to unloose and tear open those wounds that Christ came to bind up and heal Therefore let this evil frame of Soul be far from you SERMON V. MATTH XXV v. 5 6. While the Bridegroom tarryed c. And at Midnight there was a Cry made Behold the Bridegrom cometh go ye out to meet him THere is one Clause in the former Verse that remaineth undiscussed The Bridegroom tarryed which I shall speak to in this Verse Where Observe 1. The Time at Midnight 2. The Means of awakening the sleepy Virgins There was a cry made 3. The Matter of the Cry the unexpected coming of the Bridegroom Behold the Bridegroom cometh 4. An Excitement to their Duty Goe ye out to meet him Still the allusion is carryed on to the matter from whence this Parable is taken There were Virgins with the Bridegroom and Virgins with the Bride and that the Bridegroom might be received with esteem and attended with all respect some of them were to goe before and raise the Cry in season to bring the Virgins forth to meet him So here Christ sends a cry before him to admonish and exhort the Church to prepare and meet him 1. With respect to every particular Soul this cry is to be referr'd to the Voice and Importunity of them that are the Children of the Bride-Chamber or Friends of the Bridegroom John 3.29 Who all tell us that The Lord is at hand 1 Pet. 4.7 That he will shortly come Heb. 10.37 And still the faithful Ministers of the Church do cry aloud and call upon us to meet the Bridegroom 2. With respect to the general meeting of the Church in one great Rendezvouze or Congregation 't is meant of the Trump of the Arch-Angel spoken of in many places which I shall quote by and by calling us to come to Judgment Doctrine The Bridegroom will certainly come but at his own time and then all shall be called upon to go forth to meet him I shall handle this point with respect to the circumstances of this Parable 1. I shall prove the certainty of his coming 2. Speak of the tarrying of the Bridegroom or the delay of his coming 3. His coming at Midnight or the uncertainty of the Time when he will come 4. The Cry that is raised before his coming Then I shall give every circumstance mentioned its due weight First Of the certainty of his coming 'T is needful to premise that because the efficacy of the whole Discourse dependeth upon it Reason saith he may come but Faith saith he will come First Reason saith he may come It argueth 1. From the Nature of God There is a God and this God is just 'T is agreeable to his general Justice that it should be well with them that do well and ill with them that do evil these Principles are out of dispute and supposed as the Foundations of all Religion Now supposing these Principles there must be a day or reckoning for in the World the best go to the walls many times and are exercised with Poverty Disgrace and Scorn when the wicked are full of Plenty and live at ease Luk. 16.25 1 Cor. 15.19 Sure it is that there is a God and sure it is that he taketh care of humane affairs and will judge accordingly what is the reason then of this disproportion the wicked are reserved to future punishment and the godly to future reward Now the distinction that is put between men at death doth not suffice for that is private and doth not vindicate the Justice of God in the eyes of the world and that is but upon a part We read of the Spirits of just men made perfect and the Spirits that are now in Prison but nothing of a reward for the Body or punishment for the Body the bodies of men being Servants of Righteousness or instruments of sin surely ought to partake of weal or woe of the curse or blessing that is due to the person for the Body is as Tertullian saith the Souls sister and coheir and is to share with it in its Estate but at Death the Body is senseless and mouldereth into dust and 'till it be raised up again and joyned to the Soul it can neither partake of weal or woe therefore there is a day when God will deal with the whole man Otherwise how shall the Goodness of God who is a liberal rewarder of Vertue appear unless he render to the Body a full recompense of the Service it hath done the Soul in yielding up all its natural Appetites Pleasures Interests and Satisfactions to the conduct of Reason and Grace for the practice of that which is good Or the Justice of God which is the avenger of sin which would be too narrow and defective unless it punish the Body with the Soul Usually the affections of the Body debauch the Soul and the pleasures of the senses blind and misguide our reason Certainly the love of sin being rooted in bodily pleasures 't is fit it should be punished with pain and such pain as is proportionable to the dignity of him against whom the offence is committed Now God being
Trust the very scope of this Parable sheweth it and it may be further confirmed by Isa. 43.21 22 23 24. This People I have formed for my self they shall shew forth my praise But thou hast not called upon me O Jacob but thou hast been weary of me O Israel Thou hast not brought me the small Cattel of thy Burnt-Offerings neither hast thou honoured me with thy Sacrifices I have not caused thee to serve with an Offering nor wearied thee with Incense Thou hast bought me no Sweet-cane with Money neither hast thou filled me with the Fat of thy Sacrifices but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins thou hast wearied me with thy iniquities That where God hath given a People advantages he expecteth answerable service and Improvement and that we are bound to this by the Covenant of Grace wherein we give up our selves to the Lord for his use and service and that God reckoneth upon this Gen. 18.19 I know my servant Abraham that he will command his Children and his Houshold after him And Luke 13.7 Then said he to the dresser of the Vineyard Behold these three years have I come seeking fruit on this Fig-tree and Isa. 63.8 For he said Surely they are my People Children that will not lie Only now I presâ—â— that Unfruitfulness and breach of Trust is a great Crime and a disappointing the righteous expectation of God a very provoking thing and therefore the sloathful Servant that doth not answer the Ends of his trust nor fulfill his Covenant Vow must needs be highly culpable though he should not break out into acts of gross excess and apparent enmity against God 4. He that ceaseth to do Good Evil must needs ensue and the unprofitable Servant hath his blots and blemishes which render him odious unto God Homines nihil agendo malè agere discunt saith Cato Standing Pools are apt to putrifie and the Psalmist saith Psal. 14.2 They are all become filthy and abominable for there is none that seeketh God When the Gardiner holdeth his hand the ground is soon overgrown with Weeds Sins of Omission will make way for Sins of Commission and those that neglect Improvement lose all reverence and awe of God every day more and more and so are given up to an hatred of his People and many brutish Lusts As a Carkase not embalmed is more noysome every day Job 15.4 Thou castest off Fear and restrainest Prayer before God 1 VSE Let us all be ashamed of our Sloath. There is more evil in it than we are aware of 1. Consider the Necessity of Diligence There is nothing in Religion can be gotten kept increased or maintained without great Diligence No Comfort without it 2 Pet. 1.10 Wherefore the rather Brethren give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure 2 Pet. 3.14 Wherefore beloved seeing that ye look for such things be diligent that you may be found of him in peace No Grace without it 2 Pet. 1.5 And besides this give all diligence io adde to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge No hope of coming to Heaven without it Heb. 6.11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope to the end Illi falsi sunt saith Salust qui diversissimas res expectant ignaviae voluptatem proemia virtutis 'T is in vain to think that a loytering Profession will ever bring any glory to God Comfort or increase of Grace to our selves or breed in us any comfortable Hope and expectation of Blessedness to come All excellent things are hard to come by 't is true in Earthly matters 't is much more true in Spiritual 2. Consider the evil of Sloath. A sloathful man and a prophane man differ very little Prov. 18.9 He that is sloathful in work is brother to him that is a great waster the one getteth nothing and the other spendeth all Thou wilt say thou art no Drunkard no Whoremonger But thou art idle and negligent so that you and they are Brothers all the difference is as between a Consumption and an Apoplexy the one destroyeth in an instant the other consumeth by degrees the one is like splitting a Ship that goes down to the bottom presently the other like a leaky Ship that sinketh by degrees Though you do not run into the same excess of riot with others yet you are idle in the Lords work it cometh much to the same effect the Heart groweth poorer and poorer till at length it ends in final hardness Nay in some sense Negligence is worse than gross Prophaneness Many from great Sinners have turned great Saints but few from a lukewarm careless Profession have come to any thing Therefore these are spued out of Gods mouth Rev. 3.16 There is more hope of a Sinner than of a lukewarm careless person for he doth not think himself evil and so is more liable to Security God may give Grace to the one but taketh away the Talent from the other 3. Consider the Rewards of Diligence This labour will turn to a good effect 1 Cor. 15.58 Your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. If there were nothing in chase or not so great a Reward we had more Excuse but when the Reward is so full and so sure shall not we labour for it We labour and toyl and use all diligence to obtain the things of this world and shall we think to go to Heaven with our hands in our bosom or lying upon a Bed of ease To see men under the power of a Lust may shame us Psal. 127.2 Men rise early and go to Bed late to gain the world men labour sweat and travel and spare not cost to go to Hell The Devil gets more Servants than God with all his Promises Threatnings and Mercies shall they be so diligent that have such bad work worse wages and the worst Master and shall not we bestir our selves 4. The whole course of Nature inviteth us to Labour and Diligence in order to our future Estate The Sun is unwearied in his motion that he may go up and down Preaching God to the world Prov. 6.6 Go to the Aunt thou sluggard consider her wayes and be wise There is a great deal of morality hidden in the bosom of Nature if we had the skill to find it out What can the Aunt do She provideth her meat in Summer and gathereth her food in the Harvest These little Creatures are not able to endure the cold of Winter therefore work themselves deep into the earth but they carry their food along with them and should not we have as great a sense of futurity We cannot endure the day of the Lord unless we make provision Pro. 10.5 He that gathereth in Summer is a wise Son but he that sleepeth in Harvest is a Son that causeth shame Now is our season to work that in the day of our Accounts we may not be unprovided The Means against Sloath are Faith Patience and Love
Chain must be broken the Son cannot die for them whom the Father never elected and the Spirit will never sanctify them whom the Father hath not elected nor the Son redeemed Reasons 1. From the Unity of Essence they are one and if any Person be interested in them all must otherwise Men might be beholden to Christ that were never beholden to the Father nor the Spirit They are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of one Essence and of equal Dignity none shall be beholden to one that are not beholden to the other It is very notable that when Christ speaketh of his own Flock and the Certainty of their Conversion and the Sureness of their Estate he saith John 10.27 28 29 30. My Sheep my Voice and I know them and they follow me And I give unto them Eternal Life and they shall never perish neither shall any Man pluck them out of my Hand My Father which gave them me is greater than all and no Man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand I and my Father are one He is greater than all greater than me as Redeemer If I acknowledg them for mine they must have Grace and cannot miscarry We are two Persons but one God he is a Joynt-Cause working together with me one in Power one in Counsel 2. From the Unity and Agreement in Will and Design They are one and agree in one The Persons are resolved to glorify one another In Man's Salvation the Father will have the Honour of Electing that the Son may have the Honour of Purchasing and the Spirit the Honour of Sanctifying It is said of the Spirit John 16.14 He shall glorify me for he shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you And Christ faith John 14.13 Whatsoever ye shall ask in my Name that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son The Son came into the World to make good the Purposes of the Father John 8.50 I seek not my own Glory and the Son sendeth the Spirit God sendeth the Son and the Spirit anointeth Christ Acts 10.38 God anointeth Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with Power There is a perfect Agreement mutual Missions between them Vse 1. To condemn them which put asunder those Operations which God hath joyned together the Arminians in Doctrine the common People in Practice 1. The Arminians in Doctrine by dividing Christ from Election or Election from Christ as if Christ were to die for those that were never elected and chosen to Life equally as for those that were or as if he expected Glory from and designed Salvation unto all alike These trouble the Links of the Chain of Salvation how can it be said All thine are mine and mine are thine when God would never own them and the Spirit would never sanctify them 2. The common People that sever the Election of God and Redemption of Christ from the Sanctification of the Spirit They say Christ dyed for them when there is no Evidence of it or that God loveth them when there are no Fruits of his Love The Fruit of the Father's Love is sending of the Spirit and he that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his Rom. 8.9 If God had chosen thee thou wouldst be sanctified Sanctification it is as it were an actual Election John 15.19 Because I have chosen you out of the World therefore the World hateth you As by Election we are distinguished from others in the Counsel of God so by Sanctification we are actually set apart If Christ had dyed for thee thou wouldst have the whole Fruit of his Purchase Ephes. 