of this that made this rich worldling to be branded for a fool Give Alms plentifully and provide for your selves Bags that wax not old be sparing as to your selves but lay out and spare not upon the Service of God Give your selves unto prayer let reading the Word Meditationâ—… Self-examination be your daily exercises do good to all men serve your generation with diligence study to be useful sill up your relations with duties and when you have done all go out of your selves look wholly unto Jesus and live by faith this do and you shall have treasure in Heaven and let death come when it will it will but set you in possession of glory But woe to them that have laid up nothing on the other side the Grave Death will break them for ever and will prove their eternal undoing 4. Be the death of your sins that they may not fasten like Hell-hounds upon you when you are most helpless Mortifie your corruptions and then the bitterness of Death is past Sin is the sting of Death that makes it dreadful that makes it hurtful O do not arm your enemy against you death cannot hurt you but by the weapons that you put into its hands by your sins if Sin be dead death is conquered This is the top of misery when sin and death shall sly upon a poor creature together when death as the unclean Spirit taking with him seven other Spirits worse than himself shall set a man's Sins all upon him and besides the terrour of its own apaling looks shall shew him the more ghastly and affrighting faces of those Fiends and Furies his unpardoned sins this is the sting of death and makes that the King of terrours 5. Observe the approaches of your enemy daily and remember that you are for ought you know more than half dead already Let not gray hairs be here and there upon you and you know it not observe all the warnings of death and consider in all your pains and insirmities that these are but twitches and items from death How often is death knocking at your doores Death hath a great part of you already in possession whatsoever is past is death's and how little how very little is to come God knows sure I am nothing is yours but the present time Christians shall Death get ground upon you every day and be marching up towards you and will not you provide accordingly and make preparations for it every day as Death comes daily towards you do you labour to make it good against Death Let your fortifications go on daily let some breach be made up let somewhat be mended every day forget not that holy Counsel to meditate every evening that seeing thy dayes are numbred there is one more of thy number spent and thou art now nearer to thy end by a day 6. Dare not to live in such a case or course that you would not dare to dye in How know you but your next step may be into the grave and would you be found in your sins how do you know but death may meet you at the next turning and O how unwelcome a meeting will it be if you be found by it laden with the gains of unrighteousness or with lusts and pleasures would you have Death to find you out of your harnesses would you meet your enemy without a weapon or be found by him in a careless secure and sleeping posture If not how dare you live at such a rate are you at an agreement with Death 7. Be alwayes in your Fathers business that Death may not be able to find you doing evil or doing nothing the holy Calvin would not sorhear his labours in his dying Sickness but when perswaded to give over replyed what shall my Lord come and find me idle it was said of the laborious Willet who was alwayes very early at his work that he was half way on his journey before others did set out Blessed is that Servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing Remember in what you undertake that Death may overtakq you before you have ended therefore see that you do nothâ—…ng without Gods warrant carry this with you and you need not fear Death's surprisal Woe unto you if Death find you with your work to do How holily how happily ended that Blessed Saint Mr. Lovo who could dare to say in his last Prayer Father I have glorisied theâ—… on Earth I have sinished the work which thou gavest stâ—…ma to do and now O Father glorifie me withthy own self Surely the end of that man was peace The last words that ever he spake were Blessed be God for Jesus Christ. Blessed be God for peace of Conscience He lived a life of exemplary diligence and the comfort of his death answered the holy painfulness of his life This was Paul's joy I have fought a good sight I have sinished my course I have kept the faith henceforth is laid up for me tâ—…e Crown of life 8. Get Conscience to be your friend least that should set Death upon you to worry you when yóu come to dye Beware you mistake not the slumber of Conscience for a setled peace the Serpent may be but frozen in your bosoms when you think him dead Death will rouze the sleeping Lyon and then Oh fearful work that he will make his roaring will shake the heart of Rock and apale the countenance of Kings and loose their joynts and break all their bones If you be wise get and keep a good Conscience carry it to the fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness get it sprinkled with the blood of Christ. Exercise your selves to keep a Conscience void of osfence towards Goâ—… 〈◊〉 towards all men In all your undertakings let Conscience have the casting voice ask counsel of it diligently hear its rebukes patiently thankfully as a precious balm that will not break your heads make it to give in its judgment about your Estates If it be confident be sure it be upon Scripture evidence if it be doubtful get it well setled in time if it condemn you away with speed to your Redeemer sue out your pardon get it purified and pacified Follow after peace and holiness but accept of no peace but of God's speaking Please Conscience rather than all the world keep her and she shall keep you they that are careless of defending Conscience are preparing for their own torment at death 9. Remember your Sick-bed resolutions and set a mark upon those things that did make death look most ghastly Woe to you if Sickness find you again in the same sins which formerly stung you what will you say to Conscience or how will you look Death in the face if you be found at last to have been false to your Sick-bed vows Alphonsus King of Aragon sent to the Bishop to know how he should do to become a good man he answered he should be the man he promised to be when last sick of the Gout 10. Keep no
burning so 't is here 't is Christs coming hath sayed us from burning in this 〈◊〉 surnace How terrible this furnace is you may see Rev. 14. 10. The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of hâ—… indignation and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the lamb and the smoak of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever And they have no rest day nor night O methinks the very sight of this surnace at a distance should startle our Souls and make us list up our hands and eyes and souls and praise the Lord. O methinks we that are the redeemed of the Lord we should stand together about the pit and look down and list up our hearts and praise the Lord. Fourthly From the King of terrors He hath saved you as from the Devil so from Death You know death is the mortal enemy of man 't is his great and last enemy and now this enemy hath Christ destroyed and delivered us from And that both from the sting and victory of it First From the sting of death He hath not delivered us from the stroke of death but he hath from the sting of death When the sting is out the serpent may hisse but he cannot sting Death will put you into the possession of that which Christ hath provided for you so that death now is become desirable now there is beauty in it There is no friend can do that for you that death can do It will at once deliver you from sin and Satan and give you a possession in heaven The Apostle looking upon death through Christ longs for death having a desire to depart c. Phil. 1. 23. This great robber through Christ is become our greatest gain That which would have marr'd us for ever will now make us for ever O that this King of terrors should become desirable what a mercy is this O my beloved did you know what the terrors of death be to an enlightned sinner you would account it a great priviledge to be sree from the sting of death When all his comforts are taking their everlasting farewell of him you would account it a great salvation then When he shall feel death putting in his cold hands and pulling out his heart when he sâ—…ail see his house of his body falling down about his ears and he cannot stay there any longer and he sees the hell-hounds stand about him and waiting upon him to carry him to Hell O what horror doth this work upon his heart this hath Christ delivered us from Death hath lest its sting in Christ it can hurt us no longer Secondly From the victory of death It is true we must lye in the grave for some time yet Christ will fetch us thence in John 6. He promiseth no lesse than four times I will raise them up at the last day And this is the fruit of his purchase 1 Thes. 4. 