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
live as if they were above changes God is neglected or but coldly owned as if now we had no more need of him Lam. 1.9 She remembred not her last end therefore she came down wonderfully That is She was not mindful of the Changes and Mutations to which all things are obnoxious Men usually loose their Sense of Duty with their Fears The Heart groweth flat and dead in Prayer not carried out with such Zeal and Earnestness as when we were in distress Or it takes us off from what we proposed in our Affliction and all our Vowes and Promises are forgotten 2. In Insolency This is manifested 1. By Contention When we are delivered then we revive the old quarrels as Timber warpeth in the Sun-shine When God giveth us success then follow Divisions The greatest strife is in dividing the Spoil Only by pride cometh contention saith Solomon Prov. 13.10 Plenty and ease begetteth Pride Dioclesians Persecution was brought on by the Factious Carriage of the Christians themselves contending for the Honours of the Church In King Edwards dayes when there was a little breathing then was there a Contention for Ceremonies 2. By Insultation over Enemies True they are under but it is unmanly to speak to the grief of those whom God hath wounded If our Mercies cannot be advanced but by the fall of our Brethren let us not insult but pity them David grieved when Saul fell and fasted for his Enemies Those whom the hand of the Lord hath touched have a kind of Reverence due to 'em as places blasted with Thunder and Lightning were accounted Sacred Iudges 21.6 And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother 3. By Oppression and Violence Because it is in the power of their hands Micah 2.1 Power doth mightily draw forth Corruption Tenderness of Conscience should be a restraint where publick force is not This I can do but I dare not But when Men imply their Power for hurt not for good and think to be born out in a sinful course by their Strength and Power it is Pride and Carnal Confidence VSE Oh Christians Beware of being lifted up in any kind 1. Take heed of secet thoughts of Merit Deut. 9.4 Speak not thou in thine heart after that the Lord thy God hath cast them out from before thee saying for my righteousness the Lord hath brought me in to possess this Land Though there be not such formal thoughts or down-right expressions yet this is the implyed thought There are explicite thoughts and implicite thoughts the one is actually and sensibly conceived in the Mind the other lurk and lie hid there and our Actions being interpreted are necessarily resolved into such thoughts As when you are scornful and pittyless vaunting your selves above others and do not actually admire the Riches of the Lords Goodness surely there is some latent thought of Merit in the Heart You may take notice of Gods Justice but still you must admire Free Grace 2. Take heed of ascribing to your Wisdom Power and Conduct Man would fain be Faber fortunae suae the Author of his own happyness justling God out of his thoughts Habbak 1.16 They sacrifice to their net and burn incense to their dragg because by them their portion is fat and their meat plenteous Insulting and glorying in their Wisdom and Strength Though a Man doth not fall down as a gross Idolater and performe Rites of Devotion yet his thoughts run this way and so God is laid aside God giveth his People warning of this Deut. 8.14 Let not thine heart be lifted up and thou forget the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt and ver 17. And thou say in thine heart my power and the might of my hand hath gotten this wealth Why should the Lord give so many warnings if we were not exceeding prone to this We should throw our Crowns at Gods Feet It is enough for us to be poor Instruments in Gods hand I hope you came here before the Lord with such a design this Day to strip your selves and give all the Glory to God 3. Take heed of the Pride of Self-dependance Hereby the Heart is taken off from God and then the Devil hath us upon the hip He that swimmeth in a full stream is apt to be carryed away with the stream It is a hard matter to see the nothingness of the Creature when we enjoy the fulness of the Creature Mans thoughts are alwaies swallowed up with his present Condition In Misery we think we shall never come out of it In Prosperity that it will never be otherwise Paul could say As having nothing yet possessing all things 2 Cor. 6.10 Few can say as possessing all things and having nothing so as to sit loose from our worldly dependances I have learned to abound it is an harder Lesson than I have learned to be abased Phil. 4.12 As there is more of choice in it and less of necessity We are beaten to the other We use to say such a one would do well to be a Lord or a Lady It is an harder matter than you are aware of Many have done well in a low Condition that could not manage an higher Ephraim is a cake not turned Hosea 7.8 Not baked of both sides so as to walk with an Holy Equality and evenness of Spirit in all Conditions You think it is hard to bear Miseries it is as hard to master Comforts to carry a full Cup without spilling and to keep from surfeiting at a rich and luscious Banquet Few know how to abound To prick these windy Bladders in solemn remembrances of Mercy such things as these are necessary 1. A special Recognition and Recalling of Sins is not unseasonable Let the warm Sun melt you Ezek. 36.30 31. I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen Then shall ye remember your wayes and doings that have not been good and shall loath your selves in your own sight for all your iniquities When Mercies humble us and set us a mourning it is a kindly work Moses bowed himself when the Lord proclaimed the Name of his Mercy Oh bow your selves poor worthless Creatures that God should look upon us 2. Meditate upon the Changes of Providence Things are at a great uncertainty in the World Hezekiah is delivered and then falls sick he is delivered again and then groweth proud and then came Wrath upon him and upon all Iudah and Ierusalem Psalm 39.5 Verily every man at his best estate is altogether vanity not only in his worst but at his best Estate When he is in his Zenith then he is at the vertical point Verily this is a Truth should be stamped deeply upon all our hearts Belisarius a famous General to day and within a little while forced to beg for a half-penny Things and Persons are as the Spokes of a Wheel sometimes in the Dirt and sometimes out
by his Death of Salvation by Faith in the Mediator this depends not upon the Connexion of natural Causes but the free Pleasure of God therefore the Angels knew it not till it was revealed in the Church Ephes. 3.10 To the intent that now unto the Principalities and Powers in heavenly places might be known by the Church the manifold Wisdom of God The Gentiles by looking into the Order of Causes could never find it out They might find a first Being and the chiefest Good but not a Christ not a Saviour there they sat in the shadows of Death and did not understand nor desire Eternal Life Acts 14.17 Nevertheless he left not himself without Witness in that he did good and gave us Rain from Heaven and fruitful Seasons filling our Hearts with Food and Gladness Much of God may be seen in the known courses of Nature Rain from Heaven and fruitful Seasons but nothing of Christ. The Apostle speaks it there to disswade them from the Worship of Iupiter and Mercury and other of the Vanities of the Gentiles he argues from the Grace of Nature and common Benefits which they had received this were enough to make them acknowledg a Divine Power Pray mark the Apostle saith He left not himself without a Witness yet he suffered them to walk in their own ways because he did not reveal his Gospel nor give them his Spirit Psal. 147.19 20. He sheweth 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 Rom. 16.25 26. According to the Revelation of the Mystery which was kept secret since the World began But now is made manifest and by the Scriptures of the Prophets according to the Commandment of the everlasting God made known unto all Nations for the Obedience of Faith Ephes. 3.4 5. Whereby when ye read ye may understand my Knowledg in the Mystery of Christ which in other Ages was not made known unto the Sons of Men as it is now revealed unto his Holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit Col. 1.26 27. Even the Mystery which hath been hid from Ages and from Generations but now is made manifest to his Saints To whom God would make known what is the Riches of the Glory of this Mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ in them the Hope of Glory But God suffered them to serve their own Lusts and to carry on that Religion which they had feigned to themselves But then he left not himself without a Witness for they had many corporal Blessings from whence they might easily collect that they should not worship Stocks and Stones and dead Men but the living God by whose Providence those Blessings were dispensed Though he gave them not the Gospel yet he gave them the Light of Nature and the Looking-glass of the Creatures There is much ado whether this were auxilium sufficiens Gratiae a sufficient Help to convert them or to bring them to such a Condition that they might gain the Grace of God It was enough to oblige them to seek after God and to convince them that they did ill in worshipping the Creatures but it was not sufficient to find out the true God and enjoy him Saving-Grace is not granted by any Promise to the improvement of Nature Well then though the whole Earth be full of the Goodness of the Lord that is of the Fruits and Effects of his common Bounty yet nothing of his Saving-Grace is known till it appeared and broke out in the Gospel 2. To the Jews this Grace began to dawn but it was veiled in Figures and Shadows that they could not see clearly The Substance of their Doctrine was the same with ours but there is a great deal of difference in the manner of Dispensation they had the dark Text and we the Exposition There was Grace and Shadow by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Iesus Christ John 1.17 because here all the Types were revealed and we have the Substance it self Christ is the Light of the World The Sun the farther off it is from rising the less Light it gives Christ was not then risen therefore there was but Twi-light and full of Shadows Grace is opposed to the Condemnation of the Moral Law and Truth to the Shadows of the Ceremonial Law Christ's Offices his Benefices his Person were but darkly propounded to them Take but one place for all Of all the Ministers of the Legal Dispensation Iohn Baptist saw the clearest yet saith Christ the least of Gospel-Ministers knows more than he Matth. 11.11 Verily I say unto you among them that are born of Women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist notwithstanding he that is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he Iohn drawing nearer to Christ had a clearer knowledg of the Meaning and Application of the Types than others had But now those that have lived after the pouring out of the Spirit upon Christ's Ascension under the Gospel-Dispensation have a clear insight into the Doctrine of Grace far more clear than it was in the days of Iohn II. What and how much of Grace is now discovered I answer 1. The Wisdom of Grace The Gospel is a meer Riddle to Carnal Reason a great Mystery 1 Tim. 3.16 Great is the Mystery of Godliness There we read of God and Man brought together and Justice and Mercy brought together by the Contrivance of Grace Here we only see this Mystery that is without Controversy great for these Things could not come into the Heads of any Creatures If Angels and Men had been put to study and set down their Way of Reconciliation to God how it should be they could never have thought of such a Remedy as the bringing of God and Man together in the Person of Christ and Justice and Mercy together by the Blood and Satisfaction of Christ this came out of no Breast but God he brought the Secret out of his own Bosom When the Question was put in the Counsel of the Trinity How Man that was fallen might be brought again to God from the Depth of Misery to the Height of Happiness Grace interposed and propounded Christ to be God-Man in one Person O the strangeness and wonderfulness of this Contrivance If you consider the Weakness and Vileness of Humane Nature the Infiniteness and Excellency of the Divine Nature certainly such a Plot could not enter into the Head of any Creature Upon what Grounds could any Creature expect such a Condescention that Mortal and Immortal Infiniteness and Finiteness should come together And as the Person of Christ is wonderful so also is his Work and Business which was to bring Justice and Mercy to kiss each other that Justice might have full Satisfaction for Mens Sins and Mercy have full Content in procuring their Salvation that Grace might be glorified and yet Justice be no Loser When God redeemed the World he had a greater Work
to do than to make the World at first The Object of Creation was pure Nothing but then as there was no Help so no Hinderance But now in Redemption there was Sin to be taken away and that was worse than any thing We deserv'd Ill his Justice and Truth had a Quarrel against us and therefore this was the harder Work and needed more of his Wisdom which now is discovered fully to us in the Gospel When God was to make Man though he was to be his noblest Creature next the Angels it was nothing to the Divine Power to make him of the Dust of the Earth Now Sin makes us worse than Earth Job 30.8 They were Children of Fools Children of base Men they were viler than the Earth Our Condition was worse here God's Justice opposed but Grace found out the Contrivance and sent Christ in the Form of a Servant who was in the Form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God Phil. 2.6 7. 2. We discern the Freeness of Grace in the Gospel both in giving and accepting Whatever God doth is a Gift and what we do it is accepted of Grace In giving there 's a great deal of Grace made known there The Lord doth all freely Ioh. 1.16 And of his Fulness have all we received and Grace for Grace that is for Grace's sake He gives Christ gives Faith gives Pardon He gives the Condition as well as the Blessing Certainly now we have to do with a God of Grace who sits upon a Throne of Grace that he might bestow freely to all Comers Out of Christ and in the Law there God is discovered as sitting upon a Tribunal of Justice as he is described Psal. 97.2 Clouds and Darkness are round about him Righteousness and Iudgment are the Habitation of his Throne But now saith the Apostle Heb. 4.16 Let us come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain Mercy and Grace to help in a time of need that we may have Mercy for Pardon and for acceptance of our Persons and Grace to help us against our Weaknesses This was figured out in the Law under the Law it was figured out by the Mercy-Seat between the Cherubims from whence God was giving out Answers but there the High-Priest could enter but once a Year and the way within the Veil was not fully made manifest Heb. 9.8 There was a Throne of Grace then but more of God's Tribunal of Justice there was Smoak and Thundering about his Throne But now let us draw near that we may obtain Grace take all freely out of God's Hand Then there is Grace manifested in accepting as well as giving God accepts of serious Repentance for compleat Innocence of Sincerity for Perfection of the Will for the Deed of a Person for Christ's sake and of the Works for the Person 's sake Thus God doth both give and accept freely That we do is not brought to the Ballance but Touch-stone Many times a good Work is not full Weight God doth not look to the Measure but to the Truth of Grace he requires Truth in the Reins 3. The Efficacy and Power of Grace is discovered in the Gospel Christ sendeth his Spirit to apply what he himself hath purchased One Person comes to merit and the other to accomplish the Fruit of his Merit Mark to stop the course of Grace Divine Justice did not only put in an Impediment but there was our Infidelity that hindred the Application of that which Christ was to merit and therefore as the second Person is to satisfy God so the third Person is to work upon us There was a double hinderance against the Business of our Salvation God's Justice for the Glory of God was to be repaired therefore Christ was to merit and there was our Unbelief therefore the Spirit must come and apply it First Christ suffered and when he was ascended then was the Spirit poured out Had it not been for the Gospel we should never have known the Efficacy and Power of Grace The Apostle puts the Question Gal. 3.2 This only would I learn of you Received ye the Spirit by the Works of the Law or by the Hearing of Faith How did you come to be acquainted with Grace This is the Seal which God would put upon the Excellency and Authority of the Gospel that he will associate and join in assistance with it the Operation of the Spirit to accompany it Look as it is with the Sun Light encreaseth with Heat the Morning-Beams are faint and gentle but at Noon the Sun shines out not only with Glory but with Strength So it is here the more the Light of the Gospel is encreased the more is the Efficacy and Power of it conveyed into the Sons of Men. The Dispensation of the Law is called the Oldness of the Letter and the Dispensation of the Gospel the Newness of the Spirit Rom. 7.6 But now ye are delivered from the Law that being dead wherein we were held that we should serve in Newness of Spirit and not in the Oldness of the Letter In the meer Law-Dispensation there was only a literal Direction but no strength and ability to perform what is suggested Lex jubet Gratia juvat The Law commands but all the Commands of Grace help There is a Spirit that goeth along with the Gospel to qualify us for the Duties of it 2 Cor. 3.6 Who also hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth Life With the Dispensation of the Gospel God joins the Virtue and Power of the Holy Ghost The Letter convinceth and so by consequence obligeth to Death for we cannot perform what it requireth of us but now there 's a Spirit goes along with the Gospel and so we are acquainted with the Efficacy of Grace 4. We are acquainted with the Largeness and Bounty of Grace The Benefits that come by Christ were not so clearly revealed in the Law there was no Type that I know of which figured Union with Christ. The Blood of Christ was figured by the Blood of Bulls and Goats Justification by the fleeing away of the Scape-Goat Sanctification by the Water of Purification But now Eternal Life is rarely mentioned in express Terms sometimes it is shadowed out in the Promise of inheriting the Land of Canaan as Hell is by going into Captivity but otherwise it is seldom mentioned 2 Tim. 1.10 But now it is made manifest speaking of the Grace of God by the appearing of our Saviour Christ who hath abolished Death and hath brought Life and Immortality to light through the Gospel The Gentiles had but glimmerings and gross Fancies about the future State Life and Immortality was never known to the purpose till Christ came in the Flesh and therefore Heaven is as sparingly mentioned in the Old Testament as Temporal Blessings are in the New In the New Testament we hear much of the Cross of Sufferings and Afflictions
passionate still a Christian is tried by the revenge he takes upon his own Sin his master-Lust Again not only Sins which lie at a distance from our Interest but Sins that bring us most Profit and Advantage In these things God tries us it is the offering up of our Isaac our Darling In a corrupt World some things bring Credit and Profit but as for the right Hand the right Eye we must pluck out the one and cut off the other Mat. 5.29 30. If thy right Eye offend thee pluck it out and cast it from thee for it is profitable for thee that one of thy Members should perish and not that thy whole Body should be cast into Hell And if thy right Hand offend thee cut it off and cast it from thee for it is profitable for thee that one of thy Members should perish and not that thy whole Body should be cast into Hell Cannot we do so much for God and for Grace's sake I might give you several Reasons one Sin is contrary to God as well as another There 's the same aversion from an eternal Good in all things though the manner of Conversion to the Creature be different Again one Sin is contrary to the Law of God as well as another there 's a contempt of the same Authority in all Sins God's Command binds and it is of force in lesser Sins as well as greater and therefore they that bear any respect to the Law of God must hate all Sin Psal. 119.113 I hate vain Thoughts but thy Law do I love God hath given a Law to the Thoughts to the sudden workings of the Spirit as well as to Actions that are more deliberate and therefore if we love the Law we should hate every lesser Contrariety to it even a vain Thought And all Sin proceedeth from the same Corruption therefore if we would subdue and mortify it we must renounce all Sin He that hateth any Sin as Sin hates all Sin for there 's the same reason to hate every Sin Hatred Philosophers say is to the whole Kind A Man that hates a Toad as a Toad hates every one of the Kind with the same kind of hatred must we hate every Sin Again one Sin let alone is very dangerous One Leak in a Ship if unstopped and neglected may endanger the Vessel One Sin let alone and allowed and indulged may quite ruin the Soul A little Leaven leaveneth the whole Lump A Man may ride right for a long time but one turn in the end of his Journey brings him quite out of the way If you do many things yet if you commit any Sin with leave and licence from Conscience you are guilty of all Sin James 1.10 Whoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one Point he is guilty of all As one condition not observed forfeits the whole Lease There is an Indenture drawn between us and God and every Article of this Covenant must be observed If we willingly give way and allowance to the least Breach we forfeit all the Grace of the Covenant Vse 1. Direction what to do in the Business of Mortification We must deny all Ungodliness not a Hoof must be left in Egypt Grace will not stand with any allowed Sin and in demolishing the old Building not one Stone must be left upon another 1. In your Purpose and Resolution you must make Satan no Allowance he standeth lurking as Pharaoh did with Moses and Aaron first he would let them go three days into the Wilderness then he permitted them to take their little Ones with them but they would not go without their Cattel their Flocks and their Herds also they would not leave any thing no not a Hoof behind them So the Devil would have a part left as a Pledg that in time the whole Man may fall to his share 2 Kings 5.18 In this thing the Lord pardon thy Servant that when my Master goeth into the House of Rimmon to worship there and he leaneth on my Hand and I bow my self in the House of Rimmon when I bow my self in the House of Rimmon the Lord pardon thy Servant in this thing We would grant Christ any thing so he would excuse us in our beloved Sins We complain of the Times and set up a Toleration in our Hearts some right Hand or right Eye that we are loth to part with something there is wherein we would be excused and expect an allowance either outward as in Fashions Customs ways of Profit and Advantage or inward some Passions and carnal Affections that we would indulge Grace will not stand with any allowed Sin Herod did many things but he kept his Herodias still He turneth from no Sin that doth not in his Purpose and Resolution turn from all Sin he doth not break off an acquaintance with Sin but rather make choice what Sin he will keep and what he will part with The Apostle speaks Col. 2.11 of putting off the Body of the Sins of the Flesh. We must not cut off one Member or one Joint but the whole Body totum Corpus licet non totaliter the whole Body of Sin tho we cannot wholly be rid of it Dispense not there where Christ hath not dispensed 2. We should often examine our Hearts lest there lurk some Vice whereof we think our selves free Lament 3.40 Let us search and try our Ways and turn again to the Lord. Compleat Reformation is grounded upon a serious search and trial As those that kept the Passeover were not to have a jot of Leaven in their Houses and therefore they were to search their Houses for Leaven such a narrow search should there be to discover whatever hath been amiss Commune with your selves Is there not a jot of Leaven yet left somewhat that God hateth some correspondence with God's Enemies Is there nothing left that is displeasing to God Thus should we often bring our Hearts and our Ways and the Word together 3. Desire God to shew you if there be any thing left that is grievous to his Spirit Job 34.32 That which I see not teach thou me There are many Sins I see but more that I do not see Lord shew them to me So David appealeth to God who must judg and punish Conscience Psal. 139.23 24. Search me O God and know my Heart try me and know my Thoughts and see if there be any wicked Way in me and lead me in the Way everlasting Can you thus appeal to God and say Lord I desire not to continue in any known Sin 4. When any Sins break out set upon the mortification of them Do not neglect the least Sins they are of dangerous Consequence but renew thy Peace with God judging thy self for them and mourning for them avoiding Temptations cutting off the Provision for the Flesh. 1 Cor. 9.27 But I keep under my Body and bring it into subjection The Leper was to shave off his Hair and if it grew again he was still to keep shaving
Ye worship ye know not what so generally do People worship they know not what Ask them what God is and whom they worship they cannot tell they are carried on by Custom and dark and blind Superstition and they mutter over their Prayers to an unknown Power such blind and wild Conceits have they of the Nature of God till they see him by the Light of his own Spirit This Ignorance is sad because it is a sign of no Grace and it is a pledg of future Judgment In these days of Gospel-Light it is a sign of no Grace Jer. 31.34 They shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord. God hath no Child so little but he knows his Father In the days of the Gospel now it is so clearly preached it is required of the meanest sort as well as those that have the advantages of better Education And it is a Pledg of future Judgment 2 Thess. 1.8 Christ will come in flaming Fire to render Vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel We have low Thoughts of the Guilt of Ignorance and think God will not be severe against such many ignorant Creatures are harmless and do no wrong but to live and die in Ignorance is a matter of sad Consequence There is Vengeance for Pagans that know not God by showers of Rain and fruitful Seasons and indeed they principally are intended Divide Men into two sorts those that have only the Light of Nature Sense and Reason to guide them and those that have the Light of the Gospel there is Vengeance for Pagans that have no other Apostles sent to them but those natural Apostles of Sun Moon and Stars They had Light shining to them in God's Works and they had Sense and Reason Eyes to see the Light and so they were bound to know the first Cause and might see God working and guiding all things in the World but there is much more Vengeance for Christians for those that have God's Word the Light of Faith and yet shut their Eyes against the Light Usually come and talk with Men they will acknowledg they are poor ignorant Creatures and God that made them will save them tho the Scripture speaks quite contrary Isa. 27.11 This is a People of no Vnderstanding therefore he that made them will not have Mercy upon them and he that formed them will shew them no Favour God is exceeding angry when all Advantages of Light are lost A Pagan is ignorant of God but you are worse being unteachable He that hath only Sun and Moon to teach him shall be damned for his Ignorance of God but if you do not profit by the Light of the Gospel to conceive more worthily of the Nature and Glory of God your Judgment will be greater 2. We do not honour God as the First Cause when we do not depend upon him that is Ungodliness Trust and Dependance is the ground of all Commerce between us and God and it is the greatest Homage and Respect which we yield to the Creator and First Cause Now when Men can trust any visible Creature rather than God their Estates rather than God they rob him of his peculiar Honour That there is such a Sin as trusting in the Creature excluding God is clear from Job 31.24 If I have made Gold my Hope or have said to the fine Gold Thou art my Confidence Iob to vindicate himself from Hypocrisy reckons up the usual Sins of a Hypocrite among the rest this is one to make Gold his Confidence Men are apt to think it the Staff of their Lives and Stay of their Posterity and Ground of their Welfare and Happiness and so their Hearts are diverted from God and their Trust is intercepted It is a usual Sin tho little thought of for Men to intrench themselves within a great Estate and then think they are safe and secure against all the Changes and Chances of the present Life and so God is laid aside Let God offer to intrench us within the Promises and leave his Name in pawn with us yet we are full of Fears and Doubts Prov. 18.10 The Name of the Lord is a strong Tower the Righteous runneth into it and is safe But ver 11. The rich Man's Wealth is his strong City and as an high Wall in his own Conceit Such as think themselves safe in a great Estate do not acknowledg God as the First Cause which gives Being and sustains all things and therefore Covetousness is called Idolatry Col. 3.5 and a covetous Man is called an Idolater Ephes. 5.5 not so much because of his Love of Money as because of his Trust in it The Glutton counteth his Belly his God Phil. 3.19 Whose God is their Belly he mindeth the Gratifications of his Appetite yet he doth not trust in his Belly-Chear he thinks not to be protected by it therefore he is not called an Idolater as the covetous who robbeth God of his Trust. We are all apt to make an Idol of the Creature and poor Men think if they had Wealth this were enough to make them happy they trust in those that have it which is Idolatry upon Idolatry Therefore it is said Psal. 62.9 Surely Men of low degree are Vanity and Men of high degree are a Lie To appearance Men of low degree are nothing and Men of high degree are a Lie because we are apt to trust in them But chiefly it is incident to the Rich they that have Riches are apt to trust in Riches Mark 10.23 How hardly shall they that have Riches enter into the Kingdom of God! compared with ver 24. Children how hard is it for them that trust in Riches to enter into the Kingdom of God Now this is a secret Sin A Man doth not think that he makes Money his Idol if he he doth not pray or offer Sacrifices to it or give it some perceivable Worship and tho he use it as familiarly as any thing in a House But this Idolatry lies within tho a Man doth not entertain his Gold with Ceremony yet there is his Trust and Confidence that he shall be safe and do well because he hath such an Estate which he depends upon and not upon God We smile at the Vanity of the Heathens that worshipped Stocks and Stones and Idols of Gold and Silver and we do worse but more Spiritually when our Trust is terminated in the Creature Though we do not say to Gold Thou art my Confidence or you shall deliver me or I will put my Trust in you or use any such gross Language yet this is the Interpretation of our Carriage A covetous Man may speak as basely of Wealth as another he may say I know Gold is but refined Earth but his Heart resteth on it as his only refuge and stay and he thinks he and his Children cannot be happy without it which is a great Sin it sets up another God chains the Heart to the World and
Gospel of all the Prophets there was not a greater than Iohn the Baptist he was fed with Locusts and wild Honey therefore mortify Pleasure 3. By Custom this Sin is rooted and so hardly lest because it doth not only pervert the Constitution of the Soul but the Constitution of the Body Now when the Body is unruly as well as the Affections Grace hath more to struggle with A Man that hath habituated himself to carnal Pleasure because his Body is distempered and perverted is not so soon healed That 's the reason that when the Apostle speaks of Meats and Drinks 1 Cor. 6.12 he saith he will not be brought under the Power of any So again when Men are given to Wine it is their Custom and rooted Disposition therefore avoid not only the gross Act but the very Beginning that it may not be a settled Distemper Whenever you take Pleasures they should be used with fear It is the Charge the Spirit of God commenceth against those Iude v. 12. Feeding themselves without fear Mark it is not enough for your acquitment that you do not drink to Drunkenness or feed to actual Excess and Distemper but suffer it not to be a rooted Disposition in your Hearts for then it will be hardly left Austin speaks of his own Experience in this kind Ebrietas longe à me est crapula autem nonnunquam subrepit servo tuo Lord I was never a Drunkard it is far from me but Gluttony creeps upon me unawares and so hinders me from the Duties of the Spiritual Life The Throat is a slippery Place and needs to be guarded with much Watchfulness and Care lest this Distemper be rooted in the Heart Iob sacrificed while his Sons were feasting chap. 1.5 For Job said It may be that my Sons have sinned and cursed God in their Hearts In all these things should we use much caution 2 dly The next Particular the Apostle mentions is the Lusts of the Eye or Covetousness This is an Evil very natural to us and we cannot be watchful enough against the Encroachments of the World We need it in part and we love it more than we need it Worldliness is a Branch of Original Sin it is a Disease we are born with The Tenth Commandment that forbids Original Sin saith Thou shalt not covet The Best find Temptations this way We are daily conversant about the things of the World and we receive a Taint from those things with which usually we converse we find by Experience that long Converse is a bewitching thing Again the World is a thing of present Enjoyment we have the World in Hand and Heaven in Hope The Judgment of Carnal Men is quite different from the Judgment of the Word The Word of God counts the World to be but a Fancy and an Apparition and Heaven to be the only Substance Prov. 23.5 Wilt thou set thine Eyes upon that which is not It is not in comparison of better things And the Fashion of this World passeth away 2 Cor. 7.31 But Prov. 8.21 That I may cause those that love me to inherit Substance Heaven is the durable Substance this is the Judgment of the Word but wicked Men think quite otherwise We have sensible Experience of the Profits of the World and therefore we judg thus perversly and call it durable Riches and Heaven but a meer Fancy to make Fools fond withal Besides Worldliness is a serious thing it doth not break out into any foul Act therefore it is applauded by Men. Psal. 10.3 The Wicked boasteth of his Heart's Desire and blesseth the Covetous whom the Lord abhorreth We think well of it at least we stroke it with a gentle Censure A Drunkard is more liable to Reproach and Shame than a Worldling Worldliness is consistent with the gravity and strictness of Profession and therefore above all Corruptions it is usually found amongst them that profess Religion but dissoluteness of Luxury will not stand with that external Gravity and Strictness which the Profession of Religion requires Licentious Persons procure shame to themselves and are publickly odious but now this being a serious Sin and possibly it may win the Soul from other Vices therefore we indulge it the more Again it is a cloaked Sin the Apostle speaks of the Cloak of Covetousness 1 Thess. 2.5 It is a hard matter to discover and find it out there are so many Evasions necessary Providence and Provision for our Families is a Duty and it is a Duty enforced by Nature and Grace Here Men evade the Charge of Covetousness they think their carking is justified as being no more than the prudent management of their Affairs But consider it is an Evil which the Lord hates Covetousness bewrays it self by an immoderate care after the things of this Life immoderate Desire and immoderate Delight 1. By an immoderate Care after worldly Comforts When we are so sollicitous about outward Supports what we shall do and what will become of us that is a sure sign of a worldly Heart We dare not trust God's Providence but cark our selves Luke 12.29 And seek ye not what ye shall eat and what ye shall drink neither be ye of doubtful Mind The words ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã signifies Do not hang like a Meteor in the Air hovering between Heaven and Earth between Doubts and Fears This is to take God's Work out of his Hands as the Care of the Son is a Reproach of the Father It is a sign we dare not trust God's Providence but will be our own Carvers we reprove and tax his Providence as if he were not sollicitous enough for us Obj. But must we not be careful and provident I answer 1. Do your present Work and for the future leave it to God God would have us look no farther than the present day provided we do not embezel our Estate by idle Projects or in carnal Pleasures or wasteful Profusion and provided we be not negligent in our Calling Let us do our Work and let God alone for future Times It is a Mercy God would have our Care look no farther than the present day Mat. 6.34 Sufficient unto the Day is the Evil thereof God is very careful of Man's Welfare he hath made carking a Sin he might have left it as a Punishment Every day hath Trouble enough for our Exercise and that 's as much as God hath required 2. It is bewrayed by an immoderate Desire The Temper of the Heart is very much discovered by the Current and Stream of the Desires As the Temper of the Body is known by the beating of the Pulses so is the Temper of the Soul by the Course of the Desires Or as Physicians judg of the Patient by his Appetite so may you judg of your Spirits by your Desires how they are carried out whether to Heavenly Things and the Enjoyment of God or to the World A carnal frame of Spirit will be known by an unsatisfied Thirst and the ravenousness of the Desires when they
and nothing so low but Pride can make use of it if we go back any degrees it is to rise the higher Yea rather than not be proud we can be proud of Sin the Apostle speaks of some that glory in their Shame Phil. 3.19 as their Revenge and glutting themselves with their unchaste Pleasures It is a Sin that will put us upon much Self-denial How can Men rack their Spirits to promote their own Praise and Exaltation How can they pinch themselves of the Conveniences of Life to feed Pride and to supply Pomp and State Nay a Man may be proud after his Death in Funeral-Pomp and in the Glory of the Sepulcher Now Pride is twofold in Mind and in Desire Pride in the Mind is Self-Conceit and Pride in the Desire is an inordinate Affection of Glory or high Place Pride in Mind is when we ascribe to our selves what we have not or transfer upon our selves the Praise of what we have To boast of what we have not is Folly to boast of what we have is Sacrilege and we rob God this is like a Man deeply in Debt who boasts of an Estate he has borrowed Pride in the Desire is an inordinate Affectation of our own Glory all that Men do is to set up themselves 1. Against Pride in the Mind consider what little Reason we have to be proud Poor Men in whose Birth there is Sin in whose Life there is Misery and in whose Death there is Sorrow and Perplexity What should we be proud of Not of Strength which is inferior to many Beasts Not of Beauty many Flowers are decked with a more glorious Paintry Beauty it is but Skin-deep it is blasted with every Sickness it is the laughing-stock of every Disease And then he that is proud of his Clothes is but proud of his Rags wherewith his Wounds are bound up Clothes you know were occasioned by Sin in Innocency Holiness was a Garment for Man and Men might have conversed naked without Shame And so for Birth we have no reason to be proud of that Omnis sanguis concolor all Blood is of a Colour He hath made of one Blood all Nations of Men to dwell on all the face of the Earth Acts 7.26 Not of Estates they are but as Trappings to a Horse things without us We do not value a Horse for his Trappings but by his Courage Mettle and Strength Not of Learning there is none so learned but he hath Ignorance enough to humble him To be proud of Learning shews our Ignorance A little River seems deep when it runs between narrow Banks but when there 's a broad Channel it is very shallow So Men seem to be profound till their Thoughts run out into the breadth of Learning Nor should we glory in Preferment and in being advanced when Men are put into great Places they grow proud but it is their Folly thy Preferment may be in Judgment God many times chooseth wicked Men to rule He gives Kingdoms to the basest of Men Dan. 4.17 God's Providence is not only seen in preferring wise and godly Governours but in setting up the Base for a Judgment to the Nation Nebuchadnezzar is called God's Servant Ier. 25.9 the Sins of Egypt and Iudah did require such a Servant A devout Man complained of a bloody Prince Lord why hast thou made him Emperor he did seem to hear this Answer Because I could not find a worse for such a wicked People So when such a one was chosen Bishop he grew proud upon it and there was a Voice heard Thou art lifted up not because thou art worthy of the Priesthood but because the City is worthy of no better a Bishop Some may be preferred not because they are worthy but because the Sins of the Nation deserved no better Governours So in any good Actions when they are done commendable before Men remember God makes another Judgment All the ways of Man are clean in his own Eyes but the Lord weighs the Spirits Prov. 16.2 Man hath but a partial hatred of Sin but God hath an exact Ballance and he weighs the Spirits Luke 16.15 Ye are they that justify your selves before Men but God knoweth your Hearts for that which is highly esteemed among Men is Abomination in the sight of God When Men praise you say these Men cannot see my Heart usually after some Eminency there afterward comes a blasting Iacob wrestled with God and then his Thigh was broken Paul was wrapt up into the third Heaven then presently there was sent him a Thorn in the Flesh. Sometimes God blasts the Creature before the Work as Moses his Hand was made leprous before he wrought the Miracle Exod. 4.6 Sometimes after the Work to shew we are but vile Instruments there is something left to remember the Creature of his own Vileness Then be not proud of thy Holiness for what is this to God's Psal. 130.3 If thou Lord shouldst mark Iniquities O Lord who should stand And God hates this Sin so much that he lets Men fall into many scandalous Sins when they grow proud of their Holiness The Ornament of a high and honourable Estate in the World is not outward Splendor but the humble Mind Iames 1.10 Let the Rich rejoyce in that he is made low This is true Nobleness and Eminency and an Argument of a great Mind to be like a Spire least and low in our own account when most exalted by God 2. Against the other Pride in Desires and inordinate Affectation of Greatness Consider what God hath done for you already and prize the Opportunity of a private Life and improve it to frequency of Duty and converse with God It is better to be like a Violet known by our own Smell rather than our Greatness The Mountains are exposed to Blasts and Winds and they are generally barren but the low Vallies are watered and fruitful Therefore Men know not what they do when they seek great things The true Ambition is to seek the great things of Heaven and the great things of Christ and for other things to refer our selves to the fair Invitation and Allowance of God's Providence A vain-glorious Man is nothing in Christianity Paul can count a Man's Judgment but a small thing 1 Cor. 4.3 With me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you or of Man's Iudgment God is our Judg and the Business of our Lives is to approve our selves to God Man's Judgment must not be valued And besides it is a vain thing to affect that in which we may be soon crossed One Man's Opinion may disturb our Quiet One Mordecai can cross Haman in all his Pomp. To dote upon that which is in the Power of those whose Humours are as inconstant as the Waves or their Breath or the Wind is a very great Folly where one Word may deject us and cast us into Sorrow And lastly consider this is nothing to eternal Glory SERMON VII TITUS II. 12 We might live soberly c. THE
this as a Reason why Abraham was a Stranger in the promised Land there where he had most right yet he dwelt in Tents Heb. 11.9 10. For he looked for a City which hath Foundations Abraham had other Expectations he did not look upon the walled Cities of the Amorites but upon Heaven that was founded by God himself he had other Thoughts They that live to the World and to the Flesh never tasted what eternal Life means Look as the Israelites longed for the Flesh-Pots of Egypt before they had tasted the Clusters of Canaan so here the Heart is carried out after better things the Soul must have some Oblectation and Delight for Love cannot be idle it is carried out to present things if we know no better See how fitly they are joined together in the Text denying worldly Lusts and looking for the blessed Hope thereby do we come to deny worldly Lusts by looking for the blessed Hope We should soon return to worldly Lusts if we do not often look up and consider what God hath provided for us in Heaven A Man whose Heart is much in Heaven his Affections are preingaged and therefore the World doth him little hurt Birds are seldom taken in their Flight but when they pitch and rest O if we had more of these heavenly Flights if the Soul did mount upward more it would better escape the Snares of worldly things 3. It urgeth to Care Diligence and Constancy in Obedience Hope is the great Spring that sets the Wheels a-going Phil. 3.13 14. Forgetting those things that are behind and reaching forward towards those things that are before I press towards the Mark for the Prize of the High-calling of God in Christ. What is the Reason Paul was so earnest that a little Grace would not content him but he was striving for more so earnestly and zealously he was called to injoy a high Prize a glorious Reward There is an excellent Glory set before us this Race is not for Trifles Christians are the more cold and careless in the spiritual Life because they do not oftner think of Heaven The End quickens to the Use of Means as it is the measure of the Means so it sweetens the Means notwithstanding all Difficulty Why because it will bring us to such an End 1 Cor. 15.58 Be ye stedfast unmovable always abounding in the Work of the Lord forasmuch as you know your Labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. You can never do enough for the Lord Why Your Labour is not in vain in the Lord. This will make you to be instant and earnest and to hold out to the End in the midst of Difficulties Heaven will pay for all You have no cause to begrudg God any Service though it put the Body to Pains and Labours do not spare it Christ will honour it sufficiently The Apostle hath an Expression 2 Thess. 1.10 That Christ will be glorified in his Saints and admired in all them that believe The Soul will remember the Body as Pharaoh's Butler did Ioseph How in Prayer and Fasting and holy Exercises And when Christ comes to raise the Body he will put so much Glory and Clarity upon it that the Angels shall stand wondring what Christ is about to do with a poor Creature that is but newly crept out of Dust and Rottenness Before a Feast we use to take a Walk There is a World of Glory provided for us in Heaven though the Work of God be painful yet it is very fruitful God will reward you as much as you can desire and this makes you to be earnest and zealous and to labour in the spiritual Life We compare the Pains of Duty with the Pleasure of Sin but the Comparison is not rightly made you should compare the Pleasure of Sin with the Reward I confess you may compare Christ's Worst with the World 's Best the Pains of Duty with the Pleasure of Sin the former is more sweet to a gracious Heart but the Comparison should rather be made thus Compare the base dreggy Pleasures of Sin with those pure Pleasures that are at God's right Hand and with the Happiness that is to come which we expect in Christ. 4. It maketh us upright and sincere in what we do That 's Hypocrisy and Guile of Spirit to look a-squint upon secular Rewards You know the Hypocrites that Christ taxeth when they Pray Fast and do other Duties to be seen of Men they have their Reward Matth. 6.2 They have given God a Discharge they look for no more than they have already As hired Servants must have present Wages and Pay in Hand they wait not for the Inheritance as Children do so carnal Affections they look to the Rewards here below If they may have the World and live in Honour and Pleasure here they give God an Acquittance for any thing else But now this is Sincerity to make God our Pay-master to do all we do upon the Incouragement of the blessed Hope Col. 3.24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the Reward of the Inheritance for ye serve the Lord Christ. You have a Master good enough you need not look else-where for your Wages And nothing on this side Heaven will satisfy the Soul nothing but these glorious Hopes 5. This blessed Hope it supports the Soul under Afflictions and Difficulties that do befal us in a Course of Godliness We counter-ballance what we feel with what we expect We feel nothing but Trouble yet it is not in vain to serve God I confess we are apt to think so saith David Psal. 73.13 14. Verily I have cleansed my Heart in vain and washed my Hands in Innocency For all the Day long have I been plagued and chastned every Morning My Innocency is to no purpose Mal. 3.14 Ye have said it is in vain to serve God and what Profit is it that we have kept his Ordinance It is a usual Temptation for we measure all things by Sense and Feeling and Sense makes Lies of God Ah but consider that which you feel is not worthy to be named the same Day with that which you hope for Rom. 8.18 I reckon that the Sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the Glory that shall be revealed in us Glory is revealed to our Ears in the Gospel but it will be revealed in us hereafter 2 Cor. 4.17 Our light Affliction which is but for a Moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory Alas this light Affliction is but the Scratch of a Pin compared with the weighty massy Crown of Glory For saith the Apostle we look not at the things which are seen but at the things that are not seen Christians what do you make your Scope for that is the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Is it to preserve your Interests to live delicately then the blessed Hope is not for your turn but when you have fixed your Hopes upon these things you will see this is