5.25 Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of Water by the Word Vse 2. Information how Believers come to be possessed of such excellent Priviledges All that are God's are Christ's and all things that are Christ's are ours by Faith There is the same Communion between Us and Christ as there is between Christ and God 1 Cor. 3.23 All are yours for you are Christ's and Christ is God's We have it from the Father's Love by the Son's Purchase Christ was God's natural Heir he made a Purchase that he might adopt Heirs and take them in with himself by Faith we are taken in We may say between us and Christ All mine are thine and thine are mine I am my Beloved's and he is mine Cant. 2.16 Vse 3. To shew us the Comfort of the Faithful God and Christ have an equal Interest in them the Father loveth them as Christ's as his own Christ careth for them as the Father's as his own 1 John 1.3 Our Fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. God made the Elect Members of Christ's Body that he might redeem them Christ made them Children of his Family that he might love them The Father saith They are mine the Son saith They are mine the Power of God issueth through Christ for their Salvation 2 John 1.9 He that-abideth in the Doctrine of Christ he hath the Father and the Son We may expect the Fruits of Elective Love and the Fruits of Christ's Purchase Two are better than one we have the Father to love us the Son to redeem us the Spirit to sanctify us and bring us to God It is a great Advantage John 16.27 The Father himself loveth you When Joab saw the thing was pleasing to David he interceded for Absalom 2 Sam. 14.1 The King's Heart was towards Absalom We have more Confidence to speed in our Prayers He loveth us for his own sake and for Christ's Christ hath satisfied the Justice of God and God is reconciled we have more boldness of Access to him we need not fear his Justice we have a double Claim and may lay hold with both Hands 1. We have God on our side who is the Supream Judg the offended Party the first Cause and Fountain of Blessing 2. By Christ we have a near Relation to God We are Christ's more than Angels they are Ministring Spirits not the Spouse of Christ's Bosom nor Members of his Body God hath given us to him as he brought Eve to Adam we are near to God John 14.20 I am in my Father and you in me and I in you as a Woman married to the King's Son by the King's Consent The whole Blessings of Christ's Purchase are ours we have God in our Nature working Righteousness making Atonement meriting Blessedness sending the Spirit as purchased by him And I am glorified in them So we render it that it may lye indifferent to any Sense tho the Word properly signifieth I have been glorified in them It relateth not only to their past present but future Endeavours for Christ's Glory But how was Christ glorified by his Disciples Answ. First Passively as he glorifieth himself in them by comforting refreshing their Hearts doing good to Persons so despicable and unworthy and manifesting the Riches of his Glory
those that stand upon the Shore to say to those that are tossed upon the Waves Sail thus They are tugging for Life the Cause is beyond our Direction and their Choice But these Persons are to be pitied yet counselled Besides God's Power we mingle much of our own Obstinacy and Peevishness as Rachel would not be comforted Jer. 31.15 We are to invite them to Christ and they are bound to hearken Their present Duty is to come for Ease Mat. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and ye shall find Rest for your Souls That is the only gracious Issue of Soul-Troubles as Christ cried My God on the Cross they are not exempted from believing But others are to be chidden It is a sad thing that Christians should not have the Wisdom to make use of their own Felicity We often hug a Distemper instead of a Duty as if God were better pleased with dolorous Impressions Lam. 3.33 He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the Children of Men Not with his Heart so it is in the Hebrew It argueth ill thoughts of God Baal's Priests gashed themselves to please their Idols but God delighteth in the Prosperity of his Saints Men think there is more of Merit and Satisfaction in what afflictive it is a kind of Revenge they take upon themselves God hath required Sorrow to mortify Sin but not to satisfy Justice he would have us triumph in Christ whilst we groan under the Body of Death O consider Sowrness is a Dishonour to God a Discredit to your Profession a Disadvantage to your selves a Grief to the Spirit because you resist his Work as a Comforter Besides there is much of Ingratitude in it Complaints and Murmurings deface the Beauty of his Mercies As a Snail leaveth a frothy Slaver upon the fairest Flowers so do unthankful Christians leave their own Slaver upon the rich Mercies of God vouchsafed to them in Christ when they are always complaining and never rejoycing in God they leave the Slaver of their Murmurings upon them as if all were nothing If a King advance a Man and he always is sad before him he is angry Nehem. 2.2 Why is thy Countenance sad seeing thou art not sick This is nothing else but Sorrow of Heart Then I was â—ore afraid Because Men are prejudiced against Godly Joy let me tell you it is a Fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 The Fruit of the Spirit is Love Joy c. In the Garden of Christ there groweth other Fruit besides Crabs It is a great Privilege of Christ's spiritual Kingdom Rom. 14.17 The Kingdom of God is Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy-Ghost It is an Help in the spiritual Life Nehem. 8.10 The Joy of the Lord is your Strength It is as Wings to the Bird that makes you flie higher a sad Christian hath lost his Wings Well then consider these things Besides your unfitness hereby for your Duty the Unchearfulness of Professors darkneth the Ways of God and brings a Scandal upon Christ's spiritual Kingdom What cause have you to be always sad It must be either your Afflictions or your Sins For Afflictions if your Eyes were opened and earthly Affections mortified you would see no cause of Grief It can never be so ill with a Christian but he hath matter of rejoycing Nothing can deprive you of God of your Interest in Christ. Job 15.11 Are the Consolations of God small that they cannot counterballance worldly Afflictions Your Discontent cannot be greater than your grounds of Comfort It is true Nature will work Afflictions are bitter in the Root but the Fruit is sweet to a spiritual Palate Heb. 12.11 No Chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous it doth but seem bitter carnal Sense is not a fit Judg. But then for your Sins I confess Joy is proper to God's Children behaving themselves as Children but what shall we do when we have sinned I answer There is a Time to mourn and this is the Season of it If her Father had spit in her Face should she not be ashamed seven days Numb 12.14 It is good to be sensible of the displeasure of a Father Ay but in this Heaviness there should be a mixture of Joy Tho there be a Time to mourn yet Rejoyce evermore Great Heaviness without a mixture of Joy is sinful In this sence we should not mourn without hope We have to do with a God that is not implacable he mixeth Love with his Frowns In the midst of Judgment he remembreth Mercy and therefore we should mix Joy with our Sorrows Jer. 3.14 Turn O back-sliding Israel for I am married to you God doth not forget his Relation to us and so should not we Come again and I will make up all Breaches between you and me A Believer may fall grievously but not finally He doth not fall so but that God takes hold of him and we should learn to take hold of God Labour to recover your former Condition that you may freely rejoyce again by this means Love is renewed and strengthned 2. The other Sort are those that would rejoyce but do not provide matter of Joy Christ saith That my Joy may be fulfilled in themselves But in whom He had pleaded their Interest They are thine he had spoken well of them to the Father I am glorified in them Alas the Joys of others are but stollen Waters and Bread eaten in secret Frisks of Mirth when Conscience is asleep A Man cannot rejoyce in God till he hath some Interest in him 1 Sam. 30.6 David encouraged himself in the Lord his God when all was lost at Ziklag pray mark his God Tolle meum tolle Deum Take away mine and take away God God is better known in praedicamento Relationis quà m in praedicamento Substantia God in his Nature is terrible God in Covenant is sweet Habbak 3.18 Yet will I rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my Salvation When all things fail a Child of God runneth to his Interest The Object of Joy is Good but not Good in common but my Good Excellency and Propriety are the two Conditions of the Object of Joy Therefore holy Joy is not every one's Duty but theirs that have an Interest in God There are some Duties proper to the Saints that suppose such a State and Interest Prayer and Hearing are common Duties the Obligation lieth on all the Creatures it is the Homage they owe to God but now they are not immediatly bidden to rejoyce All are bound to provide matter for Joy but not all to rejoyce Carnal Men are for the present under Wrath liable to Hell Bondage is their Portion therefore clear up your Interest if you would rejoyce in God Men delight in their Children because they are their own Vse 5. To raise your Minds to the exercise of this Joy We should be more careful than we are to maintain our Peace and Joy To help you I shall shew First What Reason
be in them and I in them AND I in them This is the next Aim of Christ the Mystical Union This is fitly coupled with the former Privilege God's Love is the Fountain of all Mercy and Mystical Union is the Means of Conveyance The Father's Love and the Son's Inhabitation are elsewhere conjoined John 14.23 My Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him God's Love cannot be in us unless Christ be in us nor Christ be in us without the Father's Love God loveth the Elect freely in Jesus Christ and therefore giveth us his Spirit to work Faith in our Hearts that Christ may dwell there and be one with us and we with him Love is the rise of all And again without the perpetual Residence of Christ in the Heart we cannot have a sense of God's Love Again from this Conjunction we may learn the Presence of the whole Trinity in the Heart of a Believer as in a consecrated Temple The Love of the Father it is in us by the Holy Ghost given to us Rom. 5.5 The Love of God is shed abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us Now we have not only the Holy Ghost to assure us of the Love of God but we have Christ as the Head and Fountain of Vital Influence Once more I in them Christ doth not only communicate Gifts of Grace to us but Himself Observe That the Gospel is made known to us to this intent that Christ may be in us Or This is one great Privilege of the Gospel that Christ may be in us by a perpetual Residence as a Principle and Fountain of the Spiritual Life I. What is meant by Christ's being in us How can one Man be in another I shall Answer First Negatively How it is not to be understood that we may remove all false gross and unworthy Thoughts 1. It is not Contiguity that we speak of but Union Two pieces of Wood lying together are not united Christ is in Heaven we on Earth there is no Contiguity and if there were it would not cause an Union There is indeed an Union of Contact as when two Hands are joined together which may resemble this Union for there is a mutual or reciprocal Apprehension Christ apprehendeth us and we him Phil. 3.12 If that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus He taketh hold of us by his Spirit and we take hold of him by Faith But of this by and by 2. It is not a Congregation as things may be gathered together as Stones in an heap they are united or gathered into one Heap but they do not act one upon another And therefore the Holy Ghost doth not resemble our Union with Christ by Stones in an Heap but by Stones in a Building that afford mutual strength and support to one another and Christ to the Foundation and Corner Stone which beareth up all the rest 1 Pet. 2.5 Ye also as lively Stones are built up a Spiritual House And Ephes. 2.20 21 22. And are built upon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himself being the chief Corner Stone in whom all the Building fitly framed together groweth unto an Holy Temple in the Lord In whom you also are builded together for an Habitation of God through the Spirit Only here is the difference that is but an Union of Art not of Nature and tho Stones orderly placed do give Strength and Beauty one to another yet they do not communicate Life and Influence therefore the Holy Ghost saith Ye are as living Stones 3. It is not Representation only as all Persons are in their common Person and Representation This is a part of the Privilege we are in Christ as our Surety and Common Person He impersonated and represented us upon the Cross and doth now in Heaven where he appeareth for us as our Agent and Leiger with God Thus what is done to him is done to us This is the Judicial Union but this is not all for thus we may be said to be in Christ but he cannot be said to be in us I in them There is Influence as well as Representation 4. It is not an Objective Union aut Vnio Occupationis as the Object is in the Faculty the Star in the Eye that seeth it tho at thousands of Miles distance and what I think of is in my Mind and what I desire is in my Heart as a Scholar's Mind is in his Books when the mind is occupied and taken up with any thing it is in it So when I fear God my Mind is with him when I love God my Heart is with him But this is not all partly because such an Objective Union there is between Christ and Hypocrites they may think of him and know him But this Union is rather Subjective it maketh us to live in Christ and Christ liveth in us Partly because then we should be no longer united to Christ than we do actually think of him whereas Christ's being in us implieth a perpetual Residence Ephes. 3.17 That Christ may dwell in your Hearts by Faith Dwelling doth not note a transient Thought a short Visit but a constant Stay and Abode John 14.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We will come unto him and we will make our abode with him There Christ fixeth his Seat and Residence 5. It is not meerly a Relation between us and Christ. He is not only ours and we are his but he is in us and we in him The resemblance of Head and Members doth not relate to a Political Body but to a Natural Body I am sure the Case is clear in Root and Branches John 15.1 2 3. And Relations do not need such Bands and Ties as constitute this Union There is the Spirit and Faith and then secondarily other Graces 6. It is not only a Consent or Agreement Christ agreeth to love us and we to love him My Love in them and I in them they are propounded as distinct Confederation maketh way for Union 7. It is not an Union of Dependance meerly such as is between the Cause and the Effect The Effect dependeth on the Cause and is in the Cause and the Cause is in the Effect This is general to all Creatures for it is said Acts 17.28 In him we live and move and have our Being Such an Union there is between God and all Creatures and not meerly a Dependance in regard of special and gracious Influences That doth much open the Privilege but that is not all for then our Union would be immediatly with God the Father and the Spirit on whom we depend And so an Union there is between God and the Holy Angels And Christ is in an especial manner the Head of the Church it is a Notion consecrated for our conjunction with him 8. It is not meerly a Communion in the same Nature So he is Immanuel God with us But he saith I in them He