14. Christs resurrection is a certain pledge of ours so 1 Cor. 15. Therefore let us not fear death but embrace it with comfort for death cannot touch our souls it cannot deliver us over into the second death He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death Therefore let us not fear death but let our slesh rest in hope When we dye we may commit our bodies to the dust with comfort it cannot hurt our souls and it shall keep our bodies but a little while neither God will receive our souls immediately our bodies after a little while How doth Job comfort himself in this I know that my redeemer liveth and though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my slesh shall I see God c. Thus may we triumph over death that in this flesh we shall see God And though death for the present do make such work upon us and cast us into the grave yet the earth will be but the mould wherein we shall receive a glorious body so that death shall conduce to our great advantage This is no little victory to be able to triumph with the Apostle O death where is thy victory This is no small priviledge Bless your redeemer for this priviledge VVhat a priviledge well this be when all the Sons and daughters of God shall be brought sorth and made to stand up before him then it shall appear that the grave was not able to hold them Then will they triumph and sing songs of salvation when they shall set their feet upon their last enemy death Secondly It will appear what blessed news this is if you consider how he hath saved you He hath saved you two ways by might and by merit â—…irst By merit Brethren your salvation cost your redeemer dear no less a price than his own invaluable blood O believer look upon thy self art not thou a worthless thing to be redeemed with the price of Christs blood O how should we admire the goodness of Christ here we are not worthy that Christ 〈◊〉 sâ—…end one of his thoughts upon us much less that he should spend his blood for us Seconly By might my brethren it was absolutely requisite for our salvation that our redeemer as he should be of infinite merit so of infinite might If he had not been of infinite merit he could never have been purchaser of heaven for us The soul of one man is more worth than a whole world and then what worth or value must that be of that is able to buy a world of souls and yet this purchaser must be able to buy heaven too and this hath Christ done for us Could heaven and earth have done this no no it would have broken them all if they had done it But now Christ hath done all for us and therefore he must be of insinite merit And not infinite in merit onely but might too for he was to bear all the wrath of God and to bring us off with victory If the wrath of Gods finger be so intolerable that it makes poor creatures to cry out under it what is the wrath of his loins and if the wrath of God against one man is so great what is his wrath against so many men VVhen the price was laid down the devil would not yield up his hold till Christ must come and cast him down and pluck us from him And therefore it was necessary that our redeemer should be of infinite power He hath destroyed him that had the power of death that is the devil Ah brethren we may behold the Lord Jesus Christ upon the cross bowing himself as Sampson did and pulling down the house about his enemies and carrying away the posts and all and setting us free This is our Sampson that hath carryed all away and destroyed our enemies for us The price was sufficient to satisfie the justice of God for us but when the price was paid and paid to God then
others Secondly He is more skilful than others First He is more useful than others The fruit of the Righteous is a tree of life The Righteous is not a barren tree but he is a fruitful bough as Joseph was And he doth not bring forth his fruit unto himself His fruit is a tree of life As the tree of life would give life to them that should eat thereof so the fruit of the Righteous is such that those thâ—…t will hearken to his Counsel shall partake with him of eternal life When others are as thorns and brambles fruitless unuseful of no value in Gods world the Righteous is a fruitful tree and as a tree of life in the midst of the world Secondly He is more skilful and â—…wise than others And would you know wherin his wisedome lyes It is in winning of Souls Doct. That it is a chief part of a Believers duty and the chief point of a Believers wisdom to gain Souls unto God First 'T is the duty of a Believer to gain Souls Though he must begin at home with his own soul yet he must not Terminate there but he must look abroad after others Souls He must not be as a tree that bringeth forth fruit to himself alone but he must be a tree of life that whosoever plucketh of his fruit to make use thereof shall live And then Secondly 't is his wisedom As in the text so Daniel 12. 3. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever They be the wisemen that turn others to Righteousnesse Here I shall shew you First That 't is 〈◊〉 chief part of his duty Secondly That 〈◊〉 a chief point of his wisedome to gain Souls Firstly That 't is a chief part of his duty and this appears First Because this is one chief point of 〈◊〉 love to Jesus Christ. Wherein did Paul discover his love to Jesus Christ in any thing as 〈◊〉 this in his zeal and industry to save Souls Rom. 9. 1 2 3. And thus doth Moses evidence his love Exo. 32. 31 32. If you would shew your Love to Jesus Christ this is the best way in all the world to evidence it Math. 25. You may see how carefully Christ takes notice of any kindness done to the bodies of his elect but O how much more will he take notice of the love to the Souls of his Elect Secondly Because this is the chief point of our love to our Brethren You know that Christ tels us that all the Law and the â—…phets hang upon this thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart c. And thy Neighbor as thy self If the Law doth bind thee to preserve the Chastity and estate of thy Neighbor how much more doth God require of thee that thou preserve the Soul of thy Neighbour This is the principal point of love Jam. 5. 20. He that converteth a sinner from the error of his wayes shall save a Soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins If God requires that thou help thy Neighbours Ox and his Ass how much more must thou help thy Neighbors Soul from hell Thirdly Because this is the principal means of bringing glory to Christ. Every soul that is brought in to Christ is a Jewel put into the Crown of Christ. And wouldest thou not be ambitious of such a service as this Every soul thou bringest into Christ is an eternal Monument set up by thee to the name of Jesus Christ. Wouldest thou have much service done for Jesus Christ O then labor to bring in Souls to him that may do his work here in the world Wouldest thou have much praise to the name of Christ O then labor to bring in Souls to Jesus Christ. Every Soul brought in to Jesus Christ is a Trumpet of his praise The glory of a King is in the multitude of his subjects And so 't is of Christ. This is the great way wherein we are capable to further the glory of Christ in the world to bring in many Souls to Jesus Christ. Fourthly Because this is a principal subject of our prayers This is one grand petition Thy Kingdome come In which petition we pray that the Kingdom of grace may be advanced our selves and others brought into it and kept in it Now 't is a great part of a Christians business to live sutable to his prayers Secondly That 't is the chief point of a Christians wisdome to gain Souls unto Christ. This appears First Because Souls are the goodly pearls that are of great price with Christ. O there is no Merchandise like to that of Souls No gain like to the gain of Souls One Soul is of more worth than all the world You may see of how great price Souls are with Jesus Christ by the great price that he laid down for Souls Did Christ spend his blood for Souls and wilt thou not spend thy breath for Souls This is a principal part of wisdome to deal like wise Merchants in goodly pearls A wise man will not spend his time for trifles that is Childish but his wisdome doth appear in the weight of those things that he layes out his time and pains upon Oh if you would appear to be wise lay out your time and strength for Souls If thou couldest gain but one Soul what a happy gain would that be Secondly Because Souls will be the most glorious Crown in the day of Christ. No Crown like to this the Crown of Souls The time is coming when a Crown of Soulâ—… will be found to be of another manner of value than a Crown of gold What was the Crown that Paul wishes for It was for the Souls that he had converted 1 Thes. 1. 19. What is our hope or joy or Crown of rejoycing are not even ye in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ at his coming Why were these Pauls Crown because he had converted them by his Ministry upon the same account he cals the Phillipians Phil. 4. 1. My joy and Crown of rejoycing Thirdly Because we shall most effectually promote the good of our own Souls by endeavoring to gain others Souls By teaching of others thou shalt teach thy self By exhorting others thou shalt excite and stir up thy self And nothing will redound to thy advantage so much as thy laboring to gain Souls though Israel be not gathered yet shall I bé glorified Fourthly Because this will be an evidence of our own sound conversion if we lay out our strength and time to convert others In John 1. 41. We shall see those young converts when they were but touched they labor to bring in others presently So that if thou wouldest evidence thine own sincerity to thy Soul thou shouldest lay out thy endeavor for the good of others Souls First Use Is it so that 't is a chief part of a Christians duty anda chief point of a Christians Wisedom to gain Souls to
