that time when he was driven from his fathers House when he was forced to fly to save his life he was in a sad conditihn he had not a bed to lye on he had not a pillow to lay his head upon but took a heap of stones to lay his head upon and yet in that condition did God come and manifest himself most gloriously to him he dreamed a Dream and saw a Vision of the Ladder set up to Heaven and of the Angel Ascending and Descending God was there in a special manner so he saith The Lord was there and he was not aware never did he enjoy more of God then in that condition Stephen the first Martyr never enjoyed more of God he never enjoyed more glorious Visions of Jesus Christ then when he looked through a showr of stones that came about his ears and took away his life he saw the arme of the Lord Jesus ready to receive him to embrace him in the everlasting armes of his love he had heard much of Christ in his everlasting Gospel but he never saw him before with his eye John the Evangelist there is another instance if you look into the first Chapter of the Revelation of John about the 9. vers you shall see there where he was and in what condition he was in when he received those gloriouâ— Revelations he said he was banisht into the Isle of Patmos for bearing witness to the Name of Christ and the truth of Christ he was a Martyr and fellow sufferer and when he was banished from all friends and comforts and left naked and destitute of all comforts the Lord Jesus doth draw nigh and doth reveal the most glorious Mysteries concerning his Churches to John The primitive Churches never enjoyed more of God then at that time when they were most persecuted by men in the times of those 10. bloody pâ—rsecution the Churches had abundance of the presence of Christ abundance of the Spirit of Christ and abundance of the grace of Christ abundance of holy zeal and abundance of activity for God it was poured out upon them the Lord Jesus never took so much delight to walk among them as when they were in the midst of the fiery persecution What presence of Christ the people of God enjoy in pâ—rsecution Quest If you ask me But what presence of Christ is it that the people of God do enjoy in their great afflictions and in the midst of their fiery tryals Answ 1. First of all they have most of the supporting presence of Christ never more of the supporting presence of Christ then in sad conditions he supports the inward man and he supports the outward man he upholds the spirits of his people in sad conditions and he makes their spirits able to bear their infirmity Now here is a wonderful work of the Lord that he should strengthen the spirit of a poor creature with such mighty power as to resist and to keep out the violence of such mighty tryals such great afflictions There is nothing that the Devil seeks more then to drive affliction home to the spirit that so he might crush the spirit and conquer the spirit when he can get in and ceaze upon the spirit then he becomes master and creats a deal of smâ—rt and vexation Now the power of the Lord Jesus is seen in that he doth support and strengthen the spirits of his people that when they have but a little strength no strength and yet are able to hold out notwithstanding they are so strongly besieged and so straitly girt many times round about with afflictions yet he makes that little strength to hold out at that time that so he is pleased to renew their strength to give fresh supplies and to remove the disease and so the power of Christ is seen in supporting the outward man many times in the midst of great afflictions when the Saints meet with great afflictions afflictions of the body crosses such afflictions as might even overwhelm the outward man and they have but little strength many times yet the Lord doth so blesse that little strength that though they meet with crosses that little strength shall not fail till such time as the Lord do bring deliverance to them Secondly As they have the supporting presence of Christ in the affliction so they have the inlightening presence of Christ and that 's a great mercy commonly the Lord never teaches his people more then in affliction when Christ gets them into the School of affliction then he instructs them there he doth open mens ears and he doth seal up mens instruction to them when Christ draws nigh in affliction I know afflictions in themselves cannot teach but when Christ draws nigh they learn a great deal in affliction they never see more of God and of themselves never more of their corruptions and vileness that is within them never see more of the power and way of God and the mysteries of Christ at that time when Jesus Christ draws nigh with his enlightening presence Thirdly Jesus Christ draws nigh with his sanctifying presence his people have more of his sanctifying presence in their greatest tryals when Christ draws nigh to sanctifie their afflictions to subdue their corruptions and to strengthen their graces the fruit of their affliction shall be to purge them from sin afflictions themselves cannot do it afflictions themselves harden but when the Lord Jesus Christ draws nigh in affliction the Saints do enjoy abundance of the sanctifying presence and through their afflictions they are made partakers of the Divine Nature their corruptions are subdued and mortified Again fourthly They never injoy more of the