of great Authority and Influence over the Carnal World of great cunning and dexterity in setting our Sins a work certainly unless we be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might there is no standing Eph. 6.10.12 compared But why hath God left it impossible to Man when he hath offered hopes by the New Covenant 1. That all the Glory of the Good that is in us may redound unto his Grace Eph. 1.6 To the praise of the glory of his Grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved That is God's End in the New Covenant that we might ever admire and highly esteem his Glorious Grace And therefore it is not only Grace that opens the Door that removes the flaming Sword that is against us that takes away the Curse of God but in the whole business of Salvation all is to be ascribed to Grace It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Rom. 9.16 the words willeth and runneth are considerable The Lord that brings us into this State keeps us in this State 2. To keep the Creature in a constant Dependance upon him and that he might often hear from us As long as a Man is sufficient to himself he never comes to God Ier. 2.31 We are Lords and will no more come unto thee If a Man had the Dominion over his own Spirit and were sufficient to himself God would never hear from him The Prodigal went away from his Father when he had his Portion in his own hands and he never thought of returning till he had spent all and began to be in want Luk. 15.14 Thus should we do with God Prayer and all trading with Heaven would cease if we were sufficient of our selves as to do any thing and therefore with Man it is impossible VSE First Take heed that you do not make a wrong Use of this Impossibility namely so as to be discouraged and throw off all as if there were no hope God hath left it so as that we may despair of our own Strength but not of his Help We should not be discouraged since he worketh in us what he requireth of us 1. God can overcome all this Difficulty He that made the Heart is above it and can frame it to himself Evangelical Difficulty lyes in three things the Corruption of our Nature outward Impediments and Satans Opposition Now the Scripture represents God as able to do all for us he can change our Hearts sanctifie our Condition and help us to vanquish our Temptations 1. He can change our Hearts by Regeneration Alas we cannot change our Natures or turn our selves to God and therefore we are apt to be cast down when we look upon God's holy Ways and the strength of our own Lusts but God is able to change those Hearts of ours and take away their Reluctancy not by making a violent Impression as we force a Stone upward but by imprinting in our Hearts the Habits of Grace whereby we are carried out willingly in the Ways of God and so our Business becomes easie Titus 3.4 According to his mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost No man can come unto me except the Father which hath sent me draw him John 6.44 And draw me and we will run after thee Cant. 1.4 He puts forth his mighty Power upon the Heart and changeth the bent of our Souls and so we come in 2. God can sanctifie our Condition that it shall not be a Snare Christians whatever you think of it it is not easie to keep your selves unspotted from the World to live in the midst of so many Temptations and to carry on an Equal holy heavenly Frame of Heart such as the Apostle mentions 1 Cor. 8 30 31. It remains that they that have Wives be as tho' they had none and they that weep as tho' they wept not and they that rejoyce as tho' they rejoyced not and they that buy as tho' they possessed not and they that use this World as not abusing it This is our Duty But how shall we do to get such a weaned Heart With Man it is impossible but not with God He can give a Rich Man such Grace as to contemn the World to lay up Treasures in Heaven and upon Religious Reasons to leave all for Christ's sake God taught Paul this Holy Weanedness Phil. 4.12 I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need And he can teach it you if you will wait upon him Our own Natural Spirits indeed carrieth us quite another way Iames 4.5 6. The Spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy but he giveth more Grace Our Natural Spirit is all for Temporal things it envies the greatness of others it designs for our selves but when Lusts rage he can bridle them the Lord is able to give us a holy Weanedness and Moderation of our Desires in the midst of all those Baits and Snares that we are compassed about withal 3. To Conquer Temptations It is God that rescues the Prey and plucked us at first by a strong hand out of Satan's Power Luke 11.21 22. When the strong man armed keepeth his palace his goods are in peace But when a stronger than he shall come upon him