them that are contentious and obey not the truth indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish unto every soul that doth evil Art thou yet in thy Natural unconverted state unrenewed thou mayst go away with sadness thou goest up and down with Cain with certain marks of Gods displeasure upon thee for we are by Nature Children of wrath If thou art in the estate thou wert in by Nature thou art surely under the wrath of God If thou remainest in thy old unbeleef thou needest no more dispute about this matter the wrath of God abideth on thee The whole book of God and the threatnings of God do rise up with open mouth to condemn thee that livest in any unmortified sin Now sin is unmortified when persons go on in a purpose of sinning and in a willingness to practise sin Rom. 6. 16. Know ye not that to whom you yield your selves servants to obey his servants you are to whom you obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto Righteousness To whom you yield your selves servants to obey The servant of God is taken captive by his sin under a temptation but if you yield your selves servants to them you are the servants of sin Yield your selves servants to obey whom do you ordinarily obey If the devil can do more with you to draw you from God than God can to keep you to him if he can do more with you to make you neglect prayer than God can to keep you to it or if he can prevail with you to commit any sin more then God can to keep you from it you are under the wrath of God There is a two fold anger a stated anger and occasional anger or temporal anger Occasional and temporal anger and so the Children of God may fall under his anger but by their application to him in Christ that anger may be taken off again But there is a â—…ate of anger and that is with the wicked And this thou art under who dost live in unmortified sin Thou art in a state of anger in a state of wrath Second Con When the threats and menaces of Gods Word are against men this is a sure evidence of his anger You know we may discern the anger of men by their Rebukes and threats and the like If the word of God be against thee be sure the anger of God is against thee Therefore consult the Scripture If the Scripture do speak sadly of thy state that is an undeniable evidence of Gods anger Zeph. 2. 5. Wo to the inhabitants of the Sea coast the word of the Lord is against you O wo to them that the word of the Lord is against There is wrath from the Lord against that man Therefore if the Lord do speak against thee Make thy peace with speed Do as Haman when he saw the King rise up in hast he stood up to make request for his life to the Queen Est. 7 7 So if thou dost find that there is evil intended against thee by thy sins O fall down upon thy knees and make up thy peace Third Con. Publick calamities except when they come upon a people for Righteousness sake are the evident tokens of Gods anger When God doth strike a nation or a people with war or with pestilence or with famine or the like this is a manifest token of Gods anger with such a nation or people This you may see throughout the book of Judges Still it was when the people had sinned and God was angry that these publick calamities were brought upon them Judg. 2. 13 14 19 20 21. and 3. 7 8. and 10. 6. There you may see that publick calamities did proceed from the sins that were among them And if sin be a sign of Gods anger you may easily make application Should not we fear and tremble should not we humble our selves in the dust and cloath our selves with sackcloth God hath sent all his three greatplagues togetherupon our nation Famine Sword and War O apply this and see that you be sadly affected with Gods displeasure against our Nation But here I put in an exception When they come upon a people for Righteousness sake then though the calamities be common and publick Yet it is not a sign of Gods anger In the primitive times the Christians were fearfully persecuted every where and were killed by the thousands and therefore this was rather Martyrdome then signs of Gods anger Here two things must be considered whether these afflictions did find them cleaving to the Lord in their duty Or going off from him and declining their duty Now if they do find them decaying and remitting their zeal and diligence then those evils though they do come upon them for Righteousness sake yet they come for Gods anger too And so though they should rejoyce in them as coming from wicked men yet they should be humbled and take notice too of the hand of Godagainst them in correcting their vices Fourth Con. When God doth suffer men to prosper in an evil way this is a fearful sign of Gods anger Prosperity is so far from being a sign of Gods favor that when prosperity doth attend men and follow them in an evil way it is one of the most dreadfullest marks in the world against a person or people Whom the Lord loves he rebukes and chastens that is if they wander and go out of his way And we are judged of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world Cor. 11. 32. So when the Lord lets men go on in their evil ways unpunished it is a sign he intends they shall be condemned with the world Brethren be jealous of your selves if God let a person go on in a way of wickedness it is a fearful sign Hos. 4. 14. I will not punish your daughters when they commit whordome c. Therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall It is a sign that he intends higher displeasure against a person when he lets them go on in a way of sin and will not stop them but let them take their swinge in sin Those whom he intends love to shall be corrected here and stopped but others shall have the gibbet kept for them at last Fifth Con. Spiritual judgements are ever to be taken as sore evidence of Gods anger Many times God doth inflict temporal judgements with an intention to reform them and amend a people but when he gives up a person or people to Spiritual judgments this is a token of his highest displeasure God doth threaten as one of the sorest evidences of his displeasure a Famine of the word So Psal. 78. 59 60. When God heard this he was wrath and greatly abhorred Israel so that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh the tent which he had placed among men When God forsook the tabernacle and deprived them of the former tokens of his presence in their ordinances this was a sign that he abhorred Israel So our Saviour as his tokens of his displeasure
lest I should not be the man Now lest this should damp thy Joy let me give thee two Characters by which thou mayst come to know whether this be thy case Thou mayst know it by the Transactions that have passed between Christ and thy Soul and by the Treasure that hath been made choyce of by thee First By the Transactions that have passed between Christ and thee Hast thou passed under the Bond of his Covenant as Christ hath offered himself to thee hast thou again delivered up thy self to him hast thou renounced all thy known sins And took the Lord Jesus Christ for â—…hy Head and Husband to love honor obey him above all hast thou considered the conditions of Christ and accepted of them all and sayest as my Lord saith so I will do Doth thy heart close with the self-denying laws of Christ and art resolved not to allow thy self in any known sin but to rise again by repentance If so thou art the man I am speaking of Secondly Thou mayst know it by the Treasure that hath been made choise of by thee Every man is known by what he pitcheth his heart upon for his Treasure What is it man that carryeth thy heart The things seen or the things unseen Who hath most of thy heart God or the world Which way stands the bent of thy heart a godly manmust not judg of himself by what he is at worst under a prevalent Temptation Nor others by what they are at best in a fit but where is thy constant bent What is thy chiefest care and delight Is it to converse with God And be like to God VVhat doth please thee best when thou art contriving thy happiness Doth this that God is thine Or is it something here below VVhat is thy care Is it to please God If it be thus thou art the man that I am speaking to And now you that are thus that have passed under the bond of Gods Covenant and have made choice of him for your happiness know and understand First That you are the election of Grace The election hâ—…th obtained it saith the Apostle but the rest were blinded You are the handful that God hath taken out but the heap are left Oh Christians the great Transaction of God from all eternity hath been about you And the great transactions of God in time have been about you The Lord did from all eternity enter into a league with his Son for you and did give him to you God was laying the foundation of your happiness before he laid the foundation of the world God was making provision for you from all eternity Our Saviour is often speaking of this gift in John 17. so John 10. 29. My father which gave them me is greater then all John 6. 39. And this is the Fathers will that of all that he hath given me I should loose nothing And so All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me Oh Christian doth not this assect thy heart that the eternal Counsel of the great God should be taken up about thee that God should be bargaining and agreeing with his Son about thee that thou shouldst be mentioned by name from all eternity Christ knows his sheep by name And he bids such rejoice because their names are written in heaven O man did God design thee from all eternity by name How should this affect thy heart what did God build all this world for It was that Christ might have a seed And why do he continue the world 't is because Christ might have the elect sinished when the elect are numbred the Trumpet shall sound and away he comes togather his elect Christs coming what was it for that he might ransom his sheep And his second comming what is it sor but that he might receive his elect John 14. 