but that it should be holy and without blemish God chose us that we might be holy and without blame and Jesus Christ has such a Love to us even as the Father has that we should be holy and without blame and my Friends the Spirit is all one with the Father and the Son Does the Father choose us and does the Son give himself for us that we might be so then comes the Spirit and resolves that he will make us so and therefore you shall find the Apostle in his Epistle to the Galatians giving us an account of the fruits of the Spirit in the fifth Chapter at the 18 verse if so be ye be led by the Spirit ye are not under the Law And then as to the energy the workings of the Spirit why says he in the 17 verse The Spirit lusteth against the flesh The fleshly part in us is an unbelieving part that is against living out of our selves upon Christ ay but the Spirit that works contrary unto these natural lustings and natural workings of the flesh for says the Apostle v. 22. The fruit of the Spirit is Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith c. By comparing these passages together you may raise this observation that even as the Father and the Son are concerned for our practical as well as personal holiness so also is the Spirit he lusts and he works and he strives and he never leaves lusting and striving and working against the flesh until he have brought forth these fruits of Love Joy Peace and Long-suffering and Gentleness and goodness and Faith c. So that this is the first particular God has chosen us unto personal and practical holiness and if you do observe it this Spiritual Blessing is also ensured unto us in Christ with all the contents of it and with all the proper effects of it May a Poor Creature say But how shall I come to attain to this And what security can I have of it Why says he according as he hath chosen us in him he hath Blessed us in him according as he hath chosen us in him and now says he he hath Blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in him But then 2. The Second Blessing that the Apostle takes notice of is the great Spiritual Blessing of Adoption which doth not only discover a Relation to God but also a sutable frame and a sutable becoming sense of the Relation a sense of it and a frame comporting and complying with it This you have an account of in the 5 verse Having predestinated us to the Adoption of Children to himself c. I pray do but observe what the Apostle here doth discover concerning the Nature of this it is the Adoption of Children to himself The God and Father of our Lord Jesus hath ensured our Adoption with all the Priviledges with all the Blessed consequents of it unto us in Christ Jesus 'T is the God and Father of Christ Jesus and he that is so is in Christ Jesus a God adopting us unto himself by Jesus Christ This you shall find the Scripture frequently making mention of says the Apostle to the Romans We have not received the Spirit of Bondage but the Spirit of Adoption the Spirit of Sons and what is the proper work of the Spirit of Adoption You shall find what it is Rom. 8.15 Ye have not received the Spirit of Bondage again to fear but ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Says the Apostle ye are Sons ay but the Sonship is managed by the Spirit ye are not only Sons but the Spirit witnesseth with your Spirits that ye are so and that is his proper work and what is the issue of that Why says he ye cry Abba Father you may go to God in your distresses and you may go to God under your Temptations and you may go to God as the God and Father of Jesus Christ under all your straits and troubles and under all your Spiritual wants and you may say unto him Father hear and Father help Says the Apostle ye have not received the Spirit of Bondage again to fear Indeed under the Law when they were under the Power of the Spirit of Bondage they stood at a distance from God they were under fear but now says the Apostle ye have not received the Spirit of Bondage again to fear but ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby ye cry Abba Father It is as natural a Priviledge to a Child of God and it is as Natural Language to gracious hearts to cry Abba Father as it is for a Child to cry to his Father Father or Mother ye have received the Spirit of Adoption says he and the same thing you have the Apostle giving us an account of Gal. 4. v. 4 5. God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law Why what then That we might receive the Adoption of Sons and because ye are Sons says he God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father I would only observe this to you which it may be is not so obvious to every apprehension Compare but these two Scriptures together and you shall find that in the one he is the Spirit of Adoption as he is the Fathers Spirit and in the other he is the Spirit of Adoption as he is the Spirit of the Son for saith he he has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father The Spirit of the Lord Jesus the same Spirit that influenced the Humane Nature and in which Jesus Christ always prayed to God as a Father and always walked with God under all variety of providences as with a Father the same Spirit he hath sent forth and this same Spirit that cryed Abba Father in Christ crys Abba Father also in Christians 3. The third Spiritual Blessing that the Apostle makes mention of in this Chapter is an universal acceptance of Christians in all cases notwithstanding all disobligements one would wonder that a child should sin and though the sin be rejected yet the child stand still in a state of acceptation though the Father scourge the Child yet he doth not unchild the Child This you have an account of verse 6. to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved I pray do but observe it There is nothing that a Christian can propose to himself there is no case that the Devil and the world can expose a Christian to but the Christian is still accepted in Christ Jesus and that notwithstanding all his fears and under all his Jealousies and in the face of all his conscience accusations and his own self-condemnations yet the Child is accepted the Christian is accepted who hath made us says he accepted in the beloved my friends this is a great Spiritual Blessing indeed There are many that have their hearts greatly concerned and their Spirit wonderfully