and overcome him he taketh from him all his Armour wherein he trusted and divideth his spoils God can bind Satan and dispossess him and recover you out of the snares of the Devil wherein you are taken captive by him at his will 2 Tim. 2.26 And when we are once in a State of Grace he can preserve you in despite of Men and Devils The World assaults the Children of God with great Force and Power and the Devil is in the Design But saith the Apostle Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the World John 4.4 God is greater in Counsel greater in Strength greater in his Providence and watchfulness for the good of his People Till this Divine Power interpose it can never be 2. We have no Reason to doubt of his Will for he hath promised to take away the Heart of Stone Ezek. 36.26 A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your Flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh There is nothing within the Compass of our Christiaâ— Calling of which we have not a Promise in the Covenant The Precept and the Promise go hand in hand therefore the Promise will be made good and so we have no Reason to despair but humbly wait upon God in the use of means till these Promises be accomplished Secondly What Use shall we make of it then Go to God for this Power and give all the Glory of any Saving Grace wrought in us by this
and maimed with croocked Bodies distorted Limbs that the Shape of our Bodies might discover the Depravation of our Souls If it be not so give God the Praise and pity others We read Iohn 9.1 2 3. As Iesus passed by he saw a Man that was blind from his Birth And his Disciples asked him saying Who did sin this Man or his Parents that he was born blind Iesus answered Neither hath this Man sinned nor his Parents but that the Works of God might be made manifest in him We are not to make a perverse Judgment or censure others but to admire the secret Wisdom of God and bless him if he hath given you a better Constitution and a Body fit for Work and Service 2. Do you differ in the Endowments of the Mind in a quick Wit clear Understanding solid Judgment and the Vivacity of Natural Parts whilst others are more heavy and blockish Who must have the Glory of this God or you Iob 32.8 There is a Spirit in Man and the Inspiration of the Almighty giveth them Vnderstanding You are to help the weaker and glorify God that you have a more acute discerning otherwise your Understanding may undo you and your unsanctified Wit may be your eternal Ruin as many wit themselves into Hell 3. Is it that you flow in Wealth and Honour and have great Power and Interest Will you therefore vaunt your selves unseemly and despise and oppress the poor There are three Proverbs Prov. 14.31 He that oppresseth the Poor reproacheth his Maker Prov. 17.5 Whoso mocketh the Poor reproacheth his Maker And again Prov. 22.2 The Rich and the Poor meet together the Lord is the Maker of them all that is they live one among another and have need of one another Now God that forbiddeth the Poor to envy the Rich doth forbid the Rich to despise the Poor for otherwise they dishonour God This Injury and Contempt is to despise the Wisdom of God who would have some low and poor others dignified with Honour and Estate God hath laid this Burden upon them The Heathens that acknowledged a God and a Providence said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. He that upbraided another with the Defects of Nature did not upbraid the Person so much as Nature it self So we that own a particular Providence may know that to upbraid any Man with his Poverty is to upbraid God who hath laid this Burden upon them We have cause to give Thanks that we are not as they that our Maker hath put a difference when they labour hard for the Supplies of Life they come to us more plentifully and easily 4. But chiefly is this difference to be understood with respect to spiritual things that we have the Means of Grace and are called to the knowledg of the Truth while others are left to their own ways sitting in the shadow of Death Surely it is a great Favour that we are not put to spell God out of the dark Book of the Creatures that we are not put to learn the Majesty of God from those natural Apostles the Sun and the Moon nor his Goodness from Showers of Rain and fruitful Seasons But shall not God have the Thanks and Praise Psal. 147.19 20. He shewed his Word unto Jacob his Statutes and his Iudgments unto Israel He hath not dealt so with any Nation and as for his Iudgments they have not known them Praise ye the Lord. There is a kind of Election and Reprobation within the Sphere of Nature or the Dispensation of external means as they are ordered by God's Providence The Benefit of Scriptures and Ordinances is a great Benefit How much hath God done for us above many others Our Lot might have fallen in Places of the greatest Idolatry and Antichristian Barbarism where we might have sucked in Prejudices against the Gospel with our Milk But to have a standing there where Salvation is usually dispensed is a great Mercy 5. Is it that you have many common Gifts and Graces which are denied to others Some have great Gifts for the good of the Body Mystical Common Christians have common Gifts some have what others have not Heb. 6.4 5 6. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightned and have tasted of the heavenly Gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good Word of God and the Powers of the World to come if they shall fall away to renew them again to Repentance c. compared with ver 9. But Beloved we are perswaded better things of you and things that accompany Salvation tho we thus speak To be nearer the Kingdom of Heaven is an advantage and to have some common work of the Spirit as Compunction After I was instructed I smote upon my Thigh Jer. 31.19 Awakening Grace Ephes. 4.14 Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee Light 2 Tim. 2.16 That they may recover themselves out of the Snare of the Devil who are taken Captive by him at his Will God's Reproof Prov. 1.23 Turn ye at my Reproof behold I will pour out my Spirit upon you Job 36.10 He openeth also their Ears to Discipline and commandeth that they return from Iniquity God sanctifieth Providences to make us serious Psal. 94.12 Blessed is the Man whom thou chastenest and teachest him out of thy Law 6. Is it that you are a Christian not by outward Profession but spiritual Acquaintance with God Gal. 1.15 It pleased God who separated me from my Mother's Womb and called me by his Grace to reveal his Son in me There is a revealing Christ to us and a revealing in us that you are not carnal obstinate unbelieving as others but chosen out of the World John 15.19 and 1 Iohn 5.19 We know that we are of God and the whole World lieth in Wickedness that we are separated from the World and called to the Communion of God in Christ. 7. Is it that you are inabled in this Estate to do any thing that concerneth the Glory of God The Romans were wont to cast Garlands into their Fountains So we must ascribe all to God 1 Cor. 15.10 By the Grace of God I am what I am Luke 19.16 Thy Pound hath gained ten Pounds You must not rob God and put the Crown on your own Head no all must be laid at his Feet Rev. 4.10 The four and twenty Elders fell down before him that sat on the Throne and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever and cast their Crowns before the Throne They have their Crowns from him and hold them of him and their only Design is to improve them for him 8. That among the serious Worshippers of God there is any difference between you and others either in Gifts or Graces or knowledg of his Will Iohn 14.22 Lord how is it that thou wilt manifest thy self to us and not unto the World That you are not lost in the Crowd and Throng That God should call you out to any Eminency
Power but also with his Goodness and Mercy and therefore it must needs succeed ill with us Before God breaketh out with Fury he treateth with us in a mild condescending way he beseecheth his own Creature Jer. 13.15 16. Hear ye and give ear be not proud for the Lord hath spoken give Glory to God before he cause Darkness and before your Feet stumble upon the dark Mountains and while ye look for Light he turn it into the Shadow of Death and make it gross Darkness 2. An hard Heart makes us Rebels to God and Slaves to every thing else for we are wedded to some inferiour thing we are our own Pharaohs and will not let our selves go 2 Tim. 3.4 Lovers of Pleasures more than Lovers of God 3. It is in it self the sorest of all Judgments 4. It never goes alone but brings other Judgments along with it 5. It is the great hindrance of the Spiritual Life See Sermon on Mark 3.5 pag. 505 506 507. 2 dly From the Parties whom it may befal not only the open Wicked but in some measure God's own Children for God may harden two ways as a Judg and as a Father by way of Punishment and by way of Correction By way of Punishment again two ways totally and finally Some are totally hardned and have nothing of a soft Heart in them and yet not finally the dreadful Sentence of Obduration is not yet past upon them as it may be upon others and that during Life when God leaveth them to their own Hearts Counsels without any Check or Restraint of Providence or Purpose to reclaim them These three Kinds I must then speak of God's hardning the Wicked in general his final hardning and his hardning in part his own Children SERMON II. EXOD. IV. 21 I will harden his Heart that he shall not let my People go First OF God's hardning wicked Men in general as a Judg. The Causes of it