here wronged Justice interposed and put in something by way of Bar against us yet notwithstanding the Demerit of our Sins he would take us into his Favour In the Creation God shewed himself to be ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a Lover of Angels but in Redemption ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a Lover of Man Tit. 3.4 After that the Kindness and Love of God our Saviour towards Man appeared 2. Chiefly because of the Life they live the new Creature hath a more noble Being than all the Creatures in the World and lives a more noble Life Put the whole World in the Ballance and it is not worthy to be compared with the new Creature those that are purified and sanctified the World is not worthy of them Heb. 11.38 Of whom the World was not worthy Look as the Life of Reason excels that of Sense and the Life of Sense that of Vegitation the Life of Beasts is better than the Life of Plants and the Life of Man better than the Life of Beasts so doth Grace excel Reason and the Life of Saints is a more noble Being than that of Men. I confess if you go upward we cannot say the Life of Glory as much excels the Life of Grace as the Life of Grace excels the Life of Reason there is a greater Difference between the Life of Reason and the Life of Grace than between the Life of Grace and the Life of Glory or between a carnal Man and a Child of God than between the most glorified Saint in Heaven and the weakest Believer on Earth The Difference between Glory and Grace is gradual but the Difference between the carnal Life and the spiritual Life is essential Glorified Saints and Saints here living the Life of Grace differ only in Degrees but the Life of Grace and the Life of Nature differ in kind There is more Difference between a Toad or Beast and a Man than between a Child and a Man Grace and Glory differ but as a Child and a Man only in Degree but Grace and Sense and Grace and Reason differ as the Life of a Toad and the Life of a Beast from the Life of a Man Vse 1. Information 1. That we should not value Men by their secular Interests but by their Relation to God The Lord doth not call the Potentates of the Earth his Treasure as he doth his Holy Ones Prov. 12.26 The Righteous is more excellent than his Neighbour Men may be mighty in the World yet base and vile in God's Esteem Dan. 4.17 He gives Kingdoms to the basest of Men. It is notable in the prophetical Visions of the great Monarchs of the World they are compared to wild Beasts Alexander the Mighty yet is called the Goat of Graecia Paul calls Nero a Lion They that brave it in the World as if they were Gods upon Earth yet in the Lord's Account they are but Beasts But now the Saints are the precious excellent ones of the Earth Psal. 16.3 Therefore we should not value Men by their outward Greatness James 2.1 Have not the Faith of our Lord Iesus Christ the Lord of Glory with respect of Persons If you have Relation to Christ he puts a Glory and Excellency upon you you are his Treasure Saith Tertullian Non ex personis fidem sed ex fide personas We must not measure the Faith by the Person but the Person by his Faith They are Fools that despise and vilify those upon whom God sets the greatest Price and admire those that are of lowest Esteem with God 2. It informeth us that the Judgment of God and the Judgment of the World are very contrary The World counts the Saints the Filth the Scurf and Off-scouring of all things and God calls them Jewels and Treasure Alas with God carnal Men are nothing worse than nothing It had been better for them saith the Spirit of God that they had never been born and they are viler than the Earth The blind World knows not how to value the Stamp and Seal of the Spirit When God hath impress'd his own Image the World knows not how to value them but God values them These are Coins and Medals God will keep in his own Treasure Certainly they are worthless Souls that despise them that count Purity a Disgrace It hath always been the World's Fashion to crucify God in Effigie in his Picture to despise oppress and scoff at them that bear his Image and resemble him and malign and scorn the Lustre of Holiness 3. It informs us how much it concerns us to be holy and purified for those he counts to be his Treasure God's Church is his Heritage but every one that lives in the Church God doth not count them to be his Jewels Many claim Acquaintance of him by virtue of Offices and Ministration in the Church yet they are disclaimed and disowned by God Mat. 7.22 23. Many will say to me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name have cast out Devils and in thy Name done many wonderful Works And then will I profess uâââ them I never knew you depart from me ye that work Iniquity The Holy Ghost brings in some that had great Gifts and Employments in the Church And as when a Man entertaineth another with Strangeness we use to put him in mind by some Tokens so carnal Professors put Christ in Mind as it were by some kind of Tokens Do you not remember that we prophesied in your Name c. and we were employed in special Offices in the Church No verily I know you not he disclaims and disowns them 4. It informs us that it is dangerous to molest oppress and prosecute the Godly those that are purified because they are God's peculiar ones you meddle with the Apple of his Eye and to destroy them is Sacrilege Israel is a holy thing Ier. 2.3 Israel is Holiness unto the Lord and the first-fruits of his Increase all that devour him shall offend Evil shall come upon them saith the Lord. Sacrilege hath been always deadly robbing of Temples among the Heathen hath been always observed to be fatal to those that attempted it the Lord by his wise Providence was pleased to suffer the Devil to follow them with Tempests and Punishments to keep up the Notion of a Divine Power which is the Fundamental Principle and Ground of all Religion So when you oppress and destroy the People of God and malign them you devour that which is holy which will prove fatal and deadly Look as he told the Governour Acts 22.26 Take heed what thou doest for this Man is a Roman So God is very tender of these kind of Men they are his Jewels his Treasure take heed how you use them Vse 2. Exhortation and that both to carnal Men and to God's People who are his peculiar ones First It exhorts carnal Men to put in for a share in this great Privilege to be one of God's peculiar ones those that he counts his
Treasures and his Jewels Let me first exhort then direct 1 st I shall exhort you by these Considerations how God will own his peculiar People above all the World besides and how he doth value them above all the World 1. How he owns them privately in their own Consciences he owns them in his Ordinances he owns them publickly in his Providence and most publickly he will own them in the Day of Judgment 1. He owns them privately in their own Consciences God's holy ones are said to be sealed by the Spirit Ephes. 4.30 Grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of Redemption God sets his own Seal upon them to signify his Right and Property in them As a Man marks his Sheep or a Merchant seals his Wares to declare his Right and Property so all that are God's they are sealed by his Spirit and they bear his Mark. As the Worshippers of the Beast have the Mark of the Beast so the People of God have the Lord's Seal he owns them There is the Spirit 's Witness to tell them God is theirs and there is the Spirit 's Work to cause them to become God's the Spirit witnesses to them by Impressions and tells them God is your Salvation and seals them by Expressions and makes them choose God There is a mutual Appropriation Cant. 6.3 I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine He chooseth them for his peculiar People and they choose him for the peculiar Treasure of their Souls Whom have they in Heaven but God and who doth God regard in the World but they they have his Privy-Seal in their own Consciences 2. He owns them in his Ordinances so as to maintain Communion with them as he doth not with others When others pray God takes no notice that such a Prayer is made they hear but cannot say God owns them But now he owns his People in their Approaches Isa. 58.9 Then shalt thou call and the Lord shall answer thou shalt cry and he shall say Here I am God doth as it were say It is the Voice of my People What would you have here I am ready to help you and to give you Grace No King will do so much for his Favourites as God will do for his People Zeph. 3.10 he calls them his Suppliants This is not a peculiar Privilege for some peculiar Saints that they are thus honoured of God and answered by him in Prayer but all are a peculiar People and God hath Affections and Blessings enough for them all When the Wicked come and pray God takes no notice of them as if no such Men were in the Congregation Isa. 1.15 When you spread forth your hands I will hide mine Eyes from you yea when you make many Prayers I will not hear They have no Visits from the Spirit nor sensible Returns of Prayer It is sad to come to Ordinances and God to take no notice of us when the Spirit of God comes into the Congregation to bless the Worshippers by Head and Pole and you are left out of the Account and past over You know what is said in the Law Exod. 29.42 43. At the Door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation before the Lord where I will meet you to speak there unto you And there I will meet with the Children of Israel God did not only promise to meet with Moses but with all the Congregation and certainly the Services of the Church now are not less fruitful than the Services of the Tabernacle When God's People come together God meets with them and talks with them and sends them away with Gifts of Grace and spiritual Encrease for they are his Suppliants and his peculiar People 3. God owns them in the course of his Providence sometimes with outward Blessings Thus God set up Abraham as a Mark of Envy to the Nations about him As Benjamin's Mess was five times as much as the rest so many times in outward Blessings God owns his People But I cannot much press this but the aim of Providence principally concerns them Rom. 8.28 All things work together for good to them that love God All things may seem to work against them but they work for them It is a Mercy that God takes notice of them and visits them day by day Iob 7.18 That thou shoulst visit him every Morning and try him every Moment Brambles are not pruned and pair'd as Vines are Wicked Men they are as Sheep whom no Man taketh up God doth not look after them But God's Children may take notice how the special Care of Providence serves their special Necessities and particularly as to their Afflictions they do not spring out of the Dust but every day God is mindful of them and ordereth such Dispensations to keep them in order whereas wicked Men are only under the general Care of Providence they cannot discern such particular Love and Aim at their Good and spiritual Welfare 4. He will own them before all the World at the last Day I will confess them saith Christ before my Father which is in Heaven Luke 12.8 These are the Fruits of my Purchase he will present them to God Heb. 2.13 Behold I and the Children which God hath given me But wicked Men are disclaimed Then will I profess unto them I never knew you Mat. 7.23 O how will their Faces gather Blackness when Christ shall disclaim all Acquaintance with them I never had any real and familiar Converse with you in publick or private Worship 2. How he values them He doth not stand upon other Nations for their Safety either to preserve them or to divert the Destroyer from them As for Instance when God raiseth up some furious Instrument that is Flagellus Dei the Scourge of God to pull down and waste God finds Work for them abroad to save his People and therefore he saith Isa. 43.3 4. I am the Lord thy God the holy One of Israel thy Saviour I gave Egypt for thy Ransom Ethiopia and Seba for thee Since thou wast precious in my Sight thou hast been honourable and I have loved thee therefore will I give Men for thee and People for thy Life He let the Sword go into other Countries to save Iudah that was his Heritage if the Sword must drink Blood and eat Flesh let it go to Egypt Ethiopia Seba into Idolatrous Countries He puts other Nations in their stead and counts them as a little Chaff to save the Jews And then the highest among the Nations which is another Argument are rebuked for their sakes God plucked the Scepter out of the Hands of Kings and the Diadems off from their Heads Psal. 105.14 15. He suffered no Man to do them Wrong yea he reproved Kings for their sakes saying Touch not my Anointed meaning those that are anointed with his Grace God will rebuke the mightiest Potentates Again tho they are never so despicable yet Countries whom God hath deemed to Destruction hath he saved for their sakes It
earnestly Micah 7.3 It is the difference between us and civil Men but unregenerate they are like Cypress Trees fair and tall but fruitless of a comely Life but none of these good Works are to be found in them It is the difference between us and Hypocrites A Hypocrite like a Carbuncle seems to be all on a fire but when you touch it it is quite cold so they pretend to Religion talk much but have no true regular Zeal no spiritual Warmth It is notable our Lord himself proves his Divine Original by his Works Iohn 10.38 Tho ye believe not me believe the VVorks that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me and I in him So is this the sensible Evidence you are in Christ and Christ in you Graces are not always evident in feeling but in Fruit the Effects cannot be hid Then they are Signs and Evidences to God himself the Lord will look upon them as Marks and Evidences of his People Look as the destroying Angel was to be guided by a Sign Exod. 12.12 13. by the sprinkling of the Door-posts not that he needed it but because God would have it to be so So the Lord sutes his Dispensations and guides them by a Sign It is true God in his Gifts is arbitrary but in his Judgments he proceeds by Rule according to our Works At the last Day God will judg you not by your Profession but by your Practice what you have done he will not say You have prophesied in my Name you have eaten and drunk in my Presence but you have fed me clothed me visited me That the Faith of the Elect might be found to Praise and Honour he will have Works produced Not that God wants Evidences of our Sincerity but he will have all the World know we have not been unfruitful A Man that expecteth to be posed is preparing to answer and would give somethink to know the Questions aforehand Christ hath told us what are the Questions upon which we shall be examined and taxed at the Day of Judgment he will say Have you fed and clothed my People have you ministred to their Necessities have you relieved them with spiritual Counsel and Admonition have you been good holy and just Therefore let us provide to give an Answer that we might not be ashamed at the last Day Thus this Zeal for good Works hath the place and room of a Witness to God as the Rule and Measure of his Process to our selves as the ground of our Assurance and to the World as the great vindication of the Honour of our Profession 2. It is a Fruit of Christ's Death partly by way of Obligation for certainly God hath not been at all this cost and labour for nothing he did not project the sending of Christ and Jesus Christ did not so give up himself in the Work of Redemption for nothing but to inflame us to a great height of Piety They that live at a low rate of Holiness cross and disgrace the whole Design of the Gospel they are not apprehensive of the Love of God in giving Christ nor the Love of Christ in giving himself Our Redemption was carried on in such a way not only that the Comfort but also the Duty of the Creature might be raised to the highest Partly again as Christ hath purchased the Gift of the Spirit to fit us for good Works yea to make us zealous in them Titus 3.5 6. According to his Mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Iesus Christ our Saviour Now the Spirit dwelleth in our Hearts to set our Graces a working Iohn 4.14 The Water that I shall give him shall be in him a Well of VVater springing up into everlasting Life So Iohn 7.38 39. He that believeth on me as the Scripture saith out of his Belly shall flow Rivers of living VVater This spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him shall receive The Spirit is not a Fountain sealed up but flowing forth The Spirit of God is a mighty Spirit and comes in upon the Soul not only as a gentle Blast but as a mighty rushing Wind he comes not only in the appearance of a Dove but of cloven Tongues of Fire Acts 2. He comes as a Spirit of Power to quicken and awaken the Soul to great heights and fervours in Obedience Look as Men acted by Satan the unclean Spirit are restless in Evil and carried headlong as the Herd of Swine into the Sea so those that are acted by the Spirit of God are much more carried on with great Earnestness in the Ways of God The Devil hath not such Advantages to work upon his Instruments as the Spirit of God hath upon us The Devil works and operates in all the Children of Disobedience Ephes. 2.3 The Spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience But the Devil cannot work but by Man's Consent neither can he work immediately upon the Soul but only by the Senses and by the Fancy but the Spirit of God can work immediately upon them in whom he acts Therefore being acted by him they must needs be zealous and earnest for the Spirit of God nescit tarda molimina knows no slow Motions The Soul in it self is dead and slothful and apt to yield to Laziness and Delays but when we are acted and quickened by the mighty Spirit then draw us and we will run after thee Cant. 1.4 When the Spirit puts forth its Force upon the Soul such as are drawn by the Holy Ghost they are not in jest as carnal Men are but in earnest they do not dally with Religion but make it their great business to surprize Heaven and carry on constant Communion with God Matth. 11.12 The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth Violence and the Violent take it by force Vse 1. Information 1. That Grace is no Enemy to good Works Libertinism is ancient and natural Christ died to improve Piety not to lessen it but to raise it to the highest to make us zealous of good Works that we might be carried on to Heaven with full Sails Therefore he that grows looser less watchful against Sin less diligent in the exercise of Holiness less frequent in Communion with God less humble and penitent after committing of Sin offers the greatest Abuse to Grace that may be and perverts its natural Use. There is no freezing by the Fire we may freeze indeed by painted Fire that may make us contract Chilliness and Drowsiness but true Grace is a Fire that warms and inflames our Affections Christ came to make us more chearful and lively but not slack careless and cold 2. It informs us what little Reason the World hath to cry out upon Zealots for Christ died to make us ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã zealous of good VVorks Men that are only contented with a brain Religion speculative Notions they cannot endure Heats and Fervors they would have
time come when the Strength of your Comforts will be tried Here you sit a brooding upon Wealth as the Partridg upon rotten Eggs and what then At his latter End he shall be a Fool Jer. 17.11 Why at his latter End Then he shall be so in the Conviction of his own Conscience his own Heart will call him Fool O Fool O mad Man that I was in lavishing out my Time Strength and Care upon that which will yield me no Comfort Mr. Fox tells us of a rich Cardinal when about to die cried out And must I die that am so rich Will not Death be bribed Will Money do nothing now This will be your Case and Condition when you come to die if you get not an Interest in this strong Consolation As that Pagan Emperor warbled out to his Soul O animula blandula vagula quo nunc abibis c. O where is this Soul of mine going You that now shine in Bravery that eat of the fattest and drink of the sweetest when your Day is gone what will become of you you must die and go from all this Nothing then but Peace of Conscience and spiritual Comfort will serve the turn O for one Dram of this Comfort then when Death is nigh and God is angry Men keep a great deal of Bustle now to get Honour and break through all Restraints of Honesty and Conscience to work themselves into worldly Greatness O but when they come to die how will this be upon their Heart What would they give then for Peace of Conscience and this strong Consolation which God vouchsafeth to the Heirs of Promise But then no Price will be given to God That look as a Husband when he surprizeth his Wife in her Adulterous Imbraces He will not spare in the Day of Vengeance he will not regard any Ransom neither will he rest content tho thou givest many Gifts Prov. 6.34 35. So when God hath surprized you in the midst of your Whoredoms when you have diverted your Respects from and been disloyal to him it is the Day of his Vengeance and he will take no Ransom What will a Man give in Exchange for his Soul There will be such a dying-hour which thou must expect it is hard by Christians have you Comforts strong enough to encounter the Terrors and Horrors of Death within a little while you will be put to trial 4. It informs us that Christians put a Disparagement upon their Comforts when they are dejected with every Fear and Trouble This is much beneath God's Oath the Merit of Christ and the Joy of the Holy Ghost and all the Provision the three Persons have made As for Instance 1. When your Comforts are too weak as you fain in every Affliction Prov. 24.10 If thou faint in the day of Adversity thy Strength is small Thou hast small Comfort if it will not bear thee out in outward Trouble God and Christ and the Spirit they are as it were trying their Skill I would speak it with Reverence to raise up a Confidence in Believers that shall be Affliction-proof now if you are presently gone when put to trial you disparage this strong Consolation and frustrate all the Provision they make for you Many a Heathen would do better upon moral Principles and behave themselves with a greater Generosity and Bravery of Spirit You know that Question Iob 15.11 Are the Consolations of God small with thee the meaning is Is all the Provision of Comfort and Grace and Joy in the Spirit too slender to bear you up in this Affliction What do you expect Christians Would you have better Provision than God hath made Dost thou expect greater Promises surer Mercies and a more able Christ to bear up thy Heart Are not all the Consolations of God able to raise you up Thus when you are overcome in every Trial. 2. When you are full of Doubts Bondage and servile Fears you disparage God's Consolation As for Instance when you cannot think of the Judgment without Horror Acts 24.25 As he reasoned of Righteousness Temperance and Iudgment to come Felix trembled or of Death without Bondage Heb. 2.15 Through fear of Death they were all their Life-time subject to Bondage Christians now and then we should be making Experiments and trying the Strength of our Comforts and say thus Can I venture my everlasting Estate upon this Confidence Would I be thus found if Christ were coming to Judgment 1 John 4.17 Herein is Love made perfect that we may have Boldness in the Day of Iudgment Take it for God's Apprehensions of his Love to us or our Apprehensions of our Love to God we should still be providing for that Day and citing our selves before Christ's Tribunal that we might see of what Strength our Consolation is SERMON IV. HEB. VI. 18 We might have a strong Consolation c. Vse 2. TO press you to look after this strong Consolation O! be not contented until you have the Fruit of God's Oath that you may be able to live up to the Provision and Preparation he hath made for your Comfort in the Covenant It is a Condescension that God will give us his Oath and this is the Fruit of it that we might have strong Consolation to see our Names in God's Book and our Heaven in Christ's Possession I shall press you with Arguments both of Duty and Profit First For Arguments of Duty 1. It is for God's Honour that his People should walk comfortably Two things there are which God glories most in the Holiness and the Comfort of his People in the Holiness as he is a God of Grace in their Comfort as he is a God of Consolation It is said in Scripture There is none holy as the Lord. God would have the World know that there is none can sanctify but he alone Moral Principles may change the Life but he only can change the Heart And then it is said there is none like him in Pardon Mich. 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth Iniquity God would have the World know that there is no Comfort so strong and sweet as that which he conveyeth In your Lives God will be glorified in Holiness in your Deaths God will be glorified in your Comfort Ier. 6.16 Where is the good Way and walk therein and you shall find Rest for your Souls Is there any such Comfort to be had as my People have as they have found in the way they have beaten the beaten Path of Faith Repentance and Godliness 2. As it is for God's Glory so for our Profit we look upon Comfort with Jealousy knowing we have deserved none we are guilty Creatures therefore are loth to entertain it even upon God's Terms Joy is the strength of the Soul Neh. 8.10 The Ioy of the Lord is your Strength and that in all Duties Satan knoweth that while the Conscience is kept raw the Soul is unfit for Action A Christian never acts so strongly so regularly as when he is filled
saw that any thing was good he uttered and declared it and said it was good Gen. 1.4 God saw the Light that it was good He said it first of Light then of other Creatures God would be no Author nor Example of smothering the due praise of Good Actions That Man hath little Goodness in himself that will not own it in others Indeed we are forbidden to call good evil and evil good Isa. 5.20 as the World is usually guilty of this Misnomer none are good but those that flatter them in their Sins and none are evil but those that are zealous for God This preposterous Judgment is forbidden but it is no where forbidden to call good Good and to own the Graces of others that were enviously to defraud the Vertuous of their due Respect Secondly Positively How is it then true that no Man is good Ansâ Three ways No Man is of himself good nor perfectly good nor good comparing him with God 1. No Man is of himself Good but only by participation of God's Goodness As all the Stars derive their Light from the Sun so do we derive our poor weak Ray wherewith we shine from the Father of Lights Iam. 1.17 Every good Gift and every perfect Gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of Lights It is God that makes us to do good and receive good For he worketh all our works in us Isa. 26.12 and hath a greater share in the good that we do than we have our selves All the Tribute that we pay him we have it out of his own Exchequer for we have all and every part from God he giveth the Will the very first Motion and Inclination to any good and he giveth the Deed and the final accomplishment Phil. 2.13 It is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure Our good Works are more God's than ours we may say of them as Austin of his Illegitimate Child In âo nihil habuâ praeter peccatâm Lord I had nothing in this Child but my Sin So it is true of the Fruit of our Souls as well as of our Bodies nothing is ours but the deââct all the good is Gods yea as he sweetly saith in another place speaking of this very Case in his Comment upon the 137 th Psalm Opus tuum vide inâme Domine non meum nam meum si videris damnas me tuum si videris coronas me nam quecunque sunt opera mea abs te sunt ideo tua magis quam mea sunt Regard O Lord in me not my work but thine own if thou regardest my Work thou damnest me if thine own thou crownest me since whatsoever good I have I have it from thee and therefore it is rather thine than mine Well then no meer Man is good that is good of himself 2. No Man is Good that is absolutely and perfectly Good The perfection of Righteousness so as to do good without Sin is not to be found in any Man no not in the best Man upon Earth In Heaven indeed they are made perfect Heb. 12.23 To the Spirits of just men made perfect But here upon Earth there is not a just man that doth good and sins not Eccl. 7.20 but either at one time or other he will Sin or in the same action none doth Good and Sins not Noah Abraham Lot Moses David Peter they had all their naevos their Blots and Blemishes nay in all things in their best Actions there is somewhat faulty and defective Nehemiah where he doth appeal to God for the Remembrance of his great Works he desireth God to spare him according to the greatness of his Mercy Nehem. 13.22 And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves and that they should come and keep the Gates to sanctifie the Sabbath-day Remember me O my God! concerning this also and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy And we read of Aarons bearing the Iniquity of the holy things Exod. 28.38 And in many things we offend all James 3.2 Some in all things and all in some things either by way of Omission or Commission This is true of Regenerate and Unregenerate 1. As to the Unregenerate When God looked upon his Creatures as they pass'd his hands he saw all was Good Gen. 1.31 But when he looked down from Heaven upon Men in their Natural Condition and as they had made themselves and defiled themselves so they were altogether become filthy and abominable and there is none that doth good no not one Psal. 13.3 And there is none righteous no not one Rom. 3.10 That is pleasing and acceptable with God it is true of them none is Good 2. As to the Regenerate none is Good that is wholly free from Sin Paul complains I know that in me that is in my Flesh dwells no good thing Rom. 7.18 And Christ saith to his own Disciples those who were the Children of God those to whom he makes a Promise of the Spirit Luke 11.13 If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your Children c. even the Children of God are evil in this sence that is not perfectly Good In optimis non nihil est pessimi There is some Evil in the best 1. There is Evil in their Natures there are the Reliques and Remainders of much sinful Corruption the Flesh and Spirit like Hannah and Peninnah always vexing and thwarting one another Gal. 5.17 The Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh. The most of the Sanctifying Grace which we have is the least part of that which we want and that we should have In the best Sin is like a wild Fig-tree cut off the Boughs and Branches yet still there will be some strings that will be sprouting out again or like the Leprosie in the House that could not be cured by scraping till it was pulled down to the ground There is a Tincture of the old Leaven which remains in the best Heart 2. There is Evil in their best Actions Isa. 64.6 But we are all as an unclean thing and all our Righteousnesses are as filthy Rags Not only our Sins but our Righteous Operations the productions of the Soul cannot exceed the force of our Principles and if there be a double Principle there must be a double Operation 3. There is new Evil which we contract by our Actions Iohn 17.10 He that is washed needeth not save to wash his Feet He that is purged from Sin and washed contracts new Soyl In bono itinero pulverem colligis saith Bernard In the good we do we contract filth as we gather new dust in our walking up and down So that none is perfectly throughly Good 3. No Man is Good in Comparison with God That goodness that we have in participation from him will appear no Goodness in Comparison with him If the Heavens themselves the purest part of the World are not clean in his sight how much more evil is
shew how favourable a Judgment it must needs be that we pass upon our selves Psal. 36.2 He flatters himself in his own eyes until his Iniquity be found to be hateful a Man is well pleased with his own Doings That Self-Love is a Cause appears by this a man will not see Sin no not when any man that looks upon his Way may see it till it break forth in Shame and makes him to be hateful the mistake vanisheth not till all the Town cryeth Shame upon him While a Man cryeth out against Sensuality Drunkenness Gluttony he is so full of Self Love that he is loth to pass a Sentence against his own Soul Fourthly Negligence and want of Searchings and taking the Course whereby we may be undeceived He that thinks better of himself than there is Ground and Reason for the only way to bring him to himself is to put him upon often Tryal So saith the Apostle Gal. 6.3 If a man think himself to be something when he is nothing he deceiveth himself But alas this is a common Case and what more ordinary than for a Man to conceit too highly of himself and flatter himself with those Excellencies he hath not and cry Peace Peace when the wrath of God and sudden destruction is upon him But how shall a Man do to come out of this Fool 's Paradice that he may undeceive himself see the next Verse 4. But let every man prove his own work try their Work and Carriage by the Rule of God's Word what he doth and upon what Motives and for what Ends let him prove so as to approve himself to God 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether you be in the Faith prove your selves know ye not your own selves how that Iesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates O search and see what is the frame of your Hearts what true Grounds of Confidence you have towards God Now when Men will not so much as put it to the Question whether it be well or ill no wonder they slightly return an Omnia bene All these have I kept from my Youth A Natural man is under this Dilemma If I should not search I should not know my self if I should search I should not like my self and therefore out of Laziness and Self Love he chooseth the latter Plutarch saith Evil Men turn from their own Lives as the worst Spectacle that can be presented to them We could not be so grosly deceived by Sathan as we are if we did not turn our Eyes away from our own Hearts and Ways but did oftner call our selves to an Account Fifthly Security As they will not search so they will not know themselves when they are searched and cannot endure throughly to be discovered to themselves There is a voluntary Examination of Conscience and an involuntary Impression by which Conscience is awakened against our Wills either by the Preaching of the Word or by Afflictions sent from God In both these Cases men discover this Self-conceit in that they do defeat those methods which God useth when they are searched by God 1. They cannot endure to be searched by the Word Iohn 3.20 Every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh he to the light lest his deeds should be reproved Men will stand out as long as they can in defence of their own Righteousness and are loth to be convinced and discovered to themselves and to be seen what indeed they are and that is the Reason they cannot endure a reproving Light a searching Ministry But the Word doth seize upon them by chance as sometimes it will Thus Foelix when Paul rubs his Privy Sore discoursing of Righteousness Temperance and Judgment to come it sets him all in an Agony Foelix trembled Acts 24.25 What then he puts it off to a more convenient Season When God ransacks the Conscience by his Word they are not pleased with this but seek diversions Lusts quench and drown their Convictions The Apostle Iames compares a careless Hearer Chap. 1.23 24. to a man beholding his natural Face in a Glass for he beholdeth himself and goeth away and straightway forgetteth what manner of person he was Men content themselves with a slight transient glance and are troubled for the present they have but a weak Impression wrought upon them which is soon worn out Or 2. When God searcheth them by Affliction when they do not judge themselves they are judged by the Lord. As Iosephs Brethren their Consciences had slept many years securely in their Sins but God casts them down and revives their Thoughts they have many tremblings and workings of Soul Gen. 42.21 They said one to another we are verily guilty concerning our Brother in that we saw the anguish of his Soul when he besought us and we would not hear him therefore is this evil come upon us Now how few are there that will hear the Rod or if they be a little affected when the smart is upon them they go away as Heart-whole as ever and when they are well are as vain as ever and do not profit by their Troubles Therefore since there is so much Ignorance of the Legal and Gospel Covenant so many sottish Errors wherewith men are prepossessed so much Self-Love Negligence and lothness to search so much Security and not improving Convictions when God searcheth no wonder a Man is so conceited of himself VSE Let us take heed of Self-conceit and Self-Righteousness Especially this concerns you that have a Civil and sober Education and are as to Externals blameless as you love your own Souls take heed of a Self-Righteousness Thô you do not run into the same Excess of Riot which others do and are free from outward Vice yet God hath enough against you to condemn you for ever Therefore study the Covenants lay aside gross Conceits of God and Holiness take heed of being blinded with Self-Love search often and see what claim you have to Heaven observe Ordinances and Providences and improve your Convictions that you may turn to the Lord Else you may have a flattering Hope but can have no solid Peace in your Consciences till with Brokenness of Heart you quit your own Righteousness and fly to Christ alone And that you may not be besotted with a Dream of your own Righteousness consider 1. How Light every one of us shall be found when we are put in the Ballance of the Sanctuary All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes but the Lord weigheth the Spirits Prov. 16.2 Mark what is weighed not Opus the Matter of the Action but our Work with the Motives the Principles the Ends of it and the State of your Hearts and it is weighed it is put into the Ballance God knows all things by number and weight 2. Consider how different the Judgment of God and Men will be Luke 16.15 Ye are they which justifie your selves before men but God knows the Heart For that which is highly esteemed amongst men is abomination
which is very perswasive and pressing take it as it works only in a Moral way as Herod heard Iohn Baptist and did many things and heard him gladly Mark 6.20 Or else they may have this Common Grace by Experience of the Providence of God over the Church or themselves when they see God's Interest stands out against all Assaults Psal. 129.1 2. Many a time have they afflicted me from my Youth Now may Israel say Many a time have they afflicted me from my Youth yet have they not prevailed against me When they observe that all those that dash against the Corner-stone are broken in pieces that many good men thô molested and troubled yet visibly have a Blessing and a Providence that attends them and that the prophane are overtaken in their Sins by pursuing Judgments that it is never better with them than when they own that which is Good This cannot but move them to something that is amiable to some sense of Religion and siding with the better Party Or they may have the Common Gifts of the Spirit Heb. 6.4 5. they may be enlightened may have Gifts of Prayer and Preaching some vanishing Tastes of the Goodness and Sweetness of Evangelical Doctrine some Motions and Impulsions and Excitations to good These are the Reasons I. VSE It shews us how inexcuseable they are in the sight of God and how just their Condemnation will be that have nothing lovely in them Certainly they might have had something or other lovely in them even while they were Natural if they would give their Heart to it either Wisdom or Valour Meekness or Zeal Humility or Charity Every Temper yieldeth some Way and Means of Glorifying God and it is their own Fault if they have not some Endowment or other I speak this not as to Spiritual Grace only which they do not only neglect but reject the Means whereby to get it they put away the Word of God from them shut the door upon themselves Acts 13.46 Ye put the Word from you and judge your selves unworthy of eternal Life and esteem Spiritual Grace nothing worth yea it is Folly to them 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Yea they think it as dishonourable and prejudical to them But also in respect of Moral Endowments I say certainly some Crown or other they might have if they did not uncrown themselves by Sin Natural Men may have brave Wits but they besot themselves and quench them in Luxury and Riot and pervert those Moral Inclinations those Seeds of God that were in their Nature while they Drink Whore and play away their Consciences There are none but have a Conscience till they get the Victory of it and smother it and outgrow the feelings and checks of it and lose all sense Eph. 4.19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over to lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greediness They might have lived Vertuously and Morally till they brought upon themselves the Tyranny of evil Custom and then no wonder if they are wholly given up to Sensual Lusts and to walk in a sinful way They have lost all former Advantages they have spoil'd their Natural Temper they have lost the Benefit of their Education despised Instruction and the Discipline of Parents lived in defiance of Laws received the Grace of God in vain 2 Cor. 6.1 In a word they have slighted God's Judgments quenched their Gifts checked the Motions of God's Spirit Therefore certainly they are altogether without Excuse that out-sin these Helps Natural Conscience Temper Education Laws Ordinances Providences and the Spirit 's Motions they are all helps and God forsakes men in none of these till they first forsake him and by some notable Sin provoke him to withdraw such Helps And therefore what will you say for your selves that have not any of these amiable Qualities and Moral Endowments Will you say you would fain be better but cannot That cannot be for many of these Amiable Qualities are found in Natural Men and you have had many Helps and Advantages either to get or increase them in your Souls If many Moral Heathens go to Hell that had not half those Helps and and yet were Exemplary in so many Amiable Qualities what will become of you if you refuse all the Helps which God hath vouchsafed to you in his Providence and yet run into enormous Evils II. VSE If there may be Amiable Qualities in Unregenerate Men then do not rest in these things Mat. 5.46 If you love them that love you what reward have you do not even the Publicans the same And Verse 47. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã What do you more than others What over and above A Natural Man may have all these You may live orderly and yet if you have not Faith you cannot please God Heb. 11.6 For without Faith it is impossible to please God You may be Blameless yet if you be not born again you shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Iohn 3.3 Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God Therefore do not rest in this that you have some Good Qualities which are Amiable and Praise-worthy before God and Men but labour for the sanctifying Vertue of God's Spirit and the Power of Godliness that you may be partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 for if thy Heart be not yet truly changed thy Person may be odious to God It is not mine but the Advice of Jesus Christ Make the Tree good and his fruit good Mat. 12.33 A man may carry the Fruits of Canaan as the Spies did upon a dry Staff but learn to bear them from a living Root To be Harmless Meek Chast Just Temperate all this is good but it is much better when they flow from a renewed Heart then they are gracious Evidences to you A Good Nature without Grace makes a fair shew with the World but it is of little Respect with God as to your Salvation All this may be from Temper and awe of Men. How may a Man mistake a still Nature for Meekness Fervency and heighth of Spirit for Zeal want of Affection to holy Things for Discretion Stupidity for Patience Obstinacy for Constancy but God knows how to distinguish Will Complexion and Temper ever pass for Grace in God's Account And usually if a Natural man hath one Good Quality he hath another Bad One to match it It is observed in History of Alexander that he was an Enemy to Uncleanness but extreamly given to Drunkenness Iulius Caesar was not given to Drunkenness but exceedingly addicted to Uncleanness Natural men if they have their Amiable Qualities they have some domineering Bad Quality to match them Nay a Good Nature once corrupted doth prove the worst of all others as the sweetest Wine makes the tartest Vinegar Augustus at first was of a good merciful Nature Suetonius observes of