3. I will come again and receive you to my self that wher I am ye may be also Math. 24 31. He shall send his angels with a great sound of a Trumpet and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds from one end of the heavens to the other What was the end of Christs low Humiliation even to death but to save his people from their sins Math. 1. 21. And what is the end of Christs glorious exaltation to all power and greatness it was all for the elect John 17. 2. Christ hath all power in heaven and earth delivered to him for your sakes for the elect That he might give eternal life to the elect Oh man what a heart hast thou if all this cannot move thee if thou hadst stood by when he laid the foundation of the fabrick of this world wouldst thou not have said surely 't is for some great end if thou hadst stood by when Christ was Crucisied and known the mistery wouldst thou not have said surely this is for some great end why all this was for thee Secondly You are the first born of God Heb. 12. 23. you are come to the general Assembly the Church of the first born which are written in heaven The Apostle speaks of our priviledges as if we were come to heaven already You are come c. you are Gods Israel and beside you areadmitted to have fellow ship with Jesus Christ and by faith are made one with him Now Christ is Gods first born and we being joyned to him are made one with him We are joynt heirs with Christ. Now the first born had many priviledges As. First The sirst-born had the dearest affestion Zach. 12. 10. They shall be in bitterness as one for his sirst born There is the great sorrow because there run out the great stream of affection in this respect you are the first-born of God you are they that have his dearaffection Eph. 5. 1. You are called the dear children of God O the dear expressions that he useth to you and the dear affections that he hath for you you are called the dearly beloved of his soul. O what drops of love doth God drop in these sacred leaves of this book how full is the book of the Canticles My love My dove My undesiled God doth out bid the love of all the parents in the world Can a woman forget her sucking child sho may but I will not forget thee saith the Lord. The dearest mother when she lets her child out of her hands may forget it but you are never out of my hands you are engraven there O what rouling bowels are there in those words Jer. 31. 20. Is Ephraim my Son is he a pleasant child For since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore My bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. Oh man dost thou consider that all this is spoken to thee All this love God hath in his heart for thee yea beyond all expression dear art thou to God Secondly The first-born do carry the inheritance This is your case the inheritance is for you Though a
for his vineyard here O remember now O people what the enemy consulted and what the Lord answered they said come let us curse Taunton and let us defie the people of God But who shall curse whom the Lord hath not cursed And 〈◊〉 whom the Lord hath not defied God hath blessed and who shall reverse it happy art thou O people who is like thee O Taunton saved by the Lord the shield of thy power the sword of this excellency The archers have shot at thee yet they have not hurt thee Shall I particularize the mercies of God to Taunton why consider he hath been a Savior to you a shepheard to you a keeper to you 1. He hath been a Savior to you He hath saved your throats from the sword your habitations from the flames your lives from the plague your persons from the prison 1. He hath saved your Throat from the sword have you forgotten that you were a people devoted to destruction by the sons of violence but God disappointed them and gave you your lives for a prey 2. Your habitations from the flames The flames have been set in Ambush against you and yet your habitations are not burnt down to this day 3. Your lives from the plague It hath been devoured by the plague heretofore and yet it hath not devoured you How eminently hath God preserved you in this place in the time of common calamity that hath been among others O think not that it was because those were greater sinners than are in Taunton No but because God hath a peculiar intention of saving you Yet I say to you as Christ â—…o them think not that those upon whom the Tower in Siloam fell were greater sinners than any in Jerusalem I tell you nay but except you repent ye shall all likewise perish We have had the same sins and yet God hath preserved us 4. Your persons from the prison How often hath God preserved you he hath been like the cloud upon Israel and upon all the glory there hath been a defence Once indeed some of you have tasted of a prison but what a mercy was it that it was but once I might tell you what a mercy 't is to you that you have not been troubled with the prelates Courts but Secondly God hath been a shepheard to you Therefore you have not wanted VVho is it that drives you by the still waters though you are as a lamb in a large place 't is because God is your shepheard VVhence is it that you lye down in green pastures 't is because God is your shepheard How hath God provided for you formerly and of late Thirdly God hath been a keeper to you VVhen you were sent to prison God did keep you O do not forget the mercies of a prison I beleive that of all the passages of our lives many of us have no such experience of Gods mercy as in a prison O the provision that God did make for us there O the constant meals the sweet meals that God did make for us there Brethren now let us thankfully commemorate all these mercies Let me call upon you as the Psalmist rejoyce in the Lord ye righteous and again rejoyce O ye people let your voyce be heard on high Let us worship and fall down before the Lord our maker Let it be said praise waiteth for thee a God in Taunton VVell might praise wait for God in Taunton for God hath waited to be gracious to us There was the place that he chose to put his name there There break 〈◊〉 the Arrows and the spear VVho is like our God who rideth on the Heaven for our help and on the sky for our aid Blessed is the people that heareth the joyful sound they shall rejoyce in thee O Lord. The Lord is our deliverance and the holy one of Israel is our King Shout therefore O inhabitants of Taunton for great is the work of the Lord with you And now O Lord Bless them and accept the work of their hands and lift them up and let them lift thee up for ever A Sermon preached in order to the Sacrament on a Sacramental day Luke 2. 10 11. And the angel said unto them â—…ear not for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. MY Brethren good tidings I know must needs be welcome to you at such a time as this Now God hath sent me to you with the most blessed news that ever came to man that is that to you is born a Saviour You have here the History of our Saviours birth The shepheards they were abroad in the fields watching over their flocks by night v. 8. and while they were thus diligent in attending their slocks then the angel brought this news to them From whence observe by the way how good it is to be following our lawful callings The fruits of these tidings was great fear that fell upon the shepheards when they saw the angel And against this fear the angel bid them be of good comfort Then you have here the news behold I bring you good tidings c. where you have observable First Thâ—…e â—…senger the Angel Secondly The fruits of it great joy to all people Thirdly The matter of this news That to them was born a Savior From the words observe this Doctrine Doct. That it is the blessedest news that ever came to the ears of man news worthy of angels from God to be the Messengers of it that unto us is come a Saviour Brethren I must needs commend the Grace of God to me this day in making me the messenger of such news to you as this is I am unworthy to bring you this news it is for angels to bring this news they were sent with this message as you see yet God hath been pleased to send me as a Messenger with these tidings to you Now I shall shew you that this is the best news that ever came to the ears of man and that First If you consider the deplorable condition that he found man in Secondly If you consider what a great salvation he hath wrought for man First If you consider the deplorable condition that he found us in we were all gone out of the way we had fal'n among theeves and between sin and Satan we were robbed and wounded and this Samaritan found us and he cured us and it cost him no less than his own blood So desperate a disease is sin that nothing will cure us but the death of Christ. He found us shut up in sin and were not able to get out and then he roll'd away the stone for us and knock'd off our fetters and wrought deliverance for us This was the misery of mans condition that he was in a helpless condition Rom. 5. 6. There was no possibility for us ever to recover our selves Neither was there help in any