living And Acts 2.36 Therefore let all the House of Israel know assuredly that God hath made the same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ and Psal. 2.7 8 9 10 11. So that he is Lord of the new Creation and man doth owe Obedience not only to God as Creator but to Christ as Redeemer and Ruler 2. Christ being possessed of this Lordship and Dominion hath made a new law of Grace which is propounded as a remedy for the relieving and restoring the lapsed World of mankind to the grace and favour of God granting pardon and life to all that sincerely repent and believe in him and live in new Obedience and peremptorily concluding and damning those to everlasting Death that shall refuse these terms 3. This new constitution and Gospel Covenant hath all the formalities of a Law and here I shall shew you first wherein it agreeth and secondly wherein it differeth from the laws of men 1. Wherein it agreeth First in the promulgation of it with full Authority 't is not only enacted pleno jure by an absolute and uncontrollable right but proclaimed by authorized Messengers sent by the Lord Christ who in his name were to require the Obedience of the World to his new Law Matth. 28.19 20. All power is given to me in heaven and earth go ye forth therefore and teach all nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you he sendeth abroad his Heralds summoning the World to Obedience Act 5.31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance and remission of sins And Acts 17.30 The times of this ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all men every where to repent He commandeth all men to repent because he will judg the world in righteousness by the man whom he hath ordained Acts 17.31 And Acts 10.36 We preach peace by Jesus Christ who is Lord of all In these places Christs Right and Authority is asserted and the Gospel is preached in his Name and the World invited and commanded to obey 2. In the obligation and force There is not only direction given to us to obey the Gospel but a Charge and Obligation is laid upon us The Gospel is sometimes called the counsel of God Luke 7.30 they rejected the counsel of God against themselves Sometime the law of God is called his Counsel as 't is the result of his wisdom and his Law as 't is the effect of his legislative Will he would not only direct and instruct the Creature by his counsel but oblige him by his Authority Decretum necessitatem facit exhortatio liberum voluntatem excitat saith the Canonist Exhortation or Advice serveth to direct or excite one that is free but a Decree and Law implyeth a necessity to obey So Hierom Vbi consilium datur offerentis arbitrium est ubi praeceptum necessitus servitatis Counsel and Precept differ Precept saith not only we shall do well to do so but we must do so Counsel respects friends a Preeept subjects There is a coactive power in Laws God hath not left the Creatures to comply with his directions if they please no there is a strict charge laid upon them they must do it at their peril Laws have a binding force from the authority of their Law-giver God giveth us counsel as a friend but commandeth us as a Sovereign Therefore we read much of the Obedience of Faith Rom. 16.26 The Gospel was manifested to all nations for the obedience of faith And Rom. 1.5 We have received Apostleship for the obedience of faith among all Nations So Acts 6.7 and a great company of priests were obedient to the faith And 2 Cor. 10.5 bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. And 1 Pet. 1.22 having purified your hearts in obeying the truth through the spirit And Acts 5.32 The holy Ghost which is given to them that obey All this is said to shew 't is not Arbitrary or Indifferent but we are bound by the authority of this new Law 3. This Law hath a sanction otherwise it were but an arbitrary Direction though delivered in a preceptive form the sanction is by promises of reward or by threatnings of punishment the precept establisheth mans duty and is the rule of our obedience which if it be neglected infers culpam fault or blame the sanction is the rule of Gods proceeding and so it inferreth poenam punishment Mark 16.16 The law of grace threatneth us with the highest penalties John 3.19 This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light and Heb. 20.9 of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy c. though in the loss all are equal yet Conscience in Hell hath a kind of Accusation or self-tormenting in reflecting upon the refusal of the remedy or losing the special advantages we had by the Gospel As the breach of the Law is vindicated on the Jew first Rom. 2.9 so the Gospel when known to be the only way of Peace and Life 't is the worse for us in the Judgment if we neglect it Secondly The promises are given to sweeten the precepts to us that we may obey in love not as slaves for fear of punishment only Forced motives change not the heart endure not long therefore in Christs Law there are promises of pardon of Sin Adoption into Gods Family and finally eternal life We make the precept to be the way to the promise and God maketh the promises to be the motive to the precept we keep the precept to obtain the promise but God propoundeth the promise that we may keep the precept more comfortably We aim at happiness but God aimeth at obedience and maketh that the end of all his promises so that we must obey the command that we may obtain the blessing of the promise and be assured of it and we believe the promise that we may obey the precept 4. This sanction supposeth an exercise of government according to law and so that there is a just Governor and Administrator who will take account how this new law of grace is kept or broken So there is here now in part both in the way of internal or external Government First internal government as the kingdom of God is within us Luke 17.20 Soul-government is carried on according to this rule of commerce between us and God as there is a sense of our Duty written upon our hearts a remaining inward principle inclining us to it Heb. 8.10 so there is a fear of our Judg who will call us to an account for the violation of his Law an inward sentence of life or death upon us as we do good or evil the bitter afflictive sense of Gods displeasure in case of evil and the rewards of love and obedience as tasts of Gods acceptance given us by his Spirit upon
part with it in these strivings yea we must strive against the flesh and overcome it so as to prevent all wilful reigning sin For they that have the spirit live in no sin but only smaller humane frailties surely where the spitit prevaileth it crucifieth the flesh and causeth men to live above all the glory riches and pleasures of the world and mortifieth our sensuality more and more and doth conquer and cast down our strongest sweetest dearest lusts that they may not hinder our love and obedience to God in Jesus Christ. But then for the positive part of the description 'T is a spirit of love power and a sound mind that is the three effects of it are life light and love there is a new vital power called there the spirit of power and then he possesseth our hearts with predominant love to God called there the spirit of a sound mind so that by these three effects doth the spirit renewing and sanctifying the souls of men discover its self in inlightning their minds and opening their hearts and fortifying their resolutions for God and the world to come and these three effects do answer the nature of God whom we apprehend under the notions of Wisdom Goodness and Power to his Wisdom there answereth the spirit of a sound mind to his goodness the spirit of love and the spirit of power to the power of God so that by these Graces we are made partakers of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 and do in some sort resemble God and these suit with the word of God which is sometimes represented as light because the Wisdom of God shineth forth there and is represented in the Mysteries of the Gospel where the way of Salvation is sufficiently taught We speak wisdom among those that are perfect 2 Cor. 2.6 The holy Scriptures are able to make us wise to salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 sometimes the Gospel is called the power of God Titus 2.11 and Jude 4th ver or the goodness of God because it representeth the wonders of Gods Love in our Redemption by Christ and the rich Preparations of Grace he hath made for us And these three effects of the spirit suit with the three fundamental Graces Faith Love and Hope the spirit of a sound mind is elsewhere called the spirit of faith 2 Cor. 4.13 which is the eye of the new Creature and the spirit of love is with a little variation called love in the spirit Col. 1.8 and is the heart of the new creature and the spirit of power is hope called elsewhere abounding in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost Rom. 15.13 which is the strength of the new creature whereby we overcome sins and temptations and in all these effects doth the life and power of true godliness consist for surely he is sufficiently furnished for the kingdom of Heaven and all the duties thereof whose mind is inlightned to know God in Christ Jesus and inclined to love God and live to him and who hath chosen the blessedness of the next world for his portion and liveth in the joyful hopes and foresight of it this man hath the true spirit of the Gospel and his conversation will be answerable for there are three words by which a good conversation is usually expressed holiness heavenliness and godliness holiness is sometimes spoken of as distinct from godliness 2 Pet. 3.11 and so holiness noteth purity and hatred of sin and abhorrency of sin this is the fruit of the sound mind or the love and knowledg of God in Christ for he that sinneth hath not seen God 3 John 11. that is hath no true apprehension of him for if we rightly beheld the glory of the Lord in the glass of the Gospel we are changed into his likeness 2 Cor. 3.18 And Faith which is but the knowledg of the Gospel with assent doth purifie the Heart Acts 15.9 The next property is godliness or an inclination and addictedness to God and is the fruit of love which subjecteth all to God and raiseth the heart and resigneth it to him and maketh it fit to serve please glorifie and injoy him 2 Cor. 5.14 15. For the love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judg that if one died for all then were all dead and that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live to themselves but unto him which died for them 1 Pet. 4.6 for this cause was the Gospel also preached unto them that are dead that they might be judged according to men in the flesh but live according to God in the spirit 1 Cor. 6.20 for ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your spirits which are Gods Love is most seen in a thorough resignation and obedience unto God and a desire of Communion with him here Eph. 2.8 and the full fruition of him hereafter 2 Cor. 5.1 The last property is heavenliness Phil. 3.20 but our conversations are in heaven from whence we look for a Saviour This the spirit worketh in us by hope which fortifieth us against all the terrors and delights of sense 1 John 4.4 5 6. Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world they are of the world therefore speak they of the world and the world heareth them We are of God he that knoweth God heareth us he that is not of God heareth not us hereby know we the spirit of truth and the psirit of error The Apostle is speaking there of the Trial of spirits and he puts the difference upon this issue the spirit of God and the spirit of the world and sheweth the one must needs be more powerful than the other so in that other Text 1 Cor. 2.12 For we have not received the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God A spirit raised to God and seeking the happiness to come weaneth us and draweth us off the world and so giveth us power to overcome not the world only but the Flesh and the Devil also 2. Consider this spirit as it fitteth us and frameth us for our duty to man That the Apostle sheweth Eph. 5.9 For the fruit of the spirit is in all goodness righteousness and truth That is the spirit that God hath sent among us by the preaching of the Gospel doth bring forth and produce in us all kindness justice and fidelity there is not a more benign affable thing than the Gospel-spirit nor any thing that doth more fit us to live peaceably and usefully in humane society the first property is all goodness for God is good to all and his spirit is called a good spirit Psal. 143.10 it causeth us to love all mankind with a love of benevolence and those that are holy and partakers with us in the same grace with a special love of complacency this not only keepeth us from doing those things which would hinder their good but also inclineth us to seek their good by all means possible especially the best good for