quickening presence of Christ then in affliction I say the quickening presence of Christ many times dead hearts how are they raised up when Christ draws nigh to them how are they elevated above themselves and their own strength because they are mightily acted by the Spirit of Christ in the fifth of Hosea you may see there how God doth promise his quickening presence in the time of their affliction Hosea 5 last verse I will go and return to my place till they acknowledge their offence and seek my face in their afflictions they will seek me early They were dead-hearted people and they had lost all activity for God they were not carryed out with desire after God they would not stir up themselves to take hold of him Well says God I will make them prize me I will fling them into affliction and then in their affliction I will draw nigh to them with my quickening presence and in their afflictions they will seek me early Again fiftly and lastly The Saints never injoy more of the comftoring presence of Christ then they do in the time of their great affliction in the 2. of the Song of Solomon vers 6. what says the Spouse there in her greatest afflictions His left hand is under my head and his right hand doth embrace me As Christ doth support in
where I was saith he whether I was in the body or was taken out of the body I cannot test the Lord he knows and therefore still I say there is no cause why any of Gods people should inordinately fear affliction seeing you may meet with the presence of Christ in that condition and the presence of Jesus Christ will countervail the loss of all Creature comforts and the sweetness of it will be equivalent to the bitterness of it let thy condition be never so low That 's the third Use Fourthly Let the people of God expect the presence of Christ in their affliction in their low condition seeing Christ hath promised his presence do you expect his presence look for his presence Oh that we might labour to improve our affliction for this end that we may meet with more of Christ that we may enjoy more of the presence of Christ in our affliction truly there is a great deal lost Gods people loose abundance of sweetness which they might enjoy both in Ordinances and in afflâ—ction if their hearts were raised up to look for the performance of that which Christ hath promised if we would believe that Jesus Christ will be as good as his word did our souls expect the fuâ—lfilling of this word that â—e shall see the presence of Christ in affliction why then should we be so loth to suffer for Christ and be unwilling to submit to low conditâ—ons seeing it is the will of God that we should suffer Therefore I beseech you you that are the people of God get your hearts enlarged in affliction that so you may get above your â—ffliction if that you shall certainly meet with the presence of Jesus Christ in your afflicted conditions he hath spoken it he hath given out the word and therefore he will fulfill it what confidence had the people of God in their affliction when they remembred this I will fear none ill though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death And see what David saith in the 27. Psalm the beginning of it The Lord is my light and my salvation whom should I fear the Lord is the strength of my liâ—e of whom should I be afraid I cannot tell who the enemy is who is it he looks and he fiâ—des none in all the world whom should I fear and be afraid of so long as the Lord is with me I see no such enemy and therefore I beseech you that you would look after the presence of Christ expect the presence of Christ in all your afflictions that you meet with Object But you will say I have no such word as David had David might well belâ—eve that the Lord would uphold him for David had a particular word God spake to David he â—ware to David He swore by his Holiness that he would not fail David and so others of the Sainâ—s they had a particular word the Lord spake to Joshua Fear not I will not leave thee be couragious but we have no such word and therefore how should we expect to meet with Christ in afflicted conditions Answ I Answer first of all Though God does not speak now from Heaven by Visions he doth not reveal himself by Vrim and Thuâ—mim as unto David yet we have a larger word then David had and Joshuah had the Scripture is larger now we have abundance of the word there was but little of the Scripture writ in Daâ—ids time and less in Joshuahs time there was none of the written word but only the Book of Moses but now we have the word of God compleat we have a sure word a large word and 't is full of gracious invitations and incouragements and therefore the Saints now may be incouraged as well as they to whom God spake Secondly Yea Secondly I say God hath sent forth more of his spirit now in a Gospel way in a way of Gospel dispensation there is a great deal more of the Spirit of Christ poured out Now 't is the work of the Spirit the Office of the Spirit to particularize those promises to the soul to take thâ— promises and bring them home to this and that particular soul Now where the Spirit of God comes â—â— comes with evidence and he brings home the word of grace to thâ— soul that the soul cannot gainsay it nor resist it Object But you will say How shall I know 't is the Spirit of God that doth speak to me Answ I Answer The Spirit of God always speaks