Conscience accuse thee shew it thy pardon and that will quiet it Secondly He hath sent thee a Patent for heaven this hath Christ given you that are believers he hath made over to you in his Gospel a sirm conveyance of heaven So that I may say a believer hath as true a right to heaven as Christ can make him yea as Christ hath himself You are they that have endured in my temptations and I appoint unto you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed me c. Now believers can you tell the worth of this token can you cast up the worth of endlesse glory can you tell what God and heaven is worth then you may tell me what this token is worth never was there such a token sent as this is Thirdly He hath sent thee the golden chain of the Jewels and bracelets of thy graces As when the servant of Abraham went to take Rebeckah for wife to Isaac he gave her bracelets c. So hath Christ to you he hath given you the chain of all the graces These are the Jewels he hath adorned you with Dost thou find any faith love c. in thee though it be like a grain of Mustard-seed and like a spark on the hearth O blesse the Lord Christ upon the bended knees of thy soul that he hath given thee this He hath done more for thee in this than he hath done for all the world beside O how thankful should you be that have received such a token from him Christian when ever thou dost feel the operation of the spirit of Christ within thee let this mind thee of the love of him that hath sent thee all this Fourthly He hath sent thee the seal and testimony of his spirit Hast thou received the spirit of adoption teaching thee to cry Abba Father It was he that sent it Hast thou so sure a guide as the sweet compassionate spirit so loving a Counseller as the spirit of Christ in thee O take notice of the love of Christs in sending him to thee Fourthly His testament is the evidence of love beloved it is impossible for me to utter or you to conceive the riches of Christs love expressed to you in his testament his Covenant herein Christian thou mightest read the strange love of Christ to thee in that he hath given thee his testament and delivered it to thee as his act and deed sealed with his own blood O how much did David make of this It was the last words of that sweet singer of Israel Although my house be not so with God yet be hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure and this is all my sa'vation and all my desire 2 Sam. 23. He had all that heart could wish sor in this Covenant O Christian hath Christ given thee his covenant O make much of this covenant 't is a sweet token indeed O the great priviledges and sweet immunities that are conveyed to believers here freedome from sin from the guilt and power of sin Freedome from misery from the wrath of God the curse of the law from the sting of death from the evil of the world from the danger of hell And beside all this what legacies hath he given thee in the covenant God for thy Father himself for thy Saviour his spirit for thy comforter and sanctifier his Ministers for thy teachers his ordinances for thy furtherance in grace there he hath given thee thy adoption and assurance for heaven Do but look over this and say if thou canst that Christ hath not loved thee Fifthly His Blood is a stream of love dost thou doubt of the love of Christ do but look upon him on his crosse how his feet and hands and heart are pierced thou mayst see the love of Christ flowing out of every part Use Now since Christ hath so loved you you that are his people do you love him again O where should you bestow your love place your affections fix your hearts but here I shall give you two motives He desires your love and he deserves your love First Consider he desires your love You have seen a little how Christ doth love you and what doth he expect but that you should love him again and can there be any thing less that he could require O methinks thou shouldest give up thy heart to Christ. This is all that he expects for this love that you should love him again This Christ will accept and nothing short of this will he accept Love cannot be satisfied but by love again It must be paid in its own coyn Cant. 8. 7. If a man would give all the substance of his house for love it would be utterly contemned As no Treasure in the world can buy love purchase love so no sufficiency in the world will be sufficient for love unlesse you give love your love again 1 Cor. 13. 3. Now Christian be perswaded then to give away thy heart out of hand to Christ. O bestow thy love upon him wherehast thou such a thing in thee but that thou shouldst love Christ doth any man plant a vineyard and not expect to eat of the fruit of it hath he put love into thee and doth not he expect that thou shouldest love him Secondly He deserves your love I may say of him as they of the Centurion he is worthy thou shouldst do this thing for him for he loveth our nation Worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive honor and strength c. He is worthy to receive all that you can give unto him If there were any thing else that were worthy of your love there might be some excuse that you did not bestow it upon Christ. But alass there is nothing here that doth deserve your love As Paul said was Paul Crucified for you c. so may I say were these things crucified for you but Christ was crucified for you he hath deserved your love This is he that came in to the world to seek and to save That came and found you naked and dead and wounded and then let out his blood and cured you This is he that when he came you spit upon him and refused him yet he would not be put off from you so but he would do you good How often hath he come and refreshed you with the refreshings of his love how often hath he taken you into his galleries and filled you with his secrets you that are believers may remember the places where he hath given you visits and made you tast of the powers of the world to come A SACRAMENTAL Speech grounded on Math. 15. 28. O woman great is thy faith WE have read many noted and remarkable stories of sundry great exploits that have been done by the renowned worthies of the world but there are no exploits nor atchievements so renowned as those that been done by faith The Scripture give us many instances of this kind and shews us how greatly the Lord Jesus Christ was pleased
to thee Doubt not of my help dost thou think that I would give my self for thee and will not give my hand for thee do not doubt that I will cast thee off dost thou think that I have suâ—…ered all this for thee and that I will cast thee off at last no no. Secondly Believe the infiniteness of my power This is the language of Christ from his crosse believe the exceeding greatnesse of my power He speaks thus O man what if thou shouldst have no friend but I cannot I uphold thee These shoulders that did bear up under all that Hell could invent against me shal not they uphold thee fear not to commit thy self with considence to me See I am able to keep what thou committest to my trust Thirdly Believe the full expiation of all thy sins I am here a satisfaction for thy sin Fear not I am thy atonement thy peace thy propitiation of thy sins what though thou art empty behold the fulness of my satisfaction what am I here for I am cut off but not for my self 't is for thee This is my meaning in my death this is the end why I am upon the crosse to make expiation for sin and bring in everlasting righteousness All you like sheep are gonâ—… astray and God hath laid on me the iniquities os you all Believe it God will not require the debt of the principal and surety too Doth 〈◊〉 trouble thee at any time sprinkâ—… it but with this blood and it will be at peace Art thou afraid to come into the preâ—… of God do but carry me with thee and thou shalt be safe Fourthly Believe the truth of all Gods threatnings here thou seest all the threatnings of God executed upon me See here and believe what God will do to those that go on in their trespasses If he laid so much on me what will he do to them believe also his threatnings of correcting you 〈◊〉 you sin for he will punish your sins with rods and your iniquities with chastisements Fifthly Believe the certainty os all my promises this is another word that Christs crosse and death speaks to you what 〈◊〉 the meaning of this death of mine and of this blood and satisfaction of mine but that the covenant might be ratified and all the promises sealed and nothing diminished but all my Testament and covenant might he ratified for ever Behold this blood that flows from my wounds is sprinkled upon the people for the purifying of them All is as sure as my death and blood can make them Here thou seest all ratisied in my blood Man thinkest thou that I would dye with a lye in my mouth dost thou think that I would suffer all this for thee is I meant not to do thee good Sixthly Believe thy unquestionable right and title to the Kingdom of glory Why here thou dost see the price and ransome the money paid down and what meaneth all this thinkest thou but to buy in thy name into the inheritance Now Christians where is your faith O methinks your sails should be up Methinks you should be triumphing though you are here in the world As Paul Who is he that condemns it is Christ that died Why what objections can be made what can unbelief say that cannot be answered here in the death of Christ shall I muster up all its force tell you what the death of Christ doth speak to it give me leave to touch upon some of them First methinks I hear unbelief objecting from the terribleness of Gods threatnings