content themselves with any lower degree but yet those who have the smallest portion may be supported and comforted by the second Subject viz. That where there is grace but as a grain of Corn the lowest measure yet the Lord hath a high estimation of it And that all grace may be multiplied shall be the Prayer of him who is A Servant of Christ in the Gospel SAM PETTO Octob. 13. 1684. SERMON I. Ephesians 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly places in Christ IT is the Interest of Christians in all the Circumstances of their lives to enquire after and make sure of something that is Spiritual There is nothing that Satan designs more then either to obstruct their Right or to Cloud their Right to those Blessings that are Spiritual and Eternal Of all lives a Life of Faith conversant in things that are not seen is the most hateful Life to the Devil and the most unknown Life to the World but the properest Life that a Christian can live in and under all the variety of his Condition here below Christians you understand the design of the Devil and of the World upon your temporals how far it will please the Majesty of Heaven to give them leave to prosper in their design I cannot determine but that you and I may have something to bear up our Spirits withal whatever liberty or allowance they have from Heaven That we may have something to rejoyce our hearts withal I have therefore proposed to speak something to you from these words which are a discovery of the unseen blessedness of a Christian in and under all the Circumstances of his Condition in this Life If you should ask me what a Christian is I would tell you as to his state that he is a Spiritual man Blessed with all Spirituall Blessings by the God and Father of Jesus Christ in Jesus Christ This is a Christian and this is a Christians state And surely the Apostle saw great reason to rejoyce upon his view and apprehension of this no sooner did it begin to bubble in his Spirit but so soon as ever it began to work in his heart he breaks forth into Blessings of the author of it Blessed says he be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath Blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly places in Christ I shall only take notice of these 3 things that are principally comprised in the words 1. And the first is the true Gospel Relative and personal state of a Christian he is a Blessed man If there be any personally Blessed it is he if there be any that have any reserve of personal Blessings it is he if there be any that have any Relative Blessings it is he all Blessings all sorts of Blessings he is Blessed with 2. The Second thing that I would observe out of the words is this The security and certainty of these Blessings It is a work not to be done but a work that is already done Blessings not lodged in deceitful hearts but in faithful hands Blessings not betrusted with one that may miscarry but with one whom God knows cannot miscarry and therefore you may observe the Apostle here tells us that the business is done that the Blessings are given Blessed be the God and Father c. Who hath Blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in Christ Surely our Natural Blessings the Blessings of our Creation were very great Blessings our Moral Blessings were very great Blessings but not to be compared to these Spiritual Blessings neither were they so ensured For God Blessed all the Posterity of Adam with all Natural Blessings in Adam but you know what became of them but the Blessings of the New Covenant they are Spiritual Blessings no more to be trusted in the hands of any but of one whom God dare venture to trust withal therefore says he Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath Blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in Christ The third thing that is remarkable in the words is this the Author or the great Blesser Whose Glory the Apostle here doth exemplify and illustrate by his Relation unto the Lord Jesus Christ and that seems to be represented to us under this double consideration First he is the God of the Lord Jesus that died that he might purchase these Spiritual Blessings for us And Secondly He is not only the God of the purchasing Jesus but he is also his Father If there be any security or advantage arising to Christians that God is Christs God the advantage lies here and is improvable in this Case It is hâ— that Blesseth us If there be any advantage that results from the Relation that God has to Christ as a Father that was never dishonoured by him a Father that was never displeased nor grieved with him this redounds also unto Christians to illustrate the Glory of their Blessedness and to evidence the truth and certainty of their