be are more able to plead a cause and can doe it better then some Sergeant at Law or some others that are called but yet because he is not called he must hold his tongue Beloved were Christ our Advocate a Novice and not graduated if he were not called to the Bar though he can plead never so excellently with God he could not be heard God will give a call before he heare So Christ is called Yet again when men are called to be Counsellors yet they cannot plead at every Bar. At the Common-pleas none plead but a Sergeant at law though many Counsellors be able Lawyers better gifted then some Sergeants yet this will not suffice he is not called to that Bar in speciall and therefore they must not come till they have the cal as the Sergeants have The Lord doth not bid us to seek his face without a Mediator but he that is the Advocate at the Court of Heaven is the Lord Jesus Christ that is one Man the Man Christ He that hath the best Rethoricke in the world to plead his cause must have him as a Sergeant to plead for him he cannot be admitted into this Court to plead for himself The Ministers of God are in some sort the pleaders of our cause yet they themselves must have this Sergeant to plead for them when they come to this tribunall of God and he alone is admitted to it And it is a great matter to know what kinde of Christ he is that is singled out and then you must know that if all the world offer this service unto you to plead your cause before God it would not avail if this Man Christ were not freely assign'd and called to plead your cause you are gone for ever nothing in the world can be heard but Christ Obj. You will say the servants of God are heard when they pray Answ I say Christ is onely heard when he Prayes you must pray in faith saith James Let him not think that he shall obtaine any thing at the hand of the Lord that wavers he must ask in faith that is he must ask in Christ for faith rests not upon it self but upon Christ It is Christ gets every thing for men it is not they themselves nor their prayers but it is Christ that prevails Now this Advocate Christ he speaks his minde and is admitted to speak his minde to the full But this is not all Christ is gifted and qualified that he may plead effectually There may be some unrighteous Judge in the world that may call men for favour as a father calls his son whether he be gifted and qualified or no that is not regarded This man for some by-respects shall come to the Bar but God is a righteous Judge a Judge that hath no partiality Christ indeed is his Son but Christ his Son is not called meerly for favour but as he calls his Son so he breeds his Son You know beloved that at the Inns of Court the Judges and primest Lawyers are teachers of Students and when they finde them to be proficients then they call them and admit them to the Bar. So Christ is the Student and the Father he doth instruct and tutor him he breeds him up if I may so speak after the manner of men to be fit for the Advocateship and then when he was fit he put him out unto it You shall find anointing as in the word Christ to import gifting of men when they are called out Aaron he was anointed he was gifted to make atonement and so of Saul when Samuel anointed him the Text saith God gave him another he gave him a regall heart and when hee made him a King he gave him the heart of a King he gave him a kingly spirit And this was that which Solomon prayed for when the crown was set upon his head that God would give him a wise and understanding heart to goe in and out before his great people and the Lord answered him and gave him wisdome so that there was none before him nor after him like unto him Even so God did with Christ he was anointed to be our Advocate and as he anointed him he gifted him for it as he saith I have laid help upon one that is mighty Christ is the person that must bring help and therefore his person shall be mighty In Psal 68. vers 18. you shall see there that God did gift Christ when he called him forth Thou art ascended up on high thou hast led captivity captive and received gifts for men Here the office of Christ is to deliver captives and for this purpose must be gifted if he be not qualified unto it he will fail in the execution of it The Apostle recites the same passage but above all that place in Isaiah 42. and the 2 3 4 5. verses doth manifestly cleer this matter Behold my servant saith the Lord mine elect in whom my soule delighteth hee shall not fail neither shall he be discouraged I will hold him with my right hand he shall not be dismayed saith the Text Here you see in the words how many expressions the Lord useth to shew how he qualifieth his Son Christ that so he may be fit to manage his businesse But further in the second place he is not only called Christ but he is Christ Jesus saith the Text and the title doth further illustrate the excellency of Christs qualifications to be an Advocate Here is Christ Jesus Jesus is a name importing the effectuall prevalency of Christ in his plea. I will not stand to cleer the signification of it by the Etymologie of the word but for a more sensible understanding of it the word is taken up and examined by the Holy Ghost himself in Mat 1. verse 21. when the Angel brings the tidings of his birth he gave his name They shall call his name Jesus for hee shall save his people from their sins Jesus is as much as to say a Saviour of people from sin Now see how admirably our Saviour is qualified hee hath not only Rethorick Law at his fingers ends as we say but he hath an admirable prevalency in his Rethorick There is not any cause that Christ yet took in hand that miscarried not any client that ever Christ pleaded for that at any time was cast but he that pleads is still the Saviour of his people This Jesus pleads so that he saves them from their sins It is admirable to consider let the sins produced against a person be never so many never so hainous let the witnesses come in and swear never so punctually and prove never so fully the crimes committed against such a Law yet such is the faculty of this Advocate with the Father that he is Jesus that hee stops the judgement the sentence cannot goe forth This Christ as he is Jesus is first the baile of mens persons till the day of payment You know the nature of bailing persons should go to prison presently
indeed of the world never stirs nor moves God because he know well enough how he can blast every attempt yet because he knowes that his people have some flesh remaining still in them the appearance of a tumult and the opposition of the Gospell may peradventure put them into an affright The Lord therefore endeavours to hearten his own people against the frights that they might take in regard of the outward appearance of opposition and this he doth in the words of the Text Feare thou not for I am with thee bee not dismayed for I am thy God Now lest there should be a mistake to whom the Lord directs this speech for the intent of the Lord may be mistaken in the extent of the people to whom hee speakes and therefore in the 8. and 9. verses the Lord shews to whom he speaks such incouragements But thou Israel art my servant and Jacob whom I have chosen the seed of Abraham my friend Object Why some will say It seemes then that in this Text Gods speaking of comfort and encouragement is confined onely unto the people of the Jews that are the children of Jacob and the seede of Abraham and therefore what ever comfort there is in the Text there is little comfort belongs unto us Answ Consider the ninth verse and then it will appear that though God speakes of Jacob Israel and the seed of Abraham yet he doth not speak of the seed according to the flesh but according to the Spirit for in the ninth verse you read the words thus Thou whom I have chosen and taken from the ends of the earth That Jacob then and Israel to whom the Lord speakes these comfortable words is the Jacob and Israel that is called from the ends of the earth Now if you would know what is meant by the ends of the earth the Prophet will tell you in chap. 43. of Isaiah and the 5,6,7 verses Feare not for I am with thee I will bring thy seed from the East and gather thee from the West I will say to the North Give up and to the South Keepe not back bring my Sonnes from farre and my Daughters from the ends of the earth even every one that is called by my name As much as to say this Israel and Jacob to whom the Lord speaks not to feare is a people gathered from the East and from the North and from the South and from the West now the seed of Jacob naturally considered is not of that extent as to over-spread the World every way however the last clause that it is even every one that is called by his name puts it out of doubt that it extends also to us Gentiles This I note beloved that so we may not only have a guesse that the comfortable language frequently mentioned by the Prophet belongeth unto us as wel as the Jews but that we may see that it is the mind of the Lord that he hath revealed it himself that it doth indeed extend it self unto us for by the way solid comfort wil not be raised upon meer guesses or presumptions taking things for granted without the sense of a good foundation to bear up such comforts All the comfort people have when they runne upon guesses is onely abiding with them so long as there is not administred an occasion of discomfort But all the comforts in the world will vanish that have not some firme foundation when they are struck at and when some tempest beats against them to cast them downe And therefore it is good to bee established in every truth wherein comfort may be received Now from this passage as it hath reference to the coherence I may observe unto you that When ever the Lord Jesus Christ is set up in freshnesse and glory and beauty he doth alwayes meet with strong opposition I say the Lord Christ that righteous Man was never raised up but a storme was raised with him there is an everlasting fighting against the glorious light of Christs Gospel when ever it breakes out You may see the truth of this beloved especially since Christs personall coming at all times no sooner did the Apostles begin to preach Christ as raised from the dead but a madnesse and a fury grew upon those that thought themselves in authority as the Scribes and Pharisees their swords were presently drawn their prisons set open to clap up those that preached Christ Herod killed one imprisoned another intending to kill him too Beloved I need say little of this your owne experience may now be a sufficient witnesse of that which perhaps you feared long before Now is come the time of reformation and purging of the Church the time is come of setting up the Ark and bringing Dagon down you see the fruit of this you see what combustions this hath raised in the world let Christ himself be never so peaceable yet when he comes men will picke a quarrell with him therefore by the way as it is a truth in generall so is it in particular cases too When ever we the Ministers of the Gospel devote our selves only to set up Christ and labour might and maine upon this worke we must expect to have the world about our cares And for you beloved if you dreame of peace and rest in the world if you dreame of finding of friendship and amity and applause with men while you endeavour to set up the Lord Christ you mistake your selves exceedingly You must looke for uproars and tumults and clamours from the world and there will be these continually attending you In the second place from the coherence you may observe As mad and desperate as the world is and the enemies of Christ are in fighting and making opposition against Christ yet no weapons formed in this kinde shall prosper The Lord hath raised him up saith the Text and he shall rule over the Heathen and they shall bee as dust before his sword and as driven stubble before his bow I say this shall come to passe and therefore it is no great matter how majestically the world lookes and how mighty it makes it selfe for beloved if all the World should combine against one person that stands for the cause of Christ rather than Christ should sinke this person should bee able to withstand even the whole World But however let thaâ— person bee borne downe to the ground or over-borne with the World Christ shall never be over-borne Christ shall reign in glory and triumph not onely in Heaven but also in his Church too When all comes to all let them fight never so desperately Christ shall bee the conqueror he shall puriue nay he shall passe onâ— softly hee shall not neede to take any great pains nor toile to maintaine himself thus set up and destroy his enemies hee shall doe iâ— with ease But this is not that I meane neither I come therefore to the Text it selfe The Text is a word of incouragement or a word of heartening held forth to those spirits
Believers indeed the sword is broken the sting is gone The sting of death is sinne the strength of sinne is the Law 1 Cor. 15. but thanks be to God saith the Apostle that hath given us the victory over sinne and death so that we may boldly say Oh death where is thy sting Oh grave where is thy victory If you be the Lords and the Lord be yours if you be Believers you may triumph as the Apostle doth Oh death where is thy sting It is gone nay Oh death saith the Lord in the Prophesie of Hosea I will be thy destruction I beseech you give not care either to Satan or to whatsoever instrument he hath that would possesse you that though Christ dyed for you and hath borne your sins himselfe upon the Crosse or upon the tree as the Apostle Peter expresseth yet those same sins will doe you hurt and prove a mischief and bane to you I say there cannot bee greater despite done nor affront offered unto Christ then to make the Believer conceive that he was not able to beare their sinnes nor the wrath of God sufficiently for them but that they must be wounded notwithstanding all that Christ hath done If Christ be hurt as much as sin can hurt him how can any man be hurt by it for whom Christ suffered If Christ upon the Crosse took the sting out of it and carried it to his own grave how commeth it to have a new sting or did Christ dye in vain If he took away the sting of one sin and not the sting of another there were need of another Christ it seems to take away that sting that is behind and so Christ hath not perfected for ever them that are sanctified I desire you to heare with patience this is the first ground of all your comfort in affliction that sin is gone for then all afflictions in the world cannot discomfort seeing all discomfort ariseth from sin which is the sting of affliction Hereupon the Apostle triumpheth Who can lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifieth who can condemne Contrariwise the soul is in the greatest bitternesse when sin remains and the sting of it is not taken away but when God is reconciled as he is to the faithfull for God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe not imputing their trespasses unto them how then can finne do hurt when it is not to be imputed God doth use to reckon when he doth take payment If God doth not reckon with men he will never smite them with wrath as is the wrath so must be the smart and harm and hurt that person is to sustain in respect of the sins committed Chastise he doth indeed for speciall ends but the sin doth not at all hurt And though the Lord doth afflict that will do you no hurt neither afflictions are the physicke of God to purge and sanctifie the conversation Will a man thinke that is ready to dye of the stone or wind-cholick or stoppage in the fromach if a Physitian comes and gives him a bitter potion that he doth do him any hurt when he knoweth it is to recover his life and save it he knowes he dyes if he heals not the infirmity God useth no physick no chastisement and affliction but it shall worke for good so the Apostie expresseth it in Hebr. 12. No affliction for the present is joyous but grievous yet afterwards it bringeth forth the peaceable fruits of righteousnesse to them that are exercised therewith It bringâ—th forth the peaceable fruits of righteousnesse what hurt is there in all this But I must go on and come to that which I have more particularly to deliver to you and that is upon the consideration of Gods motives by which he doth attempt to prevail over the spirits of his people not to be afraid or dismayed come what can or