their Trouble and Astonishment graciously looketh upon them and in words full of Comfort giveth a Solution of that which was such a Riddle to them And Iesus looking upon them saith c. Here we have 1. Christ's Jesture Iesus looked upon them 2. Christ's Answer by a Distinction how it is impossible and how not In the first part of the Distinction there is a Concession That with Men it is impossible In the second Branch there is a Correction but not with God This latter Branch is Confirmed by a general Reason for with God all things are possible In this Text three things are asserted 1. The Impotency of Nature 2. The Sovereign Efficacy of Grace 3. The general Truth upon which it is grounded and that is the Omnipotency of God Accordingly the Points are three 1. That it is impossible for meer Man by his own Natural strength to get to Heaven 2. Men that are discouraged with the sense of their own Impotency should consider the Power of God 3. That this Power of God is Alsufficient and can do all things 1 Doct. That it is impossible for meer Man by his own Natural strength to get to Heaven Two things will Evidence that 1. There is Legalis Exclusio We are all Excluded by the Sentence of God's Law and therefore it is impossible for any meer Man to get to Heaven The Law knows no way of Justifying a Sinner but only of Saving a Creature Holy and Innocent and if we be not Holy and Innocent there is a Sentence in force against us That Scripture expresses the Tenor of the Law Gal. 3.10 For as many as are of the Works of the Law are under the Curse for it is written Cursed is every one that continneth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them An Innocent Nature is presupposed for the Person must continue it doth not say now begin The Law doth not treat with Man as lapsed or fallen or as having already broken with God but as in a good and sound Estate and therefore since by the Fall we are Sinners we are also under the Curse by Nature Eph. 2.3 And were by Nature the Children of Wrath even as others Lyable to the stroke of God's Vindictive Wrath. Well now with Man it is impossible God hath placed a Cherub with a Flaming Sword that keeps the Passage into Paradise Heaven Gates are shut against us now no meer Man can appease an Angry God or redeem his Soul from the Curse that keeps him out of Heaven We are weak and without strength Rom. 5.6 For when we were yet without strength in due time Christ dyed for the ungodly Weakness or without Strength there beareth the same sence with Unworthiness We are unable to perform the Work or Duty through the Curse of the first Covenant and when we were altogether sinful and unworthy then Christ dyed for us and therefore it is impossible in regard of his Legal Exclusion For suppose we could obey perfectly for the future yet the paying of New Debts doth not quit Old Scores We are without strength because we cannot expiate former Transgressions and so the Law is become impossible through the weakness of our Flesh Rom. 8.3 For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the Flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the Flesh. 2. There is Evangelica difficultas there are Difficulties by the Gospel which meer Man cannot overcome Tho' the Gospel giveth hopes of Entrance into Heaven or reversing the strict Conditions of the Law yet upon such Terms as we must be beholden to Grace for them Christ that requires the Conditions of the Gospel must also give them to us Acts 5.31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give Repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins He is not only a Prince and Law-giver but also a Saviour or the Author and Fountain of Grace He doth not only give the Priviledge Reââssion but he gives the Condition Repentance If you conceive of Christ that he doth give the Priviledge and require the Conditions and no more you Legalize Christ as the Samaritans had a Temple without an Ark and a Mercy-seat so to speak of a Law without Grace or if you separate the Law of the Gospel from the Grace of the Gospel it is impossible Why is it thus impossible with Man upon Gospel-Terms the Legal Impossibility all will acknowledge but whence is this Evangelical Difficulty It ariseth from three things There is Vitios a Contrarietas a Corrupt Nature there are âxterna Impedimenta many outward Snares and there is Inimica Oppositio a great deal of Enmity and Opposition therefore with Man it is impossible 1. There is Vitiosa Contrarietas a Corrupt Nature enclined to evil and averse to good Gen. 6.5 God saw that the wickedness of Man was great in the Earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually Man hath such a Heart that if left to it self will always be minting evil Thoughts and evil Desires and carnal and inordinate Motions And as the Heart of Man is prone to evil so it is averse to what is good and so averse that it cannot do any of the great Duties that God hath required of him Look upon this averseness and impotency with respect to Duties he cannot know believe nor obey He cannot Know 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned And he cannot Believe Iâh 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him it is not said he doth not but he cannot And he cannot Obey Rom. 8.7 The carnal mind is Enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be And consider this Impotency with respect to our Thoughts Words and Deeds he cannot think a good Thought 2 Cor. 3.5 Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves he cannot speak a good word Matth. 12.34 How can ye being evil speak good things he cannot do any good thing Iohn 15.5 Without me ye can do nothing He doth not say Nihil magnum you can do no great thing you cannot acquit your selves in some Eminent Temptation with honour or in some notable Duty but Nihil you can do nothing without me Well then when we cannot know nor believe nor obey nor think nor speak nor do any thing without Grace surely it is impossible Man of himself should perform the Conditions of the Gospel he is wholly Impotent and unable to help himself 2. There are Externa Impedimenta Outward Impediments Man is Impotent and Corrupt naturally and his Corruption is fed and strengthened by worldly things and so his outward Condition
the Nature of it 2. The Properties of it 3. The Examples of Scripture First Let us see the Nature of it and thereby we shall best judge of the growth of it Faith is a Grace whereby we believe God's Word in general and especially the Doctrine of Salvation by Christ and do receive him and rest upon him for Grace here and Glory hereafter First The general Object of Faith is the whole Word of God Acts 24.14 Believing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets Certainly the General Faith goeth before the Particular for there is no Building without a Foundation so that the General Faith is a firm and hearty Assent to such things as are revealed by God because revealed by him In which Description we may consider 1. The Object of this Grace Things revealed by God as revealed by him 2. The Act It is an Assent 3. The Adjuncts or Qualifications of this Act it is a firm cordial or hearty Assent 1. The Objects of Faith considered Materially are such things as are contained in the Divine Revelation Formally these things by Faith are apprehended under that Consideration as revealed by God by Vertue of the Truth and Authority of his Testimony The Objects of Faith materially considered are all such things as are contained in the Word of God or revealed by him which are of a different Nature Precepts Promises Threatnings Histories of Facts done Mysteries of Godliness All these are apprehended and improved by Faith to the use of Holy Living or entertaining Communion with God through Christ only among these Objects some are more noble and excellent others of lesser weight and moment The chief Objects of Faith are those things which are absolutely necessary to Salvation and without which we can neither be Holy here nor Happy hereafter such are those things which we specially call Articles of Faith as briefly comprehending all the Mysteries of Salvation the Decalogue c. But many other things are contained in the Word of God and conduce to the Confirmation and fuller understanding of these things though not of like weight and importance with them as for instance divers Histories and Miracles which are spoken of in Scripture as also some lesser Doctrines which only belong to the greater Fulness and Perfection of Knowledge The first sort of things must be explicitly and distinctly known and believed an implicit Faith may suffice for the rest Now an Implicit Faith we call that Faith by which we believe things not distinctly and apart but as they are contained in their Common Principle as for instance he that believeth the Book of Iudges to be a Book divinely inspired and yet hath never read it or heard it read by others he doth indeed believe the Histories contained therein to be true but not by an explicit Faith for he knoweth them not but by an implicit and general Faith as he is perswaded the Book was Indited by the Spirit of God but he who hath read the Book and knoweth particularly what is said of Samson Gideon Baruk and others of the Lord's Worthies and believeth it he hath a distinct and explicit Faith of these things The Believers of the Old Testament knew the Messiah and Redeemer of the World implicitly and not with that particularity which is required of Believers in the New And so do many weak Christians assent to all things contained in the Word of God by an implicit Faith though they do only expresly and explicitly believe things necessary to Salvation which is not said to justifie Laziness in any or an overly Carelesness in any matters of Religion as if we should acquiesce in the Knowledge of a few necessary things and seek no farther No The Word of God must dwell in us richly in all Wisdom Col. 3.16 For thô things absolutely necessary are but few yet other Points have their Use and conduce both to the Confirmation and Improvement of the rest But hitherto we have only spoken of the Object of Faith materially considered we must speak also of the Formal Consideration Things revealed by God as revealed by him for every Assent even that which is given to things contained in the Word of God cannot be called Faith For Instance if a Man should certainly hold and maintain any Point of Religion as the Creation of the World out of nothing but not upon the account of God's Revealing any such Truth but for some other Reason which seemeth necessary and cogent to him he cannot be said to believe this Article or to understand it by Faith as it is said Heb. 11.3 Through Faith we understand that the Worlds were framed by the word of God For Faith is an Assent to a Divine Testimony but when we know things by other ways and means of Assurance it is not Faith whatever it be So if a Man should believe the passages of God's Providence towards the Israelites upon the Relation of Iosephus the Historian and not upon the Authority of the Sacred Writers who have delivered it to us he cannot be said to have Faith Which also may be said of them who adhere to the true Religion only out of Custom and the happy Chance of their Birth and Education or because they received it by Tradition from their Ancestors or the bare warrant of their present Teachers or evidence of Reason Secondly The next thing which the Description offereth to us is the Act of Faith about this Object whiâh is an Assent The Formal Object of Faith is some Divine Truth as we have seen Now the Understanding hath a double Act about Truth Apprehension and Dijudication or exercising a Judgment about it So in these Divine Truths First We apprehend the Nature or Tenor of them or consider what is propounded to us in the Word of God which is Knowledge or Apprehension But then Secondly We judge or determine concerning the truth of these things which is Acknowledgment or Assent and this is the Act proper to Faith Thirdly The Adjuncts or Qualifications of this Assent come now to be considered They are two 1. It is a firm Assent 2. It is a Cordial and Hearty Assent 1. As it is a Firm Assent so Faith is distinguished from many things that look like it or pass for it in the World as First Non-contradiction or not questioning the Truths of Religion which is all the Faith that most have and cometh from their Inadvertency and Carelesness about Divine Maâters They do not object against the Truth of what the Gospel propoundeth because they do not regard it and weigh it in their serious Thoughts This differeth little from Childrens learning Questions of Catechism or saying things by rote they can say over the Articles of their Belief and never doubted of them you may teach them to think and say any thing what you please for they say it and never consider of it So most Men in the Christian World talk at the same rate that others do but consider not
next World but to carry us thither with Comfort supplying us in a way most conducible to his Glory and our Welfare Psal. 84.11 The Lord is a Sun and Shield the Lord will give Grace and Glory no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly All things are yours Ordinances Providences 1 Cor. 3.21 For all things are yours whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come all are yours and ye are Christs and Christ is God's 2. Hereafter That Christ will give us Eternal Glory and Happiness in the other World 1 Tim. 1.16 For this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Iesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe in him to life everlasting And Iohn 20.31 These are written that ye might believe that Iesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing ye might have life through his Name This is the main Blessing which Faith aimeth at 1 Pet. 1.9 Receiving the end of your Faith even the salvation of your Souls By this all Temptations of Sense are defeated Now if you would know whether your Faith groweth or no you must discover it by the Firmness of your Assent or the Resolvedness of your Consent or the Peace and Confidence of your Relyance 1. For Assent If you believe the Word of Gâd especially the Gospel part with an Assent so strong that you can resolve to venture your whole Happiness in this bottom and let go all that you may obtain the Hopes which the Gospel offereth to you certainly he hath a strong Faith who taketh Gods Promises for his whole Felicity and God's Word for his only Security he needeth no more nor no better Thing nor surer Conveyance to engage him to hazard all that he hath when the Enjoyment of it is inconsistent with his Fidelity to Christ. 2. Your Consent A full entire Hearty Consent to resign your Selves to Christ not a feeble Consent such as is contradicted by every foolish and hurtful Lust but a prevalent Consent such as can maintain it self notwithstanding Difficulties Temptations and Oppositions of the Flesh and controll all other Desires and Delights whatsoever 3. For Relyance When you can trust him for deliverance from the Guilt Power and Punishment of Sin and to quicken strengthen and preserve Grace in you to everlasting Life You trust him in all his Offices as a Priest when you believe his Merits and Sacrifice and Comfort your selves with his Gracious Promises and Covenant and come to God with more boldness and Hope of Mercy upon the account of his Intercession especially in all Extremities and Necessities Heb. 4.14 15 16. Seeing then that we have a great High Priest that is passed into the Heavens Iesus the Son of God Let us hold fast our Profession for we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our Infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find Grace to help in time of need You trust him as a Prophet when you give up your selves as his Disciples to the Conduct of his Word and Spirit being parswaded that he will infallibly teach you the way to true Happiness Ioh. 6.68 Lord to whom shall we go thou hast the words of eternal life You trust him as a King when you become his Subjects and are perswaded that he will Govern you in Truth and Righteousness in order to your Salvation and defend you by his mighty Power from all your Enemies 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day And 2 Tim. 4.18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me unto his heavenly Kingdom To whom be Glory for ever and ever Amen SERMON III. ON 2 THESS I. v. 3. Your Faith groweth exceedingly and the Charity of every one of you all towards each other aboundeth THE Growth and Encrease of Faith may be Judged of 1. By the Nature of Faith 2. The Properties of it 3. The Examples and Instances of great Faith in Scripture We are now upon the Second Thing the Properties 1. A Dependance upon God for something that lyeth out of Sight That this is an Essential Property of Faith appeareth by the Description of it Heb. 11.1 The Evidence of things not seen that is not seen by Sense and Reason Some things are invisible by reason of their Nature as God for no man hath seen God at any time Joh. 1.18 And therefore he is called the Invisible God Col. 1.15 And some things by reason of their Distance because they are Absent and Future as the Glory of the World to come and therefore 't is an Object of Faith and Hope Rom. 8.24 For hope that is seen is not hope for what a man seeth why doth he yet hope for it Vision and Possession exclude Hope and leave no room and place for it Now without Faith a Man can have no sight of these things 2 Pet. 1.9 He that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off There is a mist upon Eternity and we cannot look beyond the Clouds of this lower World unless we have the Eagle-eye of Faith but by Faith we can see them so as to frame our Lives accordingly 2 Cor. 5.7 For we walk by Faith and not by Sight By Sense we see what is pleasing or displeasing to the Flesh but by Faith what conduceth to the saving or losing of the Soul Faith being very much like Sight and serving us for the Government of the Soul as Sight doth for the Body it may much be explained by it Now to Bodily Sight there must be an Object a Medium to make the Object conspicuous and a Faculty or Organ 1. The Great Object of Faith is Eternal Life as procured by Christ and promised in the Gospel There is no use of Sight where nothing is to be seen therefore the Object is set before us in the view of Faith in the Promises of the Gospel Heb. 6.18 and Heb. 12.2 God's Truth is as certain as Sight it self can be in it we see all things promised as sure and near 2. The Medium As we see Colours in the Light of the Air so these Spiritual and heavenly things in the Light of the Spirit 1 Cor. 2.11 12. For what man knoweth the things of a man save the Spirit of a man which is in him even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God Now 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 us of God 3. The Eye or Visive Power A Blind Man cannot see at Noon-day nor the sharpest Sight at Midnight Now this
the Flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit 1 Cor. 2.14 15. But the natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are Foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned But he that is spiritual judgeth all things yet he himself is judged of no Man And Iude v. 19. These be they who separate themselves sensual having not the Spirit Now the more we live this spiritual Life the more thorough Christians we are Another kind of spirit cometh upon a Man he liveth as a Man of another World he can bear up when the Outward and Animal Life is exposed to the greatest difficulties 2 Cor. 4.16 He fetcheth his Solace and Comfort from those great and glorious things which are kept for him in Heaven 'T is a mighty thing to have this spirit of Faith 4. We cannot hold out with Christ whilst any Temporal and Sensitive thing lyeth too near the Heart 1 Tim. 6.10 For the love of Money is the root of all evil which while some coveted after they have erred from the Faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows And 2 Tim. 4.10 Demas hath forsaken us having loved this present VVorld The Devil hath them in a string and are easily taken again though we seem to make some escape from him 3. Faith is the Grace that is employed in overcoming the World 'T is not only said to be a means of overcoming but the Victory it self for 't is the Nature of Faith there are Terms in it as in other Graces 't is a Recess from the World and an Access to God a drawing off the Heart from things Visible and Temporal to those which are Invisible and Eternal How doth Faith overcome the World 1. As 't is an Assent to God's Word and chiefly to the Promises of the Gospel Now this strong and firm Assent doth preposses the mind with the Glory of the World to come Heb. 11.26 Moses had an eye to the Recompense of Reward And 2 Cor. 4.18 VVe look not to the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen And Heb. 11.1 Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen By this sight and View of Heavenly things our Esteem of the World is abated so by consequence the Force of the Temptation Alas whatever this World offereth must be left on this side the Grave Pomp Pleasure Estate â Tim. 6.7 For we brought nothing into this VVorld and 't is certain we can carry nothing out Here we lust for greatness but Death soon endeth the quarrel In the Grave no difference is to be discerned between Rich and Poor both are alike Obnoxious to Rottenness and Corruption but Faith perswadeth us of better things Heb. 11.13 These all dyed in Faith not having received the Promises but having seen them afar off and were perswaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the Earth 2. As 't is a Consent It causeth us to Surrender our selves to Christ's Discipline or that Religion which wholly draweth us off from this World to the World to come Its purpose and drift is that we may deny our selves bear the Cross and follow him this we Promise in Baptism 1 Pet. 3.21 Baptism saveth us not the putting away the filthiness of the Flesh but the Answer of a good Conscience towards God by the resurrection of Iesus Christ. The Spirit of our Religion is not the Spirit of the World 1 Cor. 2.12 Now 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 3. As it is a Dependance and Trust in Christ's Power and Sufficiency to maintain you and defend you safe 'till you are brought home to God He dyed for this end Gal. 1.4 Who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil World according to the Will of God and our Father He intercedeth for us to the Father for this end Ioh. 17.15 I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the World but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil He overcame the World in his own Person for this end not only to encourage us but to enable us by his example Ioh. 16.33 These things I have spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace in the World ye shall have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the World He sendeth his Spirit into our Hearts to preserve us against the Assaults of the Devil the World and the Flesh 1 Ioh. 4.4 Ye are of God little Children and have overcome them because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the VVorld And because every state of Life is thick set with Temptations he reneweth his Influence upon us Phil. 4.13 I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me He had before spoken of carrying an equal mind in all Conditions Christ enabled him as well as taught him this Contentment Well then reckon the growth of your Faith by the exercise of your Mortification and weanedness from the World rather than by strong Confidence of your good Estate or high flown Joys and Comforts The Comforts of the Spirit will not be tasted by an unmortified Worldly Heart Most men's Confidence cometh from their Security and mindlesness of these things The Comforts are more suspicious when the Mortification is a sure Note Seventhly The seventh Property of Faith is quieting the Heart against Fears and Doubts and Waiting on God I joyn these two things together because the Scripture doth Lam. 3.26 It is good that a Man should both hope and quietly wait for the Salvation of God But we must handle them asunder 1. Waiting Sense is all for present satisfaction but Faith can tarry God's leisure 'till these good things which we do expect do come in hand Isa. 28.16 He that believeth shall not make haste Men that cannot tarry for relief will yield up a Town upon the basest Terms The Children of God were always forced to eat their Words when they spoke in haste Psal. 31.22 For I said in my haste I am cut off from before thine eyes nevertheless thou heardest the Voice of my Supplication when I cryed unto thee And Psal. 116.11 I said in my haste all Men are Lyars But where Faith and Hope is there is Patience Rom. 8.25 If we hope for what we see not then do we with Patience wait for it James 5.7 8. Be patient therefore Brethren unto the coming of the Lord Behold the Husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the Earth and hath long patience for it until he receive the early and latter Rain Be ye also patient stablish your hearts for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh Unbelief leapeth overboard on the first danger Impatience and Precipitation is the Cause of all Mischief What
Miracles and Acts of Mediation as if we had seen him in the Flesh is still the work and exercise of our Faith So the Apostle telleth the Galatians Chapter 3.1 Before whose Eyes Christ Iesus hath been evidently set forth Crucified among you That is before you he hath been convincingly declared as if he were set before your Eyes Nailed to the Cross. VVe should receive Christ as it were Crucified in the midst of us And the more lively and impressive Thoughts we have of this in the VVord and Sacraments the stronger is ones Faith VVe do so believe it and our Hearts are so warmed by it as if it were all done before our Eyes Such Evidence and Conviction should we have as to warm our Hearts 2. Present To see him so as to make him the Object of our Love and Trust. Iohn 6.40 And this is the will of him that sent me that he that seeth the Son and believeth on him may have Everlasting Life There is a clear sight of Christ still necessary to believing we must see him and know him Spiritually Though he be removed from us within the Curtain of the Heavens yet we must see him and such Worth and Excellency in him as may draw off our Hearts from other things see him so as to believe that he is at the Right Hand of God negotiating for us that we may trust our Selves and our All in his Hands Stephen said Acts 7.56 Behold I see the Heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the Right Hand of God He saw the Lord Jesus as in a posture of readiness to assist and help him that was by Extraordinary Vision for it is said The Heavens opened But Faith doth the like in its degree and proportion Especially must we see him at the Right Hand of God ready to receive us when we die 3. Future We must see him that is be assured of his second Coming and thoroughly perswaded that we shall see him As Iob 19.25 26 27. For I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand in the latter days upon the Earth And though after my Skin Worms destroy this Body yet in my Flesh I shall see God Whom I shall see for my self and mine Eyes shall behold him At the Resurrection we shall get this Sight and Blessed Vision of God Now Faith must over-look all Impediments to assure our selves of this 2. There are other Objects about which the Vision of Faith is exercised as the Glory and Blessedness of the World to come Faith is the Perspective of the Soul by which it can see things at a distance as present It can look beyond and above the World and draw unspeakable Joy from the Hope of Eternal Life Moses Heb. 11.26 Esteemed the Reproach of Christ greater Riches than the Treasures of Egypt for he had respect to the Recompenâe of Reward ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã He looked to it The Glory of the World to come is represented and set before us in the Promise we see it clearly there Heb. 6.18 That by two Immutable Things in which it was impossible for God to Lie we might have strong Consolation who have fled for Refuge to lay hold upon the Hope set before us Heb. 12.2 Looking unto Iesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith who for the Ioy that was set before him endured the Cross despised the Shame and is set down at the Right Hand of the Throne of God To this we should look and see it as if it were before our Eyes that we may not be allured or terrified by the things that are before our Eyes But of this I have already spoken in the Nature of Faith See Sermons 3 d Volume on Heb. 11.1 only let me advice you now to keep the Eye of Faith clear that Christ and Heaven may be always in view The Devil seeks to shut it 2 Cor. 4.4 In whom the God of this World hath blinded the Eyes of them which believe not least the Light of the Glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine unto them He doth it by the World deluding and bribing the Flesh and Inchanting the Mind with worldly Felicity so that God and Heaven are forgotten and that necessary Care which we should use in preparation for it is neglected and omitted But it is opened by the Spirit 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 And therefore we should always pray for this Spiritual Eye-salve that we may have a due sense of the World to come fresh and strong upon our Hearts Secondly The next Effect is deep Affection or Rejoicing in Christ and all the Work of Redemption done in his Day Certainly a sight of Christ by Faith doth bring true Joy and Peace into the Soul Here I shall shew 1. That no other Affection will become Christ and the Salvation offered by him and received by Faith but great Joy This is evident by the whole drift and current of the Scriptures The Angels told the Shepherds at Christ's Birth Luke 2.10 And the Angel said unto them Fear not for behold I bring you Good Tydings of great Ioy which shall be to all People Surely Tydings of Christ the Redeemer of the World are Tydings of great Joy because then there was a way found out for our Reconciliation with God and the taking up that dreadful Controversie between us and him that Heaven and Earth may kiss each other and meet again in a Covenant of Love and Peace and Grace purchased by Christ whereby we might overcome the Devil the World and the Flesh. The great Enemies of our Salvation are defeated and a proportionable Happiness found out for Man without which he would have been as Leviathan in a little Pool So when this Grace was offered to any as to Zacheus by Christ's coming into his house and bringing Salvation with him Luke 19.6 He made haste and came down and received him joyfully Or published in the Word Acts 13.48 When the Gentiles heard these things they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord and as many as were ordained to Eternal life believed Now we are concerned as well as they The Gospel should never be as State-News to Sinners or as a Jest often told Our Necessities are the same with theirs and the Benefits are offered to us as well as them The Virgin Mary was thus affected Luke 1.47 My Spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour That Christ was to be born of her and was formed in her The Eunuch when Philip had preached to him Iesus and he was Baptized into this Faith Acts 8.39 He went on his way rejoycing as Men do that have met with a good Bargain and
the Guilt of hainous Sins and be insensible after gross Falls they may lie in Hardness for a while till God rouse them up again Great Falls are like a Blow upon the Head that stuns us and amazes us for a while and it is some good while ere we recover again David's Conscience was not presently awakened Spiritual Lethargies are long Fits David lay ten Months from the Conception to the Birth of his Child and yet all this while did formally use God's Ordinances and publick Service Nathan comes to him after the Child was born 2 Sam. 12.14 The Child that is born unto thee shall surely die And he never relented till Nathan came to him as appeareth by the Title of the fifty first Psalm A Psalm of David when Nathan the Prophet came to him after he had gone in to Bathsheba All this while Grace was not dead but in a deep Sleep The least Sin maketh way for hardness of Heart much more Sins against Conscience there is a more long Sequestration then God will not let you enjoy the Comforts and effectual Presence of his Spirit These Blows and Wounds will leave you for dead for a long while SERMON II. MARK III. 5 And Iesus looked round about on them with Anger being grieved for the Hardness of their Hearts IV. THE Causes of hardness of Heart 1. Ignorance The blind Mind and the hard Heart always go together Iohn 12.40 He hath blinded their Minds and hardned their Hearts that they should not see with their Eyes nor understand with their Hearts Men are first unteachable then unpliable Obstinacy beginneth at Sottishness of Conceit He that knoweth not what he ought to do careth not much what he doth The Children of God never feel hardness in their Hearts but when the Light in their Minds is unactive or obscured there is a kind of Darkness for that time We see that the most carnal Wretches when they come to die are sensible when the Mind is cleared from the Fogs of Lust and Conscience is awakened then they feel a great Weight of Sin upon them Light always begets Tenderness as in a clear Vessel the Dregs do soon appear Well then either they are ignorant or have but a naked Theory not the lively Light of the Spirit and hence it is that their Hearts are hardned 2. Unbelief for it is Faith that maketh all Truths active and lively The great Motives and Arguments of Religion are mainly fetched from things to come Now it is not enough to know the things of the World to come but there must be an hearty Assent to them as if we did see them before our Eyes Things that are at a distance are as nothing to us as the Stars appear as so many Spangles they lose much of their Greatness Men sin and no Evil cometh of it therefore they grow bold and sensless in Sin Eccles. 8.11 Because Sentence against an evil Work is not executed speedily therefore the Heart of the Sons of Men is fully set in them to do evil They grow remiss and slack in their Duty The Reward is not by and by Mal. 3.14 Ye have said It is in vain to serve God and what Profit is it that we have kept his Ordinances and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts We are for a present Good Now Faith is the Substance of Things hoped for and the Evidence of Things not seen Heb. 11.1 It maketh Things present as if we did see them with our Eyes as if the Judgment-Seat were set and the Books were opened Those that hardned their Hearts did not believe what God said was true Heb. 3. from the seventh to the eighteenth Verse If Men did believe there were an Heaven and Hell and Judgment to come they would not lie in their Sins they could not be unpliable to God's Motions All disrespect of Promises and Threatnings cometh from Unbelief Christ did chide his Disciples for their Unbelief and hardness of Heart Mark 16.14 What is the Reason that though we preach the Law and the Judgment of God so much to you and beseech you to come in and receive Christ and you shall be saved and this Time after Time and Day after Day and yet the Word hath no Effect upon you you are as ignorant and careless as ever The Reason is you do not believe Certainly the Word would work otherwise than it doth if you did believe it If one should tell a Man that such an earthly Potentate if he would but come to him and visit him would raise him to great Honour it would be the first thing he would do Truly so if you did believe that coming to Christ were the only way to Happiness you would mind it more seriously than you do Again if you did believe that the Word of God is true that God is a just God if the Drunkard did believe that Drunkards shall be damned or the Adulterer did believe that no Adulterer shall inherit the Kingdom of God or if the vain Person or the Gamester did believe that they must give an Account of their mis-spent Time and idle Words and vain Communication they would not sport themselves in their Sins as they do If Men did believe that God calleth when and whom he listeth they would not defer their Repentance and put off the Motions of the Spirit but would strike while the Iron is hot and let out the Sails when the Wind bloweth But Men do not believe and therefore go on in their Sins as they do Tell Men of earthly Things of a Commodity which if they would but by it would yield an hundred for one surely they would not neglect the Market We press Men to renounce but a little Ease and carnal Pleasures and to use Diligence to get Christ into their Hearts and they shall have a hundred for one but Men want Faith therefore Christ lieth by as a refuse Commodity There is nothing breedeth hardness of Heart so much as Unbelief of what God can and will do 3. Custom in Sinning As an High-way is trodden hard by long travelling in it so the Heart by long Custom groweth more obstinate every day In Sin there is not only a Fault Guilt but a Blot a stronger Inclination to the practice of the same Sin again as a Brand that has been once in the Fire is more apt to burn again Every new Oath is as Oil to the Tongue to make it more glib and fleet in the repetition of that Oath or vain Speech There is a natural Tenderness in Men whilst young at least a lesser degree of Hardness which will get Strength by Use and Age if not in time cured Ier. 13.23 How can ye do Good that are accustomed to do Evil Water when it first freezeth will not bear the weight of a Pin but afterwards by continual freezing it cometh to bear a Cart-load 4. Hypocrisy Take it for Dissembling whereby we deceive others or Formality whereby we deceive our selves For
do to remedy this 1. Get your Conscience cleansed by the hearty application of the Blood of Christ a galled Conscience is much discomposed and unsettled and unfit for such an Exercise Musing requireth a quiet sedate Mind 2. There are matters comfortable that may be of excellent Relief to the Spirit When the Soul is sadly humbled and Bondage is indeed revived there is an Hope set before us to which we may fly for refuge Heb. 6.18 That by two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lye we may have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us The wounded Soul may run up to the Mountains of Myrrhe and Frankincense So David Psalm 94.19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul. 4. Another Lett and Hindrance is unweildiness of Spirit to Spiritual and Heavenly Duties The Heart is many times burdened and oppressed and sunk down with its own burden and weight that it cannot be lifted up to any Holy Duties and so is unfit for any Exercise of Religion This our Saviour bids his Disciples have a care of Luke 21.34 Take heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts be over-charged with surfeiting and drunkenness and cares of this life Pleasures and Cares do as it were hang a weight upon the Soul that it cannot mount up to God in Heavenly Exercises This is expressed by a fat heart Isa. 6.10 Make the heart of this people fat That is Spiritually dull as it is observed of the Ass which is the simplest of all Creatures it hath the fattest heart There is a Spiritual dullness and listlessness that is apt to seize upon us What shall we do to help this 1. Learn a Holy Moderation and Sobriety in outward Businesses and Pleasures As the Apostle saies of Prayer Ephes. 6.18 watching thereunto The same Rule holds good in Meditation watch that you may alwaies keep the Soul in a fitness for the Duty order your Affairs with great wisdom that you may not justle out so necessary a Duty when a Man is incumbered with business there is no room left for such an exercise if he let loose his heart disorderly all the day he will find this Spiritual dullness to seize on him 2. Keep the Body in a fit frame that it may not be a clog to the Soul but a dexterous Instrument There is a Sanctification of the Body 1 Thess. 5.23 And the very God of peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ. And the Apostle commands 1 Thess 4. That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour Men emasculate and weaken their Strength and Spirits and so the Body loseth its fitness Secondly There are Hindrances that are peculiar to the Duty of Meditation I shall name but two Barrenness of Thoughts and Inconstancy 1. Leanness and Barrenness of Thoughts When we go about to meditate we have no Matter whereupon to bestow our Time and Thoughts and so Christians are much discouraged This is opposite to that which the Scripture calls the abundance of the heart Matth. 12.34 Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh That is when there is a Holy Treasure in the Soul Now to remedy this 1. You must not give way to it but try and use constant Exercise When we give way to such indispositions they prove an utter Bondage voluntary neglects are punished with penal hardness and evils grow upon us as to lie in the dirt will make us more filthy and by little and little Men are hardned through the deceitfulness of Sin The Apostle speaks of them that have ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Heb. 5.14 Who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil All Habits are increased by frequent Acts long disuse makes the Duty uncouth Wells which are at first a puddle are the sweeter for draining If we are under Indisposition should we not strive to come out of it The more we work the more vigorous and free is the Soul for the Work of God 2. Get a good stock of Sanctified Knowledge Let there be a Treasure in your Hearts Matth. 13.52 Every scribe which is instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an housholder which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old Those that buy by the Penny will be sometimes in want Prov. 6.21 22. Bind them continually upon thine heart and tye them about thy neck When thou goest it shall lead thee when thou sleepest it shall keep thee and when thou awakest it shall talk with thee This is the way to make Truths present and ready in the Thoughts when we have layed them up we can the better lay them out 3. When the Heart is barren think of your own Sins and Corruptions and the Experiences of God to your own Souls If we did not want an Heart we could never want Matter did we but consult with our own Experiences Psal. 40.12 Innumerable evils have compassed me about mine iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to look up they are more than the hairs of mine head therefore mine heart faileth me And if nothing else will come to hand meditate upon your present unfitness for any Holy Duty 4. You may season and affect your mind before Meditation with some part of Gods Word Reading is a good preparative and when we have taken in Food we may exercise our Depastion and Digestion upon it 2. A loose garish Spirit that is apt to skip and wander from thought to thought There is a Madness in Man his thoughts are light and feathery tossed too and fro and like the loose Wards in a Lock only kept up whilst we are turning the Key This doth much discourage Christians that they cannot keep up their Affections and command their Thoughts How shall we help and remedy this 1. When you go to meditate you should exercise a Command and Restraint upon your selves This is expressed in Scripture by trussing up the Loins of your Minds Luke 12.30 Let your loins be girded about An allusion to their hanging Garments that they trussed up when they went about any work that they may be compact and succinct Lay a Command upon your selves Zephan 2.1 Gather your selves together yea gather together O nation not desired 2. Pray and call in the help of God's Holy Spirit Psalm 86.11 Vnite my heart to fear thy Name Lord make my Heart one He that could stay the Sun can stay the sleeting of your thoughts 3. Dry up these swimming Toyes and Fancies with the flame of Heavenly Love Love unites the Heart and where we have a pleasure there we can stay Psalm 119.97 Oh how love I thy law it is my meditation all the day 4. Let the course of your Lives
times or an inchanter or a wiâch or a charmer or a consulter with familiar spirits or a wizard or a necromancer For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord and because of the abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee For these nations which thou shalt possess hearkned unto observers of times and unto diviners but as for thee the Lord thy God hath not suffered thee so to do The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the middest of thee of thy brethren like unto me unto him ye shall hearken It would make Religion ridiculous like a story of Hobgoblins and Bugbears wherewith we fright Children or like the fond superstitions of the Heathens that held the World under the servility and bondage of scrupulous fears 2. It is not so sure a way How could we trust or believe any one that should bring a message from the dead since impostors are so rise Satan can turn himself into an Angel of Light What security can we have against delusions How miserably we may be deceived by Stories from the dead is to be seen in Popery Therefore it is a favour that we have such a sure rule Gal. 1.8 But though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that we have preached unto you let him be accursed We shall never be free from evil designs 3. It is not so effectual a course as some think The great Doctor of the Church arose from the dead which was confirmed by Five Hundred Witnesses nothing so credible and yet they would not believe and repent for all that The Iews would not believe Lazarus when after he had been four days dead he was raised up again 4. 'T is not so familiar a way and therefore not so fit to instil Faith and reduce Men to God's purpose by degrees as the written word to which we may have recourse without affrightment and that at all times This Spirit must be supposed to appear but rarely for if it were frequent and settled into a constant converse the way would be contemned But here we may view and review the Counsel of God in our most deliberate and serious thoughts and by searching come to know the mind of God Faith groweth in a rational way Acts 17.11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures dayly whether these things were so 1. VSE Information 1. That Man is apt to indent with God about believing and repenting upon terms of his own making Matth. 27.42 If he be the king of Israel let him now come down from the cross and we will believe him Psal. 78.19 Can God furnish a table in the wilderness Matth. 4.3 If thou be the Son of God command that these stones be made bread Many require Miracles or new Apostles that maketh them turn Seekers or a Testimony from the dead a Spirit or a Vision and that maketh them turn Atheists or an Infallible Interpreter that should solve all questions or excuse them from the pains of Study and Prayer and that maketh them turn Papists Thus foolishly would we give Laws to Heaven and prescribe to God how he shall reveal his mind to Men. God will not alwaies give sensible confirmation 2. There lye more prejudices by far against any way of our devising than against the course which God hath instituted for the furthering of our Repentance Man is an ill Caterer for himself the People slighted Moses and would hear God himself speak But when he thundred upon the Mount then they say Let us no more hear the voice of God for then we shall dye Exod. 20.19 And they said unto Moses speak thou with us and we will hear but let not God speak with us lest we dye All Gods institutions are full of reason and if we had Eyes to see it we could not be better provided for 3. God in giving the Scriptures hath done more for us than we could imagine yea better than we could wish to our selves He hath certainly done enough to leave us without excuse You think if one came from the dead this would be better but you have more and therefore if you be damned it will not be for want of Power but want of Will you have more than if one came from the dead Try what you can do with Moses and the Prophets It is a great Mercy to have a Rule by which all Doctrines are to be tryed to have a Standard and Measure of Faith and that put into Writing to preserve it against the weakness of Memory and the Treachery of evil designs and that translated into all Languages That we have such a Rule and so thoroughly finished is a great Mercy 4. That we are apt to betray present advantages by wishes of another Dispensation as that we may have Oracles and Miracles It is but a shift to think of other means than God hath provided They that believe not the Word will not believe one that should come from the dead Extraordinary means will not work upon them upon whom ordinary do not prevail Whatever Dispensation God uses Man is Man still Psalm 78.22 23 24. They believed not in God and trusted not in his salvation though he had commanded the clouds from above and had opened the doors of heaven And had rained down Manna upon them to eat and had given them the corn of heaven There were Unbelievers and Carnal Wretches when there were Miracles and so there would be still Though there were never so sufficient proof yet such is our perverseness that we shall slight Gods Counsel Man is ever at odds with the present Dispensation It is a sign the heart is out of order or else any Doctrine that is of God would set it a work 5. Those that like not the Message will ever quarrel at the Messenger and when the heart is wanting something is wanting We have means enough to believe it is our own carelesness and obstinacy that we do not Matth. 11.18 19. Iohn came neither eating nor drinking and they say he hath a Devil The Son of man came eating and drinking and they say Behold a man gluttonous and a wine-bibber a friend of publicans and sinners There is alwayes one exception or another 6. How credulous we are to Fables and how incredulous as to undoubted Truths Spirits and Apparitions these things are regarded by us but the Testimony of the Spirit of God speaking in the Scriptures is little regarded 2. VSE To exhort us to improve the Scriptures to Repentance This is the great work Here I shall shew you 1. What Repentance is 2. What the Holy Scriptures offer to work us to Repentance 3. How we may improve these I. What Repentance is It is a turning of the whole Heart from Sin and Satan to serve God in newness of Life Or a turning from Sin because God