are 1. Ignorance for Light and Love make the Heart tender Light is that which we are now to take notice of Light begets Tenderness as it discerneth Sin and maketh us sensible of it especially the lively Light of the Spirit Rom. 7.9 I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandment came Sin revived and I died Sense of Guilt and Punishment soon flashed in his Face as in a Dungeon the Worms crawl as soon as Light is brought in Jer. 31.19 After I was instructed I smote upon my Thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the Reproach of my Youth Instruction breedeth Remorse and awakneth Men out of their stupid Security but while Men continue in their Ignorance they are stupid and sensless Now thus Men may be for a long time and yet afterwards God may make the Scales fall 〈◊〉 from their Eyes and open their Eyes and turn them from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan unto God Acts 26.18 However affected and vincible Ignorance when Men are willingly ignorant and err in their Hearts that is when Men have powerful and enlightning Motives and yet remain ignorant this is very dangerous And for the present that Ignorance is one cause of their hardning is evident because the worst usually when they come to die are sensible their Mind is then cleared from the Fogs and Steams of Lust and Conscience being awakned they then feel their Load and a great weight of Sin lying upon them and most wish they had lived in a more strict and ready Obedience to God's Will 2. Unbelief There is an Hardness of the Heart against the Light and Offers of the Gospel when Christ is tendred but not received and the cause of that is Ignorance affected Ignorance and there is an hardning of the Heart against the Truth once received out of love of their temporal Peace Liberty and Safety of Life and Estate this cometh from Unbelief and want of a sufficient sense and sight of the World to come Which Hardness is caused by the Veaglement and Importunities of the Flesh craving its Satisfactions in the present World and denying or disbelieving the Blessedness to come If Men did believe Heaven and Hell they would be more pliable to God's Motions and more deaf to the Importunities of the Flesh but that this is a cause of hardning appeareth by Christ's chiding his Disciples for their Unbelief and hardness of Heart Mark 16.14 Afterward he appeared unto the Eleven as they sat at Meat and upbraided them with their Vnbelief and hardness of Heart because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen 3. Sinning against Light either by way of Omission or Commission This provoketh God to give us over to more hardness of Heart By way of Commission is easily granted but it is also by way of Omission Iames 4.17 To him that knoweth to do Good and doth it not to him it is Sin They will find it to be Sin in the sad Effects of it See Sermon on Mark 3.5 pag. 508. 4. Custom in Sinning See on Mark 3.5 pag. 504. 5. Small Sins may occasion this Judgment and harden the Heart as well as great Sins It is not easy to say which doth most indeed great Sins get into the Throne presently but small Sins insensibly and by degrees Psal. 19.13 Keep back thy Servant also from presumptuous Sins let them not have Dominion over me A small Sin may get the upper hand of a Sinner and bring him under in time and after that it is habituated by constant Custom so that he cannot easily shake off the Yoke and redeem himself from the Tyranny thereof as if a Man be addicted to any Vanity and foolish Delight These do not exercise Dominion over the inslaved Soul till they have gotten Strength by many and multiplied Acts. But presumptuous Sins by one single Act weaken the Spirit and give a mighty Advantage to the Flesh even almost to a compleat Conquest So that for the present little Sins do not harden the Heart so much as greater See Sermon on Mark 3.5 pag. 508. Now all these Causes concur to the hardning of the Heart and making it as a Stone but yet out of these Stones God can raise up Children to Abraham Secondly Of God's final hardning when God leaveth Men to perish and will no more treat with them Now here I shall shew 1 st That there is such a Dispensation 2 dly The Causes of it 1 st That there is such a Dispensation 1. It is an usual Dispensation for God to leave Men to perish in their Sins and that irreversibly even before Death and will be intreated no more for them It appears by many places of Scripture Rev. 22.11 He that is unjust let him be unjust still and he which is filthy let him be filthy still Those which remain obstinate after many Warnings and Calls it is usual with God to give them over to their Lusts that they may be ripe for Hell Ezek. 3.27 He that heâ—â—eth let him hear and