passed upon us by the law and acquitted and discharged from the guilt of sin and being justified by faith are made heirs according to the hope of eternal life Tit. 3.7 That I will not speak of now because before in the first Verse I now proceed to open unto you the last Thing at first propounded which was 3. The manner of getting our liberty There are three words in the Text Law Spirit and Christ Jesus Let us begin with the last Christ procureth this liberty for us by the merit of his death and intercession The Law or Gospel offereth this liberty to us and the Spirit first applieth it and sealeth it to the Conscience 1. Christ procureth and purchaseth this liberty for us both from the damning power of the Law and the slavery of corruption We were Captives shut up under Sin and Death and he paid our ransom and so obtained for us remission of sins and the sanctification of the spirit remission of Sins Eph. 1.7 In whom we have redemption by his blood the remission of sins That 's one part of our recovery highly necessary for guilty Creatures how else can we stand before the Tribunal of God or look him in the face with any confidence but his redemption did not only reach this but the sanctification of the spirit also Therefore 't is said 1 Pet. 1.18 Ye are not redeemed with corruptible things but by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Thus Christ doth what belongeth to him and none can share with him in this honour 't is his merit that is at the bottom of the Covenant and procured for us both the favour and image of God that we might love him and be beloved by him 2. There is a Law or New Covenant which offereth this grace to us The law of nature concludeth men under Sin and pronounceth Death upon them Christ hath set up a new remedial Law of Grace by which we are called to submit to Christ and thankfully to accept of his merciful preparations even the great benefits of pardon and life The Gospel or New Covenant doth its part First There is Grace published or offered to us Luke 4.18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me for he hath anointed me to preach deliverance to the captives 'T is not enough that our ransom be paid but the offer must be made or else how shall it be laid hold upon by faith and received with thankfulness and with a due sense of the benefit Now the Gospel sheweth liberty may be had upon sweet and commodious and easie terms 2. The terms are stated in the Covenant That we give up our selves to the Lord by Christ and be governed and ruled by the conduct of his Word and Spirit Gal. 3.2 Received ye the spirit by the works of the law or the hearing of faith And 2 Tim. 2.25 26. In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves if peradventure God will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil who are taken captive by him at his will The Covenant is not left to our humours and fancies to model and bring it down to our liking no nor are only the benefits offered but terms stated Isa. 56.4 That chuse the things that please me and take hold of my covenant When he hath stated his terms 't is too late for man to interpose his Vote or to imagine to bring down Christianity to a lower rate for we must not new model it but take hold of it as God hath left it Be in Christ and walk after his Spirit 3. This liberty is assured and established by the Covenant the Conscience of sin and the fears of condemnation are not easily done away and we are so wedded to our lusts that the power of reigning sin is not easily broken therefore we had need of a sure firm Covenant to ratifie these Priviledges to us because our fears are justified by a former Law made by God himself therefore God would not deal with us by naked Promise but put his Grace into a Covenant-form that we may have as good to shew for our Salvation as we had for our Condemnation yea and more And God hath added his Oath That the consolation of the heirs of promise might be more strong Heb. 6.18 And it being a latter grant former transactions cannot disannul it so that the Covenant doth its part also to free beâ—ievers from the power of Sin and the fears of Condemnation 4. The Spirit applieth this grace both as to the effects and the sense as to the effects he applieth it in effectual calling as this quickning spirit doth regenerate us and convert us to God and break the power and tyranny of Sin the wages whereof is Death the Gospel is the means but the blessing is from the Spirit John 8.32 Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free that is ye shall know it savingly so as to feel the power and efficacy of it To be set free to know love serve and delight in God is that liberty that we have by the free Spirit Psal. 51.12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free spirit 2. The spirit sealeth it as to the sense when we come to discern our freedom by the effects of it in our own souls Eph. 1.13 After ye believed ye were sealed with that holy spirit of promise And in the fruit of Christs purchase Gal. 4.4 5 6. But when the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the law to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons And because ye are sons God hath sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts crying Abba Father The Spirits seal is Gods impress upon our Souls left there not to make us known to God for he knoweth who are his from all eternity but for the increase of our joy and comfort not by guess but some kind of certainty 1 John 4.13 Hereby we know that we dwell in God and God dwelleth in us by his spirit that he hath given us by the Spirit dwelling and working in us we know our interest this is not so absolutely necessary as the former to our safety but very comfortable There is a Spirit that attendeth the Law reviving fears in men and a sense of Gods Wrath and there is a Spirit attending the Gospel inclining us to come to God as a Father Rom. 8.15 The one is called the spirit of bondage the other the spirit of Adoption Now because the law is so natural to us we the more need this liberty Vse 1. Since there is a Liberty by Christ and that wrought in us by the Spirit but dispensed by the Gospel let us seek it in this way Therefore consider 1. Your need since every man is under the power of Sin naturally and so under a sentence
a lawful and necessary Fear which doth quicken us to our Duty Phil. 2.12 Work out your salvation with fear and trembling and is either the fear of Reverence or the fear of Caution The fear of Reverence is nothing but that awe which we as Creatures are to have of the Divine Majesty or an humble sense of the condition place and duty of a Creature towards its Creator The fear of Caution is a due sense of the importance and weight of the business we are ingaged in in order to our salvation Certainly none can consider the danger we are to escape and the blessedness we aim at but will see a need to be serious and therefore this fear is good and holy Secondly There is besides this a slavish fear which doth not further but extreamly hinder our Work For tho we are to fear God yet we are not to be afraid of God This servile fear may be interpreted either with respect to the Precept or the Sanction of the Law First with respect to the Precept and so it sheweth us how men stand naturally affected to the duty of the Law Whatever they do is meerly for fear of being punished Secondly to the Sanction Penalty and Curse The fear of evil is more powerful upon us than the hope of good The greater the evil the greater the fear and the more tormenting Doct. That men under the Law-Covenant are under a Spirit of Bondage Here I shall enquire 1. What is the Spirit of Bondage 2. How is it the fruit of the Law-Covenant 3. Whether it is good or bad 1. What is the Spirit of Bondage To open it we must explain Three Things The Nature of the Object 2. The Work of the Spirit 3. The Disposition of man 1. The Nature of the Object The Law requiring Duty of the fal'n creature and threatning punishment in case of disobedience For the Law hath a Twofold Office to convince of sin Rom. 3.20 Now by the Law only cometh the knowledg of sin and to bind over to punishment Therefore 't is said The law worketh wrath Rom. 4.15 In both respects the Old Covenant is called the Law of sin and death Rom. 8.2 The Law as a covenant of Works is called a Law of sin because it only sheweth our sin and a Law of death because it bindeth us over to death 2. The Work of the Spirit Every Truth is quickned by the Spirit and made more powerful upon our hearts The comfort which we have from the Truth of the Gospel is by the Spirit and therefore 't is called Joy in the Holy Ghost So Law-Truths are applied to the conscience by the Spirit Jer. 31.19 After I was instructed I smote upon the thigh and when the commandment came that is in the light and power of the Spirit sin revived and I died Rom. 7.9 That is was made sensible of his sinful and lost condition And indeed the usual Work wherewith the Spirit beginneth with men is to shew them their sin and misery their alienation from God and enmity to him and insufficiency to help themselves 3. The disposition of man which is corrupted under the workings of the Spirit of Bondage And so this Spirit of Bondage or servile Fear worketh several ways according to the Temper of men First in the prophane it giveth occasion of further sinning as conscience being awakened by the Spirit urgeth either the Precept or the Curse the Precept as a Bullock at first yoking groweth more unruly or a River swelleth when it meeteth with a dam and restraint Rom. 7.5 For when we were in the flesh the motions of sin which were by the law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death Sinful practices were more irritated by the prohibition and so our obligation to death increased or else by urging the Curse which produceth the sottish despair Jer. 18.12 And they said there is no hope we will walk after our devices There is a double despair of pleasing or being accepted There is a lazy sottish despair as well as raging and tormenting despair by which men cast off all care of the Souls welfare There is no hope Secondly in a middle sort of men that have a legal conscience it puts them upon some duty and course of service to God But 't is not done comfortably nor upon any noble motives That which is defective in it is this First 't is constrained service This Bondage which is a fruit of the Law doth force and compel men to some unpleasing Task A Christian serveth God out of love but one under the Spirit of Bondage serveth God out of fear A love to God and true holiness prevaileth with the one more than the fear of wrath and punishment for the Spirit of Adoption disposeth and inclineth him to God as a Father but one under the Spirit of Bondage is forced to submit to some kind of religiousness for fear of being damned Indeed both are constrained the one by love the other by fear 2 Cor. 5.14 only the constraint of love is durable and kindly and sweet the other his Task is grievous and wearisome Mal. 1.11 and holdeth most in a fit when danger is nigh they are frighted into some devotion Psal. 78. from 34 to 38. Secondly That service which they are forced and compelled to yield to God is outward service and obedience Isa. 58.7 hanging the head for a day like a Bulrush and as they do Micah 6.7 offer Thousands of Rams and Ten Thousands of Rivers of Oyl or the first born of their body for the sin of their souls 'T is a Sin-Offering rather than a Thank-Offering more to appease conscience than to please God consists in Rituals rather than Substantials and those invented by men rather than commanded by God Whereas the true Christian is otherwise described Phil. 3.3 For we are the circumcision which worship God in the Spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the fiesh But the false Christian is one Matth. 15.8 that draweth nigh to God with the mouth but their heart is far from him their heart is averse from God tho they must have an outward Religion to rest in and so they serve God not as children do a father but as slaves serve an hard and cruel master Thirdly In some the Lord may make use of it to bring on conversion for according to our sense of sin and misery so is a Saviour and Redeemer welcome to us and prized by us There must be a sensible awakening knowledg of our great necessity before we will make use of Christ for our Cure and Remedy None but the sick will care for the Physitian Matth. 9.12 the burdened for ease Matth. 11.28 29. the pursued for a Sanctuary and Refuge Heb. 6.18 None but the condemned to be justified and acquitted Rom. 8.33 34. the lost and miserable to be saved Luke 19.10 2. How is it the fruit of the law covenant The law covenant is double either the