may come you know God is best able to perswade God best knows what Rhetorick will take with his own people A man that hath had the breeding of a childe and so comes to observe the temper of it can better tell then any other which way to win him God hath the breeding of his own children nay God goeth further he hath the spirits of his children at his own beck and therefore can best tell which way to work upon their spirits and to beget that in them which he calls for of them The Lord would have them not to be afraid nor dismayed Let the Lord propose his way to bring them to this composednesse and fixednesse of spirit it is but presumption in any creature to conceive there may be better wayes to work upon the spirits of men then that which God prescribes And it is worth your observation to consider that when the Lord puts his people upon a composednesse and fixednesse of spirit he doth not say Fear not for you have fasted for you have prayed for you have forsaken your sins and denied your selves and walked holily with me and therefore because you have done this and that Feare you not The Lord doth not say so here he hath higher Propositions that he proposeth that have more excellent vertue to move his people He saith Feare not I am toy God I will helpe thee and uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousnesse The prop for the upholding of spirits against feare when evill cometh it is without a mans selfe in him that is a rock and unchangeable The Lord doth not say You change not therefore you are not consumed you continually proceeded in holines you waver not therefore you are not consumed but I am God and change not therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed I say therefore again If you would have setlednesse of spirit you must go out of your selves and fetch peace of spirit out of God himselfe and I dare be bold to say take all the sweetnesse and comfort of all the world of all the creatures mixed together extract the quintessence of their own excellencies all these together shall never settle a heart nor make it secure and free from fear but only this proposition that God is their God And by the fruit of this principle a poor tottering spirit is under-propped and under-set here with four pillars at every corner one as I may so say I am thy God I am with thee I will helpe thee I will uphold the with the right hand of my righteousnesse or rather there is one main principle and three subordinate supporters affixed unto the main principle for sometimes you shall see great weights laid upon some great pillar and for the better securing of that which is laid upon it you shall have some short pillars branching out from the main spread out wide and so upholding This present discourse seems to be such a main principle that is Gods being a God to such a people I am thy God this is the foundation this is the great pillar I am with thee I will
of God to be our God In all the rest of the gifts of God which hee hath so freely bestowed never a gift of Gods Spirit procures any thing of its own our faith hath nothing of its own fasting and prayer have nothing of their owne but as the Lord hath been pleased to make these Ordinances to be passages to convey himself to the sons of men and so they are to bee made use of by the sonnes of men Faith as it apprehendeth the Lord Jesus and other Ordinances as therein true faith is exercised and no â—therwise And indeed beloved this is the load-stone to provoke persons to the use of all Ordinances God hath ranked them together that the Lord hath so much and so often promised through them to convey himselfe You are kept by the power of God through faith saith the Apostle unto salvation As if he should have said The Lord doth convey himself and the manifestation of his owne salvation through our beleeving The Spirit of the Lord passing through the Ministery of the Gospel as the breath of man passeth through a Trumpet the Trumpet is the instrument the breath is the Spirit of the Lord the Trumpet addes nothing to the breath Now know beloved so far as you will attend the Ordinances because God calls out to Ordinances and because you have heard the Lord promise to bestow such things upon you in the Ordinances so far you shall attend the Ordinances according to his pleasure but when you ascend so high that the Ordinance doth get things then you rob the Lord and give more to Ordinances than God hath given now though the Ordinances have no efficiency of their own in that nature I have spoken yet there is good cause for all Gods own people to esteem very highly of Ordinances and to be joyfull of Ordinances and to long much after Ordinances to make much of them For why the Lord hath made his promises to be found of them and to be with them in Ordinances In the day of adversity call thou upon me and I will deliver thee And here by the way know from hence what is the exspectatio of Believers themselves which they ought to have of the Lord for such things when they come to such Ordinances that so when wee attend the Lord in his Ordinances we may find him in them In Ezekiel you shall find there was a constant motion but it was because there was a spirit stirring in the wheels there 's no motion in the heart of man nor ordinances in the world but as the Spirit of the Lord is in them The Lord hath promised to meet with us in these Ordinances or else they would be as dry as any thing in the world Therefore as the poor man lay at the beautifull gate of the Temple not because the gate would relieve him but because it was a place of concourse where honourable men resorted from whom he might have almes So in the Ministery in Fasting and Prayer and all other services there is the gate of the Temple of the Lord there is the place Gâ—d makes usually his concourse and resort there is the place God appoints to give the meeting therefore in expectation from the word of his grace that wee may finde him in Ordinances we do refort to them Now what derogation is there all this while to the Ordinances while wee make them but thus passive The richest treasure in the world may come to a man through the poorest vessell the treasure is never the farther off nor never the worse because the vessell is poor It is no matter of what price the means of conveyance is so that the thing wee desire be conveyed to us by iâ— only wâ— must noâ— give iâ— that which is abovaits due To aâ—câ—ibe the obtaining of these things tâ— Prayer and Ordinances that is to make gods of them if wee think anything shâ— move the Lord but hiâ— bowels in Christ you invert the course of the Gospel The Lord saith I am he that blotteâ— out thy transgressions for my name sake Thaâ— which God dâ—th to mâ—n is done to them foâ— his own sake He will not be so much bound tâ— any creature as to ferch the least motive froâ— the creature to do good to it Look thereforâ— as you would speed waâ—t â—pon the Lord where he saith you shall speed And this shall be encouragement sufficient to wait upon all Ordinances of all sorts where the Lord appoints that he will for his own sake give you a gracious an weâ— and bestow all good things upon you that you stand in need of in Ordinances this is motive sufficient I say to stir you up to attend upon Ordinances and yet not to make gods of them to ascribe that to them which belongs alone to God who doth all ordinarily through Ordinances which is the only way to disappoint you of your hope when you exspect help from them Object But what is all this to fasting will you say Answ This is a day of fasting why do you fast you stand in need of other things If you consider the nature of fasting aright you shall find there is nothing more proper for this day then this thing God to be thy God to keep thee from feare What is the end of fasting but this to get a prop and support from sinking by reason of approaching evills Who knowes whether the Lord will repent and leave a blessing behinde saith Joel when he proclaimed the day of a fast then to finde the Lord with his hands full of blessings is the end of a Fast Now if you will finde the Lord your God you shall finde the utmost that you can in fasting for in him you will finde that which will stay and support you when greatest extremities grow upon you Therefore I have no more to say to you beloved but only to commend this work to the Grace of God and to the power of his Spirit that is able to fasten it upon your spirits for your everlasting comfort SERMON III. 1 John 2. vers 1 2. My little children these things I write unto you that you sin not And if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins and not for our sins only but for the sins of the whole world OF all the Prophets Daniel alone had this prerogative to be called The greatly beloved of the Lord you may finde it in the 9th of Daniel And this greatnesse of his indearednesse was expressed in the manifestation of the greatness of the riches of the Gospel unto him in a more singular manner than to others So the Lord doth expresse it by his Angel Thou art greatly beloved of the Lord therefore am I come to tell thee that seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and 〈◊〉 City to finish transgressions and to put an end tâ—â—â—n and to make reconciliation for iniquitty and 〈◊〉 bring in everlasting
waâ— before So it is with all â—istempers in your soules by reason of sin if you look upon any beside the brazen Serpent your distemper will returne with double vigour upon you But certainly one vision of Jesus Christ will hid defiance to the stoutest of your lusts and all the powers of darknesse combined with them and in an encounter wilmore than conquer them The Host of Israel was very great well prepared for the battel but if ever the day be won David must come into the field Our fastings and prayers appeare a huge Host but they will rather gaze upon than ingage against an enemie if Jesus Chrisâ— be not in the field but the very câ—â—nte nance of Jesus Christ doth soon â—ill the enemie the avenger and makes all theâ— issue of sia in the soul to orove abortive The marrow of al this you have clearly laia open in the demonstration oâ— the Spirit in the following Sermons which I am confident to all that are led by the â—perit wilâ— be a ful vindication of the truth of Christ and of the worthy Author from those basâ— aspersions cast upon both by pride ignorance You shall sinde the sumâ—ne of this Work to be the sole exaltation of the Lord Jesus in Saints and duties and the debasing and trampling upon all flesh that shaâ— aspire to the seat of Christ the reviving and encouraging of drooping hearts by presenting Christ not themselves in alâ— his accomplishments to them Now if the world shall haptize this doctrine Antinomianisme the Lord grant that all the doctrine preached throughout the world may deservedly he caled by that name Ye thaâ— know Christ be not afraid notwithstanding all the censures of the world to reade the book and receive the truth be assured it is not presented to thee as a bait which is an 〈◊〉 troduction to a snare but if the Spirit of Jesus accompany it thou wilt certainly say as Christ did I have meate to eat which ye know not of I should rather cloud the work then honour it if I should proceed to a further commendation of it I leave it therefore to the Spirit to make out the worth of it to the spirits of the Saints and am concluded under this faith that all the malice and carnall wisdome of this generation shall never be able to interrupt the course of it As for the Author though hee was never known to me yet those works of his which I have perused do encourage me to believe that whilst he lived in the world he lived in God and now his earthly tabernacle being dissolved he is taken up into that fulnesse which hee only saw in part whilst he lived here and though whilst he was upon earth it might he his portion with his Lord and Master to bee mocked and buffeted in the High Priests hall yet now sits with him 〈◊〉 fruition of that glory for which â—e was theâ— a susserer what â—ow reâ—eatins but that yeâ— which through the Spirit have tasted thâ— sweetness of 〈◊〉 Ministry in the same spirit look up to your Father and neg of 〈◊〉 that those who survive in the worke of the Gospel may goe on where he left in the plentifull effusion of the Spirit the glorious truths of Christ may bee amongst thâ— Saints as the Sun in his height and amongst the rest forget not him though unworthy to be numbred with them who iâ— ambitious of nothing else but to he All in Christ and nothing in self Geo. Cokain To the impartial READER READER TRUTH needs no shield to shelter it her oâ—â—n bare breasts are armor of proof against all daring darts of ignorance and pride and therefore walks fearlesse in the midst of all those vollies of bitter words who ever vaunts in putting on his harness Truth only triumphs in putting it off this never quits the field without the Garland God that calleth to the combat carrieth on with a conquering hand the gates of hell assaolt but prevail not wee can do nothing against the truth but for the truth The Prince of the air musters up his forces and retreats his blacke guard falls on with him and are shamefully beaâ—e back kings with their armies flie before it the powers of darkness like Jebu march against it suriously they attempt storm but a the brightness that is before this Sun the thick clouds remove one of truth subverts the tents of darknessâ— What is stronger then truth whâ—â—e going out is as the morning â—â—eth up to a gloâ—â—ious day That ancient Emâ—â—eme is a true Image of truth a candle in a lanthorn upon 〈◊〉 bill beleaguered 〈…〉 blasts 〈…〉 the flag of defiâ—â—ce with this Morto Frusi à . It is buâ— lost labour to dig a trouch about that city for which the Lord â—ath appâ—â—ted salvation for walls and bulwachâ— but though it be secured from subveâ—sion yet it is not protected froÌ„ opposition You know how it went with Christ was not his cradle cut out of the same wood of which his crosse was made His first entrance upon the stage of this world portended a black day at his departing his sudden flight into Egypt from Herods barbarouâ— jealousie was but the Prologue to that sad Tâ—agedy which he ended on Mâ—unt-Calvary nor may his children or servants expect better antertainmâ—nt bonds or afflictions or both abide them that are faithfull they have called the Master an impostor 〈◊〉 Beelzebub Is the servant above his 〈◊〉 I know this sâ—â—vant of truâ—h hath had 〈◊〉 in suffering for it â—nâ—â—â—â—s men pursue those that out-goâ— them a Pâ—â—â—sâ—e will frone any even Christ that shall 〈◊〉 to teach them beyond their old diviâ—â—y Much dirty geer hath been cast upon the Author of this book which if it could have fastned on him I were by speciall ingagements bound to wipe it off but a false tongue cannot make a guilty person Rabsheka's railing made no breach in Jerusalems wals Christ alone must be exalted and all flâ—sh made his foot-stool But there bee some that seeke to darken the wisdome of God with the words of man and draw a specious vail over divine mysteries that so it may be not intentionally understanding is hid from the simple these make a fair shew in the flesh But I had rather see the King in his plainest cloaths then his fool in a painted coat Where is the Scribe where is the wise where is the disputer of this world The loftinesse of man must be laid low his glory buried in the dust all his perfections come to an end but if thou desirest to see truth in a comely dresse cleer complexion thou maist have a full view thereof in this ensuing Discourse Say not the Treasise is too smal to contain so vast a subject but rather admire his skill that discovers so much of heaven through so smal a prospective Wee applaud their art that contract the wide world into the narrow compasse of a slender Map What a deal of worth