Faith Some Christians know not all things which are contained in the Prophets and Apostles and yet in a sense they do believe by an implicite Faith As Agrippa believed the Prophets Acts 26.27 King Agrippa Believest thou the prophets I know that thou believest Yet he was ignorant of some things revealed by them So all Christians own the Writings of the Apostles and Prophets as the Rule and Warrant of Faith yet they do not discerne every Truth therein contained They do believe that whatever the Prophets and Apostles say and have written is true and so are ready to believe all things which shall be demonstrated to them to be written or said by them But by an explicite Faith they believe all Fundamental Truths such as are absolutely necessary to Salvation and usually most other Truths which are next to Fundamentals The Fundamentals are set down Iohn 17.3 This is life eternal to know thee the only true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent That God is to be known loved obeyed worshipped and injoyed and that the Lord Jesus is our Redeemer and Saviour to bring us home to God with his gifts of Pardon and Life to be begun by the Spirit here and perfected in Heaven Thirdly The Act believing It is not enough not to deny or not to contradict but we must actually and positively believe The Reason why the generality of People living in the Christian World feel so little force of their Faith is from their inadvertency they leap into the Christian Faith by the advantage of their Birth but do not consider what they believe nor why they should believe it and how they are concerned in it and so may be rather said not to contradict than to believe But true Faith is a positive firm assent excited in us by the Spirit of God As the Apostle saith of some that were zealous for the Law Vnderstanding neither what they say nor whereof they affirm 1 Tim. 1.7 So the Rabble of Common Christians may be zealous for the Gospel yet are not instructed in the Nature and Grounds of it what and why they should believe A sound belief requireth a thorough understanding of what we believe and a deep consideration of the Grounds and Reasons why we are to believe it And then it is such a fixed assent as is not perplexed and haunted with doubts about the truth of it And such a close adherence as is not discouraged with difficulties and oppositions It would be much better with the Christian World if every one that carryeth the name of a Christian could say I believe all that is written in the prophets and the apostles In short To a sound belief there is necessary 1. A Knowledge or full Instruction in the things which we believe for it is said 1 Iohn 4.16 We have known and believed the love that God hath to us first known and then believed 2. A due Conviction of the Certainty of them Luke 1.4 That thou mayest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed And Iohn 6.69 We believe and are sure that thou art that Christ the Son of the living God And Iohn 17.8 They have known surely that I came out from thee and they have believed that thou didst send me 3. This Faith doth not only imply a bare intellectual assent but a practical trust and affiance For the Nature of the Object requireth so much Christianity doth not only propound bare Truths to be assented unto but joyful comfortable Truths suitable to our necessity and desires and therefore we must depend upon them seek our Happyness in them in the way appointed by God which is nothing but practical trust and affiance Therefore it is not a bare Opinion but a relyance upon God that he will make good his word to us whilest we continue with Patience in well-doing Therefore we are said to belong to Christ if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end Heb. 3.6 4. Those Truths which are contained in the word are to be considered with application that we may know them for our good Iob 5.27 Hear it and know thou it for thy good Every Doctrine which upon search we find to be sound and good we must make application of it to our selves that it may affect our own Hearts if Threatnings that we may escape the Curse if Comforts or Promises Rom. 8.32 What shall we say to these things The promise of Pardon to all Believers is so universal that it includeth you as well as others Christ is offered to every Creature that he may be yours as well as anothers and the offer of Heaven and Eternal Life is so propounded that you should ingage your Hearts to seek after it and closely to adhere to it till you obtain it But to apply it so as to be perswaded that your own Sins are already pardoned that you are an Heir of Glory that you are Christs as to actual Interest you must have good Evidence for that from a Spiritual Sense of your own Qualifications but it belongeth not to Faith simply taken Thus we have set forth a Christian in his first part as a Believer