some promised good The act is a desirous expectation The object is some promised good Of the act I shall speak afterwards the object I shall consider now 'T is some good for evil is not hoped for but feared and a good promised for hope the grace is grounded upon the word of God Psal. 130.5 I have hoped in thy word And the Apostle telleth us that the heirs of promise being secured by two immutable things Gods word and Gods oath do fly for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before them Heb. 6.18 The promise doth both declare and assure declare what we may hope for the Apostle saith 't is set before us not before our senses or the eyes of the body but before our faith the eyes of our minds in the Gospel and with all doth assure us in hoping for we have the word of God who is the supream Verity that neither can deceive nor be deceived and the promises of the Gospel are ratified by the solemnity of an oath the more to excite our drowsie mindâ—â—o consider upon what sure grounds we go upon Well then there is some word of promise assented unto by faith before we expect the good promised Promises are the holdfast we have upon God and the sure grounds of raising hope in our selves or pleading with God in Prayer we may plead them to our selves if we would have strong and solid consolation Psal. 56.4 In God I will praise his word in God have I put my trust I will not fear what man can do unto me Thus did David rebuke his fears The fidelity of God in his promises is matter of firm confidence and hope to us Only we must not make promises to our selves lest we become false Prophets to our selves and build upon our own dreams So in pleading with God we have free leave to challenge God upon his word Psal. 119.45 Remember the word unto thy servant wherein thou hast caused me to hope Our necessities lead us to the promises and the promises to Christ in whom they are yea and amen and Christ to God as the fountain of grace there we put these bonds in suit and turn promises into prayers 2. The promises do concern either this life or that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 Godliness is profitable to all things having the promise of this life that now is and that which is to come There are supplies necessary for us during our pilgrimage therefore God hath undertaken not only to give us Heaven and happiness in the next world but to carry us thither in a way best pleasing to himself and conducible to our good that we may serve him with comfort and peace all the days of our lives Therefore there is an hope in Gods promises for what we stand in need of by the way and God delighteth to train us up in a way of faith and hope in expecting our present supplies that by often trying and trusting him for these things we may the better hope for the great salvation as men practice swimming in the shallow brooks before they venture in the deep ocean But temporal things are only promised so far as it may be for Gods Glory and our good we must not set God a task to provide meat for our lusts or imagine that his providence will lacquey upon our humours and vain fancies 'T is the ordinary practice of his free grace and fatherly love to provide things comfortable and necessary for his Children Matth. 6.32 For your heavenly father knoweth that ye have need of all these things There is a common bounty and goodness which reacheth to all his creatures even to the preservation of the smallest worm how much more will he provide for us whom he hath Adopted into his family and to whom he hath made promises that he will never leave us to insupportable difficulties You would count him an unnatural Father that feedeth his dogs and hawks and lets his Children die of hunger Certainly we may hope in God that he will do what is best all things considered 3. The great promise and so the principal object of our hope is salvation by Christ or eternal life 1 John 2.25 This is the promise which he hath promised us eternal life Christ hath promised other things but this is the promise 'T is the great end of Christs mediation to bring us to God 1 Pet. 3.18 For Christ also hath once suffered the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God And that is not fully done till we live with him in Heaven this is the end of our faith 1 Pet. 1.9 This is the prime benefit offered to us in the Gospel to which all others tend By Justification our incapacity is removed by Sanctification eternal life is begun by the mercies of daily providence we are preserved in our duty and motion towards this happy estate Kept blameless to the heavenly kingdom 2 Tim. 4.8 From hence we fetch our comfort during the whole course of our Pilgrimage This we look upon as the recompence of all our pains and losses and upon the hopes of it the life of grace is carryed on and the temptations of sense defeated and therefore hope is described in Scripture by this object more than any other thing Called thence The hope of salvation and all other hopes are in order to this Rom. 15.4 Whatever things were written afore time were written for our learning that we through the patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope that is by submiting and waiting upon him in variety of Providences here in the world we might still keep up the hope of eternal life 4. Eternal life must be expected in the way God promiseth it We must not take that absolutely which God promiseth conditionally God promiseth it to them that believe in Christ John 6.40 This is the will of him that sent me that every one which seeth the son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day Those that saw him with the eyes of the body and were not offended at his despicable appearance but could own him as the Messias as Lord and Saviour Those that see him with the eyes of the mind see such Worth and Excellency in him as to be content to run all hazzards with him and count all things but dung and dross that they may be found in him that they may venture their souls and all their interests in his hands Sometimes to the obedient Heb. 5.8 Sometimes to them that persevere notwithstanding temptations Rom. 2.7 Sometimes to the mortified Rom. 8.13 Now you must consider not only the grant or the benefit contained in the promise but the precept the condition required the benefit or priviledg offered expresseth Gods Grace the condition required points out your duty and by consequence your right for we are not duly qualified according to promise and the gift is suspended till we fulfil the condition but
any sinful infirmities as ignorance distrust c. For afflictions see 2 Cor. 12.9 10. And he said unto me My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christs sake for when I am weak then am I strong For sins see Heb. 5.2 3. Who can have compassion on the ignorant on them that are out of the way for that he himself also is compassed with infirmities And by reason hereof he ought as for the people so also for himself to offer for sins The word for help is notable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 helpeth our infirmities as Mark 9.24 Lord I believe help my unbelief help me against it which we render he helpeth also joineth in relieving helpeth us under our infirmities Goeth to the other end of the sâ—aff and beareth a part of the burden with us The word signifieth To lift up a burden with another In afflictions we are not alone but we have the Holy Ghost as our Auxiliary Comforter who strengtheneth and beareth us up when we are weak and ready to sink under our burden 2. The reason evincing the necessity of that help for we know not what we should pray for as we ought In which there is 1. Something intimated and implyed That prayer is a greater stay in afflictions James 5. If any among you be afflicted let them pray God doth afflict us That we may swallow our griefs but vent them in prayer We have no other way to relieve our selves in any distress but by serious addresses to God This is the means appointed by God to procure comfort to the distressed mind safety to those that are in danger relief to them that are in want strength to them that are in weakness In short The only means for obtaining good and removing evil whether temptations dangers enemies sin sorrows fears cares poverty shame sickness God is our only help against all these and prayer is the means to obtain relief from him yea all grace and strength and the greatest mercies that we desire and stand in need of 2. That which is expressed that we know not how to conceive our prayers aright either as to Matter or Manner 'T is said of Zebedees Children ye know not what ye ask Matth. 20.22 and 't is true of all others also we often beg a mischief to our selves instead of a blessing In those times they were subject to great persecutions and therefore prayed for an exemption from them which not happening according to desire they were troubled Therefore the Apostle telleth them we know not what we should pray for as we ought we know not what is absolutely best for us till the spirit inlighten and direct us There is a darkness and confusion in our minds we consult with the flesh and ask what is most easie and what is most advantagious The spirit of God knoweth what we most stand in need of and is best for our turn health wealth honour or sickness poverty and disgrace There is need of great consideration when we pray more than good men commonly think of That we may neither ask things unlawful nor lawful things amiss Jam. 4.2 we know not what spirit we are of Luke 9.55 we count revenge zeal therefore the Holy Ghost doth instruct and direct our motions in prayer 2 Cor. 12.8 9. 3. The particular assistance we have from him is mentioned but the spirit maketh intercession for us with groans which cannot be uttered Where observe 1. The Author of this help and assistance The spirit it self maketh intercession for us not that the spirit prayeth but sets us a praying As here the spirit is said to pray in us so elsewhere we are said to pray in the Holy Ghost Jude 20. he prayeth As Solomon is said to build the Temple he did not do the Carpenters or Masons work but he directed how to build found out workmen and furnished them with money and materials Neither doth the spirit make intercession for us as Christ doth Rom. 8.34 who is at the right hand of God and maketh intercession for us presenting himself to God for uâ— the drawing up of a petition is one thing the presenting it in Court is another The spirit as a Notary inditeth our requests and as an Advocate presenteth them and pleadeth them in Court 2. The manner of his help and assistance he stirreth up in us ardent groans in prayer or worketh up our hearts to God with desires expressed by sighs and groans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be rendered unuttered groans as well as unutterable and so some take it here And indeed that way it beareth a good sense That the vertue of true prayer doth not consist in the number and artifice of words as those that thought they should be heard for their vain bublings and much speaking Matth. 6.7 Alas the greatest command and flow of words is but babling without these secret sighs and groans which the lively motions of the spirit stirreth up in us There may be this without words As Moses cryed unto the Lord though he uttered no words Exod. 14.15 or unutterable Whatsoever proceedeth from a supernatural motion of the spirit its fervour and efficacy and force cannot be apprehended or expressed 1 Pet. 1.8 Ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory and Phil. 4.7 The peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds In short the sum of all is this we have no reasons to faint under afflictions since there is help in prayer and these prayers are not in vain being excited by the spirit dwelling in us we are ignorant and he teacheth us what to pray for and assisteth us by his holy inspirations We are cold and backward and he inflameth us and exciteth us to pray with fervour and holy sighs and groans The points from this verse are three 1. That the Holy spirit doth strengthen and bear us up in our weaknesses and troubles that we may not faint under them 2. That prayer is one special means by which Gods holy spirit helps Gods children in their troubles and afflictions 3. That the prayers of the godly come from Gods spirit For the first point That the holy spirit doth strengthen and bear us up in our weaknesses and troubles that we may not faint under them The sense of this Doctrine I shall give you in these four considerations 1. That it is a great infirmity and weakness if a Christian should faint in the day of trouble The two extremes are slighting and fainting Heb. 12.5 My son despise not the chastning of the Lord nor faint under it So Pro. 24.10 If thou faintest in the day of trouble thy strength is small partly because there is so little reason for a Christians fainting Who should be more undisturbed
children of God that in the throng of his creatures he forgetteth us Isa. 40.27 My way is hid from the Lord and my judgment is passed over by my God God looketh not after me taketh no notice of those things which concern me or regardeth nor my cause and complaint How doth God know all things and not know you All things are under a Providence but his people are under a special Providence Christ saith of the sparrows Luke 12.6 Not one of them is forgotten before God And are his children forgotten No Christ knoweth his sheep by name John 10.3 And to Moses Exod. 33.12 I know thee by name A Father cannot forget how many children he hath tho his family be never so large and numerous 2. He knoweth their condition and wants and weaknesses Matth. 6.32 Your heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of these things Matth. 6.32 and v. 8. Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before you ask him Yet asking is necessary solemnly to act your faith and dependance but he will not neglect or forget us his Omnisciency giveth all that have interest in him that hope 3. Our prayers are heard tho never so secret Matth. 6.6 Thy father which seeth thee in secret shall reward thee openly Though confined within the closet of the heart Acts 9.11 And the Lord said unto him Arise and go into the street which is called Strait and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus for behold he prayeth 4. Our prayers shall be rightly understood There are many good motions known to God which we either will not or cannot take notice of in our selves as many times large affection to God overlooketh that little good which is in us but God doth not overlook it 'T is well when we can say as Peter John 21.17 And he said unto him Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee But he owneth sincerity where we can scarce own it and many a serious soul hath his condition safe before God when he cannot count it so himself This is implyed in this place 2. Caution Let us take heed of all hypocrisie in prayer or putting our selves into a garb of Devotion when the temper of our hearts suiteth not let not your lips pray without or against your hearts 1. Without your hearts That may be done two ways 1. When you pray words by rote and all that while the tongue is an utter stranger to the heart as some birds will counterfeit the voice of a man so many men do that of a Saint saying words prescribed by others or invented by themselves without life and affection this is to personate and act a part before God complaining of burdens we feel not and expressing desires we have not in these is verified that of our Saviour Matth. 