that are subject to faint and droop in respect of the afflictionâ— that are likely or at least seeme to be likely to grow upon the Church of Christ Feare not be not dismayed I am thy God I am with thee In the words there are two generalls very remarkable and observable First the temper of the spirit that the Lord aimes to reduce his people unto Secondly the course the Lord takes to reduce them thereunto The temper of spirit that the Lord desires to reduce his people unto is delivered in a double expression Feare not bee not dismayed They are both one saving that dismayednesse is the highest extremity of feare so then the temper that he endeavours to reduce them unto is a quietnesse and settlednesse and undauntednesse of spirit Secondly the course that God takes to bring them to this temper of spirit is a proposall of motives and arguments of sufficient effect and prevalency to pull down vain feare out of the heart Feare not for I am thy God I am with thee and so forth The result of the Text is briefly this They need never to be affraid nor dismayed at any thing though it appeare never so hideous who have God for their God and present with them and a help unto them Beloved these are times as I hinted before unto you that require such a cordial as this now mentioned unto you For now in a more eminent way then ever before is the glory of the Kingdome of Christ contested against and attempted to be thrown down to the dust Now when wee heare of evills our hearts are subject to be dismayed and especially when wee see them with our eyes the sword is drawne nay blood is drawne the hearts of men are full of faintings and many almost at their wits ends many begin to suspect what will become of things out of the fainting suspicion of their spirits And therefore now now it is time to bring forth out of the treasures of the Lord that that may stay the spirits of the people of God that is such an incouragement as the Lord himselfe gives which will be the best way in the world to establish our hearts namely when God will say to a soule Feare not be not dismayed for I am thy God it is a cup of consolation indeed And that wee may draw it forth to you with the better advantage for you to drinke deepe of it let us take these particulars into consideration First what it is not to feare nor to be dismayed Secondly what it is that wee must not feare and be dismayed at Thirdly what the fruite of fear or dismayednesse is or what prejudice or disadvantage feare or dismayednesse brings along with them Fourthly wee shall then consider the motives of the Lord to take us off from these distempers of feare and dismayednesse namely because God is our God and in that wee shall consider First what it is for God to be thy God Secondly we shall consider what strength there is in this Argument God being thy God how this takes off fear and dismayednesse And Thirdly seeing there is such strength in this Argument we shall consider how God doth become the God of persons and people that so you may see the way to enter into this priviledge to have God for your God and so to bee secured from fear and dismayednesse To begin with the first what it is for a person not to feare nor be dismayed I have observed concerning all the passions and affections of men that the sense of them far better open their nature then any discourse possibly can When a fit of feare especially when the height of dismayednesse it selfe seizes upon a spirit that spirit may read a playner lecture to it self of that Passion then all the Rhetorick of men in the world can expresse I mean fear is such a passion as every one knowes better by those experiments they have of it what it is then another is possible able to discribe It is a very distracting disturbing confounding passion it is a kinde of besotting passion that makes men lose themselves especially if it be in the extremity of feare It arises from an apprehension of some unavoidable insupportable evill growing upon a person and occasioned either by some symptomes of that evill or by some messenger or other relating it or by some foresight of the evill in the eye Now as evill appears greater or lesser and more or lesse tolerable so the passion of feare is more or lesse in persons In brief I will give you but a touch of the nature of this passion and you shall have it delivered to you in the words of the Psalmist where he sets it forth by its contrary by what it is not to be afraid or not to be dismayed in 112 Psalme the 7. and 8. verses the Psalmist hath divers expressions that plainly shew what it is for a person not to bee affraid Hee shall not bee moved saith hee his heart is fixed hee shall not be affraid his heart is established Marke the phrases and in them you shall have a full Lecture read to you of a heart not affraid nor dismayed First it is a heart that is not moved nor stirred suppose evill grows on it may bee the sword the enemy appeares bigger and bigger still the dangers are greater and greater what is it now not to be affraid It is not to be moved at all at any time so farre forth as the appearance of danger moves the heart or turnes it so farre hee is affraid So the other phrase doth import His heart is fixed You know that feare in the heart is oftentimes expressed by the shaking and trembling of it and therefore the Holy Ghost expresseth it also by the shaking of the tops of trees so it causeth an unstedfastnesse of spirit Now saith the Psalmist they shall not be affraid whose hearts are fixed that is as a post that is set deep in the ground and rammed in stands fast so that if you thrust against it it stirs not it is fixed so when any thing beats against the heart to shake it and to overthrow it when the heart of a man stirs not at it it is a fixed heart and is not affraid And so the phrase that followes his heart is established signifieth that it is made a stable and firm heart so that it cannot bee shaken In briefe to have a heart not affraid nor dismayed is to have a heart calm that lookes with a regardlesse eye as I may say upon evills when they doe grow out You shall see beloved this affection or temper of spirit not to be affraid in that sense I mention excellently described unto you in the third of Daniel and the 16. verse and there when ever you would know whether you be affraid or no you shall find alwayes as in a Lecture the thing discovered unto you You know what danger was in the eies of those three children Shadrach Meshach and
Abednigo there was a hot fiery furnace prepared for them seven times hotter than ordinary the King proclaimes that what ever he be that will not fall down and worship his Image should presently be cast into this furnace This was enough to startle a person and make him tremble But how is the temper of the three children expressed there We are not say they carefull to answer thee in this matter These threatnings though very fearfull in the eyes of others seemed but a matter of nothing to them they made a tush at it We are not carefull to answer thee in this matter Even so people are then free from feare who when evill is comming care not for it a man when he cares not for any thing that assailes him hee rusheth in upon it and although it seeme to threaten unto him some mischief yet he is confident it cannot hurt him So far forth as youâ— can overlook evills drawing on upon you more or lesse not regarding them in respect of any hurt they can doe you so far forth are you free from feare Object You will say none in the world can have such a temper of spirit when dangers are growing especially great and thick upon them Answ No What say you of these three children I speak of men now they were carelesse Object You will say it may be that was an extraordinary case Answ Nay you shall finde that the very ground of the undauntednesse of their spirits was the same which the Lord proposeth in this Text to put us out of feare We are carelesse to answer thee in this matter Why Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us and he will deliver us The carelesnesse of their spirits was grounded upon a common principle of the whole Church and upon the same the Lord proposeth to all the rest of his people as well as to them they being confident God was their God neither the greatnesse of the King nor the violence of his threatnings could stir them a jot they were all nothing to God who was their God who was able to deliver them and would deliver them Their confidence in this was that which made them break forth into this bold expression We are carelesse to answer thee in this matter But now let us consider what the people of God should not feare Object What to be affraid of nothing doth not the Lord himselfe commend feare to men Nay is not God himselfe called the fear of Isaac and yet would you make us to believe that we should have no fear Answ I answer there is a threefold feare here is a naturall feare a religious feare and here is a turbulent feare A naturall feare is â—othing else but such an affection as is in men â—y nature that they cannot be freed from such feare was in Christ himselfe without sinne There is a religious and godly feare and that is nothing but an awfull reverence whereby people keepe a fit distance between the gloriouâ— Majesty of God and the meannesse of a creature and it is opposed to saucinesse And theâ— there is a turbulent feare and that is a feare 〈◊〉 disquietnesse now all disquieting feare is thaâ— which the Lord endeavours to take off froâ— his people Well but what are the things you will say we should not bee affraid nor dismayed atâ— Perhaps I shall pitch upon things people are much affraid of and will thinke strange theâ— should not be affraid of them First I must tell you the people of Goâ— his owne people they need not be affraid 〈◊〉 their sins And yet let me not be mistaken 〈◊〉 doe not say we must not be affraid to sinne bâ— they need not be affraid of their sins they thâ— have God for their God there is no sin thâ— ever they commit can possibly doe them anâ— hurt Therefore as their sins cannot huâ— them so there is no cause of feare in their sinâ— they have committed Object Some will be ready to say This 〈◊〉 strange All the evils in the world that comâ— they grow up from the sinfulnesse of men If man be affraid of any thing he should bee aâ—fraid of sin from whence all evils do flow Answ I answer beloved it is true sin natâ—rally is a root bringing forth all manner of evill fruit The wages of sinne is death but yet I say what ever sin in its owne nature brings forth yet the sins of Gods peculiar people they that have God for their owne God their sins can doe them no hurt at all and in that regard there is no cause of feare from any of their sins that ever they have committed Beloved I conceive this may seeme somewhat harsh to some spirits touching the truth of it especially to such as misconceive the drift at which I aim which is not to incourage any one unto sin but to ease the consciences of the distressed I desire you to resolve with your selves this one thing so far forth as the Lord reveals it so far you will sit downe contented with the minde of the Lord revealed to you and I beseech you kicke not against the truth There is not one sin not all the sins together of â—ny one believer that can possibly do that belieâ—er any hurt real hurt I mean and therefore he â—ught not to â—e affraid of them How will that â—e made good you will say I will make it apâ—eare out of the seventh to the Romans from â—he midst of the Chapter to the end you see â—ow the Apostle carries it along especially â—bout the 15. and 19. verses where it is true the â—postle expresseth himself in heavy complaints â—gainst such sins as befall believers The good that I would doe that doe I not and the evill thâ— I would not do that doe I insomuch that in tâ— last verse but one the Apostle with much vehâ— mency puts the question thus O wretâ—hed mâ— that I am who shall deliver me from the body of thâ— death Some will be ready presently to saâ— here you see plainly is a fear of sin or ought 〈◊〉 be here is a body of death in men to be affraâ— of But give me leave to tell you that thâ— Apostle in this Chapter as I conceive doâ— personate a scrupulous spirit and doth nâ— speak out his owne present case as it was at thâ— time when he speaks it but speaks in the persâ— of another yet a Believer and my reason 〈◊〉 this Because the Apostle in respect of hâ— owne person what was become of sins wâ— already resolved therefore I conceive he doâ— act the part of a troubled spirit that in respeâ— of the multitude and prevalency of corruption was ready to cry out O wretched man who shâ— deliver mee from the body of this death But maâ—â— how the Apostle answers this question whâ—ther it bee his owne case or anothers foâ— will not stand upon that and you shall plainâ— see the Apostle concludes though there 〈◊〉 such marvellous filthinesse and prevalency 〈◊〉
dismayednesse is prejudiciall to all religious duties first it is a damper of prayer Beloved you know that the life of prayer lies in faith If any man pray let him aske in faith saith St. James Faith is the wing of prayer and carries it up to heaven clip the wings of prayer and the motions of it must be slow Beloved you that are afraid doth feal and dismayednesse take hold of your spirits marke in such a fit what hearts you have to pray In brief there is this great prejudice in fear it makes all the duties that persons perform meerly selfish You know that a servant is very diligent for his master when no danger cometh but let the servant be in fear of any danger he will leave his masters businesse to shift for himselfe and seek for his own safety So consider it well whether your hearts are not for your selves in your services when there is a strong passion of feare in your spirits when a man is in prayer against some evill he fears is approaching unto him what prayer is it He is altogether for himselfe that he may be delivered from his present feare there is not a thought so far as this fear prevails that God may be glorified all the while but only of the evill that is upon him or that is like to fall upon him whereas the Believer should serve with sincerity and singlenesse of spirit he should do that which he doth as unto the Lord saith the Apostle Do not mistake it is not the spiritualnesse nor the fervency in the performance of duties that carries it duties are not expiatory helpers with Christ But I say when duties are performed as to the Lord and for the Lord and not to and for himself then are they right as services But all our hope that we must have in any condition must be only from the grace of God and all our performances that we do act must be to the Lord for what he hath done for us Therefore seeing it is the Lord himself that calls upon you and claps you on the back and bids you be not affraid take courage from the Lord and quit your selves like men In danger be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might There is this difference between Gods call and mans call to do any thing men call men to services and employments but cannot give them power ability to perform that which they are called unto but God calls and gives influence of his owne to make men doe such things as he calls them unto The Lord saith Feare not and in the voyce of the Lord there is life to frame the same temper in your hearts Christ he shall stand over your dead hearts as he did over the dead body of Lazarus saying Lazarus arise who immediatly arose the word of his mouth carried life into it and with it So it saith Fear not and immediately it takes away all feare from the spirit of that man he speaks inwardly unto other men may speak and speak their hearts out and never the better but when God calls upon you not to be afraid he is present in his Ordinances meerly for his owne sake to hold out this undauntednesse of spirit to you it is now with you if you imbrace it it is at your dores he wil make you of a strong and undaunted spirit he shal strengthen you as that Leviathan the Lord speakes of in the 41. of Job which esteemed Iron as straw and brasse as rotten wood because his scales were so strong know this that Believers are the Leviathans of God hee will so steel their spirits that they shall cut Iron as straw and Brasse as rotten wood The Lord is able to put such a spirit into you and he will make good his promise wherein he hath ingaged himselfe that his strength shall be made perfect in weaknesse therefore though you have said My strength faileth me 〈◊〉 yet the Lord shall be the strength of your heaâ—ts and your portion for ever thus you shall give that to the Lord that fearfull men rob him of that is the glory of his power of his faithfulnesse of the freenes and riches of his grace and care of his peoples welfare and Christ of his sufficiency wherein he hath promised plentifully to supply you with all spirituall strength and vigor that you shall run and not be weary that you shall walk and not be faint In a word there are a few civill respects that I will mention as motives against this fear I will but touch them First know fear especially dismayednesse puts a man besides his wits that while he is in such a passion he is to seek for common wayes of safety so that whereas men thinke that fear will hâ—lpe them to avoid danger commonly in amazednesse you shall have people stand still not able to stir or slip aside to save themselves Besides this fear is such a rack and torment that commonly those evills so much feared prove not so hurtfull nor evill to a person as the present fears and besides this feare many times it doth not only daunt the spirit of a man in himself but proves very dangerous to others you already have had sufficient experience not long since of the evill and mischiese this fear had like to have occasioned in the Army a thousand to one it was that the fear of some had not made all the rest to flye and it was a miracle of mercy that there should be so great a feare in the Army and the Army yet stand so to it feare at such a time is of a wonderfull spreading and dangerous nature fearfulnesse in one kindles fearfulnesse in many and so not only mens persons but also the Cause it selfe is hazarded but these are but low things in respect of the prejudice God himselfe sustains in the feare of men therefore for your encouragement consider what the Lord hath in store for you nothing he hath nothing he is or can give doth he think too good for you but he is willing to part with it to make you happy he parts not with his goods but with his Son for you nay beloved he parts with that which is more if any thing can be more then his Son that is himselfe Will you now deprive your selves of the sweet enjoyment of all these by your base and unbelieving and fearfull hearts Nay rather let us freely receive let us thankfully acknowledge and confidently rest upon our Fathers abundant mercy expressed in so many blessings but especially in the gift of his only Son given unto us that we might serve him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life Luke 1.74 75. SERMON II. Isaiah 41. vers 10. Feare thou not for I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousnesse VPon the like occasion that