II. The Apostle asserts his Hope And have hope towards God which they themselves allow that there shall be a Resurrection of the dead both of the just and unjust 1. Mark that he propoundeth his hope as the immediate effect and product of Faith for when I believe then I must look and long and prepare for the Blessedness offered otherwise my Faith is but a cold Opinion not such a Faith as will subdue the inclinations and Interests of the Flesh nor make the Labours and Sufferings of the Spiritual Life tolerable And that is true Faith which breatheth and longeth after the end of all Religion and looketh for it What will it do me good to believe the Doctrines of the Prophets and Apostles if I expect no good from thence Faith would be vain and Religion vain Only note here that Hope is two-fold 1. One the Fruit of Regeneration or the immediate effect of Conversion to God 1 Pet. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope And this is nothing else but a seeking and looking for an Happiness in another and in an unseen World with a longing desire and diligent care to obtain it It is Faith to place my Happiness so high and so far from sense now when my desires and delights are there and my daily care is to get thither and to live in a continual preparation for it and desirous expectation of it and to deny my self and suffer any loss and pain to get thither this is the work of Hope 2. There is an Hope built upon experience Rom. 5.4 5. And experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost
fourth rank is of those things which are evil in themselves and good only by accident in order to some greater good which may be procured by them as War to make way for a lasting Quiet and Peace the cutting off an Arm or Leg to preserve the rest of the Body burning the Harvest to starve an Enemy In a Theological Consideration Afflictions have this use which are not things to be desired and chosen but endured and suffered when sent by the wise God for our good Well now a Christian should love all things according to their value and as they approach nearer to his last end and chief good He valueth all things as they more or less let out God to him the nearer means more than the remote subservient helps Thus he delighteth in the Ordinances more than the Creatures because the Ordinances discover more of God and exhibite more of God to him He valueth Graces more than Ordinances because by the Graces of the Spirit he is brought into more Conformity to God and Communion with him than by the bare formality of a Duty And he delighteth in Jesus Christ more than in Created Graces as being by him nearer to God and God nearer to us Here is the method and order of our value and esteem then First God next Christ as Mediatour next the Graces of the Spirit next the Ordinances next the Creatures and Comforts of this Life 3. A Godly mans Judgment is rectified about the difference between things spiritual and temporal Prov. 23.4 Labour not to be rich cease from thine own Wisdom 1 Cor 2.12 We have received not the Spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God Psal. 16.7 I will bless the Lord who hath given me Counsel my Reins also instruct me in the night season He counteth that Condition beâ—â— wherein he may be most serviceable to God and best helped to Heaven The natural understanding valueth all things by the Interest of the Flesh for it looketh only to present things 't is the Spirit of the World But one to whom God hath given Counsel he is of another temper seeth things by another light and liveth to another end and scope His End enlightneth him and the Spirit of God enlightneth him The Spirit sheweth him the reality and worth of Heavenly things Eph. 1.17 18. That the God of our Lord Iesus Christ the Father of Glory may give unto you the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the Knowledge of him The Eyes of your Vnderstanding being enlightned that ye may know what is the Hope of his Calling and what the Riches of the Glory of his Inheritance in the Saints There is no Prospect of the other World by the light of a natural Spirit but by Faith 2 Pet. 1.9 He that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off A meer naturaâ— man acteth at little a higher rate than a Beast A Beast seeth things before him tasts what is comfortable to his Senses is guided by Fancy and Appetite But the Spirit of Faith maketh a Man live as in the sight of God and under a sense of another World His end enlightneth him for Mat. 6.22 The light of the Body is the Eye if thine Eye be single thy whole Body shall be full of Light When a man hath fixed his end he will the sooner understand his way Finis est mensura mediorum The End is the measure of the means A good end and scope inlightneth and governeth a man in his whole course