according to the word of God I say it speaks according to the written word that is given to us it speaks according to the word of grace for the spirit and the word do bear mutual testimony one of another But I Answer 'T is in the power of the Spirit to resolve the soul the Lord Jesus sends forth the Spirit with so much evidence â—s to convince the heart that it is the spirit that speaks the Lord Jesus he is able to perswade the soul that it is not a delusion but speaking according to the word of grace it is indeed the voice of the Father the voice of the Spirit that speaks Objct. But you will object further If the Lord Jesus be present with mâ— according to his promise if the Lord were present with me in affliction why how is it possible that it should be thus with me as it is How is it possible that there should be so much deadness and so much of the world and unbelief Surèly the presence of Christ is not with me in my affliction Answ I Answer to such a poor soul that looks after the presence of Christ and fain would enjoy the presence of Christ but cannot see him in affliction I say first of all Undoubtedly there is the presence of Christ with thee and thou canst not but thou mayst see something if unthankfulnesse doth not lye before thine eyes he is there the Lord Jesus is there and he will make good his word certainly if he hath promised to be with his people in afflicted conditions he will make good his word anâ— he is with thee at the door though he may be behind the Curtain and undoubtedly he is not far as I said before Joseph was with his Brethren when they did not know him and so the Lord Jesus is present with his people and they do not see him he doth feed them support them and maintain their lives and they not know it Secondly Yea I say secondly That if thou dost not see more of the presence of Christ the fault is in thee 't is not in the Lord not in the word of the Lord he is present according to the word that he hath spoke and therefore Christ may be present and thou seest him not because through negligence thou dost not stir up thy self to take hold of him thou givest way to a slothful spirit and so thou dost not stir up thy self to take hold of him or else thou dost not exercise faith in thy afflicted
of the fire and they have no hurt and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God YOu know what Proposition was raised the last day viz. That God doth often times in a wonderful manner rescue the lives of his Servants from death and destruction You had then the Doctrinal part I have since that in another place made some Application which I shall finish God willing at this time time we learned by way of Instruction First That the lives of his Servants are precious in Gods sight All the Income of glory that God hath brought in from this world it comes in this way from the lives of his Servants if it were not for them God should loose all his Rent and therefore the Psalmist doth plead with God when his life was brought nigh to the grave In Psalm 30. Lord saith he what profit is there in my bloâ—d if I go down to the pit as if he should say Lord thou art like to loose thy Profit thy Rent if I go down to the grave I shall not bring thee in that Rent of glory Though I shall glorifie thee in another way yet I shall not lift thee up here in this world I shall not make thy name glorious before the eyes of the sons of men in the midst of thy adversaries therfore Lord look to thine own Profit saith he The lives of the Servants of God are very precious to him and therefore he hath given such charges concerning their lives He hath laid a charge upon all his creatures Fire Water Wild beasts upon Fishes of the Sea upon violent men upon violent Diseases Sicknesses upon the Divels themselves he hath châ—rged them all concerning his Servants that they are not able to lift up a hand against them and therefore God hath set such a guard about the lives of his Servants are they not all Ministring Spirits so 't is said of the Angels Hebrews â— Are they not all miâ—istring Spirits sent forth for the good of the Saints God will spare all his Angels out of Heaven rather then the lives of any of his Servants should be lost yea the Lord he wil not trust the Angels themselves but he takes special care of the lives of his Servants I the Lord do keep it I watch over it every moment And therefore also you find that men have paid dear for his Jewels when they have taken away the lives of his Servants he hath always made Hue and Cry after them and where ever he hath found the blood of his Servants he hath made them to pay dear for it It is said of Babylon That when God made search for blood he found the blood of his Prophets there and how suddenly was Babylâ—n brought down all Babylons goods were forfeited presently they were seized upon as â—elons goods and â—he was brought down with all violence and she was cast down as a Milstone into the bottome of the Sea Now if life be so precious to God how precious is the soul to God Oh the care that God takes of the souls of his people Oh the pains that Jesus Christ took to fetch the souls of his people What a journey did he come And what a Sea of blood did he pass through What an Ocean of his Fathers wrath did he dive into He was content to go to the bottome when all the billows of his Fathers wrath lay upon him that so he might