and is referred to the common good to preserve Order and for an Example to others Certainly Punishment doth not belong to the wronged party as such then every one would have a right to punish and so invade the Power of the Magistrate A private Person hath a right of seeking Restitution or Compensation for the wrong done to him unless higher reasons of Charity forbid him but not a Power to compel them to punishment unless satisfaction be given But the case is different here God punisheth non qua laesus sed qua Rector not as the Offended Party but as a Governour Now the Government of the World requires Gods Holyness should be demonstrated and his Laws vindicated and a brand put upon Sin 2. From the Gift which is the sanctifying Spirit which being the gift of his Love must needs be the fruit of his Peace and Reconciliation with us Rom. 5.5 Because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost Other things may be given us during his Anger for God sheweth himself placable in the whole course of his Providence Yea they may be given in Anger But the Regenerating Spirit is never given us during his Anger or in Anger Sanctifying Grace doth evidence his special Favour Look as the payment of the Ransom was testified by the visible pouring out the Spirit Acts 2. so is our particular Reconciliation by the gift of the Spirit to us 1. VSE is of Instruction 1. How we are to look upon God in our Prayers as the God of Peace reconciled to us by Jesus Christ. When we pray to him we look upon him as a God of Grace 1 Pet. 5.10 But the God of all Grace who hath called us c. This sheweth his propension and inclination to communicate his Grace freely to Unworthy Sinners we also pray to him as the God of Power Rom. 16.15 Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my Gospel But here we are directed to look upon him as the God of Peace as pacified in Christ which is a greater ground of confidence If a Socinian were to pray to him he could only use the plea of Benhadad to Ahab we have heard the Kings of Israel are merciful Kings So we have heard the God of Israel is a merciful God If the Papist would pray with confidence he thinketh he must appease God by himself by his poenal satisfactions and costly Offerings As Iacob would appease Esau by sending gifts to him Gen. 32.20 But the Penitent Believer is reconciled to God by Christ Rom. 5.1 2. Therefore being justified by Faith we have Peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ by whom also we have access by faith c. He cometh to God in his Name and no other Iohn 16.23 24. In that day ye shall ask me nothing verily verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name he will give it you Hitherto you have asked nothing in my Name ask and you shall receive that your joy may be full He runneth to the Horns of the Altar accepteth of the Peace published in the Gospel devoteth himself to God and rests upon Christ's Mediatorial Sacrifice as sufficient Here is his hope and confidence 2. How careful we should be that no breach fall out between us and God least we stop grace at the Fountain head Continued Sanctification cometh from the God of Peace as well as the first Renovation of the Heart The giving the Spirit is a sign of Gods Love and the with-holding of the Spirit is a sign of his Anger and Displeasure the one is the greatest Mercy the other the greatest Misery In his Internal Government the one is the highest Reward the other the greatest punishment As a Reward it is spoken of Prov. 1.23 Turn you at my reproof Behold I will pour my spirit upon you I will make known my words unto you As a punishment Psalm 51.10 11 12. Create in me a clean heart O God! and renew a right spirit within me Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from me Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free spirit The one is to be sought Luke 11.13 How much more will your heavenly Father give the holy spirit to them that ask him the other to be deprecated Take not thy holy spirit from me Psalm 51.11 Therefore take heed the Spirit be not grieved but obeyed 3. What ground of thankfulness to Christ. 1. That he hath made our peace with God at so dear a rate All your Repentings if you had wept out your Eyes for Sin would not have made your peace with God nor have satisfied his Justice nor procured Pardon and Life for you Now God is appeased Christ having slain the enmity by his cross Eph. 2.16 2. That the New Covenant is procured wherein Pardon and Salvation is offered to you as sealed by the Blood of Christ who hath payed our Debts Luke 22.20 This cup is the New Testament in my blood which is shed for you There had been else no place for your Repentance Faith Prayer or Hopes 3. That such free and easie conditions of Mercy with Power to performe them are propounded in the Gospel Lord Thou wilt ordain peace for us for thou also hast wrought all our works in us Isa. 26.12 4. That he should call us and have such favourable thoughts to us who for a long time were dead in Sin and in Hostility against him Rom. 5.10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son Much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life A SERMON Preached on a DAY of Publick Thanksgiving II. CHRONICLES xxxii 25 But Hezekiah rendred not according to the benefit done unto him for his heart was lifted up therefore wrath was upon him and upon Iudah and Ierusalem THAT I may not detain you in a Preface let me tell you the Words hold forth 1. A Sin But Hezekiah rendred not according to the benefit done unto him 2. The Proof and Argument of it for his heart was lifted up 3. The sad Effects and Punishment of it both as to his own Person and the People under his Government Let me Explain these Branches and then come to observe something in order to the work of the day I know Christians you look not for things luscious but savoury 1. In the Sin there was a benefit done unto him and Hezekiah's fault is that he rendred not accordingly The Benefit done him implyeth a Complication of Mercies not only his Miraculous Recovery out of Sickness and Fifteen years added more to his Life but also the destruction of his Enemies the Assyrians Mercies which fell out near about the same time though I dare not say with the Iewish Writers that three dayes before the slaughter of the Assyrians this Sickness and Recovery fell out yet certainly they were near together as appeareth
their trust in thee rejoyce let them ever shout for joy because thou defendest them Let them also that love thy Name be joyful in thee These common Favours and Benefits manifest Gods respect to us and should be as a step to the Lords People to lead them up to rejoyce in God This was Gods quarrel with his People Deut. 28.47 48. Because thou servest not the Lord thy God with joyfulness and with gladness of heart for the abundance of all things therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the Lord shall send against thee in hunger and thirst and nakedness and in want of all things and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck until he hath destroyed thee Whatever we have we should look upon it as a token of Gods Love to us and so rejoyce in them not as satisfied with these worldly things but as they direct us to God Carnal Men rejoyce in the Creature but in a carnal and sensual manner their joy neither ariseth from God nor endeth in God they neither look to God as their Author nor make him their end and it is a naughty Heart that can rejoyce in any thing without God and apart from God II. How this must be constant and perpetual Rejoyce evermore 1. In all Estates and Conditions this joy must not be infringed Gods Children have or may have cause of rejoycing in God whatever their outward Condition be and therefore they should make Conscience of it whether their Affairs be adverse or prosperous 1. A State of Worldly Sorrow and Affliction is reconcilable and agreeable enough or consistent with our rejoycing in the Lord. The Scriptures abound in the proof of this 2 Cor. 6.10 As sorrowful yet alwaies rejoycing 1 Pet. 1.6 Wherein ye greatly rejoyce though now for a season if need be ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations 2 Cor. 7.4 I am filled with comfort and am exceeding joyful in all our tribulations So David Psalm 94.19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul. Paul and Silas sung in the Dungeon at Midnight Acts 16.25 At midnight Paul and Silas prayed and saâg praises unto God Tribulation disturbeth not the Harmony of a wellcomposed mind the reason is because there is more matter of delight in God than can be taken from him in the Creature Iohn 16.22 Your heart shall rejoyce and your joy no man taketh from you Whatever falleth out Gods All-sufficiency and Heavens Happiness are everlasting grounds of rejoycing 1. Gods All-sufficiency Hab. 3.18 Yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation Your Right and Interest in God is not made void by the blasting of the Creature So 2. Hopes of Glory remain unshaken Matth 5.12 Rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven Though the World be bent against us with all manner of spight and hatred yet there is more cause of Joy than Sorrow There cannot be more evil in our Sufferings than there is good in God and happiness in Heaven 2. A State of Sorrow and Affliction is not only consistent with this Holy rejoycing but doth much promote it Partly as Afflictions conduce to refine and purge the Soul from the Dregs of Sense and make it capable of the Comforts of the Spirit Iude 19. Sensual having not the spirit Till our taste be clarified from the foeculency and dreggs of Sense we cannot rellish Spiritual Comforts nor know their worth and value Whilest we flow in Worldly Comforts the Carnal gust and taste is too strong upon us and so we have mean thoughts of Gods Consolations They do best rellish with the afflicted as Cordials are for the fainting not for those whose Stomacks are full of phlegm and filth Partly as they occasion greater Experiences of God 2 Cor. 12.10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christs sake for when I am weak then am I strong So Rom. 5.3 4 5. And not only so but we glory in tribulations also knowing that tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope And hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us Partly as they are sanctified and increase Grace and an increase of Grace will bring with it an increase of Comfort Heb. 12.11 Now no chastning for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous Nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby Now from all these Considerations though Afflictions may a little damp it yet they do not extinguish it 2. We must rejoyce evermore because it is not a Duty to be done now and then or which doth only belong to some eminent Christians that are assured of Gods Love but from our first acquaintance with Christ till the last period of our Lives it is of use to us and some act of Joy our first entrance into Christianity 1. Some act of joy our first entrance into Christianity is begun with 1. Before our Interest is well settled and cleared There are general grounds of rejoycing which oblige all as that there is a good God and poor drooping Spirits should apply themselves to him who hath Comforts for his Mourners Isa. 57.15 For thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity whose Name is Holy I dwell in the High and Holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones That there is a merciful and able Saviour a Gospel or New Covenant that bringeth glad tydings to Sinners Luke 2.10 11. Fear not for behold I bring you glad tydings of great joy which shall be to all people For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. The World being faln under Gods Wrath and deserved Condemnation it is matter of joy that God hath found a Ransom and that he offereth Pardon and Life to those who will seek it and accept it upon his Blessed Termes It is matter of joy before we have interest in these things A possible conditional Reconciliation with God that dreadful Controversie taken up Heaven and Earth kissing each other that Life and Immortality is brought to Light and such a Blessedness discovered as satiateth the Mind of Man without which Man would have been but as Leviathan in a little Pool In short the Gospel shewing a sure way of Reconciliation with God and the Everlasting Fruition of him in Glory the very offers of it stir up a joy in us And wherever the Gospel cometh it hath at his first coming upon these accounts been entertained with joy As when Philip preached the Gospel in Samaria Acts 8.8 There was great joy in that city not only joy but great joy So it is said of the Goaler that
Lord and those who most rejoyce in the Lord do most mourn for Sin As that Christian Niobe wept much because she loved much and she loved much because much was forgiven her Luke 7.47 As many times the Sun shineth when the rain falleth so there is a mixture of Spiritual Rejoycing and Holy Mourning a deep Sense of Gods Love and yet a Mourning because of the Relicks of Corruption Well then Carnal Rejoycing is opposite to Holy Mourning but not Joy in the Lord therefore these two must be mixed Sorrow is a Servant to Faith and Love and Joy in the Holy Ghost and Joy and Thankfulness for the Mercy of God in Christ is an help to Godly sorrow the one serves to mortifie Sin the other to strengthen Grace None are so displeased with themselves for offending so good a God as those that have tasted how good and gracious the Lord is But more thoroughly to reconcile this Holy mixture to your thoughts take these considerations 1. Godly Sorrow is better than all the pleasures of Sin 2 Cor. 7.10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of Many have repented of their vain pleasures or of their Carnal Mirth but never any repented of their Godly Sorrow Many have cursed the day of their Birth but never any cursed the day of their New Birth Whoever had any loathsome remembrance of those hours which they spent in reconciling themselves to God though it were done with grief and bitterness of Spirit Oh the remembrance of that happy time is ever sweet and grateful to them 2. That mourning for Sin containeth in it self the matter of Joy is evident because a poor Christian is glad when his Heart can melt for Sin A day of serious and sound Humiliation is more to him than all carnal pleasures whatsoever he would not exchange the Comfort that he findeth in his Penitent Tears for all the Mirth in the World He findeth this helpeth to mortifie Sin which would mar his rejoycing in God it helpeth him to value Christ and taste the sweetness of his Love they are more glad of that measure of Grace received than if they were Masters and Rulers of the World To be affected with the dishonour done to God is included in their Love and esteem of him and floweth from their delight in him 3. Though they groan under the Relicks of Sin yet they are glad they are but Relicks That they are in any measure gotten out of their former Estate is a comfort though that they are gotten no further be a grief to them The mourning Christian would not change Estates with the best and greatest of Ungodly Men which sheweth there is some solid complacency and delight in their present Condition though not that full Joy which they shall have in Heaven when Sin shall no more Joy is not perfect till Holiness be perfect yet there is joy still though be not perfect joy Here there is Gaudium ineffabile cum suspiriis inenarrabilibus a joy mixt with sorrow groans unutterable and joyes unspeakable and glorious Secondly Having removed the prejudices Let me now perswade you to rejoyce evermore by the two Arguments of necessity and Utility 1. The necessity of it 1. That you may own God as your God delighting in God is a Duty of the first Commandment Thou shalt have no other Gods before me that is rejoyce in no other but in me only as thy full and All-sufficient Portion and Happiness And therefore it is a part not of Instituted but of Natural Worship such Worship which we are to give God though he had never given direction about it which immediately resulteth from the owning and choosing of God for our God For if God be not loved and delighted in more than any thing or all things else he is not our God Now then is there not a necessity if you would worship God as God that you should rejoyce evermore and delight in him as sufficient to your Happiness whether the World cometh or goeth whether your Creature Comforts and Relations continue with you or be taken from you God still must be the Hearts delight and your exceeding joy Psalm 37.4 Delight thy self also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart 2. The necessity appeareth by this how can you be thankful and prize and value those Blessings which you have from God by Christ unless you rejoyce evermore whatever your Condition be in the World Surely Christ when received must be received with all love and thankfulness else you do not know the worth and value of his Grace and this esteem is never so much shewn in words as in deeds when you can delight in him more than all things else Psalm 4.7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased Delight in him so as to loose all for him Phil. 3.8 For whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ. Heb. 10.34 And took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing in your selves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance And you can esteem a naked Christ ground enough of Comfort though you be stript of all things The Heart is not sound with Christ till we be so taken up with the Love and Praise of our Redeemer that we have scarce leasure to observe whether we be rich or poor or to regard the honours and dishonours of the World 3. How can you profess to follow the Conduct of that Holy Spirit who hath undertaken to be your Comforter unless your solid Delight and Comfort be in God and Heaven I know the Spirit is not so necessarily a Comforter as he is a Sanctifier but I speak of that disposition of Soul which belongeth both to his sanctifying as well as his comforting Operation and is necessary to Grace and that is to place your Happiness not in this World but in God and Heaven and so to place it there as that this may be a support to you in poverty and disgrace and pain that nothing may be able to overcome your joy Iohn 16.22 Your heart shall rejoyce and your joy no man taketh from you Surely this is a necessary work of the sanctifying Spirit to teach you to fix your Comforts there where they may be out of the reach of the World that you may have Everlasting grounds of delight what ever Man can do unto you 2. The Utility of it both with respect to our Spiritual benefit and profit and our acceptance with God 1. With respect to the temper and frame of our own hearts or our Spiritual benefit There are two parts of Regeneration Mortification and Vivification and this rejoycing evermore promoteth both of them 1. As to Mortification It is most profitable to wean us from Carnal Vanities The Love of sensitive Delights is the Root of Sin some carnal lure there is which inticeth
We are never prepared till our State be altered Heart altered and Life altered 1. Our State must be altered For naturally we are Children of Wrath condemned by the Sentence of the Law and under the Curse and doth it become condemned Men to rejoyce and go to their execution dancing No you must take hold of another Covenant the hope that is set before you and then you provide matter of joy yea of strong consolation Heb. 6.18 By taking Sanctuary at the Lords Grace the Heirs of Promise have strong Consolation When the Eunuch was solemnly admitted into Gods Covenant by Baptisme He went on his way rejoycing Acts 8.39 By Repentance towards God and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ we enter into the New Covenant and that is a State of Peace Life and Joy In the New Covenant God offers himself to be your Reconciled Father Christ your Saviour and the Holy Ghost your Sanctifier are you willing to consent to this And then Why should not you rejoyce in the Lord For you have enough in God 2. Our Heart must be altered For every Mans relish and complacency is according to the Temper and Constitution of his Soul Rom. 8.5 They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit Know his complacency what it is that a Man is pleased with most and you know the Man An old corrupted Heart and Mind cannot delight it self in God 1 Cor. 2.14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned But those that have a Divine Nature put into them cannot satisfie themselves in the World 2 Pet. 1.4 Ye may be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust They can easily spare the pleasures of the flesh and leave these husks for Swine to feed on A change of Heart inferreth a change of Delights and Pleasures for the New Heart is nothing else but New Desires and Delights when you have a New Understanding and a New Heart then you will discern and relish Spiritual things 3. The Life must be altered For Holy walking and fruitfulness in Obedience raiseth the greatest Joy Iohn 15.10 11. If ye keep my commandments ye shall abide in my love even as I have kept my Fathers commandments and abide in his love These things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full Acts 9.31 Walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the holy Ghost The Godly Life is the only sweet Life 2 Cor. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we had our conversation in the world If you will but learn what it is to live in the Love of God and the belief and hope of Life Eternal and in Universal Obedience to the Laws of Christ you will soon see what it is to live in a State of Joy and Comfort If you fall into great and wounding Sins no wonder if your rejoycing in God be disturbed Surely a tender Heart cannot make light of Sin but it will cost them broken Bones and broken Hearts 2. Act it continually Partly for that the grounds of rejoycing are Everlasting an Eternal God an Unchangeable Covenant Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever a Kingdom that cannot be shaken an Infinite and Eternal weight of Glory Now these things should ever be thought of by us that we may keep up our delight in the Lord. Partly because we need it continually to enliven our Duties to sweeten our Crosses and to wean us from our Carnal Vanities for otherwise our Duties will go off heavily our Crosses will swallow us up with too much sorrow or our Hearts will be apt to be insnared by sensual delights unless we remember that we are continually to rejoyce in God and Heavenly things Partly because this delight cannot be maintained in the Soul unless it be continually exercised by constant acting it we keep it and increase it till at length it cometh to be predominant in the Soul and able to controul our Affection to other things It is said of Iohn Baptists Hearers That they were willing to rejoyce in his light for a season Iohn 5.35 And of the stony ground Luke 8.13 That they received the word with joy and believed for a while but in time of temptation fall away Herod heard Iohn Baptist gladly for a while Mark 6.20 Gods offering Eternal Happiness in Christ may affect us for the present but this rejoycing faileth being over-mastered by the Appetites and Desires of the Flesh. Therefore to root it and increase it that it may be firm to the end it must be continually acted and exercised 3. Take heed you do not forfeit it or damp it by any great and wounding Sin As David speaketh Psalm 51.8 Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Sin cloudeth the Face of God wasteth our Comfort and Joy Psalm 32.3 4. When I kept silence my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me my moisture is turned into the drought of summer Eph. 4.30 And grieve not the holy spirit whereby ye are sealed to the day of redemption When the Comforter is offended he sheweth his dislike and withdraweth when we grosly omit any known Duty or commit any soul Sin he will shew himself displeased with it and withdraw his Gracious and Comfortable Presence Isa. 57.17 For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth and smote him I hid me and was wroth On such occasions he is wroth and smiteth he is wroth and hideth himself and then our Comfort and Delight in God ceaseth Therefore we should deal more dutifully with the Spirit neither grieving him by the omission or intermission of necessary Duties nor by the commission of any hardning Sin by some error of the concupicible or pursuing faculty or the irascible or eschewing faculty by Sins of the Tongue which most easily bewray corruption or by words which discover the temper of the Heart I observe that grieving the spirit Ephes. 4.30 is put in the middle between a disswasive from corrupt Communication verse 29. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying When Men endeavour to make themselves glad by carnal Discourse which argueth an Heart set for carnal delights and is contrary to rejoycing in the Lord Eph. 5.4 Neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor jesting which are not convenient but rather giving of thanks and on the other side verse 31. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and evil speaking be put away from
you If you be sollicitous about the word of Christ and the matters of Duty contained therein you have a great advantage at the Throne of Grace So Psal. 66.18 If I regard Iniquity in my Heart the Lord will not hear me Many that pray are as Ice a little thawed above but hard at bottom they have not such a strong setled Resolution to walk more closely and orderly with God but allow some secret Lust and so marr their own Audience and Acceptance with God II. For Reasons 1. With respect to God 1. His Observance 2. His Acceptance 1. With respect to Gods Observance He is an All-seeing Spirit and therefore will not be mocked with a vain appearance or a little bodily exercise but the Prayers we make to him we must find them in our Hearts 1 Sam. 16.7 For God seeth not as man seeth for man looketh on the outward appearance but God looketh on the Heart We may Act the Parrot before men but God looks to what there is in the Heart 1 Chron. 28.9 Know thou the God of thy Father and serve him with a perfect Heart and with a willing Mind for the Lord searcheth all Hearts and understandeth all the imaginations of the Thoughts A man up in the Air seeth the Spring as well as the River and its course we that stand by see the course but not the Spring God understandeth whether we are inclined and encouraged whether we are habitually inclined to God Ier. 5.3 O Lord are not thine eyes on the Truth Rom. 8.27 And he that searcheth the Heart knoweth what is the Mând of the Spirit because he maketh Intercession for the Saints according to the will of God He knows a belch of the Flesh from a groan of the Spirit He understandeth our desires as well as our Words So whether we are encouraged by the Grace of the New Covenant and Sense of our own qualification 1 Ioh. 3.20 21. If our Heart condemn us God is greater than our Heart and knoweth all things Beloved if our Heart condemn us not then have we Confidence towards God 2. With respect to Gods Acceptance God granteth not our Prayers till our Hearts be fixedly bent towards him Psal. 10.17 Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble thou wilt prepare their Heart thou wilt cause thine Ear to hear When God hath put it into their Hearts to pray and awakened their desires then he will hear Dan. 10.12 From the first day that thou didst set thine Heart to understand and to chasten thy self before thy God thy words were heard God hath accepted the Heart without the Tongue but never accepted the Tongue without the Heart Moses cryed to God when he spake not one word Exod. 8.12 and God heard him 2. With respect to us 1. The part which the Heart beareth in all humane Actions It is fons actionum ad extra and it is terminus actionum ad intra In our actings towards God Prov. 4.23 Keep thy Heart with all diligence for out of it are the Issues of Life and in our receipts from God this is the thing that God aimeth at Rom. 6.17 Ye have obeyed from the Heart that form of Doctrine which was delivered you Prayer is not a receiving duty as hearing In praying the Heart begins in hearing it ends the Duty 2. With respect to our carriage in Prayer We do not conceive a Prayer but impose a Prayer upon our selves if the Tongue guide the Heart rather than the Heart the Tongue Like Children that cast stones into the Mine but do not draw Oar out of the Mine Acts 2.26 Therefore did my Heart rejoice and my Tongue was glad I. Vse Information 1. What need is there of Recollection before we come to pray that we may not force upon our selves what chance offereth but may have a Prayer in our Hearts before we have it in our Tongues Psal. 45.1 My Heart is inditing a good matter I speak of the things which I have made touching the King my Tongue is as the Pen of a ready Writer Usually we offer to God a dough-baked Sacrifice Only that I may not grate upon a tender Conscience there is an habitual Preparation and an actual Preparation The habitual Preparation lyeth in a broken hearted Sense of our wants radicated Inclination or bent of Heart towards God and Heavenly Things and in a Confidence and Liberty towards God The actual Preparation lyeth in such a Sense of our Necessities as the present Case doth deserve such a quickening of our desires after Heavenly Things as may fill us with Life such a remembrance of the Grace of God in Christ and our own Sincerity that our Hearts may not reproach us when dealing with God as a Father Again I distinguish that our requests are Ordinary or Extraordinary Ordinary When we ask daily supplies of Grace having no particular streight Temptation Difficulty or Business of moment then in hand Here the Habitual Preparation with little or no Actual Preparation serveth in our daily Prayers for necessary Blessings Extraordinary as in some notable trial difficult Streight Conflict Temptation or when we seek some special Benefit and upon eminent Occasions then as our Necessities are greater so our Acts of Prayer are more earnest Psal 109 4. For my love they are my Adversaries but I give my self unto Prayer Our Lord Jesus Christ being in an Agony prayed more earnestly ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Luke 22.44 And so it resolveth this Case What if I have not such a feeling of strong and earnest desire or the over ruling bent of the general Inclination Yet keep not off from Prayer 1. Good desires are to be asked of God 2. Such desires as you have must be expressed 3. Prayer is the usual way to quicken and increase them 4 Turning away from God is the means to kill them 2. It informeth us what need we have of more help than our own if we must find every Prayer in our Heart which we utter with our Tongues Three things are necessary in Prayer The Humane Spirit or natural Faculty that I may by my Understanding work on my Will The New Nature Faith Hope and Love to believe in God and see him before me to incline me to God as my chief good and to hope for Benefit from him The Divine Spirit to excite these Graces Iude 20. Praying in the Holy Ghost Rom. 8.26 The Spirit it self also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh Intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered The Spirit works not on us as blocks but as rational Creatures nor does it blow on a dead Coal II. Vse Caution Do not take every thing for Prayer which looks like it 1. Bodily exercise Mâny by the Agitation of the bodily Spirits work themselves into some vehemency their Voice is heard on high but the Heart is dead and cold quibus arteriis opus est These fill up only a little
a great King As God pleadeth it when they brought a corrupt thing for a Sacrifice Mal. 1.13 No Terrors comparable to his Frowns no Comforts to his Smiles So âsal 2 11. Serve the Lord with fear rejoice with trembling Obey him most circumspectly with all carefulness watchfulness and diligence making it your chief business to please him 5 'T is a considerable part of our work to look for our Wages or expect the endless blessedness to which we are appointed âit 2.13 Looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearance of the great God Col. 3.1 2. If ye be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the Right Hand of God Set your affection upon things above and not upon the Earth Phil. 3.20 But our Conversation is in Heaven from whence we look for a Saviour the Lord Iesus Christ. That we may see that we have conâiderable Motives to do what Christ requireth of us 'T is for our Masters Honour and besides it puts life into our Work and maketh our painful Obedience comfortable and sweet to us for all this is but the way to Eternal Life 6. The Reign of Christ doth not only establish your Duty but is the ground of your safety for he is set down upon the Throne of Majesty to protect his Subjects and destroy his Enemies besides the endless reward in another World there are many evidences of his goodness and signal preservations and deliverances in this World at least peaceable opportunities of serving Him while he hath a mind to employ us He can powerfully support us against all our Enemies Isa. 33.22 The Lord is our Iudge the Lord is our Lawgiver the Lord is our King He will save us As a Soveraign protects his Subjects that continue loyal to Him so will Christ be our Sovereign upon this confidence must we carry on our obedience notwithstanding opposition 1 Tim. 4.10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach because we trust in the living God who is the Saviour of all Men especially of those that believe 7. One part of our obedience helpeth another Sets the Soul in a right posture As in the Wheels of a Watch the whole motion is hindred by a defect in a part the less compleat you are in all the Will of God the more difficult will it be A Sermon on Luke II. 52 And Iesus increased in Wisdom and Stature and in Favour with God and Men. THese words are spoken of our Lord Jesus Christ. In them two things are observable 1. Christs Groâth 2. The consequent of it 1. Christs growth both as to Body and Soul He encreased in Wisdom and Stature 2. The consequent of it He attracted the Love of God and Men. The point I am to speak off is this Doct. Iesus Christ himself in respect of his Humane Nature which consisteth of Body and Soul did grow and improve 1. Let us state this growth of Christ. 2. Give you the reasons of it For stating it 1. Certain it is that there are two distinct Natures in the Person of Christ Divine and Humane The one Infinite and Uncreated The other Created and Finite For he is Emmanuel God with us Mat. 1.23 Of the Seed of David and yet declared to be the Son of God with power Rom. 1.3 4. The Word was made Flesh Ioh. 1.14 The Man God's Fellow Zech. 13.7 A Child yet the Everlasting Father Isa. 9.6 Born at Bethlehem yet his goings forth were from Everlasting Micah 5.2 The Bud of the Lord and the Fruit of the Earth Isa. 4.2 Now according to this double Nature so must his growth be determined surely not of the Divine Nature for to the perfection of it nothing can be added an infinite thing cannot increase So his Knowledge is infinite he knew God and all things 2. In his Humane Nature there are two parts his Body and his Soul The Text saith he grew in both As to his Body and growing in Stature there is no difficulty As to his Soul the doubt is whether he grew really or in manifestation only I think really his Soul improved in Wisdom as his Body in Stature as others of his Age are wont to ripen by degrees In the same sense that he is said to increase in Stature he is said a so to increase in Wisdom for both are coupled together and he increased in Stature really in deed and in truth so that he daily became a more eminent person in the Eyes of all 3. 'T is not said he grew in Grace but in Wisdom To want degrees of Grace cannot be without sin And our High Priest was Holy Harmless Vndefiled separate from Sinners Heb. 7.26 yet his Knowledge as Man was perfected by degrees We always grow in knowledge follow on to know the Lord. He was ignorant of some things as the Day of Judgment for in Mark 13.32 'T is said But of that Day and Hour knoweth no Man no not the Angels which are in Heaven neither the Son but the Father His Divine Nature was ignorant of nothing but as to his Humane he was ignorant of it Some say he knew it not to reveal it so the Father may be said not to know it as well as the Son This simple Nescience was no Sin 4 This Knowledge or Wisdom wherein Christ grew may be understood thus 1. There is the Habitual Knowledge and the actual apprehension of things Christ had the Foundation and Root of all Knowledge when conceived by the Spirit from his very Conception but the Actual Knowledge came afterwards He had the Spirit of Wisdom and promptness of understanding but the act of knowing is as occasion is offered 2. There is a Knowledge of Generals when singulars are not actually known so Christ was deceived in the Fig-Tree Mat. 21.19 And he enquireth for Lazarus Grave Ioh. 11.34 And he said Where have ye laid him 3. There is a knowledge Intensive and Extensive Intensive a clear knowledge Extensive to more objects Christ grew in both He grew as to clearness of apprehension and as he knew more objects 1. There is a knowledge infused and experimental So Christ knew more by experience 2 Cor. 5.21 Who knew no sin That is by experience in himself and Heb 5.8 He Learned Obedience by the things which he suffered 2. For Confirmation 1. By Scripture 2. By Reason 1 By Scripture Next the Text take that Isa. 7.14 15 16. Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and shall call his name Immanuel Butter and Hony shall he eat that he may know to refuse the evil and chusethe good For before the hild shall know to refuse the evil and chuse the good the Land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her Kings The Child spoken of should not be any fantastical appearance or meer imaginary Matter but a very Man-child fed and brought up with such food as other Children were that by growing up he may come to years of discretion He
That thou mayest love the Lord thy God and that thou mayest obey his Voice and that thou mayest cleave to him for he is thy Life and the length of thy days How thankful are we to him that restoreth the use of an Eye or of decayed Limbs Is nothing due to God who preserveth all these things to us yea continueth Life it self and defendeth and protecteth us against all dangers Psal. 31.23 O love the Lord all ye his Saints for the Lord preserveth the faithful and plentifully rewardeth the proud Doer Many times when they have no friends to uphold them God standeth by them to preserve them against the Powers of Oppression So he heareth Prayers Psal. 116.1 I love the Lord because he hath heard my Voice and my Supplication Every answer is a new ingagement and new fuel to kindle this holy Fire Surely his constant mindfulness of us should induce us heartily to love God and admire his goodness 4 The Rewards of Grace which are provided for them that love him Many blessed Comforts and Supports here in the World and the Happiness of the World to come 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the Heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him 1 John 3.1 2. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God Therefore the World knoweth us not because it knew not him Beloved now are we the Sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Thus is God propounded to us as an object of our love as amiable and as beneficial In short to have Life and being and all kind of Benefits which may sweeten Life to be freed from Sin which is the ground of all our trouble and the wrath of God which is so deservedly terrible to have our Natures sanctified and healed and at length to be brought into that happy Estate when we shall be brought nigh to God and be made Companions of the Holy Angels and for ever behold our glorified Redeemer and our own Nature united to the Godhead and have the greatest and nearest Intuition of God that we are capable of and live in the fullest love to him and delight in him What can be said more Secondly The Act Love Love to God is taken largely or strictly 1. Largely for all the Duties of the upper Hemisphere of Religion or first Table As when Christ distinguisheth the Duties of the two Tables into love to God and love to our Neighbour Mat. 22.37 38 39. Iesus said unto him Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine Heart and with all thy Soul and with all thy Mind This is the first and great Commandment And the second is like unto it Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self So it is confounded with Faith Repentance new Obedience for all Religion is but love acted Faith is a loving and thankful acceptance of Christ and his Grace Repentance is a mourning love because of the wrongs done to our Beloved and the loss accruing to our selves Obedience is but pleasing Love A Christian if he fear it is to offend him whom his Soul loveth If he hope it is to see and possess him who is the Joy and Delight of his Soul If he rejoice it is because he is united to him If afflicted it is because he is separated from him 2. More strictly it implieth that particular Grace which is distinct from Faith and Hope 1 Cor. 13.13 And now abideth Faith Hope Charity these three but the greatest of these is Charity Which because of it's various Operations is diversly spoken of in Scripture 1. Sometimes as a seeking and desiring Love 2. Sometimes as a complacential and delighting Love 3. Sometimes as the Love of gratitude or returning Love 1. Sometimes it is put in Scripture for that which is properly called a desiring seeking Love Which is our great Duty in this Life because here we are in viâ in the way to home in an Estate of imperfect Fruition therefore our love mostly venteth it self by desires or by an earnest seeking after God This Love is desiderium unionis a desire of his Presence or an affection of Union It is often set forth in Scripture Psal. 42.1 As the Hart panteth after the water Brooks so panteth my Soul after thee O God! Psal 63.1 O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my Soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee So Psal. 84.2 My Soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord my Heart and my Flesh cryeth out for the living God It noteth such vehement Affections as left an Impression upon the Body So Isa. 26.9 With my Soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my Spirit within me will I seek thee right early Thus do the Saints express their desires to enjoy God and his Grace Now 1. This desire is acted towards his sanctifying Grace and Spirit called an hungering and thirsting after Righteousness Mat. 5.6 Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after Righteousness for they shall be filled Or the Comfort and effect of Ordinances and Holy Duties that we may get more of God and Holiness into their Hearts 1 Pet. 2.2 As new born Babes desire the sincere Milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby My Soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord my Heart and my Flesh cryeth out for the living God Psal. 84.2 Not the formality of an Ordinance but to see thy Power and thy Glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary Psal. 63.2 They would not go from God without him The sanctifying Spirit is the sure pledge of Gods love and they do so earnestly desire to be like God in Purity and Holiness that they are instant and assiduous in calling upon God and using all Holy means whereby they may obtain more of his Spirit This doth shew us most of God himself for we know his Love by his Spirit and doth most help us to love him Prov. 4 7. Wisdom is the principal thing therefore get Wisdom and with all thy getting get Vnderstanding Wealth Honour and secular Learning or whatever serveth the Interest of the Flesh may be an Hinderance and Impediment in the ascending of our Hearts and Minds to God These things often keep us from God and allure us to please the Flesh but saving Grace as it immediately cometh from God so it carrieth us to him 2. The perpetual Vision of God hereafter Phil. 1.23 I am in a streight betwixt two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better 2. Cor. 5.6 8. Knowing that whilst we are at home in the Body we are absent from the Lord We are Confident and willing rather to be absent from the Body and to be
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 beââ 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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 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
to everlasting Destruction In the former respect we are compared to lost Sheep who when they are once out of the way know not how to find it again Psal. 14.3 They are all gone aside And Isa. 53.6 All we like Sheep have gone astray Swine and other Creatures if they wander all day will easily find the way home again but we are gone astray like Sheep Domini errare per me potui redire non potui Lord I have wandred of my self but I cannot return of my self In the second respect as they are in the way to destruction so we are compared to the lost Son who undid himself and wasted his substance with riotous living Luk. 15.13 So we are lost by reason of Original Sin or the corruption introduced by Adam's first sin Hereditarily derived to us from our first parents Psal. 51.5 Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my Mother conceive me And also by reason of actual sins whereby we involve our selves more and more in the wrath and curse of God Eph. 2.1 2. And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins Wherein in times past ye walked according to the course of this World according to the Prince of the power of the Air the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of disobedience And v. 3. We were by nature the Children of wrath even as others Take one distinction more Some are lost totally and others totally and finally too All men in their natural estate whether they be sensible or insensible of it are lost totally Isa. 53.6 All we like Sheep have gone astray not one excepted The Elect though for the present they are totally lost yet they are not finally lost But those that still continue in their impenitency and unbelief are both totally and finally lost justly given over and designed to everlasting Perdition and Destruction In which sense Iudas is called the Son of Perdition John 17.12 Those which thou hast given me I have kept and none of them is lost but the Son of Perdition unbelief persisted in is a sign of Perdition Therefore the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 4.3 If our Gospel be hid it is hid to those that are lost Well then such as refuse the Gospel are in an actual state of perdition and while they continue to repel and refuse the benefit of the Gospel there is no hope of them Thus we are really and indeed lost 2. Some are lost and undone in their own sense and feeling All by reason of sin are in a lost state but some are apprehensive of it when the Soul is made sensible of its utter perishing condition and fear of its aggravated punishment by reason of actual sin as the lost Son apprehended his perishing for want of Bread Luk. 15.17 And when he came to himself he said How many hired servants of my Fathers have Bread enough and to spare and I perish with hunger Thus would Christ represent the sensible sinner that is apprehensive of his condition Now such a sense is necessary to prepare us for a more broken-hearted and thankful acceptance of the Grace of the Gospel 1. Because the Scripture speaketh of an awakening before Conversion Eph. 5.14 Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light While we are asleep we are neither sensible of our misery nor care for our remedy but please our selves with Dreams and Fancies but when a Man's Conscience doth rouse him up out of the sleep of sin and awaken him to some sight and sense of his miserable condition he is in a good measure prepared to hearken to the offers of the Gospel and to be afâected with and entertain the Grace of Christ so Psal. 22.27 All the Nations of the Earth shall remember and turn to the Lord first remember then turn They are like Men sleeping and distracted before they do not consider whence they are what they are doing whither they are going what shall become of them to all Eternity 2. Till we are sensible of our lost estate we have not that trouble for sin that hunger and thirst for Grace which the Scripture expresseth every where in the calls and invitations of the Gospel As Mat. 9.12 13. The whole need not the Physician but they that are sick I came not to call the Righteous but Sinners to Repentance And Mat. 11.28 Come unto me all you that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest Isa. 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the Waters Heb. 6.18 Who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us They that are Heart-whole will not value the Spiritual Physician neither will they that feel not their load care for offers of ease None will prize Bread but the hungry nor come to the Waters but the thirsty nor make haste to the City of refuge but those that see an Avenger of Blood at their Heels Or to devest these things of their Metaphor sin unseen grieveth not that which the Eye seeth not the Heart rueth not it is the hungry Conscience that cannot be satisfied without Christ's renewing and reconciling Grace 'T is the Curse driveth us to the promise and the Tribunal of God's Justice to the Throne of Grace One Covenant to another None do with such sighs and groans mourn and wait in the use of Means till they obtain Mercy as those who have a sight and sense of their lost estate or their sad and miserable case by nature 3. It appeareth by the Types the deliverance of the Children of Israel out of Egypt and Babylon which figured our restauration by Christ. Now God would not deliver his people out of Egypt till they sighed and groaned out of the anguish of their Spirits for their cruel bondage Exod. 3.7 I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt and have heard their cry by reason of their Task-masters for I know their sorrows So God delivered them not out of their Captivity of Babylon till they were sensible of their being ready to perish under it Ezek. 37.11 Behold they say our Bones are dried and our hope is lost we are cut off for our parts Now the great truth figured hereby is our perishing condition under the captivity of Sin before the Spirit of Life entereth into us 4. By experience it appeareth that Christ is not valued nor his Grace so highly prized till Men have a sensible awakening knowledge of their own misery and lost estate by reason of sin When sin is sin indeed then grace is grace indeed and Christ is Christ indeed if Men have a superficial sense of sin they have a superficial Faith in Christ. The slight person doth the work of an Age in a breath We are all sinners but God is merciful Christ died for sinners and there is an end both of their Law and Gospel Work If Men have a Doctrinal and Speculative knowledge of sin they have also a