As a Man's end is so he judgeth of Happiness and Misery If a Mans end be to live well in the World then Happy are the People that are in such a Case If his end be to enjoy God then Happy is the People whose God is the Lord Psal. 144.15 It is a blessed opportunity to be waiting upon him So he judgeth of Liberty and Bondage If his end be to please God then Corruption is his Yoak if to please the Flesh Duty is his Yoak So he judgeth of Wisdom and Folly A carnal man counteth himself wise when he has made a good Bargain then he applaudeth himself Psal 10.3 The wicked boasteth of his Hearts desire and blesseth the covetous whom the Lord abhorreth The Godly Man then counteth himself wise when he has redeemed time for spiritual uses Eph. 5.15 16. Not as Fools but as Wise redeeming the time because the days are evil And the Eunuch when he was instructed by Philip went on his way rejoicing Acts 8 39. Vse 1. If these things be so then it informeth us how chearfully we should pass through our Sabbath Duties Isa. 58.13 If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath from doing thy Pleasure on my Holy Day and call the Sabbath a delight the Holy of the Lord honourable and shalt Honour him not doing thine own work nor finding thine own Pleasure nor speaking thine own Words c. It followeth naturally from the Point in hand for if a day in Gods house be better than a thousand elsewhere then a Christian should be in his Element when he is wholly at leisure for God His Sabbath time should not hang upon his hands nor should he count this day as a melancholy Interruption Few are of this Spirit they are out of their course Amos 8.5 When will the Sabbath be gone that we may set forth Wheat They are weary of Sacred Meetings and long to have them over that they might follow their gain and satisfie their worldly Humour They make the World and their Gain their great Errand and look upon Attendance upon God as a matter by the by and therefore are soon weary of it Vse II. Let us reflect the Light of this Truth upon our own Hearts have we this love and affection to the means of Grace If we profess it the Truth of it is best known to God but in some measure it should be known to our selves also if we would take Comfort in it Therefore let us a little state it 1. This Affection and Respect to Ordinances is to them as pure to those meetings where God is sincerely and purely worshipped As new born Babes desire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sincere Milk of the Word 1 Pet. 2.2 The new Nature is suited to Gods Institutions As the puking Infant when he sucketh a Stranger doth in Effect say this is not my Mothers Milk Christ is there where he is worshipped in his own way Mat. 28.20 Teaching them all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you alway even unto the end of the World The Church hath nothing to do about ordaining or instituting but only about ordering the natural circumstances of Worship 2. It is not the empty formality which the Saints prize but meeting with God Psal. 81.1 2. How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts my Soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord
our Sins in his own Blood And for God the Spirit we also find our Hearts raised to give him Glory partly by the Motions of his Grace which we feel in our Hearts Psal. 143.10 Teach me to do thy Will for thou art my God thy Spirit is good lead me into the Land of Vprightness Nehem. 9.20 Thou gavest also thy good Spirit to instruct them The Sanctifier Guide and Comforter of Believers is God's Spirit he is the only Author and Fountain of all Goodness and Holiness And partly by the comfortable Sense he begets in us of our Adoption Gal. 4.6 And because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your Hearts crying Abba Father And of our Hopes of Glory 2 Cor. 5.5 Now he that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God who hath also given unto us the Earnest of the Spirit And partly by the Support and Comfort we have from him in all our Conflicts and Distresses 1 Pet. 4.14 If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of Glory and of God resteth upon you on their part he is evil spoken of but on your part he is glorified 3. That we may with more Confidence wait for the Beginning Progress and Consummation of our own Salvation There is the eternal Love of God the alsufficient Merit of Christ and the omnipotent Operation of the Holy Ghost What cannot Eternal Love Infinite Merit and Almighty Power do As Christ is necessary to keep all right between us and God so the Spirit is necessary to keep all right between us and Christ. As we need a Person of the Godhead to satisfy the Justice of God so also to overcome our Obstinacy and Unbelief and to vanquish Temptations and Doubts and Fears