O sayes the soul my heart melteth within me while I hear the wrath of God threatned against sin methinks I come lately from Mount Sinai wher I heard the Law given withthe Trumpet a shout and a curse pronounced upon all that kept not the words of this Law O how can my soul bear up against all these curses But now how sweetly doth the crosse of Christ and death of Christ answer thy fears Hear thy Saviors language O soul be not afraid do not thou fear and flag all these threatnings were intended against me all wer fulsilled upon me Justice hath nothing to say to thee all the curses are met together upon me That is the meaning of it that thou mayst be free though I take in the wrath of the Lord into my own body Oh! behold me behold me see how full I am of the wrath of God in body and soul my soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death Methinks I should hear thee say now Lord I see my liberty in thy bonds My salvation in thy torment and pain I have seen thy sorrow and out-cry and understood the meaning and intent of all that it was to remove the curse from me Now arise O my soul and inherit the blessing Therefore was Christ made a curse that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles What was the blessing of Abraham I will bless thee and make thee a blessing I will bless them that bless thee and curse them that curse thee And again I establish my Covenant between me and thee Rejoyce O my soul rejoyce and let my soul rejoyce in God my Saviour O my soul God hath blessed thee and shall bless thee Feâ—…r not now the mouth of the Law is for ever stopt thou shalt never hear one curse more of the flaming mouth of the Law O soul what canst thou wish for that is not laid up in the everlasting covenant he hath said he will be a God to thee Canst thou be able to know the immensity of his covenant all is made over to thee Second Object But sin begins to rise up The soul begins to cry out of his sins O the multitude multitude of my sins they are gone over my head and I am sore afraid I have nothing to pay my debt But hear now what Christ speaks to thee This is the language of his death and wounds fear not sin Have I been so long with thee and dost thou not know me Philip so saith he to thy soul what been here so long with me and conversed with me so long and dost thou not know me yet are thy sins infinite and are not my merciâ—…s infinite are thy sins great and am not I God above all equal with the father O look unto me and rest in the fulness of my satisfaction I am thy surety All thy debts be upon me all thy wants are upon me what if thou hast nothing to pay I have enough for me and thee I am the Scape-goat that have carried away thy sin into a land of forgetfulness I have slain the enmity of sin upon the crosse and have reconciled you to my Father Here is redemption full redemption plentiful redemption behold my blood speaketh peace to you Wilt thou not believe the voyce of my death and blood to thee thus Christ's death can speak sufficiently to all that thy sins can say ' against thee Now doth not thy faith stand upright yet
such a change as from being lost to be found A sinner in his Natural state is a lost man in a lost condition but when he is recovered by conversion he is found again The Son of man is come to seek and save that which was lost And so in this Luke 15. What was this lost sheep and lost groat and lost Son What was the meaning of all this but the recovering of lost Souls So that its a great change a coming from death to life from being lost to be found If our gospel be hid 't is hid to those that are lost that is for the present they are lost but when they are converted then of lost they are found Use. Is it so blessed and glorious a change that God doth work in the condition of a believer when he bringeth him to himself no less than from being dead to be alive from being lost to be found Then you that are believers rejoyce in and be thankfull for that blessed and happy condition that God hath translated you into Ah brethren how may you look one upon another and consider what God hath done for you 1. How that you were dead and are alive again You were diseased yea dead creatures diseased full of all that may render you miserable all diseases are met together in a poor sinner Now that God hath recovered thy diseased soul yea thy dead soul and brought thee to life again Oh what matter of joy is this How should you wonder at so great a change as this We read that at the Miracles that our Saviour did upon the diseased there was great astonishment among the people they were amazed at this but here are more miraculous cures than those the cure of dead souls is more than the cure of dead bodies O Brethren if all the diseased that Christ had cured should have confer'd together what strange stories would they have told One would have said I was born deaf and he said Ephatha and my ears were opened Another I was born blind and he anointed mine eyes I washed and received my sight Another I was thirty eight years under a disease and by a word of his mouth I was healed Another I was eighteen years in a sad condition and by a touch of his garment I was cured And so of the rest Ah brethren you were not onely diseased but dead and Christ hath recovered you O! what matter of thankfulness is here You that are believers should not look one upon another without wondering What should move you to wonder if not this It will be a strange change when we shall see all the sons of Adam come forth at last out of their graves when we shall see those that were buried in the great deep brought forth by the power of Christ and made all appear together this will be a strange change But the change of dead bodies is not so great as the change of dead souls O how should you praise God that hath raised you from so great a death as this How is it that we are taken up no more with wonderment for this that he hath done for our souls God doth rejoyce over it it is heavens joy when a lost sinner is found And doth God and Angels take notice of it and rejoyce and do you not take notice of it O what ingratitude is this This should excite sinners to â—…eed their return to God for this will rejoyce heaven and earth Shall I leave my wine saith the Vine whereby I make glad the heart of God and man I may say truly the recovery of a sinner makes glad the heart of God and man not onely will Christians and Ministers rejoyce over thee when thou turnest to God but God himself will rejoyce over thee when thou returnest he will call for the fatted Calf c. O the Mirror of unthankfulness that is upon our hearts that we should be no more moved with any work that God hath done upon our souls You that are converted and wrought upon by Sanctification one would think that you should be able to enter upon no other talk than this to tell what God hath done for your Souls My brethren if while we are here together we should see our dead friends that have been dead ten or twenty or thirty years agoe to eat and drink and walk and talk and converse with us how should we be astonished at it And how would they wonder one at another One that dyed at such a time and another that dyed at such a time and here they live again and talk again But now here is a greater wonder than this here are dead souls and they are brought together and live again and talk again O! me thinks you should wonder to see one another restored from so great a death Obj. But you will say how shall I know that I am recovered from death to life Ans. I shall give together the Characters and the priviledges of you that are recovered from death to life that so your evidence and comfort may be promoted together And there are these four that belong to you First He hath raised you from a state of corruption and rottenness to a state of health and holiness You know a state of death is a state of corruption the grave is a place of rottenness and putrifaction You that lye in your old lusts still certainly you have no portion or part in this matter But you that are changed are brought from this state a state of sin is a state of corruption The Scripture every where speaks of sin by the Metaphor that carries in it the highest pitch of filthiness Psal. 14. 3. They are altogether become silthy or stinking And so in Job 15. 16. How much more abominable and silthy is man which drinketh in iniquity like water Man in his natural state is a most silthy creature no comparison is 〈◊〉 to set forth the odiousness of his condition before he is sanctified by grace and the reason is because he drinketh in iniquity like water As the fish doth swim in and take in water naturally so sin is his very element wherein he doth naturally live as it were Thus the Apostle Rom. 3. 13. Their throat is an open Sepulchre And so our Saviour compares the Pharisees to to whited Sepulchres But now you that are believers God hath raised you from a state of Rottenness to a state of health and holiness Grace is the health of the soul Holiness is the soundness of the soul. An upright heart is a sound heart O beloved what a priviledge is this to be translated from a state of corruption to a state of holiness O what cause have you of thankfulness that can find the stamp of God again upon your souls you are highly favoured indeed whom God hath priviledged with this There is all that is desirable in grace and holiness Riches Wealth beauty all How often do we read of the beauty of Holiness And so of its