Life It is the fashion of the World to respect great ones If a rich or Noble Man should invite himself to our Houses we take it for a great favour we strain our selves to give him suitable entertainment the more free they are with us the more we give them thanks If they eat heartily of the provisions we have made for them we take our selves to be obliged by a new benefit which boldness if a poor Man should take we look upon it as a saucy intrusion and we rate him away with a frown They are the Rich that are respected the Rich are entertained their Causes and Suits are dispatched when the Poor can hardly get access and audience As all Floods run to the Sea so doth the respect of the World to the Rich and Mighty Where they expect a return there they bestow their courtesies But God respecteth all for he needeth none he is present with all provideth for all supplyeth all protecteth all that flie unto him in their tribulation Psal. 34.6 This Poor Man cried and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles Prayers in Cottages are as acceptable to him as Prayers in Palaces 3. When once you are received and admitted into this Habitation you need not fear any calamity in the World because none can endamage your Spiritual interest nor frustrate your great hopes Whatever become of the Man the Christian is safe So that you may keep up not only patience and constancy of Mind but joy of Heart Rom. 8.38 Neither heighth nor depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus my Lord. Nothing shall be able to drive you out of your hiding place You lie fairer for temporal safety than others do and are more likely to have it and if any thing fall out otherwise than well it shall be sanctified You have a God that is fully inclined to do you good and he hath alsufficient power and hath ingaged it by his infallible Truth to set it a work for you so far as it shall be for his Glory and your Good Why then should you be afraid take up your Habitation in God And you are safe especially as to your main interest 2. What it is and in what manner this is done 1. There must be a solemn reconciliation with God in Christ. For we enter into God as an habitation to seek our comfort and safety and happiness in him only by Christ. For till sin be pardoned and God reconciled to the Soul what blessing or comfort can we expect from him whose nature ingageth him to loath us and justice to punish us Man by sin is become an odious Creature to the holy God Hab. 1.13 Thou art of purer Eyes than to behold Evil and canst not look on Iniquity And being an unthankful Rebel is liable to the process of his revenging justice and severe punishment Therefore when wrath maketh inquisition for sinners there is no hiding place till found in Christ. Phil. 3.9 And be found in him not having my own Righteousness There must be an Atonement not only made but applied before we can delight in God and have comfortable communion with him or have any right to the blessings of his Providence Rom. 5.11 We joy in God through our Lord Iesus Christ by whom also we have received the Atonement It is applied on Gods part by the Spirit And 1 Iohn 4.13 Hereby know we that we are in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit And on our part by broken-hearted penitent believing addresses to him or by breaking off our sins and giving up our selves to him in an everlasting Covenant not to be forgotten This must be renewed as often as there is a breach on our part for all occasions of breach must be removed Or when God is executing judgment on his part for then he seemeth to put the Bond in suit which we must deprecate by flying humbly to the Throne of Grace Psal. 57.1 In the shadow of thy Wings will I make my refuge Psal. 61.4 I will abide in thy Tabernacle for ever I will trust in the covert of thy Wings He joineth the Wings of God with the Tabernacle Psal. 36.7 8. How excellent is thy loving kindness O God! therefore the Children of Men put their trust under the shadow of thy Wings they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy House He speaketh of the goodness of God in his House 2. There must be an actual dependence upon God and trust in him for what he hath provided and we stand in need of or a firm adherence unto him according to his promise It is dependance breedeth observance The Soul that doth not trust in God cannot be true to him Faith and Faithfulness are not so near akin in sound as they are in Nature Nothing is more ingaging than the great bond and tye of our obedience Psal. 123.2 Behold as the Eyes of Servants look unto the Hand of their Masters and as the Eyes of a Maiden unto the Hand of her Mistress so our Eyes wait upon the Lord our God until that he have mercy upon us Phil. 2 12 13. Work out your Salvation with fear and trembling For it is God that worketh in you to will and to do of his own good pleasure Therefore is trust so often called for Psal. 62.8 Trust in him at all times ye people Psal. 86.2 Save thy Servant that trusteth in thee Isa. 26.3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee We are without distraction of Mind and Thoughts when we refer all to the All-sufficient God as being persuaded that he will cast things for the best See the application David maketh of that great truth Psal. 91.1 2. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty I will say of the Lord He is my Refuge and my Fortress my God in him will I trust You must keep up the thoughts of his Goodness and All-sufficiency 3. There must be supplication and earnest fervent prayer for his powerful and gracious protection This is the acting of our trust and God will have all blessings sought out this way that we may take them immediately out of his Hands Ier. 29.11 Then shall ye call upon me and ye shall go and pray unto me and I will hearken unto you Ezek. 36.37 Yet for this will I be enquired of by the House of Israel to do it for them There Faith is exercised Hope is declared desires are expressed in a solemn manner Psal. 62.8 Trust in him at all times ye people pour out your Hearts before him God is a refuge for us Selah It is a means to ease us of our cares and fears and of laying down our burden at Gods Feet and it reviveth the sense of our obligations 4. Holy walking is necessary
the Elect Angels 1 Tim. 5.21 Now which of these are we to understand Not the Evil Angels to be sure for since the Fall they are called Devils not Angels singly without a note of Distinction This was an Holy Desire of an Holy Object of which those damned Spirits are not capable It is a burden to them to think of God and Christ they abhor their own Thoughts of God Iam. 9.19 The Devils also believe and tremble And Christs Presence was a torment to them Mat. 8.29 What have we to do with thee Iesus thou Son of God! art thou come to torment us before the time They cannot please themselves nor find such a delight and full satisfaction in the view of these Truths Therefore it is meant of those good Angels that behold the face of God and Minister in his presence they are beholding wondering and rejoycing at the mysteries of the Gospel There are two kinds of Creatures made after the Likeness of God Angels and Men and they are seated and placed in the two Extremities of the World the one in Heaven and the other on Earth in the Highest and Lowest Story of the Universe that at both ends of the Creation there might be some to glorifie him and acknowledge his Excellencies Alas here with us in the lower part of the World how few take notice of the glorious discoveries of God in any of his Works especially in the work of Redemption So that all Gods Preparations and Expences seem lost as to the Honour and Service which he might justly expect from us But there is another World where this mystery that is so little regarded here is more thought of and better studied even by the Blessed Angels Creatures more excellent and more numerous than Mankind who are always glorifying God and admiring his Excellencies upon this account As we behold the Sun that shineth to us from their part of the World so do they behold the Son of Righteousness from our part of the World even Jesus Christ the Lord in all the Acts of his Mediation 1 Tim. 3.16 Without Controversie great is the Mystery of Godliness God was manifested in the Flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels That is beheld with Wonder and Reverence God needeth not to Court us with such importunity he hath Creatures enough to glorifie him ten thousand times ten thousand Angels that stand before his Throne and know more of God than we do and are more ready to praise him II. What The Text telleth us which things that is those things spoken of in the Context 1. The Person of the Redeemer the most glorious Object that can be looked upon or taken into the Thoughts of any Creature The view of this is now our Comfort and will be our Happiness to all Eternity Iohn 17.24 Father I will that they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my Glory which thou hast given me When we are in Heaven on t'other side of the World that will be our Work and our Happiness but it must not be wholly omitted here So the Angels delight in the Person of the Redeemer it is their rejoicing to look upon Christ in whom the Glory of God shineth forth more admirably than in any other of his Works Yea I shall go one Strain higher God himself delighteth in looking upon Christ Prov. 8.30 There was I by him as one brought up with him I was daily his delight in the Hebrew it is day day one day after another God never satisfieth himself enough in this yea God delighteth in Christ as Mediatour Mat. 3.17 This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased Isa. 42.1 Behold my Servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my Soul delighteââ It is the ground of his gracious aspect upon us As Holy he delighted in all his Works and was refreshed at the view of them Gen. 1.31 And God saw every thing that he had made and behold it was very good compared with Exo. 31.17 In six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed Well then this is one thing which the Angels look upon the Person of Christ the most lovely Object to be thought of figur'd in the Mercy-Seat or cover of the Ark who interposed between the Law and God Christ is called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Propitiation that is Christ Incarnate 2. The way of Redemption verse 11. The Sufferings of Christ and the Glory that should follow And therein the sweet Harmony and Concord between Infinite Mercy and Infinite Justice that both might have full satisfaction This is figured in the Mercy-Seat Gods reconciling himself to Man by Christ Rom. 3.24 25 26. Being justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Iesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood to declare his Righteousness for the Remission of Sins that are past through the forbearance of God To declare I say at this time his Righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Iesus 3 Another thing spoken of in the Context is the Grace that should come to us verse 10. Gods keeping familiar Correspondence and Communion with Poor Creatures in and through Christ 1 Iohn 1.3 And truely our Communion is with the Father and with his Son Iesus Christ. The dwelling of our Nature with God in a Personal Union a thing which Angels may wonder at since God abaseth himself to behold things in Heaven or things on Earth Psal. 113.6 Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in Heaven and in the Earth His Majesty and All sufficiency is so great that he might justly despise the Angels of whom he standeth in no need Now that he should stoop so low as to look after poor crawling Worms and admit them to such intimacy with himself this Commerce between God and the Inhabitants of the lower World is matter of wondrous delight to the Angels 4. The Mission of the Spirit here just before the Text the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven and then presently it followeth which things the Angels desire to look into viz. The Copious Effusion of Gospel Grace Before the price was paid when God gave out Grace upon Trust 't was more sparingly dispensed but now more plentifully since the price of Redemption is actually paid The Angels are ascending and descending present with the Churches in their Holy Worship When the Spirit was first poured out the Men that were Conscious to it were all surprized with wonder Acts 2.7 They were all amazed and marvelled saying one to another Behold are not all these that speak Galileans And surely the Angels see cause to glorifie God for his Gifts and Graces bestowed on the Church It was done in the sight of Angels Eph. 4.8 When he ascended on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men compared with Col. 2.15 And having
spoiled Principalities and Powers he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in it 5. The Gracious Providences of God in leading on the Church to their Eternal Happiness Eph. 3.10 To the intent that now unto the Principalities and Powers in Heavenly Places might be known by the Church the manifold Wisdom of God ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã That curious variety and interweavings of Providence in bringing poor Creatures to Glory When we are on the Top of the Mount and we shall know as we are known then shall we see how variously he did confound the Wisdom of Men and Devils and led the Saints to Glory The Angels see more of God in this than in any of his other Works the state of the Church here upon Earth is the great Glass wherein God discovereth his Wisdom Power Goodness and Truth 6. The Final Glorious Estate of the Saints Christ shall be admired in them 2 Thes. 1.10 When he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that Believe For Poor Dust to shine as Stars and to be admitted with Christ to judge the World even Evil Angels All Men shall be at last owned or disowned by Christ confessed or denied before the Angels as those that look after these things Luke 12.8 9. Whosoever shall confess me before men him shall the Son of Man also confess before the Angels of God But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the Angels of God Rev. 3.5 I will confess his Name before my Father and his Angels We may admire at these things 1 Iohn 3.1 2. Behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God! Behold now we are the Sons of God and it doth not appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is III. The Manner How ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã they desire to look into 1. It noteth an accurate Inspection to look towards so as to look through They understand more of these Mysteries than we do having no Mass of Flesh to clog them and obstruct the Operations of these Spirits as having no secular vanities to divert them as being so near God so intirely loving him because of the excellency of their Natures they have more advantage than we as the World wherein we dwell is more known to them than to us yet they are prying and should not we follow on to know the Lord Hos. 6.3 2. 'T is Earnest and Affectionate ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã they desire their hearts are in it Obj. Desire argueth a defect and the Angels that are in the Presence of God are in statu perfecto in a perfect State Ans. 1. In many things this Mystery exceedeth their understandings therefore they desire to know it more and more There is in the Angels understanding and Knowledge natural supernatural and experimental Their natural Knowledge reacheth to things that are belonging to the Perfection and Happiness of their Nature In supernatural things that depend upon the meer favour of God Angels know no more than God is pleased to manifest to them and so are ignorant of those things which God will not reveal and cannot be found out by any created understanding Their experimental Knowledge is by the accomplishment of Prophesies and what is foretold concerning the State of the Church here upon Earth as Christ learned Obedience by the things he suffered Heb. 5.8 So might Angels learn more when they saw Christ born dye and rise again the Spirit poured out the Devil dispossessed the Gospel Kingdom erected 2. Some defects are perfective as hungring and thirsting after Righteousness proveth Blessedness Mat. 5.6 Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after Righteousness for they shall be filled As Gregory Et satiantur sitiunt ne enim sit in desiderio anxietas desiderantes satiantur ne sit in satietate fastidium satiati desiderant They are satisfied with what they desire to prevent anxiety and trouble and they desire that with which they are satisfied to prevent satiety and loathing It is a sweet thirst not a painful dissatisfaction such as quickens but not pains Desire is an Act of Love the Object of it is dear and esteemed So the Angels they are desiring and enjoying Sitientes satiabimur satiati sitiemus As in Heaven the Saints desire more of God because they are not weary of him 3. They look upon it so as to be ready to discharge their Ministry about it As the Cherubims were figured with out-stretched wings over the Mercy Seat as ready to be imploy'd in Gods Errand so the Angels look into these things We find them ever ministring about Christ in his Temptations and Agonies in his Grave and at his Ascension So are they ministring about the Saints whom these things do concern Heb. 1.14 Are they not all ministring Spirits sent forth to Minister for them who shall be Heirs of Salvation The Angels do so look into the things purchased for us by Christ that they are helpful to us in them according to the Will of God IV. The Reasons 1. Negatively 1. Not Curiosity that cannot be imagined in these Blessed Spirits Now Curiosity is either First In the Matter when we pry into secret things which we cannot nor ought we to see into Col. 2.18 Intruding into those things which he hath not seen Those things wherein the Mind of God is not known or understood But God revealed himself to the Angels concerning the Salvation of man they being so often imployed in the Prediction and Discovery of those things that concerned the coming of Christ and Salvation by him They were the Messengers to carry the glad-tydings of it to the Patriarchs and Prophets Gabriel informed Daniel and talked with him concerning the seventy Weeks Dan. 9.21 22 23 24. After which the Messiah should be cut off God used their Ministry to instruct the Church in all the Acts of his Mediation the Angels comforted Christ in his Temptations and Agonies The Angels brought news of his Birth Luke 2.10 And the Angel said unto them Fear not I bring you good tidings c. When tempted they ministred to him Mat. 4.11 Then the Devil leaveth him and behold Angels came and ministred to him In his Agonies they strengthen him Luke 22.43 There appeared an Angel to him from Heaven strengthning him When he was buried and in his Grave they rolled away the Stone Mat. 28.2 The Angel of the Lord descended from Heaven and rolled back the Stone from the door Where he lay in the Sepulchre there were two Angels in White sitting the one at the Head and the other at the Feet where the Body of Iesus had been John 20.12 At his Ascension Acts 1.10 11. Two men stood by them in white Apparel which also said Ye men of Galilee why stand ye gazing up into Heaven c. Therefore this was
Faith standeth us in most stead Acts 3.19 Repent ye therefore and be converted that your Sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Then by the one we are freed from the guilt of Sin and so have deliverance from Eternal Death By the other we have not only right but entrance into Eternal Glory What is our whole scope but to be absolved by Christ at last and enter into Eternal Life Finally these two are to be regarded to obviate their mistake who think indeed that Faith and it may be Repentance is necessary to pardon or to dissolve our Obligation to Punishment but not new Obedience But in their place all the Conditions are necessary They think new Obedience is necessary to Salvation or Eternal Life but not to Justification But Salvation is as gracious an Act of Mercy as free and undeserved a Gift as Pardon Rom. 6.23 The wages of Sin is Death but the Gift of God is Eternal Life through Iesus Christ our Lord. Eternal Life is not ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã wages but ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Gift of God It is as much merited by Christ as the other and therefore as proper a part yea the chief part of the Hope of Righteousness by Faith and that which is only waited for and not injoyed III. What is the work of the Spirit in this business in urging Believers to wait for the Hope of Righteousness by Faith I Answer the work of the Spirit doth either concern the Duties of the new Covenant or the Priviledges of the new Covenant or what is common to them both I begin with the latter 1. What is common to them both He doth convince us of the Truth of the Gospel both of means and end that there is such an Hope and the Righteousness of Faith is the only way to obtain it Now this he doth Externally and Internally 1. Externally and by way of Objective Evidence All the certainty that we have of the Gospel is by the Spirit Acts 5.32 We are Witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Ghost which he hath given to them that obey him And Iohn 15. 26 27. When the Comforter is come whom I will send to you from the Father even the Spirit of Truth which proceedeth from the Father he shall testifie of me And ye also shall bear witness because ye have been with me from the beginning Mark in both these places the two solemn Witnesses are the Spirit and the Apostles the one Principal the other Ministerial the one declaring Doctrine and Matter of Fact the other assuring the World of the Truth of their Testimony The Apostles testified of Christs sayings and doings and the Holy Ghost which came down upon them and the rest that consorted with them and was given in some measure to those that obeyed their Doctrine was an undoubted Evidence that God owned it from Heaven Here was enough to open mens Eyes and to give them a right understanding of his Person and Doctrine that it was of God The Visible Gifts of the Holy Ghost and his powerful working in the Hearts of men in order to their Conversion unto God These admirable Gifts and Graces shed abroad upon men were a Notable Conviction to the World that Christ was a Teacher sent from God to teach men the way to Eternal Life and Happiness This did afford sufficient matter of Confirmation and Conviction by the Spirit shed abroad and poured forth on the Christian Church 2. Internally inlightning their Minds and inclining their Hearts to imbrace the Truth Which maketh the former Testimony effectual So the Apostle prayeth Eph. 1.17 For the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the Knowledge of Christ the eyes of their understanding being inlightned that they might know what is the hope of his Calling and the Riches of the Glory of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light To the sight of any thing these things are necessary an Object a Medium a Faculty As in outward sight an Object that may be seen a convenient light to represent it and make the Object perspicuous An Organ or Faculty of seeing in the Eye Unless there be an Object you bid a man see nothing Unless there be a Medium a due light to represent it as in a fog or at Midnight the sharpest sight can see nothing Unless there be a Faculty neither the Object nor Medium will avail a Blind-man cannot see any thing at Noon-day Now here is an Object the way of Salvation by Christ A convenient light it is represented in the Gospel And the Faculty is prepared for the Eyes of the Mind are opened by the Spirit that we may see both Way and End the necessity of Holiness and the reality of future Glory and Blessedness Alas without this sight we busie our selves about Vanities and Childish Toys and never Mind the things which are most necessary certainly we can have no saving understanding of Spiritual Truths neither what is the Benefit of Christianity or the blessed Condition of Gods People Nor what are the Duties of Christianity so as our Hearts may be held to them or how we may behave our selves as true Believers 2. The Work of the Spirit as to the Duties of the new Covenant He doth not only convince us of the Reality and the Necessity of Christs Obedience and our Holiness but by his Powerful Operation frameth and inclineth our Hearts to the Duties required of us Faith it self is wrought in us by this Holy Spirit for it is the Gift of God Eph. 2.8 And so is Repentance and Obedience Heb. 8.10 I will write my Laws upon their Hearts and put them into their Minds Moses his Law was written on Tables of Stone as a Rule without them but Christs Law on the Heart and Mind as drawing and inclining them to obey it The Renewing Grace of the Spirit of God doth prepare us and fit us and his exciting Grace doth quicken us that we may do what is pleasing in his sight And therefore if we profess to live under the new Covenant we are inexcusable if we do not bestir our selves and accomplish the work of Faith with Power and obey from the Heart the Doctrine delivered to us Indeed the Spirit doth most naturally put us upon spiritual Worship and spiritual Holiness these things agree most with his Being and Nature The observances of the Law were carnal yet as long as Gods command continued the Spirit inclined to Obedience to them But a better Law being enacted by Christ the Spirit that proceedeth from the Father and the Son suiteth his Operations accordingly For he cometh into us as Christs Spirit He shall take of mine and glorifie me John 16.14 All that he doth accordeth with Christ as Christs Will doth with the Father 3. The work of the Spirit as to the priviledges of the New Covenant which are pardon and life 1. As to Pardon he is the Comforter He cometh
it Again it is an holy Law according to which the process of that day shall be guided A Law that is clean and pure which alloweth not the least evil Thy Law is exceeding pure Psal. 119.140 The Gospel abateth nothing of the purity of it Now when we appear before an holy God and must be judged by an holy Law surely we must have holiness and righteousness answerable or how can we stand in the Judgment It is an holy God before whose Tribunal we must appear and an holy Law that we must be judged by therefore if we be destitute of all kind of righteousness What shall we do 2. No other righteousness will serve the turn but the righteousness of Faith And therefore till we submit to the New Covenant we are in a woful case Now the righteousness of the New Covenant is supream or subordinate The supream by way of Merit and Satisfaction The Subordinate by way of Application and Qualification on our parts 1. The Supream is the Righteousness or Obedience of Christ. VVhich can alone deliver us from Hell Job 33.24 Deliver him from going down to the Pit for I have found a ransom There is no deliverance from eternal destruction which our sins deserve but onely by the Ransom which he hath paid Till his Justice be satisfied by Christ no good can come unto us 2. The Subordinate Righteousness which qualifieth us and giveth us an interest is Faith Repentance and new Obedience All which are hugely necessary and convenient and gracious terms 1. Faith By which we own and acknowledge our Redeemer with love thankfulness dependance and hearty subjection to him Certainly love and thankfulness is due to him who hath indured so much and procured such great benefits for us Would we have the blessings instated on us and not know from what hand they come And acceptance is due for should Christ save us without our wills and against our consent Dependance is due Should they have benefit by Christ's Merits who question the force and efficacy of them Therefore God hath set him forth to be a propitiation through faith in his Blood Rom. 3.25 2. Repentance is necessary Would we have God to pardon us while we continue in our rebellion without sorrow for it or purpose to leave it The case of the obstinate is not compassionable Jer. 3.13 Onely acknowledge thine iniquity and I am gracious And to acknowledge an offence and continue in it is to condemn our selves 3. New Obedience That was due before to our Creator and our Redeemer strengtheneth the Bond and maketh it more comfortable For we have a new Lord by right of Redemption Rom. 14.9 For to this end Christ both died and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and living A Lord that hath payed dear for our Souls 3. This righteousness is every way sufficient that we may venture our eternal well-being upon it For what is appointed by God will be accepted by God And though there be many defects in our Faith Repentance and Obedience yet there is an intrinsick value in the obedience and death of Christ besides the Institution Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered up himself without spot to God purge your Conscience from dead works to serve the living God And 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation received by Tradition from your Fathers but with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot Lastly See your help The Spirit is the great New-Covenant Gift purchased by Christ that it might be dispensed to us the more abundantly John 1.16 And of his fulness have all we received and grace for grace Tit. 3.5 6. By the renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us By his Sanctifying and renewing Grace we are inabled for all this duty We have it by the hearing of Faith Gal. 3.2 And the whole dispensation of the Gospel is called the Ministration of the Spirit 2 Cor. 5.8 Therefore if a sluggish heart did not possess Christians they might do more than they do A Sermon on 2 Pet. III. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his Promise as some Men count slackness but is long-suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance THe Apostle in Answer to the Cavil and Exception of the Mockers of Religion is taking off the Scandal of the delay of Christ's Coming Three Considerations are produced to satisfie the Godly 1. The true measure of speed or delay is the Eternity of God which admits of no beginning succession and ending but consists in a constant presentness to all that which to us seemeth past or to come And we must judge as he judgeth This is laid down vers 8. 2. The end of this delay which is the conversion of Sinners It proceedeth not from any culpable slackness in God but onely his patience towards the Elect. God is not slack but we hasty Our temper requireth time and patience to work upon us and bring us under the power of Grace This is in the Text. 3. The manner of coming which is sudden and unexpected like the coming of a Thief upon a sleepy family ver 10. Therefore we should rather prepare for it than complain of slackness We are upon the second consideration Wherein 1. The false cause of this delay is removed The Lord is not slack concerning his Promise as some Men count slackness 2. The true cause assigned But is long-suffering to us ward 3. The end of this long-suffering propounded First Negatively Not willing that any should perish Secondly positively But that all should come to Repentance Wherein the way to escape ruine is intimated which is Repentance The only doubt is about the sense of the words How that is to be understood that God would not have any perish but all come to Repentance For we see many do yet perish all do not come to Repentance And is God frustrated of his end Ans. To this doubt three answers are given and all solid though I prefer the two first 1. The Patience of God according to its nature hath that use and end to invite all sinners to Repentance Rom. 2.4 Despisest thou the riches of his goodness forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to Repentance Gods continuing forfeited Mercies and tarrying the sinners leisure giveth us an hope that he is willing to be reconciled And if we do not seek his favour and turn to him by Repentance it is long of our selves the fault is our own because we do not improve this hope 2. The Apostle in this place hath special reference to the Elect who are concerned more especially in the promise of Christs coming to put an end to their sufferings and to render them an eternal reward Certain
out of the reach of his Commerce 2. Difference A Mediator is chiefly one used between disagreeing parties Gal. 3.20 Now a Mediator is not a Mediator of one but God is one There must be two parties and usually two different parties There is God angry and Man guilty Conscience of guilt presents God terrible and taketh away all Confidence from the guilty Sinner so that of our selves we cannot approach in a friendly manner to an offended and provoked God Heb. 12.29 For our God is a consuming Fire And who can dwell with devouring Burnings Isa. 33.14 Who shall interpose and stand between God and us the Power of his Wrath and our weakness and obnoxiousness to his Righteous Vengeance II. That none but Christ is fit for this High Office that though God be High and Just and Holy yet poor Creatures and Sinners may have access to him A Mediator must be one that can take off the distance and compromise the difference between us and God Oh that there were saith Iob a days-man between us that might lay his hands upon both Job 9.33 Now considering this Jesus Christ is the only fit interposing party Therefore he is called the Mediator of the new Covenant Heb. 12.24 And to Iesus the Mediator of the new Covenant and the Mediator of a better Covenant Heb. 8.6 1. As to the distance so in his Person he is God-man Our Mediator must be one in whom God doth condescend to man and by whom man may be incouraged to ascend to God Now in Christ God is nearer to Man than he was before and so we may have more familiar Thoughts of God The pure Deity is at so vast a distance from us while we are in Flesh that we are amazed and confounded cannot imagine that he should look after us concern himself in us and our Affairs love us shew us his Free Grace and Favour Now it is a mighty help to think of God manifested in our Flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 The Word made Flesh John 1.14 So that while we are here in the flesh yet we may have commerce with God 'T is a mighty incouragement to consider how near God is come to us in Christ and how he hath taken the Humane Nature into his own Person For surely he will not hide himself from his own Flesh Isa. 58.7 He came down into our flesh that he might be man and familiar with man This wonderfully reconcileth the Heart of Man to God and maketh the thoughts of him comfortable and acceptable to us so that we may incourage our selves in free access to God 2. As the Person of the Redeemer so his Work Which is to take away the Difference and Quarrel between us and God To understand this observe that the Mediation between the two differing parties must be carried on so that God who is the Supream and Offended party may be satisfied Now God stood upon these Terms that the Honour of his governing Justice should be secured Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood to declare his Righteousness for the Remission of Sins And that the Repentance and Reformation of sinful man should be carried on strictly Acts 5.31 Him hath God exalted with his right Hand to be a Prince and Saviour to give Repentance to Israel and Remission of Sins These must be done otherwise man must lye under his Eternal Displeasure If the one be done and not the other done no Reconciliation can ensue Therefore we must not look to Christs Mediation with God so as to overlook his Work with man nor so look to his Work with man as to overlook his Mediation with God Heb. 3.1 Consider the Apostle and High Priest of our Profession Jesus Christ. We have both here The work of an Apostle lieth with men the work of an High Priest with God He hath an Office with God and Man and both are necessary to bring about our Salvation And Christ cannot be a compleat Saviour without doing both To be barely a Prophet would not serve the turn but he must be a Priest to satisfie Gods Justice also by the Merit of his Sacrifice In short his Work with God is that of a Priest his Work with Man is that of a Prophet and King 1. His Work as a Priest is to pacifie Gods Wrath procure his Grace Love and Favor for us and this he doth under two Relations as a Sponsor and Intercessour 1. As a Sponsor and Surety He was the Surety of a better Testament Heb. 7.22 By so much was Iesus made a surety of a better Testament So First By way of Satisfaction he undertook something to be paid and performed for us He undertaketh to satisfie Gods Justice by the Sacrifice of himself and so make way for his Mercy on easie Terms The pacifying of Gods Justice was a great part of his Mediation Heb. 9.15 For this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament that by means of Death fâr the Redemption of the Transgressions that were under the first Testament they which are called might receive the Promise of Eternal Inheritance That is that Penitent and believing Sinners might be acquitted from the curse due to them by the first Covenant and so made capable of Eternal Life What they owe he hath paid Secondly By way of Caution Undertaking for those whom he reconciled to God that they shall perform what God requireth of them in the new Covenant Having purchased the Spirit he hath inabled them to repent and believe and mortifie and crucifie the flesh and obey the Gospel Rom. 6.6 Knowing that our old man is crucified with him that the Body of Sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve Sin 2. As an Intercessour He is in Heaven dealing with God in our behalf He hath not cast off his Relation or Affection to his People upon his Advancement Heb. 8.2 A Minister of the Sanctuary and of the true Tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not Man In all his Glory He is the Churches Agent appearing for us as our Atturney in Court Heb. 9.24 Pleading for us and answering all Accusations as our Advocate 1 Iohn 2.1 And if any man Sin we have an Advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the Righteous And maintaining a correspondency between us and God As an Ambassador between two States promoting our Desires and Prayers Rev. 8.3 And another Angel came and stood at the Altar having a golden Cenâer and there was given to him much Incense that he should offer it with the Prayers of all Saints upon the golden Altar which was before the Throne And obtaining all necessary Graces for us 2. His Work with Men as a Prophet and King 1. As a Prophet and so as a Messenger of the Covenant Mal. 3.11 He sheweth us the way how we may be reconciled with God perswading us also to be so reconciled to God For we are ignorant and obstinate loth to part with sin and submit to God's
another World they would sooner discern their mistake How miserably will you bewail your selves when you have lost Eternity for poor Temporal things What comfort will it be to you that you have been Merry lived in Pomp and Ease It is better to believe than try To prevent the misery than experiment it Now for means to help you Vse I. Frequent Recollection For thereby you come to your selves Luke 15.17 And when he came to himself he said How many Hired Servants of my Fathers have Bread enough and to spare and I perish with Hunger Many are so busie about their vanities that they cannot find that they are Men or think what business they have to do in the World nor where they must dwell for ever Self-communing would be an hopeful means to undeceive them Isa. 46.8 Remember this and shew your selves Men bring it again to mind O ye transgressors And elsewhere the Prophet sheweth what reasonings we should use with our selves Isa. 55.2 Surely this would be one means to wean you from Carnal Vanities and to deaden the Gust and Tast of them to your Souls most men debase their reason to the service of their Appetites and Lusts their pleasure and business is the pleasing and gratifying of the Flesh Rom. 13.14 All their care is to Eat well and Drink well to be well Fed and well Clad and to make a fair shew in the Flesh and live in Worldly Pomp All their business is to gather in provision for the satisfying of their present Lusts they spend their days and cares for nothing else which is that living after the Flesh Rom. 8.13 That sowing to the Flesh Gal. 5.8 which the Scripture condemneth And what is the reason of all this Because they are inconsiderate Never consider whence am I whither am I a going What shall become of me to all Eternity Psal. 119.59 I thought on my ways and turned my Feet unto thy Testimonies They are like Children hunting after Butter-flies and when they have them their gawdy Wings melt away in their Hands and there remaineth nothing but an ugly Worm The Worm of Conscience the Worm of Disappointment Oh recollect thy self is this to make Eternal things our scope 2. Let us often compare together the condition of the present and of the future Life All things that are liable to the view of Sense soon pass away whether Comforts or Crosses The Good and Evil of the present World are soon over accordingly should be our carriage towards them 1 Cor. 7.29 30 31. Now consider how unreasonable it is the Soul should be drawn away by Transitory things from those which are Eternal The things we doat upon are not worthy to be compared with the greatness and duration of those things to which we are invited by the Promises of the Gospel It may be you have Health and Strength and Wealth now but how long will you have it We are not sure of the enjoyment of these things the next day How soon may they be withered The prosperity of the wicked is cut down as Grass withered as the Green Herb Psal. 37.2 But things unseen will be yours to all Eternity God is an everlasting Portion Psal. 73.26 My Flesh and my Heart faileth But God is the strength of my Heart and my Portion for ever Christ's Redemption is an everlasting redemption Heb. 9.12 He entred in once into the Holy place having obtained Eternal Redemption for us God and Christ will be yours to day and will be yours to all Eternity Those things which are seen if they do not perish may be taken from you Mat. 6.19.20 We are not sure to get it but you are sure to leave it Iob 1.21 But these other things cannot be taken from you Luke 10.42 One thing is needful and Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken from her The Devil cannot and God will not take it from you 3. Improve your experience of the vanity of this World Psal. 119.96 I have seen an end of all perfection but thy Commandments are exceeding broad Vain light Hearts pass over these things and get no profit by them They find the Creature vanity and vexation of Spirit yet run out as greedily after it as they did before Psal. 49.13 This their way is their folly yet their posterity approve their sayings They are sensible of the folly of their Ancestors but are not mended by it they have Eyes to see but not an Heart to see Deut. 29.2 3 4. Ye have seen all that the Lord did before your Eyes in the Land of Egypt unto Pharaoh and to all his Servants and to all his Land The great Temptations which thine Eyes have seen the Signs and those great Miracles yet the Lord hath not given you an Heart to perceive and Eyes to see and Ears to Hear unto this day 4. Be sure when you are tempted to revive this meditation upon your Hearts That things seen are Temporal and things unseen are Eternal As 1. When any Temptation cometh to draw your Hearts to give contentment to the Flesh for a season As for Instance when you are tempted to please your Eye your Taste your Sensual Desire or to wrong your Souls for Wealth and Honour remember these are not Eternal Pleasures Riches Honours And shall I dare run the hazard of wronging God or my Soul for a little present satisfaction Leave my fatness and sweetness to rule over the Trees What! hazard Eternal things for Temporal trifles 2. When tempted by the bitterness of the Cross to relent in Gods Cause Say as Basil's Forty Martyrs that were kept naked in the open Air in a cold Night to be burn'd next day Sharp is the cold but sweet is Paradice Troublesome is the Way but pleasant is the end of the Journey Let us endure a little cold and the Patriarchs Bosom will soon warm us Stephen saw Heaven opened and that fortified him against the Showers of Stones from the People Act. 7.51 'T is for such a season 5. Beg the light of the Spirit 'T is necessary for us both with respect to things seen and unseen 1. Seen That we may apprehend the vanity of the Creature Psal. 90.92 So teach us to number our days that we may apply our Hearts unto Wisdom Psal. 49.4 I will incline mine Ear to a Parable I will open my dark saying upon the Harp David is describing the vanity of Worldly prosperity And also to see things unseen 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 enlightened that ye may know what is the Hope of his âalling and what the Riches of the Glory of his Inheritance in the Saints Our Wisdom Natural is Carnal and Sensual Iam. 3.15 Either for Riches Pleasures or Honours Prov 23.4 Labour not to be Rich cease from thine own Wisdom Reason catereth for the Body
Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my Salvation and all my desire although he make it not to grow We are not so firm as God but remission of Sins is one of the Covenant priviledges and remaineth notwithstanding the defects and failings on our part When we grow secure and neglect our duty and do not watch over our selves the jealous God will watch over us and take away the fuel of our Lusts and quicken us to Repentance and the remembrance of our duty The sharpest rods and sorest stripes may stand and do stand with his Covenant-love to them Psal. 119.75 I know that in Faithfulness hast thou afflicted me Yea not only so but they are part of his Covenanting-Administrations they are Fatherly Corrections and Medicinal Preservatives against sinning they are token of God's hating Sin in his People but not of the rejection of their Persons but rather effects of his Love to the persons corrected II. The Confirmation 1. In the General God's Bill and Bond hath a Seal annexed to it A Seal is to make a thing unquestionable The Prophet in his bargain for the Field of Anathoth Ier. 32.10 11. saith I subscribed the Evidence and Sealed it and I took the Evidence of the purchase which was Sealed according to the Law and Custom The Sealing of the Deeds was an assurance by which an Inheritance was made over and a Covenant and Bargain ratified was Sealed by both Parties So is Gods Covenant sealed for the more assurance by God and us 2. I shall shew particularly the nature of the Seal on God's part and ours 1. The Seal of the Covenant hath an impression suitable to God's part the Lord knoweth those that are his where there is a double comfort and ground of assurance to God's Covenant-People 1. They are his 2. He knoweth them 1. They are his 1. By Election from all Eternity Iohn 17.6 Thine they were By this there is a distinction between them and others in the purposes of his Grace When the Lord had all Adam's Posterity under his all-seeing Eye he did out of his free Love chuse some from among others to be the objects of his special Grace 2. By effectual calling which is their actual choice by which a distinction is made between them and others in time 2 Thess. 2.13 God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth His actual Choice is there meant Iohn 15.19 I have chosen you out of the World therefore the World hateth you The World knoweth not the secrets of God's Election but they see the effects The first foundation of a Believer's Salvation was laid in Election but it is acted and compleated when God calleth them from the rest of the World and sets them apart for himself 3. They are his by entering into Covenant with him and an Act of Consecration on their part Ezek. 16.8 Now when I passed by thee and looked upon thee behold thy time was the time of Love and I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy Nakedness yea I sware unto thee and enter'd into a Covenant with thee saith the Lord God and thou becamest mine They surrender themselves to the Lord's use 2 Chron. 30.8 Now be ye not stiff Necked as your Fathers were but yield your selves unto the Lord. Give your hand to God Now all this maketh the Foundation or the Covenant of the Lord sure to them so that they shall not Miscarry by damnable Errors and willful Sin as others do God's eternal Election keepeth them from the Teint of Errors Matth. 24.24 Insomuch that if it were possible they shall deceive the very Elect. The Elect cannot altogether be seduced and drawn away from Christ because of the purpose of God which is backed by his invincible power and care over them Actual Election or effectual Calling giveth them a discerning Spirit 2 Thess. 2.13 But we are bound always to give thanks to God for you Brethren Beloved of the Lord because God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth Their Minds are savingly enlightned and their Wills renewed so that they are kept safe Their Covenant-Dedication doth particularly entitle them to God's care so that they are guided by God's Spirit and guarded by his continual Providence till the work begun in them be perfected Phil. 1.6 Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Iesus Christ. 2. God knoweth them Knowing is put for 1. His particular notice of them as his peculiar People of all that belong to the Election of his Grace He knoweth their Persons Ier. 1.5 Before I formed thee in the Belly I knew thee God hath a special care of them that they may not dye in their unregenerate condition He knoweth their Names Exod. 33.12 I know thee by Name and thou hast also found grace in my sight and Vers. 17. I will do this thing also which thou hast spoken for thou hast found grace in my sight and I know thee by name And it is said of Jesus Christ that he calleth his own Sheep by name and leadeth them out Iohn 10.3 He knoweth all his Flock particularly their Names and their Number by Head and Poll even to the meanest and poorest Saint Iohn Andrew Thomas He knoweth their Necessities Streights and Temptations Cares Griefs Fears Wants Difficulties and Dangers Matth. 6.32 Your Heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things He knoweth who wanteth Food and Rayment and Protection His Eye is never off the Saints Psal. 56.8 Thou tellest my wandrings put then my Tears into thy Bottle are they not in thy Book Not a drop but is in God's Bottle God doth number their Tears reckon all the steps of their Wandrings and Pilgrimages every weary step through Ziph and Hareph I tell you it is God's Business in Heaven to look after his Saints The Eyes of the Lord run too and fro throughout the whole Earth to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards him 2 Chron. 16.9 He knoweth all their employments and how they are to be fitted for them Gal. 1.15 It pleased God who separated me from my Mother's Womb and called me by his Grace He dateth God's Law from that time This Child is appointed to be a Vessel of Mercy to be employed in an especial manner for God's Glory Thus Ieremy was designed to be a Prophet before he was bred or born Paul to be an Apostle in his Mothers Womb An instance we have of God's particular knowledge in the 9 th of the Acts the 11th vers The Lord said unto ãâ¦ã go into the street which is called Straight and enquire in the Housâ of Judas ãâ¦ã called Saul of Tarsus for behold he prayeth Such a Town such a Street ãâ¦ã Person about such a work God taketh notice of