and to settle us in the Comfort and Hope of the Gospel It is God's Prerogative to settle the Conscience Isa. 57.19 I create the Fruit of the Lips Peace Peace to him that is afar off and to him that is nigh saith the Lord. God is the supream Judg and the wronged Party He commands his Loving-kindness in the Day-time Psal. 42.8 By a powerful Imperial Act of the Spirit he stilleth our Doubts and Fears 4. That the whole Glory of our Salvation may redound to God alone Therefore the Divine Persons carry it on among themselves Love Grace and Communication do all To the Praise of the Glory of his Grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved Eph. 1.6 Grace is the Fountain-Cause of our Election Grace bringeth it about for who could ransom a Soul except Christ had taken the Work in hand There would have been a stop there Psal. 49.7 8. None of them can by any means redeem his Brother nor give to God a Ransom for him for the Redemption of their Soul is precious and ceaseth for ever There would have been a stop there Grace applies all What are we before the Grace of the Spirit How unworthy till Grace made us lovely How unable to lay hold on it before the Spirit of God enable us Rom. 5.6 For when we were yet without Strength in due time Christ died for the Vngodly And how unable are we to make good use of it afterward For 1. What was our Behaviour before Calling Disobedient serving divers Lusts and Pleasures Titus 3.3 2. In Calling it was slight and â—efractory Iob 33.14 For God speaketh once yea twice but Man perceiveth it not He often inviteth but Men take no notice of what so much concerneth their Souls good but slight all Warnings and Instructions lay not their Condition to heart and many an Opportunity is lost but God overcometh Mens Evil by his own Goodness and will not lose his Elect therefore ver 16. He openeth the Ears of Men and sealeth their Instruction that is breaketh in upon them in such a powerful way that they cannot withstand it 3. Since Calling there are frequent Interruptions of Obedience Iames 3.2 For in many things we offend all Our best Performances are weak and full of Blemishes Isa. 64.6 We are all as an unclean thing and all our Righteousnesses are as filthy Rags So that from first to last all floweth from God and all floweth from Love and Grace and Communication of the Spirit that our Persons and Actions are accepted Now it is our Duty to acknowledg this Love and highly esteem this glorious Grace and to testify our Esteem by Word and Work By Word â—n Praises by Deed expressing our Thankfulness in our Lives that they may be a constant Hymn to God and a Praise of his Grace that we are made Partakers of Vse 1. To encourage us to seek after the Effects of this Love of God Grace of Jesus Christ and Communion of the Spirit 1. I will plead your Want What will you do if you have not Father Son and Holy Ghost for your God You have your Beings from him for a while but the Day of his Patience will not always last You must die and give an Account and woful yea dreadful will their Account be who are not only involved in the common Apostacy but have heard of the Transactions of Father Son and Holy Ghost about their Recovery and never minded the Benefit or made light of it Surely it is woful Dulness and Stupidity not to value it and to feel no need of it 2 Cor. 6.1 We then as VVorkers together with him beseech you also that ye receive not the Grace of God in vain What Grace was that God was in Christ reconciling the VVorld to himself chap. 5.19 That Grace which the Father hath contrived for your Salvation that Grace for which Christ laid down his Life that Grace which is so affectionately tendred in the Gospel that Grace and that free undeserving Mercy which is so sutable to your Necessities Will you despise this It was an Act of infinite Love of God to design it and reveal it to you of Christ to purchase it for you of the Holy Ghost to offer it to you yea to strive with you to make you capable of it Shall the Gospel be cast away upon you and all those gracious Methods of God frustrated Or have you no need of it How will you maintain Peace in your Consciences now without Grace How will you stand before God's Tribunal at the last Day 2. Let me plead the Worth of it He that hath this Love of God this Grace of Christ this Communion of the Spirit wanteth nothing to his solid Happiness He hath all necessary things in their Cause and Fountain for he hath God Christ and the Spirit For all things come from the Love of God and the Grace of Christ and the Communion of the Holy Ghost And he doth possess all things in that measure that God sees fit for him Psal. 84.11 The Lord will give Grace and Glory and no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly It bringeth other Mercies with it and nothing is