is now offered unto us I have peradventure in the hearing of some present made entrance into these words I have read now unto you I shall give you but a taste of what I have formerly spoken so much as may serve by way of introduction to that in which I mean to spend the remainder of this time The occasion of these words you may see in the former passage of this Chapter At this present instant a great tumult and uproar was raised upon the raising of the righteous Man from the East that is the setting up of Christ Such a noyse there was that God was fain to call for silence vers 1. and for their plea at the latter end of the verse If they have any thing to say against this businesse of setting up of Christ let them bring their strongest reasons saith the Lord. Having thus obtained silence the Lord makes his plea against their tumultuous opposition vers 2. Who is he that hath raised him up and hath given Nations to him and made him to rule over Kings I the Lord did it saith he vers 4. What have you to say to me He shall prosper and he shall prosper with facility and ease he shall go softly he shall never run for fear of being circumvented Hee shall go in a way that his foot hath not trode before he shall go further then he hath gone and what say they to this when God speaks Yet the tumultuous men will not be quiet they lay their heads together as you finde they consult to finde out helpe nay they conspire the Carpenter and the Smith have laid their heads together Now because there is such a combustion when Christ is set up lest the people of the Lord should be possessed with dismayednesse and feare of miscarriage the Lord turnes his speech to these opposed Fear not I am with thee be not dismayed I am thy God Christ when ever he is exalted did doth and will finde great opposition but in spite of all opposition Christs exaltation shall prosper all their opposition shal not hinder nay he wil go softly that the world may see that he is not afraid of all opposition whatsoever First in this Text the Lord is pleased to provide a pillow as for a King for the heads of his people or a staffe for their trembling hand a pillow to support their sinking spirits they are apt to be discouraged it seems the Lord is pleased to take their condition into his hand to speak to the occasion of their trembling and to give out such words that may be a stay that they may stand fast though blustrings grow greater then they are The Textis nothing else but a gracious incouragement or a comfortable support of a sinking spirit The incouragement is in these words Fear not be not dismayed the grounds and arguments by which he would prevaile with them not to fear nor be dismayed are in these words I am with thee I am thy God I will helpe thee I will up hold thee with the right hand of my righteousnesse The point is this That they that have God for their God need never fear nor be dismayed seeing this their God is with them will helpe them strengthen them and uphold them with the right hand of his righteousnesse Concerning this feare and dismayednesse we spake largely the last time we spake upon this occasion 1. What it is not to be afraid 2. What we are not to be afraid of 3. What the inconveniences of such feare are In brief not to feare is no more but a composednesse and setlednesse of spirit against any evill that commeth Excellent is that expression in the 112. Psalme vers 8. They shall not be afraid of evill tidings What is that Their heart is fixed their heart is established they shall not be removed Here is the expression of a fearlesse heart a heart fixed a heart established a heart not moved You have it likewise excellently set out in Daniel 3. in an example the 16. vers in the story of the three children being sentenced to be cast into the fiery furnace they came before the great King Nebuchadnezzar and hee spake big to them and tells them what they must trust unto if they will not fall down and worship his Gods Mark now how their fearlesnesse and dismayednesse is expressed We are not carefull to answer thee in this matter our God whom we serve be will deliver us See what a disposition this fearlesnesse is and then what is the ground of it We are not carefull to answer thee in this matter here is a true fearlesnesse if when ever evill comes men can say it matters not we are ready for it And look into the root of it and you shall finde it in their answer our God is able to deliver us that made them so carelesse in so weighty a thing Our God whom wee serve he will deliver us Secondly what it is we should not fear I answer first we should not fear God himself as to do us any hurt fear him with awfull reverence we must A Believer that is the servant and chosen of God need not fear that God will do him any hurt It is God that justifieth therefore it is not God that will harm thee The heart of God is to his people My bowells are troubled for thee saith God to Ephraim Can he hurt them while he is troubled for them Secondly they must not fear their own sins I do not say they ought not to fear to commit sinne but they ought not to feare what hurt their sinnes can doe them seeing they are blotted out If a man have subscribed unto and sealed a hundred Bonds and all these Bonds be quite cancelled and blotted out he need not fear no hurt these Bonds can do him Paul in the 7. of Rom. complaineth indeed of a body of death and the power of sin but in the closure of the Chapter he shews how little he fears any thing that sin could doe Thanks be unto God through our Lord Jesus Christ What doth he thank the Lord for that though his firts were so great yet they could not do him any hurt nor any of Gods people Look into the beginning of the 8. Chapter it is plaine There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ who walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit For the Law of the Spirit of life that is in Christ hath freed me from the Law of sin and death For what the Law could not do in that it was weake through the flesh God sending his owne Son in the likenesse of sinfull flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh What hurt can this do Now beloved give me leave to tell you if you be Believers and weak in faith I dare bee bold to say nothing cuts the heart so much in respect of fear of evill as the sins you do commit these will be swords to your hearts But if you be
helpe thee I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousnesse they are the three supporters that do issue out of this main principle for they are all but branches flowing from this priviledge of Gods being your God These I say are sufficient to keep the most tottering spirit in the world immovable like Mount Sion never to be removed I shall take the Principle the main support into task at this present and therein consider what excellency of support there is in it Fear not I am with thee be not dismayed I am thy God In the handling of this that you may the better see what stability there is for a tottering spirit in this support let us consider First what it is for God to be thy God Secondly what a person hath in this who hath God for his God Thirdly by way of answering objections shew how it is so well with those that are the Lords if this be true that God himself is their God Fourthly how God doth become their God and upon what terms Fifthly how God will be found of them to be so as he is become There are excellent usefulnesses if the truth be well fifted and dived into I will begin with the first what it is for God to be thy God There is much in it nay I will say more there is more in it then is in any one thing delivered in Scripture I will go yet further there is all in it that doth concerne the present and future wel-being and happinesse of a Believer I say all is in this one thing I am thy God While you have all things else but this you have but the rayes of the Sun while you have this you have the Sun it self in his brightnesse and glory and lustre But to cleer this thing a little what it is for God to be thy God or my God you must not understand that the Holy Ghost speaks here in the full collection of all nor that he is to be understood as speaking in the plurall number because he takes in the whole world but he is to be understood of all the members of Christ as one body and also the passage is to be understood distributively of every such particular person and so he is thy God and my God and their God I am their God is all one with I am thy God In the Scriptures you shall finde a most vast difference betweene God simply and abstractively considered and God relatively considered and that we must note beforehand that you may know wherein the strength and comfort of this passage lyeth For God to say Fear not I am thy God is ten thousand times more comfortable and hath more in it then simply for God to have said Feare not I am God I say there is farre more stability and support in this expression of God considered as our God then as he is considered simply and abstractively without relation to us for so it imports only to us the incomprehensible perfect and compleat being of God as he is in himself But God considered in relation here as he is thy God imports to us not only what God is in respect of his absolute perfection and compleatnesse but what he is to those persons whose he is so that the phrase doth import not only what God simply is but also that whatever he is in and from himself the same he is to those persons whose hee is It is worth the observation that the Scriptures plainly hold out that when ever the Lord is spoken of in reference to wicked persons God is never mentioned in way of relation of propriety unto them but only as he is spoken of in reference to his owne people You shall not finde in all the Scripture God said to be the God of any person that is a wicked man But lest there be a mistake you must know that this relation of God to people may be considered either as common or as speciall and peculiar It is true take a Church as it is mixed so sometimes the Lord is spoken of in relation to them as for example in the 20. Chapter of Exodus I am the Lord thy God that brought thee out of the Land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage Here is God spoken of in relation I am the Lord thy God and this seems to be spoken collectively to the whole body of the Church one with another but alwayes observe this rule Where the Lord is mentioned in relation to a mixed people that is a Church consisting of mixed persons all the priviledges from such a relation of God in reference to such persons are but common priviledges So in that very Text I am the Lord thy God that brought thee out of the Land of Egypt Observe he calls himself indeed their God take them conjunctively one with another But wherein their greatest priviledge was which they had in having him their God he expresseth thus I am the Lord thy God that brought thee out of the Land of Egypt which was but a common priviledge and therefore though God be said to be the God of people being mixed yet he is not so their God as he is the God of his own people the living members of Christ those that are mixed they receive some common propriety or common things in that propriety but they partake not of the whole propriety Usually in Scripture the phrase I am thy God is spoken only to the Lords servants his chosen that he will not cast off and so it is to be underâ—oâ—d in this Text as it is in the words immediatly before the text For you shall see that God speakâ— peculiarly of his own elect people and faith of them and to them Feare not be not 〈◊〉 I am thy God c. You shall finde beloved that the Lord doth frequently expresse himselfe when he doth comfort and stay up his people in this relation as being the best motive that can be to uphold their spirits In Isa 50.10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord that walke in darâ—nesse and seeth no light let him rest in the name of the Lord and stay himselfe upon his God Here is the very basis the great pillar to bear up even in a state of darknesse God is his God let him stay himself upon him because of this relation He is his God Beloved a man that doth trust to another mans estate he trusts to a broken staff as we say and may be deceived except that estate be made his owne a childe of light can never be able to walke in darknesse except hee have assurance that God is his God by whom he stands God is my rock and my salvation saith the Psâ—lmiâ— Psal 62.2 Who is a recke save our God Psal 18 31. So Thomas not being present when Christ did make it appear to the rest that he it was that suffered and rose againe because he would not beleeve Christ was risen he received this checke