against the Soul as they bring a servitude and a brawn and a deadness upon the Heart Tit. 3.3 We our selves also were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures c. As we are apt to love them more than God 2 Tim. 3.4 Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God As they bring a brawn and a deadness upon the Heart and so make it uncapable of that sweet consolation which the Spirit worketh in us 2. When the Heart is mortified and subdued to God there is no such pleasure as the contempt of Bodily pleasures Quam suave mihi subito factum est carere suavitatibus nugarum How sweet is it to me to want the sweetness of these trifles In some diseases it 's a pleasure to eat Dust when the disease is cured it 's abhorred as a filthy thing It is our distemper that leaveth the carnal rellish so strong upon us get rid of your distemper and you will be ashamed of your brutish satifactions it is a diseased Mind that looks after them 1 Use. To remove prejudice Men usually judge Wisdoms ways to be sower and bitter whereas they yield great joy and pleasure to those that walk in them Here is peace for their Consciences and pleasantness to satisfie their Affections Who live the pleasant life they that walk upon the brink of Hell every moment or they who being justified by Faith are made Heirs of Eternal life who look every day when God will translate them into his immediate Presence They that satisfie their Lusts by breaking God's Law or they that provide for the Peace of their Consciences by observing and keeping it Who are like to be most satisfied in their Object they that love a vain uncertain world or they that live in the love of God If Men would but come and try what it is indeed to believe in Christ to live in the love of God and the hope of Eternal life their prejudices would be soon confuted Object But you will say your Spiritual delight is but a fancy it seemeth to be hard to forsake what I see what I feel what I taste what I love for a God and a Glory which I do not see and it may be never shall see I Answer It is no wonder How can you see when you have no Eyes Faith is the eye of the Soul Heb. 11.1 Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen and ver 27. By faith he forsook Aegypt not fearing the wrath of the King for he endured as seeing him who is invisible 2 Pet. 1.9 Whom having not seen ye love in whom tho' now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory And how can you hope to see while you are carnal and your Hearts do not suit with these things or ever experienced this Joy But beg the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation 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 understanding 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 and return you to him Illumination and Inclination conduce both to your cure For this Holy Delight cannot be forced nor drawn forth by bare Commands and Threatnings When the attractive goodness of the Object is represented by the Spirit the Heart must be suited to it and then you will find this joy 2. Use. To reprove two sorts of People 1. Those that can find no pleasure in an Holy life that is no ground of pleasure Is not God a delectable Object Is not Salvation by Christ a delightful speculation or such a Glorious Mystery as cannot be found elsewhere Are not the promises of Heaven comfortable things If a Man should adopt you into the succession of a Crown VVould it not please you And is not God's promise more sure Is not Communion with God a pleasing exercise Heathens pretended to Secresie with their gods as the greatest Felicity Needeth a Christian pretend it Hath he not liberty to open his Heart in secret Do you ever come from your Sports with such a chearful Soul as you come from your Duties Many have repented of their carnal Mirth never any of their Godly Sorrow VVhich is better to fill the body with Diseases which is the part gratified by Sin and is more Wasted than Gratified or to enrich the Soul with Graces To deny the clamours of the Flesh or the importunities of Conscience Or which is all one to offer Violence to our Lusts or to our Consciences 2. It reproveth them that live as if there were no pleasure in a course of Holiness When others go merrily to Hell will you go drooping to Heaven I pray whose Work are you about Whither doth your Journey tend Are you sad because you have left Sathan's service Was he a good Master to you Or because it is now a part of your business to tame and subdue the Flesh Will that yield any thing more satisfying than the love of God It could yield you nothing but Vain Pleasure that when gone is but as a Wind nay it proves a Whirlwind in the Conscience or is it because you have renounced the World Is not Heaven better Is God wanting in such Wordly supplies as are necessary for you Or is it because you thrive no more in holy Endeavours Is not God's Grace sufficient for you Was he ever backward to do you good whilst you were labouring and striving to approve your selves to him Hold up your hearts the way of the Lord is strength to the upright Prov. 10.29 3. Use. To press you to make trial Resolve upon an holy and heavenly course and then you are in the ways of Wisdom Psal. 34.8 O taste and see that the Lord is good blessed is the man that trusteth in him Trust him upon his Promises before all be confirmed to you upon Experience To this end consider 1. We invite to Pleasure not to Labour or to Labour seasoned with Pleasure And Pleasure is the lure that draweth all the world By sensitive Pleasure men are perverted Iam. 1.14 Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and inticed By holy pleasure he is perfected 2. We invite you not to pleasure only in another world but pleasure during service Psal. 16.11 Thou wilt shew me the path of Life in thy presence is fulness of joy and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore But now that we may not be tired with expectation There is pleasure not only in the end but in the way and path 3. We invite you to Continual Pleasure Phil. 4.4 Rejoyce in the Lord always and again I say rejoyce In Worldly Joys there are vicissitudes and subalternations Now we rejoyce and anon we weep there is joy when a Child
Psal. 17.14 15. From men which are thy hand O Lord from men of the world which have their portion in this life and whose Belly is fill'd with the hid treasure they are full of Children and leave the rest of their substance to their Babes But as for me I will behold thy face in righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness Men are dazled with the splendour of Worldly Happiness and think it a fine thing to be well fed and well clad and well attended but this is all for them and theirs and shall we Envy them for this That they have more for Back and Belly than we have a little pomp of living especially when such great things be provided for us in Christ. Alass what is a more plentiful Table to the Everlasting fruition of God The Pomp of the World to the Honour Christ will put on us at the day of Judgment when he shall be admired in his Saints The favour of Princes to seeing God face to face Vain Glory to Everlasting Glory Their momentary Pleasures which pass away suddenly as a Dream to that Everlasting pleasure at God's Right hand A little Decking and Adorning of the Body to be satisfied with his likeness and to walk with God in White 2. Present Enjoyments Here I take in the notion of the Text his secret is with the righteous There is some difference what should be meant by the secret of the Lord. Sometimes it noteth 1 Spiritual Illumination or the knowledge of God's Will Psal. 25 14. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him he will teach them his Covenant They know more of God's mind than others do and they know it not only Literally but Spiritually That is by the lively light of the Spirit not Disciplinarily Now this is a great favour that God doth so love them that he doth admit them to his Arcana Iohn 15.15 I have called you Friends for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known to you 'T is a greater Evidence of God's Friendship to understand his Counsel in the Word and to be acquainted with the Mysteries of Godliness than all the Success Power and greatness of the World Christ gave his Spirit to the rest of the Apostles but his Purse to the Son of Perdition Some have Knowledge and Eminent Gifts others Wealth and Honour yea though they which increase Knowledge increase Sorrow yet the knowledge of a despised hated truth though it expose us to sufferings is better than to flourish in opposition against the ways of God through our ignorance obstinacy and blind prejudice And will you that are directed in the way of Salvation advanced to know God and the tenour of his Will far more than the Blind Carnal Careless World Envy them that are only acquainted with Christianity as a Report or Tradition calculated and formed to to a Worldly Interest 2. The secret of the Lord may intend not only direction in our Duty but Satisfaction about God's Dispensations for our Consolation in all Afflictions God helpeth them to interpret his Providence better than others called the secrets of Wisdom Iob. 11.6 And should the Saints whose Graces make them so sharp and Engaged that know more of God's mind than others in these very dealings which are so troublesome and offensive to them should they envy the Oppresâor and be so discontented to suffer a little that have more skill than others to look into God's ways and consider the course of his proceedings 3. Secret may imply the visible Blessings of God's Providence so 't is said Iob. 29.34 The secret of the Lord was upon my Tabernacle The singular Love God bore to him did preserve him and did guide him and his Family and made all his Affairs prosper Psal. 31.20 God shall hide them in the secret of his presence When they seem to be left open as a prey to the oppressions and injuries of their potent Adversaries yet there is a secret guard upon them and they are kept the World knoweth not how Now should such that are hedged round about with the guard of a secret Blessing leave their refuge for the defence of a little Interest in the World which God hateth and can soon blow upon Psal. 91.1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty 4. Secret may note the intimate familiarity that is between God and them and that inward Consolation which they have with God in a course of Holiness which is hidden from the World 1 Iohn 1.7 But if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another John 14.21 He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and manifest my self to him Many secret Refreshings visits of Love expressions of Grace are bestowed upon them Now have such any cause to envy others They that walk with God meet him at every turn are so often comforted and quickned by the manifestations of God and the influences of his Grace Psal. 17.15 As for me I will behold thy face in righteousness The Psalmist preferreth his present condition before the greatest happiness of carnal men because he had opportunities of beholding the Face of God or enjoying the Comforts of his Presence This is as if a Child fed with Manchet should envy a Slave for being fed with the Bread of Sorrows 3 The Nature and mischievous effects of this envy For 't is not so tame an evil as the world doth imagine 1. It disposeth to fretting or murmuring against God's Holy Providence Psal. 37.1 Fret not thy self because of evil doers neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity Prov. 24.19 Fret not thy self because of evil men neither be thou envious at the wicked It notes a certain taxing of God's Providence as if he did not rightly Govern the World 1. It tempteth to Apostacy from God's ways to the ways of the wicked That 's in the Text clearly Envy not the oppressor and chuse none of his ways implying that this emulation of their Happiness will draw you to cry up a Confederacy with them and to enter into their Lot and Net Prov. 24.1 Be not thou envious against evil men neither desire to be with them When we admire their Happiness it secretly inticeth our Hearts to take share and lott with them A Man is perverted by this Envy it weakneth our fear of God our value of Spiritual Blessings expectation of things to come and diligence in God's Service 3. It implieth and includeth many ill Principles which tend directly to the weakning of Faith Hope and Piety 1. It implyeth or includeth this Principle or Opinion That the felicity of a Man consisteth in these external good things which the wicked enjoy which is an error destructive to Godliness For change a Man's
Spirits to all the other parts so what we receive from God as good Stewards we should dispense it again and so propagate the Knowledge of God in the World which is better than Gold and fine Silver 3. It is a great comfort and quickening to confer together of holy things Rom. 1.12 That I may be comforted together with you by the mutual Faith both of you and me It is a far sweeter thing to talk of the Word of God and spiritual and heavenly things than to imploy our Tongues in vain and foolish Mirth or discoursing about mere worldly Matters Should any thing be more delightful to a Christian than God and Christ and Heaven and the Promises of the World to come and the Way thither And therefore surely we should take all meet occasions to confer of these things Certainly our relish and appetite is mightily depraved to judge our selves as in a Prison when we are in good Company who remember God And when they invite you to remember him with them will you frown upon the Motion because it is some check and interruption to Carnal Vanity Had you rather hear the Ravens croak or the Nightingale sing The grunting of a Swine or the melody of an Instrument Such a a difference there is between vain and worldly talk and heavenly discourse 4. The well-ordering of our Words is a great point of Christianity and argueth a good degree of Grace He that bridleth his Tongue is a perfect Man Jam. 3.2 If any Man offend not in words the same is a perfect Man and able also to bridle the whole Body And Solomon saith Prov. 18.21 That Death and Life are in the power of the Tongue Upon the good or ill use of it a Man's safety doth depend not only Temporal safety but Eternal And a greater than Solomon tells us Matth. 12.37 By thy Words shalt thou be justified and by thy Words shalt thou be condemned Therefore it concerneth us to look to our Discourses as well as our Actions Solomon often describeth the Righteous by his good Tongue Prov. 10.31 The Mouth of the Iust bringeth forth Wisdom Prov. 12.8 The Tongue of the Wise is Health The first Use is to inform us 1. What an Happineâs it is to converse with just and renewed Men Their Tongue is as choice Silver You are inriched by converse with them with such Treasures as if you were well in your Wits you would prefer above fine Gold and choice Silver And so sheweth what Teachers you should live under and what Families you should put your selves into if you be at your own disposal and what Company you should chuse You should go into the Mines those places where the Vein of choice Silver is to be had 2. That it is not enough to avoid evil Communication but our Speech must be ordered by Grace to the benefit of others Besides vain babling there are two defects Some are dumb and tongue-tyed in holy Things they can speak liberally of any Subject that occurreth but are dumb in Spiritual Matters which concern Edification Men shew so little Grace in their Conferences because they have so little Grace in their Hearts Many carry it as if they were âshamed to speak of God or had nothing to say of him or for him You are not bound always to speak of Religious Things but sometimes you are bound now when do you interpose a word for God in a serious and affectionate manner Others jangle about disputable Opinions and all their talk is Controversie as if the plain and uncontroverted Points were not worth the owning yet in these the life and power of Godliness consisteth this is like leaving Bread and gnawing upon a a Stone In Nature necessary things are obvious so in the Universe of Religion to inculcate on each other the Vital Truths and the most necessary Duties Controversies have their place but the ordinary discourse of Christians should be about the most necessary things 3. To shew us what need there is that we should be just holy and righteouâ If we would profit others by our discourses two things are necessary that we should be inlightned and mortified 1. That we should be inlightned by the Spirit of Grace If we would teach others the way of God it is necessary that we our selves should be taught of God It cometh warmer and fresher from us when we speak not by hear-say only but Experience as Heart answereth to Heart so the renewed Heart in him that heareth to the renewed Heart in him that speaketh and we shew others what God by his illuminating Grace hath first shewed us Then it savoureth of the Spirit that worketh in both he that is all on fire himself will more easily inkindle others Alas Good Things pass through many like Water through an empty Trunk without feeling they may speak very good things but they do but personate and act a part When God hath bound up our Wounds we do more feeling speak to others Certainly we are apt to speak oftenest of those things which we do most affect when we have a true discerning of the Excellency of holy things our Speeches about them will be more frequent lively and savoury 2. That we be mortified and dead to carnal things for we cannot conceal our Affections whether they are bent to the things of the Flesh or to the things of the Spirit Till the Heart be câeansed and we mortifie our sinful Inclinations from whence Thoughts and Words proceed they always obey the Ruling Power A good Man will be known by his discourse so will the Carnal The Froward will speak froward things and the Sensual of what is grateful to the Flesh and the Worldly of what is suitable to their worldly Designs and Knowledge doth not guide us here so much as Inclination for Speech is but the overflow of the Heart The second Use is of Exhortation To press us to imploy our Tongues to the Use of Edifying 1. Let us be much exercised in reading and meditating on the Word of God and get a good stock of sound Scriptural Knowledge Matth. 12.35 A good Man out of the good treasure of the Heart bringeth forth good things Every Man entertaineth his Guests with such Provision as he hath He that taketh Money out of his Pocket if it be stored with Gold or Silver or Brass Farthings as his Stock is so will the Draught appear The Word of God is that which enableth us to edifie our selves and others with holy Conference The more Store the more we have to bring forth upon all Occasions Coll. 3.16 Let the Word of God dwell in you richly in all Wisdom teaching and admonishing one another A plentiful measure of Gospel-Knowledge enableth us to instruct others and direct others There all Wisdom is made plain things revealed which cannot be found elsewhere that which by long search we get in the Writings of Heathens is there made ready to our hands and brought down to the meanest Capacity If the
how miserable a thing it is to have a drossy unsanctified Heart even though your Life should be never so blameless Now the Spirit of God calleth upon us to shew our selves Men Isa. 46.8 Remember this and shew your selves men bring it again to mind O ye transgressors And if you will never sit alone and commune with your selves about these weighty Matters your Condemnation is just Motives to quicken us how much it concerneth you to get your Hearts sanctified 1. Because of the two great Competitors God and Satan how earnest they are for the Heart It is God's Choice Prov. 23.26 My son give me thy heart This is that which God craveth and every good Man should say Lord I give it unto thee It pleaseth God to hide our Hearts from one anothers knowledge but he seeth them whether they be kept in a right frame yea or no. Men are incompetent Judges of the Heart therefore they look to the outward appearance but God's Eye is upon the Heart 1 Sam. 16.7 Man looketh unto the outward appearance but the Lord looketh on the heart Psal. 41.6 Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom If we have a wise and understanding Heart a choice and excellent Spirit On the other side it is that which Satan striveth for most the greatest Contest between God and Satan is who shall have the Heart of Man As Acts 5.3 Why hath Satan filled thy heart to lye to the Holy Ghost So Luke 22.3 Then entred Satan into Iudas Then he gets into the Man when he gets into the Heart Iohn 13.2 The Devil having now put into the heart of Iudas to betray him This is the Castle the Enemy would surprize he maintaineth his Interest there by vain and sinful Thoughts 2. The importance of the Heart as to our Speeches and Actions it is Fons Actionum ad extra the Fountain of all our outward Actions we bring every thing out of the Heart Matth. 12.35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things The Tongue Eyes Hands and Feet are but Instruments to execute the motions of the Heart The Prophet cast Salt into the Spring to cure the brackishness of the Water 2 Kings 22.21 And it is Terminus actionum ad intra the principle of our internal Actions Rom. 6.17 Ye have obeyed from the heart the form of doctrine which was delivered you Means 1. Earnest Prayer to God Psal. 51.10 Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me God beginneth to us that we may imitate him Deut. 5.29 O that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my commandments always Psal. 86.11 Unite my heart to fear thy name The Heart naturally is scattered to vain Objects 2. Treasuring up the Counsels of the Word Psal. 119.11 Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee Prov. 6.20 21 22. My son keep thy fathers commandments and forsake not the law of thy mother Bind them continually upon thine heart and tie them about thy neck When thou goest it shall lead thee when thou sleepest it shall keep thee and when thou awakest it shall talk with thee 3. Serious Caution that bad Principles be not rooted in us Heb. 3.12 Take heed lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God 4. Watching against vain Pleasures which render it brutish sottish frothy and stupid Hosea 4.11 Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart The generosity bravery and spriteliness of the Heart 5. If gotten keep it Prov. 4.23 Keep thy heart with all diligence Our first business is to get an Heart worth the keeping a vain Heart is better thrown away than kept When the Heart is renewed and changed keep it pure and loyal to God First get out Sin then keep it out We keep it by a constant watchfulness over the Senses Iob 31.1 I made a Covenant with my eyes why then should I look upon a maid Over the Thoughts Prov. 15.26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord. Over the Affections and Passions Gal. 5.24 They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts 6. Increase it to a Choice an excellent Spirit 1 Cor. 2.12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that we may know the things that are freely given to us of God 2 Tim. 1.7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power of love and of a sound mind A Sermon on Acts x. 34 35. Then Peter opened his mouth and said Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons But in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him THese Words are Peter's reply to Cornelius who sent for him to hear the Gospel from his mouth For the entertaining of this Message both Peter and Cornelius were aforehand prepared severally by God Peter by a Vision Cornelius by an Oracle So much ado was needful to gather in the first Fruits of the Gentiles In the Words take notice of two Things 1. Peter's acknowledgment of his former Mistake Vers. 34. 2. His assertion of the positive Truth which he learned by this Providence Vers. 35. First In the acknowledgment of his former Error you may observe three things 1. The Preface or Introduction Then Peter opened his mouth and said Prophane Spirits cavil at this Expression as needless For how could he speak say they without opening his mouth But they mind not that it is an Hebraism frequently used in Scripture concerning them that are about to speak any thing weighty upon mature deliberation As of our Lord Christ it is said Matth. 5.2 He opened his mouth and taught them saying So Psal. 78.2 I will open my mouth in a parable Prov. 8.2 I will speak of excellent things the opening of my mouth shall be right things To open the Mouth is to speak considerately prudently confidently Would to God that those that scoff at these things would never open their Mouths to worse purpose 2. The means of his Conviction Of a truth I perceive ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã The Phrase is used of those that are apparently convinced and perswaded to change their Opinion The Latines would express it A vero vinci to be overcome by the Truth it self Peter once thought that it was unlawful for a Man that is a Jew to keep company with or go to one that is of another Nation as he himself expresseth it Vers. 28. But being prepared by his Vision and now convinced by the Words of Cornelius he perceived the contrary 3. The Error That God was a Respecter of Persons or had so confined his Respect to the Jewish Nation that
Power and Merit of the Lord Jesus And something there must be in us or how shall we make out our Title and Claim or know that the Grace of God belongeth to us If we look only to Justification and suspect all Comfort that is elsewhere derived we are in danger of falling into the gross part of the Error of Poquinus and Quintinus who in Calvin's time asserted it to be the only Mortification to extinguish the sense of Sin in the Heart But this is not to mortify Sin but to mortify Repentance and Holiness to Crucifie the new Man rather than the old not to quiet Conscience but outface it Surely where there is Sin there will be Trouble Sanctification is one means of applying the Grace of God as well as Justification and we must look to both benefits and the mutual respect they have to one another But because this Prejudice is drunk in by many not ill-meaning People let us a little dispossess them of this vain Conceit 1. As to Christ. It is certain that a Sinner can have no hope of acceptance with God but by Christ 1 Tim. 1.15 Christ came to save sinners And Matth. 1.21 He shall save his people from their sins 2. It is as true that whosoever is in Christ he is a new creature 2 Cor. 5.17 So that the Dispute will lye here to clear up our interest in Christ whether we are new Creatures for till that be determined we can have no solid Peace and Comfort within our selves 3. None is a new Creature but he who feareth God and worketh Righteousness For that is the description of a new Creature that all old Things are passed away and all Things are become new a new Heart a new Mind and a new Conversation For a new Heart is only sensibly discovered by newness of Life Rom. 6.4 Well then our Proposition is fully reconcilable with the Grace of Jesus Christ. 2. With respect to the New Covenant Which suspending our Right and Title to Priviledges upon the conditions of Faith and new Obedience do plainly shew what influence fearing God and working Righteousness have on our Comfort and Peace Now in the new as in all Covenants there is Ratio dati accepti something promised and something required That which is promised is acceptance unto Pardon and Life That which is required is taking hold of this Covenant and choosing the Things that please God Isa. 56.4 That is an unfeigned Consent to God's Covenant as it is modelled and stated or such a sense of God's Transactions with Men by Christ as maketh them willing of the Mercies offered and Duties required in order to these Mercies This sense of God's Mercy is sometimes called Faith sometimes Love sometimes Fear It is called Faith because we treat with an invisible God about an Happiness that lieth in an unseen World It is called Love because such great and necessary Benefits are offered to us as draw our Hearts to God again It is called Fear because we are so culpable and God is so holy and glorious and the concernment of the Work is so weighty that we come to serve him with Reverence and godly Fear Heb. 12.28 But then this sense makes us willing of the Mercies offered because none but the serious part of Mankind doth regard and care for them And it maketh us also willing of the Duties required both for their own sakes they tending to the Glory of God and the perfecting of Man's Nature as also because of the annexed Benefits But now every Will doth not give you a Title to the Blessings of the Covenant but a sincere Will There is a cold and ineffectual Will which is in no prevailing degree A lazy Wish which will never change our Hearts and there is a fixed bent which maketh it our work to please and glorifie God Heb. 13.18 We trust we have a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly This is that sincerity which is our Gospel Duty 3. With respect to the Spirit who is our Sanctifier and Comforter First a Sanctifier and then a Comforter and therefore a Comforter because a Sanctifier Otherwise the Spirit would cause us to rejoyce we know not why and the Comforts of a Christian would be fantastical and groundless at best we should rejoyce in a meer possible Salvation But Holiness is God's Seal and Impress upon us Eph. 1.13 In whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy spirit of promise When his sanctifying Work is interrupted so is his comforting Work disturbed also Eph. 4.31 David's Bones were broken and he lost his Joy when he fell into great Sins Psal. 51. and Psal. 32. And it is true in others who when they have been lifted up to Heaven in Comfort have fallen almost as low as Hell in Sorrow Trouble and perplexity of Spirit when they grew remiss negligent and disobedient to the motions of the Holy Ghost If we intermit a course of Holiness the Frowns of God will soon turn our Day into Night and the poor forsaken Soul that was feasted with the love of God know-not whence to fetch the least support Such is the fruit of our careless and loose walking 4. With respect to Conscience He that casts off a godly Life and giveth up himself to a carnal Course can never have Comfort for Guilt will breed Terror and by frequent sinning you keep the Wounds of Conscience still bleeding Till it be better used how can it speak Peace to us 1 Iohn 3.20 21 22. Beloved if our own hearts condemn us God is greater than our hearts and knoweth all things but if our hearts condemn us not then have we confidence towards God and whatsoever we ask we receive of him because we keep his commandments and do what is pleasing in his sight Mark therefore how much is ascribed to the testimony of Conscience because of its nearness to us It is our own Hearts a Domestical Tribunal which we carry about with us in our Bosoms It is more worthy of Credit than any human Testimony whatsoever For what shall we believe if we do not believe our own Hearts which are most likely to deal impartially with us Partly in relation to God It acts in God's name as his Deputy according to his Law And what Conscience speaketh it is as if God himself had spoken it So that these workings of Conscience are as it were a beginning either of Hell or Heaven within us Mark Secondly the Testimony it goeth upon Because we keep his commandments and do what is pleasing in his sight Just the same with that in the Text to fear God and work righteousness Mark Thirdly the Success and Effect We have confidence towards him and whatever we ask we receive of him That is we have such favour with God that we shall obtain whatever in Reason and Righteousness we can ask of him 2. It informeth us of the true nature of that Sanctification which giveth us hopes of
Alnis Luke 6.38 Give and it shall be given unto you good measure pressed down and shaken together and running over shall men give into your bosom for with the same measure that ye meet withall it shall be measured to you again To Ordinances So here in the Text as you deal with God so will he deal with you Look what measure of Diligence and Conscionable Care is in you to hear the Word the like measure of Spiritual Fruit and Profit shall you reap by the Blessing of God 2. A Promise grounded upon a Proverb and unto you that hear shall more be given Those that make use of what is said to them that mark diligently and practice accordingly more Knowledge and Grace is increased This is built on a Proverb habenti dabitur for he that hath to him shall be given To have doth not only signifie the Possession of a thing but the use which is the end of Possession So he that hath is he that hath to purpose that occupieth the Gift and Grace received A Man that useth and employeth that which he hath and so maketh it to appear to the World that he hath such a Talent from God for in Scripture we are said to have that we make use of To him shall be given He shall increase his stock He shall be having and having and having till he come to a glorious Estate in all Spiritual Riches Knowledge Love Humility Zeal Temperance and Patience and all manner of Grace That the expression is Proverbial is out of Question with the Learned for it is an assertion verified in all Ages and Places That the Rich have many friends and he that hath much shall have more Every one will be giving to them and they have greater advantages of improving themselves than others Upon this occasion were the words first used which our Saviour is pleased to translate and apply to his own purpose of growth in Grace by a diligent use of the means Doct. That a serious attention to the Doctrine of the Gospel is the means appointed for the attaining of saving Grace and a plentiful increase therein In stating this point let me observe to you 1. That in the Communication of Grace as well as Nature God observeth the order of means Because he dealeth with us as reasonable Creatures and this becometh the Wisdom of his Government and so he meeteth with us in our way and we meet with him in his way So Christ is the principal means and called therefore the way to the Father Iohn 14.8 Other Subordinate means are instituted by him 2. That among the Subordinate means the principle is the Word called therefore the power of God unto Salvation Rom. 1.16 All the parts of it are fitted to their Sanctifying use His Doctrine to teach and fill us with due Conceptions and Apprehensions of God Threatnings to drive Promises to draw Examples to move and all these formed into a Covenant strongly to ingage us to God 3. This word that it may profit us must be diligently attended unto For this is Christ's Admonition in the Text Take heed what you hear The Gospel deserveth it our profiting requireth it 1 The Gospel deserveth it partly for the sublimity and excellency of the Mysteries therein contained which are enough to ravish the thoughts of Angels 1 Pet. 1.12 Therefore we cannot conceive of them without much consideration Great and Excellent things do even force their way into our Minds Now all other things are but Toys and Trifles to this What is a greater speculation than God made accessible to us in Christ as he was manifested in the Flesh than God reconciled by the propitiatory sacrifice of his Death What is all the Glory of the World to Everlasting Communion with God These things are a feast to the Minds of all wise and rational Men. And partly because of their profit they are things that nearly concern us Needless speculations we may well spare or other Mens matters but surely we should mind their own things What doth more nearly concern us than to have God for our God and Christ for our Saviour and Redeemer and the Spirit for our Sanctifier and Comforter This is life Eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent Iohn 17.3 And partly their Necessity We are undone for ever if ignorant of these things Acts 4.12 Neither is there Salvation in any other for there is none other name under Heaven given among men whereby we can be saved And Condemned by the Gospel if we make light of them Iohn 3.19 This is the Condemnation that light is come into the World and Men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil Not to think that worthy of a serious thought which was brought about with so much ado Matth. 22.5 And they made light of it This is not only vile ingratitude but obstinate contempt of Grace which will cost us dear 2. Our profiting by the Gospel requireth it for otherwise How can we have a sufficient understanding of those Mysteries if we content our selves with a few cursory and âareless Thoughts 2 Tim. 2.7 Consider what I say and the Lord give thee understanding in all things Lay this to thy Heart and God give thee a right use of it or a judgment to do all things which belong to thee 2. That we may feel the force and power of it Acts 16.14 And a certain woman named Lidia a seller of purple of the City of Thyatira which worshipped God heard us whose heart the Lord opened that she attended unto the things which were spoken by Paul without attendency the Truth is lost and doth us no good There must be Attention and Intention before there can be choice or pursuit For the Gospel doth not work like a charme as if we could find the efficacy of it whither sleeping or waking 3. To move the Soul to Obedience For Take heed what you hear is as much as See you practice what you have heard that you bring forth the fruit accordingly He that heareth my sayings and doth them I will liken him to a wise builder Matth. 7.24 Hearing tendeth to Practice Knowledge to Practice Faith to Practice Affection to Practice without which our Hearing is but a bodily Task our Knowledge but an empty Speculation Faith a dead Opinion Affection but a vanishing Impression These things do not attain their consummate and proper effect 4. This diligent attention consisteth in three things Sound Belief Serious Consideration and close Application Sound Belief 1 Thess. 2.13 For this cause we thank God without ceasing because when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us ye received it not as the word of men but as it is in truth the word of God which effectually worketh also in you that believe Serious Consideration Deut. 32.46 And he said unto them Set your hearts unto all the words which I testiste among you this day which
you shall command your Children to observe to do all the words of this Law Luke 9.44 Let these sayings sink down into your Ears Close Application Rom. 8.31 What shall we then say to these things if God be for us who can be against us Job 5.27 Loe thus we have searched it so it is hear it and know thou it for thy good And therefore as things are duly thought on so they must be closely applied These three acts of the Soul have each of them a distinct and proper Work Sound belief worketh on the clearness and certainty of the things asserted Serious Consideration on the greatness and importance of them Close Application on their pertinency and suitableness to us See all in one place 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a true saying worthy of all acceptation That Iesus Christ came into the world to save Sinners of whom I am chief These are all necessary to make any truth operative Sound belief for we are not affected with what we believe not Heb. 4.2 For unto us was the Gospel preached as well as unto them but the word preached did not profit them not being mixed with Faith in them that heard it Therefore to awaken diligence the truth of things is pleaded 2 Pet. 1.5 10 16. Give all diligence to add to your Faith Virtue and to Virtue Knowledge Give diligence to make your calling and Election sure for we have not followed cunningly devised Fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Iesus Christ but were Eye-witnesses of his Majesty Heb. 2.3 4. For if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him The first rousing Question when Men heard any Sermon about any Truth or Doctrine of the Gospel was Is this true For Consideration Heb. 3.1 Wherefore holy Brethren partakers of the Heavenly calling consider the Apostle and High Priest of our Profession Christ Iesus our Lord. Without Consideration the weightiest things lie by as if they were not Sleepy reason is as none The most important Truths have no force upon us till Consideration awakeneth us Then for Application what concerneth us not is passed over Unless we hear things with a care to apply them we shall never make use of them Eph. 1.13 In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth the Gospel of our Salvation In whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise 'T is not enough to know the Gospel to be a Doctrine of Salvation to others but we must look upon it as a Doctrine that bringeth Salvation to our own doors and leaveth it upon our choice A Plaister doth not heal at a distance till it be applied to the Sore Truths are too remote till we set the edge and point of them to our own Hearts Well then by this way we Preach to our selves Day and Night by exciting our Faith in God and Christ and Glory to come and by serious Consideration stirring up all God's graces in our selves and reproving our selves for all our Sins and calling a backward Heart to all the duties required of us This is the work of Close Application 5. They prosper best in Grace that most faithfully and diligently use the means Here I shall prove two things 1. That we are to use the means For wherefore hath Christ appointed them but that we should use them His Church is not like a Statuaries Shop where the Image or Statue doth nothing but the Carver or Artificer doth all But 't is compared to a School where Christ is the Teacher to teach us our Duty and we are Disciples to learn it And to a Kingdom where Christ is the Monarch and Sovereign and we are Subjects ingaged by Covenant to Obey him and the manner of his Government 't is not meerly natural ruling us as he doth the other Creatures by a Rod of Iron or in a way of absolute power as they cannot do otherwise but Moral by Laws Promises Threatnings working Faith by preaching and Love Hope and Obedience are the ends of Faith Certainly he governeth Man as Man not by Physical Motions only but by Moral Motives to which we must attend consider and improve Hosea 11.4 I drew them with the Cords of a Man with bands of Love Christ hath not to deal with Stones or Brick or Timber but with Men. God hath fitted the means to do their work and for these ends we must use them If he did ordinarily work without them he would never have appointed them to this end He could have done it with one powerful fiat one creating word or beck of his will but he hath set another train and order of Causes and therefore he will work by them because he worketh on all things according to their Nature and this is suitable to the nature of Man We never knew of any Man that came to Knowledge Faith or Love without means Therefore 't is presumption for us to expect it And the greatest neglecters and despisers of Means are every where the most graceless and the worst of Men Therefore it concerneth us to use them ãâã the greater diligence and care We may learn from our Adversary the Devil he sheweth his Malice to Souls in opposing the means either by depriving Men of them 2 Thess. 2.18 Wherefore we would have come unto you even I Paul once and again but Satan hindred us or keeping them from them by thraldom or filling them with prejudice Iohn 8.4.4 Ye are of your Father the Devil and the lusts of your Father ye will do he was a Murtherer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him 2 Cor. 44. In whom the God of this World hath blinded the Eyes of them which believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine upon them Or from the Faithful using of them Matth. 13.19 When any one heareth the word of the Kingdom and understandeth it not then cometh the wicked one and catcheth away that which was sowen in his Heart He watcheth them in all their Postures As soon as Men begin to be serious and to take heed what they hear he disturbeth the Work Well then the Means have an Aptitude and subservient Efficacy which we ought to regard 2. They prosper best that do most faithfully and diligently use the means I shall prove that by the double reason of the Text. 1. With what measure you meet it shall be measured to you again In the Allegation of this Proverbial Speech I shall observe two things 1. That there is a Law of Commerce between God and his Creatures or else how shall we know what to expect And the ordinary Rule