Eternal enjoyment of him he is not a God that is a God of distance in concern but he is a God concerned and not only concerned in the Relations of the Gospel to us but in all the Relations of the Gospel unto Christ who is related unto Christians So that a Christian may say the God and Father of my Lord of my head has Blessed me with all Spiritual Blessings in my Lord my head The God and Father of my Husband has Blessed me with all Spiritual Blessings in my Husband The God and Father of my Mediatour has Blessed me with all Spiritual Blessings in my Mediatour So that my Friends you may look upon God not Blessing us as a God at large but as a God engaged in Relation to Christ It is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ The same God that Blessed Adam but now God appearing as a Blessing God in another Relation and clothing himself with another Glory he Blessed him as the Creator ay but he is now Blessing Christians as the God and Father of Christ Jesus And thus now I have opened the words to you The Propositions that lie in the words are many but intending this only as an occasional discourse I shall therefore confine my self to these two or three Doct. 1 That the Blessings that properly belong unto Christians and are given to Christians they are all Spiritual Blessings Grace could never content its self infinite grace could never bound its self all the blessings a sinner stands in need of to make him a Saint and all the Blessings a Saint stands in need of to make him an Eternally Blessed Saint these are the Blessings that are the proper portion of Christians Let God dispose of temporal Blessings at his pleasure these are below the grace of God to make them the Childrens Portion Let God give them to whom he please So he do but reserve to you these that are
of a better Nature and these you see are Blessings without Limitation all Spiritual Blessings are bestowed upon Christians Surely then Christians may cry out and have reason to cry out O! What a God have we O what a Father have we O! What Fatherly grace works in the heart of our Father who has Blessed us not with some few but with all Spiritual Blessings there is not a Blessing wanting no one shall want his Blessing Doct. 2 That all the Blessings that God has bestowed upon Christians are all secured to and for Christians in Christ Jesus Christians with all the advantage of all their possible grace on this side Glory are not fit to be trusted that is to be made the sole Trustees of any one Blessing that is wrapt up in any one promise whatsoever They are not fit to be solely trusted with their pardon not fit to be solely trusted with their peace Grace hath found out a better way Grace hath chosen a better method and hath assured all and betrusted all for Christians in the hand of Christ Who hath Blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in Christ Jesus says the Apostle Doct. 3 That the God and Father as the God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ hath thus Blessed and thus betrusted Christians Blessings in the hands of Jesus Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ c. You may observe in other Scriptures a like Introduction of the Apostles Epistles with this in 2 Cor. 1.3 Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort who comforteth us c. Has any Christian any comfort why it is the God and Father of Jesus that gives them comfort has any Christian any grace given him Grace be to you and Peace from the Lord Jesus Christ He is not only our Father but he is the Father of our Lord Jesus and as he is the Father of Jesus he is the Father and Fountain of all our mercies These are the three principal Propositions that lie in the words It is only the first of these that I design if the Lord please to make the Subject of this days discourses and my design in discoursing upon it is this that I may if it be the Lords pleasure raise up your minds and fix your Hearts upon what is Spiritual and unseen God never estimated a Christian by any visible Blessings he gave him here they are not always the best Christians that are the richest or honourablest but he estimates a Christian in the ballance of the Sanctuary he is weighed with all his Spiritual Blessings if thou beest never so accomplisht if thou beest never so Blessed with temporals yet let me tell thee thou maist be found light and thou maist be found too light too when God comes to weigh thee But God estimates and weighs a Christian by what is Spiritual in him by what is unseen in him And therefore Christians I pray attend unto the opening of this inquiry Qu. What are those Spiritual Blessings wherewith God doth bless Christians in Christ Jesus In the opening of this I shall not exceed the bounds of the discoveries that the Holy-Ghost has made in this Chapter here are Spiritual Blessings enough comprized in this Chapter to take up our minds and to raise our hearts and therefore I shall confine my discourse to what I find herein discovered But before I enter into the particular resolve of it I shall only premise this in general that whatsoever I mention you must take it as the Lord intends it that is with all the advantages that are here discovered who hath Blessed us with all here is an Allness an Universality upon every Spiritual Blessing But you will say what are these Spiritual Blessings Ans I shall give you account of this in these six or seven Observations grounded upon so many several passages in this Chapter And The first is this by Spiritual Blessings I understand Eternal Election And