be with us If the Lord should give us those things that we think good we should soon bring an old house over our heads as they say Object But some will be ready to say There are some things that are good for me and I have them not Answ Let them be what you can imagine let others judge so as well as you yet I shall stand to this as I said before and make it good that there is nothing in the world that is truly good for the faithfull that God with-holds from them to whom he hath given himself let it be never so speciall a gift it is not good at that time for that person from whom it is with-held For instance some will be ready to say the thing that I want is this I have a stony and hard heart and fain would I have a heart of flesh I â—â—de I have a dead and wandering spirit in Gods service and fain would I have a setled spirit fain would I have a cheerfull heart and free spirit are not these good for me will you say And yet I seek God for these many times and having Gid they are mine owne it seems because they are in God and he himself is mine How can God be said to be my God and all he is and hath to be mine and I cannot come at these good things which are in him and are so needfull for me I answer First that God in giving himself unto persons gives himself to be communicated unto them at sundry seasons and in divers kindes and measures and yet so that he will be Judge of the fitnesse of the time The question then will be this Is it softnesse or more softnesse of heart you seek for Is it a largenesse or more largenesse of heart you seek I mean this that which you seek and inquire after from God as your God is it something you have nothing of or is it for more of something you have already If you say it is something I have nothing at all of I have a stony heart and I have no softnesse at all in it That is false there can be no seeking of God where there is no softnesse and all hardnesse for the Lord must first soften the heart to seek him But you conceive there is no softnesse at all because the apprehension of that which is wanting swallows up that which is injoyed and the want of that which you have not swallows up that you have Is it more that you would have in respect of measure But you will say Is it not good for me though I have a little softnesse to have more and when I have a little spirituality to have more enlargednesse of spirit then I have Is not this good for me I answer You must distinguish of time God doth not see it better at this instant that thou shouldest have more softnesse of heart then thou hast and this I am bold to affirm if the Lord did himselfe judge it were better thou shouldest be more spirituall at this instant beloved I speake of a person to whom God gives himself he would not detaine nor with-hold it at all from thee Mark it well you shall find that all the spirituality belonging to a Christian is the meer gift of God to him and onely at the disposing of God upon him and without the leave of the creature hee may make whom he will partaker of it and in what measure he thinks meet so that the creature can enjoy no more of spirituality then God will give him so runs the Covenant that you may not think that your spirituality depends upon your selves and the putting forth of your selves for it A new spirit will I put within thee and a new heart will I give thee and I will take away thy stony heart and give thee a heart of flesh and I will write my Law in thy inward parts and I will put my feare into thy heart and I will be their God and they shall be my people and I will remember their sinnes no more here is the conclusion now how shall men come by it must it not be of his own good pleasure and is it not as he hath freely passed the donation of it he gives it and he gives it freely he doth not in this Covenant condition with men in any one particle as a condition to get any thing to our selves Marke the Covenant well where ever it is whether in the 33. of Jeremiah and the 31. verse or in the 36. of Ezekiel or in the 8. to the Hebrews where the Covenant is again and again recited marke it there is not one clause of the Covenant that God will have men doe this and that good God doth not put them upon the bringing of any one thing in all the world to make up the Covenant but all that is required of the person covenanted withall the Lord is bound to make good all those things to that person Now if so be the Lord did see more of these spirituall enlargements requisite for thy use he that hath made such a solemne engagement of himselfe for the performance of all that is to be wrought in thee in the Covenant would not with-hold that at this instant from thee thou knowest not what a corrupt use thou at such a time mightest make of them for some through more abundance of spirituality and spirituall enlargements have abused them to grow more proud and scornfull Paul met with such to whom being puffed up with pride saith he What hast thou that thou hast not received wherefore then boastest thou Beloved your owne experience may witnesse Look into the world you shall finde some persons more eminent in spiritualnesse there is more abundance of pride in those persons As for example you shall finde some more excellent in prayer some more excellent in other gifts what follows The corruption in the heart of man gathers such corrupt in ferences from hence that pride riseth in the heart from such parts that another Saint because he hath a stammering tongue though equally sound hearted with himself yet is not fit for such a ones company God is a wise God he knowes the measure and proportion that is fit for every member of Jesus Christ and that proportion hee doth not with-hold I speake not this with any intent but that people should still rise to as much as can be attained but that people still presse hard to the marke of the price of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ Beloved when we seeke God in his owne way for increase of any good for soul or body let us stand to Gods good pleasure and beloved for incouragement let mee tell you if ever the Lord would have with-held any thing for the sinfulnesse of his creatures he would have with-held the gift of his owne Son but while we were enemies Christ dyed for us would not God spare his owne Son but deliver him up for us all while wee were
God should fetch any argument or any motive to make himselfe our God from what wee do And if wee could do any such thing yet there cannot be any moving power in such performances to obtaine God for our God for in the very best of our performances there is unrighteousnesse there is filthinesse any the Prophet saith that all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags sweet motives to prevail with God for such a gift as to communicate himself No beloved it is not what we do but what he in his own thoughts hath freely determined to do for us Object But you will say Christ makes God to be our God Ans I answer beloved in some sense that is true but as I said before originally Christ doth not make God to be our God Give me leave to open this clearly unto you for I must tell you that Christ himself is marvellous chary and wary not to assume or take to himself that which belongs unto his Father nor should wee give to Christ himself that which belongs unto God peculiarly as giving Christ himself unto us Christ saith Give to Cesar the things that are Cesars and to God the things that are Gods and this holds as true between God and Christ as Mediator Give unto God the things that are his and to Christ the things that are his For our Saviour in John 17. at the beginning of the Chapter saith speaking to the Father in prayer I have finished the worke that thou hast given me to doe What worke was that towards the latter end of the Chapter you shall finde As thou Father art one in mee and I in thee so also they may bee one in us as much as to say that thou mightest communicate thy selfe to them observe it Christ doth professe that it is the work that his Father hath given him to do that he did not put himselfe upon it originally but the Father did put him upon it The truth is the meer good pleasure of God contriving determining and ordaining this communicating of himselfe was the first originall and ground that Christ was sent into the world that hee was conceived in the womb of a Virgin c. And the Lord by the obedience and righteousnesse of Christ hath actually brought all the benefits of the Gospel upon us to which end Christ hath done this work But the first conception of it and the foundation of it was the thing by which he was Christ and Mediator and therefore Christ could not be the originall of that eternall decree and purpose of God to communicate himself to us for the execution whereof Christ was sent into the world The Schooles have a rule that the end of a thing is first intended though it be last in execution so this that God would communicate himself to the sons of men being the end for which Christ was sent though till Christ had by vertue of his death made way there was no actuall communion yet still it was the end of Christs coming into the world it was in the mind of God before the means was in being Therefore if you will have God to be your God you must not thinke that such and such things will make God to be yours Nothing will get God to be yours but his owne free motion from himselfe by his Son Secondly there is a way by which God is found to be the God of such peopleâ— now these things being confounded together put people into a labyrinth thinking the way to find God and to get God is all one now although it is the meer good pleasure of God himself that doth bestow himselfe upon us yet he is pleased to chalk out a way whereby he may be found to be our God and that we may find him to be so we must meet God in those wayes he useth to be met in But you will say How doth God usually manifest himselfe and how is he found of his people to be theirs I answer there is an efficient of our finding out of God or a passive instrument of finding him out the way of finding out of God efficiently to be our God is the Spirit of the Lord acquainting the spirits of men with the minde of the Lord. I say he is the efficient All the world is not able to work any impression upon the spirit of a man that the Lord is his God but only the Spirit of the Lord must perswade the spirit of man that he may receive this principle It is true indeed the Spirit of the Lord doth it according to the word of Grace and speaks no more to the spirit of a man but what is in the word of Grace but the word of Grace it selfe doth not of it selfe work this impression that God is my God or thy God but the impression is wrought by the Spirit of the Lord. Object What serve all the Ordinances for will you say is not here a crying down of Ordinances There will bee still this scandall cast upon us But let me tell you there is a most comfortable use of Ordinances though they â—erve not to such high purposes as these are I say though they are not efficient to beget and finde out and reveale to the spirits of men the things that concerne God yet besides the efficient revelation of God to be our God from the Spirit alone there is a passive inâ—â—rument by which the Lord doth make himself â—nowne to be the God of his people but that way is meerly passive and not active First passively God makes himself knowne to be the God of his people by the word of his Grace and Faith laying hold upon the word of Grace revealed and more subordinately in Prayer Fasting receiving of the Lords Supper and such Ordinances so far as they are mixed with faith Now give me leave in a few words to communicate unto you the full use and utmost extent of Gods thoughts concerning the Ordinances that he hath propounded how far forth he would have the creature look upon the Ordinances and as much as may be put upon the use of them so farre forth as they are usefull Know therefore as I said before that all these Ordinances are but passive wayes of conveying this great Gift the knowledge of God to bee our God I mean more plainly thus These Ordinances are only of and in themselves empty dry chanels or pipes through which the Spirit of the Lord brings from God himselfe the Spring these riches and conveyes the same into the spirit of a man Look as a chanell digged in a dry ground is the way through which the Spring conveyes his water into a Cisterne the chanell it selfe communicates none of its own only it is a passage through which the Spring conveys his water so are all the Ordinances even Faith it self Prayer and all other services they are but chanels through which the Spirit of the Lord passeth and bringeth from the Lord himselfe the Spring and Fountain the revelation
therein Wherein he puts it to the Objectors themselves whether they can make it out how it is possible it should bee so Therefore the Apostle doth make use of it as the strength of his argument to prevaile with people In the 12. to the Romans I beseech you by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice You see hee makes use of mercy and what mercy is it In the latter part of Chap. 11. he seems to intimate what that mercy is O the depth and the exceeding riches both of the Wisdome and Knowledge of God! Why wherein It follows in that he hath concluded all under sinne that he might have mercy upon all I beseeeh you by these mercies saith he and all other mercies of free Grace present your bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God not conforming your selves to this world as if hee had said mercy is that which wil prevail with you most of al to present your bodies a living sacrifice and not conform your selves to the world but I must go on to that we have yet to consider I have spent some time in Obiections and Answers but wee cannot now dwell upon them We are to consider now the specialties of the argument the Apostle useth here to prevail with people that they sin not Beloved this very Text is the opening of the fountaine that is set open forâ—â—ne and for uncleannes it is a spring of strong water to revive a fainting swooning spirit it is the prop of a sinking tottering soule to keep it from sinking and perishing In it the Lord Christ is revealed unto us an All-sufficient succour to all his own notwithstanding all their sins that ever they do commit Herein we are to consider 1. The matter of this argument 2. The force and strength of it in reference to the thing the Apostle would argue from hence First concerning the matter of the argument it selfe that is contained in these words If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins The force of it lies in the reference of it to the thing the Apostle calls for wherein we may consider what prevalency this Position hath to keep from sin namely for persons to know that when they doe sin they have an Advocate with the Father We will begin with the matter of the Argument first and in this Proposition there are two things observable First a Supposition Secondly a Provision of indemnity against the mischiefe of the thing supposed The Supposition laid downe is in these words If any man sin or If any man do sin The Provision of indemnity is in these words We have an Advocate with the Father c. In the supposition you may note First the thing supposed and that is Sin Secondly note the time which doth illustrate it hee doth speak of present and future sins Note I say the time whereunto the Apostle doth refer the thing supposed he doth not say If any man hath sinned heretofore in the Pretertense but he speakes of the time present If any man sin that is if any man doe sin there are some things that are spoken of the present time that are in force but onely that very instant in which they are spoken and that in stant being past the thing it selfe is also past But for this exptession If any man doe sinne it is not a transient but a permanet expression The Apostle speakes not only of his time and of the people of his time If any man sin now the words are not to be understood of that very instant onely and exclusively as having reference onely to those that did sin in his time then these words should have been transient But the meaning of the Apostle is that the present of which hee spake should bee a standing present time and the words should be of force for present even as long as the Word of God should remain upon record If any man sin So that the words are to bee understood of this present time and all present times that shall bee in the next age that shall succeed If any man sinne now or if any man sin in the next age so that there is to be understood a perpetuity of present time to bee included in this expression If any man do sinne It is of great concernment beloved that you receive this truth unlesse you exclude your selves from the benest of the Advocateship of Christ For if the words were spoken of the present time and intended only for that time wherein they were expressed what should become of us that live so many ages after that time They must therefore be of a perpetuall and permanent being Thirdly note in the supposition the nature of it if any man sinne saith the Apostle this word If here admits of a double construction either the Supposition imports a thing possible but not likely or a thing that may be likely to come to passe or rather a thing that may and will come to passe Either it is a supposition in case a thing is which it may bee will not or a supposition by way of confession and granting of the thing supposed In this place John puts not the word If by way of supposition as if it were onely likely there should bee a sinning and if there were a sinning there were an Advocate but he puts the word here by way of concession as if hee had said there must and will be sinning We Gods own people shall fall into sin it cannot be denied But for refuge when there is such sinnes committed know that there is an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous Thus you have the first part of the Text branched out unto you namely the Apostles Supposition Secondly consider the Provision that the Lord by the Apostle holds forth unto persons that are Beleevers the Members of Christ I say the provision the Lord holds out by the Apostle for their indempnity against these sins that they do or shall commit namely We have an Advocate with the Father In this Provision observe First the office assigned for the making good of such provision The office assigned here is mentioned in these words We have an Advocate with the Father Secondly note in this provision the person to whom this office of Advocateship is given and therein the ability and qualification of this person to this office to manage it effectually in these words Jesus Christ the righteous Thirdly the issue and the event of the execution of this office in these words He is the propitiation for our sins In the office that the Lord sets on foot for the provision of indemnity against sin being committed you may observe in it 1. The office it selfe and that is an Advocateship 2. The propriety of this office or the relation of it to the persons that are the members of Christ The Apostle doth not say