the knowledge of the Truth gained thereby if they despise all these and abandon themselves to their own brutish Passions and Affections as we see many by resisting Common Preparing Grace do so harden their Hearts and increase their Incapacity that the same degree of Grace will not change them that will change others not so self-harden'd Ier. 13.23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots Then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil And those that are unwilling to use the Means that they are able that will not hear or consider what they hear that it may affect them they provoke God not only to suspend the influence of his Spirit but to take away the Means Prov. 1.23 24. Turn you at my reproof âehold I will pour out my spirit unto you and I will make known my words unto you Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded c. Much more when they run the contrary way and turn their Thoughts and Affections more eagerly after Vanity and oppose God's Help and Grace because it is against their Lusts Ezek. 24.13 Because I have purged thee and thou wast not purged thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more Well then they that have common Grace ought and are bound to use it for the obtaining of more Grace 'T is charged as a great Crime on them that have Eyes and see not Ears and hear not that will not frame their Doings to turn unto the Lord so much as put themselves into a posture They are threatned that it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than those that have abundance of Means and use them not That they that were lifted up to Heaven in Ordinances shall be cast down to Hell for the neglect of them Matth. 11.23 That the Ninivites shall rise up in judgment against them and condemn them because they repented at the preaching of Ionas and behold a greater than Ionas is here Matth. 12.41 They that have received so much Grace from God and yet do not understand nor seek after him their Condemnation is aggravated their Destruction is of themselves they shut themselves out of the Kingdom of God reject the Counsel of God against themselves and judge themselves unworthy of Eternal Life The Scripture every where speaketh at this rate concerning the Folly and Negligence of Men. But if it be asked If they did improve this common Grace shall they acquire Special Grace Answ. 1. âod is abundant in Mercy Goodness and Truth and doth not use to appoint Means in vain Certainly they do not merit it at God's hands nor is he expresly bound to give it to them No It is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth Rom. 9.16 The first ârace is given by God as a free Lord not by any certain Law but by his own Pleaâure Well but will he give it The Question is curious and needeth no Answer He that is deadly sick doth not refuse his Physick till he be made certain that it will recover him but useth it as the only proper Remedy in the case and commits the Event to âod He that is to Plough and commit his precious Seed to the ground doth not stand to have assurance that the next Year will prove fruitful and the Season kindly but ventureth because usually God's Blessing goeth along with Man's Industry So in the business of Salvation we should not trouble our selves about the Event but do our Duty and leave the Event to God waiting for his Power and Grace in the careful use of the Means which he hath instituted to that end Certainly none perish but they perish through their own folly and negligence not for any defect in God's help When we have done all that we can he is not our Debtor but yet he is our gracious Benefactor and if we would labour to suppress our Cavils and Curiosity we shall find God better to us than we can imagine 4. This increase is given by degrees we have not all at first nor all at once for Christ speaketh to them To whom it was given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God Mark 4.11 To them that had ears to hear Vers. 23. Now to them he saith More shall be given As our Capacities are inlarged so is God's Bounty to us Psal. 81.10 Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it We are not straitned in God but in our selves The more we improve Grace received and the more serious we grow and have our Desires and Expectations enlarged the more God will give for by Mercy he prepareth for more Mercy 'T is serious Diligence and exercising our selves to Godliness maketh us see the worth of Grace and the necessity of more ârace to bear our Burdens resist Temptations perform our Duties and the more we are acquainted with God the more will we follow on to know the Lord. Mosâs his first Request was Tell me thy name and then Shew me thy glory Sensible Want increaseth with Enjoyment so doth God's Supply for his Goodness is inexhaustible Where he hath given he will give 1 Use. Is Information to shew us the reason why so many reap so little Fruit by the hearing of the Word either they never had solid Comfort and Benefit by it or else languiâh and grow lazy in the profession and practice of Godliness What is the reason They do not take heed to what they hear seriously regard the Mesâages sent them by God day after day and then alas all the good Seed that is sown is like Corn on the House top that never groweth to perfection Neither is the Understanding informed nor the Will engaged to Practice Why are our Hearts so little affected and inflamed with the love of God Why stand we in no more Awe and Fear of him Have so small Hope and weak Confidence in him We mind nothing what is said concerning these Duties in the course of the Ministry We sit under the Gospel and pass over these things and do not deeply consider them in our Hearts Christians we impose no hard Law upon you many pretend they cannot invent Arguments for Meditation but when brought to your hands will you think of them They have no Time but if you will spare none of your own Time will you employ God's Time well Let Sabbath-Doctrines so far be considered by you as to sink into your Hearts Surely in their season all things should have their Turn and Place When we are employed about the World we are never troubled with Heavenly things why should the World intrude upon God's Portion 2. Use is Direction If you would profit by the Word take heed to what you Hear see what you do with it believe it soundly Is it a Truth or a Fable a Crochet of Ministers or a genuine Deduction from the word of God Consider it seriously How shall I mortifie this Sin or perform this Duty
of Christ. These things are worthy in themselves but when Men count them unworthy we should not be ashamed Not ashamed of sufferings 2 Tim. 1.8 Be not ashamed of the testimony of the Lord nor me his Prisoner but be thou a partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel through the power of God Mallem ruere cum Christo quam stare cum ãâã I had rather perish with Christ than stand fast with Caesar. And Mârsac cur non me quoque torque donas c. Why dost thou not grace me with a Chain ãâã Nor ashamed of those that suffer for the Name of Christ 2 Tim. 1.16 He was not ashamed of my chain Heb. 11.26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt As any one cometh nearer to Christ so should he be dearer to us This is true Gratitude not to be ashamed of Christ and his Service nor Servants otherwise Christ will be ashamed of us Mark 8.38 Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the Holy Angels Oh to have Christ be ashamed of us to hide his Face in that day How terrible will it be In the changes of the World Men if they did know it would stick to that Party that is sure to be uppermost Christ is sure to be uppermost if you shrink from him when his Cause or Honour lyeth in the Dust it will be matter of Eternal Shame in the world to come 3. Doctrine The kindred is only reckoned to the sanctified All Men are in some sense of the same stock with Christ yet it is said He that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one The rest of the world are left out as not capable of the comfort of this Relation 1. Who are the Sanctified 2. Why this appropriation 1. Who are the Sanctified To Sanctifie signifieth Two things to separate and to set apart for an Holy use And to cleanse and Purifie And when this is applied to Persons they are sanctified that are dedicated and set apart for God's use and service and are purified and cleansed from the pollution of Sin And so in all that are Sanctified there is a difference between them and others For they are set apart for God while others live to themselves Psal. 4.3 The Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself Yea there is a change and so a difference between them and themselves 1 Cor. 6.11 And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the spirit of our God This closely followed would find out the Parties here intended But yet we must know that in both these Senses some are Sanctified in appearance only others really and indeed 1. In Appearance only And so all the members of the visible Church that are in outward Covenant with God and bound to be Holy are called Saints and said to be Sanctified Exod. 31.13 I am the Lord that doth sanctifie you And thus Apostates are said to trample the Blood of the Covenant under foot wherewith they were Sanctified Heb. 10.29 That is externally in their separation from the World and dedication to God's Service by outward Calling and Covenant In foro externo before Men these are Sanctified yea in his external Dispensation God speaketh to such an one and of him and dealeth with him as one of his own People 2. Really and indeed So Sanctification is threefold 1. Meritorious 2. Applicatory 3. Practical 1. Meritorious Sanctification is Christ's meriting and purchasing for his Church the inward inhabitation of the Spirit and that Grace whereby they may be Sanctified So it is said Heb. 10.10 By which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Iesus Christ once for all All those for whom Christ did offer himself are Sanctified in due time by virtue of Christ's offering So it is said Heb. 13.12 Iesus that he might sanctifie the people with his own Blood did suffer without the gate This Sanctification cannot be repeated or increased but was done once for all and that by one above even Jesus Christ. There needeth no addition to his Merit 2. Applicatory Sanctification is the inward renovation of the Heart of those whom Christ hath Sanctified by the Spirit of Regeneration whereby a Man is translated from Death to Life from the state of Nature to the state of Grace This is spoken of Tit. 3.5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost This is the daily Sanctifiation which with respect to the merit of Christ is wrought by the Sprit and the ministry of the Word and Sacraments 3. Practical Sanctification is that by which they for whom Christ Sanctified himself and who are renewed by the Holy Ghost and Planted into Christ by Faith do more and more Sanctifie and cleanse themselves from sin in Thought Word and Deed 1 Pet. 1.15 As he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation 1 Joh. 3.3 Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure Weakning the relicks of sin and getting more readiness and preparation of Heart for all the acts of the Holy Life In the former we are passive we contribute nothing to the First little to the Second but in this we are operative Besides these two Notions to consecrate and purifie help us to understand the nature of true Sanctification 1. As to Sanctifie signifieth to Consecrate or Dedicate to God so it signifieth both the fixed inclination or the disposition of the Soul towards God as our highest Lord and chief good and accordingly a resignation of our Souls to God to live in the love of his Blessed Majesty and a Thankful Obedience to him More distinctly 1 It implyeth a Bent a tendency or fixed inclination towards God which is habitual Sanctification 2. A Resignation or giving up our selves to God by which actual Holiness is begun A constant using our selves for him by which it is continued and the continual exercise of a fervent love by which it is increased in us more and more till all be perfected in Glory And perfect Love is maintained by a perfect vision of him 2. As it signifieth to Purifie and Cleanse so it signifies the purifying of the Soul from the love of the World Omnis impuritrâ est ex mixtum vitioru A Man is impure because when he was made for God he doth prefer the base trifles of this world before his Maker and everlasting Glory And so he is not Sanctified that doth despise and disobey his Maker He despiseth him because he preferreth the most contemptible Vanity before him and doth chuse the transitory pleasure of sinning
diverted either by the comfortable or troublesome things we meet with here in the World Not by the comfortable things 1 Pet. 1.13 Wherefore gird up the Lâyns of your Mind be sober and hope to the end for the Grace that is to be brought unto you at the Revelation of Iesus Christ. Nor by the troublesome things of the World Rom. 8.39 Nor height nor depth nor any other Crâature shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Iâsus our Lord Well then the Supreme Good or Fruition of the ever-blessed GOD is believed sought after waited for we know it by Faith we seek it by Love we wait for the enjoyment of it by Hope Faith affordeth us Light to discover it and direct us to it Love possesseth the Soul with a Desire to enjoy it and Hope giveth us a Confidence of obtaining it through Jesus Christ our Lord. III. Their Use in the Spiritual Conflict 1. They impel us to do our Duty with all diligence whatever Temptations we have to the contrary 1 Thess. 1.3 Remembring without ceasing your work of Faith and labour of Love and patience of Hope Whence you see Work is ascribed to Faith Labour to Love and Patience to Hope Work to Faith because that Grace is working and ready to break out into Obedience 2 Thess. 1.11 And the Work of Faith with Power Labour to Love because Love puts Men upon Industry and Diligence they that love God will be hard at work for him Heb. 6.10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your Work and Labour of Love Patience to Hope because that Grace produceth Endurance and Constancy 2 Thess. 3.5 The Lord direct your Hearts into the Love of God and into the patient waiting for Christ. And the good Ground brought forth Fruit with Patience Luk. 8.19 In short you see these Graces are of an Operative and Vigorous Nature Faith is but a dead Opinion unless it break out into practice Love but a cold Approbation of the Ways of God unless we overcome our Slothfulness Hope but a few slight Thoughts of Heaven unless we persevere and hold out till the time of Retribution cometh 2. These Graces restrain and subdue those corrupt Inclinations which are yet in the Heart and would be a great impediment to us if they be not more and more overcome such as Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts Atheism or a denial of Gods Being and unbelief or distrust of his Promises Worldly Lusts Tit. 2.12 Teaching us to deny Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts. That is to say Worldly Fears and Worldly Desires or in one word the Sensual Inclination called the Spirit of the World These can never be overcome without Faith by which the Mind is soundly perswaded of the Truth of Salvation by Christ nor without Love by which the Will is firmly resolved and bent upon it nor without Hope by which the Executive Powers are fortified and strengthened in their Operations In short when the Doctrine of Christ concerning things to be believed and done is first propounded to us it findeth us wedded to the World and intangled in the Vanities thereof but as this Doctrine is received and believed the bent and inclination of our Souls is altered a new byass is put upon us and our love to God and heavenly things is more and more increased the Heart is set to seek after God and that with the greatest earnestness and diligence Without this the Carnal and Worldly Inclination prevaileth over us As in the want of Faith Heb. 3.12 Take heed Brethren lest thâre bâ in any of you an evil Heart of unbelief in departing from the living God Want of Love 1 Iohn 2.15 16. Love not the World neither the things that are in the World If any Man love the World the love of the Father is not in him For all that is in the World the Lust of the Flesh the Lust of the Eyes and the Pride of Life is not of the Father but is of the World Want of Hope Heb. 10.35 Cast not away therefore your Confidence which hath great recompense of reward Many are beaten out of their Christianity at last because they cannot tarry for Christ's Recompences 3. To fortifie us against all evil without Besides Corruptions within there are Temptations without manifold Afflictions which Satan maketh use of to draw us to sin Now these three Graces arm us against them 2 Tim. 1.7 where he speaketh of enduring the Afflictions of the Gospel by the power of God God hath not given us a Spârââ of Fear but of Power of Love and of a sound Mind Faith Hope and Love are intended thereby by a Spirit of Power meaning Hope which breedeth âortitude notwithstanding Dangers and Threats of Men Love retaineth its own Name and by the sound Mind is meant Faith All these help us to encounter the Difficulties and Hardships of our Pilgrimage and breed in us a Tranquility of Mind and Contentedness in every State 4. Without Faith Hope and Love we cannot pray to God nor entertain any sweet Communion with him while we dwell in Flesh. Iude 20.21 But ye beloved building up your selves on your most holy faith praying in the Holy-Ghost keep your selves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ unto eternal life That Clause Praying in the Holy-Ghost is to be referred in common to them all praying to be built up in our most holy Faith praying to be kept in the love of God praying that we may look for the Mercy of our Lord Jesus to Eternal Life Prayer is not an Exercise only of our natural Faculties but also of the three fundamental Graces of the Spirit There are three Agents in Prayer the Humane Spirit the new Nature and the Spirit of God The Humane Spirit for by the Understanding and Memory we work upon the Will and Affections The new Nature as Prayer is the work of Faith Hope and Love And the Holy-Ghost is there mentioned as also Rom. 8.26 27. Likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the spirit because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God The middle is to our purpose now Prayer is a Work of Faith as the great Mysteries of our most holy Faith are therein reduced to Practice Eph. 2.18 For through him we both have an access by one spirit unto the father Love is acted in Prayer as we delight our selves in conversing with God all our Desires and Groans in Prayer are acts of Love expressing our Longings after more of God Hope is acted in Prayer as we express our Trust in God and the Merits and Intercession of Christ and plead his gracious Promises Prayer it self is but Hope put into Language Psal. 62.8 Trust in him at all
of the World I shall give my Answer in these Propositions 1. The whole World in its natural Estate lieth under Sin and Wrath. The Scripture in one place telleth us 1 Iohn 5.19 The whole World lieth in wickedness And in another that all the World is become guilty before God Rom. 3.19 Both together speak this much That the Sin and Misery of the World was such that it groaned for a Saviour even as a Man sick of a mortal Disease and almost at his last gasp hath need of a Physician In the corruption of Nature all are involved Rom. 3.23 All have sinned and come short of the glory of God And so by consequence all are under the wrath of God Eph. 2.3 We are by nature the children of Wrath even as others Which abideth upon us while we remain Unbelieving and Impenitent Iohn 3.36 He that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him And besides this there is the Dominion of actual Sin Rom. 6.14 All which shew the miserable state of the World and the high need of a Saviour Sin liveth with Men from the Birth to the Grave and all are become abominable and filthy they are all gone out of the way there is none that seeketh after God there is none that doth good no not one Psal. 14.1 2 3. They are all gone out of the way of Holiness and Happiness they are all become vile and loathsom to God all guilty of a careless neglect of God and of their Duty and of the Service they owe to him all are given to please the Flesh Iohn 3.6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh So general a Wickedness and Defection from God is there throughout the World as if they had cast off all Fear and Care and Love of God and his Service though they speak honourably of him in Words yet in their Deeds they deny him and disobey his Authority and wholly abandon themselves to please the Flesh. 2. To lie under Sin and the Consequences thereof is a Burden too heavy for us to bear and miserable are they who have it lying upon their own Shoulders How light soever Sins may seem to be when they are committed yet they will not be found to be light when we come to reckon with God for them Sin to a waking Conscience is one of the heaviest Burdens that ever was felt Psal. 38.4 My iniquities are gone over my head as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me If you do but tast of this Cup if a Spark of God's Wrath light upon the Conscience what a weight and pressure is this upon the Soul You will find the little Finger of Sin to be heavier than the Loins of any other Sorrow You may know it in part by what Christ suffered if his Soul was heavy unto Death if he felt such strange Agonies sweated drops of curdled Blood lost the actual sensible Comforts of his Godhead when he bore the burden of Sin what shall any one of us do if he were to bear his own burden If this be done in the green Tree what shall be done in the dry You may also know it by the Complaints of the Saints when the Finger of God hath but touched them all Life and Power is gone if God should set home one Sin upon the Conscience Psal. 40.12 Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to look up they are more than the hairs of my head therefore my heart faileth me So Iob complaineth that the arrows of the Almighty are within him the poison whereof did drink up his spirits Iob 6.4 If you will know what it is to bear Sin ask a tender Conscience or a troubled Conscience what disquiets of Soul do wicked Men feel when their Consciences are a little awakened How uneasie do their Hearts sit within them Prov. 28.14 He that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief Gain crieth out My punishment is greater than I can bear Gen. 4.13 What large Offers do Men then make to get rid of their Burden Thousands of rams and ten thousands of rivers of oyl yea their first-born for their transgressions the fruit of their bodies for the sin of their souls Micah 6.6 7. Lastly what it is to live and die in Sin the other World will shew us Christ useth no other Expression of the Misery of the unbelieving Iews but this Ye shall die in your sins Iohn 8.24 That is enough for that speaketh all manner of Horror and Torment And the threatnings of the Word shew their Case is miserable enough They fall into the hands of the living God Heb. 10.31 And the Worm that feedeth upon them shall never die and the Fire wherewith they are scorched shall never be quenched Mark 9.44 Sins that now lie like sleepy Lions then awaken and take them by the Throat and feed and gnaw upon them to all Eternity Miserable questionless is the state of them who bear their own Burden and their own Transgression Now the sense of this should make a Crucified Saviour sweet to us 3. None can take off this burden of Sin but Jesus Christ this is a Work proper to the Lamb of God None else could preserve the Honour of God's Justice which was necessary before we could be intrusted with a new stock of Grace Rom. 3.24 25. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins None else could secure the Honour of God's Government Punishments are inflicted not only for the Reformation and Correction of the Offendors but for a Warning to others to secure the ends of Government that none may presume upon Impunity The same is necessary in the Government of the World by God if God should wholly release the Law all Awe and Sense of it would be lost Sin would not be counted so grievous a thing therefore there is a Brand put upon Sin by the Sufferings of Christ the Odiousness of it is represented in the Agonies and Sorrows of his Cross. The Apostle saith That God for sin condemned sin in the flesh Rom. 8.3 Or by a Sacrifice given for Sin he hath shewed his Hatred and Displeasure against it When we look upon Sin through Satan's Spectacles or the Cloud of our own Passions or Carnal Affections we make nothing of it but it is a terrible Spectacle to see the Fruits of it in the Agonies and Sufferings of Jesus Christ which are represented to us in the Word and Sacraments as if he were Crucified before our Eyes Once more none could bear this burden of Punishment but Jesus Christ who was Man to undertake it in our Name and also God to get through it in his own Strength His Human Nature did put a Price into his Hands to lay down for the Ransom of our Souls and his
wit the redemption of our bodies When we shall know more fully what Honour and Blessedness belongeth to the Children of God now it doth not appear what we shall be So pardon of Sin shall be then compleat Acts 3.19 Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. All pardoned Sins shall never be remembred more our Absolution shall be solemnly pronounced by the Judge upon the Bench. That is the great Regeneration Matth. 19.28 You that have followed me in the regeneration when the son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory ye shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel So for Redemption Eph. 4.30 Grieve not the holy spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of Redemption When all the Effects of Sin shall cease for Death remaineth on the Body till that day 7. This Work of taking away Sin is carried on with respect to Christ's threefold Office of King Priest and Prophet 1. As a Priest so he taketh away Sin by his Merit having purchased a Power and a Virtue whereby our Natures may be healed and cleansed and our Peace made with God In this sense it is said 1 Iohn 1.7 The blood of Iesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all sin 2. As a Prophet so he taketh away Sin by his Doctrine which is fit for such a purpose as it commandeth and requireth Purity and Holiness and inviteth us to it by notable Promises and encourageth us by blessed Examples especially of Jesus Christ himself and the perfect Pattern of his holy Obedience and heavenly Life Iohn 17.17 Sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is truth 3. As a King so he taketh away Sin by his Spirit So backward are our Minds so bad our Hearts so strong our Lusts so manifold our Temptations that beââ Teaching will not serve the turn without a Spirit of Light Life and Love to open our Eyes and change our Hearts and incline us and bring us back again to God Therefore it is said Titus 3.5 6. Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy-Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Iesus Christ our saviour His Merit giveth us Confidence his Word Means and Helps and his sanctifying Spirit maketh all effectual to the Soul III. That this is the great End and Scope of Christ's coming into the World appeareth by sundry Scriptures 1 Iohn 3.5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins and in him is no sin He was manifested in the Flesh and manifested in the Gospel for this end He came as an holy innocent Saviour to take away Sin Matth. 1.21 Thou shalt call his name Iesus for he shall save his people from their sins Not to ease them of their Trouble only but chiefly to destroy Sin with the mischievous Effects of it He is a Saviour that saves us from Sin not in Sin Tit. 2.14 Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity Not only from the Curse of the Law but from all Iniquity The Mediator's Blessing was not to free us from the Roman Yoke but from the slavery and bondage of Sin Acts 3.26 Unto you first God having raised up his son Iesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities Reasons 1. Sin is the great Make-bate between God and us The first breach was by Sin and still it continueth the distance Isa. 59.2 Your iniquities have separated between you and your God Till Sin be taken out of the way there can be no perfect Communion betwen God and the Creature The Purity of God is irreconcilable to Sin though not to the Sinner and therefore though the Sinner be pardoned the Sin must be taken away 2. Sin is the great Disease of Mankind and the cause of all Misery therefore Christ came to stop Mischief at the Fountain Head Take away Sin and you take away Wrath for when the Cause is gone the Effect ceaseth Those who are most sensible of their true Evil do mainly desire the taking away of Sin Pharaoh said Take away this Plague but the Church saith Take away all iniquity Hosea 14.2 Many seek to get rid of Trouble and Temporal Afflictions but not of Sin because they have a gross sense of Things and measure their Happiness and Misery by their outward Condition Hosea 7.14 They assemble themselves for corn and wine and they rebel against me They sought not God's Favour but Corn and Wine and Oyl Others if they mind Spiritual Things they mind only pardon of Sins and ease of Conscience but not to be freed from the Power of it as if a Man that had broken his Leg should only desire to be eased of the smart but not to have it set again But the true Penitent is troubled with the Stain as well as the Guilt therefore the Promise is suited to such 1 Iohn 1.9 If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness Others if they would be freed from Sin they respect only the preventing the outward Act but you must abstain from the Lust 2 Pet. 2.11 I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul. If they look after the Heart and inward Man it is some Branch of Sin not the Root or the Change of the Heart and so die Impenitent Evil Practices do not flow from a present Temptation but an evil Nature All these lose their labour they neither get rid of Trouble nor prevent the Act nor are free from the breach of God's Law but Christ would make a thorough Cure 3. Taking away of Sin is a greater benefit than Impunity or taking away the Punishment Those Means which have a more immediate Connexion with the last End are more noble than those which are more remote The last End is the Glory of God Now the Holiness and Subjection of the Creature is a nearer means to it than our Comfort and Pardon Christ's End was to fit us for God's Use and therefore his End was to sanctifie us and free us from Sin 1 Use Is Caution Let us renounce all Sin that we may not make Christ's coming into the World in vain You go about to frustrate your Redeemer's End and so to put him to shame if you cherish Sin for then you cherish that which he came to destroy 1 Iohn 3.8 For this purpose the son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil that is dissolve unty and loose this Knot The Work of the Devil is to bring us into Sin and Misery and will you tie the Knot the faster If you go about to frustrate his Undertaking you renounce all Benefit by him and slight the Price of
your Redemption 2 Use Hath Christ taken upon him to carry away Sin Then here is Instruction 1. To the Careless Certainly he that seeketh after benefit by Christ must be one that is not a Stranger to himself one that knoweth and is acquainted with the case of his own Heart and Life one that is sensible of his Sins and corrupt Inclinations and the guilt and burden that lieth upon him one that mourneth under the fears of God's displeasure Will Christ ease a Man of a Burden that he feeleth not A sensless sleepy Soul hath not Work for Christ to do He inviteth those that see a need of Mercy Matth. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest 2. To those who are afflicted in Conscience for Sin Remember you must be not only sensible of the guilt of Sin but the stain of it and look after not only Peace but Healing Isa. 53.5 With his stripes we are healed It is not a sound Cure that aimeth only at the asswaging of the Grief but the Distemper must be removed Mountebanks only stop the Pain but let alone the Cause such a Cure would they have who are more earnest for Ease and Comfort than for Grace Sin in some sense is worse than Damnation Remember then this is the Undertaking of our blessed Redeemer will he come in vain and miss of his End Consider the Merit of his Humiliation what a Price he hath paid for sanctifying Grace 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers But with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot This Price was not given only to heighten our Esteem of the Priviledge but to encrease our Confidence And consider the Power of his Exaltation Acts 3.26 God having raised up his son Iesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities Having paid our Ransom he is gone into Heaven fully furnished and impowred to free from Sin all that consent to receive this Benefit But what shall we do that we may have the actual Benefit 1. Seek the Pardon of Sin in the way of Repentance confessing your Sins with brokeness of Heart 1 Iohn 1.9 If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness Sue out his Grace and turn to the Lord. Repentance lieth not in a feigned Wish only that Sin had not been done but in a change of Mind Heart and Life in a hatred to Sin repented of and a love to God and Holiness Man's Fall was specially in point of Love and his Recovery must be a Recovery of Love to God again Your Love to Sin must be turned into an Hatred of Sin the Soul must be not only turned from Sin but against it Repentance is most seen in our Love and Hatred 2. Seek the subduing of Sin in a diligent use of Means There is a Spirit purchased by Christ to begin the Life of Grace and to carry it on with success to heal and renew our Natures and to strengthen them being heal'd and renew'd Now we must not by our carelesness negligence or other Sin provoke the Lord to withdraw from us and suspend his Grace but humbly implore his Favour wait for his Approaches and attend and obey his sanctifying Motions God is willing to give the Spirit to them that ask him as a Father is to give an hungry Child bread Luke 11.13 If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your heavenly father give the holy spirit to them that ask him We make our selves uncapable of this help by grieving the Spirit Eph. 4.30 And grieve not the holy spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption When we are so easie to the Requests of Sin and so deaf to his Motions he ceaseth to give us warning There are certain Ordinances whereby this Grace is conveyed to us and Christ died to sanctifie them to us Eph. 5.25 26. Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word These Ordinances are the Word and Sacraments by the use of which Sin receiveth a new wound The Word is for cleansing the Soul Iohn 15.3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you Baptism must be improved for the washing away of Sin Acts 22.16 Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins A Man forgetteth his Baptism that is neglecteth it if he be not purged from Sin 2 Pet. 1.9 He that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see far off and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins That is he hath made no use and received no benefit by his Baptism In the Lord's Supper we remember the Death of Christ as the Price given for the Life of our Souls as a Spectacle that may affect us with the Odiousness of Sin as an occasion of renewing our Covenant with God and binding our selves afresh to his service and as a means to stir up our Love to God and so by consequence our hatred of Sin Psal. 97.10 Ye that love the Lord hate evil And to awaken our hopes and so of purifying the Soul 1 Iohn 3.3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure Here is delivered to the believing Soul a sealed Pardon of all Sin Matth. 26.28 This is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins And we wait for the Application of his mortifying and renewing Grace 3. If the first Attempt succeed not yet afterwards Sin may be subdued and broken In natural Things we do not sit down with one Tryal and one Endeavour a Man that will be rich pierceth himself through with many Sorrows 1 Tim. 4.10 and after many miscarriages pursue their Designs till they compleat them and shall we give over our waiting and striving because we cannot presently find success That sheweth our Will is not fully bent and set upon the thing we seem to desire In the face of Discouragements we must venture again Luke 5.5 Master we have toiled all the night and have taken nothing nevertheless at thy command I will let down the neâ God's Grace is free and his holy Leisure must be waited for it was long e're God got us to this pass to be sensible of our Burden or anxiously solicitous about our Soul Distempers We must lie at the Pool for cure the Spirit bloweth when and where it listeth Iohn 3.8 The wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh nor whither it goeth So is every one that is born of the spirit He that begun the
the children of God He witnesseth objectively and effectively Per modum Argumenti per modum Efficientis Causa By way of Argument and by way of Causal Efficiency Objectively if I have the Spirit of God framing my Heart to love and honour and fear and obey him and delight in câmmunion with him surely I am a Child of God for where these are sincere love to God prevaileth 1 Iohn 4 13. Hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his spirit There he speaketh of Love to God and so for Honour it is else but an empty Title Mal. 1.6 If I then be a father where is mine honour If I be a master where is my fear So for Fear or Child-like Reverence that we dare not offend him Psal. 103.13 As a father pitieth his children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him His Children and those that fear him are equivalent Expressions 1 Pet. 1.17 If ye call on the father who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work pass the time of your sojourning here in fear I illustrate by that Ier. 35.6 And they said we will drink no wine for Ionadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us saying Ye shall drink no wine neither ye nor your sons for ever So for Obedience 1 Pet. 1.14 As obedient children not fashioning your selves according to the former lusts in your ignorance Eph. 5.1 Be ye followers of God as dear children So for delighting in communion with him Rom. 8.15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but ye have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba father Gal. 4.6 And because ye are sons God hath sent forth the spirit of his son into our hearts crying Abba father This ãâã most felt in Prayer Zech. 12.10 I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and supplications Rom. 8.26 Likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered Jude 20. But ye beloved building up your selves in your most holy faith praying in the Holy Ghost Here we have the nearest familiarity with God whilst we dwell in the Flesh and our Souls are carried to God as light Bodies move upward This is the matter of the Evidence but the Spirit giveth a sight or sense of this if he be not grieved and ill treated but his sanctifying Motions be obeyed he sheddeth abroad the Love of God in our Hearts and filleth us with much Joy and Peace 3. If this be faithfully done and there be no other reason to break our Confidence the bare Affliction or the greatness and grievousness of your Afflictions should not For these sharp Afflictions are not only consistent with this Relation as the Instance of Christ sheweth but also it is an act of his Fatherly Love and Discipline The Exhortation speaketh to us as Children Heb. 12.5 6 7 8. Ye have forgotten the exhortation that speaketh unto you as unto children My son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth If ye endure chastening God dealeth with you as sons for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not But if ye be without chastisement whereof all are partakers then are ye bastards and not sons God's Children must look to be chastened neither must our Father's hand be slighted nor must we faint under it It is an act of love and kindness to us that he will not suffer us to go on in our Sins God seemeth to cast off them whom he leaveth to their own Hearts lusts Hosea 4.17 Ephraim is joyned to Idols let him alone But he loveth whom he chasteneth and scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth The Rod of Correction will not wholly be laid aside while God's Children are in the Flesh In Heaven where there are no Dangers there is no use of it any more because then we are fully and perfectly sanctified but here you must be content to submit to the discipline of the Family Certainly you must not question his Love because something falleth out contrary to your desires God is a Father when he frowneth and when he smileth he is the God of the Valleys as well as of the Hills and Mountains his Love doth not alter with our condition the comfort of Adoption is not for such a time only 4. Because of our imperfection both in Holiness and Comfort we must submit to the Authority of a Father when we cannot see our Interest in his special Fatherly Love Alas most are so ill settled in the Peace and Comfort of the Gospel that every notable Affliction reviveth our guilty Fears as the Sareptan said to Elijah when her Child died Art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance and to slay my son 1 King 17.18 She looked upon that sad Providence as a Judgment for her Sins so if God awakeneth in us a Spirit of Bondage Besides there is none of us but may justifie God that he is not needlesly severe yea some have so sinned that though they be not Filii irae Children of Wrath yet they are Filii sub irâ Children under Wrath though they need no Regeneration or Conversion yet they have grieved the good Spirit of God by walking inordinately therefore their business is to submit to the Authority of God justly correcting and punishing them for Sins Micah 7.9 I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him And by unfeigned Repentance to renew their Claim and promise greater Loyalty and Fidelity for the future Ier. 3.19 Thou shalt call me my father and shalt not turn away from me They must get their Wounds healed make up the Breach between God and them sue out their Pardon in the name of Christ and get a renewed Grant of it and a sense of their Adoption 5. If hitherto you have been quite Strangers to God such Providences may be an occasion to begin the Relation before they are over as they are helps to Repentance and Recovery Upon the serious working of your Souls the Lord may be found as a Father and admit you into his Family It is said The Lord loveth whom he chasteneth Heb. 12 6. There is a twofold Love in God the Love of Benevolence and the Love of Complacency the one while we are Sinners the other after he hath made us amiable Some God chooseth in the Fire or Furnace of Affliction Isa. 48.10 Behold I have refined thee but not with silver I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction The hot Furnace is God's Workhouse the most excellent Vessels of Honour are formed there Manasseh Paul the Iaylor in the Acts When the Prodigal began to be in
Passion and Sin because others hurt you by Slanders and Persecutions He that will not forgive hurts himself more than he that doth the Wrong for the Injury offered reacheth but to the Name Body or Goods but the desire of Revenge wounds the Conscience and provokes God to Wrath and shuts the Gate of his Mercy against us The great Motive that excites the Devil to molest and disturb us by his Instruments is not to hurt your Bodies but to tempt your Souls to Impatience and Revenge and to draw you to other Sins and therefore you do not conquer it as a Temptation till you avoid the Sin Iob was robbed and plundered but in all this Iob sinned not to come off with a wounded Conscience this is to be foiled indeed Besides Conscience will take hold of all revengeful Acts David's Heart smote him when he cut off the Lap of Saul's Garment Besides consider the Gain of others Saul wept when he saw David's Tenderness 1 Sam. 24.16 And it came to pass when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul that Saul said Is this thy voice my son David And Saul lift up his Voice and wept Tenderness is expressed by heaping up Coals upon your Enemies head Prov. 25.21.22 If thine enemy be hungry give him bread to eat and if he be thirsty give him water to drink For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head You may make him pliable to your purpose as Lead or Wax melted by Fire such Charity doth often procure Servants to God and Friends to our selves It is indeed said there And the Lord shall reward thee there are indeed some sour and crabbed Pieces that will never be smoother but if distorted and depraved Natures are not won God will reward thee endeavours of Reconciliation are not lost with God though you get nothing but Scorn and Contempt you may comfort your selves with your Sincerity and God will not be wanting Besides all this consider the Honour of being above an Injury Prov. 19.11 The discretion of a man deferreth his anger and it is his glory to pass over a transgression As it is the Glory of God to pardon Sin we think it a Disgrace but the Holy-Ghost tells us it is the Glory of a Man It is the Devil's design to suffer the World to miscall Grace Meekness is Sheepishness and Patience is a kind of Weakness and Servility an Argument Ignavi ingenii of a slow dull temper that hath no sense of things as Astronomers call Glorious Stars Dogs and Bears and Dragons Tails Oh! consider this is an height proper to Christianity Nature could not reach it there is no greater Servility than to be a Slave to ones Passions Ezek. 16.30 How weak is thy heart saith the Lord since thou dost all these things the work of an imperious whorish woman There are no Spirits so feeble as those that are swayed by the ruffle of their own Passions 2. In publick Cases In these times of mutual Provocation we are apt to return Evil for Evil and Word for Word and to Curse and Pray against one another but we should labour to return Good for Evil for Injury doth not justifie Revenge Religious Quarrels are usually carried on with great hatred and animosity for then Religion feedeth the excess of Passion and instead of being a Judge becometh a Party and that which should be a Restraint proveth Fuel The Quarrel between Christ and his Persecutors was a Quarrel of Religion and yet he prays Father forgive them and if Christ did thus why should not Christians Oh! consider it 1. As to open Enemies 2. As to the undue Carriage of Brethren 1. As to open Enemies Christ saith Mat. 5.44 Love your enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you Lest we should excuse our selves by a colour and shew of Religion and so give Indulgence to the Exorbitancy of our Passions Christ names Persecutors that are not only our Enemies but God's Enemies you are to pray for them and wish them conviction of Sin and Reformation And you see how Christ practiseth his own Doctrine and so taught us not only Living but Dying these were carried on by a blind Zeal alas that they have no more Light nor better Principles I doubt in all our Divisions we have not plyed this way of Love if we did they would be soon cured and healed We pray one against another and seek each other's Ruine and Destruction but when have we commended our Enemies to God's Grace and Pity And after all we are apt to baptize our Sufferings which have been the effects of our Pride and Passion with the glorious Name of Persecution and that exasperateth our Spirits and we think it is but a Duty to call for Fire from Heaven we know not what manner of Spirits we are of An angry Zeal hath the less of God in it because it is so hastily kindled and so hardly suppressed 2. As to undue Carriage of Brethren Iames 5.10 Grudge not one against another Brethren ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Groan not when they should commend each other to the Grace of God they groan one against another We should willingly bury the remembrance of their Injuries There cannot be Unity Sympathy Brotherly Love amongst the Lord's People unless there be a Heart to pity the Infirmities of one another and a proneness of Spirit to do good contrary to what they deserve at our hands Quest. But is it not lawful to pray for Revenge Zechary when he was stoned between the Temple and the Altar said The Lord look upon it and require it 2 Chron. 24.22 And David in the Psalms prays that God would not pardon his Enemies Answ. We cannot always imitate what the Prophet did who could know by special Revelation who had sinned unto Death and therefore cannot use these Imprecations unless conditionally Their Curses were Praedictions and uttered by the Spirit of Prophecy not by any private Spirit Meek and humble Addresses to God and wrestling for their good suit better with us and the Example of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 3.9 Not rendring evil for evil or railing for railing but contrary-wise blessing knowing that ye are thereunto called that ye should inherit a blessing It is more suitable to Christianity to wish good to them that curse and injure you If you will not imitate Christ you are none of his Disciples nor will he be your Saviour nor must you think to live and reign with him in Heaven You must overcome your self and corrupt Nature that thirsteth after Revenge Prov. 16.32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city Overcome and shame the Party that doth the Wrong 1 Sam. 24.17 And he said to David Thou art more righteous than I for thou hast rewarded me good whereas I have rewarded thee evil Look upon them as