15.8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth and honoureth me with their lips but their heart is far from me Or that of the Prophet Jer. 12.2 Thou art near in their mouth and far from their reins They do but complement God with empty formalities 2. When we pray cursorily or use a few general words that serve all turns and persons alike but are not suited and fitted to our case unless all your confessions and desires be particular they do not affect the heart for generals are but notions and pierce not very deep 1 Kings 8.28 What prayer and supplication shall be made for any man or by all the people which shall know every man the plague of his own heart That is the sin whereby his own conscience and heart is smitten and thereby moved to pray 't is easie to spend invectives against sin in the general this doth not come close enough to stir up deep compunction and holy desires we pray tho of course but do not bemoan our selves and draw forth our earnest requests for the things we stand in need of Names are prized when we hate the thing and names are hated when we love the thing 2. Against the heart When you are loath to leave the sin which you seem to pray against or ask that grace which you have no mind to have Psal. 66.18 If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me He that asketh for that grace he would not have doth but lie to God Now to quicken you to this Caution take these Considetations 1. No wandring thought in prayer is hidden from God Job 42.2 No thought can be withholden from thee From his notice and knowledg Psal. 139.2 Thou knowest my thoughts afar off Your thoughts are as visible to God as your words are audible to men 2. God most abhorreth our prayers when we pray with an idol in our hearts Ezek. 14.2 These men have set up idols in their hearts should I be enquired of them saith the Lord They were resolved what to do yet would ask counsel of God as many now would keep their lusts yet pray against them as if the very complaining were a discharge of their duty without detesting without endeavouring 3. Above all things God looketh to the spirit what the poise and bent of the heart is Prov. 16.2 God weigheth the spirit The spirit puts us in the ballance of the Sanctuary therefore look to principles ends and aims 4. That in covenanting with God there may be a moral sincerity where there is not a supernatural sincerity Deut. 5.28 29. I have heard the words of this people which they have spoken unto thee they have well said all that they have spoken O that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my commandments always They dissembled not for the time which may happen in two cases by some impendent or incumbent judgment as when people are frightned into a little religiousness or in a pang of devotion or solemn worship now this should make us cautelous bring to God the best desires and purposes that you have but rest not in them but get them strengthned yet more and more that our sincerity may be verified and evidenced I come now to the second thing God knoweth the mind of the spirit Doct. That 't is a comfort to Gods childrâ—â— that the Lord knoweth what kind of spirit is working in prayer Here I shall do Three Things 1. Shew the different spirit that worketh in prayer 2. In what sense God is said to know the mind of the spirit 3. Why this is such a comfort to Gods children 1. The different spirit that may work in prayer I shall take notice of a fourfold spirit 1. The natural spirit of a man seeking its own welfare which is not a sin for God put it into us and such an inclination there was in Christ himself Matth. 26.39 O my father if it be possible let this cup pass from me nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt And John 12.27 28. Father save me from this hour but for this cause came I
to limit this universal particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so have lost the advantage but whether they limit it enough let us see 'T is one thing to say they shall not hurt us 'T is another to say they shall conduce to our good or are means appointed to that end 4. If God make use of our infirmities for good 't is to be ascribed to his grace who bringeth good out of so great an evil As David by his fall got wisdom Psal. 51.6 't was the Lords mercy that made him thereby more sensible of his duty watchful over a naughty heart But this is no natural effect of sin and to say God hath promised it it would tempt us to omit our caution and so we should lose this benefit God of his wonderful grace may do many things which he doth not think fit to assure us of by promise 5. We see many Christians fall from some degrees of grace which they never afterwards recover again though preserved in the state of grace for the main God will not vouchsafe to them such a liberal portion of his spirit as they had before Jehâ—shaphat is said 2 Chron. 17.3 to have walked in the first ways of his Father David His first ways were his best ways when he kept himself free from those scandalous crimes he fell into in his latter time But doth it not imply that our prosperity shall turn to good as well as adversity Answer Though it be not formally expressed in this place which speaketh only of sufferings and afflictions yet 't is virtually included For 1. God keepeth off or bringeth on the cross as it worketh for our good And all providences wherein the elect are concerned are over-ruled by his grace for their good Cant. 4 16. Awake O north-wind and come thou south blow upon my garden that the spices therein may flow out Out of what corner soever the wind bloweth it bloweth good to the saints The sharp north-wind or the sultry south-wind 2. 'T is a threatning to them that do not love God that their prosperity tendeth to their hurt Psal. 69.22 Let their table become a snare and that which should be for their welfare become a trap Their worldly comforts serve to harden their hearts in â—in 3. The sanctifying of their prosperity is included in a Christians charter 1 Cor. 3.21 22 23. All things are yours life or death the present world and the future world because you are Christs and Christ is Gods Their prosperity cometh from the love of God and tendeth to their good Therefore let this be included though afflictions are chiefly spoken of in the Context 2. The manner of bringing it about they work together Take any thing single and apart and it seemeth to be against us We must distinguish between a part of Gods work and the end of it We cannot understand Gods providence till he hath done his work he is an impatient spectator that cannot tarry till the last act wherein all errors are reconciled as Christ told Peter John 13.6 7. What I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter We are much in the dark we look only to present sense and appearance his purposes are hidden from us for the Agent is wise in Counsel and excellent in working his way of working is under a vail of contraries and unperceivable to an ordinary eye He bringeth something out of nothing light out of darkness meat out of the eater his end is not to satisfie our sense and curiosity but try our faith John 6.7 To exercise our submission and patience as in the case of Job And our dependance and prayer God knoweth what he is a doing with you when you know not Jer. 29.11 For I know the thoughts that I think towards you saith the Lord thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected end When we view providence by pieces and see God rending and tearing all things in pieces we are perplexed Therefore we must not judge of Gods providence by the beginnings till all work together When we apprehend nothing but ruine God may be designing to uâ— the choicest mercies Psal. 31.22 For I said in my haste I am cut off from before thine â—â—es nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplication So Psal. 116.11 I said in my hâ—ste all men are lyars Samuel and all that had told him he should injoy the kingdom Hâ—ste never speaketh well of God and his promises nor maketh any good comment on his dealings we must stay till all causes work 3. The end and issue for good 1. Sometimes to good temporal or our better preservation during our service Gen. 50.20 But as for you ye thought evil against me but God meant it unto good to bring it to pass as it is at this day and to save much people alive Both the Egyptians and themselves had wanted a preserver if he had not been sold and sent into Egypt We often find by experience that God ordereth our disappointments for good suppose a mans heart were much set upon a voyage to sea but he is hindered by many impediments and before he cometh the ship is gone and afterwards he heareth that all that were in the vessel were drowned this disappointment is for good Crassus his Rival in the Persian war when he heard how that Army was intercepted and cut off by the craft of the Barbarians had no reason to stomach his being refused Many of us whose hearts are set upon some worldly thing have cause to say we had perished if we had not peristed and suffered more if we had suffered less In the story of Joseph there is a notable scheme and draught of providence He is cast into a pit there to perish thence upon second thoughts drawn sorth to be sold to the â—shmaelites by them brought into Egypt sold for a slave again What doth God mean to do with poor Joseph While a slave he is tempted to Adultery refusing the temptation he is falsly accused kept a long time in ward and duress all this is against him Who would have thought that in the issue all should have turned to his good Who would have thought that the prison had been the way to preferment That by the pit he should come to the palace of the King of Egypt That he should exchange his parti-coloured coat for the Royal robes of a Kings Court Thus in temporal things we gain by our losses and God chooseth better for us than we could have chosen for our selves 2. Spiritual good So all affliction is made up and recompenced to the soul it afflicts the body but bettereth the heart Psal. 119.71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes There is more to be learned in affliction than in the vastest Libraries No book will teach us so much as experience under Gods discipline Mad men are kept in the dark and under hardship to bring them to their wits
more in the Scriptures than others do the secure and fortunate read them as they do Ovids verses Certainly when the soul is humble and we are refined and purified from the dregs of sense we are more tractable and teachable our understandings are clearer and our affections more melting Now spiritual learning is a blessing that cannot be valued enough if God write his Law on our hearts by his stripes on our backs we have no reason to complain 4 'T is a repenting-time to stir up the hatred of sin by the bitter effects of it Jer. 2.19 Now know what an evil and bitter thing it is that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God and that my fear is not in thee Weigh with thy self what hath brought all these evils upon thee experience teacheth fools So Lam. 3.39 Wherefore doth a living man complain a man for the punishment of his sin He hath no reason to murmur against God when he considereth his own deserts and that he suffereth nothing but what he hath produced to himself by his sins And therefore we ought to have deep shame and sorrow for our former miscarriages it conduceth to breed true remorse to consider our folly and the misery brought upon us thereby Jer. 31.18 Surely I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke turn thou me and I shall be turned thou art the Lord my God Surely after that I was turned I repented and after that I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed â—ea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth 5. 'T is a weaning time from the pleasures and conveniencies of the present world First the pleasures of the world pleasure is the great Sorceress that hath inchanted all mankind they all court pleasure though in different shapes 'T is deeply ingrained in our nature and the cause of our many miscarriages Tit. 3.3 Serving divers lusts and pleasures and because we have divers pleasures God sendeth divers afflictions The soul is almost so sunk in flesh that it ceaseth to be spirit John 3.6 Pleasure is that which draweth us off from God and ingageth us in the Creature Jam. 1.14 But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and inticed Now among the divers afflictions diseases are natural penances which God hath put upon us to reclaim us from vain pleasures The gust of the flesh would be too strong if God did not check it by imbittering our portion in the world Secondly The conveniencies of the present life riches honours friendships afflictions are sent to cure our carnal complacency and increase the heavenly mind Riches Heb. 10.34 And took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing in your selves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance Relations pâ—ssessions 1 Cor. 7.29 30 31. The time is short it remaineth that both they that have wives be as though they had none And they that weep as though they wept not And they that rejoice as though they rejoiced not And they that buy as though they possessed not And they that use this world as not abusing it for the fashion of this world passeth away Friendship John 16 32. Doating on the Creature is spiritual adultery James 4.4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God who ever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God If an image of jealousie be set up God will blast it he turneth the world loose upon us so that friends prove as broken reeds 'T is easie for God to prosper his people in the world and suit all things to their own desires but he knoweth our proneness to carnal love and how easily our heart is inticed from himself Our temptations would be too strong if the world did appear in an over-amiable tempting dress therefore he doth exercise us sometimes with the malicous envious world sometimes with the cares griefs pains disappointments which are incident to the present life and will shew us what a restless empty world we have here that we may the more earnestly look after those peaceful Regions which are above 6. 