fâ—tch up the souls of his people and therefore if the soul be precious unto God and Christ it should be precious unto you What will it profit a man to gain the whole world and to loose his soul and therefore what ever you do neglect not those great Matters of Eternity those matters that concern the soul Again If life be so precious with God why then you should prize your lives It is the wil of God that you should look upon your life as precious take heed that you speak not against your lives It was the Prophets failing he would needs dye in a passion Lord I am no better then my Fathers and take heed that you act nothing against your lives it is the greatest sin that you can sin Improve your lives to the utmost gain as much knowledge of God and communion with God in this tearm of life as possibly you may do as much for God act as much for God in the tearm of life as possibly you may This is the way to put oâ—â— your lives for the best advantage Though man hath never so much of the world never so much oâ— outward honour yet if his life be not spent in this in seeking after God in acting for God he looseth all his honor at last become as the beasts that perish In the last place We should trust God for the future and I shall now press this Use of Exhortation more fully upon Gods people When eveâ— you have seen God in a way of deliverance you should trust God for the future 't is part of the Rent that God doth expect for mercy that they that have received mercy should for ever cleave unto God and in all conditions put their trust in him Psal 62. v. 11 12. God hath spoken once anâ— twice have I heard this saith the Psalmist thaâ— power belongs to Gâ—d he hath spoken once and I have heard it twice When God speaks in some remarkable providence why this is the voice oâ— God That power belongs to God and free grace belongs to God 1. Trust God first of all for all the comforts oâ— What we should trust God for life for whatsoever may make your lives comfortable and that because that life is more then alâ— the comforts of it and God that gives the greater will not deny the lesser it is our Saviourâ— Argument to his Disciples in Mat. 6. 25. Therefore I say unto you take no thought for your life what you shall eat or what you shall drink nor yâ—t for your body what you shall put on is not the life more then meat and the body then raiment Is not life more then meat Is not the life of greater vâ—lue then meat drink and clothing more then aâ— the comforts of life it is more in the eye of God the life of one Saint is more unto God then all the creatures in the world Now where God gives life he takes care for life he takes care for the comforts of life See what provision God did make for the beasts in the old Law there was a Law given in the 25. of Deut. v. 4. That they should not muzzle the mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the coâ—n and the Apostle does apply it doth the Lord take care for Oxen and so doth he not abundantly care for men and so our Saviour he tells us the Lord takes care of the Ravens and he feeds them Does the Lord take care of Ravens and will he not take care of his Saints Certainly those that fear the Lord he
in himself at that very time to look upon him in Christ and behold him as righteous as if he had no spot no defilement in him Brethren all these are Miâ—acles of mercy Again that God should pour out his spirit upon a poor lump of flesh that his spirit should work upon a poor creature and take a poor creature into union with himself and communion with himself that he should be working in the heart and cleanse a poor creature from pollution both of flesh and spirit all these are Miracles Miraracles of Wisdom Miracles of Power and Miracles of Mercy that doth shine in the bringing home of a soul to God And therefore to conclude all in the last place Let us bless God for his Word and look more Vse 3 to the word of God then to Miracles seeing what power God hath put into his word and how he â—s pleased to accompany his word with his spirit and do great things and now why should we look to Miracles and why should we stand upon miracles truly if you will not beleeve the Word of the Lord without Miracles neither would you beleeve though God should work Miracles why there is more power in the word to perswade the heart that it is indeed the word of God and so to overcome the soul to beleeve to rest on it then there is in all Miracles that can be shewed and therefore in this case if any look for a Miracle they may hear Christ say no Miracle shall be given to such a generation He that beleeves nâ—t the word he will not beleeve though one rose from the dead Nebuchadnezzar he saw three men that had a resurrection from the dead they were dead in all their accounts they â—hought that they had been all consumed they have an unexpected life they are all loose walkâ—ng in the midst of the fire and yet I say Nebuâ—hadnezzars heart was not firmly wrought upon by this Miracle but he returned again to hiâ— own folly And therefore Oh praise the Lord for his word bless the Lord for his word if it had not been for the word of his grace how should a poor creature have been brought in and what should poor creatures have relyed upon what foundation to build upon what can give boldness and confidence to a poor soul to draw nigh to God truly it could not be it is