Eternal Election is called Spiritual not because the Spirit is principal in giving being to it but because the Spirit is principal in the manage of it and in the application of it it is the Father that chooses us but it is the Spirit that manages the choice It is the Father that elects us before the Foundations of the World ay but it is the Spirit that is principally concerned in the insuring or in the accomplishing of this Election upon this or that Elect Person This Blessing the Apostle speaks of in verse 4. According says he as he hath chosen us in him before the Foundation of the World that we should be holy and without blame before him in love I pray do but observe it is an Election unto grace it is a choice that God has made from all Eternity A choice of grace and that unto the practice of grace Christians do but consider with your selves you are not only chosen to have your hearts sanctified but to have all the graces of the Spirit in your hearts exercised It is not only a personal but a practical holiness that the grace of God did eye in the Eternal choice that he made of you you it may be are under diverse Temptations under diverse fears of heart sometimes you can see something in your hearts and you bless God for that but you look into your lives and there is but little grace there and you look into you duties and it may be there is as little discoverable there but here is the Blessedness that I have stated ye are chosen that your Conversations should be filled with all practical Holiness and Godliness The Apostle clears it in that passage in the 4 verse That we should be holy and without blame before him Taking us in our whole complex consideration taking Person and Conversation God hath chosen us that we should pray without blame that we should praise him without blame that we should love him without blame and that we should be without blame before him in our whole Conversation and I pray do but observe how our Lord Jesus is concerned in the manage of this in the fifth Chapter of this same Epistle where the Apostle or rather the Holy-Ghost by the Apostle proposeth the Spiritual Husband as a pattern unto Christian temporal Husbands says he Husbands love your Wives even as Christ loved the Church verse 25. But wherein doth the excellency or eminency of Christs Love appear unto his Spouse You shall find it in the 27. verse He loved them and he goes on to Love and Love and Love he Loves them and he dyes for them he Loves them he interceeds for them he Loves them and he rules them he Loves them and he enlightens them he Loves them and he strengthens them ay but what is the great manifestation of his Love Why saies he that he might present it a Glorious Church to himself not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing
Riches of his inheritance in the Saints Now I shall shew you that all this is vouchsafed to Christians in Christ you shall find the Apostle Col. 2. v. 3. telling us that in him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Why what wisdom and knowledge Why that wisdom and that knowledge that the eternal grace of God did design for Christians so that we are blessed with this wisdom and knowledg in Christ Look into your understandings and hearts alas there is but little there there is no treasures there but look into the Lord Jesus and there are all treasures even for foolish Christians hid and lodged there in him is hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge And that the Spirit of the Lord is alike concerned in this you shall observe if you do but consult the Apostles experience in 1 Cor. 2.9 Where he speaks of things that eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor ever entered into the heart of man to conceive But says he at the 10th verse God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit The revelation of the secrets of the heart of God is made manifest or is made known unto Christians by the Spirit of God The Apostle prosecutes illustrates this mystery by that which is commonly observ'd amongst men in v. 11. For what man knoweth the things of a man save the Spirit of man which is in him I do not know the grace that is in another mans heart I do not know the secret purposes and devices that are in your hearts but your own Spirits are privy to them even so says the Apostle the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God Christians let me tell you there is no saving secret in the heart of God the Father there is no saving secret in the heart of Christ the Son but the Lord hath blessed us with the knowledge and the Revelatioâ— of that in Christ for so the Apostle says in the 16 verse For who hath known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him but we have the mind of Christ Why Blessed Paul how camest thou a persecutor to know the mind of Christ An injurious and Blasphemous wretch how camest thou to be so intimate with that Jesus whom thou persecutedst even unto death in his members Why the Apostle tells you plainly not by any natural advantage of learning though he was a learned man not by any advantage of his parts though he was a man of clear natural understanding and apprehension but says he we have the mind of Christ and that by the Spirit of God by the Spirit of Jesus Christ So that you see here is another great Spiritual blessing a revelation of saving secrets 5. Another spiritual blessing that I shall superadd is this An Vniversal heading under Christ or incorporation with Jesus Christ One would think it a wonder that ever such a man that