Riches too I counsel thee to buy of me gold that thou mayest be Rich Rev. 3. 18. 'T is the true Riches And so it is Health and Soundness too Prov. 3. 8. It shall be health to thy Navel and marrow to thy bones Secondly From a state of darkness to a Land of Light You know the grave is a place of darkness and death a state of darkness Thus is it in the Spiritual death Dead souls are all in darkness under the power of darkness Act. 26. 18. The grave for our dead bodies is a place of darkness but the grave for dead souls is a place of utter darkness of everlasting darkness The grave is Formidable and deep You know when a body is dead it must be buried that it may not annoy us God hath provided a grave to bury dead souls in out of his sight and where do you think that this grave is Why Hell is the grave for dead souls The rich man was dead and was buried but where was he buried His soul was in Hell so some translate this place And being buried in Hell he lift up his eyes Luke 16. 22 23. Hell is a place of darkness and thick darkness O that is horrible indeed that is reserved for poor impenitent sinners the blackness of darkness for ever Jude 13. He doth not onely say darkness but blackness of darkness for ever Ah brethren this is that which Christ hath recovered you from from death to life If you go down into the grave and see how the dead do lye in darkness and silence how formidable is that But oh how will it be to see the grave of hell where dead souls are buried This was your place before you were sanctified Ah brethren what manner of praise what 〈◊〉 of deliverance should you compass the throne of Gods grace withal who have such a change wrought upon you Thirdly From a 〈◊〉 of Impotence to a state of power A natural state is an impotent state Rom. 5. 6. When we were yet without strength in due time Christ dyed for the ungodly As a dead man is not able to move a finger to put off the worms that crawl upon his body and face So a dead soul cannot get the victory over his flesh and lusts He is under an impossibility of doing any thing acceptable before God But now God hath given you strength that you should leap and walk 〈◊〉 praise God God did put strength into thy feet when he recovered thee from death to life that thoâ—… shouldâ—… be able to go thorow dissiculties for his names sake Brethren those that are altogether without strength were certainly never brought to a true and spiritual life If thou art brought from death to life thou hast some strength it may be it is but a little strength But every Saint hath a little strength so that he doth not live in the wilsul practice of any sin If thou hast not thus much thou art dead in thy sins Fourthly From a state of Insensibleness to a state of Sense A Dead man is without sense He hath Eyes but he seeth not and Ears but he heareth not And thus it is with a dead soul. But now you that are believers you are raised from this miserable state I may say to you Blessed are your Eyes for you see and your Ears for you hear O what a change hath he wrought upon you 1. He hath opened your eyes when others are in blindness Brethren what a change is this How many do you see that live where the Gospel is Preached and yet remain ignorant O! what thankfulness should this provoke you to You are restor'd to your spiritual sense Before you thought it the smallest matter in the world to sin against God Now you look upon it after another manner O how should you bless God in those words of our Saviour I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes O! How many be there of the wise men great men of the world that have their eyes closed God hath hid these things from them that they cannot see them But your eyes see give God the glory 2. He hath bored your Ears when others are in deafness When others are like the deaf Adder he hath given you the hearing Ear the obedient Ear O! consider this and be thankful Thou hast of thy self a heart as obstinate as any other heart iâ—… the world Now if God hath given thee ears to hear O bless his Name How often may we call upon a Dead man and he never hear so we may call upon dead souls and they hear not with their souls at least though they hear with their ears 3. God hath loosed your Tongues when others are dumb and silent O what mercy is this Beloved you could not breath before God your Prayers and Requests with lise and fervour as you do unless God did unlose your tongues and open your mouths Man's lips are locked up and his tongue tyed up that he cannot utter himself beâ—…ore God or at least not with that fervency that others can O bless the Lord that he hath loosed your tongues 4. He hath given you Appetites when others rellish not the things of God Dost thou find any hungrings and thirstings after Christ and his Righteousness Is this that which thou dost pant after to be made more conformable to the Lord Dost thou pant after Christ as others pant after the world O bless God that hath put such a difference between thee and others When others relish not the things of God they arâ—… sapless things yea many times they seem burdenfome things to them God hath given thee such an appetite that thou findest a relish in them that nothing goes down so sweetly as the service of God 5. He hath given you your feeling when some others are past feeling We read of some that were past feeling Eph. 4. 19. You know a dead man hath no sense or feeling if you lay a Mountain upon him he feels it not So it is with a dead soul he feels not the burthen of his siâ—…s he complains not for his sins Now canst thou say that thy sins be the greatest trouble to thee in all the world O bless the Lord for this It is a great priviledge you that are Believers do groan under this burthen and 't is your duty so to do yet under this there is some life or else you would not feel your corruptions as you do And now to close all let me renew the Exhortation Rejoyce and be Thankful that though you were lost you are found again O remember what a condition you were in when you were lost Do you not remember what bitterness did seize upon you How many times did you give up your souls and did believe that you should never be found or restored And did God find you when you were lost O consider who it
have caused to be printed on purpose for that end I do not doubt but you would find it a happy means for the letting in the light into their souls Psalm 74. 1. O God why hast thou cast us off for ever why doth thine anger smoak against the sheep of thy pasture THis Psalm and particularly these words do contain the Churches sad lamentation over her deep affliction together with her earnest expostulation with God about the cause Two things there are that the Church in these words doth plead with God First The greatness of her Affliction Secondly The nearness of her Relation First The greatness of her Affliction And there were three things in her asfliction that did make it lye very heavy upon her First The root of this affliction and that was Gods anger why doth thine ANGER smoak c. Secondly The height of this affliction God was not only angry but he did smoak in his anger Thirdly The length of this affliction It was so long that God did seem to cast them off for ever Secondly The neâ—…rness of her Relation Against the sheep of thy pasture as if they should have said Lord if thou hadst done this against thine enemies it had been no wonder If thou hadst poured out thy wrath against the vessels of wrath it had not been so much But what wilt thou draw out thy sword against the sheep of thy pasture It were no wonder that thou shouldst take the fat and the strong and pour out thy judgements upon them but wilt thou do it to thy sheep There be several doctrines that I may raise from the words as First Doct. That Gods people are his sheep Second Doct. That God may be sorely angry with his own people With his own sheep Third Doct. That when God is angry with his people it becomes them carefully to enquire into the Cause Fourth Doct. That when Gods people are under affliction they ought to take notice of and be much affected with his anger from which they do proceed Fifth Doct. That Gods people under affliction are or should be more affected with his anger than with their smart This is that the Church doth complain of Not that the Church did so smart but that God was so displeased and angry That did most affect her Six Doct. That Gods people are apt to have misgiving thoughts of God when they are under sore afflictions God was angry with his people and their hearts did misgive them as if God did cast of his people Seventh Doct. That God may be angry with with his people so sore and so long that in the judgement of sence it may seem that they are for ever cast off Eight Doct. That though the people of God may not murmure against his proceedings yet they may humbly expostulate with him about the cause Why doth thine anger smoak against the sheep of thy pasture I have spoken heretofore to the first of these doctrines I shall speak now to the second To wit Doct. That God may be angry and sorely angry with his own people I have already in the audience of some proved this point And answered several questions As first How anger may be ascribed to God secondly How far he may be angry with his own people Thirdly What is the difference between Gods being Angry with his own people with the wicked I shall not respeak any thing of what I have spoken but proceed to a fourthquestion Fourth Question By what signs and evidences may we come to know whether God be angry and here I shall first premise four