salvation is not onely intimated Isa 45.22,23 but insisted on Rom. 10.8.9,10 If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus thou shalt be saved for with the mouth confession is made to salvation 'T is in vain to plead for salvation upon believing with the mind if there be not confession also with the mouth in a capable subject An habitual disposition to confess all the known truths of Christ is still found in all such as are saved 1 Jo. 5.10.14 Job 34.22 And though there may be found in such an actual declining of that confession they may be called to make at some times and under strong tentations which we read to have been in Jeremy and Moses as well as in Jonah yet an allowed and habitual declining of and with-drawing from the confession of Jesus in any his known truths and ways is not consistent with a state of salvation For God doth not will not save them that go on in any allowed iniquity Ps 68.21 125.5 3 Is not God celebrated or glorified by it Yea if you confess that Jesus Christ is Lord it is to the glory of the Father Phil. 2.11 And will you not glorifie the Father who is so willing to glorifie you and hath created and kept you for his glory Ps 4.3 Is 43 7.21 Sirs you break all the bonds wherein you stand indebted to him as Creatures as Men as Christians if you do not glorifie him And you cannot glorifie himself but in and through his Son Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 4.11 Col. 3.17 4 Hath not God himself confessed Christ in a sense witnessed and attested to his excellencies Yea by an immediate voice from heaven once and again Math. 3.17 17 5. And our Savior instanceth and improveth this testimony Jo. 5.32 8.18 O you that call God Father why are you so flat so fearful should you not be followers of him as dear children according to your several capacities and callings He received from God the Father honor and glory when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased Eph 5. â— 2 Pet 1.17 and shall he receive no honor from you whom he hath so richly honored 5 'T is a glory that God put 's upon you when he calleth you forth to confess his Son Jesus Christ The godly have acknowledged it to be such Jo 21.24 Act. 26.16 and God accounts it to be such Joh. 1.7 Act. 9.15 None of the Angels were ever called to confess Christ in a passive way as you are who are called to suffer for him Nor any other of the creatures can confess him in an active way as you may who are called to speak of and for him and to perform reasonable service to him Consider this and can you be henceforth averse to what so much concerns both your eternal glory in the highest heavens and your eminent glory here upon earth likewise II. Look you to our glorified Savior Brethren 1 How is he dignified He hath a name above every name he is the brightness of his Fathers glory the express image of his person far exalted above all principalities and powers c Is he not worthy of your witnessing to Is there any cause of shame as to him Or covert for silence as to you Where can you match me with such matter of confession and for celebration Lo the thousands of thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand that are saying with loud acclamations Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing c. Rev 5 11,12,13 4,11 2 How he is described The witness the faithful witness the faithful and true witness Rev. 1.5 3.14 He faithfully declared the whole will of his Father that was requisite for us either to know or do in order to our happiness Jo. 15.15 Heb. 3.2 And can we preachers or people unfaithfully detain what is due from us to acknowledge to his honor especially when our own happiness is bound up therewith also His followers are described by their faithfulness and by having his Fathers name written not in their backs or in their breasts or in their hands more occultly but in their foreheads more observedly and openly and they follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth Rev. 17.14 14.1,4 3 What is he doing Now that he is entred to the holiest of all and hath enough to take up his heart to all eternity Yet is he bearing our names upon his heart as the high priest did the names of the tribes upon his breast-plate for a memorial before the Lord continually Exod. 28.29,30 He is now appearing and advocating for us to his Father and against our accusers Hebr. 6.20 9.24 1 Jo. 2.1 with Rev. 12.10 Where is our loyalty and thankfulness where is our love and tenderness while so many assume the liberty of appearing against him of accusing and condemning him in his holy word ways and worship that yet there are so few found to appear for him and plead his cause against the wicked and to advocate his concernments before the world was it so in the primitive times even in the most terrible of persecutions You know it was not where then is your faith love sense