simply and abstractively there is an Advocate but he speaks relatively we have an Advocate that is our Advocate c. Thirdly this Advocate is set forth not only in his relation to men as he is their advocate but he is declared also and set forth as he hath relation unto God Hee doth not say simply we have an Advocate but I say the Apostle doth declare the excellency of this office of advocateship in respect of this circumstance With the Father we have an Advocate and that with the Father we have an Advocate he is ours and not only so but he is an Advocate of ours which the Father which notes unto us that the plea of Christ for indemnity from sin is not in any inferiour Court where if there bee a sentence of acquittance procured there may be a charge from an higher Court But the Advocateship of Christ is managed for our good in the highest Court of all with the highest Judge that when hee gets a sentence it is definitive and determinative and there is no other Court that can take upon it the determination of the case or call in question the triall of that which hath been determined there Lastly the provision in respect of the office assigned is excellently illustrated by the circumstance of time when the office is on foot or when the officer doth manage it The Text doth not say we had an Advocate or we shall have one hereafter but he speaks in the Present Tense We have an Advocate that now is to agitate it It is but a cold comfort for a man to say being now a begger he had abundance of wealth neither doth it give him fulnesse of comfort to say that he shall have abundance of wealth hereafter but herein lyes his comfort and happinesse that he can say in truth I am rich I have abundance of all things It is but cold comfort for a man to say I had a friend in Court once but he is dead now If he had been alive now it had been better with me then it is I should have sped well I had then carried the cause on my side hee would have done so and so for me I but here lies a mans comfort that he hath a friend at Court that will doe him a good office at his need The Apostle saith here we have an Advocate As therefore I said of the present being of sin committed so I say of the present being of our Advocate It must not be understood to be a transient but a permanent sentence it was in force in the Apostles time it is as full in force in our time and we may as well and truly say Wee have an Advocate and in after ages the Church of God shall say to the end of the world in their times as truly as we now and the Apostle in his time said We have an Advocate with the Father Secondly consider here the person managing this office of Advocateship who is described unto us by three admirable and notable titles that are proper and full for the comfort and incouragement of those whose Advocate he is He is Jesus Christ the righteous saith the Text this is our Advocate First he is Jesus and that is a word that imports a Saviour as the Angel expounded it Luke 1. And they shall call his name Jesus for hee shall save his people from their sins An admirable encouragement to lift up the heads of dejected and drooping spirits when the Advocate comes to plead this Advocate is their Saviour that is his plea is of such force and prevalency that he saves his client Object But some may say many times in suits of Law men have skilfull Lawyers to plead for them which are able to save them who are not admitted to plead for them because they are not called to the Bar. Answ Yea but this Jesus is Christ too this Advocate doth not rush into this office of his own head without warrant but is called to it For as you shall heare afterwards the word Christ imports anointing to the office Many a good Lawyer indeed may not be admitted to come to the bar of Common pleas although he can plead the cause of his client the best of all he must be authorized and called unto the bar or else he may not speak But the Advocate provided for the indemnity against sin is Christ he is called to it Thirdly it is Jesus Christ the righteus and that imports the strength of the plea hee hath by which he becomes a propitiation for sin it is his righteousnesse that prevails in heaven to get the sentence to go on the side of his client Lastly you may observe here the issue what will become of this Advocateship what effect it will have at the last Many men who have causes in suit are restlesse to know how their cause will goe when they come to triall fain they would know on which side the verdict will be given and it is a great refreshing to persons to know before-hand that the cause will goe on their side Now the Apostle doth here intimate unto us what will become of the cause before it is tried He is such an Advocate with the Father saith hee that hee is become the propitiation for all the sins of Gods people and what that is we shall shew hereafter Beloved this is a large field of excellent variety of sweetnesse and fatnesse we must take the particulars into consideration that wee may discusse them the more orderly and I hope it will be no difficulty to gather some of the flowers in this garden and the Spirit of the Lord assisting there may be sucking yea sucking so that persons may be satisfied that they may suck and bee satisfied at the brests of consolation That wee may the better lay our mouthes to this breast and draw more easily the milke thereof let us briefly consider these particulars First concerning the office here spoken of we are first to consider what it is to be an Advocate and how Christ doth manage this office being in heaven I say first what it is to be an Advocate with the Father and how Christ doth manage it Secondly whose cause it is that Christ doth undertake to be an Advocate for Thirdly how Christ is gifted and qualified for the comfortable managing of this office of Advocateship Fourthly what it is to have Christ to be the propitiation for the sinnes of his people this I conceive contains the sum of the whole drift of the Apostle in these words To begin with the first what the office of Advocateship is and what it is for Christ to be an Advocate and how hee doth now manage it in heaven for his elect First this office to bee an Advocate as it is appropriated unto Christ I doe not finde that it is once more mentioned in all the Scripture besides this place Of an Intercessor and Redeemer and the atonement we reade frequently in Scripture that Christ is
in generall If any man sin as if he had said there must something be done by Believers that goes beyond the being of sin before they can be excluded from having interest in the Advocateship of Christ Here the Apostle speaks expresly there is an Advocateship of Christ for Believers finning without exception I know it is too frequent among many that more grosse sins then ordinary in a Believeâ— do not only waste the conscience but do also interpose between such a person and Christ of which we shall have occasion to speak else-where For present there is a coâ—â—eit that if a Believer sine more then ordinarily presently there is just câ—use for him to suspect Christ will not sufficiently manage his office for him an least Christ hath not sufficiently managed it already so that there is juâ—t cause of feare But let me tell you to the everlasting consolation of Gods people that there is no sin which a Believer can commit which can exclude him from the benifit of this Advocateship or bring him beyond the bounds of this large grant If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father And if it be any man you will say it extends to all men in the world as well as Believers if any man sin Nay there is a restraint in the words and you shall easily see it If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father If any of us that have fellowship with the Father and the Son it is not every one that hath Christ for an Advocate but those that are Believers Those that have right to fellowship with the Father and the Son are only spoken of in this place I speak this to the end that those who 〈…〉 fear of death are subject unto bondage all their lives long â—ay know that Christ is coâ—â—e to deliver them and reveales this truth on purpose to deliver them from the feare of death and bondage by being their Advocate for their sins He is an Advocate he is a propitiation for every sin of his The words run in the generall to the end If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father and he is the propitiation for our sins The Apostle doth not say he is not an Advocate for such and such but for such and such Believers that sin so and so if they commit sin so and so agravated and if their sins rise to such an height there is no propitiation for them But the Apostle speaks in the generall style If any man sin and he is the propitiation for our sins and yet beloved I must be bold to goe a little further in respect of the persons whose cause Christ doth plead and in whose behalf Christ is an Advocate I say it is for all sorts of Believers nay I go further it is for more then present Believers even for some who are not for the present Believers but remaine as yet in a state of unbelief In brief Christ is the Advocate of the cause of euery person in the world for whom he paid the price of redemption whether they be persons already called or persons not yet acquainted with the Grace of God for every Elect person as well unconverted as converted Christ doth equalty in respect of the substance of his plea interpose but when I say he plead as well for the unconverted as for the converted I mean for such unconverted persons as do belong unto the election of Grace and have their portion in the price of his blood Beloved for mine own part I cannot yet conceive any other considerable difference between the plea of Christ for the converted persons and the Elect unconverted but this circumstantiall difference namely that the value of his blood is equally of force to Believers and unbelievers being elected saving that the Belevers have this priviledge that the Lord Christ pleads for the manifestation of this discharge unto this converted person but pleads not for the present manifestation there of unto the unconverted elect person tell such time as he shall be called to the faith and by that faith that thing be made evident which before was hid I say the pardon of sin by the blood of Câ—rist is 〈◊〉 full for the unconverted elect person as fully passed over in grant I mean to that person as to the Believer himself God doth add never a tittle of pardon it self more to him that is a Believer then to that person not yet converted to the faith in regard of the substance of the pardon it self For the cleering of this to you I beseech you note what is the rise or ground-work of the pardon of sin Secondly note when this pardon of sin is compleat with God These two things considered you shal perceive that all the pardon in respect of the substance of it that God passeth over unto men he doth passe it over before their conversion Look I say upon the rise the true rise or originall of the pardon of sin is the gracious grant of God upon the blood of Christ shed This is the onely foundation of pardon I say Gods gracious grant upon the sheding of the blood of Christ there is no pardon appliable to any person in the world but what pardon is to be found in the word of Grace Thou that art a Believer at present thou hast the pardon of thy sins in thy spirit thou art assured of it Where hadst thou this pardon Didst thou not fetch it out of the word of Grace Then as soon as the word of Gods Grace was first published this Grace of the pardon of sin was held forth If thou foundest it not here thou found'st it some where else but tell me where will you have this Grant of God to build upon if you will not have it in the word of Grace You will say the Spirit of God will reveale it unto you It is true indeed but if the Spirit of the Lord doth reveal a grant to you of Grace it is according to his Word The Spirit speaking out of the word oâ— Grace to men speakes no otherwise but according to this word of Grace in men and if that there be a contradiction between the inward voyce and this word of Grace that is enough to give you cause of suspicion yea you may be confident that that voice within you in respect of such contradiction is a false voyce I say that the Lord Christ sends us unto his Word and from the word we take out the pardon of sin we have Now beloved I beseech you consider if all pardon to all the Elect to the end of the world be contained in this word of Grace there is no more pardon then what is written there then it must needs follow that God passed over his act of pardon of sin at that instant when he entred this pardon in the volume of his Book Is there no pardon till thou art converted and called then the pardon of all thy sins are not to be