Profit and Pleasure that is in Adultery and Theft but shutteth the Eyes of his Mind against the Filthiness or Injustice that is in it and therefore he is like a Man that leapeth from an high place into the Water who first shutteth his Eyes and then casts himself into the Flood or Stream 3. Consequent Ignorance is after the Sin or Act of the Will either from the depraved Disposition of the Will Iohn 3.20 For every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved Or from the just Judgment of God Iohn 9.39 For judgment I am come into the world that they which see not might see and that they which see might be made blind God inflicts a Judicial Blindness on Men that will not obey the Truth 3. Ignorance is either Invincible or Vincible 1. Invincible Ignorance is when there is not sufficient Revelation when it is a thing we should know but God hath not brought Light among us Thus the Heathens are punished for not glorifying God whom they knew by the Light of Nature Rom. 1.21 When they knew God they glorified him not as God Not because they believed not in Christ for he was not revealed unto them But Christians shall be punished for not obeying the Gospel 2 Thess. 1.8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ. 2. Vincible Ignorance is when there are plentiful Means and gross Helps to overcome it then is our Ignorance more culpable This is seen when either Ignorance is Voluntary and Pertinacious or when there is gross Negligence When it is Voluntary 2 Pet. 3.5 For this they are willingly ignorant of That they may Sin more freely and securely they will not know what may disturb or trouble their Sleep in Sin Iob 21.14 Therefore they say unto God Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways The Psalmist says of them Psal. 95.10 It is a people that do err in their hearts they have not known my ways They err in their Hearts as well as in their Minds when they do not desire to know what they should know this Ignorance is voluntary Or else it is bewrayed by gross Negligence when a Man doth a thing that if he were not grosly Negligent he might know to be Sin Eph. 3.15 16 17. See then that ye walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise Redeeming the time because the days are evil Wherefore be ye not unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is A Christian is bound to use all holy Means to know all things that belong to his Duty and must bestow much time and diligence upon it If he is grosly ignorant it is a sign he hath a mind to put a cheat upon his Soul Use. Let us beware of Sin against Knowledge these Sins of all others are the most dangerous whether they be Sins of Omission to omit Duties that we know to be Duties this is very dangerous Iames 4.17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good and doth it not to him it is sin Or Sins of Commission to commit Sins that we know to be Sins Rom. 2.21 22. Thou therefore which teachest another teachest thou not thy self Thou that preachest a man should not steal dost thou steal Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery dost thou commit adultery Thou that abhorrest idols dost thou commit sacriledge To commit Sins that we know to be Sins is to involve our selves in Wrath and Vengeance Have a care then of these Sins if you are guilty of them it cannot be pleaded for you Father forgive them they know not what they do A Sermon on JOHN xix 30. He said It is finished and he bowed his head and gave up the ghost THIS is one of the seven Words which Christ uttered upon the Cross the last save one for before his bowing of the Head and giving up the Ghost those Words must come in which are mentioned Luke 23.46 Father into thy hands I commend my spirit and having said thus he gave up the ghost To make way for these Words we need go no farther back than the 28th Verse it is said there After this Iesus knowing that all things were now accomplished that the Scripture might be fulfilled said I thirst Where we may observe 1. The exact knowledge which Christ had of all his Sufferings He knew that all things were accomplished namely all the preparative Sufferings which were to usher in his Death All these bitter Sorrows were numbred out to him by the Divine Decrees and praesignified in the Prophesies Jesus knew all the exact Tale and account of them A Circumstance that doth much commend his Love to us Christ knew how dear the bargain of Souls would be to him and yet he would shew his Obedience to the Father and his Love to Mankind He long since sate down and counted the Charges and yet he came to do his Father's Will When a Business proveth hazardous and inconvenient we are apt to say If I had known it would have cost me so much I should never have undertaken it Christ went not to the Cross blindfold he knew the Work of our Redemption would be troublesom and painful that he was to give his Back to the Smiters and his Cheeks to the Nippers that he was to be hurried from the Garden to the Courts of Men from the Courts of Men to the Cross and there to endure acute Pains and Torments Jesus knew that all these things were to be fulfilled 2. Observe It is said he knew they were accomplished Christ had a lively feeling of every part of his Sorrows and his Senses remained in full vigour to the last and without any stupefaction He knew what Hour the Clock of the Divine Decree would next strike or what was the next Circumstance whereby he was to discover himself to be the true Messiah David saith Died Abner as a fool dieth 2 Sam. 3.32 We may say so Died the Lord Jesus as a Fool dieth in a stupid sensless way Or as one merely passive Extremity of Pain had now surprized the Thieves which were crucified with him we hear no more of them but Christ's Reason and Senses are still exercised and his Sorrows made more active by his own apprehension 3. Observe That the Scriptures might be fulfilled he said I thirst By fulfilling another Prophecy God discovereth another Note whereby the Messiah might be known All the Passages of Christ's Death were appointed with infinite Wisdom and Love either they were such as were necessary parts of Redemption or some Indications whereby the Messiah fore-prophesied of might be discovered Here is another Prophecy fulfilled in Christ's Thirst. The Prophesies alluded to are two one is Psal. 22.15 My strength is dried up like a potsheard and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws thou hast brought me to the dust of death The other Prophesie hinteth the
rebuke him shall be Delight and a good Blessing shall come upon him that is all will pray for him whereas they curse and detest Flatterers Many such Promises there are 2. Taking a Reproof is commended Eccles. 7.5 It is better to hear the Rebuke of the VVise than for a Man to hear the Song of Fools It sads the Heart for the present yet it is more wholesome and beneficial than vain Mirth that puts us off from Seriousness in Soul-Dangers and feedeth our Lusts and Corruptions So Prov. 13.18 Poverty and Shame shall be to him that refuseth Instruction but he that regardeth Reproof shall be honoured A head-strong wicked Man bringeth himself to Beggary and Shame but he that taketh Counsel betimes soon wipeth off the Stain of his Miscarriages So see two Proverbs together Prov. 15.31 32. The Ear that heareth the Reproof of Life abideth among the VVise He that refuseth Instruction despiseth his own Soul but he that heareth Reproof getteth Vnderstanding The one is a slight careless Person that despiseth God and his Salvation but the other giveth a Token of a wise and tractable Disposition So Prov. 17.10 A Reproof entreth more into a wise Man than an hundred Stripes into a Fool. Correption doth more good than Correction Now when God doth argue and perswade and not only interpose his Authority surely this is a Duty of Importance which we should make Conscience of 5 thly If God hath given Directions about it is is unquestionably a Duty belonging to us for Directions suppose the Duty and shew that God would not have it miscarry in our Hands As when God directeth to pray he supposeth Prayer when God directeth to hear he supposeth hearing so when he directeth to reprove he supposeth Reproof to be a Duty Now the Word of God doth every where abound with these Directions as with what Lenity and Meekness we should reprove 2 Cor. 2.4 For out of much Affliction and Anguish of Heart I wrote unto you with many Tears not that you should be grieved but that you may know the Love which I have more abundantly unto you Gal. 6.1 Brethren if a Man be overtaken in a Fault ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the Spirit of Meekness considering thy self lest thou also be tempted What Difference we should make of Faults Gnats and Camels Matth. 23.24 Ye blind Guides which strain at a Gnat and swallow a Camel Of Persons Iude 22 23. And of some have Compassion making a Difference Others save with Fear pulling them out of the Fire 6 thly The Duty is necessary to prevent a Sin such as Detraction Censure and Backbiting It is the usual Fashion of the World to change a Duty into a Sin it should be the Care of God's People to change a Sin into a Duty Ephes. 5.4 Not foolish Talking or Iesting which are not convenient but rather giving of Thanks So do not speak of them that sin but to them do not judg but reprove 7 thly That without which no Society can be maintained no Relation faithfully improved certainly is an unquestionable Duty but so is Reproof No Society can be maintained for Faults will arise the Injured will vent themselves in Passion or Reproof now which conduceth to the Welfare of Humane Society And for Relations how can I be faithful to God in them unless I make Advantage of this Nearness and Frequency of Converse for spiritual Use Even good Men will miscarry if we be privy to it must we hold our Peace Well then observe the Reasonableness of God's Ordinance III. What is Reproof It is an Act of Charity or Mercy by which we seek by fit Discourse to draw our Brother from Sin to his Duty 1. It is an Act of Charity and Mercy not of Pride and Vain-glory Iam. 3.1 My Brethren be not many Masters knowing that we shall receive the greater Condemnation No it is not an Act of Mastery or rash Judging but of Mercy towards our Brother in his spiritual Misery as he hath rendred himself obnoxious to God's Wrath. 2. The Means it useth is fit Discourse not Correction and Chastening but Correption or Rebuke It must be dispensed in most wholesome ways such as may be most fit to gain a Sinner and heal his Soul To some we must use more Tenderness but more Sharpness to others In general we reprove from God's Word Col. 3.16 Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all VVisdom teaching and admonishing one another That the Offender may see God reproving him rather than Man as Christ reproved the Pharisees with mere Words of Scripture Matth. 15.7 8 9. Ye Hypocrites well did Esaias prophesy of you saying This People draweth nigh unto me with their Mouths and honoureth me with their Lips but their Heart is far from me But in vain do they worship me teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of Men. The Reproof must be insinuated as the Matter requireth either by Exhortation Admonition or Caution 3. The End not to shame him but to gain him from Sin to his Duty If the Man be good to set him in joint again Gal. 6.1 Brethren if a Man be overtaken in a Fault ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the Spirit of Meekness considering thy self lest thou also be tempted If carnal to take this Occasion to turn him from Sin to Holiness or to save his Soul from Death Iam. 5.19 20. Brethren if any of you do err from the Truth and one convert him let him know that he which converteth the Sinner from the Error of his way shall save a Soul from Death and shall hide a Multitude of Sins IV. Let us see when this Duty bindeth or bindeth not For it being an Affirmative Precept it doth not bind at all times but as circumstantiated Affirmative Precepts non ligant ad semper do not always bind as negative Precepts do for evil Actions are never lawful Affirmative Precepts bind only when Time and Place and other Circumstances concur and then the Omission is faulty The Question then is At what times and in what Circumstances this Duty bindeth 1. It bindeth not if I do not certainly or probably know the Sin of my Neighbour For Reproof by way of Charge must be upon an apparent Crime as Gal. 2.11 But when Peter was come to Antioch I withstood him to the Face because he was to be blamed 1 Cor. 5.1 It is reported commonly that there is Fornication among you and such Fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles that one should have his Father's VVife 1 Cor. 1.11 For it hath been declared unto me of you my Brethren by them which are of the House of Cloe that there are Contentions among you Mark the Grounds he goeth upon certain Knowledg publick Fame and valuable Testimony It is commonly reported And it is declared by the House of Cloe. Faults that we reprove must be certainly known and evident we may not reprove upon bare
by Christ and it shall be plainly seen that they have chosen the better Part that have chosen the Faith and Patience and Holiness of the Saints 2. In Death This is a Comfort suted to that time When you die you may commend your Souls to Christ as Stephen Acts 7.59 Lord Iesus receive my Spirit God trusted Christ with Souls from all Eternity they were given him by way of Charge and Reward and you may trust him for he is able to make good his Trust 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that Day If they are consecrated they may be committed And you may dismiss your Bodies to the Grave there to rest in Hope Acts 2.26 Moreover also my Flesh shall rest in Hope Acts 24.15 And have Hope towards God that there shall be a Resurrection of the Dead both of the Iust and Vnjust So Acts 26.6 7 8. And now I stand and am judged for the Hope of the Promise made of God unto our Fathers Vnto which Promise our twelve Tribes instantly serving God day and night hope to come For which Hope sake King Agrippa I am accused of the Iews Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you that God should raise the Dead Death seemeth to make void all the Promises at once but there is an Estate after Death The Dead shall rise and to Men bred up in the Church this should not seem incredible It is not incredible in it self considering the Justice and Power of God and this should not seem incredible to us since all Religion tendeth to it but rather you should entertain it as a Matter of undoubted Certainty All true Believers do look and long for and prepare for this Blessedness otherwise why should they trouble themselves about Religion which abridgeth them of present Delights and often exposeth them to great Difficulties and Sufferings But there is another Life which is happy and joyful and therefore we serve God instantly day and night Vse 2. That it concerneth us to see this blessed Estate not only by the Light of Faith but Reason Though the Light of Scripture be more sure and clear yet the Light of Nature hath its use Nature saith It may be Faith It shall be yet the Light of Nature must not be rejected 1. Because Things seen in a double Light work the more strongly upon us as our Affections are stirred more by a double Consideration than a single As Paul said of Onesimus to Philemon that he was dear to him but much more dear to him both in the Flesh and in the Lord ver 16. as being one of his Faith and one of his Family So this worketh upon our Faith when even Nature teacheth us that it is reasonable to expect such a Retribution then all vain Cavils are refuted All have not received the Light of Scripture at least with such Veneration and Reverence as they ought to do to such the Light of Nature is a preparative Inducement either to believe or to believe it more firmly Nay the Children of God have not such a steady Belief of the Life to come as they ought to have especially in time of Temptation as the time of grievous and bitter Persecution is Surely we need all the Succour and Relief which the nature of the thing will afford Evil is present and pressing and our great Hopes are to come surely then besides the Grounds of Faith we must study the Helps of Faith The Grounds of Faith are the Promises of the Gospel the Helps of Faith are such Demonstrations and Evidences as the Light of Nature will afford in the case Therefore Reason must be allowed to be an Handmaid to Faith 2. Because by this means a Temptation is turned into an Argument Men doubt of the Being of God of Providence and the future Estate because of the Afflictions of the Good and this is one means to settle you in the belief of these things It is good to observe how differently Men will reason from the same Principles for the Wicked draw another Conclusion hence either that there is no God or he hath no respect to Humane Affairs or that all things are governed by Chance or the like So elsewhere you may see what contrary and different Conclusions the Carnal and the Spiritual draw from the same Premises as David infers the immutable Certainty of God's Promises Psal. 119.89 90 91. For ever O Lord thy Word is settled in Heaven thy Faithfulness is unto all Generations Thou hast established the Earth and it abideth They continue this day according to thine Ordinance But the Scoffers said Where is the Promise of his Coming For since the Fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of the Creation 2 Pet. 3.4 Because the Frame of Nature had kept one constant Tenour and Course they plead for the Eternity of the World and the Falshood of the Promises but David was hereby confirmed in the belief of God's Constancy and Fidelity So from the Brevity of Life see the different Conclusions drawn from hence 1 Cor. 7.29 30. The Time is short it remaineth that both they that have VVives be as if they had none and they that weep as though they wept not and they that rejoice as though they rejoiced not and they that buy as though they possessed not and they that use the VVorld as not abusing it On the contrary 1 Cor. 15.32 Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die So from the Grace of God Iude v. 4 Turning the Grace of God into Lasciviousness Compared with Rom. 6.1 Shall we continue in Sin that Grace may abound So also 2 Sam. 7.2 I dwell in an House of Cedar but the Ark of God dwelleth within Curtains Observe the Workings of David's Heart The Lord hath built me a stately House but what have I done for God But those Wretches Hag. 1.2 This People say The time is not come the time that the Lord's House should be built So 1 Sam. 3.18 It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good Compared with 2 Kings 6.33 Behold this Evil is of the Lord why should I wait for the Lord any longer See Prov. 26.9 As a Thorn goeth up into the Hand of a Drunkard so is a Parable in the Mouth of Fools All is as the Heart is 3. Because if the perverse Carriage of Things now be not a Confirmation to your Faith it will at least be an help to your Meditation Improve the Argument as it was set forth before by your most serious Thoughts thus Surely there is a God he is wise holy just and good and would not impose Duty upon a Man but he hath Encouragements and Rewards to quicken him to the performance of it Few Christians are so firm and strong in believing but they may find it a Prop to their Faith Certainly all are so barren of
Thoughts that they will find it an help to their Meditation Would God make Laws with a Sanction of Penalty and Reward and never look after them more Doth he delight in the Prosperity of his Servants or their Afflictions Would he raise Hopes and Desires which he never meant to satisfy give the Wicked Power to afflict and vex his People and never call them to an Account bid us venture our All for him and give us no Recompence If such Thoughts were more frequent with us God would bless them to the increase of Faith Love and Hope Vse 3. Is to perswade us to live in the constant Hopes of this blessed Estate in the Life to come Hope is a certain and earnest Expectation of the promised Blessedness Let me shew you 1. The Necessity of this Hope 2. The Encouragements of it 1. The Necessity of the Hope of Eternal Glory should always be cherished in us 1. Because it is a special Act of the New Nature 1 Pet. 1.3 Who hath begotten us to a lively Hope Assoon as we are Children we look for a Child's Portion The New Nature presently discovereth it self by its tendency to its End and Rest which is the Fruition of God in Heaven Indeed the Scriptures speak of a twofold Hope one that is the immediate Effect of Regeneration and flows from our acceptance of the New Covenant and dependeth upon the conditional offer of Eternal Life we take it for our Happiness resolving to seek it in God's way without this we are not new Creatures There is another Hope which is the fruit of Experience and belongeth to the seasoned and tried Christian who hath approved his own Fidelity to God and hath had much trial of God's Fidelity to him This is spoken of Rom. 5.4 Patience worketh Experience and Experience Hope This produceth not a conditional Certainty but an actual Confidence of our own Salvation The former is more necessary for we live by it but this is very comfortable 2. Because it is the great End why the Scriptures were written to beget and raise this Hope in us Rom. 15.4 For whatsoever things were written afore time were written for our Learning that we through Patience and Comfort of the Scriptures might have Hope It is the business and design of these holy Books 3. Because the keeping up of this Hope with Zeal and Industry is the distinguishing Character between the temporary and the sincere Convert The one loseth his Taste and Comfort and so casteth off the Profession of Godliness or neglecteth the powerful Practice of it the other is diligent serious patient mortified heavenly and holy because he holdeth fast the Confidence and the rejoicing of the Hope firm unto the end Heb. 3.6 And his End sweetens his Work for this Grace doth quicken the whole Spiritual Life Titus 2.12 13. Teaching us that denying Vngodliness and worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present VVorld Looking for that blessed Hope and the glorious Appearing of the Great God and our Saviour Iesus Christ. 4. Because we have nothing else to support us and fortify us against the Difficulties that fall out between our first Right to Eternal Life and our full Possession of it In our Journey to Heaven there are many Sufferings and Trials which must be undergone and Hope is our Strength and Support He that sets his Face Heavenward will find Difficulties that attend his Service Temptations that assault his Constancy and Troubles and Calamities to which his Religion exposeth him now it is Hope carrieth us through and therefore it is compared to an Anchor Heb. 6.19 Which Hope we have as an Anchor of the Soul both sure and stedfast and which entreth into that within the Vail And to an Helmet Eph. 6.17 And take the Helmet of Salvation Compared with 1 Thess. 5.8 And for an Helmet the Hope of Salvation As we would not go to Sea without an Anchor and to War without an Helmet so we must not think of carrying on the Spiritual Life without Hope Nothing else will compose the Mind and keep it stable in the Floods of Temptation or cause us to hold up our Heads in our daily Conflicts and Encounters Without this Anchor our Souls are in danger of spiritual Shipwrack without this Helmet our Heads are exposed to deadly Blows from Sin Satan and worldly Discouragements 5. We shall need it not only while we live but we shall have most need of it when we come to die They that are destitute of the Hope of Glory then are in a dangerous woful and most lamentable Case Job 27.8 For what is the Hope of the Hypocrite though he hath gained when God taketh away his Soul They may be full of Presumption and blind Confidence while they live but what Hope have they when they come to die All their worldly Advantages will afford them no solid Comfort They live in a presumptuous Dream that all shall be well but then they die stupid and sensless or else despairing and their Hopes fail them when they have most need of them 2. The Encouragements of it 1. God's gracious Covenant and Promises God would not invite and raise an Hope to disappoint it for surely God will not disappoint the Creature that dependeth upon his Word and therefore we are allowed to challenge God upon his Word Psal. 119.49 Remember the VVord unto thy Servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope It contains a double Argument the Promise was of God's making and the Hope of his Operation the Grant of the New Covenant and his Influence by the Spirit We have a strong Tie upon God as he giveth us the Promise which is a ground of Hope we may humbly put the Bond in Suit and when his Spirit hath caused the Hope it is not with a purpose to defeat it 2. Consider what a Foundation God hath laid for his Promises 2 Tim. 2.19 The Foundation of God standeth sure having this Seal The Lord knoweth them that are his 2 Cor. 1.20 For all the Promises of God in him are Yea and in him Amen unto the Glory of God by us 3. Observe what God hath given you by way of Earnest Hope is not built upon Promises alone but also upon Assurances and Earnest the Promises are contained in the Word of God but the Earnest is given into our Hearts 2 Cor. 1.22 Who hath also sealed us and given the Earnest of his Spirit in our Hearts 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 Eph. 1.13 14. In whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of Promise which is the Earnest of our Inheritance until the Redemption of the purchased Possession unto the praise of his Glory Tho God be Truth it self and promiseth nothing but what he meaneth to perform yet he will give Earnest of his Promises and a Pledg of his Affection
knowledg of the Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ they are again entangled therein and overcome 2 Pet. 2.20 Vse 2. Is Exhortation to press you 1. To seek after Honour Glory and Immortality O this is the best Pursuit you can engage in What is better for you Can the World or the Devil propound any thing so good or better than this glorious Estate Are the dreggy Contentments of the Flesh the Vain-glory and Honour of the World the uncertain Riches we enjoy here worthy to come in competition with Eternal Life Surely in matter of Motive a Christian hath the Advantage however a carnal Man hath the Advantage in matter of Principle because in him it is wholly intire and unbroken 2. To Well-doing Surely you should not need many Arguments to press you to do well rather to press you to do ill should be the more difficult Task it is so contrary to our Reason and the right Constitution of our Natures but that we are strangely depraved O Christians what do we invite you to but to love God above all and seek his Favour in Christ and love your Neighbour as your self and by Temperance Purity and Chastity to preserve your own Vessels both Bodies and Souls in Sanctification and Honour Surely these Duties are not Gifts but Ornaments and such Subjection to God should be preferred before Liberty in Sinning 3. To continue with Patience I will press you to this by two Arguments 1. There will be always the same reason for going on that there was for beginning at first Did the Sense of your Duty invite you The same Bond of Duty lieth upon you still Did the Hopes of the World to come engage you Heaven is not yet obtained And will you lose all the Coât you have been at already Gal. 3.4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain 2. There can be no Temptation great enough to recompense you for the loss of your Reward of Eternal Life Is it Reproach When Men despise God will honour thee and it is a blessed thing to be reviled for Righteousness sake Is it worldly Loss Better lose the World than lose our Souls Mat. 16.26 What will it profit a Man if he should gain the whole World and lose his own Soul Is Life in danger Losing Life for Christ is the way to save it And Iohn 11.25 Though he were dead yet shall he live Is it the continual reviving of Troubles In the other World there is nothing to assault thy Perseverance there thou art out of the Gun-shot of Temptations and shalt serve God without defect or difficulty there our Service is not troublesom to us A SERMON UPON 2 CORINTHIANS XIII 14 The Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the Love of God and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen MY Purpose is to open the Apostolical Benediction or Prayer for the Corinthians for our way of Blessing is only to pray for those whom we bless To love others is to desire their Good They that love best and most desire the best Good for their Friends and better Good there cannot be desired than that those we love may have God for their God Now they that have God for their God have all that is in God and all that is God God the Father Son and Holy Ghost will imploy all his Wisdom Power and Goodness to save them from all Evil and bring them to eternal Blessedness This is that which is prayed for in this place The Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the Love of God and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen In the Words we have The Thing prayed for together with the Persons from whom Or rather 1. The Matter of the Blessedness wished The Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ the Love of God the Communion of the Holy Ghost 2. The effectual Application to the Corinthians Be with you 3. The Confirmation of these Hopes and Desires in the word Amen 1. The Matter of the Blessing It consists of three Branches suted to the Persons of the Godhead 1st The Grace of Christ. 2dly The Love of God 3dly The Communion of the Holy Ghost 2. The effectual Application Be with you These things are with us or in us two ways 1. In the Effects 2. In the Sense 1. In the Effects when we have the Fruits of the Father's Love and Christ's Grace and the Spirit 's Operation That the Love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them John 17.26 2. In the Sense and Feeling when we comfortably know it is thus with us Ioh. 14.21 He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and manifest my self unto him Rom. 5.5 Because the Love of God is shed abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us 3. The Confirmation of these Desires and Hopes in the word Amen which is Signaculum Fidei an Expression of Faith and Votum Desiderii an Eruption of our Desire and Love Doct. That all the Persons of the Blessed Trinity do concur to the Happiness and Salvation of Believers Here let me shew you I. How they do concur II. Why they do concur I. How they do concur Let us explain the Text. 1. Here are all the Persons of the Godhead mentioned God is taken personally for the Father and then Jesus Christ and the Spirit are distinctly mentioned So in other Scriptures 1 Pet. 1.2 Elect according to the fore-knowledg of God the Father through Sanctification of the Spirit unto Obedience and sprinkling of the Blood of Iesus Christ. The fundamental Cause of Salvation is the Election of God who when he had all fallen Mankind in his Prospect and View was pleased to choose out some to Grace and Glory passing by others Then there is Reconciliation ascribed to Jesus Christ and Sanctification to the Spirit as the Means by which this Purpose is brought about The Beginning is from God the Father the Dispensation is by Jesus Christ and the Application is through the Holy Ghost So also Titus 3.4 5 6. But after that the Kindness and Love of God our Saviour towards Man appeared not by Works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Iesus Christ our Saviour God the Father out of Love sent a Saviour by whose Grace we are saved and God the Son from God the Father sent God the Holy Ghost who applieth the Love of God and the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ by renewing and healing our Natures So 2 Thess. 2.13 14. But we are bound to give Thanks always to God for you Brethren beloved of the Lord because God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth whereunto he called you by our Gospel to the obtaining of the Glory of the Lord
Iesus Christ. Where the three Persons are again mentioned and their Concurrence to our Salvation 2. That Words proper to their personal Operation are used for there is Love ascribed to the Father Grace to the Son and Communion to the Holy Ghost The Father is represented as the Fountain of Love and all Goodness and as expressing and exerting his Love by the Son and Spirit By the Grace of Christ is meant all that gracious Provision which he hath made for Man's Salvation both in the reconciling God to us and procuring the Mission of the Spirit Communion is ascribed to the Spirit because all is applied or communicated to us by him Or thus our Salvation is ascribed in Election to the Love of the Father in Redemption to the Grace of the Son in Sanctification to the Communion or Participation of the Holy Ghost 1st The Love of God Love is ascribed to the Father for the Love of God is the Cause of all consider his giving Christ for us or giving Christ to us and us to him 1. In giving Christ for us Iohn 3.16 God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting Life Christ did not merit electing Love but Love rather moved God to give Christ for Sinners Love appointed the Son to be our Redeemer there was the Bosom and Bottom-Cause 2. In giving Christ to us Iohn 6.37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out John 17.6 I have manifested thy Name unto the Men which thou gavest me out of the World thine they were and thou gavest them me and they have kept thy Word And in time he doth execute and accomplish this out of his meer Love Ier. 31.3 The Lord hath appeared to me of old saying Yea I have loved thee with an everlasting Love therefore with Loving-kindness have I drawn thee As by Elective Love the Heirs of Salvation were distinguished from others in God himself or in his Intention and Purpose so by Regeneration and converting Love they are distinguished from others in themselves and set apart from the rest of the World to be the Objects of his special Love and Instruments of his Glory Besides there is a Love of God whereby he loveth us when we are in Christ Jesus which is the Ground of our Safety and Preservation Rom. 8.38 39. For I am perswaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor Height nor Depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. 2dly The Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ. What is intended us by the Father is brought about by the Grace of the Redeemer and therefore all the Provision Christ had made for our Salvation is called Grace 2 Cor. 8.9 For ye know the Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor that ye through his Poverty might be rich That is ye know his gracious Condescension in submitting to such a mean Condition for our sakes So 1 Cor. 16.23 The Grace of Lord Iesus Christ be with you all Grace is God's Favour and Love which was first purchased by Christ by his Obedience and bloody Sufferings Rom. 3.24 Being justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Iesus Christ. Secondly applied by his Intercession which is also another Act of his Grace and therefore we come boldly to the Throne of Grace that we may obtain Mercy and find Grace to help us in time of need Heb. 4.16 Namely having a great High Priest that is passed into the Heavens Iesus the Son of God ver 14. who knoweth our Infirmities Thirdly As it is bestowed by him as Lord of the New Creation upon such Terms as every way keep up the Honour and Interest of Grace in our Salvation Ephes. 2.8 By Grace ye are saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the Gift of God All the saving Benefits we have by Christ are from Grace such as Reconciliation with God the Renovation of our Natures and everlasting Glory and Happiness they are all dispensed in a gracious way from first to last 3dly The Communion of the Holy Ghost Communion is ascribed to the Holy Ghost It may be rendred Communion or Communication The Spirit reneweth and changeth our Nature and worketh Faith and Holiness in us Light Life and Love are the special Benefits which he communicates to us He doth enlighten our Minds to understand and believe the great things prepared for us by God through Jesus Christ. It is said 1 Cor. 2.10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God So Ephes. 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 knowledg 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 Life for we live in the Spirit and are born of the Spirit that is have a new Life begotten in us therefore called a Spirit of Life before we lived as Men now as Christians And Love the Heart is bent and inclined to God It began in Love and endeth in Love Love of God endeth in Love to God This threefold Effect is expressed 2 Tim. 1.7 For God hath not given us the Spirit of Fear but of Power of Love and a sound Mind Life in Power as Light in a sound Mind And it is all together called the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises that by these you might be Partakers of the Divine Nature For it answereth to the Wisdom Power and Goodness of God 3. That all these Words imply Riches of Goodness Bounty and Liberality Love noteth a ready Inclination to do Good to others without the Excitement of external Motives it openeth and inlargeth the Heart to another and then the Hand cannot be shut 2 Cor. 6.11 O ye Corinthians our Mouth is open unto you our Heart is enlarged Grace is some good thing freely given So ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Communion noteth a liberal Effusion or Distribution of the Graces of God's sanctifying Spirit and so it suteth with ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Love of God and the Grace of Christ Elsewhere ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Communion of the Spirit is joined with Bowels and Mercies Phil. 2.1 If any Fellowship of the Spirit if any Bowels and Mercies that is if you have received any Good from Christ by the Spirit So Rom. 15.26 For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain Contribution for
with straits and pinched for maintenance of your Families consider there is a Providence The World is Gods great Common and he doth not over-stock his own Common All things wait upon God how do the Beasts live but upon Providence Psal. 104.27 These all wait upon thee that thou mayest give them their meat in due season Who is it that feeds the Ravens Psal. 147.9 He giveth to the beast his food and to the young ravens which cry And Psal. 145.16 Thou openest thine hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing Compare it with verse 19. He shall fulfil the desire of them that fear him he also will hear their cry and will save them Urge your hearts herewith to Patience under Miseries Not a Sparrow falls to the ground without a Providence therefore certainly your Crosses fall under the wise dispensation of God Psalm 39.6 Surely every man walketh in a vain shew surely they are disquieted in vain Again urge your hearts to thankfulness for Mercies look upon the first cause and acknowledge the Providence of God in all that you enjoy 2. Consider the Providences of God to your selves in particular for thou art a little World Consider how the Providence of God watched over thee in the Womb when he took thee out from thence how he provided two Bottles to sustain thee how he hath borne thee up from the Womb hitherto especially how he took care of thee when thou hast been in distress Oh it is sweet when we can cry as David Psalm 34.6 This poor man cryed and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles I have been in these and these distresses yet the Lord hath heard and delivered me especially if he hath blessed thee from small beginnings and increased thy substance urge thy heart to trust in him for the future 1 Pet. 5.7 Casting all thy care upon him for he careth for thee Fifthly The next Object of Meditation is the Excellency and Happyness of our Estate in Heaven See this Subject treated on in a Sermon on Tit. 2.13 Looking for that blessed Hope A Fourth Volume OF SERMONS ON Several Texts of Scripture BY THE Late Reverend and Learned Thomas Manton D.D. PART the Second Containing LXXVI Sermons WITH AN ALPHABETICAL TABLE To the Whole LONDON Printed by I. D. and are to be sold by Ionathan Robinson at the Golden Lion in St. Paul's Church-Yard MDCXCIII Place this Title immediately before Page 671. TO THE Lady BAWDON MADAM IT needs no Apology that I have prefixed your Ladiship 's Name to this Part of the late Reverend Dr. Thomas Manton's Works since the Memory of the Author is so precious with you by whom you and your Children were baptized into the Christian Faith under whose Ministry you were brought up in the Knowledg of the Mysteries of the Gospel and whose Works published both before and since his Death have been so highly valued by you But your Ladiship has a more especial Title to these Sermons because a great part of them being committed to my Care to publish the preparing them for the Press was performed in a great measure under your Ladiship 's Roof when the Providence of God called me there in my Attendance on your Honoured Mother the Lady Wharton in the last Scene of her Life The Duty I owe to the Memory of that Great Person obliges me to testify to the World what I as well as others who had the Honour of knowing her observed in her She was one whom God had indowed with more than common Gifts and Graces one of a piercing Judgment quick Apprehension great Presence of Mind useful in all her Relations But that which adorned all was her eminent Godliness which was visible in the whole Course of her Conversation She had a great understanding of the Mysteries of the Gospel and though she abounded in good Works yet she knew how to account all things Loss and Dung for the Excellency of the Knowledg of Christ Jesus her Lord. She was often in the Admiration of the Riches and Freeness of God's Grace in Jesus Christ and all her Hopes Trust and Confidence were in his Merits and Righteousness She had a very high Valuation and Esteem of the Ordinances of God and when her long Sickness had for some time hindred her from a publick Attendance on the Worship of God she would often complain of it That she was as a Leper shut out from the Sanctuary of God She was of a noble generous and charitable Frame of Spirit and her Charity was dispensed with great Prudence I cannot but mention one Branch of it viz. The relieving of sick Persons especially providing and giving Medicines to the Poor who had no Money to buy them and God did wonderfully own her with great Success herein In her latter Days God was pleased to exercise her with great Trials her Sickness was long and tedious her Pains great and sharp but under all her steady Adherence to God shewed the Strength of her Faith and the Truth of her Patience I have often heard her say this one thing silenced all Complaints It is God who hath done it All the Breaches God made upon her made no Breach between God and her Soul In her languishing Hours when her Strength failed her she expressed the inward Tranquillity and Repose of her Mind it being almost the last Words she said All is well all is well Thus she lived and thus she died and is now joined to that Great Assembly of Glorified Saints who are always praising blessing and adoring God where she is always beholding the Face of her God in Glory and fully understands the meaning of all the dark Providences of God towards her in the latter part of her Life I mention not these things to renew your Ladiship 's Grief for so great a Loss and to make your Wounds bleed afresh but to provoke you to a holy Imitation of so great a Pattern and to be a Follower of her as she was of Christ. Good Examples have a powerful Influence upon us for we are led more by Pattern than by Precept especially the Examples of those we love for such we are prone to imitate but more especially of those who are in nearest Relation to us for there Nature sides with Grace And what an Advantage your Ladiship has had in having such a Precedent before your Eyes appears by the fair Transcript you have been of so fair a Copy Madam God hath been pleased to exercise your Ladiship also with great Trials but you have had your Comforts and Supports God hath taken away some of your nearest Relations but he hath continued others to you What a Blessing hath God bestowed upon you in those excellent Daughters that have sprung from you But alas we are too apt to pore on our Losses and overlook our Enjoyments to make our Afflictions the Grave of our Mercies God hath given your Ladiship a better Frame of Spirit and taught you how
to see his Love in the Losses you have sustain'd and the Blessings you enjoy But were it worse with you as to outward Comforts yet the Foundation of God standeth sure having this Seal The Lord knoweth them that are his And certainly there is more in God and a Covenant-Relation to him to support your Joy than there can be in any outward Affliction to cause Grief and Sorrow of Heart And a due sense of God's afflicting Hand is not inconsistent with a holy rejoicing in him Now that God would fill you more and more with the Joys and Comforts of his Holy Spirit and multiply his Blessings upon your self and those that have descended from you is the Prayer of Honoured Madam Your Ladiship 's most obliged and most humble Servant WILLIAM TAYLOR February 9. 1692 3. SERMONS Preached upon Several Occasions SERMON I. LUKE xvi 30 31. And he said Nay father Abraham but if one went unto them from the dead they will repent And he said unto him If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead IT hath been a Question whether this is a Parable or an History A Parable surely for otherwise many incongruities would be asserted For it supposeth Body and Soul already in Hell ver 23. And in hell he lift up his eyes being in torment And it would suppose Charity and care of Conversion of others in Hell therefore it is not an History The scope of this Parable is to teach us three Lessons 1. To shew that the Godly-Poor are Blessed and the Unmerciful-Rich are in Everlasting Torments Desideravit guttam qui non dedit micam he desired a drop of Water that would not give a bit of Bread 2. The irreversible Estate of the Damned verse 26. Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot neither can they pass to us that would come from thence 3. That the Direction of the Holy Scriptures are the only Means to escape these Torments This latter is represented in a Dialogue between Dives and Abraham Dives would have one sent from the Dead to his Fathers House Supposing that would work on them to repent Christ's Parables do impersonate our Thoughts we alwaies dislike the present dispensation which God useth to reclaim us and would have extraordinary Means and then we presume we should believe and repent these are our thoughts But Abraham thinketh otherwise or rather Christ who is the Author of the Parable If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead By Moses and the Prophets are meant the whole Scriptures of the Old Testament and the New these are mentioned because these only were then written and received by the Iews and these include the rest the same Truth being carryed on in all the Books though more explicit in the latter Doct. That the word of God is a more conducible means to perswade us to Repentance than if one should come from the dead There are two wayes of Proof of this Doctrine And therefore let us see what may be said for and against one coming from the dead First If one coming from the dead be presumed to be a more Effectual Means to bring Men to Repentance and Conversion to God it must be either because he can bring a more necessary Doctrine or could urge better Arguments and more perswasively or propound these Truths with more certainty or could by his own strength convey a Power with his Words or rationally expect a greater concomitancy and co-operation of Grace than is ordinarily dispensed by the Word One or other of these things it must be or else the conceit is vain and frivolous But now proceeding from one consideration to another I shall shew you that the Word of God hath clearly the preheminence and is a far more accommodate instrument to work upon the hearts of Men than any extraordinary dispensation whatsoever 1. One coming from the Dead Angel or Man cannot bring a Doctrine more necessary there being in the Scriptures sufficient Direction about the way to true Happiness For which we have not only express Testimony but apparent reason and sensible experience 1. Express Testimony which should sway with Christians 2 Tim. 3.16 17. All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness That the man of God may be perfect thoroughly furnished unto all good works A Man of God or Minister of the Gospel thoroughly furnished hath from the Scriptures full out enough to guide Man to the injoyment of God nothing is wanting for Information as to Doctrine Conviction Arguments of Quickning or Exhortation for Instruction or Directions concerning the whole Duty of Man And 2. Apparent Reason if God be a sufficient Teacher of Divine things and if we suppose him willing to inform the Creatures neither of which can be denyed without blasphemy then surely supposing the Scriptures to be the Word of God as all Christians do and in this Debate it is fit we should suppose then certainly we have enough in the Scriptures and need not that the rest of the dead should be discomposed that there may be a fit Messenger found out to invite us to return to God If it need proof who can teach us the way to Blessedness more than the Blessed God Psal. 119.12 Blessed art thou O Lord Teach me thy statutes Who more willing to shew Man what is good then the good God Psalm 119.6.8 Thou art good and dost good teach me thy statutes The Blessed God needeth not to envy us the perfection of Knowledge as the Devil insinuated Gen. 3.5 God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil Wherein is his Happiness lessened by our perfection And the good God who is so full of goodness and love to Mankind would give us a sufficient Direction especially since his Son appeared in Humane Nature and became his Messenger Would God reveal himself to any one from the Dead yea to an Angel more than to his own Son Oor could he see feel or hear more than God hath made known to Christ Or be presumed to have a greater Charity to Mankind than the Lord hath whose Creatures they are no No no it cannot be he hath shewed thee O man what is good Micah 6.8 Abide by that and thou hast enough But let us confirm it Compare the Provisions of the Word with your own necessities What! Would you have a Rule And see if you have it not in the Holy Scriptures Titus 2.11 12. For the grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world By the grace of God is meant the Gospel and what