zeal or gratitude 4 What a disquisition doth he make True it is that as to his bodily presence he is now in heaven But his eyes behold his eye-lids try the children of men And if you shall deny his name decliâ—e his truths and interest or defile his worship and institutions shall he not search it out Yea he seeth it and will requite it with his hand his eyes are as a flame of fire he seeth by his own light as fiery eyes are said to do needeth not any forreign light or medium to see or judge by He searcheth the inmost recesses of the heart and actions he will easily pierce and break thorough all those subtil coverts and secret vails of self-ease sensual indulgencies self-interest c. which men weave unto themselves and he will burn them up He knoweth his confessors in the Asian Churches by name and signally commends them he knoweth the careless temporizers and Laodicean neuters and severally chides and threatens them Rev ch 2 and 3. III. Look you to the glorified Spirits Angels and souls made perfect Lo there the Thrones and Crowns of and for the true confessors None that did ever here seal a good confession but are there set down with Christ in his kingdom Rev. 3.21 Mat. 19.28 Yea behold not onely the glorified condition of every true confessor but how they have and do give testimony to our Lord in glory Rev. 19.6,7 10.6.9.11 Behold the Angels those glorious Spirits 1 How gratefully they are imployed herein as their highest work and business These Golden Cherubims are still with greatest admiration looking on and with greatest affection looking into the ark of God the things of Christ which are now reported
Jerusalem 6. § Sixthly and lastly look you outward behold the spirit of glory rests upon you the sequel will be victory to you you are secured in your lives till you have finished your testimony and secured in your liberties so far as it may further your testimony I. First The spirit of glory rests upon you while you are vilified for your testimony If ye be reproached for the name of Christ happy are you for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you On their part he is evil spoken of but on your part he is glorified 1. Pet. 4.14 You may bind such contumelies to you as a crown of glory and as a Diadem of beauty T is a grace a great grace that is put upon you Phil. 1.7 Acts 4.33 Others curses do but contribute to your blessedness Here Christ Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you when they shall separate you from their company and cast out your name as evil and shall say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake Rejoyce and be exceeding glad c. Rejoyce and leap for joy c. Mat. 5.11,12 Luke 6.22,23 II. Secondly The sequel will be victory to your testimony if not a vindication of your selves too Oh the succession of conquests which have been made down along all ages by the sealed confessions of the sacred martyrs What acclamations are there victory victory Now is come salvation and strength and the Kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ For the accuser of our brethren is cast down c. How overcame they By the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony For they loved not their lives to the death Rev. 12.11,12 True it is that the Christian may lose but Christ gains The confessour falls many times in the quarrel but the cause riseth by his fall And if it cost you bonds so Christ and his Church gave liberty nay if it cost your blood so these live by your death you have lain in prison and presented your lives in martyrdom to good purpose Farther it may be attended with your vindication also Philadelphia kept his word and denied not the name of Christ Therefore saith he Behold I will make them of the Synagogue of Satan which say they are Jews but are not but do lie I will make them to come and worship before thy feet and to know that I have loved thee Rev. 3.8,9 There were white robes given to every one of them that were slain for the Word of God and for the testimony which they held Rev. 6. Vntil the number of their brethren which should be killed as they were should be fulfilled ver 9 10 11. Let the adversary know they shall see and be ashamed for their envy to Gods people And such as cast out the holy confessors for his name sake saying let the Lord be glorified our Lord Jesus in his own time shall appear to the joy of these and they shall be ashamed Yea shame shall cover their faces which said unto these where is the Lord your God Isa 26.11 66.5 Mic 7 8,9,10 III. Thirdly You are secured in your lives till you have finished your testimony You are immortal till your witnesse is delivered and your work is done And who can desire to live longer that liveth in and for God here and hopeth to live with God in glory hereafter when he hath finished his work he had to do in grace 'T is said when the two witnesses had