all the members of Christ all that Christ hath prevailed for with the Father they are the beloved of the Father and the darlings of his soule and his love ceaseth not nay his love diminisheth not to them when they are under the rod. One word of application and so I shall have done Is it so beloved that Christ is such an Advocate that having such a strength of plea in his righteousnesse he produceth such a good issue as to bring at the last reconciliation In a word then you know what to trust unto for your soules discharge and comfort In many things wee sin all what should uphold your spirits that your sinnes should not sink your soules Here is held out unto you the great Supporter the Righteousnesse of Christ the Righteousnesse of God I will uphold thee with the right hand of thy righteousnesse Isaiah 41. vers 10. feare not be not discouraged and why the close of all is this I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousnesse If you goe any where else for support when sin is committed your sins will sink you and swallow you up nothing can beare you up in respect of the weight of sin but the right hand of his righteousnesse that alone is the thing that must uphold your spirits or nothing at all can doe it O that the Lord would be pleased to work upon your spirits to betake your selves to this support and to fix your spirits upon the fulnesse of support and strength that is in this righteousnesse of his When the Israelites were stung by the fiery Serpents it was not the applying of a plaister could heal them only the brazen Serpent could heal them and nothing but the brazen Serpent Oh look upon the brazen Serpent the Lord Jesus look not upon any other plaister in the world but him to heal your wounded soules stung with the Serpent of your sins though they may serve for other uses yet they have not so much vertue in them as to heale the sting of sin Fix your eyes here cast your selves here rest here let the weight of your souls lean here Hee that believeth shall be saved hee that believeth not shall be damned He that believeth shall be established hee that believeth not shall not be established Oh go not to Christ as if there were not enough in him to answer your transgressions that you must carry something else with you to him that may be a help to your discharge if ever discharge from heaven come unto your spirits it is onely the hand of Christ by his Spirit that must bring it down to you and nothing in the world can doe it but that discharge as it is recorded in the Word of Grace in things that come by relation unto men and so are opened unto them How can men be satisfied concerning the thing reported but upon the credit of him that is the reporter thereof to sit down satisfied by faith concerning the truth thereof Let a man tell me never so good news if I doe not believe him my spirit is not satisfied So concerning the discharge from sin beloved you heare it related from heaven Wee have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins Now there is no way in the world to know that there is such a thing as an Advocate and Propitiation but as it is revealed from heaven The Apostle Iohn hee indeed reveales it here if hee had delivered it meerly as hee is man so it had occasioned suspicion and doubting but as it is the revelation of the Holy Ghost and of Christ himselfe by the Apostle so wee are to stick close unto it and wee shall finde rest unto our soules as wee can credit the report of it therefore as the Lord will work upon your spirits take up your rest where rest is to be found so your souls shall rest you shall lie down and sleep in peace and safety you shall sing and leap for joy and you shall have all peace and joy in believing O that men would keep up the dying language of a Martyr None but Christ none but Christ in matters of faith and stability of spirit in matters of peace of conscience as well as in matters of salvation And so I shall commend this word to the grace of God in respect of the issue thereof upon your spirits SERMON X SOLOMONS SONG 4.10 Thou art all fair my Love and there is no spot in thee THe Gospel of Christ being the great and invaluable treasure of the Church the Helena for which the Church should contend yea the Sanctuary and refuge thereof It hath pleased the Holy Ghost to present and hold forth this Gospel in variety or change of rayment as I may so speak sometimes presenting the Gospel as it were in a cloud more darkly by Visions and dreams when deep sleep was fallen upon Gods people Thus the Lord in former ages frequently held out the Gospel especially in that notable example of Jacob who while he slept had the Gospel preached unto him in the vision of a ladder that reached from earth unto heaven by which the Angels ascended and descended which Ladder was nothing else but Christ by whom alone the sons of men doe mount from the lowest condition of Sin and Misery to the highest condition of Grace and Glory Sometimes the Gospel was brought forth to the Church with a mask upon the face of it I mean in hard Riddles and dark Sentences to exercise the wits of Gods people and thus among other times the Gospel was presented unto Sampson You know the Riddle that was put forth occasioned by a Lion shine by him which being dead there was a stocke of honey in the Lion which represented unto his thoughts the admirable benefit and priviledge of the preaching of the Gospel Out of the eater came meat and out of the strong came sweetnesse It was nothing else but this Jesus Christ the Lion of the Tribe of Judah by death had a stock of honey not only nourishing but sweet to the eater Sometimes again the Gospel was presented though not with so darke masks yet with a vail over the visage and face of it that though some of the beauty of it might be seen yet in respect of the glory of it in an obscure way and thus the Gospel was exhibited unto the Jewes in their types and shadowes and thus the Gospel was held forth in their Sacrifices Temples Tabernacles Altars Mercy-seat and Incense and the like In all of which there was a generall darknesse namely a puting over the face of Moses a vail who in that represented Christ the Mediator as he was to be exhibited unto the people in those times and yet although for royalty and honours sake the Gospel was vailed yet sometimes the Holy Ghost was pleased to lift up the vail for a moment as it were that there might some glance of the beauty of it appeare
Church may appear to you if you will consider First what is spoken before there is the commendation of the breasts Now commendation of breasts hath reference to the Spouse but most plainly it appeares in the words that follow the Text in the 8. verse Come with me from Lebanon my Spouse saith Christ either they must be the words of Christ to the Church or they must be the words of the Church to Christ but they cannot be the words of the Church to Christ for the Church doth not call Christ the Spouse for the word Spouse is spoken in reference to the woman and not to the man You shall have it further cleered in the contents of the chapter which shew the drift of the whole chapter the Author of the contents holds forth according to the Hebrew where the Genders are more distinct then in our English that these very words are the expressions of Christ unto his Church Whereby you see that this is no new doctrine neither is it set forth by any obscure person being delivered by Solomon or rather by Christ personated by Solomon that the Church should be all fair and without spot The Proposition is briefly this That the Love of Christ is all fair and without spot You may remember beloved that I have hitherto at large indeavoured to set forth the Gospel of our blessed Saviour to you in the first great part thereof the Gospel consisting principally in two things the negative and the affirmative priviledges of the members of Christ their great priviledge and invaluable benefit being first exemption from evill and secondly a participating of all good things All the discourse I have had with you hitherto hath had reference principally to the former branch of the Gospel setting forth to you the gracious discharge of the members of Christ from all miquity and so consequently from all the fruits of iniquity in these words And the Lord bath laid on him the iniquity of us all and I have further shewed you how the people of God and members of Christ do partake of such discharge as this is which is the way of God by which the sons of men Believers can have their portion and their possession of this immunity and that out of the Text of Iohn If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins It was in my thoughts beloved to have made present progresse into the Text that I have 〈◊〉 unto you but yet in some respect a necessary lies upon me to give you a brief touch of some things I have formerly delivered by way of acquitting my self from injurious slanders It is and hath heen my portion and I know not unknown to many of you that while I have laboured freely and by the assistance of the Spirit of the Lord indeavoured to make known the minde of the Lord to the comfort and rest of the weary and heavy laden I my self have not wanted my burthen yet were it not for the Gospels sake lest that should receive prejudice I should never open my mouth to vindicate a truth as it doth concern my self in so publick a way But as there hath been most false imputations laid upon me in respect of the Gospel so for the Gospels sake only I shall acquit my self publikely before you of such things as are most injuriously charge upon me It hath been affirmed and that by persons who have gone for persons of credit and consequently the wound must strike the deeper and the report must take the greater impression it hath been given forth I say that in my discourse among you I should deliver to you that the active and passive obedience of Christ considered as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Christ considered both as 〈◊〉 and man that the active and passive obedience of Christ in reserence to both his natures hath not a sufficiency in it to make up a compleat righteousnesse for us and further that the ground of it should be this Namely that Christ did not perform the severall duties of the severall relations wherein many persons stand as the office of a Magistrate and the relation of a Husband c. For the vindicating of my self herein I shall repeat the matter I delivered before and you shall also know the truth of what my judgement is in this thing and then leave it to the Church of God whether it be a slander or no. This I then said that the active and passive obedience of Christ properly are the actions and passions of the humane nature for the divine nature is not subject to obedience because there is not any superiour to whom the divine nature should obey neither is it subject to passion God cannot suffer and therefore doing the commands and suffering the punishments are more proper to the actions of the humane nature And this humane nature is but a meer creature and therefore the actions of it as a creature cannot extend to a proportion answerable to the injurie done by sin to God For this cause I say as I said before there must be an addition of vertue from the divine nature of Christ to make the active and passive obedience of the humane nature a compleat righteousnesse So that all I said is this That the actions and passions of the humane nature are not sufficient to make up our righteousnesse a compleat righteousnesse but there must be something of the divine nature superadded to raise up a righteousnesse proportionable to the transgressions we commit And that expression concerning the not performing of duties of these several relations I spake it only to this purpose to shew wherein the humane nature of Christ in obedience did not fulfill every thing in particular which is the duty of a man and that therefore the divine nature of Christ by the eminent dignity thereof is as I said before to make up that righteousnesse a compleat righteousnesse Concerning this whether it be truth or no let the Church judge according to the word As for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ as God and man it is well known I used not the word neither had I the thing in my minde nor in my tongue to the purpose they alledge it against me In a word this I say that Christ as God and man hath in himself an absolute compleatnesse of righteousnesse for all the elect persons There need not be a going forth from Christ to any thing in the world besides for a perfect righteousnesse Secondly there is another charge deep indeed and I appeal to you that have frequently heard me whether ever you have heard any such thing from me Namely that by way of inference I should deny Christ How true this is let the whole course of my Ministery witnesse which altogether aimed and endeavoured the exalting of Christ above all the creatures in the world and except my being so busie with this truth be become an
of this will adde also to the exalting and magnifying of the exceeding riches of the grace of God in Christ to men to shew what a blessed condition this Spouseship is to those that are strangers unto both hearing the Love of the Church to be the chiefest of ten thousands may by the power of the Spirit of the Lord be won to seek after-him it was the very same case in the Canticles The daughters of the world say unto the Spouse of Christ hearing her so extoll her love What is thy beloved more then other beloveds that thou chargest us Oh saith the Church My Beloved is white and ruddy my beloved is the chiefest of ten thousands now when they had heard of the excellencies of Christ they began as last to have their affections taken too and to say Whiterh is thy Beloved gone that we may seek him with thee Even so it may pleave God when by my endeavour the excellencies of the priviledges of the Spouse of Christ are set forth and the gloriousnesse of the priviledges of the Gospel manifested I say when these appear and when Christ as the chief of ten thousands is declared some may seek after him yea and imbrace him with joy But I cannot stand now to speak of them but hereafter God willing if I shall have further opportunity SERMON XI COLOSSIANS 1.18 And he is the head of his body the Church the beginning THE Apostle after his supersciption and direction of his Epistle wherein he makes mention of his commission for the exercise of his Apostolicall office and after his Apostolicall benediction given unto them comes to give an account of the cause of the writing of this Epistle It was this namely he had received comfortable intelligence and information from Epaphroditus a Minister of the Gospel that had loboured among these Colossians of their receiving the faith and of their love to the brethren This was glad news to the Apostle and therefore he tells them that he was not unmindfull or backward to return thanks and praise to the Lord for so good a work begun in them and for the joy he had received by the work among them and also to pray for them making mention of many particulars he sought of God on their behalf namely That they may be filled with the knowledge of his wil in all wisdom and spirituall understanding closing up in thankfulness in remembrance and rehersall of the fountain and rise from whence all that grace and goodnesse received flowed and sprung and that is the dear Son of God in the 13. verse Having thus let himself into his own way namely the mentioning of the dear Son of God he takes the oppertunity from an apt connexion to go on according to the main discourse of this Epistle wherein the Apostle first sorts his materials and then he falls upon his businesse The two main matters he deals upon are first the foundation and that is the Sonne of God expressed in the 13. verse Secondly the structure raised upon this foundation and that is redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of sins Here is the distribution of his matter Now by and by having sorted his materialls he falls to work beginning first w th the foundation which he polisheth that he puts such a lustre upon it that it shines even like the Sun yea more glorious then the Sun in beauty He sets forth Christ the foundation in so many aimable considerations as to ravish the world And the Apostle at the 15. and 16. verses begins to shew his faculty and expertnesse in this gret work that Christ did entrust him withall namely to be a wooer in the behalf of Christ to win people to him as in a former discourse upon this place I have told you and therein I say the Apostle doth most Rhetorically hold forth every thing that is of a winning and desirable nature to draw forth the love of people unto Christ If people look for beauty and that catch men the Apostle tells us here that Christ is an admirable peece of beauty there is none like to him saith the Church in the Canticles He is the chief of ten thousands but behold the beauty the Apostle mentions here He is the Image of the invisible God In the Epistle to the Hebrews in the 1. chapter and the 3. verse he speaks more fully to the businesse He is the expresse Image of his person and the brightnes of his glory Here is a face for you if you be enamored with beauty there is none like him Yea but some they look for parentage one of Noble blood and of a great House As they would have beauty so they would marry into an honourable Family Well the Apostle will tell you here is a match for you with a witnesse Here is beauty and a good race too He is not only the expresse Image of God but he is the first born of God The first begotten of every creature nay the dear Son of God In the 15. verse of this chapter here is a stock for you of the highest kindred in the world hee is the heir of glory the heir apparant that if you will match for honour if you will match into a great House here is beauty and honour too Yea but you will vay it may be he may be in disgrace it may be he hath no authority and power and ability we would have one that hath authority and power and bears rule Christ he is called such a one too the whole soveraignty of the world is at his command and disposall as you would have it to be so you have it in the next verse In vers 16. All things were made by him saith the Apostle whether things in heaven or things in earth visible or invisible principalities and powers thrones or dominions all things were made by him for him as much as to say every thing is subject unto him every thing bows their knees to him And in 2 Philip. he hath a name given to him above every name that at the name of Iesus every knee should bow whether things in heaven or things iâ— earth or things under the earth Tell me one that hath greater power and authority then this iâ— If you will therefore match with advantage to the purpose here is a match for you saith the Apostle I but some will say He may have honour enough himself but it may be he is a niggard I may be kept hard enough and poore enough Is he bountifull and free Beloved the Apostle tells us in Colos 2.10 First what he hath he is not only honourable but rich also In him dwelleth the fulnes of the Godhead bodily saith he What is that to me some will say he may hoard it all up I may have little enough of it No saith the Apostle we are compleat in him Here is the fulness of the Godhead and ye are compleat in him he cannot abide to keep any thing to himself