impossible that the heart should be overcome to submit to God without the word of his grace Oh bless the Lord for his Word we are more beholden to the Lord for his Word then for all Miracles that possibly can be shewed THE Fifth Sermon On DAN III. XXV He answered and said Lo I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and they have no hurt and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God THere is witness given to a Miraculous deliverance that God wrought for his three Servants who through their faith overcame the violence of the fire Nebuchadnezzar makes a large confession here I propounded this question the last time Whether Nebucadnezzar was truly brought home to God or no he did a great deal he spake a great deal there was a great work of conviction past upon his spirit he doth acknowledge his Error and sin he doth rejoyce in his own disappointment that God did not suffer him to have his will he doth reâ—oyce in the goodness of God that was shewed to his Servants he rejoyces in their constancy that they did not obey the Kings command worship his Gods he did rejoyce in their deliverances he doth acknowledge that it was God that delivered them he takes care of the worship of God to promote it he makes a penal Statute That whosoever did profane the name of God should be cut in pieces and yet notwithstanding for all this we concluded probably That Nebuchadnezzar was not converted for in the next Chapter he â—eturned to his old way of sin of superstition he dreams a dream and he sends for the Sorcerers to tell â—im his dream which belongs to God to reveal secrets as Daniel told him So then we observed that It is not in the poâ—er of the greatest Miracle to convert Observat a soul to God Nebuchadnezzar saw great Miracles Miracles of mercy and Miracles of judgment We told you Pâ—araoh saw Miracles and Israel saw Miracles in Aegypt and at the red Sea in the Wilderness Miracles of mercy and Miracles of judgment sometimes their plagues were wonderfull stung with fiery Serpents and Miracles of mercy God he fed them with Man a and water out of the Rock and notwithstanding for all this they were a stubborn Generation and dwelt in unbelief our Saviour tells us in that Parable in the 16. of Luke but they are the words of Abraham They have Moses and the Prophets and if they will not hear them and bâ—leeve neithâ—r would â—hey beleeve though one rose from the dead Though God should shew the greatest Miracle yet that would not convince them that would not bring off their hearts to believe in the Son of God 't is the hardest matter in the world to bring God and the heart together they are at such a great dâ—stance Infinite distance and the heart of the creature is filled with such slavery and lay under bondage that it dares not go to God when God calls to behold his face in his Son but run to the bush as Adam did but though Miracles will not do it it hath a word of grace a sure word of grace to draw nigh to God and therefore we should look upon that Miracle of iniquity that is in the heart of all the sons of Adam it is a strange thing that the heart of man should out-stand so many blows that so small a piece of flesh as the heart of man is should withstand those great batteries that God many times is pleased to make by judgments wonderful judgments when he declares his wrath from Heaven to sinners and consider what a Miracle of mercy it is that any soul should be converted and brought home to God seeing Conversion is so hard a thing and Miracles will not do it What a Miracle it is for a soul to be brought home to God! I shew how many Miracles were in this work Miracles of wisdom Miracles of power Miracles of mercy Oh we should bless the Lord that hath given us his word we should prefer the word before Miracles we should not look to Miracles but we should look to the word of the Lord God hath made that to bring home souls and therefore we are infinitely beholden to the Lord for the word of his grace that we have the word of his grace to trust in We proceed Consider who it is that bare witness to the Miracle 'T is Nebuchadnezzar that was an enemy to the Saints a persecutor a scorner a contemner of God Who is that God that shall deliver out of my hand and yet the Lord makes him
with garments of blood that so by that means he became a reconciler Without shedding of blood there is no remâ—ssion Here is encouragement given to poor guilty sinners that apprehend nothing due unto them but wrath yet by the blood of Jesus Christ by that new and living way they come in and then God the Father too he made a promise to the Son that because he laid down his life he should have a multitudinous off-spring in that 53. of Isaiah In the day that he pours out his soul to death he should see the travel of his soul and he should have a large portion because he poured out his soul to death for transgressors so you see that the killing of Jesus Christ and putting him to death is so far from lessening believers that this is the way to draw in all those multitudes of souls that were gâ—ven to Christ of his Father Secondly Again If you look upon the primitive Churches you shall finde that the worlds persecution had the same effect upon them there waâ— a great persecution a mighty storm which you reaâ— of in the 8. of Acts persecution begun fiâ—st aâ— Jâ—rusalem and by that means the Churches