was a limb of the Devil should be made a member of the Body of Jesus A Notorious Drunkard a Notorious Blasphemer and a dreadful and implacable persecutor of Christ and his ways that ever such a one should be incorporated into and made a member of the Lord Jesus is not this a spiritual blessing indeed A blessing wherein the Spirit of God is principally concerned in the manage of this the Apostle takes notice of verse 10. That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ both which are in Heaven and which are on earth even in him And more plainly Ephes 4.12 Where he doth expresly give us an account of the Body of the Lord Jesus Christ and he tells us there that all the gifts that were given by Christ were for the edifying of his body Do but reflect upon a passage in the 2. Chapter and there you shall see the state of sinners discovered to be as desperate and as vile as you can possibly suppose a sinners state to be Dead in trespasses and sins Children of disobedience in whom the Prince of the power of the Air the Spirit of Hell did effectually work Why Lord shall ever those be incorporated shall ever those be made members of so blessed a body as the Body of Jesus Nay this is not all but says he Ye were Children of wrath The Wrath of God smoaked against you and all the threatnings and denunciations of Gods wrath against sinners belonged to you just as an inheritance belongs to a proper and right Heir and that is not all neither but verse 12. Ye were without Christ being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the World Lord shall such as these be made members of such a blessed Body as the Body of the Lord Jesus Christ is Ay my Friends here is the great blessing that God hath Blessed us with in Christ Jesus that notwithstanding all this misery and notwithstanding the desperateness that doth attend this miserable Estate yet they are to be gathered together and headed all under one Jesus I pray take notice of one expression in the conclusion of this Chapter where he calls them all complexively considered his Body and his fulness verse 23. Which is his Body the fulness of him that filleth all in all Now my Friends this is another Spiritual blessing that God hath blessed us withal and that is heading of us under or an incorporating us into the Body of the Lord Jesus Christ so that there can be no Blessing no priviledge belong to the Head but of necessity it falls naturally down upon the Body So the head anointed the Garments shall be drenched not only Aarons Beard but the very Skirts of his Garments shall be drenched throughout Is the Head advanced into glory I tell you the Head in glory will never rest till the members of his Body that are in a vile deplorable forlorn condition here be made like unto him Father says he I will John 17.24 that those also whom thou hast given me be with me c. One would wonder that God should cast off the seed of Abraham and implant Gentiles in their Room and yet you see in Rom. 11. the Lord does thus and the Apostle concludes with this verse 33. O the depth of the Riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God That the natural branches should be cut off and Idolatours that had no promises Idolatours that had no Relations at all but only of Creatures to God and who had done more to violate their Relations and forfeit all the Priviledges of their Relations then the very Beasts of the Field and the most venomous and poisonous Toad ever did yet says the Apostle The natural branches were cut off that you might be graffed in O the depth of the riches of Gods grace Surely Christians this is a great Spiritual Blessing that the Lord is pleased to vouchsafe to us to head us under Christ We
though it be to be made a curse Now Christians if the case be so is there not great reason then that the Blessings that we have we should be blessed with them in Christ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us in him 2. But then the Second Illustration of it is this Jesus as a Saviour must not only be a sufferer but a Surety He must be one that must undertake to respond to God for all and to satisfy the justice of God for all Now Sirs what are the Blessings that we receive by his Suretiship Why truly upon the account of that we receive all Spiritual Blessings Christ is Surety that I should live like a Child of Adoption for the substance and main that my heart should be in a frame becoming those that are the Lords Adopted ones O but where is he that hath undertaken it why it is Jesus and therefore you shall find the Apostle fix it upon this very title Heb. 7.22 by so much was Jesus made a Surety of a better Testament by so much was Jesus You see here is the very Title that is given him in the Text Jesus the Saviour and Jesus the Surety for all that are saved and therefore good reason that we should be Blessed with all Spiritual blessings in him And then 5. Lastly The 5th reason that is in the words is this he hath Blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in him because he is the Christ I pray do but observe it he is the Christ And therefore good reason that all our Blessings should be lodged in him There is not another Christ in Heaven there was none of all the Angels of Heaven that were fit to make a Christ of all the Sons and Daughters of men put them all together were not fit to make a Christ of vain are the suppositions and presumptions of the Papists There is none but this Jesus that is fit to make a publick Christ of and this Jesus was anointed with all Spiritual Blessings to