divine nature gave up it self though only in the second Person God was in Christ as much as to say whole God the divine nature assumed a humane nature and so makes up a Christ And thus God is in Christ reconciling the world unto himself You shall see in the Apostles expression elsewhere that the beginning of life in a member of Christ flows from Christ Your life is hid with Christ in God It is such another phrase as the two former It is hid with Christ in God that is it is hid in that God who by being man is become Christ For that is all the difference between God and Christ all the difference I say is between God simply and absolutely considered in himself and God considered as ineffably united to the humane nature God I say thus united becomes Christ and so in such a union is reconciling the world unto himself and takes the Church who is his body The Apostle tells us further Now I live but he presently checks himself yet not I but Christ lives in me Christ is the soul of the body and as the body without a soul is dead so a person without Christ is dead I will not dispute that needlesse dispute of the Philosophers whether the soul be seated in the head principally or in the heart but this I am sure of the life and soul of the Church is in the head of the Church I am the way the truth and the life he is the life of the soul of man as the body without the soul is dead even so if there could be such a thing as the body of the Church without Christ that body were but a dead thing It hath all animal vertue from him alone It hath all life in all respects from him Take life in the first fruits in its sence or motion all spirituall sence all spirituall motion all spirituall actions and activenesse for action receives being and beginning only from Christ Hee is given for a covenant to open the blind eyes All eyes are blind till Christ opens them there is no seeing till the body receive sight and seeing from the head The head causeth us also to sinell as wel as to see the sweet savour of the ointment of Christ that makes the Virgins love him Because of the sweet savour of thy oyntments therefore do the Virgins love thee Now this savour the smell thereof being as the smel of a field that the Lord hath blessed to smel this is the sole work of Christ himselfe So also the spiritual taste to tast how good God is to relish the fatnesse and marrow and sweetnesse of the spirituall wine well refined upon the lees is all by the power of Christ and hath its being from Christ So all our feeling to feel comfort joy unspeakable and glorious all is from Christ Christ opens our eyes he boars the eares he causeth us to smell You will say all this is the worke of the Spirit why doe you say it is the work of Christ Mark what John saith in the 16. chapter the words are these He that is the spirit shal glorifie me For he shall receive of mine and he shall shew it unto you The Spirit himselfe as he dealeth with the members of Christ is the agent of Christ proceeding from Christ communicating that that is Christs to those members So that the Spirit is as it were the conduit-pipe through whom the fulnesse of the fountaine conveyes it selfe and runs forth to every member The Spirit is as the veins and nerves in the naturall body The blood you know hath its fountain from the liver but the veins carry it into every part of the body And as the naturall eye cannot see except the nerves feed it with visive spirits so neither can any eye behold the secrets of the Lord the hidden things of Christ such as he thanks his Father hee reveales unto babes while he hides them from the wise of the world except the Lord Christ do feed the members with his own Spirit It is not the eye that doth discerne and see of it selfe but the spirits that do come from the head cause sight by the eye For there may be an eye and no sight where a want of these spirits are Looke over all the Book of God and you shall finde that there is no action that comes from the Spirit but Christ is the head and spring of it You shall finde the strength and hearts of people faile when hee withdrawes himselfe It is hee that is the strength of them for ever Feare not saith the Text be not dismayed I will uphold thee I will strengthen thee There must needs be miscarriage for want of power except Christ come with his strength and power to uphold Therefore when Paul exhorts those to whom he writes to worke the workes of the Lord hee gives them this counsel Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might and again saith hee Put on the whole armour of God Now it is a vain thing to think of taking up of arms except there be strength to manage them Saul thought David to be a puny when he was to sight with Goliah and had no regard to him although hee might have good armour on hee was too little a man What Saul thought of David is true of all the whole armour of God it is to no purpose except men be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might And therefore when Paul was in a strait hee begged and begged again to have strength given though hee had not an answer to his mind yet God told him My grace is sufficient for thee My strength is made perfect in weaknesse All persons are weak but as they have strength in Christ Yea there is no strength but what is his and is sent by him Let me tell you this and I beseech you consider they that have Christ for their head they have an infinite advantage above the closest hypocrite in the world although he goe never so farre All he doth is but from a weake principle Christ is not the principle of that hee doth but hee that hath Christ for his head hee hath a spring of fulnesse The Holy Ghost tells us He is full of Grace and Truth and in him dwells the fulnesse of the God-head bodily and It pleased the Father that in him all fulnesse should dwell So that you may plainely see that the preaching of Christ as head and setting up of all the glory of Christ is not the preaching of licentious liberty to men Hee that can win a person to be a true member of this head that is Christ hee brings that person into a fat soile hee transplants him from a barren soile from a rocky soil into a rich soile whereby he come to abound in all manner of fruitfulnesse And certainly beloved fruitfulnesse will be more abundant as the soule can apprehend it selfe by true faith to be a part of this head
For the head will communicate that the soule it selfe cannot contain it selfe in its own bounds The love of Christ constraines me saith Paul hee can doe no otherwise hee that is driven must needs goe Christ he drives and makes himselfe a way into his members hee breakes his own way into them and so sets them on and puts them forwards Then again Christ being the beginning of all our being he is the beginning also of all prerogatives priviledges whatsoever the Church of Christ hath they have no priviledge but as it flows from the grant of Christ As first of all Justification even Justification it selfe comes from Christ It may be that you will object that the Text saith that God justifies the ungodly and how then doth Christ justifie them I say still as I said before That which God doth Christ doth God is still in Christ God doth nothing but Christ doth all things All the Father hath he hath given to the Son The Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgment to the Son The meaning I take it is this God as hee is simply one divine essence in himself he doth in this simple consideration of himself not manage any thing in this kind but all that ever he manageth he manageth in his Son and this Son as he is become man So that whosoever they are that are justified they are justified by the Sonne and whosoever come to the knowledge of Justification they attaine to the knowledg of Justification also by Christ We have not received the spirit of the world but wee have received the Spirit that is of God that wee may know the things that are freely given us of God Now this Spirit of God is the Spirit of Christ So then the knowledge of the things freely given us of God is by the Spirit of Christ Nothing can acquaint the soule and satisfie it of a portion and interest in Christ and being a member of Christ but by the Spirit of God that must resolve the case at last do what you can Every thing is dumb and silent but as the Spirit of God doth speak The Word of God and even the word of grace is a dumb letter but as the Spirit of the Lord doth speak in it or with it and so of all things in the world And therefore beloved know you run into those two great evills the Holy Ghost speakes of in Jeremiah the forsaking the fountaine of living water and the digging to your selves cisterns that can hold no water while you forsake Christ the spring fountain and go to pump and fetch any thing you take from any thing besides him If you run to creatures you make not Christ the beginning You will say you suppose Christ to be the beginning in all and you believe him so to be But I say Is this a good supposition of Christ when he is not thought of shall he be but supposed and shall services be set up to take up all the affections and all the suits and pleadings of your hearts How hath Christ all the priority In the 18. verse of the 1. chapter to the Colossians hee is said to be the head of the body of the Church That hee might have the pre-eminence in all things Why do people then run to other things and magnifie and extoll and exalt other things while Christ shall not have a good word Nay people are affraid to speake out of things that are Christs for fear of giving liberty to people to sin and charge people to take heed of the setting forth of Christ and Grace by him as a dangerous Doctrine So seldome daring to speake of the excellencies of Christ and of the excellent priviledges and benefits that come by and from Christ nor of the freenesse of those things that are conveyed to us in and through Christ And why Oh! this will make men run out into all manner of licentiousnesse and prophanenesse without controll and so Christ shall be suppressed for feare of giving liberty and in the meane while other things shall bee set up above Christ the divine Rhetorick of Repentance and Humiliation the prevalency of teares to wash away sin and our conscionable walking will commend us to GOD at the last day Here must bee a magnifying of mans righteousnesse and when these things come to be examined they are but rhetoricall expressions Beloved God grant that our Rhetorick may advance him that is to bee advanced and keepe all other things in their own places that are to be kept low that nothing may have the preeminence of Christ Christ being the head and the beginning of all things that the people of God may go with their buckets to the wells of salvation and draw waters of life from thence and not runne to muddy puddles The zeale of the Lord I meane of the Lord Christ who hath so magnified the riches of his grace to the Sons of men should eat up your spirits raise up your soules against every thing that doth raise it selfe up to exalt it self above Christ If Christ be not the beginning but somthing else let that have the preeminence but if Christ be the beginning let him have the preeminence as Eliah once said to the Idolatrous Israelites that had fortaken the Lord had set up the works of their own hands instead of him If Baal be God then worship him but if God be God then serve and worship him So I say at this present unto you If you will acknowledge Christ to be the beginning let it appear in the setting of him up above all other things in your hearts and thoughts Make him your sanctuary make him your refuge wait upon him for all things Why are your hearts so cast downe It may be corruptions prevail within you fear not Is not there enough in the fountaine to refresh thee and supply thee with strength against them Doth Satan seek to overcome you by his temptations like a roaring Lion seek to devour you he is able to tread down Satan under your feet Beloved will you starve in a Cooks shop as they say Is there such plenty in Christ will you perish for hunger You wil answer it may be you would close with Christ you would goe to Christ for supply with all your hearts but you dare not you are afraid Christ will reject you if you come to him Beloved come to Christ Christ will not cast you off Is there any thing in the world you would have would you have joy and peace come to him and the God of peace wil ful you with all peace and joy in believing Would you have your iniquities subdued come to him and sin shall not have dominion over you saith the Apostle for Ye are not under the Law but under Grace For it is the grace of God that brings salvation salvation from sin as well as salvation from wrath And this Grace of God saith the Apostle will teach you to deny all ungodlinesse and worldly â—usts There is no greater motive in the world to encourage man to venture upon any thing that Christ puts him upon then this That he hath Christ to inable and to lead him through it In the mean time give me leave to â—ut one caution to you Christ I say being the head and as the head being the beginning the supplier of all things pertaining to life godlinesse if there bee any person that either now or at any other time make these most desperaâ—â— conclusions from any thing that they have heard as that they may continue in sin and that they may go on in iniquity Christ hath dyed for them let them sin as much as they can they cannot out-sin the death of Christ If there be any person that doe charge any such untruth upon any Minister and will collect such blasphemies from the Doctrine of the Gospel oâ— Christ let them know that God will eitheâ— bring them to see the greatnes of their folly 〈◊〉 to be ashamed of it or for ought I know theâ— may have their deserved portion in the loweâ— part of hell I dare be bold to say there is noâ— people under heaven who are so prejudiciall 〈◊〉 the Gospel of Christ as such stumbling blocks are nor unto trembling hearts that would faiâ— close with the free grace of God in Christ aâ— such persons that take liberty to sin that gracâ— may abound causing the Gospel to be evill spoken of and detested causing that scandalouâ— name to be raised upon the Gospel that it is a doctrine of liberty Beloved as hee that hath called you is holy so you that are called 〈◊〉 ye holy in all manner of conversation and 〈◊〉 he that hath called you will make you holy 〈◊〉 he is holy First in a word here is matter of exhortatiâ—â— if Christ be the head and the beginning of â—â—l things look up to the head suck at the head raw from the heâ— let nothing draw you â—om the head 2ly Here is matter of consolation to all the â—embers of Christ as long as the head hath in self the body shall never want Such a head â—hrist is that hath al fulnes in him he can neâ—â—r be drawn dry Christ is not as the springs â—â—b speaks of brooks that fail in summer but â—is spring is of such an excellent nature that he â—akes an everlasting spring in the heart whereâ—to he pours himself so saith he He that drinâ—â—th of the waters that I will give him shall never â—irst again but the waters shall be in him a well â—ith Christ bubling up unto eternall life Know â—ssuredly be consident of it God must cease 〈◊〉 be God before there can be a lack of supply 〈◊〉 what is useful for you Christ is head as he 〈◊〉 head he is God as wel as man God himselfe â—en must be drawn dry before you shal want â—ny thing that is good for you Therfore let Saâ—â—n all the world set themselves against you â—â—u shall never have cause to say all the springs â—e dried up now there is no hope of any more â—pply for certainly the Lord will maintain â—â—ntinue that which he hath undertaken I am â—d and change not therefore ye sons of Jacob are consumed FINIS