finished their testimony then and not till then the beast that ascended out of the bottomlesse pit overcame and killed them Rev. 12.7 They never fell till their testimony was finished O ye believers the year month week day hour of your end or death and of effecting their design is under a divine limit When our Saviour taught in the Treasury and therein to the very teeth of his adversaries so that they might have easily taken him in the eye of second causes and by wicked hands have slain him yet as full of enraged malice as they were no man laid hold on him Why what was the reason 'T is immediately subjoyned For his hour was not yet come John 8.20 But when that hour once came they forthwith laid hands upon him and led him away to Caiaphas and so to crucifying Luke 22.53,54 Fear not them then which can kill the body so as to flee or forbear thy duty For besides that they have no more that they can do Luke 12.4 they are under an almighty restraint in this also The daies and accidents of your lives yea the very hairs of your heads are all numbred Not only the essential or integral parts of his confessours but the very excrementitious are under the lock and key the care and custody of their Lord Christ Job 14.5 Luke 12.7 Mat. 10.30 And when you have finished your course and filled up your confession let the enemy kill you he cannot hurt you He shall but let your soul out of prison which is therewith immediately let into his presence who forthwith crowns his faithful confessours with a crown of righteousness 2 Tim. 4.7,8 Phil. 1.20,21,23 IV. Fourthly You are secured in your libertie too so far as it will further your testimony And can you reasonably expect or religiously endeavour more So long as liberty will best serve the ends for which you were made are maintained or new-made you shall be sure to have it i.e. so long as it will be most useful for you to serve God by it He ensured Paul as much Acts 18.9,10 23.10,11 26.16,17 And you may by faith warrant your interest in the same promises as far as concerns the same profession and your continued preservation will best promote the same ends The particular security or promise to Joshua is applied as of general extent to all that professe and imbrace Jesus Josh 1.5 Heb. 13.5 Nay the more eminently you keep up the life of profession the more indearedly will he keep the liberty of your persons as it may and will best subserve the same in a loose and perverse generation You have his promise Because thou hast kept the word of my patience I also will keep thee from the hour of tentation which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth Rev. 3.10 Away with your fears then and act faith The gates of hell all the united power and policy thereof shall never be able to prevail against sincere profession though they may sharplie persecute it Mat. 16.18 Nor Satan himself nor any his subtilest and strongest agents and instruments can touch either your selves or states till God suffereth it whose glory you are pleading for and whose Gospel you professe They cannot move one link further then he lets them out the chain in whose hands it is Rev. 20.1,2 Job c. 1 and 2 'T is true your profession may cost some of you a prison But your denial of him will cost you
shall be made as Grass and forgettest the Lord thy Maker c. Fear thou not loe I am with thee be not dismaied for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the Right-hand of my righteousness Fear not thou worm Jacob and ye men of Israel I the Lord thy God will hold thy right-hand c. Isa 51.12,13 41.10 17. Turn your fears then into the right proper channel turn them in upon sin and upon the severities of God for sin But stand fast in the Faith quit quit you like men and strive together for the faith of the Gospel 1 Cor. 16.13 Phil. 1.27 Be not afraid of their terrours nor be troubled But fanctifie the Lord God in your hearts and let him be your fear and your dread and so be you ready alwayes to give to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meeknesse and fear Being nothing terrified by your adversaries which is to them an evident token of perdition but to you of salvation and that of God 1. Pet. 3.14,15 Phil. 1.28 2 Quicken and keep up such affections as have good for their object especially spiritual love hope and joy First Quicken and keep up love If you love Christ how can you be loath to confess Holy love fetches in fixeth and fireth the interiour minde and exteriour members to and for its beloved The love of Christ saith Paul constrains us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it hath hems in and holds in the whole man together and there is no getting out from the holy siege and coarctation of this holy love 2 Cor. 5,14 Love unites the strength of the soul within it self and upon its object beloved and the streams thereof never flow more freely then