this end he was anointed with them in the fountain in the principle I will but turn you to one Scripture for the confirmamation of this that Jesus was anointed with all Spiritual blessings for this purpose I pray do but observe that passage there Isaiah 61.1 verse The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me I pray consider it Sirs The Spirit of the Lord is upon me for or wherewith he hath anointed me And this is the Oyl of gladness wherewith he was anointed above all his fellows Because the Lord hath anointed me To preach good tidings to the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted to proclaim liberty to the Captives and the opening the Prison to them that are bound c. I pray do but consider how he brings in the thing to my present purpose all Spiritual Blessings Thou art a poor creature a weak creature not worthy of the least crumb of Bread and yet my Friends all things are given in the Lord Christ because he was anointed with all for us therefore is it that we are blessed with all Spiritual Blessings in Christ SERMON IV. Ephesians 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly places in Christ THe state and Condition of this Church of Christ at Ephesus we have in some measure opened The suitableness of this passage of the Apostle to that their state we have also discovered To be deprived of Temporal Blessings and exposed to Temporal Troubles and Trials as well as Spiritual Temptations is easily ballanced with the discovery the Apostle here makes of being Blessed with all Spiritual Blessings This universal word is not only applied to the kinds but also to the degrees of every kind of these Spiritual Blessings It is all for the kind and all also of every kind not only faith or only love but both not only pardon or only peace but both and not only so but all of all who hath Blessed us with all Spiritual Blessings Though you have but little in hand or as I may rather say little in your own hearts yet you have all Spiritual Blessings in the hand of Christ A Third inquiry is this Quest 3 Who is it that doth bless us with all Spiritual Blessings or under what consideration are we to look upon this great Blesser Ans And I pray mind it It is not God at large neither is it God as the Creator of all but here he is discovered as clothed with his principal Gospel relations and that not to us so much as to his Son our Lord Jesus Christ It is not said our God and Father in Jesus Christ the Lord but the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ hath blessed us Before I enter upon the particular resolve of this I will only premise this in general that both these Relations or Titles that are here attributed to God have an equal respect unto all the Relations under which Jesus Christ is here considered The God of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ so that the resolve of this upon this hypothesâ—s will Issue it self in this general proposition or assertion viz. Doct. That God as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ doth bless Christians in Christ with all Spiritual Blessings I would speak these mysteries with all plainness But my Friends there is none of you those that have the greatest advantage of parts and gifts that can understand practically what I shall say without the Spirit of the Lord lead you into the truth which I shall discover to you I hope in the Spirit In the prosecution therefore of it I will only deliver my sense in these Four or Five Generals and then make improvement 1. The first is this when we say that God as the God and Father of Jesus Christ blesses us this seems to be implyed in it That all the advantages that any of the people of God in either Testament have by Gods being their God or that hangeth upon this relation they are all summ'd up in this that he as the God of our Lord Jesus blesses his people with all Spiritual blessings If so be that you reflect upon the Old Testament you shall find Abraham greatly glorying in this and the Lord laying it as a foundation of Abrahams glory Gen. 17.1 says he I am God all sufficient walk before me and be thou perfect and Chap 15. verse 1. you have another appearance of God to Abraham Says he I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward Now Sirs I pray Consider The man Jesus the Lord Jesus as betrusted with all our Spiritual blessings lies under the advantage of this relation to God if so be that God be the God of Abraham much more will he be an all sufficient God in the manage of the concerns of Abrahams seed as
me feed my lambs O Christians the great care and the great provision that is made in both Testaments and the great injunctions that are laid upon those that are concerned in the administration of both Testaments is to look after the meanest Christians which must needs discover this great truth that the meanest Christian that is a Christian indeed shall not miscarry but I shall open this further to you in two branches 1. That the least grace in the least Christian is the product of the greatest grace that works in the Blessed Trinity There is nothing in the least Christian but the great and infinite grace of the Blessed Trinity concurred to the producing of it This I would only illustrate to you by a passage of our Lord in Matth. 