'T is a time of increasing our love to God upon a twofold account 1. Affliction sheweth us that nothing is worthy of our love but God whatsoever robbeth God of it soon proveth matter of trouble and distress to us our hearts are the more averse from God because they are inclined to the Creature Jer. 2.13 For my people have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living water and hewed them out cisterns broken cisterns that will hold no water Men bâ—stow their hearts on something beneath the chief good which becometh an idol and false god to them and which they respect and love more than God now the love of God cannot reign in that soul where the love of the world and fleshly lusts reigneth 1 John 2.15 If any man loveth the world how dwelleth the love of the Father in him 'T is not in him Now the great work of grace is to cast out the usurper and to give God the possession of what is his own and therefore the heart must be circumcised before it be true to God Deut. 30.6 The Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul that thou mayest live First the foreskin and fleshliness that sticketh so close to us must be taken off before we can adhere to God as our proper and chief happiness Now this is Gods own work by his internal grace but yet he useth external means and amongst the rest sharp afflictions to wean us from the Creature and to shew us that we do but court our own trouble and infelicity when we bestow our affections elsewhere for hereby God plainly demonstrateth that he is our All-sufficient and Indeficient God All sufficient as answering all our necessities and desires Indeficienâ— our never failing good when all things fail about us Habbak 3.18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord and joy in the God of my salvation And thus by desolating the Creature doth he drive our foolish hearts to himself that we may have the solid delights of his love 2. This love of God is the comfort by which we are supported in all our distresses The servants of God have never so much of the joy in the Holy Ghost as in their great sufferings their delight in God is then purest and unmixed God comforteth them when they have nothing else to take comfort in Job 16.20 My friends scorn me but mine eye poureth out tears to God When all friends forsake us but one that one is sweeter to us than ever Humble moans to God giveth us ease and comfort notwithstanding the neglect and contempt of man and when the world undervalueth 't is enough
6.8 If we be dead with Christ we believe we shall also live with him So 1 Joh. 4.16 We have known and believed the Love which God hath to us Mark 't is a thing to be believed and that with a Divine Faith Qu. But how can this be you will say since I have no Divine Testimony and Revelation for it that I shall be saved Answ. If I take any thing upon mans Testimony that is Credulity if I take it upon Gods Testimony that is Faith Now I have Gods Testimony in the general that whosoever believeth shall be saved And particulars are included in their generals Look as with that faith that believeth the Commandments Psal. 119.66 I believe that it is the will of God that I must not steal I must not Commit Adultery dishonour Parents because God hath said so to all and every one though not to me by name So with that faith which I believe promises I believe they belong to me though my name be not expressed in Christs Charter and Deed of grace if I have the qualification annexed The qualification I discern by Spiritual sense the benefit of the promise I expect by faith even salvation to me 't is a matter to be believed upon supposition that I am converted and brought home to God As in this Syllogism All the dead shall rise Peter is dead ergo the Conclusion is de fide it belongeth to faith though it be not expresly written in Scripture the first Proposition is evident by faith the second by sense and yet the conclusion is de fide So here all that heartily come to God by Jesus Christ shall be saved this is written in Scripture but I do so that is evident by Spiritual sense the Conclusion is de fide I am bound to believe that I shall be saved if it be so upon supposition the Conclusion doth arise from premises one whereof is in Scripture the other evident by Spiritual sense Therefore It is of faith Only let me give you these cautions 1. The particular certainty of our eternal Salvation is not equal in certainty and firmness of assent to that assurance which we have about the Common object of faith the promises of the Gospel Because some things are believed absolutely and immediately other things are believed only mediately and upon supposition as they suit with things believed immediately The promises of the Gospel are totally and immediately revealed in Scripture But that I shall be saved in particular dependeth upon an Argument whereof one part is in Scripture the other ariseth from reflection upon and observation of a mans heart and ways the Conclusion is certain according to the verity of the second Proposition 'T is absolutely certain and evident by faith that whosoever believeth in Christ shall not perish but have everlasting life But that I believe in Christ with a saving faith 't is not so certain though certain it may be I have greater assurance that God is faithful and true then that my heart is upright Therefore greater assurance of the general truth that the true believer shall be saved then I can have of this that I am a true believer 2dly As our assurance of our own interest or particular Salvation is not so strong as our assurance of the truth of the Gospel So 't is not so absolutely necessary For firm adherence to Gospel promises with a resolution of obedience is the qualification absolutely necessary to the Pardon of sins Justification of our persons or our acceptance with God But assurance of our own Salvation though it be comfortable 't is not absolutely necessary The humble and broken heart God will not despise Psal. 51.17 Many poor Souls that want assurance are tenderly beloved of him owned by him as heirs of Salvation and their good works accepted in Jesus Christ that do only resolvedly adhere to Gospel promises and seek after God in the way of an humble obedience yea though they write bitter things against themselves 3dly Assurance of the Word is sooner gotten than assurance of our interest assoon as the Word entreth upon yea before it can have any thorow efficacy upon our hearts we receive it as the word of God or else 't would not work upon us 1 Thes. 1.5 1 Thes. 2.13 Assurance of our own Salvation is not usually got at once but by degrees after we have had some experience of a setled and habitual devotedness to God and grace hath been well exercised and approved in manifold duties tryals and combats Rev. 2.17 To him that evercometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna and this establishment of heart will come after conquest and some experience in afflictions 3dly 'T is propounded as a common priviledge You and I and all the suffering Servants of God we know When we prove the possibility of assurance from the experience of the Saints recorded in Scripture as put case Job 19.25 26. I know that my Redeemer liveth and that I shall see him at the last day or David Psal. 23.1 or Paul 2 Tim. 4.7 8. From all which instances there ariseth this Argument That which hath been may be The Papists answer That these were extraordinary cases that they had by special priviledge and revelation But there is no reason for such exemptions For the Faith of every Believer is as acceptable to God as the Faith of a Prophet or Apostle 2 Pet. 1.1 Simon Peter a Servant and an Apostle of Jesus Christ to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. The object laid hold upon is the same Christs Righteousness there we are upon equal terms So Exod. 30.15 The Covenant by which we hold is the same But chiefly take notice of these three things 1. They assert their own assurance upon grounds common to all the faithful as the love of God in Christ Rom. 8.38 The Righteousness of God or his veracity in keeping promise 2 Tim. 4.8 Gods Power and All-sufficiency to maintain and uphold them in all Tribulations 2 Tim. 1.12 They that build upon the same grounds they may have the same certainty 2. They speak as taking in Believers together with themselves to shew that 't is a common case as here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We are always confident And St. John taketh in others 1 John 5.19 We know that we are of God and the whole world lyeth in wickedness So that here is nothing singular challenged or intimated 3. Whatever was written was written for our comfort and learning That we might be incouraged by the grace given to them to look up to God with the more hope for the same priviledges Paul who was one of the Instances saith That he was set out as a Pattern unto them that should afterwards believe 1 Tim. 1.17 Though his humiliation were extraordinary yet he had his comforts in an ordinary way by the Ministry of Ananias I come now to the fourth Consideration
a great Diligence Sobriety and Watchfulness before we can have it 1 Pet. 1.13 and Heb. 6.11 We desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of Hope unto the end The first Hope may be accompanied with some doubts of our Salvation or the rewards of Godliness ex parte nostri as it belongeth to us not ex parte Dei as promised by him For this Hope apprehendeth all there as sure and stedfast but our own qualification is not so evident In short the Conditional Hope is absolutely necessary in all Christians the latter is very desirable that we should have an assurance on our part of the thing Hoped for but that always cannot be Now Hope sheweth itself both by looking and longing 1. Looking Hope is often described by that act Jude 21. Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life So Tit. 2.13 Looking for the Blessed Hope and in many other places 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stretching out the Head Rom. 8.19 as Sisera's Mother and her Ladies looked through the Lattis We should dwell more upon the thoughts of the world to come and live in the constant expectation of it The vigour of the Spiritual life is abated as this act is abated For when our thoughts of Heaven grow cold heartless raw and unfrequent we grow remiss in our Duty 2. Longing Can a Man believe Blessedness to come and not long to injoy it have an House above and not come at it desiring to be at home The Saints are groaning longing for it Rom. 8.23 2 Cor. 5.2 3 4 5. Mind and heart are both set awork by Hope a Tast will make us long for more III. Prepare and diligently seek after it in the way of Holiness A Christians life is a continual pursuit or seeking after eternal happiness Heb. 12.14 Follow peace with all men and Holiness without which no man shall see the Lord Col. 3.1 If ye be risen with Christ seek the things which are above Mat. 6.33 First Seek c. This is his work and his business His whole life is a continual motion towards this eternal and glorious estate every step an approach nearer Rom. 13.11 and the nearer the more earnest quo propius fruimur as natural motion is the swifter the nearer the center Faith and Hope set all the wheels a going I press onward because of the high Prize of the Calling of God in Christ Phil. 3.14 still getting more Grace more fitness We have no reason to begrudge Gods service when we consider what Wages he giveth We do but talk of eternal life not believe it when we do no more in order thereunto What Labour and hazards do men expose themselves unto for a little of the present world and surely if men did believe the world to come our industry care and thoughts should be more laid out upon it A man that spendeth all his time and care in repairing the House he dwelleth in for the present but speaketh not of another House nor sendeth any of his furniture thither will you say such a man hath a mind or thought to remove that spendeth the strength of his Life and cares on worldly things Surely he doth not believe a Blessed Eternity We work as we do believe if indeed we are perswaded of such an estate why do we no more prepare for it IV. Clear up your own Interest We know we have And henceforth there is laid up for me c. 2 Tim. 4.8 There are many necessary duties which can hardly be done without a sense of your Interest Therefore you should not be satisfied in the want of it As to rejoice in the Lord always to bear the afflictions of the present Life not only with a quiet but with a joyful mind which the Scripture often presseth now who can rejoice in afflictions who is not perswaded they work for Eternal good They are bitter to sense nature and grace teach us to have a feeling of our Interests and to be affected with Gods providence when we maketh a breach upon us The afflictions cannot be improved if we have not some sense of them But now not to be broken with difficulties and Crosses yea to rejoice in them surely that requireth some Interest in better things If God will whip us forward that we may mend our pace towards Heaven the Christian seeth that he hath no cause to complain None of these things move me saith Holy Paul Acts 20 th 29. so I may Finish my Course with Joy Another duty is to Love the appearing of Jesus Christ 2 Tim. 4.8 Who can long for this appearance but those that are assured of welcome at his coming to whom he cometh as a Redeemer and not as a Judge They say even so come Lord Jesus come quickly Another duty is to desire to be dissolved to get above the fears of death How can they desire to be dissolved who have not made sure of another place to go to Well then you must give all diligence to clear up your own Interest V. Improve it to the vanquishing of Temptations 1. Those which arise from the delights of sense or the pleasures honours and profits of the world The proper notion of a Christian is that of a stranger and pilgrim and the duty of strangers and pilgrims is to abstain from fleshly lusts 1 Pet. 2.11 And the force and strength of it ariseth from our confidence in the promises Heb. 11.13 The great use of Faith is to teach us to reject those â—orbid and bewitching pleasures which would withdraw us from looking after those pleasures which are at Gods right hand for evermore Those deceitful riches which would beguile us of the better and enduring substance those slippery and vanishing Honours which would bereave us of the Glory from whence we shall never be degraded To beget an holy weanedness and moderation in us to all these things Vse 2. 2dly To comfort and support us under all the afflictions and sorrows of the present Life of what nature soever they be 1. Against all fears Luk. 12.32 We must look for hardships here in the world but all will be made up when we get home to God therefore bear up with a generous confidence 2dly When pained in sickness and full of the restless weariness of the flesh Consider I shall shortly be in Heaven and there Everlastingly at ease Psal. 73.26 My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my Heart and my portion for ever 3dly Against Imprisonment when shut up in a streight nasty Room Oh! What a comfort is it to consider I shall be with Christ In my Fathers House are many Mansions Joh. 14.2 4thly against loss of fading Riches Heb. 10.34 That took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing in your selves that ye have in Heaven a better and an enduring substance My solid estate lyeth elsewhere out of the reach of Thieves and Flames 5thly Against loss of Love and