when it can vent and unbosom it selfe in the confessions and commendations of this object most fully How sick was the Spouse of love to Christ and therewith to be declaring of discussing about and dilating upon her dearest and altogether lovely Cant. 5.8 ad sinem 2.5 c. Love is venturous vehement victorious and will at no hand be either flattered and bribed out of or frighted and beaten from Christ or any of his concernments Christian love is an holy Fire that is quenched by none but consumeth all the waters of adversity and affliction that are cast upon or come near unto it Cant 8.6,7 Christian love facilitates also and makes the difficulties of the Command and of the Cross easie amiable admirable and to no small degree desirable and delicious 1 Iohn 5.3 2. Cor. 12.10 Did Iacobs service seem but a few dayes to him for the love that he had to Rachel Gen. 29.20 Oh! how easie will be the yoak how light will be the burden of confession to us when our hearts are once over powered with divine love to this dear Redeemer Cantic 1.3,4 2.3 c. Secondly Quicken and keep up hope The Aspect and Acts of divine hope refer you all to Christ that he may be glorified by you in the confession of him and you may be glorified with him in his confession of you who is the Object of our hope 1 Tim. 1.1 Phil. 1.20 Eph. 1.12 Tit. 1.13 Acts 28.20 Sirs this holy hope will anchor and rest your hearts in the greatest stormes you now foresee or shall feel and find While those threaten shipwrack to the faithful Confessors beneath this hath firme anchoridge within the veil above so that even then you may have strong consolation through the power and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God and our Father Hebr. 6.18,19 1 Thes 1.3 Christians will you but cast out this anchor you may ride out the most violent times and tempests with an unmoveable and unshaken confidence as Iob and David have done before you Job 19.13 29. Psal 16.8 ad finem Sirs this holy hope will assure and rejoyce your hearts and that in the greatest straits that are or can come upon you for confessing the Name of Jesus This hath Cordial and Celestial waters in its hand for you to revive you in every swoon and refresh you in every sadness Oh Christians how may you rejoyce in hope of the Glory of God and glory in tribulations also Rom. 12.12 5 2-6 No marvel if your hearts are sad when your hopes are sunk Quicken and call forth these hopes often into act and employment And think it not enough that you have but you must hold fast the confidence and rejoycing of your hopes firme and stedfast unto the end Heb. 3.6,14 Thirdly Quicken and keep up joy Joy sets open the doors of the soule to let in all encouraging means and motives Fears shrivel contract and straiten the heart but Joy dilates and widens and enlarges it to do the utmost duties and indure the utmost dangers that may come upon us for confessing Christs Name 2 Cor. 6.4 12. Joys strengthen whereas fear and grief weaken The Joy of the Lord is our strength Nehem 8.10 Joy sweetens whereas fear and grief embitters the affliction that is coming on It sweetens the Cross and so contemns the shame that it cast upon him for the sake of Christ yea and counts it his Credit his Crown and blesseth that happy Providence that calls him forth to witnesse and counts him worthy to suffer for the Name of Jesus Heb. 12.2 Acts 5.41 I am filled with comfort saith Paul I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation 2 Cor. 7.4 Maintain your comforts then as you would maintain the Interest of Christ and pay your debt of Confession Let your course be finished with joy and your confession will be full of ingenuity and freedom Act. 20.24 yield not to your own despondencies upon increasing difficulties Count a joy all joy when you fall into divers temptations Here is no reason for any retractation without or of racking fears griefs or cares within Rejoyce rather in as much as ye are made partakers of Christs sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed ye may be glad also with exceeding joy Jam. 1.2 1 Pet. 4.13 Sect. 3. Thirdly be strong in the spirit The flesh will pull you back and at best profits nothing 'T is the spirit alone that can savingly impower and enable you to a suitable and sincere Confession of Jesus Christ No man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost Jo. 6.63 1 Cor. 12.3 Set not about it then in thine own strength which is weakness But be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Alas what are all created streams of strength without the fresh supplies from the spring and fountain of it God himself Eph. 6.10 Psal 73.26 Sollicit Heaven then as well as strive with thine own heart that thou mayst be strengthned by Gods spirit in the inner man In that thy strength is so little and the service is so great ply heaven the harder and fetch down a