13. v. 31. where he compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a grain of mustard seed why what is the Kingdom of Heaven but the Administration of the Gospel according to the Eternal Counsels of God that are past in Heaven Now saies he The Kingdom of Heaven is as a grain of mustard seed Why but Lord might they say here is a grain that hath brought forth and spread abundantly this is like the Kingdom of Heaven indeed ay but saies he the little grain though it be the least of all grains is a fit similitude and comparison for the Kingdom of Heaven To what shall I liken the Kingdom of Heaven The Kingdom of Heaven saies he is like a grain of mustardseed which a man took and sowed in his field So that there is the whole resemblance of the Kingdom of Heaven even in a little grain as soon as ever it is sown as much as when it is in its greatest flourish after its full growth there is a real and a comprehensive resemblance of it in the least seed of grace that is sown in thy heart there is the Grace of the Kingdom manifested in thee the Righteousness of the Kingdom is manifested in thee The offices of all persons concerned in the Kingdom they are all manifested in thee Jesus Christs mediation and the Spirits Sanctification and the Fathers Justification these are all manifested upon the least work of grace that is wrought in thee I tell you there is a substantial manifestation of all the blessednesses of the Kingdom of Heaven in the least work of grace that is wrought upon any Heart 2. The least work of grace upon the Heart of the least Christian is a manifestation not only of the Kingdom of Heaven but a real demonstration of the Kingdom of Glory A demonstration á priori as they call it a demonstration of that which is antecedent or anantecedent demonstration of the Kingdom of Glory as well as the greatest flourishes of grace I pray Christians consider you that are young in grace you have a demonstration in you an antecedent demonstration of the Kingdom of Glory I pray what is the Kingdom of Glory but the flourish of that love that I have now wrought in me in the Kingdom of grace It is the increase of my likeness to God and to Jesus Christ in Heaven that is now begun in me this is the Kingdom of Glory Now this little work of grace is an antecedent demonstration of an incomprehensible weight of Glory that is to be put upon the People of God when they come in Heaven and this you may see evidenced in the parable that I last mentioned and in the other parables that our Lord Jesus Christ doth make use of 3. A Third Proposition is this That the greatest and dreadfullest threatnings are denounced against discouraging carriages towards those that have least grace as well as towards those that have greatest Nay let me also tell you this that although they themselves be under the tokens of Gods displeasure yet their Relation to God doth heightenthem as aggravations of their enemies carriage towards them I find not a greater threatning ever came out of the mouth of Christ Jesus when he was on Earth then this It were better say's he for that man that he had a Milstone hanged about his neck and he cast into the midst of the Sea then he should offend one of these little ones that believeth on me he speaks not of little ones as to nature but of little ones as to grace The design of the Jews was to lay stumbling blocks before the little ones that is those that had a little love to Christ those that had a little Faith on Christ those whose hearts were engaged by that little fire of grace that was in them to follow the Lord Jesus Christ Says Christ If any man doth offend one of these little ones it were better for him that a Milstone were hanged about his neck and he cast into the midst of the Sea But I shall open this likewise in these two branches 1. Gods severest execution of threatnings takes its rise from the adversaries carriage towards the least of those that belong to him As for instance you know God threatned that he would have perpetual War with Amaleck and why with Ameleck more then with Moab or with Edom or the other Nations that gave disturbance to his People you shall find the reason to be because they watched their opportunity and smote the hinmost of the People they did not march upon the front of the People but they watched their advantage and they smote the hinmost and feeblest of the People therefore says God I will have perpetual War with Amaleck and this lay as it were reserved in the Bosom of God till the first King that ever appeared upon the Throne of Israel Saul was not commanded to rally his Forces and go against Egypt that Old Enemy that Old Oppressor nor against Moab and those that inveigled them and inticed them in the matter of Baal Peor but go says God to Saul and utterly destroy Amalek 1 Sam. 15. from off the face of the Earth And Saul he did spare none but poor King Agag and God was so incensed against him that he sent Samuel his Prophet to him to tell him that God had rent the Kingdom of Israel from him at the 28. v. because he did not execute the fierceness of his wrath against Amalek for smiting the hindmost of the People and those that were feeble amongst them as they came out of Egypt And truly Friends this is the design and hath been all along the design of your spiritual adversaries they seldom march upon the Front but in the Spirit of Amalek they wait for their advantage upon those that are weak and feeble And for my part I do think that this will be one of the greatest aggravations of the sin of the Devils that they have Tempted the little ones that have followed Jesus Christ I pray take notice of another passage concerning the poor and weak condition the people of Israel were in the time of Obadiah you shall find in that Prophecy that the Assyrians came upon them and makes a