but feignedly and hypocritically shunning that by all means which we profess to be our happiness 2. He is not a true Christian that doth not love Christ more than his own Body and his own life or any World thing whatsoever 'T is one of Christs conditions Luke 14.26 If any man come to me and hate not Father and Mother Brothers and Sisters and Wife and Children yea and his own life also he cannot be my disciple All things must be trampled upon for Christs sake or else his heart is not sincere with him A chooseing Earth before Heaven preferring present things before Christ a fixing our happiness here these things are contrary to the integrity of our covenanting with God our valuation of the presence of Christ should be so high and our affection to it so great that we should not exchange our title to it or hopes of it for any Worldly Good whatsoever if God would give thee thy Health and Wealth upon Earth then thou wouldest look for no other happiness this is naught 3. As he cannot be a true and sound Christian so neither discharge the duties of a Christian who is not of this frame and constitution of Spirit 1. Not venture his life for Christ. Heb. 12.4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood striving against sin Unless willing rather to be with the Lord than in the Body 2. Not Imploy his life for Christ nor live in order to eternity unless he hath been kept looking and longing for this happy change Gen. 49.19 Lord I have waited for thy Salvation As if all his life time he had been waiting for this None live the Heavenly life but those that look upon it as better than the worldly and accordingly wait and prepare for it 't is the end sweetneth the means 3. Nor lay down nor yield up his life with comfort The very fore-thoughts of their change are grievous to most men because they are not willing rather to be with Christ hâ—an in the Body and so they move from that which they speculatively call their Blessedness and count themselves undone when they come to injoy 4. There are many things to invite us to desire presence with Christ as there are many things to shew us why we are not satisfied with remaining in the body While we remain in the Body we dwell in an evil World Gal. 1.4 Which is a place of sins snares and troubles But of this see verse 4 th of this Chapter Use. Let us all be of this temper and frame of Spirit willing rather to be absent from the Body and to be present with the Lord. Almost all will prefer the Life to come in words when indeed they utterly neglect it and prefer the fleshly pleasures of this life before it cry out of the vanity and vexation of the World and yet set their hearts upon it and love it better than God and the World to come Gods Children do not often enough compare the difference between being present with the Body and being present with the Lord they root here to much The desire of this life is very natural to us but yet if it withdraweth us from these Heavenly good things and weakneth our esteem of the true life it should be curbed and mortified and reduced into its due order and place Therefore it is very necessary that we should often revive these thoughts and right Judge of the present and future life and use earthly good things piously as long as it pleaseth God to keep us here but still to be mindful of home and to keep our hearts in a constant breathing after Heavenly things Two things I shall press upon you 1. Vse the pleasures of the bodily life more sparingly 2. Let your love to Christ be more strong and more earnest 1. Vse the pleasures of the bodily life more sparingly They that have too great a care and love to the body neglect their Souls and disable themselves for these Heavenly desires and motions they cannot act them in prayer 1 Pet. 4.7 Be sober and watch unto prayer And they lye open to Satans temptations 1 Pet. 5.8 For your adversary the Devil goeth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour Therefore unless there be a great deal of Moderation and a spare medling of earthly delights they are indisposed for the Christian warfare 1 Thes. 5.8 Let us who are of the day be sober putting on the breast-plate of Faith and Love we cannot exercise Faith and Love with any liveliness nor expect the Happiness of the World to come 1 Pet. 1. 13. Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind be sober and hope to the end Whilest we hire out our reason to the service of lust and appetite and glut our selves with the delights of the flesh and worldly pomp as dainty fare costly apparel sports plays and gaming there is a strange oblivion and deadness groweth upon our hearts as to Heavenly things A Christian looketh for days of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. But these must have their refreshings here The Drunkard seeketh his refreshing in pleasing his palate the idle man is loth to be put to work he would have his rest here The vain they must have their senses tickled and pleased pomp and vanity and sports and pastimes is the great business and pleasure of most mens lives 2. Let your love to Christ be stronger and more earnest for where love is we desire union and presence 'T is but a pretence of love where we aim not at the nearest conjunction that may be if we love our friend his presence is comfortable his absence troublesome as Dalilah said to Samson how canst thou say thou lovest me when thy Spirit is not with me Judges 16.15 If we love one we desire to be with him 4. Point That this will and choice cometh from confidence of a better estate and our own interest in it For while the Soul doubteth of the thing or of our injoying it we shall desire the continuance of our Earthly Happiness rather than to depart out of the Body with fears of going to Hell 1. 'T is Faith that breedeth hope which is a longing and desirous expectation For 't is the substance of things hoped for Heb. 11.1 2. 'T is assurance that doth increase it 'T is easie to convince men that Heaven is the only Happiness but is it thy Happiness Though the knowledge of excellency and suitableness may stir up that love which worketh by degrees yet there must be the knowledge of our interest to set a-work our complacency and delight We cannot so delightfully and cheerfully expect our change till our title be somewhat cleared 'T is sad with a man that is uncertain whither he is a going Use. Let us labour for this confidence an holy and well built confidence For he is not in the best Condition that hath least trouble about his everlasting estate but he that hath least cause Many that have been confident of
once past here it must needs be executed Partly because there will be no change of mind in the Judge he is inflexible and inexorable because there is no errour in his sentence but it is every way Righteous and the truth of God is now to be manifested God would not astright us with that he never intended to do grant this Judgment execution is uncertain all his threatnings will be but a vain scar-crow In the day of his patience and grace his sentence may be repealed Mutat sententiam sed non decretum As Jer. 8.7 8. At what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation and a Kingdom to pluck it up and pull it down and to destroy it if that Nation against whom I have pronounced turn from the evil I will repent of the evil which I thought to do Here God revoketh the doom Conviction now maketh way for conversion but then for confusion And partly because there is no change of state in the persons judged they are in Termino as the Apostate Angels while man is in the way his case is compassionable God allowed a change of state to man after the Fall which must not last always 2 Pet. 3.9 He waiteth long for our repentance but he will not wait ever here we may get the sentence reversed if we repent but then 't is final and peremptory excluding all further hopes and possibility of remedy And partly because there can be no change of the heart they may have some relentings when matters of faith become matter of sense For if they would not love God inviting by his mercies and offering pardon then they will not love him condemning and punishing and shutting them out from all hope these three infer one another because no change of heart no change of state because no change of state no change of sentence 2. 'T is speedy there was no delay they were presently transmitted and put into their everlasting estate here is sententia lata sed dilata sentence is past but not executed Eccl. 8.11 Because sentence is not speedily executed upon an evil doer But here 't is otherwise they must depart and be gone speedily out of Gods presence Esther 7.8 As soon as the word was gone out of the Kings Mouth they had him away to execution 3. 'T is unavoidable 't is in vain to look about for help all the World cannot rescue one such Soul In short there is no avoiding by Appeal because this is the last Judgment nor by rescue they shall go away not of their own accord but compelled 't is said Math. 13.42 The Angels shall gather them and cast them into a Furnace of fire So again cast them they shall be dragged away Not by flight for there is no escaping nor intreaty for the Judge is inexorable 6. The sentence is executed upon the wicked first it beginneth with them for 't is said these shall go away into everlasting punishment and the righteous into life eternal Now this is not meerly because of the order of the narration did so require it the wicked being spoken of last but there is a material truth in it sentence beginneth with the godly execution with the wicked sentence with the godly because they are not only to be judged but to Judge the World together with Christ 1 Cor. 6.2 Now they must be first acquitted and absolved themselves before that honour can be put upon them But execution with the wicked Matth. 13.30 Both grow together until the harvest I will say to the Reapers gather ye together first the Tares and bind them in bundles to burn them but gather ye the Wheat into my barn First the wicked are cast into Hell fire Christ and all the godly with him looking on which worketh more upon the envy and grief of the wicked that they are thrust out while the godly remain with Christ seeing execution done upon them And the godly have the deeper sense of their own Happiness by seeing from what wrath they are delivered As the Israelites when they saw the Egyptians dead upon the shoar Exod. 14.30 31. With 15.1 Then sang Moses and the Children of Israel this Song unto the Lord. So when the wicked in the sight of the Godly are driven into their torments they have a greater Apprehension of their Redeemers mercy USE 1. To press us to believe these things Most mens faith about the eternal recompenses is but pretended at best too cold and a speculative an opinion rather than a sound belief as appeareth by the little fruit and effect that it hath upon us for if we had such a sight of them as we have of other things we should be other manner of persons than we are in all holy conversation and godliness We see how cautious man is in tasting meat in which he doth suspect harm that it will breed in him the pain and torments of the stone and Gout or Collick I say though it be but probable the things will do us any hurt We know certainly that the wages of sin is death yet we will be tasting forbidden fruit If a man did but suspect an house were falling he would not stay in it an hour we know for certain that continuance in a carnal â—â—ate will be our eternal ruine yet who doth flee from wrath to come If we have but a little hope of gain we will take pains to obtain it We know that our labour is not in vain in the Lord. Why do we not abound in his work 1 Cor. 15.58 Surely we would do more to prevent this misery to obtain this happiness when we may do it upon such easy terms and have so fair an opportunity in our hands if we were not so strangely stupified we would not go to Hell to save our selves a labour There are two things which are very wondrous that any man should reject the Christian faith or that having imbraced it should live sinfully and carelesly USE 2. Seriously consider of these things The Scripture every where calleth for consideration Think of this double motive that every man must be judged to everlasting joy or everlasting Torment These things are propounded aforehand for our benefit and instruction we are guarded on both sides we have the bridle of fear and the spur of hope if God had only terrifyed us from sin by mentioning unexpressible pains and horrours we might be frighted and â—â—and at a distance from it But when we have such incouragements to good and God propoundeth such unspeakable joys this should quicken our diligence If he had only promised Heaven and threatned no Hell wicked men would count it no great matter to lose Heaven provided that they might be annihilated but when there is both and both for ever shall we be cold and dead We are undone for ever if wicked blessed for ever if godly let us hold the edge of this truth to our hearts what should we not do that we may be everlastingly blessed and