Propositions then answer the question in six Conclusions First I shall premise these 4 propositions First Proposition That a person or people may verily think themselves to be in Gods favor when they are indeed under his anger and displeasure Second Prop. That neither Gods favor nor his anger can be known meerly by his outward dispensations Third Prop. That Gods anger or favor must be judged of rather by our carriage toward him than by his carriage towards us Fourth Prop. That for the discovering of Gods favor or anger we must consult rather the book of Conscience and of Scripture than the book of providence First Proposition That a person or people may verily think themselves to be in Gods favor when they are indeed under his anger and displeasure This is an awakening consideration and therefore should be duly laid to heart A Church may think her self in a very good and safe condition and yet Jesus Christ may loath it and be ready to spue her out of his mouth As of the Church of the Laodiceans Men may cry to themselves peace and safety when sudden destruction may come upon them And may say Is not the Lord among us No evil can come unto us and yet be upon the very brink of destruction Men may have great hopes of the presence of God with them and yet evidences of Gods departing from them And may cry the temple of the Lord when God is even casting them out of his sight We read of som that had a great deal of confidence of Gods favor they would still lean on the Lord and were consident that he had favor for them and yet the Lord was ready to break out upon them to their destruction Micah 3. 11 12. They build up Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity c. Yet will they lean upon the Lord and say is not the Lord among us None evil can come upon us Therefore shall Zion for your sakes be ploughed as a field They may think that because the ordinances of God are among them that God is among them when God may be turning them up as a field that is ploughed This ought to startle and awaken men Sirs it is not your Confidence but your evidence that will carry it Many times there are none so confident of Gods favor as those that are marked out for the objects of his eternal wrath and displeasure The carnal Jews they would not be beaten out of their carnal confidence And though the prophet told them of the wrath of God that was coming against them yet they would not hear him till wrath came upon them and there was no remedy Second Prop. That neither Gods favor nor his anger can be known meerly by his outward dispensations No man knoweth either Love or hatred by the things that are before him Men have very shrewdly erred by judging of Gods favor or wrath by his outward dispensations When the Psalmist took his mark by this how sorely was his faith shaken and his feet almost gone When he beheld the Godly in affliction and under suppression and the wicked prospering in their wickedness The 73 Psalm gives you a true account what a sad bout he had by this He observed they had no bonds in their death and they were not plagued like other men Their eyes stand out with fatness they have more than heart could wish They
were very wicked and yet very prosperous Full of sin and yet full of pleasure and riches and all outward accommodation Whereas on the other side he observed that he was â—…fflicted and other of the Godly with him And was tempted from this that God did regard the wicked so much or more than he did the Godly And therefore 't is a very dangerous mistake among the multitude Many think on the one side that because God doth prosper them and bless them as he doth that therefore they are in the favor of God for if they were not he would never deliver them and carry them through so many troubles as he doth if he did not love them This is a dangerous mistake And so some on the other hand because God doth afflict them here that therefore he hath mercy for them hereafter They have their hell here and therefore they shall not go to hell hereafter Alass man thou mayst have thy hell begun here and lengthened out hereafter to all eternity Thou canst not say from this that thou shalt escape the torments of hell but notwithstanding all this thou mayst hear God say to thee at last as to Dives Son remember that thou in thy Life-time receivedst thy good things but now thou art tormented Third Prop. Gods favor or anger must be judged of rather from our carriage towards him than from his carriage towards us If our walk be according to Gods rule we may be sure that peace shall be upon us Gal. 6. 16. If we are such as fear God and work Righteousness then we may be certain that we are accepted with God Acts. 10. 35. If we do well we shall be accepted They that by patient contimâ—…nce in well-doing seek for glory honor and immortality shall have eternal life They are under promise Rom. 2. 6 7. But on the contrary tribulation and anguish upon every soul that doth evil Those that walk disorderly and in disobedience to the will of God however God may prosper them in their ways as they may seem yet they must know that Gods anger is against them They may know that his anger is against them because they walk against him against the flat command of his word For these things cometh the wrath of God upon the Children of disobedience Eph. 5. 6. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unright cousness of men Rom. 1. 18. So they that walk in ways of unrighteousness and ungodliness they may know by this that they are under the wrath of God however God may seem to carry it towards them Men may not conclude that because God doth not presently smite that therefore he is not angry with them God may speak never a word neither strike a blow and yet may treasure up wrath against them at the last and they never think of it Many a poor wretch thinks that God because he is silent that he approves of them Psal. 50. 21. These things hast thou done and I kept silence Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes God would make them know that though for the present he spake nothing and did not shew his anger yet he would make it known against them If our carriage be dutiful and humble toward God what ever his carriage be towards us we may be sure that his love is towards us God doth many times carry it as if he were angry for the tryal of his people to see whether they will trust him and walk by faith and not by sence Whether they will believe though it be against their own feeling He will many times put his Children upon this exercise not in anger but in Love As the tender Nurse doth the Child So on the other hand God may let men alone and let them prosper in the world though he be dreadfully angry with them Fourth Prop That the favor or anger of God is rather to be gathered from the book of Scripture and of conscience than from the book of providence Many times the book of providence is very dark and seems to speak that God favors those men whereas if we look into the Scripture we shall see that they are the vessels of his wrath And the book of providence may seem to tell us that such a people are the objects of his wrath which if we look into Scripture we shall find that they are the people of his love Therefore the Psalmist when he could not know by the book of providence he went to the Scripture to the Sanctuary to the oracles and had those things opened there This book was a key to open those riddles that he could not understand before He sees that those men that did prosper thus were the objects of his wrath And on the other hand that the poor and afflicted were the onely beloved of God Though this was against his mind before Psal. 77. 13. Thy way O God is in the Sanctuary That is in the place where thy word is preached and explained there is thy way the meaning and sence of thy providence is discovered Those that have the Scripture against them these are they that bear the marks of Gods anger upon them And those that have the Scripture for them what ever others judgements be these be the men of his delight Therefore let the word of God be your judge And with the book of Scripture compare the book of Conscience For saith the Apostle if our hearts condemn us not than have we confidence towards God But if our hearts condemn us God is greater then our hearts and knoweth all things Let conscience be consulted with when thou art trying thy case whether thou art in the favor or under the anger of God And that will be able comparing thy state with the Scripture to give a great guess to this whether God have favor for thee or be against thee Now I must adde six Conclusions in which the question shall be resolved How it may be known that God is angry with any people First Conclusion The Raign and dominion of sin is a most certain evidence that any person or people are under Gods anger Where sin is raigning and abounding gross and hainous sins abounding in any nation or place you need not any other evidence that God is angry with that people Especially when those Iniquities are tolerated by Magistrates or found in persons that are in a publick place then they are fearful signs of Gods anger then you may know there is great misery for such people though he may seem at present to prosper them And so for any particular person whether the sin be gross or close if thou art under the power of any one unmortified sin thou mayst be sure thou art under the anger and wrath of God Eph. 6. 5. For these things cometh the wrath of God upon the Children of disobedience Rom. 2. 8 9. But to