were scattered Well did this tend to the hindrance of the Gospel and lessen the number of Beleevers No you shall read in that Chapter thaâ— God made this a means to carry the Gospel to many other Countries were brought in to bebeleeve in Christ the great City of Samaria you read in the 6. vers Pâ—ilip went down and Preached to Samaria and this did tend to the furtherance oâ— the Gospel in the 8. verse They gave all heed aâ—d there wâ—s great joy in that City If you look upon tâ—e Churches in those Ages for the first thâ—ee hundred years after Christ there was a most â—errible persecution there were ten persecuâ—oâ—s ten bloody Emperours that sought to root out the Name or Châ—ist and to destâ—oy the Saint and therefore those that write of Ecclesiastical History they tell us they devised all manner of torments some speak of about twenty seven deaths they devised to torment the poor Christianâ— Many thouâ—ands many millions suffered in the time of thoâ—e persecutions and yet this was so far from â—iminishâ—ng the number of Bâ—leevers tâ—at they were encreaâ—ed the more they were oppressed and persecuted the more they encreased and thereâ—ore sâ—me of them did observe that Juliâ—n he used all means to â—uppresse them shut up all their Schools that they might not have learning aâ—d yet never had they more learning then then He devised all manner of torments to terrifiâ— them and yet he saw they encreased and multiplied so fast that he thought at last his best course was to give over his persecution not out of love but out of envy because that through his persecution they encreased And thus you see the Point cleared That the persecution of the Saints shall not diminish the number of them but shall encrease them For the Grounds of it Bâ—iefly Fiâ—st of all God delights to walk contrary to The Grounds of the Point men therefore he will have it thus He loves to cross the imaginations of the hearts of men of the world and to set his ways against their tâ—oughts and their ways in the fourth of Micah the latter end they say Let our eye look upon Siâ—n but what saith God in the next verse They know not thâ— thoughts of the Lord neither understand â—â— counsel When men dream that such a way it shall be the utter rooting out of the Gospel they aâ—e might ly mistaken saith God my thoughes are abâ—ve yours my ways above yours You know not the thoughts of the Lord for this very way shall encrease multitudes God delights to walk contrary to men and to oppose his gracious thoughts to their cursed imaginations Secondly The Lord Jesus is a mighty King all 2. Ground power is given into his hand both in Heaven and earth and all this power he will improve for the Kingdom of Saints all is given to him and â—e will give all to them Neither life nor death things present nor things to come they are all yours He hath given all to them and all shall make for their advantage In this the power of the Lord Jesus King of Saints is mightily seen that he can turn aâ—l opposition to advantage the greatest persecution that the Devils can raise shall all turn to the advantage of Christs Kingdom It is so with particular souls all is yours all is yours to do you good life and death is yours all given you to serve you and they shall work together for your good for your best good for your eternal good the Lord makes an advantage of all unto his people the Devil casts blocks in their way to hinder them he turns it to their advantage and so they are helped nigher to himself all the evil of the world yea all the evil of sin and the Devil himself shall though against their wills help forward the salvation of Gods people and so Christ cause all to be for the good of his Church for the good of his Kingdom all opposition and persecutions which are raised to blow down the Kingdom of Jesus Christ shall but establish it for 't is rooted 't is a Kingdom that cannot be shaken And then Thirdly Men cannot hinder the increase of Christs Kingdom for there is no man able to hinder the work of the Spirit of Christ from working 3. Ground The wind blows where it lists and so the Spirit of God that breaths where it lists and where ever he please to breath It is not possible for man to resist his work The work of Christ by his Spirit upon mens hearts is a mighty work an irresistable work and all the powers of Hell shall not be able to hinder the work 't is a mighty work and none shall let it To apply this briefly First of all It lets us see the vanity of all the Application attempts of men against the truth of Christ and the people of Christ they are but vain imaginations Vse 1 men do but imagine a mischiefous device that they shall never be able to bring to pass it is a vain thing for a man to go about to silence the truth of Christ or to destroy the Saints of Christ I tell you the more the truth is troden on the more it shall shine and as it goes with truth so it goes with Saints the more troden on in the world the more loved of God all the winde of opposition that the Devils can raise from the world it shall never be able to shake them though it may shake some particular grains and ears that they may fall to the earth but yet they shall rise again every grain that falls shall bring forth fruit some thirty and some a hundred fold the more thy are opposed the more they encrease persecution shall but sow the blood of Christ the